Best Albums of 2015 So Far: 1st Quarter Report

My actual "Best of 2015" list includes four albums not yet released, but since this is labeled as the "1st Quarter Report," I decided to stay true to the title and not include those four. However, you should know that my favorite album I've heard this year is actually Whitey Morgan's Sonic Ranch ...and by a long shot. It comes out in May. But here's the list of my favorite albums released thus far in 2015.

 1. Father John Misty - I Love You Honeybear

2. J.D. McPherson - Let the Good Times Roll

 3. Blackberry Smoke - Holding All the Roses

 4. American Aquarium - Wolves

5. James McMurtry - Complicated Game

6. Wrinkle Neck Mules - I Never Thought It Would Go This Far

 7. Allison Moorer - Down to Believing

 8. JEFF the Brotherhood - Wasted on the Dream

 9. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly

10. Butch Walker - Afraid of Ghosts

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11. Benton Leachman - Bury the Hatchet

12. Earl Sweatshirt - I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside

13. Houndmouth - Little Neon Limelight

14. The Delta Routine - You and Your Lion

15. The Lone Bellow - Then Came the Morning

16. The Mavericks - Mono

17. Aaron Watson - The Underdog

18. Ryan Bingham - Fear and Saturday Night

19. Striking Matches - Nothing But the Silence

20. Gurf Morlix - Eatin' at Me

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Yet to hear or need to hear more of: Gretchen Peters - Blackbirds, Jackson Taylor - Cantina del Diablo, Haley Cole - Illusions, Great Lake Swimmers - A Forest of Arms, Joe Pug - Windfall, Willie & the Giant - s/t, JJ Grey & Mofro - Ol' Glory, Brandi Carlile - The Firewatcher's Daughter, No Dry County - The Night Before, Cody Jinks - Adobe Sessions.

Favorite Albums of 2012 So Far: March

I was originally going to call this the "first quarter report," but since two of these will be released in the 2nd quarter, but they're too good to exclude... that wouldn't do.

Favorite Albums of 2012 (So Far)

1. Darrell Scott - Long Ride Home $5.00 at this link!

2. Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires - There is a Bomb in Gilead (Due out in May)

3. Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls (Due Out April 10)

4. Lucero - Women and Work $5.99 at this link!

5. Shooter Jennings - Family Man $5.99 at this link!

6. Kathleen Edwards - Voyageur

7. The White Buffalo - Once Upon a Time in the West

8. Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker & Yim Yames - New Multitudes

9. The Deadfields - Dance in the Sun

10. Kellie Pickler - 100 Proof

Strong new releases that I've not had time to completely digest yet: 

Ray Wylie Hubbard - The Grifter's Hymnal

Justin Townes Earle - Nothing's Going to Change the Way You Feel About Me Now

Cary Hudson - Mississippi Moon

Sons of Bill - Sirens

Best Songs of 2011: 1st Quarter Report

Click the song titles to listen.

1. Kasey Anderson and the Honkies - Exit Ghost

(tie) Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Codeine (free & legal mp3 download of this song at the link)

3. Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears - She's So Scandalous

4. Hayes Carll - Bottle in My Hand

5. Left Lane Cruiser - Pig Farm

6. Chris Young - Tomorrow

7. Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'

8. Alison Krauss & Union Station - My Love Follows You Where You Go

9. Austin Lucas- Thunder Rail

10. Ponderosa - Devil on My Shoulder

11. Sunny Sweeney - Staying's Worse Than Leaving

12. Amos Lee - Flower

13. Drive-by Truckers - Mercy Buckets

14. John Popper & the Duskray Troubadors - Champipple

15. The Decemberists - Don't Carry It All

Best of 2010 So Far: 1st Quarter Report

It's been a good year for music so far. I always say that though. If you look (listen) hard enough, there's plenty of great stuff to listen to out there... and most of it isn't played on your local country or rock station.

What's this list missing? Let me know in the comments!

01. Joe Pug - Messenger

02. Austin Collins - Wrong Control

I've been playing this one about twice a day since I got it. Great great stuff!

03. Kasey Anderson - Nowhere Nights

04. Drive-by Truckers - The Big To-Do

I wasn't that impressed with this after a few listens but it's really growing on me.

05. Great American Taxi - Reckless Habits

06. Retribution Gospel Choir - 2

07. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast

08. Tim Barry - 28th & Stonewall

09. Johnny Cash - American VI: Ain't No Grave

10. Hellbound Glory - Old High and New Lows

Country songs about heroin and heartbreak, chock full of profanity. I like it!

11. Reckless Kelly - Somewhere in Time

12. Butch Walker and the Black Widows - I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart

13. Drew Kennedy - Alone, But Not Lonely (Free here!)

14. Dirty Sweet - American Spiritual

15. Ray Wylie Hubbard - A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment (Hint: There Is No C)

16. Gary Allan - Get Off on the Pain

17. The Brothers Comatose - Songs from the Stoop

18. Carolina Chocolate Drops - Genuine Negro Jig

19. Whispering Pines - Family Tree

20. Murder By Death - Good Morning, Magpie

21. Freedy Johnston - Rain on the City

22. Rogue Wave - Permalight

23. I See Hawks in L.A. - Should've Been Gold

24. Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here

25. Easton Corbin - s/t

Favorite Albums of '09 - First Quarter Report

Click on underlined artist names for their Myspace pages to listen! (Ben doesn't have a solo Myspace, but you can listen to samples on the Amazon link)

Feel free to comment on any of these, or to suggest some other great albums of early 2009!

1. Ben Nichols - The Last Pale Light in the West
A collection of gritty narratives based on Cormac McCarthy's gore-soaked epic, "Blood Meridian," it's as passionate and powerful as anything I've heard this year (and much of last), despite the narrow focus. I'm a huge fan of Ben's full-time gig, Lucero, and looking forward to their major label debut later this year, but it'll have to really be something to top this.
Prime track: "Toadvine"

2. Justin Townes Earle - Midnight at the Movies
This is the one where son overtakes father. Justin's warm, reedy vocals and classic country sound with a modern feel make this quite an engaging album.
Prime track: "Mama's Eyes"

3. The Gourds - Haymaker!
Ridiculously fun as always, but the song-craft never suffers for the sake of party and vice versa. Not quite up to the high bar set by their previous release, Noble Creatures, but still a very strong effort.
Prime track: "Shreveport"

4. Phosphorescent - To Willie
A loving ode to a legend. Nelson's songs retold through a filter of reverent indie folk sound great and remind you that Willie's not just an entertainer and troubadour, but a songwriter of the highest order. Phosphorescent's not bad either, putting their own stamp on the songs, not just performing rote covers.
Prime track: "The Last Thing I Needed (First Thing This Morning)"

5. Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels
An indie-folk band with some of the most beautiful vocals you'll ever hear, Great Lake Swimmers take a step in a new direction on this outing, upping the tempo a bit and eschewing the stripped down approach for an array of new instruments, to nice effect. "Pulling on a Line" is my favorite song of the year thus far.

6. Mastodon - Crack the Skye
Metal! Smart, masterfully technical and fairly innovative, but still headbangingly hard, Mastodon's beast of a record should appeal to fans of anybody from Iron Maiden and Metallica to Coheed and Cambria. Great music for working out, or washing the dishes.
Prime track: "Oblivion"

7. The Deep Dark Woods - Winter Hours
Prime track: "All the Money I Had is Gone"

8. Scott Miller - For Crying Out Loud
Prime track: "Sin in Indiana"

9. Eric Church - Carolina
Prime track: "Where She Told Me to Go"

10. Strand of Oaks - Leave Ruin
Prime track: "End in Flames"