Twenty-three is a pretty significant number. It was Michael Jordan’s number on the Bulls. Benjamin Harrison, one of the most remembered US presidents, was the 23rd to hold that office. And who can forget “The Number 23,” a 2007 film staring Jim Carrey that definitely exists. With such focus on 23 and all of its numerical glory it’s amazing any of us had time in 2023 to think about anything else. Luckily, your fearless WXNA DJs have come to the rescue once again with an amazing assortment of musical recommendations from the past year.
Category: Things We Like
Our Favorite Records of 2022
Look, I don’t want to jinx anything, but 2022 almost felt like a completely average period of time, with only basic levels of chaos and anxiety. Frankly, I’ll take it! As with prior years we asked our DJs to look back at the year and suggest some of their favorite records. The sounds and styles in their recommendations are as varied as the shows on WXNA. Perhaps a few of the records below will help you kick-start your listening for 2023.
Our Favorite Records of 2021
We have completed yet another trip around the sun. While there were certainly some patches of optimism (remember how great the early summer felt, pre-Delta?), 2021, like 2020 before it, was a tough one. Thankfully, the music helped get us across the finish line. There seemed to be a ton of new releases this past year, likely a byproduct of artists being home-bound for so much of 2020. We asked our DJs to recommend some of their favorites. The list below not only provides an excellent time-capsule for year, but also illustrates the wide variety of musical styles and genres played on WXNA.
Our Favorite Records of 2020
It used to be that the end of a year was a time to look back, to reminisce, to think fondly of days gone. But not this year! So long 2020! You were the worst. Please don’t come back. But with that said, time is amorphous and doesn’t like to be pigeon-holed. Just because those 365 days felt like an endless hangover (and not the good kind!), doesn’t mean that there were no sources of joy. In fact, it was a good year for music — which makes sense, because music is how many of us weather tough times. Below is a list of the best music as picked by the WXNA DJs. This is music they played, listened to and got them through a truly rough year. Luckily we can look ahead to 2021. I’m sorry, what’s that? Oh, 2021 is also a total mess? Ah, so it is. Well, we still have the music.
Our Favorite Records of 2019
The year is nearing its end. At WXNA we commemorate this occassion by asking our volunteer DJ army a simple question: what is your favorite record of the year? Then they answer that question, and we present the results here. Just as the prophecy foretold!
So have a look and check out some of these amazing recommendations. It’s an excellent way to kick-start the new year (after all, music is forever).
Presented for you in no particular order…
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Fontaines D.C., Dogrel DJ Ed, Eighties Schmeighties |
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Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster, Take Heart, Take Care Chad, Dustbin Days |
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Bill Callahan, Shepherd In A Sheepskin Vest DJ Trev, Our Golden Tones |
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North Mississippi Allstars, Up and Rolling Hound Dog Hoover, Goin’ Down South |
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Stray Cats, 40 Jammin’ James Riley, Rockabilly ‘n’ Blues Radio Hour |
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Orville Peck, Pony Erin Mock, Wishful Thinking |
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Jenny Lewis, On the Line Dave Brown, The Black Ark |
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The New Pornographers, In The Morse Code of Brake Lights DJ Hot Car, Hot Fudge Tuesdays |
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Hot Chip, A Bath Full of Ecstasy Grigsby, Set Records To Stun |
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Gauche, A People’s History of Gauche Anna Lundy, Untune the Sky |
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Ruth Garbus, Kleinmeister DJ LT, Shout, Sister, Shout! |
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Young Guv, GUV I & II Alexis, Free Association |
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The Highwomen, The Highwomen Laurel Creech, All About Nashville |
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Purple Mountains, Purple Mountains Brady Brock, Fidelity High |
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Ioanna Gika, Thalassa DJ Travis T, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead |
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Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? popGeezer, The English Breakfast |
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Guided By Voices, Zeppelin Over China Mello-D (aka Doyle Davis), Groovy Potential |
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The Chemical Brothers, No Geography DJ Rodge, Delicious Elixir |
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Brittany Howard, Jaime JMar, Transmission |
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Jazz Funk Soul, Life and Times Chris Nochowicz, The Future of Jazz |
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The Raconteurs, Help Us Stranger DJ Cajun Mitch, Sounds of the Bayou |
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Blood Incantation, Hidden History Of The Human Race DJAK, No Remorse |
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Frank LoCrasto, Lost Dispatch DJ rhatfink, Bedazzled Paradigm Jukebox |
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Elkhorn, Sun Cycle Mike Mannix, Psych Out! |
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Purple Mountains, Purple Mountains Mike Hester, Flying Lesson |
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Amyl and the Sniffers, Amyl and the Sniffers Laura Powers, Needles+Pins |
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Aldous Harding, Designer DJ Charlotte Rollerskates, The Maiden Voyager |
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Sharon Van Etten, Remind Me Tomorrow DJ Juan, International Echo |
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Nicholas Payton, Relaxin’ with Nick DJ Big Chief Chaz, Gilded Splinters |
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Quelle Chris, Guns BadN8, Coolin’ |
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Anderson .Paak, Ventura Jason Piffier |
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Carl Perkins, Discovering Carl Perkins – Eastview, Tennessee 1952-53 Randy, Hipbilly Jamboree Pick |
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The Muffs, No Holiday Randy, Randy’s Record Shop |
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Brittany Howard, Jaime R Reid, Holistic Revolution |
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Lingua Ignota, Caligula Adam Ebb |
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Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Ghosteen Michael Roark, Slings & Arrows |
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Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, Bandana Blackcircle, The Root |
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Temporary High, Nick Piunti Tommy Womack’s Happiness Hour |
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Icejjfish, The Gospel DJ Jonni Downer, The Unlistenable Hour |
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The Raconteurs, Help Us Stranger Heather Lose, Aging Hipster |
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Dry Cleaning, Boundary Road Snacks And Drinks / Sweet Princess Jay Millar, Plural of Vinyl |
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Sunn O))), Life Metal/Pyroclasts Josh Mock, Sad Songs for Happy People |
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Green Ribbons, Green Ribbons DJ Lauren, Different Every Time |
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Darrin Bradbury, Talking Dogs and Atom Bombs Double-Shot with Joe & Sue |
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Jenny Lewis, On The Line DJ Nexus, Musical Mysticism |
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Juleah, Desert Skies Michael, The Scatter Shot |
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Gene Clark, No Other Ashley, Set Records to Stun |
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Crumb, Jinx DJ TJ, Static Wall |
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Steve Gunn, The Unseen In Between DJ Susan, The Inconsiderate Mixtape |
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Kali Malone, The Sacrificial Code popcorn brain, Dreambeat |
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Robyn Hitchcock/Andy Partridge, Planet England Anne McCue, Songs On The Wire |
A WXNA Holiday EP
Here at WXNA we would be remiss if we let the season pass by without suggesting a few seasonal tunes to play while baking cookies or wrapping packages or fretting about the future of democracy decorating the tree. But let’s be honest, there is no shortage of holiday playlists to be found around this-here internet. That’s why this year, we’re focusing on a holiday EP. Leave them wanting more, that’s what we always say. Also, life is chaotic. Who has time to compile the top 15,000 holiday songs of all time? Not us!
You can listen to this playlist on Spotify by clicking on these words.
“What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?”
DJ Sue of Double Shot with Joe and Sue
This 1947 Frank Loesser-penned song was a favorite of my parents, when Mom was pregnant with me for New Year’s Eve that year. She played it every year for the holidays, and now, so do I. My parents loved music and would have been thrilled to know that I am part of WXNA.
“I Believe in Father Christmas” by Greg Lake
DJ Joe of Double Shot with Joe and Sue
When that came on MTV for the first time every year, I knew it was Christmas.
“River” by Joni Mitchell
DJ LT of Shout, Sister, Shout!
Not a real crate-diggin’ choice, but I can’t imagine a holiday season without this song in it, providing a respite from the expectations of joyfulness and jingling.
“Christmas At the Airport” by Nick Lowe
Rick Pecoraro, WXNA Contributor
A relatively new entry to the Christmas canon (2013), and one of the few songs that really get to the nut of holiday travel: that it can all fall into chaos at a moments notice. When I hear this song I’m usually reminded of Christmas 2005 when my flight from Newark to Omaha was cancelled. I ended up flying to Chicago and then in a hail mary attempt at forward progression rented the last available car and drove the remaining 8 hours to Nebraska. I hadn’t slept the night before, was exhausted and falling asleep behind the wheel. When I hit the Quad Cities I pulled off, and went into a Best Buy in an attempt to stay awake. I bought a copy of Pavement’s “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain” and Gwen Steffani’s first solo record. Anyway, this Nick Lowe song takes me back to that Christmas. To its credit I look back fondly.
“I Wish I Had More” by Andrew Bryant
DJ Chad Pelton, Dustbin Days
Andrew Bryant (formerly of the band Water Liars, and now a solo artist) has released singles around the holidays for the past few years (my count is at 5 on Bandcamp). This one should appeal to those that love the sadder side of things around the holidays, or maybe I shouldn’t say sad, but honest. It’s a reminder of those folks dealing with tough relationships, which the holidays have a way of amplifying, and although it’s a fairly brutal tale of a family amidst breakup, I find it uplifting, sincere, and quite heartfelt.
“Patti Smith for Xmas” by Kyle Hamlett Uno
“Merry Christmas From The Family” by Robert Earl Keen
DJ Houndog Hoover of Goin’ Down South
Funny, and gets all the details right!
WXNA Gives Thanks
This Thanksgiving, WXNA has so much to be grateful for. Last week was our Fall Pledge Drive, and thanks to YOU, we exceeded our goal of $30k! Because of your generous support, we’re keeping the home fires burning and the tunes spinning into the colder months. Here’s what we’ll be playing over the airwaves and in our homes tomorrow to celebrate the season (you can also listen along via Spotify)!
DJ Picks:
- “Thanksgiving Theme” by Vince Garauldi Trio (Sirena Bragg Wilson, Music For Grown-Ups)
- “I Thank You” by ZZ Top (Ken Rhodes, English Breakfast)
- Kirsty Macoll covering The Kinks’ “Days” (DJ Lauren, Different Every Time)
- “Thank You Friends” by Big Star (DJ Alexis, Free Association and DJ Candace, The Bright Side)
- “I’m So Thankful” by Reigning Sound (Michael Buhl, Scattershot)
- “Thanks A Lot” by Neko Case & Her Boyfriends (DJ Rhatfink, The Continental)
- “Thank You” by The Remains (Paul Glavin, Eargasm)
- “Kind and Generous” by Natalie Merchant (DJ Ed, Eighties Schmeighties)
- “Count Your Blessings” by Rosemary Clooney (Sirena Bragg Wilson, Music For Grown-Ups)
- “Give Thanks and Praises” by Bob Marley (Angie Lovins, WXNA alumni)
- “Thank You Too!” by My Morning Jacket (DJ LT, Shout, Sister, Shout!)
- “Thank You For…” by Bridget St John (DJ LT, Shout, Sister, Shout!)
- “Thank You- Live” by Fishmans (DJ Trev of Our Golden Tones)
WXNA at Southern Festival of Books!
Editor’s Note: We asked WXNA DJ Leslie to report back from this year’s Southern Festival of Books, and DJ Laura Powers provided some photos and videos below of our WXNA stage featuring some of our favorite local artists as well as a tribute to beloved late songwriter, David Berman. Check it out, and join us next year!
This year’s Southern Festival of Books did not disappoint, as it kept it’s visitors bound together downtown at the plaza and library for three cheery days with live music, good food, prolific authors, and a ton of books, eliciting many meaningful discussions. Highlights for me included author Ottessa Moshfegh (My Year of Rest and Relaxation) and, of course, Friday afternoon when WXNA hosted the Music Stage on Legislative Plaza.
Karina Daza kicked things off at the Music Stage on Friday afternoon with a mesmerizing set of Latin-influenced soul. Kyle Hamlett Uno followed with a set of beautifully poetic acoustic tunes, and WXNA’s own Anne McCue had us spellbound with her set of songs that blended the personal and the political. The day ended with a tribute to the dearly missed musician and poet David Berman that reminded us of the power that words and art have to create community.
– Leslie Hermsdorfer
Daniel Pujol reading the poem titled “Interregnum Strange” that he wrote for the David Berman tribute.
DJ Juanny Cash spinning records
Anne McCue Performs
What DJs Are Reading: Southern Festival of Books Edition
Southern Festival of Books is just around the corner, and we’re excited that we’ll be a part again this year! In celebration, we’ve polled our DJs about what they’re reading. Look below for all kinds of recs, ranging from musical to comic!
DJ: popGeezer
Show: The English Breakfast
What I’m Reading: Any DC Comic from Tom King or Brian Michael Bendis.
Still in the middle of Lincoln In the Bardo by George Sanders.
Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns documentary accompanying “Country Music” tome is waiting to move into the rotation.
But Flannery O’Connor’s The Complete Stories always stands at the ready for quick consumption at any time.
DJ: Chad Pelton
Show: Dustbin Days
What I’m Reading:
Karl Ove Knausgaard- My Struggle Book 6:
I am one of the many that got entangled in the minutiae of the daily life of Knausgaard, as he takes us through the sometimes cringeworthy growing pains of his life. And being one that likes to finish what I start, here I am lugging the 1200 page final tome of the series on my vacation with me. Good for the 8 hour flights.
Val Wilmer- As Serious As Your Life (Black Music and Free Jazz Revolution, 1957-1977):
Not only a great photographer, Val Wilmer is also an engaging storyteller, and this book is a great read for someone who, like me, is diving headlong into the world of free jazz with very little knowledge on the subject. My radio show focuses in the folk/country world, so it is refreshing to switch gears and hear about the achievements of the likes of Milford Graves, Albert Aylor, John Coltrane, and Cecil Taylor.
Jesse Graves & William Wright – Specter Mountain (poems):
Jesse is an old pal from Knoxville, and his latest volume of poetry is a team effort with fellow poet William Wright. Together they have created a book-length poetry collaboration rooted in the hills and valleys of the southeastern mountains. Praised by Robert Morgan, and weighing in at 67 pages, it is a delight to see what two differing voices combined together in a single, lengthy poetry cycle can evoke.
DJ: Michael Roark
Show: Slings & Arrows
What I’m Reading: You Can Say You Knew Me When by K. M. Soehnlein
This is the third book that I’ve read by Soehnlein. It’s the second he wrote of three. Together they make a kind of trilogy (though written out of order). He’s a gay author who deals with awakening sexuality in the late 1970s in suburban New Jersey and onward. This novel is what happens at the start of the new century in San Francisco, when it blew up with dot-coms and mass gentrification. It delves into homophobic self-destruction, pot smoking, and deep dark closets being opened by the death of a father. It’s about inheritance, financial and genetic. And one of the reasons I may be enjoying it is that it provides a grand tour of a San Francisco—a San Francisco at a crossroads, one that I visited several times during that period in the late 1990s and early twenty-first century.
DJ: LT
Show: Shout, Sister, Shout!
What I’m Reading: How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell, who seamlessly weaves a tapestry of interdisciplinary ideas into a cohesive book that encourages us to resist the attention economy without hiding from it. Pauline Oliveros’ theory of Deep Listening is explored alongside Buber’s I and Thou, Thomas Merton’s writings, birdwatching + bioregionalism, and more.
DJ: Laura Powers
Show: Needles+Pins
What I’m Reading: The Children by David Halberstam
The Children is former Tennessean reporter David Halberstam’s account of the Nashville Student Movement in the late 50s and early 60s. The Nashville Student Movement was responsible for ending racial segregation at downtown lunch counters and led the famous Freedom Riders who challenged segregation on public buses in the Deep South. At a time when Nashville is changing so much I feel it’s important to know our history. And it’s inspiring to read about young people who saw wrongs that needed to be made right and were brave enough to make it happen.
DJ: Trevor
Show: Our Golden Tones
What I’m Reading: Nate Chinen’s Playing Changes: Jazz for the New Century. Many wild and wonderful worlds are illuminated in this. It’s excitingly relevant. I’ve been hooked on its analysis of the various ways “traditional” and “free” jazz communities and practitioners have splintered in certain contexts, but also worked together in others. It’s as interesting of a cultural study as a musical one. It’s also like if Jacques Ranciere’s Aisthesis was a history of jazz. Wowee!!
DJ: DJ Karl
Show: Dizzy Spell
What I’m Reading: Sex and Rockets: The Occult World of Jack Parsons by J R L Carter – A fascinating exploration of the life and fiery death of Thelemic magician and rocket scientist Marvel “Jack” Parsons.
DJ: Anne McCue
Show: Songs On The Wire
What I’m Reading: If On A Winter’s Night A Traveller by Italo Calvino. I’m re-reading this wonderful book after many years. Calvino has a limitless imagination and comes up with many ‘novels’ within this post-modern creation/novel. It is a love story for and about readers and reading.
DJ: Alexis Stevens
Show: Free Association
What I’m Reading: Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh. I loved My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Moshfegh, so I wanted to go back and read her earlier work. Her books are great for anyone going through Fleabag withdrawals. And she’s coming to the Southern Festival of Books!
DJ: Sirena
Show: Music for Grownups
What I’m Reading: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Besser van der Kolk, M.D. This book outlines mind-body therapeutic practices being integrated into bio-medicine which I believe to be a promising approach to healthcare. Before that I read, Hearthmath Solutions by Doc Childre and Howard Martin. Both books support current research in neurofeedback methods to promote self-regulation as a means to address dis-ease. I just bought my book club selection for this month, Eva Luna: A Novel by Isabel Allende . I look forward to transitioning to some well written fiction!
DJ:Adam Ebb
Show: Body to Body
What I’m Reading: Soft Fruit In The Sun written by Oliver Zarandi. It’s a collection of short stories that explore doomed familial, romantic and sexual relationships through the lens of “body horror.” It’s a great debut thats funny, disgusting, and very relatable.
Photo Credit: Humanities Tennessee on Flickr
Top Four Randy Newman Albums (Excluding “Good Old Boys”)
Hi, I’m Josh Halper! I’m a guitarist born and raised here in Music City. I’m one of two hosts of WXNA’s “Hot Fudge Tuesdays” which airs every Saturday, from 2 to 4 p.m. We are the self-proclaimed “Randy Boys” on the WXNA lineup, so as a statement of my love for Mr. Newman, I’ve decided to make a list of my favorite Randy albums.
4. “Darkmatter” – Randy’s 2017 album serves as a Cliff’s Notes for the types of work you might find when digging through the songwriter’s expansive career. Songs such as “The Great Debate”, “Putin”, and “It’s a Jungle Out There (V2)” represent the scathing critiques of both governmental and societal hypocrisy that we, as Randy fanatics, have come to anticipate with a nervous reluctance. These songs ride the line of hilarious and cringeworthy, satisfying the listener’s appetite by the third or fourth listen. The rest of the album contains delicious historical vignettes (“Brothers” & “Sonny Boy”), heart-wrenching narrative, and seemingly autobiographical poetry (“Lost Without You, “She Chose Me”, “On the Beach”, and “Wandering Boy”). This is with a solid collection of songs that any Randy lover can be beyond pleased with.
3. “Little Criminals” – In terms of production, this album is a launching point for Randy Newman’s middle era, when he sometimes used distorted electric guitars and synthesizers instead of strings. Bringing in the Eagles as his backing band bridged the gap between crooner Randy and rocker Randy, giving his discography a nice dip into rock’s evil depths. The songwriting is just as whimsical as before, but something about the way the pieces are tracked makes them feel less silly and fun, even though the subject matter is relatively consistent with the rest of his work. His high energy songs see these changes, but the ballads remain pure and simple, creating a wonderful balance.
2. “Sail Away” – I consider this album to be the sister to “Good Old Boys”, which is a crowd favorite. A solid chunk of the cuts (“Sail Away”, “He Gives Us All His Love”, “Old Man”, “Dayton Ohio”, and “Burn On”) feel like they would fit right in with the following release. The string motion is in the same style, the instrumentation is almost identical, and the subject matter is just as romantic and somber. Thematically, the lyrics are geographically broader, outlining both critique and praise of the U.S. and the world, rather than focusing just on the South. Though this makes for an interesting trip around the globe, “Good Old Boys” reigns supreme in my ears. Something about a concept album…
1. “Randy Newman/Live” – This is my favorite Randy Newman Record (yes, over “Good Old Boys”). The record, which was originally released as a treat for Reprise’s fan club, feels like the most intimate and spontaneous thing ever put on tape. The image of Mr. Newman performing in a tiny club by himself, taking requests from and joking with the audience, makes it the most charming album of all. Songs like “Tickle Me”, “Mama Told Me Not to Come”, and “Lover’s Prayer” that are totally absurd (and almost creepy) become as cute as a shaved lamb in the solo setting. The solo performances of some of his heavier songs (“I’ll Be Home”, “So Long Dad”, and ”Living Without You”) are undeniably brutal. You can hear the audience’s awestruck silence as Newman spills his guts in song after song. This romance is immediately tossed aside when he jumps gracefully from “I Think It’s Going To Rain Today” into “Lover’s Prayer” proving that he is an incomparable writer and performer who both recognizes the weight of his work and does not take himself too seriously. This is a combination that I have yet to see elsewhere.
Josh Halper(DJ Sweetbaby)
Hot Fudge Tuesdays
Sundays 2-4 pm
