My Nine Favorite Americana Songs of 2013

 

 

So you know that I'm not really a writer.  Maybe I will start improving after a while but my blog is mostly about - I love this, listen! So here are the I love this - listen Americana songs from 2013.

 

 



The Lone Below - You Never Need Nobody

 

I know I can't see them all but I'm bummed that I missed them when they were in Dallas.  I think I will definitely try to catch them the next time they come around.  This is one of my favorite songs of the year.

 

 

 

The Head and the Heart "Josh McBride" my favorite from the new album that they did not play at their show to my eternal disappointment. 

 

 

Aoife O'Donovan "Glowing Heart"  Love the album.  Red and White and Blue and Gold was my summer song this year. 

 

 

Little Green Cars - Big Red Dragon

 

I couldn't decide which song to share because I love, love, love so many of their songs.  They were one of the best shows I saw this year.  I loved their opening.  I love that they invited the audience up on stage.  I just love this band.  Also listen to The Kitchen Floor, The John Wayne, Harper Lee, My Love Took Me Down to the River to Silence Me... listen to the whole album, people!

 

 

Dawes, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways.  Such wonderful lyrics and a LA band with a soul.  I caught a short set at KXT Summer Cut but would love to see a whole show.  This is "Most People" but the entire album is solid. 

 

 

Jason Isbell -  Traveling Alone - a treasure and one of the best albums of the year.  I know I'm repetitive but I love the albums of everyone I'm sharing with you.  I won't say it again.  Just know it.  

 

 

Fuel the Fire by Sarah Jarosz.  She is amazing!

 

 

Birds and Stars by Elephant Revival - One of the reasons I really want to go to the Old Settlers Festival next year.  I just thought I would throw that out there.  Of course, my friend was accused of being "mean" at their show.  Too funny.  Meanness at an Elephant Revival show - ridiculous!

I must, must, must see Steve Earle in 2014.  He is just too cool.  This is Love's Going to Blow my Way. 

Oh so many more that I love.  That's why I will never run out of things to post.  I love so many songs.  Have an awesome 2014 friends. 

The Head and The Heart at Southside Ballroom Dallas

Ach! Life is passing me by.  I saw The Head and the Heart on Friday night but kept waiting to write this up.  The best reviews are when it's super fresh.  This shall be my short and sweet concert review.

"Sounds Like Hallelujah" a song with interrupted cadence well more of change in tempo but awesomeness whatever you want to call it

The Head and the Heart is a folksy sounding band from Seattle.  I discovered them this past year and fell in love with the song "Lost in my Mind".  I think this is their most well known song and it was amazing live.  When I saw that they were coming to town, I immediately bought tickets.  It was a very young crowd and it sure seemed like a full house.  I have to put in my typical gripe about being too short for GA shows.  It really stinks not being able to see everything.  I guess the rule needs to be that I need to get to the venue early and claim a spot close to the stage.  I really think we should all line up like in grade school pictures with the short people in front and the tall people in back.  Then again I want to be with my tall man and we would be separated.  I guess that brilliant idea will not hold up. 

 

Lost in my Mind - amazing song from the first listen

The band opened with Shake, their first single from their new album which was recently released.  I think actually in November.  They followed with Homecoming Heroes which inspired a "fucking awesome batman" exclamation from my guy who really didn't know the Head and the Heart before we went to the show.  Their music can be unusual.  It doesn't always have the traditional verse chorus verse chorus structure.  I like any band that mixes it up and does things a little differently.  They also have some wonderful heartfelt lyrics.  The problem is that some of the slower, more mellow songs just aren't exciting live.  "Sounds like Hallelujah" was great live.  I don't think I heard Josh McBride which is my favorite song from the new album. 

 

Down in the Valley - I just love songs that build like this.

Here's a partial setlist.  I didn't get them all.

Shake
homecoming Heroes
Ghosts
10,000 Weight in Gold
Let's Be Still
Winter Song
Sounds like Hallelujah
Rivers and Roads
Honey Come Home
Down in the Valley

 The Shake

 

 

 

So The Head and the Heart is a band that I hope to hear much more from.  

 



Little Green Cars at Live Oak

Such an incredibly, awesome show.  I'm so glad I got to be there.  Their opening was the best opening I've seen this year.  Little Green Cars is a band from Dublin, Ireland.  They're described as Americana because they have a bit of a folk influenced sound.  I guess we could go with indie alt description too. 

This was the song that they played for the open.  The curtains open to an empty stage.  No screaming "Hello Fort Worth, We're Little Green Cars".  Just an empty stage.  The band members come out and stand at the front of the stage without their instruments and sing this beautiful song a capella.  Such beautiful harmonies.  It really was an awesome opening.  They then go straight into the second song and though I love their music I was afraid they were going to be one of those bands that takes themselves too seriously.  You know the bands that think they artistes and perform without comment or enthusiasm.  Luckily as the night progressed I realized that I was so wrong about that.  I had to laugh at the bass player who came out wearing a jacket and with his hair combed back then he had his pretty woman rock and roll makeover moment and lost the jacket and started rocking out with the hair in his face.  The guitarist lost his bow tie as the night went on too which was funny but not as impressive. 

They have some very moving, quiet songs but they also have some very upbeat, danceable songs too.  One of my favorites follows, Big Red Dragon.

I think the most moving song was The Kitchen Floor.  Faye is a powerful, powerful vocalist.

 

The penultimate song was their biggest song and the first song I heard by this band, The John Wayne. 

 

 

 

For the John Wayne they invited the audience members onstage with them.  How much fun was that and something that's never happened at another show.  Then for their encore they joined the audience off the stage in the middle of the venue and sang "The Consequences of Not Sleeping".   They were literally right beside me.  Such a great show and a great reason why you need to go see live music.  It is so much more of an experience to see a live performance than to listen to the music at home.  You get to see them, their enthusiasm, hear them talk and tell stories about the songs.  I always come away with a new appreciation of the music after seeing the band live. 

 

The following is my  best attempt at a set list.  I didn't actually keep it at the show but tried to remember the next day which is never as good but it will have to do.  I know I'm missing some songs on here. 

 

Red

Angel Owl

Harper Lee

Big Red Dragon

The Kitchen Floor

My Love Took Me Down to the River (to Silence Me)

The John Wayne

The Consequences of Not Sleeping

 

 

 

I also wanted to add that the opening band The Days out of Denton did a good job.  They have a unique, retro sound.  I really enjoyed their show and hope they continue to grow.  Also a note that I love the venue of the Live Oak in Fort Worth.  I love to see a band in a small venue and it's even better when they get a decent turn out.  This was their first performance in Fort Worth and I hope they come back.  If you get a chance to see them, absolutely do it.  

 

Kim Richey - Thorn in my Heart

Kim Richey is a new singer songwriter to me but it turns out she's been writing songs that I've been hearing and singing along to for years.  She's an Ohio native like me which of course makes me like her even more.  This is the title track from her new album - Thorn in my Heart.

 

I'll carry the weight of the world for you
No matter how far you ask me too.
I fighting a battle with the undertow
It's hard to hold your hand when you're letting go.

Hello, My Old Heart aka my current favorite song

The Oh Hello's are a brother and sister from San Marcos, Texas making beautiful folk rock music.  This song is my current favorite.  I just heard it for the first time on KXT the other day but it's from their 2011 self titled album.

Hello my old heart
It's been so long since I've given you away
And every day I add another stone to the walls I've built around you to keep you safe

Milk Carton Kids - The Ash and the Clay

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Love, love, love!!!

Five for Friday

I'm sharing five of my favorite songs.  Today I'm leaning towards folk/roots/Americana.  I hate trying to classify music.  I never feel like I quite get it right.  I like to classify music as music I love and not so much, two simple categories. 

 

 

 

 

First up Delta Spirit, People C'mon.  The first Delta Spirit song I heard and still my favorite.  I love the lyrics, the piano.  So I missed them at HOB and I'm going to miss them at the FW Music Festival but this is on my list of bands to see. 

 

 



 

This is Amazing Eyes by Good Old War.  I could listen to this song one hundred times in a row and not get tired of it.  Favorite lyric "I'm a little bit broken, you're a little bit broken but when we get togther my or my"  or maybe just the theme of  "I know I never meant no harm to anyone, I know I never meant no harm at all". 

 

 

Brandi Carlile - That Wasn't Me with Kris Kristopherson in the video.  I don't know if he had anything to do with her song or if he was only in the video.  Bear Creek was one of my favorite albums of 2012. 

 

 

The Head and the Heart - Lost in My Mind.  An amazing band out of Seattle.  I dig them. 

 

 

Last one, Emmy Lou by First Aid Kit some Swedish, female awesomeness. 

The beginning...

Does the world need another music blog? I don't know.  I just love my music so much and want to share it with the world.  I love all kinds of music and not just the mainstream I heard it on the radio music.  There are some great songs played on the radio but so much fabulous music that never gets airplay.  That's what makes the internet so fabulous.  You can discover wonderful songs and artists that you would never hear on the radio and might never have heard at all preinternet. 

I hear an amazing song and I want everyone to love it with me.  I am not a musician but an avid appreciator of all things musical.  I find music to be the greatest mood changing substance in the world.  It can give you hope when you're feeling hopeless.  It can make you run one more lap.  It can even make cleaning the house bearable when you are singing along with your favorite songs.  And there's no hangover after listening to your favorite song.  There are no calories in a fabulous playlist. Music doesn't hurt you or anyone else. 

I don't claim to be some knowedgeable critc.  I just like what I like and want to share it and hopefully find some like minded people along the way.  My music is indie, alternative, folk roots, texas country, classic country, motown, singer songwriter, guitar rock, happy songs.  My favorite bands are Guster, The Avett Brothers, BRMC, The Shins, Kopecky  Family Band, Noah and the Whale, Good Old War, The Head and the Heart and Fleet Foxes.  I love Beck, Jack White, Jason Mraz, Xavier Rudd, Michael Franti.  I need to represent some females; Neko Case, Tift Merritt, Kathleen Edwards, Brandi Carlisle and Ingrid Michaelson are all favorites. Okay there are dozens more but I will be sharing them all here.