In fact, as the calendar moved from 2018 to 2019 I had a bunch of concerts already scheduled to review. Was going to do some record reviews (and I even mentioned to Trailer that I might do a couple interviews which I really don’t enjoy doing). Yup. I had every intention of being a super productive member of Farce The Music’s dysfunctional writing family. Then it happened in late February. Stroke. Really.
To say I’ve been adjusting physically and psychologically since that day is an understatement. After reluctantly cancelling a few concert reviews in March and April I decided I was ready in mid-May to give it a shot.
Cracker. A slam dunk. Right? Wrong. I could barely take notes and thus had a notebook full of song titles and chicken scratches which I never could decipher. And that’s before I sat in front of my laptop to type which was almost impossible. You see the left hand was good, the right hand, not so much (don’t even get me started about the time I picked up my acoustic guitar).
Have I also mentioned the doctors at this difficult time said “no more booze?” 2019 officially sucked.
Needless to say I had a lot of time to hear a lot of new music. Sober. And I did. But, whereas most years I find myself in December going through dozens of albums to bring “The List” down to a manageable top 50 before whittling it down, I really only found 11 records that I really enjoyed this year (even if my real No. 1 is only in spirit). Here goes!
Honorable Mentions: Tyler Childers, Shovels & Rope, Frank Turner, Whiskey Myers, Karly Driftwood, Erin Enderlin, Grace Potter, Alice Merton, Maggie Rogers and Meiko.
10. Jenny Lewis – On The LineIt really is too bad that the “controversy” involving Ryan Adams (producer of much of the record) was going down as this album dropped because it’s one of Jenny Lewis’s finer moments (and that includes a mostly spectacular run with Rilo Kiley). Regardless of where you stand on the Adams thing, it cannot be denied that Lewis wrote a fantastic record that was also produced by Beck, who no one has a reason to dislike.
9. Hayes Carll – What It IsIt certainly was nice to see a more easy going and light-hearted Hayes Carll emerge on this album after his previous effort.
8. Molly Tuttle – When You’re Ready There’s something very familiar about Molly Tuttle that I can’t put my finger on, but I know I like this. A lot.
7. Dori Freeman – Every Single StarPretty much what I said about Molly Tuttle. I like this one a little bit more so it gets the higher spot.
6. Sturgill Simpson – Sound & Fury Sturgill Simpson is like a druggier Eric Church who I also seem to dig even more as he deviates from “his norm.”
5. Randy Rogers Band – Hellbent The Randy Rogers Band has been the stalwarts of the Texas country music scene for almost 20 years. Nothing flashy here, just consistently good. Like Shiner Bock.
4. Jade Bird – Jade Bird I’m pretty sure “Lottery” is the song that every alternative band in the 90s wished they wrote. And I say that as a compliment. The whole album is just wonderful ear candy that is ridiculously infectious.
3. Chris Shiflett – Hard LessonsHard to believe that this would be the Dave Cobb produced album I latched onto in 2019 but so be it. The guy is a rock legend. Guitarist for punk greats No Use For A Name and Me First And The Gimme Gimmes (and this other band Fighters of Foo…or something like that) Shiflett released his fourth country album full of catchy So Cal country goodness.
2. Kelsey Waldon – White Noise/White LinesKelsey Waldon is like Elizabeth Cook without the quirkiness.
1. Cody Jinks – After The Fire and The Wanting – Kudos to Cody Jinks. The man delivered two stellar albums which he released in consecutive weeks AND didn’t hide behind some lame premise like one album is my rockin’ side and the other is my sensitive side…Or in lame-ass Zac Brown Band terms my crappy pop country side and my really crappy pop side.
THE REAL No. 1 ALTHOUGH THIS ONE IS NOT OFFICIALLY ON MY LIST Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We GoIn all reality I probably listened to this album the most. Inventive, shocking and unabashedly cool. While people in my generation were crucifying her for not knowing who Van Halen was, I was laughing because I might be able to name more of her songs than “original Van Halen” songs (despite being a huge rock/metal fan I always thought VH was kinda lame).
This year we welcome Megan Bledsoe and Travis Erwin in as voters. As previously, our other voters are Kevin Broughton, Jeremy Harris, Matthew Martin, Trailer, Scott Colvin, and Robert Dean. Here are our staff-voted favorite albums of 2019.
A blast of punk meets roots rock energy with big hooks, sing-along choruses, and plenty of heart and song-craft as well. Forever is proof you can make a party record without having to dumb it down. It went bell to bell as my favorite album of 2019 - a tough task with such a strong field of contenders.
~Trailer
Josh Fleming and his rowdy band of Texas rockers had their wish come true when they inked a deal with Bloodshot records, then rewarded the label’s faith in them with this tour de force. It’s an album that combines Fleming’s focused, fiery storytelling with the raw, rough-edged roots you might hear from Lucero or the Old 97s. And oh, the fiddles and horns!
I remember a few years ago, it seemed like there was something in the water in Alabama. There was a great new album coming out of Alabama every couple of months. But, now it seems to be that has switched to Kentucky. Ian Noe is the next in line. He has a unique voice that sounds right out of the 60s. The album rises to the crescendo of what I think of his best song, the bluesy “Meth Head.” The song is gross, memorable, and incredible. The album will only grow as the years go by.
~Matthew Martin
Just Google everyone else’s review. There’s nothing left to say.
I was at the show in Circleville at Tootle’s Pumpkin Inn the day after Tyler smelled the factory smells in Chillicothe prior to his Steiner’s Speakeasy performance. I spend so much time in Chillicothe I forget it smells but it does.
~JH (was Jeremy drunk when he ranked his albums?)
The song that I couldn't turn off was "House Fire." By the time the song completely breaks down halfway through, you can practically smell the smoke. There's a reason Tyler Childers is selling out arenas right now. He's untouchable. His ability to write songs about everyday things and make them seem like they are the most important subjects is incredible.
~MM
A
popular pick on most lists, Childers turns back time by transposing
me to my childhood when I would listen to country radio as I fell
asleep. The title track kicks off his classic sound quite well.
From the lyrics to the vocals to the production, where it sounds as if Godwin recorded the whole album in forgotten mines and on lonely mountainsides, this is a beautiful tribute to his home state of West Virginia.
~Megan Bledsoe The voice, the stories, the music. Everything I love about country music is on this record. This is all I ever want out of an album. Songs about forgotten places and love. Songs about dead ends and never giving up. These are songs everyone needs to hear. After first hearing this album, I could not put it down. I tried to tell everyone I know about it. I tried to see him every time he came to D.C. I became obsessed with these songs
“You
Look Good In Neon” is the kind of country song the world is missing
more of. These guys are so damn traditional that if you say their
name three times Hee
Haw
will appear on your television screen.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkHhaIR6Gcc~Travis Erwin
A tough, touring gal posts up with an
album and band that shows John Prine was right to sign her to O Boy
Records. It’s
dreamy and trippy and wonderful, and she’s so full of
confidence. Kelsey Waldon will amaze. ~KB
Waldon's songs are as bluesy as they are country. This is soulful country and her voice is perfectly paired with the music. This album feels like it could have been recorded in 1979 or 2019. And, that's what makes this album great- it's timeless. It will be around a long, long time. ~MM
I’m pretty sure “Lottery” is the
song that every alternative band in the 90s wished they wrote. And I
say that as a compliment. The whole album is just wonderful ear candy
that is ridiculously infectious. ~Scott Colvin
Everything
comes together on Jade Bird’s debut record, from her incredible
vocals to the angst in the writing to the variety in production and
mood. An excellent, very re-playable record. ~MB
Bloodshot continues its hot streak of
great debut records. Harris endured an
unimaginable series of tragedies in the few years leading up to
this album, yet managed to emerge with clarity and hopefulness. He’s
a brilliant songwriter who also deserves legitimate Isbell
comparisons. ~KB
One
of the most fascinating records of the year, focusing on the morbid
and macabre and managing to do so in a thoroughly accessible and
compelling way. ~MB
A change of pace, style and life
converge in this brilliant follow up to 2017’s Corners. On
this album it’s all about the lyrics, and the artist is brutally
honest in his self-reflection. The lyrical imagery is reminiscent of
Isbell’s Southeastern, and one hopes that sobriety will have
a similarly positive impact on Domino’s career going forward. Even
if Songs From The Exile is his upper limit, it’s a worthy
career-defining effort. ~KB
Another powerful album from an artist who has ascended in skill, openness and songwriting strength with every release. ~Trailer
I hate when people put S/T instead of typing the self titled album name. Stop being lazy. Obviously any artist or band that names their album after themselves is proud of it. We don’t call Hank Jr self titled.
~JH (dammit Jeremy)
It’s counterintuitive that this band
self-produced a masterpiece after having two great records
helmed by all-everything Dave Cobb, but that’s exactly what
happened here. There’s depth and balance to this album, but
ultimately it’s a
Southern rock record in the very best tradition of a nearly forgotten
genre. “Houston County Sky” channels The Marshall Tucker Band,
and “Little More Money” and “Bad Weather” are right out
of Dirty
South-era
Drive By Truckers. “Hammer” is a sultry, swampy reminiscence of
early Black Crowes. This album is a triumph, and long-awaited.
An album as songful and charming as it is technically dazzling. Tuttle's voice is spellbinding, but she doesn't rely on ambiance... these are expertly written tunes.
~Trailer
There’s something very familiar about
Molly Tuttle that I can’t put my finger on, but I know I like this.
A lot. ~SC
Introspective Cody Jinks is my favorite Cody Jinks. Those songs where he slows things down a bit and tries to do a little brain surgery on himself. Those are the ones I gravitate towards. So, The Wanting is my cup of tea. Every song is a dissection of Jinks's psyche. These songs are like pages out of his diary. When an artist can be honest with themselves and in turn with their audience, we will always be receptive to that because we feel that way too...we have those same doubts and worries. Hearing them from someone like Jinks makes us feel validated. ~MM
You'll swear you've heard them before, so timeless sounding are the Black Pumas. Soulful seventies inspired R&B with a modern flair. Well worth a listen for fans of Otis Redding or St. Paul and the Broken Bones.
Another
album on almost everyone’s radar, this collection of talent did a
great job of rekindling the magic of Country’s all-time best
supergroup. “Wheels of Laredo” spoke the loudest to me and close
the album with a hauntingly classic sound. ~TE
Caroline Spence has a beautiful voice and writes crushing, beautiful songs. In a perfect world, Spence would be a household name. She's special and we're lucky to have her songs. "Sit Here and Love Me" is one my favorite songs of the year. ~MM
The
title track is an ode to writer Jack Kerouac but beyond the literary
influence it carries a deeper meaning and sets off the album on a
wonderful journey of its own. “Small Engine Repair” is another
wonderful song that uses the simple to create a broad metaphor. My
personal favorite is “T-bone Steak and Spanish Wine,” but there
simply is not a bad track among the bunch. “Highway 46” is on the
surface, a where were you when Merle Haggard died song, but really it
is a tip of that hat to both discovery and loss. One could argue the
ghost of Johnny Cash sat in while the 72-year-old Russell laid down
his tracks as the influence is undeniable so it is fitting the final
and eleventh track is a cover paying homage to The Man in Black. ~TE
So much sound from just two guys. Left Lane Cruiser really hit it out of the park with this one. Just a gritty and in yer face rock album. At first glance of the cover art you expect the entire album to be an ode to left hand cigarettes but after a short listen you find yourself immersed in Left Lane Cruiser’s best album. ~JH
I
reviewed
this entire album right here on Farce the Music, and if anything
my appreciation has grown as the year went on. One of my best friends
in the world argues that Carll’s wife, Alison Moorer put out an
better album, but while her release is a very good album and
emotional album, it did not take me on quite the same ride. For me,
few to none can match the easy way Carll disarms a listener. Writing
that feels natural and familiar yet impactful. Like a stoner prophet,
Hayes Carll makes me think why hasn’t anyone else said that on
almost every song. For me his work is always sneaky good and
emotionally satisfying. This album has such a great track progression
to it. I love the opening line to “Be There.” ~TE
-----
Just beyond the top 20: Erin Enderlin - Faulkner County, The Raconteurs - Help Us Stranger, Joshua Ray Walker - Wish You Were Here, Michaela Anne - Desert Dove, Shane Smith & The Saints - Hail Mary, Gary Clark Jr. - This Land, Chris Shiflett - Hard Lessons, Houston Marchman - Highway Enchilada, Baroness - Gold & Grey, Randy Rogers Band - Hellbent.
Curmudgeonly country fan Carl Outlaw says that not a single good country song or album has been released since 1979. Despite the fact that Outlaw was born in the early 90s, he feels confident in his oblivious statement.
“There ain’t been no good country since the heyday of Merle and Willie and Coe, and you can put that in your pipe and smoke it.” said the idiot, shuffling through his playlist that managed to exclude the likes of Johnny Cash, Dwight Yoakam, and The Judds.
According to Carl, though not specifically mentioned, Patty Loveless sucks. He also believes, based on his time limits, that Jamey Johnson, Tyler Childers, Kelsey Waldon, and Turnpike Troubadours have all released subpar music unworthy of his attention.
When asked about Johnny Cash’s renewed output from the nineties, he says “hipster bullshit…anything that snooty college kids like, I don’t like.” “If it doesn’t have a steel guitar, fiddle, acoustic guitars, and sad lyrics about dying of cirrhosis in a flophouse, it’s not good country,” continued Outlaw. “There have been no songs that fit that description in my entire lifetime and it makes me sad for the future of America.”
The fool thinks Chris Stapleton and Sunny Sweeney are just awful, if we go by his own misguided cutoff date. Jason Boland and the Stragglers, Jamie Lin Wilson, Dale Watson, Cody Jinks, and Miranda Lambert are terrible as well.
When asked what he thought of Luke Bell’s self-titled traditional country gem from just a couple years ago, Outlaw replied “Luke Bryan, who’s she?”
Yeah yeah. One of you’s thinking “miRanDA laMBeRt sUcKS!” And one of you’s thinking “Where’s Jimmy Bob Reynolds and the Pork-loins (or insert actual artist you enjoy or that I too enjoy and just didn’t put on here)?” This is my perfect world, where Americana, red dirt, and even some pop country live in perfect harmony and give mainstream radio variety and depth. Even if you disagree with a lot of these songs, you have to admit it’d sure be better than the real world’s current country chart.
Music, a sense of place, and family have been Kelsey Waldon’s passions as long as she can remember. She took piano lessons as a 10-year-old, then switched to guitar a couple of years later. Her mom soon bought her a 10-track recorder to encourage her creativity, and by 19 she’d moved from her Western Kentucky home to Nashville for the first time. She worked as a bartender while polishing her songwriting chops and taking what gigs she could find. A brief interregnum back home in Ballard County – and community college – followed, then it was back to Music City’s Belmont University for serious study and renewed focus on her craft.
She cultivated a loyal following through frequent touring across the U.S. and two critically acclaimed albums; the most recent of which made it onto NPR’s Fresh Air host Ken Tucker’s “Top10 Favorite Albums of 2016” while the album’s lead single, “All By Myself,” was featured on NPR’s list of “Top 100 Songs of 2016.”
Onher new album, White Noise, White Lines, Waldon captures the rugged country sound of her touring band without sacrificing the intimacy of her songwriting. Because of that approach, the record feels immediate and intimate, somewhere between a concert and a conversation. Co-produced by Waldon and Dan Knobler, the collection opens with a confident anthem, “Anyhow,” which finds the artist forging ahead after some frustrating setbacks.
“The past three years since we put a record out, we’ve seen some of the biggest ups and downs, like exciting things happening, and not-so-exciting things happening. We kept going and it’s all about that process,” she says. “And the title alludes to things going on around us, in the world and in our environment. I do think there is a lot of white noise. That title describes where I am.”
The nine songs – and two perfectly placed interludes – on White Noise, White Lines are a distillation of the bluegrass-infused country emblematic of the region John Prine immortalized when he sang of the Green River and Mr. Peabody’s coal train. More on how that legend and Waldon – in Hollywood-script fashion – intersected in a moment.
“Run Away” is a traditional country weeper about falling for someone whose life is a wreck. Waldon wrote “Very Old Barton” about binge drinking alone, with the hopeful message of getting through the highs and lows of life. But the bold centerpiece of the album comes in a pair of songs. Waldon offers an impassioned protest song with “Lived and Let Go.” She explains, “A lot of times, I tend to write because I have to make senseof the world around me.” Its companion cut (mainly because they’re both either fast waltzes or in 6/8 time – the artist and I weren’t quite sure when chatting before the tape rolled on the interview), “Black Patch,” oozes authenticity.
White Noise, White Lines is one of the best country albums of the year, and Miss Waldon should be prepared to hear her name called when Americana award season rolls around.
We chatted briefly about Prine, Muhlenberg County, tobacco wars and seasickness.
You’re the first artist signed to Oh Boy Records in a long time. How is it you came to the attention of John Prine, and how would you describe your personal and artistic relationship?
Yeah, that’s right. I’m the first one signed in almost 15 years, and I think that shows how careful they’ve been; I don’t think they do anything unless they want to. And neither do I. But I actually didn’t meet John until last year. I would see him around town in Nashville a lot; I’d freak out when I’d see him at Melrose Billiards and some other places like Arnold’s Meat and Three.
When my last record came out in 2016, that’s when everybody at Oh Boy apparently took notice of me, and when John and his wife, Fiona, heard my music. Later, I performed at a John Prine Tribute show and met Fiona and she said, “John and I are big fans,” and I was just in disbelief.
I bet!
Yeah! I was like, First off, you know who I am, and John Prine knows who I am! It was just so cool to meet her there. And she’s become a champion of mine, and a great friend. But 2018 – on the Cayamo Cruise – was the first time I met John, and I got to sing “Paradise” with him. Later in the year, when he and I played some shows together, that was when he was able to hear some of my original music. That was when we were really able to bond, and he started asking about my upcoming album.
Yeah. It’s funny, but a lot of people think that’s when it happened. They actually think that was the moment he decided! (Laughs)
Like it was a reality show or something.
I know! And I’ll tell you something else, and it’s probably TMI: The first time I sang with him on the cruise, I was so nervous. I had actually been throwing up! I’d gotten seasick and felt awful. And they called me and said, “Miss Waldon, John Prine would like you to sing ‘Paradise’ with him at his three o’clock show [in an hour], can you do that?” And I was so sick, but I said, “You bet I’ll be there!” So I rolled out of the bed and made it work.
You left Kentucky for Nashville at 19, came back home for a while & went to community college, then back to Nashville where you earned a diploma at Belmont University. What did you study?
I actually got a degree in songwriting, as strange as that sounds. I had never really planned on being that girl who applies for scholarships and things like that. It’s a pretty exclusive program. Berkley offers a similar program, and I read that Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch did that one. It’s a lot of music theory classes that you have to take. I took a “History of Country Music” class, which was really cool. But it taught me a lot about discipline; it was really cool, because I’d never had anyone push me out of my comfort zone before. It made me learn that there’s inspiration everywhere. And it was good to learn that at a young age, I guess.
You and Dan Knobler co-produced this album. Had you ever been on the other side of the glass before? What did you learn from the experience?
All the records I’ve done have been my vision, but all of the experiences are a little bit different. This time I used my live touring band. You know, we’d been out on the road touring pretty seriously for about three years before going into the studio. So we had practiced [these songs], and it just seemed completely natural. The thing was my vision, and Dan was the guiding light in helping me navigate through the process. I asked him if he was okay giving me a production credit and he agreed. I’ve always had a strong say in all my records, so it seemed the natural thing to do.
And the band, these are folks you’ve been touring and playing with for a while?
Yes! Brett Resnick, my steel player, he’s played on all three of my records.
Solid player, by the way.
He’s amazing, and one of my first friends when I moved to Nashville. But yeah, these are the guys who’ve been touring with me since 2016.And a couple of them, even a few years before that.
And the recording process: How much of it did y’all do live?
Pretty much all of it. We didn’t use any technology unless we had to. There were a few overdubs as far as layering some of the guitars, but the rhythm section – the “meat and taters” of it – was all done live right there. But if one or two of the vocals live with the band weren’t perfect, they were perfectly imperfect. I just wanted to keep the energy going. I didn’t do anything unless it felt right. None of us did.
I brought in the songs, and some of them we already had together and where we didn’t, we just played until we got there.
You come from a community called Monkey’s Eyebrow, Kentucky. Looking at the map, it’s one of those spots in the middle of the country where I bet you could visit four or five other states on half a tank of gas. Would you say there’s a confluence of cultures in your part of the country?
Well, it’s a unique part of Kentucky, for sure. Growing up there in the river bottoms you see lots of different things and people. I had friends in Tennessee, because you’re right there on the state line, and you’re right across the river from Illinois. The Ohio River was in our back yard; I grew up in flood country. Backwater is part of life when you’re at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio.
But yeah, there’s a heavy blues influence, and obviously bluegrass was a big part of my life growing up. They say you’ve got bluegrass coming down the Ohio, and the blues coming up from Memphis and Mississippi. But there’s a feel, you know? There are cypress trees all around…I grew up in the sloughs, the Kentucky swamps. My dad owns a hunting lodge down there, and when he’s not farming the land, he floods it out for waterfowl hunting. I always tell anyone who hasn’t been there how unique and beautiful it is in its own right.
Speaking of your neck of the woods, there was a running, turn-of-the century shooting war over tobacco prices, and the Duke family’s monopoly, for about five years. I didn’t know about it until I heard your song “Black Patch,” so I had to look it up.
It’s awesome! Did you grow up with stories passed down? The Hatfield/McCoy thing in Eastern Kentucky/ West Virginia gets all the press and romance, but this was some serious stuff.
Yeah, you know I think the region and Kentucky in general has so much history. And growing up, yes, I did hear the stories. My great-grandmother wrote so much stuff down, and kept everything. And my brother-in-law and little sister farm tobacco and dark-fire it. It’s a huge part of fall every year. That’s the tobacco used in snuff. But I actually learned about the Black Patch war from taking a History of Kentucky class in community college, and still have the textbook. But reading about it, I was like, “Holy sh*t!” The imagery was just so romantic, and I thought, “This sounds like a song.” Just the name “Black Patch” is so killer.
It’s also a way, I think, for me to just speak up for local farmers; people getting the thumb of the government pressed down on them. It was a way for me to share their story.
I want to piece together a timeline, because this just seems so – if not perfect – at least poetic. In the spring, Mr. Prine formally announced you were on the Oh Boy label.There’s an aptly-named “Interlude” on the record where you play a voice mail from your Dad where he says, “Hey, Babe. I’m down here in Muhlenberg County, looking for turkeys.” It’s freaking precious. Did you know there was a chance you’d be on John Prine’s label when you played that back for the first time?
No! Not at all!
You promise?
(Laughs) I do promise! We tracked this record in late 2017; it took a while to get this one out. The whole year of 2018 I was trying to find the right home for it. I didn’t want to independently release something again, and knew it was time to do something else. I wanted to elevate things a little bit. And it’s hard, you know? It’s hard to find people who understand what you do.
That’s kind of going off on a tangent a little bit, but no. I save all my mom’s and dad’s voice mails. I just love them so much. My dad leaves the really colorful ones. And my granny does too. But I’d been wanting to do the “interlude” thing for a long time, and with this particular record I wanted it to feel very human and untainted. I also didn’t want to overdo the interludes, and that one had a perfect sentiment, I think. My dad and I had turkey hunted together in Muhlenberg County, and just had a perfect weekend.
But I swear, I had no idea. It just worked out that way.
