I first found out about Lindi Ortega and her 2015 album Faded Gloryville. A great album. With Ortega's latest release, a four song EP Til the Goin' Gets Gone, there is none of the quirky playfulness found on Gloryville or her previous release, Tin Star.
Ortega went through some stuff, moved back to her native Canada, leaving Nashville behind. From what I understand, she almost quit music altogether. The four songs on the EP are dark, brooding, somewhat cynical, introspective. There is some real heavy stuff packed into a small package.
And you know what? This is Lindi Orega's best work. I don't know where she goes from here. Maybe it's a catharsis which leads to something else. Maybe it's a farewell. Whatever it is, it needs to be listened to and celebrated.
The closing song is called "Final Bow". I hope it's not.
I can't equate this to anything, really, but I hope it follows the same trajectory as Butch Walker. Afraid of Ghosts was similar in it's introspection and darkness, then followed by the upbeat Stay Gold.
Who knows what is in store for Lindi Ortega going forward, but we will all be poorer if this is the last music she makes.
I purposefully didn't go into specific songs. Everyone needs to relate to them in their own way, but every song will relate to you in some way.
I'm going to preface this with that I don't really listen to mainstream or established artists. So these albums are of the independent/non-mainstream nature.
I was going to do a top 10 or 20 or 17 or whatever, but you know what, for me it's these five albums. There will be another post with many deserving albums to follow. What I found in 2016 was five albums that really, really resonated with me. And my criteria is pretty simple: No skip-worthy songs. I'll include a youtube of my favorite song from the album where available.
In no particular order (not even alphabetical, just random) here are the albums:
Dorothy - ROCKISDEAD
The satirical album title belies the fact that Dorothy does rock. And rocks well. Band namesake and singer Dorothy Martin is a treasure for rock fans. Her vocals are bluesy, sultry, smokey and at times slutty. But don't discount this band as a one woman show, the band has a sound straight out of the swampy south. I don't care how a Los Angeles based band gets there, but it works. For me this is one of the most complete rock albums put out recently. It holds up against Guns' Appetite For Destruction and Halestorm's The Strange Case of... in recent memory of an album that you don't skip songs.
Elizabeth Cook - Exodus of Venus
I knew of Elizabeth Cook. I enjoyed her work. Then she just blew it out of the water with Exodus of Venus. It's a departure from what you have heard of her before, and the departure resulted in her best work, by far. There is not a bad song on the album. Yeah, I know, that's a requirement for this list, but if you can disagree, then talk to me, I'm willing to debate, and I think I'll win.
Whiskey Myers - Mud Mud is what Southern Rock sounds like. In 1977 or 2016. It's Southern Rock through and through. There are many sensibilities that won't play on the coasts. As a band that cut their teeth on the Texas country circuit, Whiskey Myers definitely shows their roots, but if you listen, they are more of a 70s Southern Rock/jam band than Texas country. And that's a good thing.
Rob Baird - Wrong Side of the River
This is my big album on what the hell genre is this? Yeah, it's got some rock. It's got some country. It's got some Americana (whatever the hell that is). But really what it is, is a fine collection of damned good songs. This is the album you put on and just listen. Taking a road trip, on your front porch/balcony, with friends, with musicians, with rockers, with country music fans, with anybody. It's that kind of record.
Butch Walker - Stay Gold
Butch Walker put out one the best albums of 2015 with Afraid of Ghosts. It was dark and poignant. Stay Gold is fun and nostalgic. I prefer both. But I just like good music. Butch Walker consistently makes good music. There is a bonus for those of my generation in that the nostalgia includes S.E. Hinton. You either get that reference or you don't. And that's OK.
I've been hearing some buzz around Aaron Lee Tasjan and his new album, Silver Tears, coming out October 28. Tasjan has released two singles in advance of the full album. I will not listen to them because I want the full album experience.
However, I did delve into his previous releases, 2015's album In The Blazes and 2014's five-song EP Crooked River Burning.
What did I find? Excellent songwriting, first of all. But what intrigued me more was the growth between to the two releases. While the EP had all the the signs of a first release of an artist finding his way, In The Blazes found the singer/songwriter settling into a comfortable groove.
The songs are better. Crooked River Burning was steeped in Americana yet In The Blazes skews more towards the roots rock of Butch Walker and Ryan Adams. And it just sounds like someone coming into their own as an artist.
I could be burned by the new album, but even so, that doesn't take away from what came before. And In The Blazes is worth your time.
Here is a live acoustic version of "E.N.S.A.A.T." For those that need prompts, that comes from the line in the chorus, "Move out to East Nashville and write a Song About ATrain".
I was hooked when I first heard the chorus to Butch Walker's "Stay Gold": "You gotta stay gold, now Ponyboy"
That line comes from the book The Outsiders, later made into a movie of the same name, a book I first read while in junior high school. The first song brought out a sense of nostalgia in me that stays throughout the album Stay Gold.
Walker's last album, Afriad of Ghosts, was introspective, dark, melancholy and at times, a hard listen. Stay Gold is nostalgic, lighter while still introspective and every bit as good. Really, it's just a good rock album with some country-ish Americana leanings.
Much of Stay Gold reminds me of, though not derivative of, the music from the 80's movie Eddie and the Cruisers. It has that same kind of vibe. In fact the album really has an overall 80's music kind of vibe, you know the good stuff like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty.
There is something for country music fans with "Descending", the duet with country singer Ashley Monroe, with the line "I just want you to worry about me, every once in a while / I just need a sign of life to get me by."
Overall, it's just a great record to put on and drive, or sit on the patio with friends and adult beverages. No skips necessary.
Here's the lyric video to the title track, check out the dude in the back with afro, ironically not dressed in gold.
First of all, let me make it clear that these are not necessarily the best or most popular or most significant albums of 2015. These are my favorite albums that I have listened to more than once or twice. It's my list.
I'll link to the album spotlights and interviews from this blog. There won't be any commentary in this post.
The list would be shorter if I were genre specific or only listened to mainstream stuff. This is about good music that I like. And I don't listen to much of anything mainstream. I listed my favorite albums of 2015 and came up with 24. This honorable mention list will include the 14 that didn't make the top ten.
The artist's name will link to my posts, the album name will link to the artist's web site.
These are my favorite albums released so far in the 1st quarter of 2015 that I've heard. The list is not all-encompassing, as it only includes records I've listened to. I reserve the right to update this list as I find new stuff released in January, February and March of this year. The list will be fluid. And I plan on doing one for each quarter of 2015. And none of this music actually exists, as it is not played on mainstream radio.
Music. New music. Good new music. That's what I'm loving right now. And there is some good stuff out there. And that's just the stuff that I've found.
I probably wouldn't have said that two years ago. Everything new that I heard on the radio, I did not like. Therefore, I mistakenly assumed that nobody was putting out any good music. Then I fired my local radio stations and took matters into my own hands.
Spotify, blogs, YouTube and Twitter have led me to the land of good music. If i never hear another Florida Georgia Line song, I will be thankful. I'm not even sure what an Iggy Azalea is. The only Iggy I know is Iggy Pop.
We are only three months in to 2015 and there have already been several good records released. The only problem is that you are not going to hear any of that on the radio.
My little place here on the internet is dedicated to featuring good music that I like. I don't have the time or energy to spend listening to and then writing about stuff I don't like. I'll leave that to someone else.
Records that have come out in 2015 that I like, so far include:
You've seen some of this in previous posts, but here's all the music I've been loving the past week:
Stumbled upon this Seattle-based alt rock/Americana singer/songwriter on Bandcamp.
Here's Kate Lynne Logan with "Whiskey Sea" from her album Animal Dreams.
Maybe because it's February, it seems like what I've been loving lately has been on the more melancholy introspective side. But the new Butch Walker record Afraid of Ghosts is so good. I wrote more about it here. This is what may or may not be my favorite track, "21+".
I promise more diversity next time, but this really is what I'm loving right now. So here's another singer/songwriter. From her Blackbirds album, here is Gretchen Peters with "Black Ribbons".
Sometimes I don't even remember how I find stuff. This is the case with Salvation Jayne, a blues rock outfit hailing from Kent, England. This is "Black Eyes" from their three song digital record I'll Be Damned! Good stuff if you like your blues a little rocked out and dirty.
Lastly, this one comes from an album I've been looking forward to for months. The latest Blackberry Smoke record Holding All The Roses came out last week. I was not disappointed. These countrified Southern rockers delivered. Here's "Let Me Help You (Find The Door)". Warning: a couple of maybe NSFW words, depending on where you're at.
That's what I've been loving. Hope I at least expanded you musical horizons beyond what's played on the radio.
Butch Walker's latest release Afraid of Ghosts is a hard listen. But it's oh so good. It's not going to be played at any parties. It's not the record you put on in the summertime with the top down. It's the kind of record you listen to late at night driving by yourself in the middle of nowhere in a cold mist. Or home alone in an introspective mood.
Afraid of Ghosts is all about ghosts and loss and death and heartache and heartbreak and hope. That last word was not a typo. If you can wade through all the sorrow, keep going because there is someone counting on you.
That being said, I knew it was good on first listen. But after several spins, it gets better. If you are prepared to take a journey into the deep, dark recesses of a man's soul, this record is for you. Consider yourself forewarned. It's not for the faint of heart.
I think Walker himself put it best in his note on the YouTube post for "21+":
"so I wrote a song called “21+”…. and no, it’s not a Florida Georgia line song about trying to get into a bar with a fake ID, cooler full of cold beer, pickup truck, girl, babe, angel, tight jeans yada yada yada… sorry. it’s actually just a sad song with a total bummer of a lyric…. for your sad days. but i like it. so here it is" Here is the video for "Bed On Fire", which is a bit disturbing in and of itself.
Butch Walker's latest album Afraid of Ghosts dropped today. He had released a few singles leading up to the release. "21+" was one of them. What a great song.
I'm just now getting into the entire record, but this song I'll share now. Hauntingly beautiful.
But the best part may be what he wrote on the youtube note:
"so I wrote a song called “21+”…. and no, it’s not a Florida Georgia line song about trying to get into a bar with a fake ID, cooler full of cold beer, pickup truck, girl, babe, angel, tight jeans yada yada yada… sorry. it’s actually just a sad song with a total bummer of a lyric…. for your sad days. but i like it. so here it is."
I first found out about Lindi Ortega and her 2015 album Faded Gloryville. A great album. With Ortega's latest release, a four song EP Til the Goin' Gets Gone, there is none of the quirky playfulness found on Gloryville or her previous release, Tin Star.
