Women & Work, by Lucero
Lucero jumped on the major label train for their last release, 2009’s stellar 1372 Overton Park. Things didn’t go quite as planned but Lucero are a band that just won’t give up. Good thing, too, as the band are in peak form with a sound that marries their bar band roots with the soulful heritage of their native Memphis.

“Like Lightning” is a great example of how it all comes together. Rick Steff’s boogie-woogie piano opening the song before Brian Venable‘s guitar chimes in and the rhythm section of John Stubblefield and Roy Berry kick in with a heavy beat. And then there are the horns, which add real depth and character to the song.

The title track hearkens back to the bars of Lucero’s youth. A wisened Ben Nichols offers, “Now it’s one shot of women, one shot of work, one shot’s sweeter but both can hurt; Just let it go kid, just let it go.” Of course Nichols ignores his own advice on the rousing “On My Way Downtown,” pleading with a woman to meet him for a drink. “I ain’t looking for forever, I ain’t asking for your hand,” he sings, “I’m just on my way downtown, And I thought I’d take a chance.”

I love the burning intensity of “I Can’t Stand to Leave You,“ all the more so for the restraint in the band’s performance. They prove equally skilled on “It May Be Too Late,” a ballad that bristles with a southern soul.

Quite simply, Women & Work is the sound of a band kicking back and having a good time. And there is nothing wrong with that.

Audio Stream: Lucero, “Like Lightning”

(See what other members of the Twangville posse have to say about Lucero’s latest release here.)

THE PLAYLIST
See Me Through, Josh Ritter (from the Pytheas Recordings release Bringing In the Darlings)
Love, whether thriving or troubled, has been the inspiration for countless songs. On his recently released ep, Ritter carries on the tradition as he explores the crevices of a failed relationship. While it is hard to say that Ritter finds answers to his questions, there are few artists who tackle them with as much intelligence and thoughtfulness.

Where are the statues, colossal and bronze
That stood at the gates of our great love and kept watch
And now over the hills, over the horizons somebody’s army advances
I had faith in you darlin,’ even when I questioned our chances

Audio Stream: Josh Ritter, “See Me Through”

(See Jeff’s take on Josh Ritter’s latest here.)

On the Banks of the River Where I Died, Anthony D’Amato (from the self-released Paper Back Bones)
There’s a timeless quality to this track from D’Amato’s latest release, like an old folk tune reincarnated for another life. Against a rollicking beat, punctuated by harmonica and rinky-dink piano, D’Amato tells the tale of a fugitive on his last days. “Tell my wife and brothers that I’m sorry, tell my sons and daughters that I tried, all I ask is that you lay my body by the banks of the river where I died.”

Says D’Amato of the track, “I was thinking about what Woody Guthrie would be singing about if he were alive today when I wrote it. I expect he’d be happy about a lot of the progress we’ve made, but he’d sure be disappointed about how little some things have changed.”

Audio Download: Anthony D’Amato, “On the Banks of the River Where I Died”

Get Back, The Right Ons (from the Love Monk release Get Out)
This quintet from Spain knows how to rock. They’ve just unleashed a raucous new record filled with thunderous guitars and pounding beats sweetened by the right amount of vocal harmonies. And as good as they sound on record, they sound even better live. So when is the next US tour, boys?

Audio Download: The Right Ons, “Get Back”

Fourth of July, Dave Alvin (from the Yep Roc Records release Eleven Eleven Expanded Edition)
I’m usually not a fan of re-released “expanded edition” releases, even more so for albums that aren’t even a year old. I’ll make an exception for this one, though, as the bonus live cd is simply spectacular. Alvin and his band the Guilty Ones were clearly in fighting shape as they passed through Ann Arbor, MI in July 2011. They tear through selections from the latest release and a few choice Alvin classics. Here’s the crew performing one of my all-time favorite songs.

Audio Stream: Dave Alvin, “Fourth of July”

Why Would You Not Want to Go There?, Hoots & Hellmouth (from the sonaBLAST! Release Salt)
The Philly folksters offer up a study in contrasts, mixing melancholy and daydreams just as they surround acoustic guitars with an atmospheric glow.

Audio Download: Hoots & Hellmouth, “Why Would You Not Want to Go There?”

You Possess Me, Marvin Etzioni (from the Nine Mile Records release Marvin Country!)
The former Lone Justice guitarist invited an outstanding roster of friends and fellow musicians to join him on this impressive double-release. Duet partners range from Steve Earle to Lucinda Williams to Richard Thompson while the musical cast includes Buddy Miller, Gurf Morlix and Greg Leisz, among others. Pretty darn impressive. I’m partial to this track that features Etzioni’s former bandmate Marie McKee on guest vocals.

Audio Stream: Marvin Etzioni, “You Possess Me”

No Plans, Cold Chisel (from the forthcoming Warner Records release No Plans)
One of Australia’s finest rock and roll bands returns from an extended hiatus (14 years) with a powerhouse new collection. Singer Jimmy Barnes has one of those classic graveled rock and roll voices; his bandmates rock with a steady yet ferocious abandon. “I’m feeling no pain, I got no iPhone plugging into my brain, I’m hanging all alone in the sun, smoking a cigarette, no plans. Yeeeah, fuck you.”

Audio Stream: Cold Chisel, “No Plans”

I’ve been fortunate enough to have attended quite a number of multi-day music festivals over the years, from the Veiled Prophet Fair to the Monterey Jazz Festival and Telluride to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.  For my money, though, it’s really hard to beat the Old Settler’s Music Festival.  Held 20 miles or so outside of Austin in mid-April, it has an unparalleled selection of music, a reasonable size crowd, and a solid enough vibe to keep everything together even if the weather turns bad.  This year was no exception, and here are a few of my favorite moments from the 25th annual celebration.

The Blue Hit

 Eating From the Palm Of His Hand Award.  The last few years Old Settler’s has branched out some from its historic focus on Americana, and organizer Jean Spivey has been brilliant at bringing in indie acts that keep things fresh without leaving you scratching your head on the line up.  Local up-and-comers The Blue Hit and Lissie are examples, but better still Saturday night main stage closer Iron and Wine.  But for the sheer number of “I Love You Amos” shouts, the Philadelphia native was no doubt an honorary Texan for at least one Friday night.

Brian Henneman of the Bottle Rockets

 Back To My Roots.  There’s always a healthy dose of roots rock at OSMF, and this year was no exception.  James McMurtry blistered the stage Friday night.  Ozark dwellers Ha Ha Tonka did a cover of the Leadbelly song made famous in the 70’s by Ram Jam, Black Betty.  Three hours later walking back to my car people were still singing it.  For outright magnetism, though, the prize has to go to The Bottle Rockets, who did a pied piper number on anyone in the common area about dinnertime Saturday night.

 Audience Participation Award.  You have to give kudos to the Steep Canyon Rangers for their campground set on Thursday night.  What had been an engaged, but slightly sedate, audience for the earlier acts was stirred into a frenzy with the traditional bluegrass and awesome picking of the North Carolina quintet.  And their rendition of The Weight, the night after Levon’s passing, was clearly the best of the many covers honoring the man done over the weekend.  However, for the second year in a row this award has to go to Gaelic Storm.  They don’t just get people singing and dancing, they have people waving their arms, trying to outdo each other shouting, and, last year, riding a donkey (you had to be there).

Kimberly Zielnicki

 Youth Talent.  One of the things that sets OSMF apart from many larger events is the youth talent competition on Saturday morning.  This being Austin, the bar is pretty high, and past winners have gone on to their own recordings and performing with national acts in short order.  This year’s winner was fiddle player and singer Kimberly Zielnicki, who got a cheer from the crowd with her comment before the last song of an encore set, “you can never have enough fiddle songs”.  Tradition is that Miss Zielnicki will get a slot on the main stage next year, and I’ll look forward to seeing her with another year’s experience and some notoriety under her belt.

Sarah Jarosz with Darrell Anger

 Best Festival Moment.  This was sort of the year for NPR darling Sarah Jarosz, what with her main stage return playing to a clearly partisan crowd, and her mandolin workshop with Joe Walsh (not that one, the other one) that drew hundreds of people, most of whom have never even picked up the instrument.  For the real feel of the event, though, my vote goes to the kind of impromptu moment that’s the heart of a festival, yet witnessed by very few.  Woody Platt and a couple of his Steep Canyon Ranger mates were jamming with mandolin virtuoso Frank Solivan (who turned in a really, really sold set with his band Dirty Kitchen earlier in the evening) behind the bandstand long after the lights were off and most people had gone to their campsite.  The minstrels decided they needed a banjo and so walked over to the car where Frank’s banjo player, Mike Munford, was asleep.  They lit into a tune and before they were halfway through, Mike had his instrument out and had joined the fun.  You couldn’t help but grin as wide as the band was.

Audio Stream: Bahamas, “Caught Me Thinking”

The Lumineers
I caught two or three (it’s all a blur!) of the Lumineers Austin marathon. The first was an early-afternoon affair at a music club, the second was an evening showcase in a church sanctuary. Both were magnificent, showcasing the band’s intelligent songwriting and heart-felt playing. They engaged the crowd with their sing-along choruses, stepping into the crowd at the club and spreading around the church sanctuary to create what they deemed “surround sound.” Two venues, two equally incandescent performances.

Audio Download: The Lumineers, “Ho Hey”

Lydia Loveless
Fresh from her appearance at our Columbia showcase, Loveless and crew tore through Austin with their firebrand mix of country and rock-and-roll. I saw one critic complain about performers playing covers during their official SXSW showcases, which made Loveless’ opening cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “You Can Go Your Own Way” even ballsier.

Audio Download: Lydia Loveless, “Can’t Change Me”

Tom Morello
One might suspect that the former Rage Against the Machine guitarist, having spent time touring stadiums and arenas, would be a seasoned live performer. Seeing him do his solo thing as “The Nightwatchman” merely confirms the fact. Backed by a ferocious three-piece band, Morello unleashed a firestorm from his acoustic guitar. I caught Morello twice and each set was filled with songs of protest and rebellion, every one packing a lyrical punch yet catchy as hell. Morello typically invites the crowd onto the stage for his closing number and Austin was no exception. Far be it for me to refuse the invitation and here is my picture to prove it.

Audio Download: Tom Morello, “It Begins Tonight”

James McMurtry
The first show that I saw in Austin was James McMurtry playing to a small crowd at the Continental Gallery. I can’t imagine a better way to start the Austin experience than seeing one of the town’s talented sons play an intimate solo acoustic set. It would be easy to say that McMurtry is a favorite because of his dry and biting wit, but that just doesn’t do him justice. His songs are filled with rich story-telling and vibrant detail, often overshadowing his guitar-playing prowess. “Levelland,” a personal favorite, was played much slower in tempo, giving the song a much more somber feel.

The Biters
There are times when you want to get lost in an unbridled guitar attack. When those times arrive, seek out the Biters. The Atlanta quartet will wallop you with their guitars while simultaneously pumping you up with sugary melodies. It’s addicting!

Audio Download: The Biters, “Born To Cry”

Bob Mould
A few days before SXSW Mould announced that he had signed to Merge Records and would be releasing a new album this fall. To get everyone primed – or perhaps just to celebrate the occasion – Mould dusted off Sugar’s Copper Blue and played the album from start to finish, with a few extras thrown in for good measure. Mould, backed by bandmates Jon Wurster (Superchunk, the Mountain Goats) and Jason Narducy (Telekinesis, Robert Pollard band), cranked up his guitar and played with an intensity that left no prisoners.

Audio Stream: Sugar, “Helpless”

Click here for more Twangville coverage of SXSW.

Photo credits: John McNicholas (Tom Morello); Erica Bruce/Between Love and Like (Bob Mould).

For me, the true harbinger of spring is the arrival of the SXSW Music and Media Conference in Austin, Texas. Or rather, spring begins for me when I arrive in Austin for SXSW. With upwards of 2,200 bands and 19,000 attendees, SXSW is the world’s premiere music conference. Even better, it is one heck of a party.

Over the next week I’ll be sharing some of my highlights from SXSW 2012.

THE MUSICAL THEMES
No Plug Required?
Perhaps the most enjoyable musical theme, for me at least, was the range of acoustic artists. I’m among the first to line up for the wash of an electric guitar but there are times when the quiet musicianship of an acoustic artist just can’t be beat. Glen Hansard and Frank Turner, artists whose between-song banter is as sharp as their songs, performed multiple stellar sets. London-based Antonio Lulic was captivating while Denver’s the Lumineers were enchanting and, with their debut album just released, are ones to watch.

And then there was Tom Morello, whose guitar reads “whatever it takes,” a mantra that he brings to life with his hard-hitting performances.

Attack of the 1980s and 1990s
I want my MTV! Artists who first established themselves in the 1980s and 1990s were out in force. Whether you desired the goth of the Cult or the Jesus & Mary Chain or the pop of Thomas Dolby or Lionel Richie (with special guest Kenny Rogers!), you could find it at this year’s event. SXSW has become as much an opportunity to announce one’s return as it is to announce one’s arrival. Other artists who appeared included Counting Crows and Bob Mould, who delivered an intense performance of his band Sugar’s debut album.

Rap, Hip-Hop and Electronic Music Make Their Mark
Two of this year’s music themes fell outside the typical Twangville fare. Rap and hip-hop have had an increased presence in previous years but came into their own this year. From up-and-comers playing a showcase to big names playing label gatherings and unofficial events, the genre made its presence known.

DJs and electronica artists also made some noise this year. 24-year old Skrillix got a lot of buzz, although I can’t say that I saw him or any artists from this genre. Maybe next year.

”THE MUSICAL EQUIVALENT OF “PLUG AND PLAY”
Many artists make their time in Austin count, performing upwards of 4-5 times in a single day. Having made the trip and with a large and captive musically-starved audience, why not? The Lumineers took this to heart and performed no less than 12 times over four days. Quipped Bahamas, “We’re playing 127 shows over the next 3 days… We’ll be playing anywhere there is a pa.” On behalf of the music fans at SXSW: thank you.

YEAR OF THE WRISTBAND
Every year I write about how the quantity of day parties gets bigger and bigger. This year was no exception. The new wrinkle this year it was the rise of the multi-day event. Many party sponsors apparently figured that one day just wanted enough. Three and four day affairs were commonplace, with many taking over stores, bars and yards in East Austin. Many of these show relied on a music venue staple – the wristband – to manage capacity. At one point I had eight bands gracing my wrist. Wristband tan anyone?

BIG NAMES, WITH AND WITHOUT CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP

Sure, Bruce Springsteen captured the spotlight, but this year was notable for the plethora of well-known and established artists who converged on Austin. Many of these were promotional appearances sponsored by companies who thumbed their noses at any global economic uncertainty as they looked to make a major splash at the event.

Doritos was the, um, big winner with a stage built a stage into the base of a 56 foot vending machine. Seriously. Snoop Dogg was among the artists featured on the stage apparently built to satisfy those with a super-sized case of the late night munchies.

But Doritos wasn’t the only brand using music to reach the masses. Red Bull built a stage on an empty lot and invited artists ranging from Erykah Badu to the Crystal Method to perform.

In some cases, big name artists bypassed the corporate sponsorship and simply threw their own parties. Notable in this camp was 50 Cent, who invited his friend Eminem to join him to perform his 2003 album Get Rich or Die Tryin.

OCCUPY SXSW
Regardless of one’s political bent, Tom Morello’s Occupy SXSW show was not to be missed. Morello, joined by Wayne Kramer (of MC5 fame) broadcast his raucous 1am showcase into the street so that the masses could enjoy it. Then, as the 2am end time approached, Morello invited club attendees to follow him into the street for a few final songs. Under a watchful police eye, Morello and the band led the crowd of several hundred people in Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” Continuing on, albeit now acoustic as the power had been shut off, Morello served up his own “Worldwide Rebel Song” as the crowd joined in.

Photo credits: Teenage Kicks (Tom Morello); Matt Carney (Glen Hansard); Derek/Holidaze (Space Available); Ryan C Jones (Artist Walking).

 The record starts off with the title track, a sort of feminist viewpoint on being a female in California in the 1850′s.  ”Just shaking what God gave me, so feel free to stare” probably wasn’t the prevailing attitude of the times.  Next up is Family Band, a nice ditty about choosing who you hang with, or at least knowing what you prefer.  There’s also the closer, a cover of Blondie’s Dreaming, where the protagonist observes wistfully over a cup of tea that “dreaming is free”.  My favorite, though, is Do What You Love Blues.  It starts with a gospel-tinged chant that manages to quickly equate life in a cubicle to a modern day chain gang, where Walker later proclaims “life’s about freedom, and it ain’t cheap”.  Amen sister!

Musically, Gold Rush Goddess stretches across a number of genres.  The majority of tunes clearly fall into an indie-grass kind of feel with Melody’s vocals, guitars and keyboards matching well to partner Jacob Groopman’s harmonies and more-than-solid bass, mandolin and guitar accompaniment.  A couple of songs fall more towards a simple folk arrangement, but in yet another direction Gotta Write Love Songs has a pop sound and hook that could just as easily be Gaga or Adele as an unknown singer-songwriter from San Francisco.

No one can really predict what will catch the attention of an NPR producer or the hipster crowd.  But Melody Walker clearly has the chops to support indie/Americana singer-songwriter stardom.  You can’t go wrong checking out her debut album.

North Carolina’s American Aquarium has certainly made the most of their tenacious touring and effective self-promotion over the past few years. With their last two studio albums, Dances for the Lonely and Small Town Hymns possessing an irresistibly comfortable blend of country and rock, and the band’s live shows having gained a reputation for being not-to-miss events, it makes perfect sense that the five-piece, led by vocalist B.J. Barham would finally release a live album.

American Aquarium – Live in Raleigh has all the things a good live album should have. An effective mix of quality soundboard-recorded performances with the proper amount of audience whooping and hollering. It’s clear that American Aquarium chose to make proper use of their hometown advantage, knowing that a revved up crowd of familiar faces would give the recordings a punch and an urgency that wouldn’t be as lively anywhere else.

The strength of the songs is as clear here as they’ve been on the earlier albums. Barham’s inventive dirty talk about getting it on with the most addictive of lovers is certainly material for a fun live tune. The sheer southerness of Barham’s drawl makes songs that equate ferocious sex to a religious experience just go over perfectly.

The one album misstep – and it’s a big one for me, at least – is that when provided a chance to turn their heartbreak-turned-into-hatred anthem “I Hope He Breaks Your Heart” into a searing, sweaty show-ending catharsis that puts a satisfying finish to the band’s set, they take the easy way out and avoid singing a single note, only allowing the crowd to chant-along. Bummer, man.

Bands inviting the crowd to sing-along to the chorus of a beloved tune is nothing new, but for a band to take their best song, the show ending song, no less, and turn it into a full-length crowd-sized kumbaya moment is odd. To take away Barham’s drunken angst and force that makes the studio version of the chorus so powerful is a crime. Sure, bands love hearing their songs sung back to them by adoring fans. No one wants to rob them of a couple of lines worth of that glory, but for the whole damn song? Imagine the Drive By Truckers not singing a word to “Let There be Rock”, or the Old 97′s letting only the crowd sing to “Timebomb,” and you get the picture.

Regardless of that less-than-satisfactory ending, the rest of the album is certainly one that deserves the attention of any long-time fan, and will provide newcomers a great sampler introduction into the work of American Aquarium. Country rock isn’t anything new these days. But a bands such as American Aquarium that uses energy, clever writing and and an ability to play in a way that seems to force ears to keep listening will always be in demand.

There aren’t many voices out there that are fair or worthy companions to the singular, sultry and smokey groan of Lucinda Williams. The California-dwelling Walter Rose released Cast Your Stone last month, and while it’s a solid album to be sure, it’s tough to deny the magic this song has. Want proof of said magic? As the hypnotic song nears its end, watch your finger veer ever closer to your repeat button, or to your mouse in order to click “play” again. It’s magic, don’t fight it. let it do what it does.

As great as the grit of Williams and the rasp of Rose’s vocals are together, the aforementioned hypnotic nature of the tune may be most attributed to the resplendent steel work of Eric Heywood, an accomplished vet in his own right.

OK, OK, enough chit-chat, I know. Let’s just get to it, right? well, get to clicking below and let the magic happen.

Craig Finn has always had a reputation as an accomplished lyricist. In fact, he is as much of a poet as he is a Rock and Roll musician. His lyrics invoke an emotional connection that is evident as the crowd sings along at Hold Steady gigs. After all, this is the man who weaved the suicide of John Berryman into “Stuck Between Stations”. Not surprisingly, Clear Heart Full Eyes brings Finn’s poetic distinction to the forefront.

To be sure, the front man for Hold Steady has not forgotten the importance of the music. For this project, it tends to be more mellow and introspective, but is powerful none the less. My friend David, who has a daughter that is a budding musician at 13, recently made the point that musicians are sometimes far too serious and afraid to make people laugh. In fact, humor is a quality he is trying to encourage in the music of his daughter (Katie Deter). Humor has certainly never eluded Finn, as shown by the song, “New Friend Jesus”. He also invokes religious imagery often on Clear Heart Full Eyes. Consider this verse from “No Future”:

“I’ve been reading about the Calvary. The crucifixion still gets to me. I guess Golgotham meets the mount of execution. The best advice I got comes from ‘ol John Rotten. He said ‘God save the queen’ no future for you , no future for me”.

Finn is a modern day creative genius, and, Clear Heart Full Eyes is the perfect conduit to display his prodigious creativity.

 1) Roger Waters: I got a chance to see The Wall at the HP Pavilion in San Jose.  Holy cow.  As far as I’m concerned, when you look up the word “spectacle” now it should have a video of this show.  There was the light show that would have been technically impossible back in the 80′s. The 30 foot inflatable nightmare figures (plus the anatomically correct Pig balloon).  The Wall itself.  The explosion at the end.  Even the intermission was a multimedia show with snippets of stories from oh so many fallen soldiers.  It was over-the-top sights and sounds that still managed to have a social conscious.  It’s coming to outdoor arenas this summer–I don’t know if that will ruin the experience or just raise it to a new level, but worth the heart-stopping price of admission to find out.

2) Neko Case: Doing a show at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, CA, Neko showed that even in a not-particularly-intimate setting a really good performer just draws the audience in.  In addition to the standard fare about why she wrote some of the songs she was also telling anecdotes about the drive to the venue and what they had been doing the day before.  It was like a fabulous performance by a rock star done in your living room for just you and your friends.

 3) The Band Of Heathens: On tour for their latest release, the Band came through Santa Cruz to play at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center.  As usual, the boys from Austin know how to give a live performance.  Lots of their own tunes, sometimes similar to how they sound on the album and sometimes not, along with a sprinkling of covers.  On this night those included Rod Stewart, the Grateful Dead, and Gram Parsons.  Not to mention more cowbell on Medicine Man.

4) Terri Hendrix: Closing the Old Settler’s Music Festival at the Campground, Terri put on a performance that was pure festivarian joy.  She played old songs and new songs and even made up an Old Settler’s rap.  Every outward appearance was that this was the most fun she’d ever had in her life and it was infectious.  The crowd ate it up and it was the perfect end to a music-filled weekend.

5) The Gourds: Also at Old Settler’s, Kevin Russell and his band of merry men closed out Saturday night with a set that had the audience worked into a frenzy.  The stage MC tried to bring the show to a close at curfew time and the band was having none of it.  Sometimes too much is just enough.

So there you have it: my top 5 live sets of the year.  I obviously just get to see a fraction of bands on tour, so please add your favorites to the comments so Twangville readers know who to look out for in their local this year.

 1) R.E.M. – Collapse Into Now

 2) Old Californio – Sundrunk Angels: I keep coming back and listening to this album.  It’s rock ‘n’ roll, and twangy, and a little bit funky.  There are slide guitars and harmonicas, ballads and ditties.  It’s a veritable jambalaya of Americana music.

 3) Suzanna Choffel – Steady Eye Shaky Bow: Choffel, a guitarist as well as singer, manages to put a very jazzy spin on some tunes that are otherwise more country and pop, all while maintaining an Austin sensibility to the production.  Normally when someone says music is hard to classify it’s because the music is all over the map.  In this case, the songs are in a consistently similar vein, albeit not something you hear very often.  Undoubtedly the best Americana album of the year to play for someone who says they don’t like country and twangy.

 4) Gillian Welch – The Harrow & the Harvest: I was a little bit meh about this record when I first heard it.  But it’s grown steadily on me since it came out.  I think what I like most is that it’s so different from just about anything else I heard all year, and yet it’s still so essentially Gillian.  If you just listened to this once or twice and then put it away, go back and listen again 6 months later.  You’ll see.

5) Sons of Fathers – Sons of Fathers: And speaking of great harmonies in the vein of Welch & Rawlings, check out the debut release of David Beck and Paul Cauthen, otherwise known as Sons of Fathers.  These guys have a crack set of musicians behind them and give a vocal performance that is mesmerizing.

6) Milk Drive – Road From Home: Sometimes there’s no substitute for the ability to shred.  Milk Drive consists of members who collectively have probably won more picking awards than any band in existence.  They’ve put a jazz spin on a bluegrass sound and are seriously pushing the envelope of how sophisticated Americana music can sound.  Not to mention that instrumental virtuosity.

7) The Bottle Rockets – Not So Loud: An Acoustic Evening: Just as the unplugged MTV performance by Pearl Jam defined the very plugged-in sound that was grunge, this acoustic performance by a normally loud band shows why they’ve been so successful.  With all the amplifiers stripped out, the songs are still well written and well performed and stand the test of time.

8 The Decemberists – The King Is Dead: Lots has been written about the early 2011 release by one of the darlings of the indie crowd.  For me, this album showed how wide ranging they can be with its twangy influence that simply presents Colin Meloy and his mates in a new light that’s an easy extension to their previous catalog.

9) Dave Alvin – Eleven Eleven: No real surprises here, it’s another solid effort from Alvin who proves that, first, he can without fail drum up a supporting ensemble that’s so incredibly tight you’d swear they’ve played together for years.  And second, he keeps writing songs that convey such a sense of time and place that you’re transported with him to the moment in time so carefully documented in the lyrics.

10) Sarah Jarosz – Follow Me Down: Jarosz’ vocals have gained strength and capability on her second release.  Combine that with mandolin (and other strings) chops that may be the best in Texas even though she’s barely old enough to vote and you have a winner.  She just gets better every time you see her.

11) The Band Of Heathens – Top Hat Crown & the Clapmaster’s Son: I liked this album as a follow up to their two previously acclaimed efforts, but the real reason it’s in the years top was that it provides new material for them to perform live.  You have to catch them in a club to experience the full joy of TBOH.

12) Robert Earl Keen – Ready For Confetti: Another album that’s here because it’s just full of good songs.  Keen has his sound and his fans and no one’s going home disappointed from this.

13) Sinful Savage Tigers – The Last Night Of The Revels: A really solid effort from a group that’s bound to start gaining more notice.  They’re just too good and the tunes too catchy to fall into some regional bucket where they only play for the locals.

14) Great American Taxi – Paradise Lost: Sort of an Americana supergroup, Great American Taxi is a little retro and a little progressive and someone you need to go hear live.

15) Wilco – The Whole Love: The year off did these guys right.  There’s more excitement in this record than I’ve heard from Tweedy & company in a while.

16) Beirut – The Rip Tide: Another good release from one of the kings of the neo-Balkan indie sound.

17) Hayes Carll – KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories): Carll continues to craft a unique sound and there are some real keepers on this album.

18) The Gourds – Old Mad Joy: Kevin Russell and his band mates have pushed out the boundaries on what most people would consider “Gourds music”, which was a pleasant surprise.

19) Allison Krauss & Union Station – Paper Airplane: Krauss is back into her groove from the rock-royalty side projects and as much as I enjoyed those, this seems to capture her spirit better.

20) The Wailin’ Jennys – Bright Morning Stars: When it’s all about the vocals, you can’t do much better than the Jennys.  Another group I have to recommend seeing live.