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Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Jim Connelly's
Favorite Recordings Of 2006
Monday, January 15, 2007
Jesse Steichen's Favorite Recordings Of 2006
Friday, January 12, 2007
Bill Bentley's Favorite Recordings Of 2006
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Tom Ridge's Favorite Recordings Of 2006
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Lee Templeton's Favorite Recordings Of 2006
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Anthony Carew's 13 Fave Albums Of 2006
Monday, March 27, 2006
SXSW 2006: Finding Some Hope In Austin
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Letter From New Orleans
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Jennifer Przybylski's Fave Albums of 2005
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Music For Dwindling Days: Max Schaefer's Fave Recordings Of 2005
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Sean Fennessey's 'Best-Of' 2005
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Lori Miller Barrett's Fave Albums Of 2005
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Lee Templeton's Favorite Recordings of 2005
Thursday, January 5, 2006
Michael Lach - Old Soul Songs For A New World Order
Wednesday, January 4, 2006
Found In Translation — Emme Stone's Year In Music 2005
Tuesday, January 3, 2006
Dave Allen's 'Best-Of' 2005
Monday, January 2, 2006
Steve Gozdecki's Favorite Albums Of 2005
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Johnny Walker Black's Top 10 Of 2005
Monday, December 19, 2005
Neal Block's Favorite Recordings Of 2005
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Jenny Tatone's Year In Review
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Dave Renard's Fave Recordings Of 2005
Monday, December 12, 2005
Jennifer Kelly's Fave Recordings Of 2005
Thursday, December 8, 2005
Tom Ridge's Favorite Recordings Of 2005
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
Ben Gook's Beloved Albums Of 2005
Monday, December 5, 2005
Anthony Carew's Fave Albums Of 2005
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Prince, Spoon And The Magic Of The Dead Stop
Monday, September 12, 2005
The Truth About America
Monday, September 5, 2005
Tryin' To Wash Us Away
Monday, August 1, 2005
A Psyche-Folk Heat Wave In Western Massachusetts
Monday, July 18, 2005
Soggy But Happy At Glastonbury 2005
Monday, April 4, 2005
The SXSW Experience, Part 3: All Together Now
Friday, April 1, 2005
The SXSW Experience, Part 2: Dr. Dog's Happy Chords
Thursday, March 31, 2005
The SXSW Experience, Part 1: Waiting, Waiting And More Waiting
Friday, March 25, 2005
Final Day At SXSW's Charnel House
Monday, March 21, 2005
Day Three At SXSW
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Day Two In SXSW's Hall Of Mirrors
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Report #1: SXSW 2005 And Its Hall Of Mirrors
Monday, February 14, 2005
Matt Landry's Fave Recordings Of 2004
Wednesday, February 2, 2005
David Howie's 'Moments' From The Year 2004
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Lori Miller Barrett's Fave Recordings Of 2004
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Noah Bonaparte's Fave Recordings Of 2004
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Kevin John's Fave Albums Of 2004
Friday, January 14, 2005
Music For Those Nights: Max Schaefer's Fave Recordings Of 2004
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Dave Renard's Fave Recordings Of 2004
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Neal Block's Top Ten Of 2004
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Jenny Tatone's Fave Albums Of 2004
Monday, January 10, 2005
Wayne Robins' Top Ten Of 2004
Friday, January 7, 2005
Brian Orloff's Fave Albums Of 2004
Thursday, January 6, 2005
Johnny Walker (Black)'s Top 10 Of 2004
Wednesday, January 5, 2005
Jennifer Przybylski's Fave Albums (And Book) Of 2004
Tuesday, January 4, 2005
Mark Mordue's Fave Albums Of 2004
Monday, January 3, 2005
Lee Templeton's Fave Recordings Of 2004
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Thursday, January 5, 2006
Old Soul Songs For A New World Order
Neumu Contributing Editor Michael Lach writes: College-rock wunderkind Bright Eyes sang of an "old soul song for a new world order" on this year's fine I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. In reality, old Southern soul was back in 2005 — not the funky, frat-boy jams as much as the slow Southern backwoods soul that recalls the finest of the Stax era. Here are some of my favorites from this past year.
1. Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, "Old Folks," Moments From This Theatre (Proper):
Dan Penn is the great lost living legend of American music, still relatively
unknown despite writing hits for Otis, Janis, Aretha, and Alex Chilton.
This tune, a longtime concert closer, has lyrics worthy of a Hallmark card, but
thanks to the utter lack of pretense he makes it believable and emotional. The
live Moments From This Theatre was a treasure at inflated import-only
prices; it's essential listening now that it's finally been released stateside.
2. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, "This Land Is Your Land," Naturally (Daptone):
It takes nerve to cover one of the most played and loved songs in the American
songbook. But besides bringing a James Brown funk to the Guthrie classic, Sharon
Jones and band uncover the lesser-played verses that certainly lean towards lefty
politics. Her latest record, Naturally, is a wonderful collection of tunes
that sounds old and yet feels modern, and is only a shadow of her power as a
live performer.
3. Betty LaVette, "How Am I Different," I've Got My Own Hell to Raise (Anti):
LaVette's return to form is a collection of women-penned tracks produced by Joe
Henry. Here, she turns one of Aimee Mann's best into a grooving, shuffling R&B
jam that smolders.
4. Irma Thomas, "Back Water Blues," Our New Orleans 2005 (Nonesuch): Covering the Bessie Smith classic, this tune takes on an added resonance in the post-Katrina world, punctuated by a particularly gritty Doyle Bramhall guitar sound. "I woke up this morning, couldn't even get outta my door," indeed. Here's hoping her New Orleans nightclub the Lion's Den is re-opening soon.
5. Irma Thomas, "Loving Arms," I Believe to My Soul Volume 1 (Rhino/Work
Song): Another one of Joe Henry's new soul recordings, this track has a delightfully
slow-jam feel set to the oh-so-subtle Allen Toussaint piano. When the guitar
and backup choir come in right towards the end, I still get chills up my spine.
6. The Country Soul Revue, "Chicago Afterwhile," Testifying (Casual): A new Dan Penn composition, and the strongest cut on this new collection of old soul legends doing things Nashville-style.
7. Bobby Purify, "Better to Have It," Better to Have It (Proper): Bobby Purify is a singer's singer, and his comeback record is steeped in deep Southern soul. Though he recently turned 60 and went blind, his voice is still burnished and hungry, just like in the days of "I'm Your Puppet."
8. Percy Sledge, "Shining Through the Rain," Shining Through the Rain (Varese):
The whispering guitar and clap drums that punctuate the title track of Sledge's
overlooked 2004 album give a wonderfully upbeat punch to this rousing tune. Sledge's
voice sounds as warm and round as ever.
9. Solomon Burke, "I Need Your Love in My Life," Make Do With What You
Got (Shout Factory): The Bishop of Soul's second Joe Henry-produced comeback
album wasn't as deep as 2002's Don't Give Up on Me, but this funky burner
shows there's still plenty of fire in him.
10. Sid Selvidge, "Since I Met You Baby," Live At Otherlands (Archer): Selvidge has been playing in and around Memphis for years, with blues legends like Furry Lewis, with the should-have-been super group Mud Boy and the Neutrons, and on his own. On this live recording of the Ivory Joe Hunter classic, he distills a tremendous song down to its simple rawness, with dazzling results.
The InsiderOne Daily Report appears on occasion.
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