I posted my list of favorite from the first half of 2019 back in July (here). Rather than replicate that list for my full year review, consider this a continuation — the best songs from the second half of the year.
Have You Seen My Girl, Todd May (from the self-released Let’s Go Get Lost)
A glorious blast of rock and roll cacophony.
Phantom Limb, Jason Hawk Harris (from the Bloodshot Records release Love & the Dark)
The centerpiece of Harris’ debut record is emotionally wrenching, both lyrically and musically.
Kind Days, John Calvin Abney (from the Black Mesa Records release Safe Passage)
Kind days are coming, warm nights and loving, may you be there always.
Bad days are leaving, no use in grieving, here come those kind days.
Warm Lightning, Matthew Ryan (from the self-released The Future Was Beautiful)
A somber and moving ballad – simply exquisite.
Hallways/Little Bit Lonely, Greg Klyma (from the self-released Oceans)
I couldn’t decide which of these two songs to include – some I’m sharing them both. Klyma mines 1970’s rock gold, propelled by electric guitars and soaring, harmony-drenched choruses.
Someday Somehow, Goodnight, Texas (from the Blanket the Homeless compilation)
I’ve got a picture on the dash
Of you, the dog, and Johnny Cash
I can’t explain it to you now
But I’ll be back someday, somehow
Wild as the Night, Fruition (from the self-released Wild as the Night)
A glorious piece of melancholy that surprises with a soothing, harmony-rich chorus.
Entitlement Crew, The Hold Steady (from the Frenchkiss Records release Thrashing Through the Passion)
Sure this was a 2018 single before appearing on the band’s 2019 album, but how can you not love a song fueled by piano, horns, and chugging electric guitars. Throw in some classic Craig Finn lyrics like “Tequila take off, Tecate landing” and you’ll sing along as you throw your fist into the air with rock abandon.
Here Comes Your Man, Session Americana (from the self-released Northeast)
Leave it to Boston’s Session Americana to breathe a refreshing and entertaining air into the Pixies’ classic.
Glass Bottles, Ottoman Turks (from the State Fair Records release Ottoman Turks)
Your new favorite drinking song, courtesy of Dallas-based Ottoman Turks…
I said, all my friends are glass bottles
And they’ve all got famous names
I know it may sound absurd
Since they can’t say a word
But they’re all my best friends just the same
Naturally Crazy, Ward Hayden and the Outliers (from the self-released Can’t Judge a Book)
Hayden and the Outliers may have built their reputation around country music but they sure do know their way around rock and roll.
Letters on the Marquee, Vincent Neil Emerson (from the La Honda Records release Fried Chicken and Evil Women)
The Fort Worth country trobadour scores with the all too true tale of life touring honky-tonks:
Well I’m playing for a fool in a barroom, stubborn as my dick,
He’s yelling, “Sing another David Allan Coe song!”, but I ain’t sang one yet.
Well I’m loading out, my line is drawn,
I’m headed home, watch me get gone
What Kind of Fool, Austin Plaine (from the Blaster Records release Stratford)
Just a glorious slice of acoustic-driven pop.
Redneck Friend, Jesse Dayton (from the Blue Elan Records release Mixtape Volume 1)
Jesse Dayton covering Jackson Browne’s “Redneck Friend”? Of course it’s gonna be good.
Dead Roses, Dalton Domino (from the Lightning Rod Records release Songs from the Exile)
Domino offers a harsh ode to a failed relationship, “Dead roses still have thorns, babe; and sometimes the light at the end of a tunnel is just a flame.”
About the author: Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night.