Sometimes, when I put my yearly Philby lists together, for some unknown reason, I always expect to see a similarity of songs or styles.
And each year, I personally, am impressed with the variety of music that ends up as Philby winners.
I never plan it that way. It just happens.
I only truly realize the scope of the music, until I start giving out the category awards. And, yes, a couple of them are silly because music should be fun! But here is another annual list with even more variety and artists than ever before! Each song getting recognition and worthy of the Philby Award for brilliant musical achievement!
1. What’s Your Story?—The Scott Martin Band (Play) [Song of the Year][Best Rock Song][Best Guitar Solo:David Roof][Best Production:Rooftop Recording]
2. Tell a Little Lie—The Detroit Secrets (The Detroit Secrets) [Best Pop/Rock Song][Best Pop/Rock Drums:Ralph Serafino] [Best Bass Line: Dee Kiraga]
3. Frankenstein—Deni Bonet (Bright Shiny Objects) [Best Instrumental] [Best Adaptation of an Original Work][Best Violin/Fiddle Song]
4. Grandpa Please Don’t Die—The Jesse Xavier Band (Detroit 2 Nashville) [Best Country Song]
5. Too Big To Fail—Ed Dupas (Tennesee Night) [Best Country/Rock Song]
6. Call My Name—The Dustbowl Revival (The Dustbowl Revival) [Best Funky Americana Jam Song]
7. Get Out (Live a Little, Love a Lot)—Phil Ayoub (Arrivals and Departures) [Best Life Advice Pop/Rock Song]
8. Gotta Have My Babies—John Latini (The Blues Just Make Me Feel Good) [Best Original Blues Song][Best Song About “Babies”]
9. KW—The Accidentals (Odyssey) [Best Funky Folk Song][Best Song About Initials]
10. I’ll Just Say It—Tosha Owens (Wrong Side of Right) [Best R&B Song] [Best Slow Jam][Best Female Vocal]
11. Which Side of Time Are You On?—The Liquid Scene (Revolutions) [Best Existential Question Song]
12. Shake Your Money Maker—Caleb Ford (A World Unknown) [Best Blues Cover Song][Best Slide Guitar]
13. Midnight Vespers—Birdsong at Morning (A Slight Departure) [Best Folk Song]
14. Hard Enough—The Downtown Mystics with Max Weinberg and Gary Tallent (Rock N Roll Romantic) [Best Supporting Cast on a Rock Song]
15. Girl From the North Country—Wendy Webb (Step Out of Line) [Best Pop Song][Best Female Pop Vocal][Best Female Jazz Vocal]
16. Wounded Bird—Ray Vaughn (Wounded Bird)
17. Cosmos—The Ragbirds (The Threshold and The Hearth) [Best World Song]
18. The Valley—The Whiskey Charmers (The Valley) [Best Americana Song]
19. Flowerin‘—Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers (Native Heart)
20. All of Us—The Rallies (Single) [Best Harmonies]
21. The Breach—ShwizZ (And Then There Were TrollZ) [Best Jazz/Prog/Rock Song]
22. Hurricane—Angela Perley and The Howlin’ Moons (Hey Kid!) [Best Female Rock Vocal]
23. This Little Apple—Annie and Rod Capps (Single) [Best Song Given Away For Free]
24. Separation—Eric Gnezda (Single) [Best Thought Provoking Song]
25. Ain’t Got No Time—Michael Snyder—Barker (Bark’s Wagon Tales)
26. Doomed From the Start—The Native Howl (Thrash Grass) [Best Emergency Preparedness Song]
27. In Like a Lion—American Housewife (In Like a Lion) [Best Song About March][Best Drum Fills: TJ Bates]
28. Twelve Songs—The Hangabouts (Kits and Cats and Saxon Wives) [Best Keyboards]
29. Last Time in Love—Love Axe and Andy Freeman (If It Feels Good, Do It:A Sloan Tribute) [Best Pop/Rock Duet]
30. Steak and Shake—Signal Flags (Steak and Shake) [Best Punk Rock Song][Best Song About Both Steaks AND Shakes][Best Rock Song w/o Bushel Britches]
31. It’s All Between Your Ears—Jemmi Hazeman and The Honeyriders (Kozmic Maze)[Best Psychedelic Song]
32. Wish You Well—The Garden of Soul (Forsaken) [Best Classic Rock Song]
33. Sunday Morning—Joanie Leeds and The Nightlights (Brooklyn Baby) [Best Sunday Morning Vocal][Best Kindie Vocal]
34. Bread and Roses—Windborne (Song on the Times) [Best Acapella Song][Best Historical Song Adaptation]
35. Hope Is Hard to Kill—Don Arbor (Single) [Best Optimistic Rock Song]
36. Advaita Shuffle—The Fratellis (In Your Own Sweet Time)
37. Poison Love—Alison Krauss with Jamey Johnson (Windy City) Best Country Duet]
38. Wonderful Home—Nora Jane Struthers and The Party Line (Champion)
39. Can’t Let Go—Billy Brandt and Sarana Verlin (Are You Listening?) [Best Song By a Duo]
40. Do Over—Animal Hours (Do Over)
41. Let It Go—Kate Jablonski (Running From Myself)
42. When Love Is a Game—Linda McRae with Ray Bonneville (Shadow Trails) [Best “Real Country” Duet]
43. The Lion and The Lamb—The Static Dial (Audio Nomad)
44. The Hammer—The Vegabonds (What We’re Made Of) [Best Rock Jam Song]
45. La La La La La—Michael on Fire (The Solstice Session/Tracks Along the Way) [Best Saxophone:David Reinstein]
46. Think of What You’ve Done—Sarah Borges and The Broken Singles (Radio Sweetheart)
47. Brighter Side—Scott Fab (Leave My Friends)
48. No Love Lost—Black Note Grafitti (Volume II: Without Nothing, I’m You)
49. As With All Things—John Barron (Moods) [Best Jazz Instrumental]
50. If We Dig Any Deeper, It Could Get Dangerous—Sarah McQuaid (If We Dig Any Deeper, It Could Get Dangerous)
51. Bad Habits—Best Behavior (Good Luck, Bad Karma)
52. Far From—Olivia Millerschin (Look Both Ways)
53. The Widow Maker—Kentucky Chrome (Bloodstains on My Hands) [Best Rockabilly Song][Best Rockabilly Instrumental]
54. Rita—Bill Edwards (Here Lately) [Best Wordplay]
55. We’ve All Failed and Won—Randy Cherkis (Single)
56. Humbucker—Katy Guillen and The Girls (Heavy Days) [Best Almost Two Minute Song]
57. The Boxer—The O’Reillys and The Paddyhats (Sign of the Fighter) [Best Irish Punk Made By Germans Song]
58. Broken Favorite Coffee Mug Blues—Mark Jewett (Tending the Fire) [Best Cheek Full of Coffee With a Tongue In It Song]
59. Don’t Stay With Me—The Claudettes (Dance Scandal at the Gymnasium) [Best Piano Hook]
60. Salmon Zone—Oginalii (The Grey Zone EP)
61. God Complex—Blood Red Shoes (Single)
62. These Are the Days—Calvin Becker (Histories of Things to Come)
63. I Need a Whole Lotta Lovin’—Thornetta Davis (Honest Woman)
64. Bang Bang—Sarah Jane Scouten (When the Bloom Falls From the Rose)
65. This Girl—Oak City Roots (Oak City Roots)
66. The Thing About Us—Judy Banker (Devil’s Never Cry)
67. Heartbeat Serenade—Common Union 59 (Heartbeat Serenade)
68. Better Than You—Drew Davis (Son of a Gun)
69. Carrie May, But I Refuse To—I Don’t Trust Robots (Let It Go!)
70. Ferry Nice—Joanie Leeds and The Nightlights (Brooklyn Baby)
71. Down the Moor/Pig Reels—Jo Philby (Saltwater and Stone) [Best Medley]
72. Sunshower—Katherine Moller (Storm Queen) [Best Canadian Fiddle Instrumental]
73. Girl With Lantern Eyes—Danny Schmidt (Owls)
74. Whatever’s Right—The Monkees (Good Times!)
75. Wild Roses—Ben Rogers (The Bloodred Yonder)
76. Standing at the End of the World—Have Gun, Will Travel (Fiction, Fact, or Folktale)
77. Close to You—Vandenberg’s MoonKings (MoonKings)
78. Come Back to You—Royal Wood (Ghost Light)
79. Why Did You Hoodoo Me?—Savoy Brown (Witchy Feelin’)
80. Evil Perfume—Dylan McDonald and The Avians (Fueled By Dreams of the Future)
81. I Don’t Like You—The Regrettes (Feel Your Feelings, Fool!)
82. Morning After Pill—George Stephen Kelly (The Power, The Glory, and The Monkey Time)
83. Watching the Wheels—Escaping Pavement (The Night Owl)
84. Jessica—The Wag (Continuum)
85. Flash—Telamor (Outside the Lines)
86. We Need Justice—Dan Hall (Michigan Music Resistance, Vol.1)
87. Breakdown—The Nick Moss Band (From the Root to the Fruit)
88. Dog Beers—Kevin Fisher (Beer Me) [Cleverest Country Song]
89. Higher—Ellison (I Love You)
90. Where A Rat’s Lips Have Touched—Phil Lee (So Long, It’s Been Good to Know You) [Best Overly Dramatic Celtic/Minstrel/Monty Pythonish/Country/Folk Song]
91. Picture This—Mike Stephens (Highway 101) [Best Lyrics][Best Arrangement]
92. Change for Chimps—Deane Nesbitt, Jr (Single) [Best Soundtrack Instrumental]
93. I Just Want to Make Love to You—George Bedard and The Kingpins (Triple Crown)
94. If You Want Me—David Roof (Set Yourself Free)
95. Your Last Memory—John Holk and The Sequins (Where You Going)
96. Walk Out—Gretchen’s Wheel (Altered Sweet: The Songs of Matthew Sweet)
97. 20 Days—Sigrid Christiansen (Little Vixen) [Best Story Song]
98. Sanctifyin’—Shawn Adam Williams (Single) [Best Male Vocal]
99. Fat City Jive—Jo Serrapere with John Devine and David Roof (Gotcha Covered: The Songs of Johnny Williams)
100. Love-In—Charley and Jessi (With Love)
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