Best Songs of 2011 So Far

Monday and Tuesday, FTM will briefly be without new posts while Trailer takes the first business-related trip of his thirty-something years. We'll be back on Wednesday with the usual humor or jackassery or somesuch. For now, here's a listing (with some links) of some of the best tunes of 2011. Check 'em out!

The Big Five:

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - Codeine

Kasey Anderson and the Honkies - Exit Ghost

Blitzen Trapper - Love the Way You Walk Away

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears - She's So Scandalous

Austin Lucas - Thunder Rail

A bunch of other great songs:

Centro-matic - Estimate X 3

Mike Ethan Messick - Walking Into Walls

Foo Fighters - Arlandria

Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'

Ashton Shepherd - I'm Just a Woman

Nick 13 - Carry My Body Down

Amos Lee - Flower

Social Distortion - Diamond in the Rough

Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers - Empty Highway

George Strait - Poison

Big K.R.I.T. - Another Naive Individual Glorifying Greed and Ecouraging Racism

The Decemberists - Don't Carry It All

Eric Church - Over When It's Over

Beastie Boys with Nas - Too Many Rappers

Jimbo Mathus - Cling to the Roots

Adele - Rolling in the Deep

Ronnie Dunn - Cost of Livin'

John Popper & the Duskray Troubadors - Champipple

Justin Haigh - Is It Still Cheating

Kelsey Waldon - God-Fearing People

Left Lane Cruiser - Pig Farm

Ponderosa - Devil on My Shoulder

Jason Fratesi & the Dirt Road Jam Band - Heart Cryin' Out Loud

Hayes Carll - Bottle in My Hand

Chris Young - Neon

Drive-by Truckers - Mercy Buckets

Shooter Jennings - Outlaw You

Cage the Elephant - Aberdeen

Brad Paisley - A Man Don't Have to Die

Rachel Brooke - How Cold

Awkward Gary Levox Photo of the Week

YouTube Gems: George Strait

God bless the King! I think you're gonna like his forthcoming album, Here For a Good Time, due out September 6th. Aside from a song or two, it sounds like classic Strait (but don't they all?). For now, here's a classic from 1985.

Awkward Gary Levox Photo of the Week

Country Day August '11