2012 saw a slew of fantastic
releases. This is the first time in 16
years I've wimped out and had a shared #1 album of the year. Leyla Fences “Itty Bitty Twang
Twang” was my favourite album for the last half of the year, then Chris Wall
releases his first album in 10 years “El Western Motel” and rockets to the #1
spot. I could not possibly split them. Chris Wall - along with the 2 Toms (Russell & Pacheco) is the most literate song writer of out time - music like Chris Wall's
is the reason I have been presenting my radio show for the last 16 years. Leyla Fences has clever lyrics ,
memorable melodies, great playing and production - modern honky tonk classics
with a nod to the practical feminism of Loretta Lynn. Balance of my Top 10 ( in no particular order) Todd Fritsch - Up There In The Saddle Rodney Hayden - Atascosa Sand Mighty Lonesome Man - James Hand Small Town Kid - Jack Higginbotham Billy Don Burns - Nights When I Am Sober Tartan Cactus Heart - Charlie Roth Greg Tressell - The Hard Way Jesse Dayton - Jesse Sings Kinky Aaron Watson - Real Good Time It was a great year for music from groups: The Great Unknowns - S/T The Washers - Tired Eyes JP Harris & The Tough Choices - I'll Keep Calling Jason Arnold & The Sidesteppers - Crazy Things J.W.W. & The Prospectors - It's High Past Time And singer-songwriters: Nanci Griffith - Intersection Matt Harlan - Bow And Be Simple Walt Wilkins - Plenty Jimmy LaFave - Depending On The Distance Tommy Alverson was busy with 2 new releases - Pickin' On Willie and Texas One More Time as well as a re-release of Live At Ozona's. Lost gonzo Gary P. Nunn came up with one of his best albums One Way Or Another. We were treated to Waylon Jennings' "last album'" Goin' Down Rockin' and great live albums from Jerry Jeff Walker and Billy Joe Shaver. Bob Dylan's Tempest is his best since Street Legal. And Neil Young was back with Crazy Horse for two great 2012 albums - Americana and Psychedelic Pill. Twisted Road from the latter is one of his best songs ever ! The best Australian release of 2012 was Catherine Britt's Always Never Enough. Recorded in Jimmy LaFave's Cedar Creek Studio in Austin , she co-produced it with Kasey's dad, Bill Chambers who also plays guitar and mandolin on the album All the songs are originals with the exception of Guy Clark's She Ain't Goin' Nowhere on which the writer shares the vocals. Other guests on the album include the ubiquitous Lloyd Maines, Gurf Morlix, Ray Bonneville and Jimmy LaFave. Also Aussie indie music legend Tim Rogers (You Am I) sings with Catherine on one track. |
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Categories"El Western Motel"2RRR Across The Wide Ags Connolly Amanda Cevallos Ameripolitan Music Awards best of 2012 Best of 2014 Best of 2017 Billie Gant Billy Dee Brian Burns Cash O'Riley Charlie Roth Chris Wall Chuck Hawthorne Cosmic Cowboy Cafe Best of 2015 Craig Moreau Dale Waston Dale Watson & his Lonestars Dale Watson & Ray Benson Darci Carlson El Rancho Azul Emily Herring Eric Brace Glen Campbell Grapevine TX Heybale Johnny Bush Justin Trevino lists Lloyd Maines Malpass Brothers new releases New Years Eve 2013 Peter Cooper program director programming Red House Records Rick Shea Rodney Crowell Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts Sarah Gayle Meech Steve Earle & The Dukes Texas music The Back Porch Grill & Tavern The Daredevil Kid The Don Diego Trio The Reeves Brothers The Rizdales Thomm Jutz Tiger Airways Tom Pacheco Tom Russell Tom the Teacher (ret.) Best of 2015 Truckstop Troubadours Whitey Morgan & The 78s Zephaniah OHora |
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