My Five Favorite Albums of 2014

I love new years.  It's a great time to reflect on where you are and where you want to be and know that you can change things.  2014 was a wonder year for me mainly because I married my loml.  We're ringing in the New Year at Gas Monkey Live in Dallas with the Wild Feathers.  They are one of my favorite band discoveries this year.  I discovered them on KXT and got to see them at KXT Summercut.  They were the best of the show by far.  Here's a look at my other favorites of 2014. 

Five Favorite albums of 2014

Small Town Heroes by Hooray for the Riff Raff.  My favorite tracks are Body Electric, Small Town Heroes and End of the Line  I am going to see her on April 1 at Club Dada and I can't wait.

Sturgill Simpson's Metamodern Sounds in Country Music.  I already loved Sturgill but this album changed that love to devotion.  I'm still kicking myself for missing his show in Dallas because I waited too long to buy tickets but I am remedying that by seeing him with Jason Isbell in a few short weeks.  My favorite tracks are Turtles All the Way Down, Long White Line and Life of Sin.  He voice is reminiscent of Waylon but he is much more than a nostalgia, copycat act.  He is the real deal and what they should be playing on country radio.

They Want My Soul by Spoon - An awesome album from an awesome Texas band.  Favorite Songs - Do You, Inside Out and Rent I Pay.

I Never Learn by Lykke Li is one of my absolute favorites.  I love everything about her except that I'm not sure how to say her name.  Likey? Licky? My favorite songs are No Rest for the Wicked, Just Like a Dream, Gunshot and Love Me Like I'm not Made of Stone.   Another artist that makes me so thankful that I live in the age internet and can find awesome music that they don't play on the radio. 

Beck's Morning Phase is such a dreamy album.  It's not funky, white boy Beck.  It's a put your headphones on and lay back and relax album.  I feel like it is Sea Change Two.  My favorite songs are Heart is a Drum, Blue Moon and Morning.

Amy's Country Music Awards - Best Male Artist

 

 

Oh the sadness of the current male artists being played on country radio.  We've even coined a term, Bro Music to describe the truck driving, beer drinking, lady chasing songs that we can't get away from on the radio.  There are still wonderful performers who write heartfelt, meaningful country songs.  This post is for them.  They might not be nominated for awards or played on the radio yet but I have faith that someday soon we will make a return to true country music.  These are my nominations for best male country artists.

 

 



 

 

Sturgill Simpson is amazing.  This is the title track of his most recent album, Turtles All the Way Down.  Why oh why is country radio not eating this man up?  He is amazing.  I really can't wrap my brain around the fact that I've never heard one of his songs on the radio. 

 

 



 

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Jason Isbell isn't easily put in a box.  Is this country? Americana?  I'm not sure but what I do know is that it's wonderful and I can happily report that I have heard his songs played on 95.9 the Ranch.  This song is Traveling Alone.

 

 

 

I sometimes forget that people all over the country don't get to hear the wonderful Texas music we hear here.  I'm not stingy and I'll share our wonderful artists with everyone.  Hayes Carll deserves so much more love and recognition than he gets.  This is a duet, Another Like you. 

 



 

 

Another Texas treasure is the awesome Zane Williams.  It was hard to pick which song to share but A Little Too Late is one of my favorites. 

 

 



 

 

My final nominee is Brian Wright with Striking Matches.