For What It’s Worth

If this post’s title referred to the recent passing of Buffalo Springfield drummer Dewey Martin, it would be a lot timelier. Even then, it would be a bit of old news. But it’s not a look back at Martin or that super group. It’s my annual top 10 list. I had every intention of getting this out just after Christmas, but life just made that impossible. Since this list has no bearing on anything important, now is as good a time as any.

Sean’s Top 10 of 2008

10. “The Felice Brothers,” The Felice Brothers – Many bands are compared to The Band, but few come close to actually earning the comparison. This brother act sounds a lot like The Band’s first two albums, which is a good way to sound indeed.

9. “Furr,” Blitzen Trapper – This Portland, Ore., band fits in with a recent wave of indie folk-rock that draws from a variety of influences and spins them into one harmonious blend. The title track is one of the catchiest songs I heard all year.

8. “Trouble in Mind,” Hayes Carll – Country music lives. On his best effort yet, Carll proves himself a worthy successor to fellow Texan Guy Clark (though in no way are we ready for Guy to pass the torch). Country artists who can actually get radio play should be strip-mining this disc for covers.

7. “Mudcrutch,” Mudcrutch – After achieving (Rock and Roll Hall of) fame and fortune, Tom Petty decided to get the old band back together. Who knows how it would have worked out had he stayed with this lineup instead of The Heartbreakers, but “Mudcrutch” the album suggests that Mudcrutch the band might have made out just fine. It’s more influenced by The Flying Burrito Brothers than anything Petty has previously recorded. If you’re reading this site, chances are you’ll be interested in at least checking it out.

6. “The Good Life,” Justin Townes Earle – Could a young artist be saddled with a more difficult name to live up to? Since he insists on using the “Townes,” I guess he’s up to the challenge. He proves as much on “The Good Life.” He’s not ready to join Van Zandt or daddy Steve Earle’s company just yet, but this full-length debut suggests that he’s well on his way. This disc is sure to please fans of Townes Van Zandt, early Steve Earle, BR549 and hard country.

5. “Vampire Weekend,” Vampire Weekend – It’s got a beat. I can dance to it. Me and my left feet just choose not to. The African-influenced disc is definitely one of the more hook-laden discs to come around in a while.

4. “Ode to Sunshine,” Delta Spirit – The best album I bought based on an advertising blurb. Maybe it was the band’s cool-sounding name or the suggestion in said ad that they evoked classic Rolling Stones. Something about that poster in Borders got me in the mood to buy. I’m glad I did. “Ode to Sunshine” is a thoroughly enjoyable indie/Americana disc, with a “Basement Tapes” feel to boot.

3. “Mission Door,” Peter Cooper – Cooper, the music critic for The Tennessean, knows of which he writes. “Mission Door” is an accomplished blend of originals and carefully chosen covers (such as the title track and “All the Way to Heaven,” both written by Eric Taylor). If Cooper gives you a bad review, you’ve got no right to complain. He proved he knows a good song when he hears one, and when he writes one. I’m guessing not too many reviewers viewed “Mission Door” in a negative light. Cooper’s biggest coup might have been enlisting Lloyd Green, whose pedal steel transforms this disc into one gorgeous album.

2. “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark,” Drive-By Truckers – The departure of singer/guitarist Jason Isbell left many fans wondering how the Truckers would fare without him. As they did before Isbell joined the group in 2001, they made out just fine. Though Isbell’s contributions certainly were missed, the band’s founding singer/guitarists – Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley – showed that their skills are sharper than ever. Hood’s writing became even more cinematic than usual, and Cooley could be selling half of his songs to the Rolling Stones.

1. “Real Animal,” Alejandro Escovedo – A perfect balance of Escovedo’s glam-rock, Americana, and string quartet work. This one was a winner from the moment I pushed “play.”

Honorable mention, because 10 is never enough:
“Cardinology,” Ryan Adams & The Cardinals; “For Emma, Forever Ago,” Bon Iver; “Momofuku,” Elvis Costello; “Sex & Gasoline,” Rodney Crowell; “Seeing Things,” Jakob Dylan; “Asking For Flowers, “Kathleen Edwards; “Fleet Foxes,” Fleet Foxes; “Worrisome Heart,” Melody Gardot; “The ’59 Sound,” The Gaslight Anthem; “Stay Positive,” The Hold Steady; “One Kind Favor,” B.B. King; “Only By The Night,” Kings of Leon; “Don’t Make Me Wait,” Locksley; “Life, Death, Love and Freedom,” John Mellencamp; “Harps and Angels,” Randy Newman; “Blame It On Gravity,” Old 97’s; “The Rhumb Line,” Ra Ra Riot; “Accelerate,” R.E.M.; “Volume One,” She & Him; “We Brave Bee Stings and All,” Thao; “Little Honey,” Lucinda Williams