Track 19: "Seven Story Mountain" by Railroad Earth

Oh lord, to hear a voice, but let it fade and wallow,
Sometimes it's hard to let it go.

Oh lord, to find the words, but keep them in and swallow,
One day the top is gonna blow.

What I miss most about freelance writing, other than the massive $50 I got per story (which seems like a grand fortune these days), was the chance to listen to a new band on a weekly basis.

Sometimes it was a blessing, and other times a curse. I wrote on more than my share of stereotypical 'jam bands' and unoriginal acts (ie. the Dave Matthews Cover Band). But every now and then I'd unearth a true gem, a band I'd never heard of, that would turn into a new favorite. That's exactly what happened with Railroad Earth.

When the "O Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack became so huge in 2002/2003, it paved the way for an influx of bluegrass influenced acts. Some were gimmicky, some just outright sucked, and a handful were truly incredible.

If you cross-bred Bob Dylan, "American Beauty" era Grateful Dead, and a pile of bluegrass instruments, it'd probably sound a lot like Railroad Earth. The New Jersey six-piece (maybe the only good thing to ever come out of Jersey?) combines, bluegrass, folk and some other worldly influences. They started playing together informally at 'pickin' parties' and cut a 5-song demo. The demo tape turned into an amazing debut album, and the band immediately became must have at bluegrass festivals across the country. I love their lyrics, love the music, and the band is incredible live. It's been great to see them evolve over the years and all five of their albums are worth having.

Here's a piece I did back on the band back in 2003: http://archives.postandcourier.com/archive/arch03/0303/arc03131042369.shtml

The Middle-Eastern influence on "Seven Story Mountain" is really cool. And I think the lyrics are amazing. Just a driving, gorgeous song about perseverance. It's unbelievably fitting on a cold, rainy Sunday morning while faced with compiling ten weeks worth of work over the next three days!

Track 18: "Rastaman Chant" by the Derek Trucks Band

I think it was 1997 at Music Midtown in Atlanta (whatever happened to that festival, by the way?) when I first saw the Derek Trucks Band live. He was only 18 at the time and I was absolutely floored by his band and especially his guitar playing. I immediately became a fan and think Derek Trucks is one of the most gifted musicians on the planet.

The guy's been fronting his own band since about age 12 and has been a member of the Allman Brothers Band (his uncle, Butch Trucks, is one of the founding members) for the past several years. But it's been really cool to see how his own band has evolved over the decade that I've been listening to them.

Here's a link to a story on Trucks back in 2002 http://archives.postandcourier.com/archive/arch02/1202/arc1226918842.shtml

Trucks' slide guitar is obviously rooted deeply in the blues, but his band has always been adventurous. and through his band I discovered jazz legends like John Coltrane and Miles Davis. The band's latest two albums "Songlines" and "Already Free" are both fantastic and have sort of cemented the band's direction in world-soul music, but they literally touch on everything-- Middle Eastern, Indian, jazz, Latin music, blues, soul, gospel, and Southern rock--in creating their own sound.

I saw the Derek Trucks Band do a New Years Eve show at Charlotte's Visualite Theater in 2000>2001, and that show still ranks pretty highly for me. At the stroke of midnight they launched into this slow building song that eventually erupted before winding back down. The groove and melody literally stuck in my head for a good month or so.

I knew the song sounded familiar and it wasn't until I heard the Bob Marley version (Marley wrote the song) of "Rastaman Chant" play on the PA before a concert almost a year later that it hit me.."so THAT's the song that the Derek Trucks Band did at New Years."

I've seen the DTB several times since, but "Rastaman Chant" was regrettably not part of the playlist. So when the band released "Soul Serenade" in 2003, I was elated to see that "Soul Serenade/Rastaman Chant" was track 1. (For the sake of being able to meet You Tube's 10 minutes or less requirement for video uploads, I had to cut the "Soul Serenade" intro to this tune.

Hopefully the groove and melody will be stuck in your head for a month or so as well...

Track 17: A nod to Norah Jones

Yes, I love Norah Jones.

Back in 2002, in the early days of my freelance writing period, I did a story on 8-string jazz guitar player Charlie Hunter. Though Hunter's stuff rightfully belongs on my Ipod (his instrumental cover of the entire Bob Marley "Natty Dread" album is stellar) I'll always like him for introducing me to Norah Jones.

He had just released the album "Songs from the Analog Playground," his first album ever (or since) to feature vocalists. And two tracks (covers of Roxy Music's "More than This" and Nick Drakes "Day is Done")on the record were sung by Norah Jones--who at the time no one had heard of. I was immediately hooked.

Here's a link to that story, with a brief mention of Norah: http://archives.postandcourier.com/archive/arch02/0902/arc0905749604.shtml

Jones' debut album "Come Away with Me" was a mega-hit. It was number one on the Billboard Charts, won a Grammy for Album of the Year, and has been certified diamond--10 million records sold. I think this woman is one of the most gifted talents on the planet.

Her honey-smoky voice is just so sexy, and I became a fan since I first heard her back in 2002. I love how she's taken her influences and made her own sound tinged in jazz, country, bluegrass and even a little bit of rock and soul. The girl can flat out play--piano, keys, guitar--I saw her band play a few years and was hugely impressed by how well they could play live. And,not to belittle her talents in anyway, she is absolutely, drop dead gorgeous.

So on a chilly Sunday morning, drinking coffee (a perfect back drop for her music), I decided to dedicate the next installment of my Ultimate Playlist (again) not to one specific song, but an artist.

"Ruler of My Heart" with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Ruler of my heart, robber of my soul,
where can you be...I wait patiently

This track is on the Dirty Dozen Brass Band album "Medicated Magic," a great album with all sorts of guest stars (Dr. John, Widespread Panic's John Bell, Robert Randolph). This is just one of those songs where the instant I heard it became an all-time favorite.

hopefully this link will play the full song for you:

http://popup.lala.com/popup/2162009313542173316&ei=EfUbS8DFGZKYtgej6aHYAw&sa=X&oi=music_play_track&resnum=1&ct=result&cd=2&ved=0CAgQ0wQoADAA&usg=AFQjCNHE6qbA49i2xSmX6G4r4t4lAoPwzw

"The Tennessee Waltz" (live)

I remember the night and the Tennessee Waltz
Now I know just how much I have lost
Yes, I lost my little darlin' the night they were playing
The beautiful Tennessee Waltz.

"The Tennessee Waltz" is just a beautiful song in that sad bastard sort of way. It's been covered by all sorts of folks (Otis Redding, Emmylou Harris, Del McCoury, Sam Cooke). She just sings the hell out of this one.



"Even Though"

With the release of her latest album, "The Fall," which just came out in November, Jone's keeps pushing her sound. I just love the bass line groove of this song and the sort of atmospheric guitar effects.

Track 16: A triple shot of Sourwood Honey

I love Thanksgiving. It's by far my favorite holiday. And I always look forward to heading back to my hometown of Columbia, SC for an extended weekend with great family, great friends, and great food.

And with the exception of Clemson's football team getting a massive beat down from USC (that's the University of South Carolina for all you readers from the other 49 states), Thanksgiving 2009 was indeed a good one.

I can't say enough about how grateful I am to my parents and extended family for shaping my entire life, but this post, these songs, and how I feel about this band is really for my friends.

I've been fortunate enough (fortune being completely subjective if you know any of my pals) to have maintained great friendships with a handful of quality folks since middle school. Some go back to elementary. And some I just can't even remember not being friends with. So Thanksgiving is always a good excuse to hang out with some of my most favorite people on the planet, drink beers, and just enjoy life.

I can't tell you exactly how many times I saw Sourwood Honey. More than a handful of shows at the old Rockafella's in Five Points in Columbia, several times while I was in college at Clemson, and a few times when I was living in Charleston. After seeing the band play at the St. Patrick's Day Festival in Five Points in 1998 (I am sorta guessing the date) I wrote a review of the show for a college non-ficiton writing class. The teacher gave me some great feedback on it, and that more or less gave me the idea that I wanted to try to write about music. And for about seven very low-paid years of my 20s I did just that.

I fucking love this band (sorry for the F-bomb, mom). And I can say with no doubt that they are a very big reason my idiot friends and I are all so into music and concerts. Sourwood Honey was part of the soundtrack to my high school and college years. And they more or less gave us all a first-hand introduction to improvisational rock.

But at the heart of it all were some great songs tinged in Southern rock. The dual front-men Ryan Goforth and Chris Conner were gifted songwriters and Conner's voice was amazing. Herbie Jeffcoat's guitar playing sounded like a hybrid of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts (probably a reason the Allman Brothers would become a favorite band of mine), and the rhythm section always gave this band such a vibrant pulse.

1. "Folk Song"

There's still some places in this world
where there are no trucks and trains,
and it's a hell on Earth for some,
but a heaven for a man that likes the beat of a slow pace

This was usually Sourwood's set closer. And it normally began with Chris and Ryan on acoustic guitars with the band gradually joining in. I love this studio version, though.



2. "Never Said..."

I never said it was easy to love me

This tune is arguably the band's masterpiece from their first album. The piano intro (played by Les Hall whom I met when he spent the night at our house with my older brother when I was in 5th grade) is just gorgeous. And the way the keys play against Jeffcoat's guitar (which smolders on this tune) adds a lot of great touches. And Chris Conner just sings the hell out of this song.



3. "Miss Misery"

Close my eyes, don't walk on my burying ground,
she'll be there when they lower me down,
tellin' you how much she misses me

This is another song that always killed live. Great lyrics and again some scorching guitar licks. Tell me you haven't been dumped before and can't agree with a line like "fuck my soul, 'cause I don't need it no more."



I could've easily posted about 4 or 5 more songs from Sourwood Honey ("All My Relation" "Anna Lee"). And I sincerely wish I could go back in time and see this band again. Especially whenever the last time I saw them was, so I could make myself remember every note of the show.

Sadly, Chris Conner died in November 2007. My heart goes out to the family and friends he left behind, but I'll be forever thankful for the music that he left behind. I'll play both of these records at least a couple of times a year to maintain sanity, and today was one of those days.

Herbie Jeffcoat still gigs around Columbia a ton and fronts the Herbie Jeffcoat Project. Les Hall toured with Howie Day and did a stint with Phish's Trey Anastasio. I actually did a story on him for jambands.com back in 2005 (http://www.jambands.com/features/2005/06/07/the-many-moves-of-les-hall-from-howie-day-to-trey), though I haven't kept up with what he's been up to lately. And I have no idea what the rest of the guys in the band are up to.

But if it's any consolation to any of the band members from Sourwood Honey, thank you all for being in one of my favorite bands of all time.

"Sometimes the honey sounds so sweet."

(p.s. sorry for the lame 'videos,' but my knowledge of iMovie is rudimentary at best.)

Track 15: a triple shot of Neko Case

So I am slightly bucking a trend here and giving you a triple-shot of Neko Case. I'm on the tail end of about a month-long Neko-binge...and am loving these three songs a ton.

I'd heard about Neko for a while, but only just started listening to her a month or so ago. On her older stuff she seems to be putting on a bit of fake Nashville twang, probably at the suggestion of some record exec. to move more units to a target market, but "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood" and "Middle Cyclone" are both fantastic records.

She's added to a relatively small, but growing list, of female artists I dig--Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, The Supremes, Norah Jones, Natalie Merchant (give it up for 10,000 Maniacs "Unplugged"), Karen Carpenter, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Cat Power, Jenny Lewis/Rilo Kiley, The "She and Him" record, Allison Krauss and Abigail Washburn.

I think Neko's voice is unbelievably good--great range and it just sounds so sexy. I love the music, and think her backing band does really cool things in the alt-country vein--albeit minimal--that add up to a lot. And I love how she uses back-up singers in such a cool way. And it doesn't hurt that she's a gorgeous redhead--something I've long had a weakness for.

John Saw that Number
Read the Revelations, you'll find him there
Third chapter, fourth verse where he said unto me
"There's a beast that rose out of the sea"
Ten crowns, ten crowns

This song is just plain awesome. Love the Gospel feel and how she just belts it out. Love the instrumentation, laid back, but they just nail the right notes.



This Tornado Loves You
I have waited with a glacier's patience
smashed every transformer with every trailer
till nothing was standing
sixty-five miles wide

This song is just amazing and I like it for all the reasons I wrote at first about why I like Neko Case. I don't delve much into the deeper meanings of songs (the same reason I disliked college English classes), but I saw an interview she did about this song and there's something kind of awesome about thinking about a tornado searching for a lost love and never finding it.



The Needle has Landed
So that's why I never come back here
That's why they spit out my name
Your exes have clawed up The Bible trying to keep me away

Another great one off of "Middle Cyclone." There's such an awesome groove behind this song and the lyrics give it a sort of dark, somber and sexy feel. The Spanaway reference is apparently for a town in Washington state that is right by an Air Force Base--lots of low flying planes.



Honorable mention songs: "Magpie to the Morning," "Maybe Sparrow," "Deep Red Bells," "I'm an Animal," "Lady Pilot," and "Star Witness."

Track 14: "Gumboots" by Paul Simon

Believing I had supernatural powers I slammed into a brick wall...

Thank God for Paul Simon and the album "Graceland."

This is definitely one of my favorite albums of all time, and one that can potentially make any crappy day much less so. Picking "Gumboots" as one of all time favorite songs is pretty arbitrary here as just about any song on "Graceland" could deservedly make my list.

"Graceland" has sold over 14 million copies, it's 5x Platinum, won a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1986, and appears of just about every sane publication's list of best albums of all time.

There really isn't a bad song on this record--just one of those extremely rare albums that you can listen to front to back. I love Simon's lyrics, the South African influence on the album, all of the backing vocals Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and of course the horns!

Seriously, "You Ca Call Me Al," "Diamonds on the Soles of Her shoes," "That was Your Mother," "Under African Skies," "Graceland," "I Know what I Know".....there are so many great songs on this album. And listening to any of these without cracking a smile is virtually impossible. All that's missing is "Me and Julio Down by the School Yard," which is another of Simon's gems.

Paul Simon's "Concert in the Park" is another all time favorite album of mine. It's a double-live album of him in Central Park with his full African band doing most of the "Graceland" and "Rhythm of the Saints" albums with tons of other Simon and Garfunkel songs.

"Graceland" and "Concert in the Park" are 'go to' albums for me. And to be only Wednesday, I'm having a pretty rotten week. On Monday I drove away from a gas pump with the nozzle still in my tank and did some slight damage to my car. Today I dropped my lap top (thank god for Best Buy's Black Tie protection. Seems to be working fine, though, aside from the cd drive making noises every time I open it. But it's fully covered.)

So needless to say my knack for doing stupid shit with expensive stuff of mine had me feeling a little down. But "Gumboots" happened to pop on my shuffle while driving to get some lunch. And sure enough, when the horns kicked, I felt myself smile.

Break downs come and break downs go,
what are you gonna do it about
that's what I'd like to know

Track 13: "Holland 1945" by Neutral Milk Hotel

The only girl I've ever loved/
was born with roses in her eyes/
but then they buried her alive/
one evening 1945

I feel like I could do a separate blog entry for just about every song on the hugely awesome "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" album by Neutral Milk Hotel.

I first heard the record during my senior year of college and initially didn't like it. But it quickly grew on me. It was just so different than most of the stuff I was listening to at the time. It's noisy as hell, sounds very raw, Jeff Mangum's voice is nasally and a little grating, and it just wasn't what I was used to music sounding like. But it's one of those albums that gets better everytime you hear it, until eventually you know every note on the record. The internet is rife with all sorts of information about the deeper meanings and stories behind the album/band/Mangum in general--and some of it is worth looking into. There's an interesting back story to the record and after hearing in its entirety you'll understand why it's probably the best album you've never heard of and why it's on so many "best albums of all time" lists.

Without delving too deep into the album itself--for me it all plays out as sort of a musical play/maybe even a rock opera of sorts. (there's an extensive amount of articles and stuff written about the record all over the internet). There's lots of Anne Frank and World War II references, some incredibly graphic and harsh lyrics to echo that 'war' feeling. There's songs on the album that are gorgeous (the title track and "Communist Daughter" and King of Carrot Flowers pt. 1" especially), a bit scary, some that could nearly bring you to tears and others that rock so much ("Ghost") you feel like you could put your fist through a brick wall. It's chock full of incredible instrumentation, unique sounds

And "Holland 1945" is one of those. The lyrics are incredibly morbid, like the opening line or "And here's where your mother sleeps/
and here is the room where your brothers were born/
indentions in sheets where their bodies once moved but don't move anymore"

The pace of the song and Mangum's delivery/lyrics make it pretty intense to listen to. But I love when the horns come in--it's just so well done. Like I said if you haven't heard this song or album before, it's way different than what you're accustomed to, but it's really an incredible, incredible record--one I'll generally bust out a few times a year and listen to it front to back just to remind myself how awesome it is.

I have a very vivid memory in college of listening to the whole thing with a handful of friends late at night after many cold beers--with us just singing along to the entire album. And more recently, while hanging out with my buddy Scott Haselden, I took over the IPod. I told him there would be no Phish, Dead or Bob Dylan (his holy triumvirate--deservedly so) at least for the 44 minutes or so it would take to listen to this album. And it blew his mind.

Track 12: "The General Specific" by Band of Horses

And runnin' the blender in a lightening storm,
disguised as a blessing I'm sure

Not only is track 12 on my ultimate playlist a fantastic song, it also helps me somewhat make up for an immense lack of 'cool.'

I actually know two guys in Band of Horses!

To get the name dropping out of the way, I've known Ben Bridwell and Ryan Monroe since middle school back in Irmo, SC. I wouldn't say we're bff or anything, we don't text message or email, but I know them--they know me--if I saw them on the street we'd say hi, possibly hug, and catch up. But the point is that real life rock stars actually know my name! In your face, whoever!

Regardless of me trying to seem cool, Band of Horses is great and have quickly become a big fat hairy deal on the Indie rock scene. And, for Ben and Ryan, the huge success the group is having couldn't be happening to nicer, more genuine guys. I first saw them open for Iron and Wine in 2005, and since they've literally skyrocketed ever since. They've toured the world, played Bonnaroo and Lolapalooza, been on Letterman, played Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit and have put out two stellar records. It's always a great thing to see a band you like grow and get better, but means a little more when there's a deeper tie to the music and band.

According to my IPod, I have listened to "The General Specific" 53 times, which seems to be a low-ball number in my opinion. It's just one of those songs I don't get tired of listening to. Great sing along lyrics, hand clapping, the cool honky tonk vibe, and the trinkling piano all add up to a really great tune. I'm sure I'd love the song even if I didn't know the guys in the band.

Here's a link to an article I did on Band of Horses back in 2006--which was right before Ryan Monroe joined the group and before the "Cease to Begin" album came out. Just on the band's verge of moving back to Charleston, SC and blowing up. I've also interviewed Ryan several times for stories about the late, great Captain Easy out of Columbia, SC.

http://archives.postandcourier.com/archive/arch06/0906/arc09143419652.shtml

I hope you dig the song as much as I do. And if nothing else it is proof that South Carolina is capable of producing greatness, despite all the stupid bullshit my beloved birth state keeps getting national press for.

Track 11: "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin

You need coolin', baby, I'm not foolin',
I'm gonna send you back to schoolin',

I could probably do an entire blog of its own on nothing but my favorite Led Zeppelin songs.

For me, Zeppelin was THE first band that got me. In sixth grade I had one of those colorful Memorex cassette tapes with Led Zeppelin IV dubbed one side and Rob Bass/DJ EZ Rock (remember "it takes two"? ha ha) on the other.

When I got my first CD player/boom box in 7th grade for Christmas, Led Zeppelin II was the first CD I owned (after I'd nearly wore out the cassette version of the album I had). It's still one of my all time favorite albums and definitely the first record I listened to ad nauseam until I'd learned every nuance and lyric.

The layperson generally thinks of Zeppelin as this dark group obsessed with black magic--and they're pretty right. But they have some gorgeous songs--"Rain Song," "Thank You," "Tangerine" and "That's the Way," that really made them such a complete band--the best ever in my opinion.

But back to Zeppelin II--so many awesome songs. "What is and What Should Never Be" still remains one of the best songs to listen to on headphones of all time. "Ramble On" and "Bring it on Home" are other standouts on the album for me.

But "Whole Lotta Love" is everything a rock and roll song should be and a great representation of what Zeppelin did best. It's overtly sexual, a little scary, and completely and utterly bad ass.

And Jimmy Page's solo coming out of the madness at about 3 minutes in is arguably the hottest shit ever in rock!

Track 10: "The Outdoor Type" by The Lemonheads

I can't go away with you on a rock climbing weekend,
what if something's on TV and it's never shown again.

I think we all, every single person on the planet, have a 'theme' song. Something that would play during the opening scenes or trailer in the sit-com or movie about your life. And for me "Outdoor Type" by The Lemonheads is that song.

It's not that I'm anti-outdoors, not at all. I appreciate a good view or breathtaking sunrise or sunset as much as the next guy, but when it comes to camping and 'roughing it'--I'd rather not. I'm happiest in a comfortable chair on the beach, with good friends, and some cold beers--which is, after all, outdoors.

But I've never been hunting. Never shot anything bigger than a BB gun. I dislike fishing (I can stay inside and hold a pole all day), though I have had fun deep sea fishing before. I've been camping--car camping--at music festivals and generally had a good time. But when it comes to hiking out in the middle of nowhere with enough equipment to basically set up a makeshift living room outside--I'd rather not. Hiking is just walking while you wear something made by The North Face, Patagonia, or Columbia.

And I love The Lemonheads. I referenced them in the last post, and "It's a Shame About Ray," for me, is just one of those albums you can listen to front to back--where every song is a great one. The same goes for "Come on Feel."

"Outdoor Type" is off of "Car Button Cloth," which came out during my freshman year of college. And granted my musical tastes have shifted somewhat over the years, but it's still tough to beat, in my book, a well-written, catchy simple tune.

The lyrics to this song are just hilarious, and I identified with them immediately upon hearing this song. And there's a message here about knowing who you are and staying true to yourself, but simply put--this is a great song.

Sorry for the poor quality of the recording here, but it was the best I could find on You Tube without putting forth any effort to upload it myself.

I especially like the closing line which hits pretty close to home for me:

..."can't grow a beard or even fight, I lied about being the outdoor type"

Track 9: "Hunger Strike" by Temple of the Dog

I don't mind stealing bread
from the mouths of decadence

This song came on my IPod on my way to Columbia this weekend for my buddy Tim Wendling's wedding. Despite having some sort of reason for having each of the some 14,000 songs on my IPod, rarely does shuffle ever play what I feel like listening to.

It sort of hit me last night, having beers and chatting with some old pals from high school, that favorite songs are much more than just a 'song.' They have the ability to cement a moment in time and can instantly take us back there whenever we hear them.

Everyone seems to bitch about high school for whatever reason--and everybody's got a pretty good reason generally to do so. And despite missing a few months of my senior year due to a snow skiing accident, I look back pretty fondly on high school.

Sure, there was plenty of awkwardness and the feeling that you're invisible to women (two things I don't think I've quite outgrown), but I enjoyed my time at Irmo and pretty much all my 'best' friends are folks I grew up with. And so every time I hear a song by bands like Blind Melon, Pearl Jam, the Lemonheads, Drivin N Cryin, and Led Zeppelin (just to name a few), I can associate a memory from those formative years.

So this tune is a lot more to me than arguably one of the best 'grunge' era songs. It makes me think of all the hilariously dumb shit I did as a teenager and the great folks I did it with. So track 9 is dedicated not only to Tim Wendling and his new bride, but to those high school years and to all the endearing idiots I am still lucky enough to call friend.

Track 8: "Here Comes the Sun Again" by M. Ward

Kingdoms and queens they all bow down to you,
branches and ranch hands are bowin too,
and I've taken off my straw hat for you,
singing--here comes the sun again

Track 8 is going new school on that ass, with some old-school stylings.

I have Patrick Hill, one of my closest friends and the guru of the Atlanta indie rock scene, to thank for introducing me to M. Ward. We lived together as roommates for a little over three years once I got to Atlanta and have literally been friends our entire lives.

I'd just gotten an IPod when I moved here, and given my OCD-like sense for acquiring new music and Patrick's obscenely large CD collection, I began to ask him for suggestions on stuff he thought I'd like. And M. Ward's "Transistor Radio" was one of the first albums he offered me. And I got hooked immediately.

Not sure why he goes by the letter M. instead of "Matt" (must be an indie-cred thing), but I've sense accumulated most of the guy's catalog--including the recent "Monsters of Folk" record with Jim James (My Morning Jacket) and Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes) fame, which is very close to the Travelling Wilbury's album of the new millennium--great record.

And of course the "She and Him" album M. Ward did with the super cute Zooey Deschanel, which doesn't showcase M. Ward as much, but is an excellent throwback record that sounds like it could've been made in 1965.

But back to M. Ward--I really dig his voice, sort of old-school crooner meets indie-folk singer. His songs are just pure-- simple arrangements and great lyrics. I could easily list about 10 other tunes of his I could listen to over and over. But this one takes the cake for me. Just a great, chill, Sunday morning cup of coffee song.

Track 7: "Runaway" by Del Shannon

I'm a walkin' in the rain,
tears are fallin' and I feel the pain,
wishin' you were here by me,
to end this misery

Track 7 is going old school on that ass...1961 to be exact.

So I guess it's weird to admit one of my favorite songs of all time is one I don't even have on my IPod--but this is my blog about my favorites, so I get to make the rules (in your face, reader!)

Credits for me liking this on go to my mom and dad, and to the oldies station in Columbia, SC. I grew up going to my grandparent's house just about every Sunday of my life from birth til the time I left for college. And I'm sure I may be exaggerating in my brain a little bit, but it seems this tune would always be on the car radio on the rides home.

Something about it stuck with me...I LOVE when Del hit's the high notes on "why why why why why" part and then there's the super odd, high-pitched, melodic synthesizer solo in the middle (yeah, I'm a geek and looked up Del Shannon on Wikipedia--the instrument is called a Musitron!)

Those rides home proved to shape a lot of my musical tastes--Simon and Garfunkel, just about anything Motown, Roy Orbison, and countless songs I cannot even think of at the moment. (Speaking of Roy--the Travelling Wilburys did a pretty straight ahead cover of this song in Del Shannon's honor. He committed suicide in 1990--sadness courtesy of Wikipedia).

Regardless, this is a great tune and it's a shame they don't make 'em like this anymore.

Track 6: "b song" by Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer

If you told me when I was 15 that one of my favorite musicians of all time would turn out to be a banjo player, I probably would've called you a dirty word. I first heard the Bela Fleck and the Flecktones' album "Live Art" in my junior year of college and was immediately mind blown. And ever since Bela Fleck quickly joined the coveted ranks of my all time favorite musicians.

The guy is a true master of the banjo--and has played everything possible from bluegrass to Bach on the instrument--all the while surrounding himself (and sitting in) with some of the greatest bands and musicians on the planet. There's not too many people whose musical resume includes performing with Willie Nelson, The Grateful Dead, Phish, Dave Matthews Band, songs by Beethoven, and sit-ins with the cast of Sesame Street. Not to mention playing with just about every bluegrass icon EVER. All this along with, give or take, 20 Grammy awards.

Here's a story I did on Fleck back in 2003.: http://archives.postandcourier.com/archive/arch03/0203/arc0219993705.shtml

It's likely Bela Fleck will make a few more appearances on my Ultimate Playlist, but choosing this track was a no-brainer. As far as I know "b song" only lives as one the tracks on the first Bonnaroo DVD, and it's even more special to me to know that I was in the audience to witness the amazing piece of music.

Bonnaroo is tough. It's not only the 80,000 people and relentless June Tennessee heat that make it so, but just the sheer number of top-notch acts the festival manages to have on its roster each and every year. There's always a nagging feeling that, no matter what act you are seeing or how much you are enjoying them, you're missing something spectacular.

I didn't have that feeling at all during Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer's set on that ridiculously hot June afternoon. It started to rain a little bit during their set, and I remember how quenching it felt to have a few big fat rain drops land on my neck.

Their entire set was amazing...honestly I've never seen Bela Fleck do anything less. But Edgar Meyer is a genius in his own right as well. So a set by two absolute monsters and masters of their instruments was a certain highly of my first 'Roo.

But this tune--my god! It's a miracle that Fleck's banjo doesn't just burst into flame at any given moment. And Meyer's bass--it's unbelievable how one instrument can make your rib cage rumble AND also make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. This song is, and will likely always be, one of the greatest songs I've ever seen performed live in my entire life.



And if you're in the mood to read more, here's a review I wrote on the first Bonnaroo in 2002:
http://archives.postandcourier.com/archive/arch02/0702/arc0704663287.shtml

Track 5: "Bertha" by The Grateful Dead

That's why if you please,
I am on my bended knees,
Bertha don't you come around here anymore.

I am proud to admit that I am a walking cliche--one of 'those' people who named their dog after a Grateful Dead song.

Yes I love the band,BUT I wouldn't exactly call myself a 'hippie.' I do listen to jam bands (but not 'just' jam bands), I've been to Bonnaroo, and I still have a modest collection of bootleg concert tapes that I accumulated throughout college--even though I haven't owned a tape player since 2004. However, I DO use deodorant, I've never begged for a 'miracle' ticket to any show, I bathe frequently, I've never sold veggie burritos and staunchly believe that 95% of white people look utterly ridiculous with dreadlocks.

I never got to see the 'real' Grateful Dead, but have seen different incarnations of the band's members throughout the year, countless Dead cover bands, and I own a decent collection of their music on my IPod. And though I can appreciate, and often get into some heady 30 minute musical exploration, I much prefer the band's "songs" as opposed to their jams--which is why "American Beauty" is one of my favorite albums of all time.

I think I first heard "Bertha" in high school and it's just one of those songs I immediately liked. It's fun, catchy, and very user-friendly. It was never really my intention to name my dog after a song--and after being at Phish shows and seeing under-fed dogs with names like "Fee" and "Harpua"with drug-addled, idiot owners I almost came to loathe the practice. But something about the name Bertha just stuck with me. And I DO like the idea of naming dogs human names, and I fully intend to have a big golden retriever named Walter at some point in my life.

I never had anything bigger than a hamster growing up. And despite constant pleas from my brother and I about the possible virtues of family dog, my folks never gave in. They gave us the typical excuses--"you'll never take care of it," "it's a lot of work,"and the like.

Which of course led to the overwhelming desire to have a dog once I was on my own and somewhat 'established.' So with my favorite Grateful Dead song in mind, I set out to find my Bertha. I was living in Charleston at the time, and went to three different animal shelters looking for the right dog. Leaving those places empty handed is next to impossible to do, but I was on a mission to find a perfect first dog.

And I did! At the animal shelter in Goose Creek (45 minutes away from Charleston) a black lab about 10 months old caught my eye. "She's going to be way too big," I initially thought.

I walked around the facility a few times and came back to her--I just felt drawn to this animal. So I took her out in a little visiting area at the pound, and she walked up to me, and just out of curiosity I told her to 'sit' and she DID! SOLD!

That day was October 18, 2000. So today I celebrate 9 years with Bertha--90 pounds of pure, unconditional sweetness. Her tail can clear off a coffee table in a matter of nano-seconds, she's utterly terrified of the vacuum cleaner, enjoys chasing squirrels in futility, and never fails to welcome me home with a warm greeting. She's getting gray around her muzzle, but she's still just as excitable as the day I got her.

And she is the reason "Bertha" will always be one of my favorite songs of all time. So thank you, Bertha, for 9 years of being a great dog!!!

Track 4: "It Makes No Difference" by The Band

Well I love you so much,
and it's all I can do
just to keep myself from telling you
that I've never felt so alone before

Just as no ultimate playlist is complete without a great love song (see Track 3), it sure as hell isn't complete without a classic heartbreak tune.

The Band is one of those groups, like CCR, that just has so many great songs it's almost impossible to narrow down your favorite. But since we're on the subject of heartbreak tunes, if there is a better sad bastard song out there than "It Makes No Difference," I don't even want to know about it.

We've all been there I am certain--the feeling that "the sun don't shine anymore."

The post-break-up blues--where all you can do is lay around in your own filth, listen to sad songs and feel rotten. Strange how heartache can become such a familiar thing when you're going through it, and when it's finally gone, you almost miss it.

Needless to say, I've given "It Makes No Difference" more than a few plays throughout the years. And even though the lyrics are ridiculously sad, it's still a wonderful song by one of the greatest bands ever. It's one of those tunes that make you want to rip your own heart out of your chest, take a bite, and then throw it into oncoming traffic because you really have no further use for it.

This version is from "The Last Waltz," which really needs no introduction or comments about other than the fact that you and everyone you know should own it. Strangely enough, the YouTube clip I found posts the lyrics so you can read along as Rick Danko belts it out.



And this is a pretty straight ahead cover by My Morning Jacket for a Band tribute album that was released a couple of years ago.

Track 3: "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" by Talking Heads

Out of all those kinds of people
You've got a face with a view
I'm just an animal looking for a home
and share the same space for a minute or two

I have no qualms in admitting I'm a sucker for a good love song, and this Talking Heads tune ranks up there as one of the best. Except it's so cool and lacks all the sentimental claptrap of most other love songs.

This band made being geeky cool (seriously, is there a bigger and more endearing weirdo than David Byrne? I've seen the guy perform in a pink tutu and a skin-tight leotard that looked like a human body with all the skin removed). All of their songs have such awesome grooves, melodies, and lyrics and you can never go wrong with a Talking Heads tune in any bar juke box situation.

It's some sort of unwritten rule that any jam band must have at least one Talking Heads song in their repertoires and I say with no doubts that they are always well received by whichever audience.

A major highlight of my writing career was a chance to do a telephone interview with David Byrne before he did a show in Charleston in 2004. Unfortunately it didn't happen as our schedules never seemed to match up...BUT I did get a voice mail message from him that went something like this:

"Hey Mark, this is David Byrne calling. I'm in Miami. I guess I'll try you again later."

So it never happened, but how many voice mails have YOU gotten from David Byrne? In your face!

The show on October 29, 2004 at the Charleston Music Hall ranks as one of my all time favorite concerts which is saying quite a lot. It's an intimate 900-seat venue and the sound in the place is top-notch. The show was a lot of Byrne's solo stuff but really heavy on Talking Heads tunes--he even had a string section that replicated all the keyboard parts of the songs.

here's a link to the bio piece I did on David Byrne: http://archives.postandcourier.com/archive/arch04/1004/arc10281995976.shtml

and a review of the show I did as well: http://archives.postandcourier.com/archive/arch04/1104/arc11042007162.shtml

Byrne even made some comments in his own blog after the show about how blown away he was by the Chucktown crowd!

This version of "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" is from the live concert DVD "Stop Making Sense" which is supremely bad ass. But the song itself is my all time favorite Talking Heads tunes and one of my favorites in general. I think you'll agree.

And if you're not in the place to say it already, I think deep down we all want to look at our respective mates one day and say "I can't tell one from another, did I find you or you find me?"


*in case there wasn't already enough shameless self-promotion in this blog post, I've also interviewed Bernie Worrell--he's the black keyboard player in the video. Super cool cat!

Track 2: "I'll Fly Away"

"Some bright morning/when this life is over/I'll fly away"

If you know me well, it may seem odd that a Gospel song would make my ultimate playlist. But "I'll Fly Away" is just a fantastic, beautiful tune and so are the three versions I'm posting here.

I gave the eulogy at my grandfather's funeral back in August, probably one of the most difficult, humbling, and fulfilling things I've ever had to do. And the last song played at his funeral was "I'll Fly Away." I can't begin to explain how at ease it made me feel to hear this song at that moment. I made a comment to my mother afterward about how I always really liked the song, and she told me in going through some of my grandpa's things she found a piece of paper where he'd written down the lyrics. It made me feel an even deeper connection to one of the greatest men I'll ever know in my lifetime.

So this post is for William Register. I hope he's enjoying his new digs on God's celestial shore--even though he will be greatly missed.

#1-Allison Krauss and Gillian Welch from the "O, brother, where art thou?" soundtrack. One of my all time favorite movies, and one of the best movie soundtracks ever. This version of "I'll Fly Away" is just utterly gorgeous. How could it not be with these two ladies singing?



#2 The Word (self-titled album). One of the best side project albums ever I think--the North Mississippi All Stars, John Medeski, and pedal steel phenom Robert Randolph got together to record an album of gospel standards. This version definitely is not folky, rootsy, or bluegrass-y in anyway. The whole album is just killer, with some really cool interpretations of songs I heard growing up in church. Sorry about the 30-second snippet...but if you click the bottom link you should be able to listen to the full 7-minute version. I assure you it will be completely worth it.

Ill Fly Away - The Word

#3 The Dirty Dozen Brass Band from the album "Funeral for a Friend." The Dirty Dozen Brass Band have to be one of funnest bands ever to see live, and on this record they make seemingly traditional church music some of the ass-shakinest stuff you've ever heard. It's a great record, and sort of makes me want to get buried in New Orleans! I briefly touched on it in a article I wrote on the band for The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC) back in 2004:

http://archives.postandcourier.com/archive/arch04/0604/arc06031758897.shtml

this link should take you to the song.
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Dirty+Dozen+Brass+Band/_/I%27ll+Fly+Away

Track 1: "Linus and Lucy" by Vince Guaraldi

I'm sure the question has come up before in your life (most likely at a raging kegger or some hazy, faux-philosophical conversation) "what's your all time favorite song--EVER?"

If you asked me to pick my favorite band or movie it'd probably take me the better part of a day to narrow each question down to a laundry list. But my favorite song is a no-brainer--"Linus and Lucy"--the theme song for "The Peanuts." Maybe it's because I empathize with Charlie Brown's plight--the epitome of endearing struggle. The guy everyone wants to win, but we know will most likely lose. Sure it's sad, but it's at least dependable and true.

But the song is perfection. Other than the amazing cartoon/comic strip, I'm sure it was "Linus and Lucy" that made me look forward to watching "The Great Pumpkin" and all the other annual specials throughout my childhood. And it's also one of the many reasons the Charlie Brown Brown Christmas album goes on repeat on my Ipod at Christmas time each year.

I'm positive it's the reason I ever got interested in listening to jazz and I think it's a strong candidate for anyone's greatest songs of all time list.

The bassline makes me imagine "The Peanuts" cast doing that awesome head-bob dance, with Pig Pen creating his trademark dust cloud. And the melody is instant happiness--I think it's impossible to listen to this song and not smile immediately.

And if you listen and don't smile--I am pretty sure it means you have no soul.



and you gotta dig "The Peanuts" head-bob dance!

So I started a blog...

...not of my own volition or freewill, but because I have to. For those unaware, I'm in my 7th quarter (out of 8) in the Copywriting program at The Creative Circus (yes, it's the real name of the place and, yes, it's an actual school). And one of my assignments this quarter is to keep an active blog, something I never really considered doing before. With no better ideas, I decided to dedicate this blog to my OCD love of music.

The more I thought about it (which was a good 15 minute drive home from class after I got the assignment), music is basically the reason I'm at this point in my life. I spent the better part of my 20's as a struggling freelance music journalist in Charleston, SC. Sort of like "Almost Famous," but not nearly as feature-film worthy. I did some stringing for nearly 10 different online and print (mostly newspapers) publications and made very little money. But I loved every second of it--free CDs, concert tickets, my own byline, the chance to interview some of my personal musical heroes, and anywhere from a whopping $25 to $75 per story!!!

Once I realized I wanted to get into advertising, I also realized that most agencies weren't too impressed with the Hefty bag of newspaper articles I accumulated throughout 6-7 years. And it led me to this school, a good bit of student loan debt, and a growing Hefty bag of fake advertisements.

But back to the point of this blog.

I believe I have impeccable tastes in music, and plan to share that with whoever happens to read this (which is likely to be my folks out of parental obligations of course, and maybe my teacher who will likely just check to make sure I'm actually doing the assignment). However, I'll stand behind my opinions on music all day long. I was a paid professional after all. And not to brag--but in one fiscal year I made $8,500 writing about music. That's three (3) zeroes people!!! Which I'm 87% sure is more money than you ever made writing about music.

It's my ultimate playlist--my favorite songs of all time...