Playlist

What a year 2023 was… and what a year 2024 promises to be! Here is this year’s playlist, “The Lineup, 2024” and in light of there being 5 years of playlists I’ve decided to hand out “The Lineup, 2024 (Beach Side)” which is a fun and poppier “B-side” of tracks inspired from rolling via motorcycle through the beaches and towns of Bali. A great way to experience culture; subtle enough to observe but not enough to disturb. 

With track liner notes detailing the songs and artists as usual, “The Lineup” features 21 fantastic songs (imho) from across a span of genres which all have the commonality of good rhythm and a sense of space. Feeling nostalgic as the hairs continue to grey, it also contains some old friends from the folk scene who are at the top of their genre and game. 

The title and track themes come with an anecdote from my summer in Bali, where I decided to try and vanquish a long held aversion to the ocean caused by a storm my family and I were caught in while sailing, when I was seven. Queue the beaches of Bali and “Operation Hydro”, which included snorkeling, scuba dives and surfing. After joining a wonderful Russian surf school and a successful first lesson in shallow waters, my teacher Misha said to the other instructors, “I think he is ready for the lineup.” Their eyes wide, I asked what the lineup was…”da real waves!”

The lineup is that spot farther out in the ocean where the surfers all wait in a line to catch the waves before they break. After being out there for 15 minutes and feeling—quite literally—out of my depth, a giant wave came and Misha pushed me to go for it. I felt a massive roar of energy surging behind and somehow popped up–and in a state of surprise and wonder, rode the beast for 4 pure and glorious seconds before it broke. The training crew managed to catch photo evidence for this year’s album cover. What was certainly beginner’s luck turned into a new passion, and the ocean…as Lincoln said, “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” 

It was also a reminder of the space that can be created when forced to unplug and just feel the rhythm of the water. You can’t bring headphones or electronics out on the water—it’s just natural quiet and the steady rhythm of the waves lapping over you, which your body continues to feel hours afterward. So, these songs were selected for their exercise of these themes, and hopefully you find one or two that lap over you this year, like the waves of Bali.

In that spirit, I hope all of you have a wonderful 2024 full of milestones, fears or challenges overcome, and find time to enjoy the pure moments of life which quietness can offer as the irresistible tides of history break before us. 

1. Ourson – Camel Power Club

What a great journey tune—almost reminds you of Moby’s ‘Play’ (1999), the way he (seemingly) samples a blues-gospel singer and layers instrumentation and beats over it. The frolic of guitar picking and strumming adds for a great blend and balance of acoustic, electric, pop, and blues. A combination of old and new, done tastefully, and in under three minutes Camel Power Club manages to flow in and out of various scenes. A Frenchman named Leonard, he has lived and toured across the various continents and his music reflects it. Also a member of the chamber folk duo, Racoon Racoon, Leonard is a unique combination of prolific and diverse. For being on the scene less than a decade he’s amassed a vast repertoire of songs that all sound unique from one another. Flitting in and out of genres and keeping a low profile, his music leaves you feeling like Peter Pan trying to catch his shadow.

2. Katie Queen of Tennessee – The Apache Relay

What a rush! This song kicks into gear from the word go and takes your mind for one beautiful ride of the wave. Maybe my favorite new tune of the year. It hollers back to the ‘50s love songs but with more rhythm and much cleverer lyrics. Combining whimsical violins and soft, supple vocals resting on top of a restive rhythm section, the song moves to the beat of a love-struck heart. Like Romeo catching sight of Juliet for the first time, caution is thrown to the winds and the plunge is taken, “ Katie queen of Tennessee, I’m on my knees unworthy, What shall be our destiny? To find true love, or tragedy?” Perhaps the best line is: “I would swim, the ocean wide, from New Orleans, to Galilee”, cleverly evoking the visual commitment of traversing even land-locked waters. The Nashville-based Apache Relay has not done a whole lot in their careers since, but who cares? You write a number like this one and you deserve to drive a nice car, and whoever Katie is, no doubt they bought her a nice car too. Hope you enjoy this tune this year as much as I did in the last one.

3. Vision – Matthew E. White

During the winter months I end up using the slow cooker a lot. It’s great! You throw all your desired ingredients in the pot, add water, and then slowly let it cook. After 4-5 hours you have banging hot soup, and once you flip the “keep warm” switch, it stays readily hot for days. “Vision” is a slow cooker song and one of the best finds of 2023. It starts out calm and loose, with whispered lyrics, sporadic toms, bass and piano. Then it slowly adds in horn and string sections with claps that foreshadow the groove that is about to go off. Get to 4 hours in to cookin (or 1:30) and a glorious groove falls on you like it was drop-kicked out of the ‘70s. You appreciate it all the more because you had to be patient. The musical breakdown and rebuild is a work of tight arrangement beauty and the song carries you off to the chorus repeated, “please don’t [?] (fyi-nobody knows this lyric) my vision, I’ve seen things I can’t explain,… I feel the joy, I feel the pain.”

4. Did I Ever Love You – Leonard Cohen

My God Leonard Cohen. Perhaps like no other artist, he consistently enables the listener to feel two juxtaposing emotions  by setting two stages at once. The dark and sad self-professed doubt from his lone raspy confession set against a light, upbeat country bounce with a soft feminine choir. His later work was characterized by this dualistic nature. Cohen completes the holy trinity of modern American folk music (Simon, Dylan, and Cohen) adding his own lore with his enigmatic life. First a poet and a novelist, he became a folk musician in his 30s and seemingly dated almost every notable female music figure of the time. He then left society for almost a decade to become a zen monk while maintaining his Judaism and was forced to tour in his later years after his manager stole his musical fortune. He’s kind of the musical version of Roald Dahl. Bob Dylan referred to Cohen as the number 1 songwriter of their generation…after giving himself the number 0. *eye roll at the Dylanites who salivate from that quote* 

5. Beacon – Matt Duncan

Matt Duncan is a not yet famous musician, so invest now and watch the stock rise! Following the musical version of the ex-Congressman, George Santos’ new career, Matt takes commissions for writing songs for anyone, including one called “Lighthouse” commissioned by the father of a recent high school grad as an off-to-college present (aww). What a clever way to hone your songwriting and make money at the same time! He has a Mark Ronson vibe and too bad Amy Winehouse is gone or she would grab this tune and break the charts with it. Full of rhythm, Matt’s music is the upbeat step you need on a downbeat kind of day…or any day for that matter. “Beacon” is such a classic NYC groove, utilizing beautiful horn accents and a bright electric rhythm guitar vibing with the piano. It keeps the positivity flowing, reminding the subject they’re a beacon and “you know who you are.” Don’t be surprised if Matt makes a name for himself and has lasting power in the industry because this is no one-hit wonder—his turns are all top quality. And maybe get him to write you a song before his stock rises and you get priced out!

6. The End of That – Plants and Animals

Let’s start this new year off by officially putting a full lid on 2023. Good or bad, life is impermeant and it’s time to move on! And what better way than to start with this modern day Lou Reed-like groove. Notice his half-honest fully-aloof tone and the way he stretches and drags the last word of some of his phrases (like “potpourri”) before jumping into the next. This song has a crisp but easy rhythm and some tasteful backup singers that accent the song’s frank and dry sarcastic word play. It ends with a beautiful repeat of the refrain that perfectly encapsulates the overall message. Pants and Animals is a Canadian trio of friends who have played since childhood, and it sounds like it. Simple, fresh, and easy. That’s the kind of 2024 I’m hoping for. So close the door on the past, and as the famous yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda once said, “Don’t look back. Look straight ahead. And go all the way… And you can.”

 7. Blake’s View – M. Ward

Ward has so many good tunes it was difficult to pick which one made it onto the playlist. Playing off of William Blake’s short and poignant poem, “The door of Death”, M. Ward takes it one step further and magnificently elaborates on what is on the other side of the door, giving comfort to someone whose lover has moved on to the next great adventure and analogizing it to the structure of song and nature. A prolific folk musician in his own right and a member of the very humble “Monsters of Folk”, Ward only records on analog tape—the original technique long since outdated with the advent of digital recording. However, analog gives songs an earthier, more preferred  physical feel. When I managed Dreamland Studios we used to record people with analog if possible, or run digital recordings through the tape machine and then back into digital in order to imbibe the track with analog’s spatial feel. Anyway, M. Ward feels like the Portland folk response to Hawaii’s Jack Johnson.

 8. The World’s On Fire – Feral Foster

And then there was Feral Foster—currently the finest folk musician in the United States, in my (and every other folk artist in NYC’s) humble opinion. A good friend of mine back in the day, he is the top dog in the New York City folk scene, working at the premier folk venue—The Jalopy Theatre—and producing its most popular showcase every Wednesday (Roots N’ Ruckus). When I introduced him at my own showcase I would say, “If musicians were guns, he’d be a canon.” He hated it, but it is apt. A big gruff man with intense dark eyes and wild hair, he looks like a modern-day Hephaestus (God of volcanoes) as he aggressively pounds his guitar. And then he opens his mouth and disarms you with the gorgeous voice of a choir boy as he sings his beautiful, original and timeless songs. The combination of his demeanor, coupled with his theatrical and emotional performance makes grown men cry. He is an artist’s artist—a true musician, and despite his hard exterior, one of the most virtuous people I have ever met. I cherish those days we played together and encourage anyone in New York City to go see him on a Wednesday night if you haven’t already.

9. Washed Up – Sharktank

Within a year of forming, the Austrian trio dropped this song as a single (2021), and have been climbing ever since. This ode to the 9-to-5er is perfect for getting your day going and cruising through the traffic jams of life, albeit with a taste of regret or longing in the message. As you get older you start to measure the passage of time and wish you could have lived the past on double-time, or taken a different turn at the road’s fork, but it’s a marathon and not a sprint. And speaking of pacing yourself, ‘Washed Up’ seems like it came right out of 1996 with its smooth rhyme, easy beat and melodic chorus. Nice touch blending male and female voices and who can’t relate to the “mm mmm” accenting the song like a well-placed oxford comma.

10. Keep On Up- Willy Gantrim

Another old friend from the folk scene, Willy Gantrim has been featured on the playlists before and is one of the original Jalopy standards, sharing a single bedroom with six or even other folkies. A prolific slide player, he’s kind of a one-man wrecking crew. He brings wonderful melodies and great diversity in his instrumentalism and song construction to the table. Every once in a while he throws on the Rayban shades and cranks up his amp , delivering an old-school blues folk performance that would have the likes of Robert Johnson and Howlin’ Wolf tapping their feet. A journeying kind of song, this has a more positive tempo and feel than his stereotypical NYC folk pessimism-induced work. When the going gets tough, the tough get going, so put that head down and keep on up, baby.

11. Sunflower River Blues – John Fahey (or Blind Joe Death)

This is a cover song of the enigmatic John Fahey, or his blues name, “Blind Joe Death”. I call him the Ghost of Folk, because Fahey is one of the most influential yet mysterious figures of traditional American music–exactly what he was hoping for. He is a contemporary of and musical equivalent to Jack Kerouac; singular and always the rebellious eccentric outsider. In his relatively short time, Fahey invented a genre, preserved, discovered, and rediscovered some of America’s earliest tunes and artists (like Bukka White and George Winston), became one of the most influential and talented guitarists of all time, managed a record label, won a Grammy for scholarly liner notes as a result of his earning a Masters in Folklore from UCLA, and did this amidst obscurity, poverty and drunkenness. Growing up around ethnomusicologists, Fahey absorbed early folk and blues tunes and their mythical authors before he soon began regurgitating them on solo guitar, developing his own genre of finger-picking, using the guitar as a complex but solo instrument and which has blossomed into its own artform today. Fahey was stubborn and hated the 60’s folk music scene as much as he liked drinking. He was an avid record collector, purging thrift stores for old gems while slipping in his own records in place, with pseudonyms to maintain his obscurity. An old friend of his painted a vivid picture of Fahey driving through the countryside cigarette in mouth, while looking through boxes of old records he had collected to see if any were worth keeping, before inevitably flinging them out the open window. Over the years his health took a toll from the hooch and he moved from motel to motel, living on the outskirts of society. He then had a brief resurgence in the late ‘90s, just before his death in 2001. He’d be happy to know his reputation is just as mystical as the artists he grew up idolizing. I always think of him as the rebel Jack Strabler, in “The Wild One” (1953), when the girl asks, “Johnny, what are you rebelling against?” To which he replies, “Whaddya got?”

12. Lady Luck – Richard Swift

Ah the flowers which bloom fastest bloom the shortest. So it is with Richard Swift. Another artist’s artist. Prolific in talent and personality. As one bandmate put it, “He was better at everything than everybody”..and Swift worked with the best. Producer, multi-instrumentalist, side-man, engineer, record-label manager, singer, and songwriter, Swift was loved by, worked with, and influenced many of the top indie artists today (The Black Keys, Kevin Morby, Nathaniel Ratliff, The Shins, Damien Jurado, Fleet Foxes, Lucius, etc.) These people describe Swift as indescribable—too many things to say about a person so prolific both within and without music. But perhaps, speaking to his incredibly sincere and simple human nature, his last project was a touching series of songs, each written for a friend or family member. Unfortunately, Swift struggled with alcoholism, and sadly, like so many before him, became a victim of the bottle. This tune is a great segway into his catalog, echoing the traditional ‘70s Motown feel with his own unique sounds. Prophetic are the lyrics, “No need to worry, there is no need to fear. It’s just the beginning, though the end is near.” I would be surprised if over time the name Richard Swift does not gain more renown. Til then, keep enjoying.

13. Try Again (Early Version) – Big Star

A beautiful slow ballad by one of the most underappreciated bands you’ve probably never heard of. Big Star is as influential to American Indie/Power Pop as The Velvet Underground was to ‘60s and ‘70s Rock & Roll. They recorded 3 albums in the early ‘70s to no commercial avail and then broke up before one of their lead men died in a car accident. However, fast forward to the early ‘90s, after bands like R.E.M., Nirvana, and The Replacements listed them as one of their primary influences, Big Star acquired a cult following. Receiving new attention, they reformed and continued to play for another decade +. Rolling Stone called them, “One of the most mythic and influential cult acts in all of rock & roll…inspiring succeeding generations.” Try Again (Early Version) is sentimental and raw, as if someone put melody to their personal prayer. Not much needs to be said for this, as I think the lyrics and pedal steel speak for themselves. Maybe it makes you slow down and get a little more introspective.

14. Now And Then – The Beatles

Yes, this song needed to be included, and for so many reasons (watch out for the tidal wave of justification below). There really is no honest debate as to whether or not the Beatles are the greatest of modern-or really all–time. People can debate for intellectual entertainment or just to be contrarian, but whether or not you prefer their music to others is immaterial to their Everest-level of influence and contribution to the field of music. In looking up the definition of ‘great’ I found this: “An important or distinguished person. For example, the Beatles and Bob Dylan are all greats”. They are quite literally the example of great. Consider this: the Beatles were the first band to evolve their sound–revolutionizing rock & roll construction in the process taking it from the pop or blues form to symphonic rock and beyond. Every album was a new framing of musical possibility that pushed the envelope of what had been done before it–usually by them! They were the first band to incorporate foreign influence and did it so well even today Indians consider their tunes as top Indian output. Imagine! They revolutionized the way music was recorded—creating over two dozen novel recording techniques and making records over time rather than in several days or weeks. Their “rivals”, The Rolling Stones, received their first break into fame from covering a Beatles song. They revolutionized album covers; turning them from marketing ploys to works of art which have been replicated as much as Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s soup cans. They revolutionized music and film, venturing into music movies and making music videos storied displays of art, which are now the basis of today’s music videos. Their fans were so loud at their concerts they were forced to stop touring because they couldn’t hear themselves (monitor speakers in that era not having ear piece capability). When their music was released on iTunes—40 years after their breakup and with two of them dead!—it broke the server and remained as the #1 downloaded group for weeks. Entire radio stations are dedicated to various covers of solely Beatles songs (classic guitar variations is a favorite). Young kids, grandparents, parents and people from every culture all enjoy their music. It is more universal than Mozart. I remember working at a camp radio station and the only thing the kids (ages 6-14) wanted to play was Top 40…and the Beatles! All of them. My co-host and I even did an experiment playing them The Rolling Stones, Radiohead, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, etc. but to no avail. They all loved only the Beatles. All that and we haven’t even talked about the brilliance of the music itself. Imagine if Van Gough produced a masterpiece every time he created a new painting but each painting had completely different brush stroke patterns, color variations, and subject matter. What the Beatles produced is absolutely uncanny and still continues to touch millions of people across the globe today. Now, over a half-century later the Beatles have done it again—revolutionizing the music industry AGAIN and in more ways than one—something Lil’ Wayne, Bob Dylan, or Taylor Swift couldn’t begin to contemplate thinking about doing. They’ve done it through their use of AI in recording to recover and isolate John’s rough and muffled vocals, after the song’s release it set the new record for the longest career span of #1 hits—60 years!—and the music video included the use of AI to replicate a young John Lennon engaging with his environment. Leave it to these artists in their 80’s to continue to push the musical boundary. And the song itself—how prophetic and magically fitting for their final song. Recorded in the 70’s and sung by John Lennon, titled “Now and Then”,–of course–only to be released decades later after everything of the Beatles appears to have been said and done. Both an existential reflection on the journey the band has taken and an epithet to John Lennon and the Beatles at large, the man singing about his own self being missed. My God, Beatles. NO ONE comes close—they just don’t. What a bomb the Beatles dropped when no one was looking—even Mozart would touch their feet in reverence.

15. When Ginny Kissed Harry – Nicholas Hooper (from Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince)

Good music, like people, can be found anywhere! This beautiful piece from the Harry Potter films captures a tender (if not accurate to the books) moment of love’s kindling. The classical guitar showcases its ability to be intimate when played with individual strings and that soft sweeping tempo. Underlaid with stirring strings that occasionally sweep over the song, this song softly yet powerfully narrates the heart strings of two lovers caught in a pure and quiet moment. Good music can be found everywhere.

16. All Wash Out – Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Following our theme of water, we encounter another work of magic by the musical magician, Alexander Ebert and his merry gang of instrumentalists. It’s a song about the purifying effects of water—not an uncommon belief. Many cultures, the Japanese for instance, see water as a purifying agent. A lyrical combination of love, faith, and forgiveness…really all the same thing in the end. Alex Ebert drops another stunningly simple yet powerful song of redemption. Also, the music video is beautiful and has a sad but apt story if you read the description. On a strangely personal note, when I first heard the song I thought it was a cover but struggled to place it. Then it hit me; a year before this song was released I recorded a song called “So Go I” about dying, and with a near-identical melodic verse and chorus. Stranger still, the opening line is “someone call the preacher.” While there is no doubt Alex Ebert forgets better songs than I could ever write, it’s nice to know every once in a while you stumble into something good enough for the greats.

17. To Be Young – Ryan Adams

If this doesn’t wanna make ya move yer rockabilly hips than nuthin will. This is a “I’m driving through town to go meet some friends and get into some mischief” kind of song. Bask and move in the emotions of life. Written when Ryan Adams was in his prime, this song rambles through various sounds and feelings as seamlessly as passing over a porous border or a teenager’s mind amidst the daily traumas. Sometimes Adams is hollering and other times he’s singing softly and sweetly–sounds like the pangs of youth to me! This shower sing-along song is perfect for getting your day going or jumpstarting your mood to the rhythm of the drums, the bright weepy guitar, or the twangy slide. Enjoy this family favorite.

18. This Is Not Who I Want To Be – Joanna Sternberg

Quickly becoming a household name, Joanna came onto the New York City folk scene just as I was leaving it. I remember people immediately recognized their stand-out talent and dare say they were happy to swap in someone far more talented. Making Rolling Stone’s, Pitchforks’s and BBC’s list of Albums of the Year for their new one, “I’ve Got Me”, Joanna is taking off like a jet on a carrier and it’s so nice to see. Their simple, near universal, melodies underneath the lyrically direct songs are reminiscent of the master crafter of song himself, Mr. Randy Newman. Yet, Joanna is to Randy Newman what Dostoevsky was to Tolstoy. Randy, like Tolstoy, describes the trials of the world with a broad socio-philosophical paint brush (think sail away), while Joanna, like Dostoevsky, dives deep within the psyche to narrate the personal trials of the soul. They have a child-like voice and vulnerability, performing like a naked spirit for all to hear. I remember they are offstage as they are on it; earnest, sweet, and twitchy. So glad to see someone who lives and sings—for with them there is no difference—about what we are feeling in such an unvarnished way, find an audience. Keep climbing, Joanna.

19. The Orient – Luca Morelli

When it comes to classical music, we tend to be past-era obsessed, thinking of it only as an old genre perfected by Bach, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Wagner, Beethoven, etc. but that is to our detriment for we overlook the very real and beautiful classical music that has been produced in the last century and indeed the last couple years! ‘The Orient’ was only released in 2022 and paints a stirring tapestry to the heart and ear that any of the old ‘Greats’ would enjoy. Just beautiful—like looking out at winter’s first now. His use of piano drone is profound; when he just lets the echo of the last notes carry. This piece is pensive, dreamy, and calmly decisive. Morelli is Italian and new to the scene, only coming in 2018—but coming on strong he is, and, like George Winston, I hope he sticks around. Embodying the Italian artistic ambition, he aspires to play around our globe and some other planets in our solar system too. Whether or not technology ever allows it, he certainly throws the listener into an enchanting outer space of notes, while you float and dream amongst soft and shiny stars of sound.

20. I Just Don’t Think I’ll Every Get Over You – Colin Hay

My favorite poet Aeschylus says “Time brings all things to pass”. He believed in that statement to such a degree it is found in two of his only five surviving plays. Though profound, it may nevertheless be imperfect, as there are some wounds which time cannot heal. If you’re exceedingly lucky…or blessed, you find that kind of love in life and are the first to depart, never knowing its absence. If you are exceedingly blessed, but slightly less, you find that love, yet have to live for some spell without it. Days, months, or years do nothing to diminish the loss—you only learn to live with being without. You appreciate new things, new people, and the daily tides of life’s many chapters, yet the glow in your heart does not diminish or extinguish—it continues to burn. That is the almighty and transcendent power of love; proof we are more than just animals or calculated beings, that the world is more than Darwin’s game, logic, or self-interest. Though gone for years in corporeal, yet they remain as present as they were the day you met. Colin Hay articulates this through the genuine words and lips of an everyman. Like catching your neighbor on their porch, singing it for no one but themselves and that person gone, but not.

21. The Perfect Life (Feat. Wane Coyne) – Moby

Moby and the Flaming Lips frontman, Wayne Coyne, the MC of fun himself, together reminding us how, despite all the detritus on the news and in our brains, life is one big goddam blessing?—yes!! Exactly what we need to hear right now. Amidst all the trials and tribulations, life has vastly improved for the vast majority of humans on this planet. Think I’m wrong? Go read Steven Pinker. Today more people die of obesity than violence! Think about that… Indoor heating, free WhatsApp video calls to Antarctica, no official wars in the western hemisphere, a shortage of therapists because so many people have finally acknowledged they need one—progress, baby! Our ancestors worked incredibly hard so that we can sit here today on swanky devices that simultaneously answer all of our questions while turning up the heat in our house before jumping into affordable metal birds in the sky which whisks us off, while listening to our own free personal soundtracks, to sights unseen… As you age you realize more and more this game of life could be over at any minute; without rhyme, reason, or notice. So as you move through your own 2024—regardless of what happens—try to bask in the wonders of the world. From the laser imaging of the Titanic and special infrared spectrum photos of star clusters billions of light years away to hearing the perfect song or meeting the perfect person—meet it all with verve, and remember this whole thing is one universal blessing. Happy 2024.

1. Calm Down (with Selena Gomez) – Rema
2. Gloria – Laura Branigan
3. Jiggle Jiggle – Jason Derulo (with Duke & Jones, Louis Theroux, Amilia Dimz)
4. Rosanna – TOTO
5. Journey – Gus Teja
6. End of the World – Chris Coco
7. Diamonds – Luluc
8. Price – Erlend Øye & Sebastian Maschat
9. Barfuß am Klavier – AnnenMayKantereit
10. Tiramisu Fraise – La Fine Equipe, Blanka
11. Storytelling Animal – Bukahara
12. Mr. Tambourine Man – Abbey Lincoln
13. Walking in the Sun – PANG!
14. Don’t You Know – Kungs, Jamie N Commons
15. I’m Not the Only One – Sam Smith
16. Charmed – Σtella, Redinho
17. Love Tonight – Shouse (David Guetta Remix)
18. Half Your Heart – Audrey Floyd, Plastic Jungle
19. Your Love – The Outfield
20. Follow the Sun – NEIMY
21. Won’t Go Home Without You – Maroon 5

I hope 2022 was everything you had hoped and you’re ready for another lap around the calendar. Here is this year’s playlist, “Everything Is Possible, 2023.” It is dedicated to my late mentor, Lois, who’s wisdom and kindness I will cherish always. 

With track notes below, it features 23 songs (for 2023) from across genres, and which harken to some of the core themes of life many of us face. Maybe for you as well, this last year has been filled with an unusual profusion of visceral events; welcoming new people into the world and saying farewell to loved ones leaving it, moving countries and jobs, rearranging finances and friendships, and even meeting the love of your life. 

It’s reminiscent of the famous Bible passage, Ecclesiastes 3, “There is a time for every season under the heavens: a time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, a time to uproot, etc.” It also invokes the earliest known Buddhist iconography–a tiny gold coin called the Tillya Tepe (1st century BC). The coin doesn’t depict the traditional image of the enlightened Buddha in meditation posture, rather, it’s of the Buddha pulling his mighty dharma wheel through the mud! A refreshingly realistic reminder that even that guy had to go through all the muck and highs and lows of this world to achieve his holy status. 

With that being said, as we each turn our own wheels (dharma or otherwise) in 2023, it will be filled with many moments, events, episodes, & seasons. Yet, through it all the goal is to find joy & purpose in the toil. May a few of these songs help you relish in all of 2023 & know that, somehow, all things are possible. 

Without further ado, let the great wheel spin! 

Playlist Track List

• Into the Deep – Galactic

What better way to turn start turning the great wheel of 2023 than with the sweet raspy voice of Macy Gray imploring you to dive right in? While in many ways Macy has retreated from commercial life she still creates and collaborates—and her stuff is good (see her album ‘Ruby’). In collaboration with the Nola Jam Band, Galactic, Macy’s signature—seemingly effortless—voice drops you into this pool of sound using the playful lyrics only Macy can pull off: “Hopscotch, Double Dutch , going fishin, it don’t matter if you’re playin or wishin’”. If you have to get into cold water, better to cannonball it in style, rather than inching in. A shoutout to my brother Marshall for dropping this tune on me, and now it feels like the right time to pass it on.

• Kantori Ongaku – Devandra Banhart

While the great wheel must turn, there’s nothing like a smooth onramp to get one up to cruising speed. Enter Kantori Ongaku—an easy-groove rhythm that moves at 30pmh (or 158 bpm) and filled with great melodic licks, smooth horn fills and catchy, philosophical lyrics. Loosely meaning ‘country music’ in Japanese, this song is out of the playbook of Lou Reed (think Rock and Roll, Who Loves the Sun, and New Age) but with a softer west-coast feel. Devandra Banhart is an indie staple and a walking amalgamation. An art school dropout, now creating in multiple mediums, he was raised between Venezuela and the USA. His Indian first name was suggested by his parent’s guru, and the middle name “Obi” from Star Wars. Hopefully this groove makes this year’s journey a bit more smooth.

• What A Day – Lette

Leave it to the Germans to engineer a musical product that is both unique and pristine. Lette is a not a band nor an individual, but a “Project” created by a collective of musical friends in Würzburg, Germany who came together to create an anthem for the Echolot Music Festival. This song is only available a la carte; meaning this is their only track! But what a nice one-off statement. A combination of standard guitar chords, melodic hipster singing and German club beats with a casual intro, buildups and breakdowns, this one-of-a-kind song evokes excitement and possibility and invokes Apollo and Dionysus. “Step on in, and rise up in the sky, dreams come true, not only in your mind”. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself putting this song on repeat or entertaining a trip to Würzburg.

• Go Solo – Tom Rosenthal

One of the best finds of the year. Ram Dass has this wonderful quote on humanity: “We’re all just walking each other home.” Enter Britain’s Bon Iver: Tom Rosenthal. More concise than his American counterpart, Tom cuts to the heart of it like a Lincoln quote, but has a similar deep, soft ethereal vibe which seems to speak for nature itself. This song embodies graceful solitude; being alone but not being lonely. Going solo is inherent to the human condition but modern praxis blesses us with support. Nevertheless, no one can do it for us; we all must walk the path ourselves. As someone who often lives away from his partner and constantly on the move, this song has played through the earbuds hundreds of times on buses, planes, cabs, and trains, always moving forward to that point on the horizon. It has also inspired many spin-offs and developed a cult-like following, like Rosenthal himself. A true DIY artist and recluse, he writes, produces, and releases all his music and video work off his own label. Simultaneously, he appears everywhere across our culture—with marketing selects and over 350 million plays on Spotify—but is nowhere to be seen. Like Bon Iver, he’s probably sitting quietly with his friends in a pub somewhere.

• Welcome to Hard Times – Charley Crockett

Crockett is back as the wheel turns to the season of hard times! A modern day legend in-the-making, he dropped this pretty parlor song in the middle of the pandemic, creating an instant classic from the deep south. With basic country piano and country lyrics, he adds his own kind of spice. Unlike other troubadours who sing of lives they’ve never lived (Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen, etc.) Crockett has a Johnny Cash-like credibility to his songs. A mixed-race kid raised in a trailer park in South Texas, this distant relative of Davy Crockett has a unique blend of blues, Cajun, and good ol’ Texas Country. At only 38, he’s train spotted, dealt drugs, lived in communes, got convictions, and even a heart bypass surgery—maybe why he publishes like time is running out. As he puts it, “people think my story is far-fetched, but the thing is, I’ve toned it down.”

• Where Is The Love – Black Eyed Peas

This song almost didn’t make it on the playlist because of its purported popularity, but instead it’s one of the lead-in tracks, because: 1) I only discovered it this year (all apologies); 2) it’s so relevant it’s been on repeat; and 3) we need to be listening to it more. It is a strange time to be in the west. Our lives are more bountiful than ever before, yet people are angrier than ever before. Those who have most benefitted from the system want to tear it down. In my own country we numbingly let people run around with machine guns killing our kids and the guns they use have more rights than women. People ignorantly argue about individual liberties against mask mandates—Conscription anyone?—and people of differing political beliefs are evil. In this song they nailed the social and psychological equations that got us down this road and get us out. It speaks so well to the issues of the day, yet it was released in 2003. BEP are exceptional in their lyrical education and their next-level production (for hip hop), as evidence by the cello accents at 2:53. Cello, in a hip-pop song!

• Cold/Mess – Prateek Kuhad

Possibly the best discovered artist of the year, Prateek embodies the emerging power that is India. Like Tiger Woods to golf, or Eminem to rap, Prateek is coming in hard and fast to a western dominated song-writer world. A classic Indian story: he came to the US to study economics and then moved back to India to pursue a career in music (bet his parents LOVED that). Migrating from Bollywood, he displays a shockingly refined combination of memorable melodies and tight production overlaid with a sweet voice that could belong to your brother. Not afraid to jump out of the norm, it will be interesting to see where Kuhad goes in the future. Stay tuned.

• All The Way To The River – John Hiatt

You’ve probably never heard of John Hiatt before but you’ve certainly heard his songs. A staple of the Nashville music scene since 1970, Hiatt was a salaried songwriter at 18 years old and $25 per month. While never achieving commercial fame himself, he has been nominated for NINE Grammys and covers of his songs have made people’s careers and spanned genres and decades (Iggy Pop, Mandy Moore, Willie Nelson, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, Jewel, Jimmy Buffet, B.B. King, Ry Cooder…need I go on.) Yet, like Mephistopheles, Hiatt almost prefers to live quietly—but presently—in the shadows while others Faust the limelight. All the Way to the River tells the story of failure in a dark country rock groove with great instrumentals (great use of organ) and a raw voice. What’s so great about this song and Hiatt is how recent it is. While most artist’s best work exist in their youth, Hiatt released this jewel in 2018 at 66 years old!

• Le Temps Est Bon – Bon Entendeur vs Isabelle Pierre

Isabelle Pierre recorded this song in 1972 in Quebec, Canada. That’s correct—Canada can be funky too. Actually, in 2018 her tune was taken by the French electro music collective Bon Entendeur and turned it into this fun, celebratory dance song. There was another French DJ who made a version in 2012 but it wasn’t as good, so Entendeur bought them out. Isabelle is singing about how nice life and the weather are. “My heart is big, big, big, big. I have two friends who are also my lovers.” It’s the kind of song you play after you get good news or just want to feel alive. It’s almost the French sibling to “What a Day” in that they both are of their cultures and propitious. “We have nothing to do, only to be happy.”

• Motion Animal – Crash Richard

Might Crash Richard’s be the Forrest Gump of indie music? A member of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, he has collaborated with some of the industry’s top artists, performed on late-night shows and released an album, but seems to have retreated both from music and the public. Often Edward Sharpe will give him a cameo performance for this song and each time he performs it differently. His album, a mix of sporadic ideas—some brilliant, some not—lacks a theme or focus. I’ve worked with several artists who have this fingerprint and my hunch says he has some “consistency” problems behind the scenes. He’s like a sailboat without a keel; just blowing around everywhere! BUT, man, he hit a nice gust of joy with this one!

• The Shape Of A Storm – Damien Jurado

There’s something uniquely nonunique about Damien Jurado. How is it that he made a living in music? Because he masterfully vacillates between two characters. One is your friend’s older brother who was always playing open mics when he wasn’t telling you about the latest tech gadgets. And the other is a young Leonard Cohen—a deep and sentimental storyteller painting gorgeous canvases of sound. Jarudo has an insouciance unprofessionalism about him, ending smooth phrases with unrhyming and unrhythmic lyrics. Yet, this casualness is betrayed by the level of sophistication he brings to his tunes. In the end, he walks a tightrope that ends in something touching. A sweet and intimate tune, from heart to heart.

• Somehow – Tom Odell

The best song I’ve heard this year and in a very long time. An auditory masterpiece—meaning any adjustments would diminish rather than improve. Or, as Hindu religion says, “Having which no other gain becomes greater.” It’s not often these days we hear a basic melody that isn’t trite yet timeless simultaneously—and includes the old symphonic instrumentation which catalyze ones emotions! The production is pristine in its slow build before breaking open into an orchestral breakdown and the string arrangements deserve a fucking Grammy. No young musicians write with this kind of vision and patience anymore– good Lord, Tom Odell, you take the breath away. If it doesn’t catch you in the first listen, try again, but maybe it’s best to stop before you can’t. If you write a song like this you can die happy knowing somehow you’ve contributed something to humanity.

• You Can Get It If You Really Want – Jimmy Cliff

Even more than Bob Marley, you can thank Jimmy Cliff for introducing the world to Reggae. A musical prodigy, Cliff began writing songs before he was 10 and had his first big hit at 14. Since then he has written famous hits like “Hakuna Matata” and “The Harder They Come”, etc., starred in Hollywood movies with Robin Williams, been Jamaica’s Rep to the World Fair, won Grammys, been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and collaborated with everybody (Rolling Stones, Coolio, Elvis Costello, ..) His music has been used as protest anthems, cartoon themes, movie soundtracks, and worn out record players from overuse. While Bob Marley is concomitant with Reggae, Cliff is its consummate warrior, working assiduously for it.

• Rhythm & Blues – The Head and the Heart

The modern version of “Hey Jealousy” by Gin Blossoms, this song will be loved by ‘90s fans everywhere. While on a self-professed ‘90s kick, this illustrious indie-folk band produced “Rhythm and Blues” as an ode to the era. They described it as stepping out into a new direction and measuring stick of their musical evolution. The lyrics speak of the high and lows of unrequited love—a season most will have in their lives—and the title properly displays this too. Behind it is a driving bassline, catchy guitar fills, vocalizing, piano, of course a wonderful rhythm, and an awesome bridge breakdown that has one of the best lead-ins I’ve heard. It rises, it falls, its hyperbolic and a little angsty—its fuckn fantastic. One of the best overall tunes on the playlist, this song bewitches the mind and ensnares the heart… like love.

• Old Friend – Alexander Ebert

Ebert is the best songwriter of his generation and wrote the best album of the 2000’s (see 2021 playlist, # 8). I had the good fortune to meet him twice and he didn’t disappoint. Every song is unique in its construction, inspiration, production and delivery. Yet, what separates good songwriters from great ones is the ability to captivate with slow tracks. Everyone can get down with a catchy fast tune but to get people to slow down for a moment and actually listen; that’s another thing entirely. “Old Friend” is soft, haunting, and paints the image of a man storytelling in a long dark night. He tells the tale of a murderous ‘Old Friend’ “trying to hunt me down again.” Yet the gnostic singer enables his death with enlightened stoicism. And before doing so, in guru fashion, the singer “twinkles his eyes” and gives the killer satori. Being a recovering drug addict, many inferences can be made about “old friends” and how Ebert himself has come to a peace with the demons of his past. Notice the subtle use of backup vocals, piano, and those fantastic marching snares. Though it’s gone completely unnoticed by the critics, this may be Ebert’s greatest work.

• Only Love Can Hurt Like This – Paloma Faith

Welcome back 1964 and the its best friend, the Wall of Sound! The Wall of Sound is a recording technique developed by producer and tortured genius, Phil Spector, to provide constant orchestral stimulation for the listener that could either 1) carry a weak song over the finish line, or 2) break the airwaves with a strong one. Enter the power trio: one the greatest songwriters of all time, Diane Warren, prolific producer, Kyle Townsend, and pop musician Paloma Faith. Together these three created a song that carries across eras in a way not heard before. With acoustic instruments of brass & rhythm reminiscent of the 60’s session band The Wrecking Crew (who backed up all the artists of the era), this song sways slightly above your typical concert pitch A –a trick of the ‘70s—to approximately 35 cents sharp giving it a singular feel. Faith’s voice belts out the strong and bright feminine energy of the ‘80s Cyndi Lauper (her live pipes are just as good as the recordings!), and is backed by haunting harmonies that could be Julee Cruise from David Lynch’s ‘90s hit show Twin Peaks. Released in 2014, Faith sings to the soul about love in classic and truly timeless fashion.

• Budapest – George Ezra

They should inculcate this song in Pop Music school. Budapest is a perfect pop song and somehow just discovered this year. It also adds a bit of levity to our great wheel and epitomizes what elements a true pop song should contain: easy dynamic melody, vocalizing (singing w/out words), catchy fills that dance on the arpeggio, a rhythm you can clap along with, and a chorus that makes bad singers pretend to be good ones. Ezra wrote it after he was too hungover to catch his train to Budapest and wrote his way into music history, with over 1 billion plays.

• Before Barbed Wire – George Winston

George Winston is one of America’s greatest pianists and from the plains of Montana. A master of many forms he also invented the genre, “rural folk piano” and owns its world. He is a true musician in the sense that his touch on the keys is so unique, his songs can’t be replicated despite having the score in front of you. Not bad for a man who dresses so casually he gets mistaken for the piano technician instead of the performer. Before Barbed Wire is one of my all-time favorite pieces of music and I hope it becomes yours. It sweeps over you like slow rolling hills and makes you want everyone to stop talking. Sometimes, during this dharma wheel of life, there are moments when words are not needed and sounds like this say all that needs to be said.

• Your man – Joji

This guy started as a college kid making memes on YouTube and somehow ended up one of the most successful pop singers of his generation. He was raised in Osaka, Japan and came to YouTube fame at 20. He became one of the platforms biggest stars doing comedy hip-hop, shock humor, and the Harlem Shake. A bit of a real-life Gemini, he was booted from YouTube for his characters being too offensive so he adroitly switched personalities and quickly became a serious and successful music artist. Now he chills around Brooklyn making lo-fi tunes with an earthy, melancholy quality, reminiscent of the coastal city he was raised in. Joji is a force that came onto the scene like the ‘Great Wave off Kanagawa.’

• Chaudhary – Amit Trivedi feat. Mame Khan

Coke Studio (Pakistan) was established as a TV series of live music performances by native musicians—in this case Rajasthan, just over the border. Using western budgets and equipment, the studio showcases local musicians and styles that often don’t get the TLC of mainstream western artists. Cool idea right? Especially when its execution proves how much good music is out there beyond the west. Mame Khan and Amit Trivedi teamed up to perform this instant classic, Chaudhary. Despite top recording equipment, it takes world-class musicians to make this kind of tight, bright recording live. An ode to her, I first heard this song in Rajasthan, while hopping trains and falling in love with my fiancé. We called that trip our first honeymoon and this playful song will forever remind me of it. Celebrating the full moon of Holi (festival of new beginnings) amongst the dunes and stars of the Thar Desert. “Oh moon of mine! I am your moonlight”. Ah love, turn thy wheel!

• Dink’s Song (Fare Thee Well) – Dave Van Ronk (amongst many)

Thee pre-eminent folk song in America, “Dink’s Song” has been covered by almost every folk and Americana artist there is. In 2009 I heard it in an old 1950’s cowboy show called “Have Gun Will Travel” and was up all night. The origin of this song is steeped in lore, so this summer I went to investigate it at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. With a ‘Researcher Pass’ I was given free rein to wander the bowels of the Library, combing through records, articles, and old recordings in an attempt to find the original and its account. And find it, I did, with the help of an excited Archivist at the Folklife Center (story upon request or go dig yourself). The lore, evolution, melody and lyrics make this the quintessential song of America and in such short tender words display the incredible power of humans to have grace amidst sadness: “If I had wings like Noah’s dove, I’d fly up the river to the one I love. Fare thee well, my lovely, fare thee well.” 

• Bella Maria – Fratelli Mancuso

It’s possible I’m the only person who likes this song but if you give it a chance you may fall in love with it—and Fratelli Mancuso–too. They’re a pair of Sicilian brothers who deliver modern Sicilian music but with traditional elements, and in the process, transport you back in time to the island itself. They reify its energy, ensnaring your senses, and exhorting you to walk amongst the hills, the beaches, and the vineyards. An abnegation of modern music, these brothers represent what’s best about music; localized, intimate, earnest, and pure. Bella Maria, or ‘Beautiful (Mother) Mary displays all of this with its aethereal intro, acapella harmonies, weeping string accompaniment, and trumpet bursts as the voices peak. It’s made perfect by a fresh joyful melody they save just for the outro. A musical treasure and piece of brilliance, this song is why individuals, tribes, nations and humanity fell in love with the art of music. This one is for Lois, who always wanted to live in Italy.

• Turn! Turn! Turn! – The Byrds

Congrats, you’ve made it all the way round this 2023 wheel of music! But it wouldn’t be a full circle if we didn’t end where we began; thus, the timeless Turn! Turn! Turn! Written by the guardian of American folk music, Pete Seeger, with lyrics borrowed from the Book of Ecclesiastes (3), this song has been covered by hundreds of artists both within and without the folk genre. This version, by The Byrds, peaked at #1in the charts, solidifying the emergence of the folk-rock genre into western ears. It also still holds as the record for the top chart hit with the oldest lyrics, dating back to King Solomon in the 10^th century. Released amidst the buildup of the Vietnam War, Seeger’s only lyrical addition was a call for peace, which further resonated with its time and adds to its timelessness. In many ways this song encapsulates the 1960s; this incredible blend of old and new, love and hate, change and tradition, east and west, young and old, hippies and soldiers, acoustic and electric, ecstasy and tragedy, light and dark, life and death, wisdom and folly, lost and found, and in many ways set forth a new age and a new way—both a reformation of and a continuation of what came before. Let the great wheel spin!

I present to you the playlist for this year, “Endurance, 2022.” In this constantly unpredictable period, the last year has been a lesson and reminder in the value of the slow and steady, trust, commitment, and above all, endurance. 

To play the slight role of raconteur, Sam Houston (Governor of Texas), upon being told that Texas was succeeding from the Union, said “You may win southern independence, but I doubt it. They (the Northerners) are not a fiery, impulsive people as you are, for they live in colder climates. But when they begin to move in a given direction, they move with the steady momentum and perseverance of a mighty avalanche.” In that spirit, the songs selected reflect that sentiment of putting your head down and one foot in front of the other; keep on keepin on until you achieve your goal–but also enjoy each step along the way.  

May you find one or two tracks on this list that you carry with you throughout the year.

1) Light That Never Dies – KaiL Baxley

KaiL might be the most unique artist discovered this year. Raised in a small town in South Carolina by his Grandfather from the age of 6, after his parents up and disappeared (there’s various stories surrounding this), KaiL grew up in a perfectly decorated and preserved ‘60s house. He claims James Brown taught him how to dance and was allegedly an amateur boxer who fought his way through Africa and Europe… A lot going on here and a surreal breeding ground for giving you something to say—and God gave him a voice to say it. A blend of gospel and blues, KaiL brings a fresh authenticity that’s married with careful production to let his uniqueness shine instead of covering it with industry standard. Let’s kick this year and playlist off right.

2) The Greatest – SIX60

Straight from the mega band in New Zealand, this song is like candy—just pure enjoyment with little nutritional value. But, hey, sometimes you need those songs that are just fun and easy. Manufactured in a recording studio, just like gobstoppers in the Wonka factory, this song is for celebrating an occasion or just to get your day going. And don’t underestimate the power of belief.

3) Watch It Fall – Billy Strings

If this song sounds oddly familiar to you, it’s because it is. Almost without a doubt, this song sprung forth out of the head of Paul Simon’s “The Boxer”, like Athena out of the mind of Zeus. Raised between Michigan and Kentucky, Billy Strings is a Grammy winning musician—rightly so— and is a rising star within the folk and country industry. Blending genres, a great instrumentalist with a soft and clear voice, Billy channels Paul Simon and other folkies with a quality few others could bring to bear. Like Simon’s social commentary and sense of collective (think America, American Tune, The Boxer, etc.) this song narrates the world’s current predicament of excess and our limited power to influence. Sit back and join Billy Strings in watching the end of an era.

4) Riverrock Baby – Lou Baker/Davies

There is good music everywhere! Found this cat using Shazam—hands down best phone app—playing through speakers at a local watering hole in Albany, NY. From Melbourne, Australia, Lou Davies has a whopping 14 followers on SoundCloud but deserves 14 million. What a fresh sound hitting your ears—like what you expect to hear during a happy trip on mushrooms. There is not much info on Lou because he is not very established, but Lord is this a gem for driving, walking, smoking, chilling, really any activity. Remember, even “amateurs” can make world-class music.

5) False Alarm – Lawrence (with Jon Bellion)

If you thought your family were a bunch of high achievers, wait ‘til you meet this brother sister combo. Now running an 8 piece soul pop band, these two have a history of acting on Broadway and writing soundtracks and scores for films. The brother, Clyde, wrote the theme song for Miss Congeniality when he was five…I’m gonna let that sink in. So, when a normal sounding but catchy pop-tune starts off with the lyrics “It’s been awhile since I wrote a song like this, take a good four chords, let ‘em loop as is” it’s because this was probably written on their day off. Now to the song itself: groovy, fun, and a funny breakdown rap in the middle. Perfect for getting you ready for walking into work, or walking out for that matter. 

6) Bad Luck – Neko Case

Songs like this make a great case for Neko Case possibly being the modern Cyndi Lauper. See what I did there? Like Lauper, she’s a musician’s musician, been nominated for several Grammys, highly respected amongst her peers and expands into different genres making her difficult to pigeon hole. She also goes by the pronouns She/Sir—very 2022. With her voice described as a “vocal tornado”, Case brings you a catchy melody over a groovy beat but don’t let the light atmosphere fool you—below the surface is a deeper message, “Tired of trying to make everyone happy? Too tired to sing your own songs?”

7) Khala My Friend – Amanaz

With the advent of Netflix and other streaming services breaking into film and TV production, one amazing side effect has been the measurable improvement in soundtracks. Stolen from the all-popular show, “Ted Lasso”, “Khala My friend” by Amanaz shows how some of the old simple songs—with their basic recording techniques—can say everything you need them to. Amanaz is a ’70s rock group from Zambia and the name itself is an acronym for “Ask Me About Nice Artists In Zambia”. Gotta love the genuineness of that and this song, taken from their only album “Africa”. Calling out to a friend headed down the wrong path—something we can all relate to—it speaks simple truth from the heart: “And the road you’ve taken has no end, Khala my friend, come back to me, ‘cause I’m gonna miss you”. 

8) Put It Together – Langhorne Slim

Echoing the big and ambling folk-orchestral sound of Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros (principal songwriter Alexander Ebert) which ushered in a new era of folk-rock, this tune sounds like it could come from a white southern Baptist church service. A song of healing, full of energy and layers of instruments and production, this song harkens to older days, like Edward Sharpe, when rock music created a grand landscape made from organic instruments. It’s also fun to dance and groove to or even get downright spiritual. 

9) Series of Dreams – Bob Dylan

I know what you’re thinking: isn’t that what that song “A Hard Rain’s A Gonna Fall” is basically called? (Kudos to my brother for the quip) Pretty much. This is Bob Dylan bringing you “Hard Rain” 2.0 with late 80’s writing and production. Usually sequels are nothing close in quality to the original but every so often there’s an exception. Like Toy Story 2, this song takes a previous idea and adds another dimension. At first, this song makes you want to walk contemplatively, and by the end you find yourself running at whatever idea has captured you. Fantastic layering and production with Dylan’s incredible ability to narrate what feels like a religious experience. For all those Bob Dylan lovers out there—add this to the queue.

10) Read My Mind – Golda May

This is the best cover song I’ve heard in the last year. The original song is by, possibly, the most under-rated songwriter of this generation, Brandon Flowers, of “The Killers.” Flowers has a Brian Wilson-like ability to sing with a transparent heart yearning to be heard. He’s a force and would be famous in any generation of music. He said at the time that it was the best song he’d written—and that is post-completion of his masterpiece, “All These Things That I Have Done.” Gold May, on the other hand, is a new and fairly obscure artist from Seattle with only about 1000 followers on social media but songs like this might change that pretty quick. Great self-harmonies and layers and a slow version of a great song gives the listener more time to enjoy the delights of the tune. “Well I don’t mind if you don’t mind, cuz I don’t shine if you don’t shine, put your back on me, put your back on me, put your back on me.”

11) High Steppin – The Avett Brothers

I should hate every second of this song—synth techno beats on top of a Texas country vibe and a preachy breakdown in the middle to top it all off…but I can’t stop enjoying it! Only The Avett Brothers could pull something like this off. Surely some listeners will, in fact, loathe this song, but credit must be given to artists who stretch outside their-and the listener’s—comfort zone and in doing so, truly break barriers. These brothers have a unique ability to spew truth while telling a story seemingly coming from the common man. They put themselves out there with this one, and I dare say, they may have caught something on the line so don’t feel guilty if you end up listening to this one more than once.

12) Mavericks – Tom Doolie, HYA, Rich Jacques

Are you familiar with the Lofi Girl? It’s a YouTube channel that has a cult following, with some fans even dressing up as her for Halloween. Ironically, it was actually created by a French man named Dimitri. The channel is devoted to playing underground “lofi” artists who produce “chill beats” for studying. Full confession, I am a follower. This is a simple sample of some of the tunes that you hear circulating through the channel. If you’re looking for the right combination of stimulating but not distracting, this channel might be right for you…here’s the link, just in case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qap5aO4i9A

13) Nobody Knows – Pastor L.T. Barrett & The Youth For Christ Choir

Raised between East Brooklyn and South Chicago, Thomas Lee Barrett was 17 and pulling organs out of cadavers for a job when he was arrested for failing to pay child support to the 37 year old mother of his newborn. Now a celebrated Pentecostal pastor residing in the South side of Chicago, Barrett has given a lot to his community—especially musically. Joined by a choir of 40+ kids and backing musicians from Earth, Wind, and Fire, he brings you a cascade of gospel music that is encapsulated perfectly here, with “Nobody Knows.” An unusually moody and dark tune for gospel, it properly articulates the trials of a black man in a white man’s world. If you want more of this sound, check out his 1971 album, “Like A Ship (Without A Sail)”

14) Yoga Town – Superstate (Feat. Graham Coxon and Valentina Pappalardo)

Well this one has a story. Graham Coxon (Of Blur) is apparently also a visual artist and created a graphic novel called “Superstate”. Set in “Yoga town”, the premise is the top 1% have drugged the population into complacency so there are no consequences for the abuses the rich do to the planet. Now, Yoga town is unsustainable and dying, so the 1% are leaving to another planet, leaving behind the rest of the population… Not stretching his creativity too much is he? This track is the first on what will be a soundtrack for the novel. At first light and poppy, this song starts to grow in intensity and minor keys come into play. Over that is the repeated phrase “let me go please, call the police”. It’s a great dark and catchy tune with an interesting landscape and background story.

15) Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) – George Harrison

During George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” phase he was a master of creating an ethereal sound that sucked you into a spiritual state of mind. A devotee of Indian philosophy, Harrison’s songs are full of references to non-attachment, illusion, and connecting to that inner light. This is a song only a musical genius with thousands of hours behind his belt could produce. This, in my humble opinion, along with “Something”, is the purest expression of who George Harrison was as a man. Mysterious, warm, spiritual, focused, but beautiful. Written as a tribute to Frank Crisp—an eccentric and entertaining character—the former owner of Harrison’s estate (Friar Park), the song evokes moving through a space and the feelings only revisiting your childhood home can give. Enjoy diving to the bottom of the Harrison pool and sitting meditatively at the bottom. 

16) Violin Tsunami – Kishi Bashi

As my brother likes to say any time this artist pops up in the background, “Kishi Bashi!!” A Japanese-American and a one-man soundscape master painter, Kaoru Ishibashi was once part of ‘Of Montreal’ before going solo. He spans genres and is truly one of a kind, though you hear bits of Andrew Bird and even Grizzly Bear. For people who are tired of the same verse, chorus, verse, chorus, style, Kishi Bashi presents endless creativity as he vaults into new areas of sound and is anything but repetitive. This beautiful song is from the album “Omoiyari”, written about the Japanese internment camps of WW2. You can hear the journey reflected in the simple beauty of the violin before the background adds depth and the song breaks open into a frenzy. Then, in the end, it transitions into an empty battlefield of sound and you’re left to sit with what you have just experienced.

17) Phur (Fly) – ANU

A Tibetan song breaking into the mainstream is so valuable in that it not only propagates a language actively trying to be destroyed, but also captures and preserve the language for all time…it’s a wonder China let this be published. Luckily it caught fire across the world before China could put it out. Phur, or “Fly” describes the current spirit and predicament of Tibetans  everywhere: “If you don’t fly your hopes will be wasted, your life will be over, if you yearn for liberty, fly!” They have no choice but to rise to the occasion and above all expectations. There is no try for Tibetans but there is hope. As their name suggests, ANU, or “Youthism” in Tibetan, calls to the energy and spirit that has been passed down to the young generation to keep their culture alive.

 18) Miles Miles Miles – Kevin Morby

If you’ve made it this far–with the theme of ‘endurance’, this song not only describes a long and resilient journey but reflects it in mood and construction. It follows all the emotions of a long adventure; slow starts, highs, lows, lulls, change of tempos, emotion, and finally a big crescendo and a come-down that reminds the listener of just how far they’ve come. Kevin Morby is maybe what you might get if Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen had a child together. Don’t lose sight of the beautiful use of the organ and the background vocals.

 19) Strange – Celeste

The Brits, are good at dropping bombs on us. Think The Beatles, David Bowie, Harry Potter, Fish ‘n Chips, Love Actually, Adele, etc. Celeste is a brilliant new artist shooting to the top overnight and providing British music with a soulful sound not heard in years—even topping Amy Winehouse. Yeah, I said it. Like Adele’s “Someone like you”, this song, from her one and only album, stands out for its slow and intimate projection about love, or more specifically, a former lover. While Adele takes a more heartfelt approach, Celeste gets downright philosophical. “Isn’t it strange how people can change? From strangers to friends, friends into lovers, and strangers again.” No holding back the surreal aspect of life almost all of us have experienced; moving on from someone who has dominated some part of our life. Celeste’s voice perfectly embodies your broken heart and also the wise narrator who has seen this tale many times over. She and this song renew my faith in modern music–put this one down as an instant classic and let’s all eagerly watch where Celeste goes from here. What a tune.  

 20) P.S. You Rock My World – Eels

This song is a shout out to my old best friend from high school. After years of us each going our separate ways we reconnected and she reminded me of this song we used to listen to as teenagers. Oh, to be young and drowning in songs. Eels is one of those slightly sarcastic bands that are actually no joke. They create vivid and lasting vibes with each song and have playful but philosophical lyrics. “A careful man tries to dodge the bullets, while a happy man takes a walk.” Here’s to you, Holly, and those angsty high school days.

 21) Tomorrow Is Only A Dream – Willy Gantrim

Raised in South Texas and an old friend and fellow musician in the NYC folk scene, Willy was a one-man blues/folk show. He was fairly quiet and hunching, but get him drunk and we’d all be complaining the next day at how edgy, boisterous, and damn strong he was (always got handsy). His music properly reflects this concealed strength. It’s a touching song comforting a lover and filled with a lot of fantastic poetic lines. Willy’s voice is unique, and much like when he’s had a couple; he can sneak up on you.

 22) Sail Away – Randy Newman

When a new artist in the folk scene would arrive we would size them up by asking which songwriters they liked. Almost universally, the tell of a serious song crafter was if they mentioned Randy Newman. Extremely underrated in popular society but highly respected by his contemporaries, Randy Newman is much more than the guy from Toy Story. Like Leonard Cohen, or Mozart for that matter, he has a way of crafting melodies that seem so simple and timeless it’s as if they’ve been around since the dawn of humanity rather than arising from the mind of a human in all his brokenness. “Sail Away” is typical of Newman’s huge tendency for sarcasm hidden in beauty. It tells the story of the slave trade from the perspective of a slave trader in the American South. The beautiful irony makes you unsure how to feel about the song… that’s the point and therein lies his genius.

 23) Thinking Of A Place – The War On Drugs

Well, we’ve reached the end of our journey and I leave you full-circle with this song, so grab a nice joint or drink and turn this one up. “Thinking Of A Place” drops you into a dark and intimate dream, where you alone are walking through the soft blackness of the mind. With a soft and smooth melody stretching the song, a steady beat, ambient keyboard, and Neil Young-esque guitar and harmonica solos in-between, this song perfectly encapsulates what it is trying to convey. “I’m moving through the dark, of a long black night, just moving with the moon, and the light in shines, and I’m thinking of a place, and it feels so very real, just moving through the dark”.  If you hear lovers of old music lament, “They don’t write songs like they used to”, play them The War On Drugs. Channeling a bit of Neil Young, Pink Floyd, and Bob Dylan, this band—initially started by Vile himself—hails from Philadelphia and brings the heat of expert musical craftsmanship. Deservedly winning a Grammy in 2017 for their album “A Deeper Understanding”, this band, like a fine wine, only gets better with age. Think about this: the single they released for that album is this song—all eleven minutes of it. Enjoy, and enjoy 2022.

With the mess and boil of energy that was 2020, It appears we’ve been tossed off the cutting board and “Into The Stew” of 2021. 

Since 2020 (and 2021) seemed to break from many industry standards, this playlist decided too as well. It includes multiple tracks by the same artist (twice) –a playlist taboo, but there it is nevertheless. The reason being there is a resurgence of young, black talent making its way up the music scene ladder (Charley Crockett, Benjamin Booker, Leon Bridges, and Michael Kiwanuka) and, quite frankly, a couple deserve to be highlighted. Hope this playlist brings you some cheer and you find a song that sticks with you throughout the year. 

1) Get Down Moses – Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros

Shortly before his death in 2002, Joe Strummer—The Clash co-lead vocalist— dropped this song of biblical proportions. The lyrics invoke an epic battle with Joe calling for some divine intervention: “get down Moses, part another sea!”, and the feeling of being left behind, “where the hell was Elijah?” Sound relatable? This song has a fantastic rhythm to groove to and Strummer’s voice makes you feel like he was either there with Elijah or he’s speaking for us during this plague on all our nations. “You better take the walls of Jericho, better put your lips together and blow”. 

2) I Need – Maverick Sabre

It’s been a long year and this song takes someone in a dark place and shines some light on it. What better way to try and turn the page? Without sounding too hyperbolic it harkens back to Beethoven’s Ode to Joy which he wrote in the most depressed point of his life. From Hackney, London, Maverick Sabre manages to celebrate being in a hard place and delivers this song so you can too. Great showcase of his soulful voice and the production is so well balanced, and the organ carries the mood in the background. 

4) I Wanna Cry – Charley Crockett

One of the most promising and interesting artists on the scene today, Charley Crockett doesn’t reinvent the wheel but reminds us why we use it. He is 1/2 Texas Country 1/2 R&B Soul— a potent and unique combination. He has a checkered past with the law and recently had heart bypass surgery so when he sings of hard times and mischievous living he is being truly genuine. Notice how he hums like Johnny Cash but canters like a Carter-family song. Great use of the accordion and simple drums. With his blend of styles you’re never sure in what genre each song is going to land, but you know it’s going to land hard. Watch out for this guy in the future—assuming his heart doesn’t give out. 

3) Angst In My Pants – Sparks

If you haven’t heard of this band it means you probably don’t live in Europe. Founded in 1967 by two brothers, Sparks has been a pioneering pop rock band for decades and is still going strong—but you wouldn’t know it. Originally from Los Angeles, it wasn’t until their album “Lil’ Beethoven” dropped that people in America began to take notice. Known for their philosophical and literary-based lyrics and evolving sound, this song presents a stark departure. Released in 1982, the song began to mold that 80’s sound we now know so well and feels like it fell right out of The Breakfast Club. This song is great for a slow morning that needs a kick to it. 

5) Believe – Benjamin Booker

Perhaps his best song, it encapsulates what many people feel right now. Notice the classic Motown violins that open the tune and then weave in and out, guiding the voice throughout. Amazing lyrics and backup vocals, beautiful melody and a grooving rhythm section. This song would have been a smash hit 50 years ago. Booker’s voice is raspy like Otis but is accompanied by the soft sounds of Sam Cooke. At 3:00 you feel like you’re floating on a sea of soul. Keep your eye on this prize—he has a bright future.

6) Dry The Rain- The Beta Band

A friend introduced me to this song and instructed me to listen to it as I entered the Highlands of Scotland—which I was happy to oblige. Good advice, especially considering the band is from Scotland. It starts out smooth and easy with an ambling slide guitar and lackadaisical vocal, but soon gets the heat turned up by a killer bass line and some beautiful trumpets which inspire the vocals to life by the end. The second half of the song makes you feel like you’ve “arrived” at your destination and, oh, how good it feels. 

7) Metal Firecracker – Lucinda Williams 

Oh Lucinda Williams. She looks and sounds like a burnt out recovering alcoholic bartendress from Pensacola, Florida who may or may not have relapsed. However, don’t let her slow, dry, apathetic voice fool you— she’s a powerhouse in her own right and a staple for a songwriter’s diet. A “musician’s musician”, she’s been nominated for 15 Grammys (winning three) and 12 Americana awards (winning 2). Universally respected by the top artists of her genre, she frequently performs with fellow artists: Emmylou Harris, Steve Earl, Ramblin Jack Elliot, Bob Dylan, the Allman Brothers, etc. Her songs have an “everywoman” quality to them and this one inparticular. Who hasn’t spilled secrets to a partner we were sure was the one?

8) Carries On – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros 

This song is off the best album made in the first decade of the 2000s. Alexander Ebert (frontman for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros) wrote the album, “Up From Below”, after spending a year hulled up in an apartment rehabbing from heroin. He assembled his old musical friends and created a whole new sound with a tone of rebirth after his time of trials and tribulations. Recorded on analog tape—unheard of at the time— the album is bright, colorful, layered, and still more rare for this era—patient. This slow song has a type of elongated melody that is simple but carries on for much longer than your standard tune. For anyone who loves to explore new music, “Up From Below” is the first place you should start looking. 

9) One More Night – Michael Kiwanuka 

And then there was Michael Kiwanuka. With only three albums released in his ten years in the industry he has brought a new life to the British scene. Each track is gold and Kiwanuka is one of the most promising artists of this era. Explorative but focused, each song is meticulously constructed and then he breathes life into it with his natural soul voice. He grew up in London as the son of Ugandan parents fleeing Idi Amin Dada Oumee. He’s like a potato chip; the first bite is good, the second, great, and then you look down and the whole bag is gone. 

10) Witness – Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker dropped “Witness” 3+ years ago though now it seems prophetic and more relevant than ever. “Right now we could use a little pick-me-up. Seems like the whole damn nation’s trying to take us down. When your brother’s dying, mother’s crying, TV’s lying, all the reason’s in the world don’t mean shit to me.” With the rise of BLM this song is yet another piece of evidence pointing to the fact that while this year has opened the eyes of many to the daily forms of racism faced by the black community, this has too long been a normal way of life for them. Beautiful backup choir vocals and lead female vocal, this songs blends gospel and free verse effortlessly. 

11) River – Leon Bridges

Hailed as the next Sam Cooke-like figure, Leon Bridges has that soulful voice that sounds effortless. “River” is a basic song with a simple melody and structure yet Leon makes you feel like you’re in the middle of an epiphany. Another star from Texas, Leon has played with and influenced fellow artists Charley Crockett (whose song “I am not afraid” is up next and was influenced by Leon), Gary Clark Jr., and Benjamin Booker. He has performed for the Obamas and time will tell if he has the lasting power of his 60s comparisons. 

12) Et Même – Francois Hardy 

From the early 60s and well into the 70s Francois Hardy dominated French pop music, becoming the voice icon of her nation. Her soft, smooth voice around elegant melodies and brilliant Phil Spector-style “wall of sound” production, she became the envy of female singer-songwriters and her girl-next-door beauty made her the jewel of men’s eyes. “Et Meme” tells the sad story of how infidelity creates a mortal wound in a relationship that love can’t cure. Fantastic dynamics—from easy and flowing to bold pronouncements—backed by double triplets— Hardy finds a way of weaving through emotions like a rollercoaster. And don’t you love that piano?

13) I am Not Afraid – Charley Crockett

One of the best songs discovered in 2020, as mentioned previously with Crockett, it is a perfect and unique blend of country and soul. You don’t often hear church organs on the “black beat” (off beat) accompanied by a pedal steel. This song put Crockett on the map where he belongs, and in a way that perfectly encapsulates what makes him deserve to be there. Expect to want to dance to this song, and expect that feeling to stick around for a while. 

14) Hard Promises – Hiss Golden Messenger

This song was a lucky pickup. Grabbing a last minute coffee at the train station in Glasgow, this song was playing over the speaker. With three minutes before departure and hands full of coffee and luggage it was too enticing to walk away from. I threw my phone up to the speaker several times to “Shazam” it before it finally registered and then proceeded to sprint to the platform. As the train pulled away from the station this song was streaming through the headphones. With only 1400 views on YouTube and no live performances to be found, it’s amazing this song was playing where it was. Hiss Golden Messenger is a small band from Durham, North Carolina but they sound like so much more.  

 15) The Gael – Dougie MaClean

For any fans of “Last of the Mohicans” this will come as a bit of a surprise. Trevor Jones (the film’s composer) took this song from staple Scottish songwriter, Dougie Maclean, and made it the theme of the movie. However, what is most shocking about this song is how new it is. It was written in 1990 but sounds like it could be as old as Scotland itself. It starts out slowly with the prototypical synth and midi sounds of the era until MaClean drops this unforgettable melody on you. If the heart is indeed made of strings, it sounds as if Dougie is playing them to perfection. 

16) Man – The Temptations

This song is a departure from the love-focused Temptations we’re used to. Written just after the moon landing, the song discusses the increasing pace of society and the effect machines and automation are having on the world. Interesting they felt that even back then. The frenetic vibe is set by the metronome, ticking time, and the violins switching between beautiful and vexing accents. Halfway through is a musical break that is reminiscent of an epic sci-fi movie. However, it is the lyrics you’ll want to listen closely to. “Everybody wanna go to heaven, but nobody wanna pray.” 

17) Katip Arzuhalim – Selda Bagcan 

Selda Bagcan is one of the great treasures of Turkey and a heavyweight—just ask any Turk. Any woman who plays the 12-string while singing the way she does, and who was jailed multiple times for her political music, is worth digging into. She blasts your heart with simple accompaniments and an earth-shaking emotional voice. This version is a remix which emphasizes the guitar slightly and adds a little 21st century-feel, but the original and live versions are easy to find and just as beautiful. In a world of over-production and meticulous perfection Selda Bagcan reminds us how mesmerizing one voice and a guitar can be when performed with passion and conviction.  

18) No Hard Feelings – The Avett Brothers

In the plant world there is a concept called “bolting”, where a dying plant rages back to life in a last gasp to shoot their spores before death. This song has that feel— of one trying to get all their karmic affairs in order before walking out the door. In an outpouring of spiritual catharsis the Avett Brothers wrote their epitaph, and it stands with some of the best folk music written, to date. Simple production that emphasizes the words, this song takes you on an out-of-body experience that, in the end, is meant to show you what is most important as you live in yours. 

19) Gonul – Fikret Kizilok

This song was discovered in a small shop underneath the Galata Tower; an eminent structure originally built in the 400s that has guarded the new city of Istanbul for centuries. It’s a classic folk song in Turkey and tells the tale of an innkeeper who falls in love with a traveling man and is afraid to open her heart. The melody is unforgettable, likely due to the male and female singers voices blending so impeccably that they embody the spirit of the song to those who do not even speak the language. The flute dances around the singers while the guitar creates a sad and steady floor on which it all stands. It would not be wrong to equate Fikrit Kizlok to a Turkish Loenard Cohen and any fan of the latter will be one of the former.  

20) Sedilaka – The Soweto Gospel Choir ft. The Soil

*If you can, listen to this version of this song on YouTube* One of the more beautiful pieces that have come across my path the last couple years. This song, by South Africa’s Soweto Gospel Choir and The Soil, reminds us how much the human voice is capable of. An a cappella, this sound can only be achieved by individuals working together as a unit, which they do to perfection. It has a sort of liberated quality that you find in “amazing grace”, and the words point that direction as well. “My light, Show me the way, So I may go. It is dark and it is long. Lead me.” When life seems too stressful this song may be just what the soul doctor ordered.