My Favorite Music of 2017

Well, I may not be blogging much, but I still listen to a lot of music. I love reading the end of year "best of" lists and finding new artists that I missed during the year. This week, I'm checking out Ray Davies and Caroline Spence, among others.

As usual, I also took a look back through the music I've loved during 2017. Any year that Jason Isbell comes out with new music is a good one. Margo Price has been on repeat as well, as both of those albums perfectly complement the current political and cultural climate. In looking through this list, I realize I could probably listen to more upbeat music from time to time. Although... Hiss Golden Messenger is beautiful, and Nikki Lane makes me turn it up and sing real loud. I love listening to Josh Ritter for many reasons, but also because I picture him smiling as he sings. Trombone Shorty - there's an upbeat artist. Listen to him and try not to dance. So maybe I'm okay.

Here's my list for 2017:

Jason Isbell - The Nashville Sound
Hiss Golden Messenger - Hallellujah Anyhow
Margo Price - All American Made
John Moreland - Big Bad Luv

The National - Sleep Well Beast
JD McPherson - Undivided Heart and Soul
The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding
Hurray for the Riff Raff - The Navigator

Chris Stapleton - From a Room, Volumes 1 & 2
Nikki Lane - Highway Queen
Noah Gundersen - White Noise
The Lone Bellow - Walk Into a Storm

Josh Ritter - Gathering
Aimee Mann - Mental Illness
Sera Cahoone - From Where I Started
Trombone Shorty - Parking Lot Symphony

Ryan Adams - Prisoner
Tift Merritt - Stitch of the World
Laura Marling - Semper Femina
Lilly Hiatt - Trinity Lane

My Favorite Music of 2016

I love going through the music I've enjoyed throughout the year, determining which I think will become long-term classics vs. those that were special in a specific time. I love different types of music for different moods and activities. My driving music is different than the music I want to listen to when I'm alone in the house or cooking or entertaining.

When I look back at 2016, Chris Stapleton looms large. (I know his album technically came out in 2015, along with a few others on this list, but this is the year I came to know them. Sometimes I'm late to the game.) When Kevin decides he likes a band, it goes on repeat for months - Chris Stapleton was his favorite of the year for sure.

Other most-played artists include John Moreland, whose gorgeous, sad voice we discovered in Newport. Sturgill Simpson is now grammy-nominated for his awesome follow-up album, which contains beautiful lyrics inspired by his new son. The Revivalists are the band I turn up loud and want to dance around to. Whenever a song comes on that I love and need to check who it is - it's Rayland Baxter; I love every song on that album. Dawes' latest album is so different from their previous albums, and I love it for that.

The entire list of my 2016 favorites:

Chris Stapleton - Traveller
John Moreland - High on Tulsa Heat
Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide to Earth
Sarah Jarosz - Undercurrent
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats

The Revivalists - Men Amongst Mountains
Rayland Baxter - Imaginary Man
Ages and Ages - Something to Ruin
Blind Pilot - And Then Like Lions
Kingsley Flood - Another Other

Jamestown Revival - The Education of a Wandering Man
Dawes - We're All Gonna Die
Conor Oberst - Ruminations
The Lumineers - Cleopatra
The Head and the Heart - Signs of Light

Shovels & Rope - Little Seeds
Margo Price - Midwest Farmer's Daughter
Carseat Headrest - Teens of Denial
Amanda Shires - My Piece of Land
John Paul White - Beulah

A few honorable mentions and albums I'm still getting to know:  The Felice Brothers, Lucy Dacus, Brian Fallon, and Courtney Marie Andrews.

Letters to Cleo

Last weekend, we went to see Letters to Cleo at The Paradise in Boston. It was such a fun show! It was great to listen to the songs of my 20s. I still remember all the words, and I sang them out and danced along with Kay Hanley and the band. Most of the audience knew all the words too. One of my favorite things in the world is to experience live music with a crowd of strangers. 

This is from the night before, in New York. This was their closing song - one of my all-time favorites.

Newport Folk Festival 2016

Another fabulous weekend at the Newport Folk Festival. This was our 5th year, and we're getting better and better at maximizing the fun (or more likely, the kids are just getting older and easier to hang out with). 

Kevin's sister and brother-in-law joined us on Saturday, and it was a great day in the hot sun. We stayed for Sunday this year too, which was filled with amazing music. We were exhausted by the time we got home Sunday night, but it was a happy exhaustion.  

Here's who we saw:  The Banditos, John Moreland, Rayland Baxter, Amy Helm, Dave Simonett and Dave Carroll, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Ryan Adams, Norah Jones, and Patti Smith. That was just Saturday!

On Sunday: Berklee Gospel and Roots Choir, Ian Fitzgerald, River Whyless, The Oh Hellos, Brian Fallon, Glen Hansard, Middle Brother, Elvis Costello, and Alabama Shakes. Phew! And that doesn't include the surprise artists we saw in the family tent, where we continue to spend a decent amount of time, this time mostly to escape the sun.

Glen Hansard was my absolute favorite. He owned the Fort stage with his beautiful songs and funny stories from Ireland. The Oh Hellos were awesome and loud and fun. And John Moreland was my favorite new-to-me artist. Beautiful, beautiful music.

For a look at our previous years in Newport: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. 

Surprise performance by Spirit Family Reunion in the family tent 

The Oh Hellos on the Fort stage

We submitted a silly picture and made it on the big screen!

The boys spent an inordinate amount of time building forts to escape the sun

The beautiful view, before the crowds filled in

Sarah Jarosz - House of Mercy

This song has been in heavy rotation lately. Sarah Jarosz has a new album coming out this month, and based on the first two songs that have been released, it's going to be a great one. 

Sturgill Simpson - Brace for Impact (Live a Little)

A cool song for your Friday.  Happy weekend!

Sturgill Simpson

Great Peacock - Desert Lark

I recently heard of the band Great Peacock, and I've been enjoying their album a lot.  They remind me a bit of Blind Pilot, or at least their album appeals to me in the same way. A very consistent sound and fun to sing out loud. 

Chris Stapleton

For the longest time, I said I liked all kinds of music - except country. Then I listened to Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris and Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson and Nikki Lane and Shovels & Rope and Caitlin Rose and....  I realized that I loved country music.  I just don't love the stuff they play on the radio.  

I recently checked out Chris Stapleton, who is as country as you can get. And I dig him.  I couldn't even decide which song to include here, so I added two - one with a full band, and one acoustic with just him and his wife.  Both awesome.  

Aoife O'Donovan - In The Magic Hour

Aoife O'Donovan has a new album, In the Magic Hour. I'm only just getting to know it; but I do think the title song is lovely, particularly this acoustic version.

Glen Hansard - Winning Streak

Love Glen Hansard's latest album, which made my favorites list of last year. I especially love this beautiful song.

Happy Monday all!

My Favorite Music of 2015

Okay, before I start with 2015 music, I have to say that it is appalling that Sturgill Simpson hasn't made an appearance on the blog yet. I think it took an opportunity to see him live to make me love him, but oh how I do now. There used to be a time when I'd say I didn't like country music. That is so not true. I hate country radio music, but I love true country music.

Now, on to this year's batch of favorites. As always, this is a list of the albums that I played the most this year. Jason Isbell continues to be a favorite - 'Speed Trap Town' is sad and beautiful.  'Wilder Mind' is my favorite Mumford and Sons album, and that's saying something. Sleater-Kinney and Veruca Salt make me feel like a teenager again. Brandi Carlile is awesome to belt out. Glen Hansard is such a beautiful songwriter. Good Old War is a toe-tapper. Brown Bird makes me cry.  Kurt Vile is what I listen to when I want to feel cool.

And who did we see live this year?  At Newport we saw The Suffers, The Barr Brothers, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Joe Pug, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Brandi Carlile, The Decemberists, and James Taylor.  We also saw Frank Turner, who puts on such a fun live show.  A weeknight show with Chris Cornell, whose voice is one of my favorites of all-time. Oh, and Foo Fighters in Fenway!  Who could forget that?

Without further adieu...the list:

Jason Isbell - Something More Than Free
Mumford and Sons - Wilder Mind
My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall
Sleater-Kinney - No Cities to Love
Josh Ritter - Sermon on the Rocks

Brandi Carlile - The Firewatcher's Daughter
Kurt Vile - B'lieve I'm Goin Down
Glen Hansard - Didn't He Ramble
Langhorne Slim & The Law - The Spirit Moves
Haunt the House - Jack Rabbit Jones

Dawes - All Your Favorite Bands
Noah Gundersen - Carry the Ghost
Wilco - Star Wars
Veruca Salt - Ghost Notes
Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell

Good Old War - Broken into Better Shape
Brown Bird - Axis Mundi
The Staves - If I Was
Lord Huron - Strange Trails
Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear

Honorable Mentions:
Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit
Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color
Laura Marling - Short Movie
Chris Cornell - Higher Truth

Josh Ritter - Where The Night Goes

One of my recent favorites. Josh Ritter's new album, Sermon on the Rocks.  Get it and put it on repeat. 

Dawes - All Your Favorite Bands

This video makes me so happy.

Newport - 2015

The Newport Folk Festival is always a highlight of the year. A large, happy gathering of people to sit in the sunshine and listen to good music. Is there anything more beautiful than that?

This year, we got to hear The Suffers, The Barr Brothers, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Joe Pug, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Brandi Carlile, The Decemberists, and James Taylor.

JT was a surprise guest in the middle of the afternoon. Although I confess that he felt very old-school in the midst of all these younger artists, it was a nice tribute. The last time he played Newport, his set was cut short because Neil Armstrong had just stepped out onto the moon! I had heard he was coming the night before, and when I told Kevin, the boys heard and asked, "Who is James Taylor?" I felt that it was my obligation to introduce them to his music, so we spent Friday's dinnertime listening to his classics. Aaron was excited that he played many of those same songs the following day, including "Carolina in my Mind", which I had told them was played pretty much nonstop during my freshman orientation at the University of North Carolina. 

It was a really nice day, with a few annoyances as well. I forgot to set my own expectations for spending a day like this with two still relatively little boys. We had many nice moments, listening to music, doing crafts in the family tent, playing corn hole, eating lunch.  And we had some terribly frustrating moments, including the first couple songs of Jason Isbell's set, when the boys whined and moaned about being bored and hot and having to pee. Later in the evening, they got tired and restless and proceeded to run around like wild animals, fighting and yelling. I love them so much, but it must be said:  kids suck sometimes. 

We splurged on a night in a Newport hotel, with visions of spending Sunday by the very nice pool. Unfortunately, the weather didn't agree with our plan, so after a quick and chilly dip, we walked around town with two whiny boys, had lunch, and headed home.  

Although it didn't quite end up as I had hoped, it was still a worthwhile endeavor, and I'm already looking forward to doing it again next year. It's a family tradition I want to continue, and one day the boys will think back to the time they saw James Taylor in concert.

Jason Isbell - Something More Than Free

I love The Newport Folk Festival so much. It's one of my favorite weekends of the year, and the lineup never disappoints.  The highlight of this year's festival lineup for me is Jason Isbell. He was my favorite performance in 2013. He just released a new album, and he's playing the main stage this year. I can't wait.

This is our fourth year!  Check out 2012, 2013, and 2014.  Let's see how long we can keep it going...

Brandi Carlile - Wherever Is Your Heart

A little music for your Friday. Brandi Carlile is so incredibly talented, and I love her music. I'm very much looking forward to seeing her in Newport next month. If you like, check out this performance with The Avett Brothers on Dave Letterman - it made me smile huge. And if you like all that, here's a live performance on KEXP - seriously, she's so freakin' good. 

Taking Stock - April 2015

Watching:  The Americans. Dark and twisted, but such a great show. Fascinating to see a dramatic show set in the 1980s, too.  Oh and The Imitation Game - have you seen it?  So good. So sad too, though.
Eating:  Asparagus. It's not quite time for asparagus here in New England, but I can't wait, so we've already been eating lots. This past weekend we threw a bunch on the grill - yum.
Loving:  Yoga. I'm in a good rhythm right now, and it feels great, body and mind.
Savoring:  Every sunny day. It's amazing how much I appreciate the warmth of sunshine after enduring this winter.
Listening: To Brandi Carlile's latest album - she's going to be at Newport this year. Also really loving Haunt the House, a relatively recent discovery.
Anticipating: Summer! And all it brings, including visits with my family, who I really do not see enough.
Reading:  Leading the Life You Want.  As I've mentioned, I'm trying to incorporate more non-fiction into my reading list. Self-improvement and all that.
Wanting:  The big crack in my kitchen floor to magically disappear.
Enjoying:  The sounds of baseball from our back yard. I love where we live.
Wondering:  Where my next job assignment will be, and if I will like it, and if it will be manageable, and...
Realizing:  The downside of consulting is the uncertainty.
Feeling: Confident that I am working for the right company and happy that I have the opportunity to work with cool and talented people.
Hoping: Our neighbor will share some of her garden with us again this year. I haven't been able to bring it up yet, and I'm afraid we might not get to have a garden this summer.
Thinking: We can always at least put together a planter garden somewhere - some big pots of tomatoes and carrots and eggplants or something. We can be creative and come up with something.
Noticing:  The house is dirty. We let our housecleaner go a couple months ago. I've been trying - and failing - to keep up with it myself. Time to admit defeat and hire more help.
Laughing:  At my boys. They are a constant source of entertainment.
Wishing:  I had purchased a sun hat a month ago - every one I like is already sold out.  Booo.
Packing:  My new bikini, sunscreen, and a new book. We're going on a trip tomorrow!  Yay!

Father John Misty - Chateau Lobby #4

This week has been all about Father John Misty. His voice is so silky smooth, and his lyrics are both touching and funny. A few lines from this song from his latest album:

"I wanna take you in the kitchen
Lift up your wedding dress someone was probably murdered in
So bourgeoisie to keep waiting
Dating for twenty years just feels pretty civilian
I’ve never thought that
Ever thought that once in my whole life
You are my first time

People are boring
But you’re something else I can’t explain
You take my last name

First time you let me stay the night
Despite your own rules
You took off early to go cheat your way through film school
You left a note in your perfect script
Stay as long as you want
I haven’t left your bed since"

That wedding dress line cracks me up every time, but the overall song is so sweet. 

Love.

The Decemberists - Wrong Year

This week's music pick is the Decemberists.  I'm digging the new album, and this song isn't even close to my favorite.  Enjoy!

A Few Things...

via Simple Lovely

Just wanted to share a few interesting reads...

What you learn in your 40s.  I loved this. I am absolutely loving my 40s so far.  Perspective is a beautiful thing.

The Definitive Guide to Healthy Eating.  Brilliant.  Exactly what I think whenever I read a new article about some particular food I'm eating that is supposedly going to ruin my life.

Sarah Silverman Gets Serious at Sundance.  I mostly loved reading this because I hate when people get pigeon-holed.  "People are not all one thing."  Amen.

Teenage Kicks.  My talented friend Lou writes about being a mom of a teen and reminds me of the phases still in front of us.

8 Reasons Why You Should Marry the Complicated Girl.  Here's to speaking your mind and being your own woman, and to the men who decide we're worth it.

Seth Avett and Jessica Lea Mayfield put together an album of Elliott Smith covers.  There is so much to love about that sentence.

The Mother 'Hood Official Video.  So funny and so true.  We all judge each other, even though we try (some of us harder than others) not to.  Ultimately, though, it is (or it certainly should be) all about the kids.

You're a Mom, You Know.  And this one sums it up. No matter what kind of mom we choose to be, we all get it, because we're Moms.