One of the best vocals on any song this year is on Jillian Rae’s “Helpless” from her “Heartbeat” album. Here, she demonstrates that it wasn’t studio trickery that produced 0n an all out rocker:
“Birth of Joy” put out a phenomenal album called “Prisoner.” This band from The Netherlands turned the volume knob way past “11” on this one–at least to “15,” on Rock & Roll Show!”
Turning to the quieter side of this year’s countdown, Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys turn in their usual heartfelt performance on May Erlewine’s song, “The River Jordan.” The album is featured on the Michigan band’s EP, “Here Between.” I will never grow tired of them or this song!:
I always thought Deborah Allen looked pretty cute and hot in this sexy little Christmas song, “Rockin’ Little Christmas!” Still sounds pretty good and the sax solo is still pretty cool!:
“Chiron Beta Prime” by Jonathan Coulton is still a favorite around the Maq household. The video and music still makes me laugh!:
Joe Bonamassa has a new charity Christmas song and video this year, “Lonesome Christmas.” If you download it for free, Joe will contribute on your behalf to his favorite charity. Sounds like a great deal to me!:
Ok. I like to keep things upbeat and positive, but be forewarned that the next video, may not be what you’re used to seeing here. But it is impressive. Not since “Willie” by Nora Jane Struthers earlier in the year, have I picked such a dramatic video. I’m not quite sure I’ve figured it out, but don’t worry about that. Pay attention to the tight rocking grooves of The Honeyrunners on their song “Under Control!”:
Up next is more rock and soul from a band that were living examples of the term. Eric Burdon & The Animals put out this hypnotic track about the “Godfather” of all rock festivals: “Monterey.”[Greatest Song Ever Recorded] I don’t know that Eric Burdon ever looked better than he does in this video. Excellent video effects from the CBC show “Let’s Go!” Way ahead of its time!:
Another band that was pretty good at the rock and soul thing, (even though we don’t normally think of them that way, but they do have that R&B influence) have been celebrating a year long “observance” of “Beatlemania.” Well, at least, I have! Here’s a clip of The Beatles [Hall of Fame] doing one of my favorite songs at the time, “Tell Me Why.” {Greatest Song Ever Recorded] [Greatest Video] I particularly like the way the camera pans around the band and the viewer ends up pretty much in Ringo Starr’s (Newly elected to the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!” Congratulations, Richie!) drum seat. It’s like you get a chance to play along with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison! I love that shot! (Sorry for the abrupt ending on the video. It’s the best I could find.)
If you like what you see, don’t forget to “like” my Facebook page!
Well, folks, here it is. The moment you’ve all been waiting for! I’ve listened to a ton of great music this year and took great pains to pick my favorites. Not only are they ranked, but they are the best album in their category. I’ve expanded my categories – and my list – this year to 50 with one honorable mention. Hope you find something you enjoy. Let me know your thoughts!
Best Albums of 2014
Dime—Jan King and Medicine Ball (BEST ALBUM)
Particles—A Science Experiment (BEST POP ALBUM)
Shotgun Wedding—Rosewater (BEST AMERICANA ALBUM)
The Time Is Now—Billy Brandt & The Sugaree’s (BEST FOLK/ROCK ALBUM)
Lucky—Suzy Bogguss (BEST REAL COUNTRY ALBUM)
Good Egg!—Joanie Leeds and The Nightlights (BEST ALL GENRE ALBUM)
Heartbeat—Jillian Rae (BEST COUNTRY/ROCK ALBUM)
Maxwell’s Cool Demon—Gladshot (BEST ROCK EP)
Crazy Blues—Mick Clarke (BEST BLUES ALBUM)
Animals—Bend Sinister (BEST ROCK ALBUM)
Prisoner—Birth of Joy (BEST JAM ALBUM)
Mac Abbe’ et Le Zombie Orchestra—Mac Abbe’ et Le Zombie Orchestra (BEST FOREIGN ALBUM)
Atlas—Real Estate (BEST INDIE ROCK ALBUM)
Hypnotic Eye—Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (BEST “OLD GUARD” ROCK ALBUM)
I’m starting a new list. Over time, my listening habits have changed and at the moment I usually listen to albums completely through. I haven’t done that in years, but it’s actually very rewarding—particularly when the album is good. Every album that will be on this list will fit that category. It may also give some insight as to what I might be playing in the near future on my radio show, “Theme Attic.” Once again, it’s another peak into my listening habits—which is a goal of mine. If you want to know where I’m heading or what I think about some new music, you will find it here.
I’m going to leave this particular intro at the beginning of this list up for awhile because my first few listings will be unfair to some of the albums on my list. Many of the albums on here would have had a pretty good run at the top for a good part of the year, but they are still on my mp3 player because they are far better than almost anything out there. I honestly don’t expect there to be much volatility on this list because these albums are what I have been basing many of the sets on my show.
Once again, there will be no boundaries. I will go wherever my musical muse takes me.
1. EP II—The Honeyrunners
2. Lucky—Suzy Bogguss [Hall of Fame]
3. Dime—Jan King and Medicine Ball
4. Particles—A Science Experiment
5. Good Egg!—Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights
6. Hypnotic Eye—Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
7. Bad Self Portraits—Lake Street Dive
8. Don’t Waste Your Life—The Tripping Souls
9. The Time Is Now—Billy Brandt & The Sugaree’s
10. New Roots Exchange, Vol.1—Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys, and Red Tail Ring
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This will be a weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best songs that I listened to the previous week. Most songs will be current, but there are no boundaries. I’ve already stated on this web site that I am obsessed with music. I am constantly hunting it down whether it’s online, on CD, from my personal collection, from a library (Yes, I think the library is a great source of music–especially for music that you aren’t sure about.), TV, or radio. Since most of these sources mostly emphasize new music, the odds are pretty good that most of the songs on this list will be new. But in my search, I don’t use any boundaries for the other sources. I am just looking for good music that I haven’t heard, or happened to forget about. Everyone, including myself, has forgotten way more great music than they can ever remember-even if they are also music fanatics.
Also, there will be no rules concerning songs on this list. A song can show up or drop off a number of times. This will be the most volatile of my lists. It all depends on how much music I am exposed to during the week and what I find interesting. On really obscure stuff, I will try to include the source, if I know it.
1. The River Jordan—Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys
2. Free to Be…You and Me—Jason Didner & The Jungle Gym Jam with Suzi Shelton
3. I Always Get Lucky With You—Suzy Bogguss [Hall of Fame]
4. Bones—The Honeyrunners
5. Call to the Moon—Feather–Bright
6. Fault Lines—Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
7. Talkin’ ‘Bout Love—Rosewater
8. Pretty White Pantsuit—The Dives
9. Blue Baby Blue—Billy Brandt and The Sugaree’s
10.Hold Me—The Honeyrunners
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This will be a weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best videos currently available on TV. I don’t, as a rule, go searching for old music videos, so that’s why it will focus mostly on current or recent videos. For this category, I am also going to include any live performances on talk or variety shows that I see during the week.
Top 10 Videos and Performances for the Week of December 14, 2014
1. Blank Space—Taylor Swift
2. Girl in a Country Song—Maddie & Tae
3. Uptown Funk—Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars
4. Call to the Moon—Feather-Bright
5. Sorry I Stole Your Man—Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas
6. It Can’t Be Simple—Secret Colours
7. Use Me Up—Lake Street Dive, Live at The Albino Skunk Festival
8. Day Drinking—Little Big Town
9. Nacho Daddy—Joe King Carrasco Y El Molino
10. Trumpets—Jason Derulo
I’m starting a new list. Over time, my listening habits have changed and at the moment I usually listen to albums completely through. I haven’t done that in years, but it’s actually very rewarding—particularly when the album is good. Every album that will be on this list will fit that category. It may also give some insight as to what I might be playing in the near future on my radio show, “Theme Attic.” Once again, it’s another peak into my listening habits—which is a goal of mine. If you want to know where I’m heading or what I think about some new music, you will find it here.
I’m going to leave this particular intro at the beginning of this list up for awhile because my first few listings will be unfair to some of the albums on my list. Many of the albums on here would have had a pretty good run at the top for a good part of the year, but they are still on my mp3 player because they are far better than almost anything out there. I honestly don’t expect there to be much volatility on this list because these albums are what I have been basing many of the sets on my show.
Once again, there will be no boundaries. I will go wherever my musical muse takes me.
1. Lucky—Suzy Bogguss [Hall of Fame]
2. Dime—Jan King and Medicine Ball
3. Particles—A Science Experiment
4. Good Egg!—Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights
5. The Time Is Now—Billy Brandt & The Sugaree’s
6. Hypnotic Eye—Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
7. Don’t Waste Your Life—The Tripping Souls
8. Bad Self Portraits—Lake Street Dive
9. New Roots Exchange, Vol.1—Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys, and Red Tail Ring
10.EP II—The Honeyrunners
QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
This will be a weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best songs that I listened to the previous week. Most songs will be current, but there are no boundaries. I’ve already stated on this web site that I am obsessed with music. I am constantly hunting it down whether it’s online, on CD, from my personal collection, from a library (Yes, I think the library is a great source of music–especially for music that you aren’t sure about.), TV, or radio. Since most of these sources mostly emphasize new music, the odds are pretty good that most of the songs on this list will be new. But in my search, I don’t use any boundaries for the other sources. I am just looking for good music that I haven’t heard, or happened to forget about. Everyone, including myself, has forgotten way more great music than they can ever remember-even if they are also music fanatics.
Also, there will be no rules concerning songs on this list. A song can show up or drop off a number of times. This will be the most volatile of my lists. It all depends on how much music I am exposed to during the week and what I find interesting. On really obscure stuff, I will try to include the source, if I know it.
1. I Always Get Lucky With You—Suzy Bogguss [Hall of Fame]
2. Free to Be…You and Me—Jason Didner & The Jungle Gym Jam with Suzi Shelton
3. Blue Baby Blue—Billy Brandt and The Sugaree’s
4. The River Jordan—Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys
5. Call to the Moon—Feather–Bright
6. Fault Lines—Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
7. Bones—The Honeyrunners
8. Talkin’ ‘Bout Love—Rosewater
9. Pretty White Pantsuit—The Dives
10.Hipster in the Making—Joanie Leeds and The Nightlights
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Joe King Carrasco has been making all kinds of music for the last forty years, but he’s best known for his “feel good” tunes. “Nacho Daddy” from his latest album “Rucca” is a perfect example!:
Here’s another song, “Use Me Up,” by Lake Street Dive off of their terrific “Bad Self Portraits” album! This live video highlights the band using their great individual talents to perform as a really tight team!:
Secret Colours really likes to drive home their retro roots sound. They go over the top on this curiosity video piece, “It Can’t Be Simple,” from their highly contagious “Positive Distraction” album!:
