of 10 songs I loved from 2007. These are the tunes
lingering on my lips over the last 12 months.
1. "Paranoia in B-flat Major" Avett Brothers. "You
can't make everybody happy all of the time." Truer
words were never sung. Don't miss the falsetto section
at the end of the tune -- proof that these guys are
positively fearless.
2. "Cigarette State" Robbie Fulks. Robbie put out a
mostly live album in 2007 and, for this North
Carolinian, this track was a slice of Tar Heel heaven.
Favorite line: "Alabama's grand -- the state, not the
band."
3. "Old Ways" Dr. Dog. Philadelphia's unsung heroes
practically made my year by singing this quirky gem on
David Letterman.
4. "Please Read the Letter" Robert Plant and Alison
Krauss. At first, I wasn't blown away by the tracks I
heard from "Raising Sand." Then I caught wind of this
tune, and I was swooning.
5. "Smoke Detector" Rilo Kiley. Jenny Lewis sings "I
took a man back to my room, I was smoking him in bed."
Hubba-hubba.
6. "Now, Now" St. Vincent. I got into St. Vincent late
in 2007 -- thanks to my man Joe Atkinson sharing the
CD "Marry Me" with me. She's the indie-rock Julie
Andrews -- in a good way.
7. "Identity Theft" Nellie McKay. I heard this song
once and it lodged in my brain for the rest of the
year. Yes, it's a little corny. But that's part of Ms.
McKay's charm. Her rapping is irresistibly bad.
8. "Pointless Drinking" Amy LaVere. Beautiful
heartache. I'm sad I didn't get to see LaVere at the
Jewish Mother in 2007. Any woman who sings like this
and plays upright bass has my undying devotion.
9. "I Want You to Want Me" Holmes Brothers. The
brothers from Christ Church, VA, reshape the Cheap
Trick hit from a power-pop nugget to a glowing gospel
lament.
10. "Take a Chance" the Magic Numbers. Why can't we
get the Magic Numbers to come play the NorVa? Michele
Stodart is currently my favorite electric bass player
on the planet.
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5 comments:
are you going to make a cd of these for your west coast friends? :) or do i need to limewire 'em all?
I should have included a mix CD with your Christmas presents! Lemme see if I can whip you up one, my homie.
Dr. Dog!
Nice work, Sam! It's comforting to know I'm not the only one who fell in love with songs as eclectic as "Old Ways" and "Please Read The Letter" last year. I might have added Regina Spektor, but she was probably on your 2006 list.
Yes, that Regina Spektor was 2006 (I know because I bought it when Patty and I were on our honeymoon). I'm excited about her show next month at the NorVa. Thanks for reading, Jim. Hope you've been well. I almost called you to see if you would pipe at our wedding!
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