Tag: 2010s
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Various Artists, Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: The Songs of John Prine, 2010 on Oh Boy
This is the first volume – there was a volume two in 2021. Great collection of musicians here covering one of my favorite songwriters: Most successful I think are the “Unwed Fathers,” “Far From Me,” and “Let’s Talk Dirty in Hawaiian” – I enjoy the “Angel From Mongtomery” but it is hard to hear that…
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John Prine; For Better, Or Worse; 2016 on Oh Boy
This was Prine’s 17th studio album and one of my favorites from his late career: a series of duets with great female singers, including Iris DeMent, Alison Krauss, Amanda Shires, Morgane Stapleton, Lee Ann Womack, Susan Tedeschi, Holly Williams, Kathy Mattea, Miranda Lambert, and Kacey Musgraves – plus Fiona Prine! It’s basically a follow up…
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John Prine, The Tree of Forgiveness, 2018 on Oh Boy
John Prine’s final studio album, released in 2018. Prine died in April 2020, from complications related to Covid-19. It’s one hell of a swan song, with guest vocals from Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires, and Jason Isbell and songs co-written with Pat MacLaughlin, Dan Auerbach, and Phil Spector. Recorded in RCA Studio A in Nashville, with…
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David Gray, Mutineers, 2014 on IHT Records
Not sure when I first discovered David Gray—it sort of feels like he’s always been there, but I know there must have been a moment I first heard him. Might have been “Babylon” of off 1998’s “White Ladder.” This was his tenth full-length album, produced by Andy Barlow who also handled programming. Wonderful collection representing…
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The Decemberists, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, 2015 on Capitol
Seventh studio album from Portland Oregon’s The Decemberists. The album was a bit of a return to the band following a hiatus of a couple of years after The King is Dead. So many great songs here, many of which get stuck in your head for weeks. My favorite is maybe a toss-up between “Carolina…
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Adele, 25, 2015 on Columbia / XL Recordings
The inescapable Adele’s third studio album (in between 21 and 25 she put out a Live at Royal Albert Hall album) named like the previous for her age at time of writing & recording. This was the one that starts with “Hello”—if I were an album reviewer my review might have been “Adele had me…
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Arcade Fire, Reflektor, 2013 on Merge
Fourth studio LP from Montreal Quebec’s Arcade Fire: a double album put out in 2013 by Sonovox and Merge in the US. James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem produced along with the band and Markus Dravs. I’ve also got the 12″ single claiming to be by The Reflektors, which has a full fake track list and…
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El Rego et Ses Commandos, El Rego, 2011 on Daptone
Classic Daptone reissue. Theophile De Rego started the band under the name The Jets, in what was then Dahomey (now Benin). They become El Rego et Ses Commandos in 1966. This compilation was put out by Daptone in 2011 – I don’t believe it was previously issued in this form. (The hype sticker claims these…
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Chris Stapleton, From A Room: Vol 1., 2017 on Mercury Nashville
Stapleton was a fairly successful Nashville based songwriter for more than a decade before his 2015 debut LP Traveller, as well as fronting a bluegrass band (The Steeldrivers) and a southern rock band (The Jompson Brothers). Ironically his big hit – “Tennessee Whiskey” is a cover of a David Allen Coe song (written by Dean…
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Bill Callahan, Shepherd In A Sheepskin Vest, 2019 on Drag City
Bill Callahan’s sixth studio album under his own name (he previously led a project under the name Smog), recorded at Wonder Chamber in Austin Texas, which is Brian Beattie‘s home studio. Beattie plays on the record along with Matt Kinsey, Adam Jones, Gary Newcomb, and Callahan. Callahan is a consistent and prolific artist – maybe…
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Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah Dogs, God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise, 2010 on RCA
Fourth full length from New England’s Ray LaMontagne (born in New Hampshire, has lived in Maine & Massachusetts) and the first credited to a band. The album was recorded at The Big Room at Apple Hill, on LaMontagne’s property in western Massachusetts. Pariah dog is another name for Desi Kutta or Indian Pariah dog, though…
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Various Artists, Soul Slabs Vol. 2,. 2019 on Colemine
Colemine Records was started in 2007, in Loveland Ohio, by Terry and Bob Cole – “with the simple idea of putting out quality music with soul.” Bob now runs Plaid Room Records, a store with a great online presence, selling new releases as well as used LPs. The put out Soul Slabs Vol. 1 in…
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Devotchka, This Night Falls Forever, 2018 on Concord Records
DeVotchKa (their capitalization) are an American band formed in Denver, despite the Russian name and the global folk sound. This is actually their most recent full length LP, though they also did the soundtrack for The Neverending Story in 2020. Like many people I found DeVotchKa through the soundtrack to Little Miss Sunshine but since…
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Eli “Paperboy” Reed, 99 Cent Dreams, 2019 on Yep Roc Records
Boston’s own (Brookline via Somerville) Eli “Paperboy” Reed’s sixth full length and his second on Yep Roc, 99 Cent Dreams was recorded in Memphis at Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis with Matt Ross-Spang producing and engineering. My copy—via Residency Records in Salem MA—is an RTI pressing and sounds great.
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The Civil Wars, Barton Hollow, 2011 on Sensibility Music
Debut album from John Paul White and Joy Williams, which originally came out in 2011. It’s a fantastic debut – I expected to hear so much more great music from them together but unfortunately they only put out one more album (2013’s self-titled The Civil Wars) before going their own ways. The title track “Barton…
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Giant Sand, Returns To Valley of Rain, 2018 on Fire Records
Howe Gelb and company (on this record that’s Scott Garber, Winston Watson, Gabriel Sullivan, and Annie Dolan plus guests) return to (and re-record) the material from their debut Valley of Rain (1985). Great alt-country / Americana / punk from Tuscon AZ. Worth picking up whether you had (and loved) the original or are new to…
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Nicolet, Hochelaga, 2017 on Chivi Chivi
Nicolet is the project of Etienne Hamel, a Quebecois multi-instrumentalist – Hochelaga is the debut full length under that moniker. The name refers to a neighborhood in Montreal, on the St. Lawrence river near Mount Royal. Great francophone indie rock. Unfortunately it’s also the name of a stoner metal album by Dopethrone. I ended up…
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U2, The Joshua Tree Singles: Remastered & Live, 2017 on Island Records
Another fan club release, for subscribers to U2.com, this was pressed in 2017, and features four of the singles from The Joshua Tree, each with one remastered studio trac and one live track recorded on tour in 2017: It’s four 10″ records (45rpm) with an obi wrap to hold them together. The photos are by…