Jon Runsey's Top 10 & Honorable Mentions

John Runsey of the "Four Strong Winds" show on KVMR in Nevada City, CA offers both his Top 10 of 2013 and his Honorable Mentions:

Top 10 11

10.  Jaime Michaels, Unknown Blessings, fromdahart
10.  Spark and Whisper, Ghost Towns, Self
9.  Si Kahn, Bristol Bay, Strictly Country Records
8.  Mara Levine,Jewels and Harmony,Mara Levine
7.  Monocle Band, Monocle Band, Monocle Band
6,  Slaid Cleaves, Still Fighting The War, Music Road Records
5.  Spuyten Duyvil, Temptation, Spuyten Duyvil Music
4.  Passenger, All the Little Lights, Nettwerk
3.  John McCutcheon, 22 Days, Appalsongs
2.  Erik Balkey, Everything is Great, Hudson Harding Music
1.  Brother Sun, Some Part of the Truth, Brother Sun Music

Honorable Mention       
        
* Jed Marum, The South Wind, Boston Road Records

* Friction Farm, I read your book, Self

* Rita Hosking, Little Boat, Rita Hosking

* David Mallett, Greenin' Up, North Road Records

* Various Artists, Woody Guthrie at 100, Legacy Records

* Dave Van Ronk, Down in Washington Square: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

* Paul Simon, Over the Bridge of Time, Legacy Recordings

* Tom Rush, Celebrates 50 Years of Music, Appleseed

* Boxcar Lillies, Shugar Shack, Self

* James Keelaghan, History - The First 25 Years, Borealis

* Della Mae, This World Oft Can Be, Rounder

* Larry Diehl, Close to the Soul, Larry Diehl

* Mustard's Retreat, A Good Place to be, Self

A wonderful piece on Guy Clark and his musical career

John Spong offers a fabulous and insightful look of and at Guy Clark and Susanna Clark.





 

John Platt's faves of 2013

John Platt/WFUV offers up his faves from 2013:

Favorite CDs of 2013

* *Sam Baker*, *Say Grace*
(Not a newcomer, but new to me this year, with an album of haunting songs)

* *Dawes*, *Stories Don’t End*
(The best songs Jackson Browne didn’t write this year)

* *Simone Dinnerstein & Tift Merritt*, *Night*
(Women from different worlds – classical pianist and singer-songwriter – meet for a creative collaboration)

* *Iron & Wine*, *Ghost on Ghost*
(Sam Beam embraces influences ranging from the Beach Boys to Charles Mingus)

* *The Jammin’ Divas*, *Across the Stony Ridges*
(Four women – from the U.S., Australia, Ireland, and Israel – backed by a
bassist from St. Louis, prove the power of cross-pollination)

* *The Levins*, *My Friend Hafez*
(A married musical couple creates inspiring songs from the words of a 14th
century Persian poet)

* *The Lone Bellow*, *The Lone Bellow*
(A Brooklyn-based trio with melodic hooks and soulful harmonies)

* Bobby McFerrin, *Spirityouall*
(Music's Renaissance man shows his spiritual side, while paying homage to his classically-trained father.)

* J*ean Rohe*, *Jean Rohe & the End of the World Show*
(A remarkable young woman from Brooklyn who’s absorbed music from around the world)

* *Various Artists*, *Sing Me the Songs: Celebrating the Works of Kate
McGarrigle*
(Stirring performances by Kate’s family and friends, drawn from concerts in
London, new York, and Montreal

More Listening Pleasure:
 
*Brother Sun*, *Some Part of the Truth*

*Mary Gauthier*, *Live at Blue Rock*

*The Henry Girls*, *The Henry Girls*

*Jason Isbell*, *Southeastern*

*Jack’s Waterfall*, *Everybody’s Music*

*James Maddock*, *Another Life*

*Tara O’Grady*, *A Celt in the Cotton Club*

*Over the Rhine*, *Meet Me at the Edge of the World*

*Amy Speace*, *How to Sleep in a Stormy Boat*

*Spuyten Duyvil*, *Temptation*, and too many others to mention…

Favorite Songs of 2013
(Alphabetical by artist)

*Dawes*, "From a Window Seat"

*Michael Franti* & Spearhead, "Life Is Better With You"

*Iron & Wine*, "The Desert Babbler"

*Lorde*, "Royals"
(Not for Sunday Breakfast, but who can resist it?)

*Moby*, "The Perfect Life"

*Willie Nile*, "American Ride"

*Over the Rhine*, "All Over Ohio"

*Jean Rohe & The End of the World*, "Umbrella"

*Amy Speace*, "The Sea & the Shore"
(A duet with John Fullbright)

*The Levins*, "Dropping Keys"

*The Lone Bellow*, "You Never Need Nobody"

Sara Elizabeth Campbell has passed

Benjamin Wermund details the life and the passing of Sara Elizabeth Campbell who is probably best known musically for "Geraldine and Ruthie May."

Below is video of Campbell performing.

"Hard Times in Dublin Again" -- Paul Hourican

Paul Hourican sings of the declawed Celtic Tiger and the resulting human chaos.

"Christmas in Paradise" -- Mary Gauthier

Here's one more. First the lyrics:

Davey stole a Christmas tree from K-Mart last night
Red ribbons and silver bells, angels dressed in white
He tied, it to the bridge rail so passing cars could see
He danced a little dance up there, looked down and smiled at me

My bed is a lawn chair, cushions keep it soft
I sleep in the open air, under the Southern Cross
Next to the golf course by the Hyatt Hotel
Davey he is a friend of mine and we get along pretty well

Christmas in paradise under the Cow Key Bridge
Where the warm breeze blows so nice
And the landlord forgives

Snowbirds on the golf course wear Bermuda shorts and Polo shirts
Some play pretty good some play so bad it hurts
We pick up their golf balls that fly over the fence
We shine 'em up a little bit and sell 'em back for fifty cents

Christmas in paradise under the Cow Key Bridge
Where the warm breeze blows so nice
And the landlord forgives

I won't lie, we just get by but we'll be eating good tonight
Christmas dinner at 5 o'clock over at the Church of Life
They don't care who you are, they don't ask what you done
Come on down and bring a friend there's plenty for everyone

Christmas in paradise under the Cow Key Bridge
Where the warm breeze blows so nice
And the landlord forgives

The radio plays Christmas songs while we get high
And Davey shouts, Merry Christmas y'all
To the cars passing by
Davey shouts, Merry Christmas y'all
To the cars passing by

"American Noel" -- Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer

From the late Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer.

First the lyrics:

Three wise men
Riding hard through the cold
Lost on some big city street
With no place warm to go
They are looking for a manger
Or a sign in the lights
But they're a long way from Bethlehem tonight  

But they heard about a savior
And a preacher in the)park
Who will camp with the homeless
Where they shiver in the dark
He'll deliver salvation
To the weary and the cold
And he'll bring joy joy joy to the wandering sou

The cleaning lady sighs
As she closes up the gate
'Cause this job don't quite pay the bills
And she's always working late
But all in a moment
Comes a light from above
It's an angel speaking words of joy and love 

And he tells her of a savior
And a preacher in the park
Who will camp with the homeless
Under bridges in the dark
He'll deliver salvation
To the weary and the cold
And he'll bring )oy joy joy to the wandering soul  

Four in the morning
At the Tradewinds Motel
The register reads "all full up"
And the clerk thinks just as well
But out in the tool shed
'Round an old Coleman lamp
A little family makes its meager camp 
The Wise Men bring presents
And the angels gather round
The cleaning lady slips in through the door without a sound
And an old black dog
Looks on with the rest
At the little babe up on his mother's breast

And there comes a savior
And a preacher in the park
And he camps with the homeless
Where they shiver in the dark
He delivers salvation
To the weary and the cold
And he brings joy joy joy to the wandering soul 
And he brings joy joy joy to the wandering soul