Best of 2009

It's the end of the decade, or is it? I am so confused about this one. Personally I don't really care and I can't begin to put together that kind of list, but 2009 was a pretty good year for music, at least for me. So here goes the 'ol Best of 2009 in no real order with the exception of my overall favorite. Drum roll please...

Best of the Year: Levon Helm - Electric Dirt
Dirt Farmer was good. It was great to hear him again but this one is even better. From the joyous romp through Tennessee Jed (my 15 year old is walking around singing it now) right on through this is an amazing album. Easily the best "Band" album since Stagefright. You want American, this is the real deal right here. No duds at all and Growing Trade is absolutely amazing. If you don't have it you need it. Now.

Really Great Stuff You May Not Have Heard
Otis Gibbs - Grandpa Walked a Picket Line
Michael Dean Damron - Father's Day
William Elliott Whitmore - Animals in the Dark
American Aquarium - Dances for the Lonely
Matt Schofield - Heads, Tails & Aces
Tommy Castro - Hard Believer
Ashley Cleveland - God Don't Never Change
Mike Farris - Shout! Live
Rufus Huf - Rufus Huf
Bloodkin - Baby, They Told Us He Would Rise Again
Deer Tick - Born on Flag Day

One You Probably Know
The Subdudes - Flower Petals
Sam Bush - Circles Around Me
Buddy & Julie Miller - Written In Chalk
Gov't Mule - By A Thread
Black Crowes - Before the Frost...Until the Freeze
Lucero - 1372 Overton Park

Kind of a Little Disappointed By
Ian Hunter - Man Overboard (but it is starting to finally win me over)
Bruce Springsteen - Working on a Dream (great tour but the worst album since Human Touch)
Willie Nile - House of a Thousand Guitars
Bob Dylan - Together Through Life

Best Live Shows
Bruce Springsteen at MSG (natch!) The River and E. Street Shuffle!
Steely Dan Internet Request Night
Railroad Earth
Allman Brothers with Clapton
The Cult playing Love

I really enjoyed the year in music and I want to thank all the blogs out there where I find out about these new artists. The music world is a much smaller place now and that is a good thing!

Great Music Blogs
Wild Safari (invite only)
Music Fog
Burning Wood
Twang Nation
Nightwatcher
and so many others. Thank you for your time and efforts!

Let's hope 2010 is another good one.

Savoy Brown - Boulton Center

Kim Simmonds brought a new version of Savoy Brown to the Boulton Center in Bayshore last night. Kim isn't singing every song anymore so that really opens him up to play and after all that is why we were all there in the first place. Still one of the great British Blues guitarists. My son keeps getting to see all these great players, I am so glad he digs it...

The new official Savoy Brown line-up therefore is as follows:

Kim Simmonds: Guitar/vocals
Joe Whiting: Vocals/Saxophone
Pat DeSalvo: Bass
Garnet Grimm: Drums

Railroad Earth - Music Hall of Williamsburg

Great night at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. First time seeing the Infamous Stringdusters and they did not disappoint. Railroad Earth just totally killed last night. From the get go they were very much "on" and there was a whole lot of dancing in the crowd. Railroad Earth is fast becoming one of my favorite live bands. Check 'em out.

Set 1:

Carrying Coal to Newcastle -->
Mighty River
Give That Boy a Hand
The Good Life
Bread and Water
The Forecast
Crossing the Gap
Water Fountain Quicksand

Set 2:

Happy Song
Elko
For Love
Been Down This Road
Like a Buddha
New Jam (SHJ)
Peace on Earth
Sing for Me

Encore:

Moonshiner

Perfect for your OldRockr this Christmas

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - The Live Anthology

Tom Petty finally gets the proper live album that he deserves (Pack Up the Plantation was only OK). You get the hits, the misses, the album tracks and a bunch of covers over 4 CD's with a list price of only $24.99 which is a bargain and a half. I've been playing it over and over in the car, it's just too much fun to listen to.

Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood - Live From Madison Square Garden
I got to see the third night of these dates back in 2008. It was every bit as good as I had hoped. Steve Winwood sounds like 40 years haven't passed since some of these songs were recorded and Clapton's playing is positively inspired throughout. This is worth it for Voodoo Child alone.

Both of these should be on my year end Top 10 but I usually don't include live albums. Great, great listens.

Subdudes - Boulton Center 12-3-09

I've been hearing how great the Subdudes are live for years but haven't gotten around to seeing them myself. I grabbed tickets for the Boulton Center show last Thursday a while back and then I dove into the new album "Flower Petals" which has become a favorite of mine this year.

I have to say they put on a great show. This tour is pretty much unplugged but it is not sedate in the least. The band was TIGHT. Great setlist that drew heavily from the last two albums. If i get the chance I would definitely see them again. In particular No Man, Poor Man's Paradise and Barley in the Silo were excellent.