Liner Notes

My best of CDs are in the mail-if you're on the list you got one. If you're not, well, you can live vicariously through this blog or use it as a template to rip and burn your own.

Here are the liner notes:

Listen Up
Sam's Best of 2005

"Tonight We Go to The Show" David Manchel

Manchel played Little League with my boyfriend back in the day. In 2005 his long awaited CD "Welcome Back to the Same Old Me" was released adding this title to my vernacular. Everytime I'm going to a concert if someone asks how I am you can bet I'll be saying "tonight we go to the show". Thanks David!

"Cindy, It Was Always You" Steve Wynn

Regular blog readers know about this one already. Seperate from my personal history with it, I really enjoy the song on its own merits. My one problem is that since I got this CD at the same time as the reissued "Born to Run" sometimes when I'm singing it under my breath I sing "Wendy" instead of "Cindy". Oops.

"Catch My Disease" Ben Lee

This year my store went to DMX for our overhead listening needs which drives me crazy on a near daily basis. But I did hear one or two songs that I might have not otherwise discovered, "Catch My Disease" being one. Its infectious (get it?) good humor, handclaps and toy piano (I am such a sucker for toy piano) made it my summer song of 2005.

"Back to Me" Kathleen Edwards

2005 brought the second record from this ballsy Canadian rocker chick and there was no sophomore slump. Her Chicago show I saw was great even if I did get overheated and have to sit down like an old lady. I love the Canadian "sorry" in this song.

"Road to Joy" Bright Eyes

Though Saddle Creek had been recommended to me thousands of times it wasn't until 2005 that I actually got into Bright Eyes. I wasn't consciously resisiting it was just one of those things. "I'm Wide Awake It's Morning" is a good CD though so I'll probably be back for more.

"Won't Be Home" (live) the Old 97s

This double live CD was total fun (if a bit muffley) and gives you a small idea of what a great band they are live.

"Let It Ride"
"If I am a Stranger"
Ryan Adams & the Cardinals

In 2005 Ryan finally did what he had been promising to do for some time-release 3 records in a year."Cold Roses" the spring release, was my favorite. It was like happy, warm, mellow Whiskeytown. Adams still wears his influences on his sleeve but sounds more like his own man.

"Off the Record" My Morning Jacket

I was a MMJ fan before I actually liked their music because they are Louisville boys but with "Z" I actually started to like their music too. They also get big gameness points for appearing in "Elizabethtown", the worst movie of the year, which I hated though being a KY girl would seem to have hardwired me to like it. They must have known it was going to suck when that flaming bird was flying at them during the "Freebird" memorial service scene but there they are sticking it out. Good for you guys.

"Pineola" (live) Lucinda Williams

This is my favorite Lucinda song and I think it must be one of hers too because she has done it at every show I ever attended. This version wasn't as good as when we saw at her at The Michigan on the same tour but it's an excellent reminder of that rare, ebullient night of music.

"We Can't Make it Here Anymore" James McMurtry

McMurtry's "Live in Aught Four", the record before this one, was so great it was probably enevitable that the next would suffer in comparison. And it did, a bit. "Memorial Day" seemed like a PG rated remake of his R rated "Choctaw Bingo" and none of the rockin songs rocked out enough but "We Can't Make it Here Anymore" is classic protest McMurtry so I include it here.
Hopefully, he'll come to Michigan in 2006.

"Breathe (2am)" Anna Nalick

I know this one doesn't fit in the flow but I think it's a great song with some lyrics that really stick ("I don't love him/winter just wasn't my season"). Also one of my favorite album titles of the year, "Wreck of a Day".

"Arms of a Woman" Amos Lee

Another DMX discovery, Lee has a warm quiet voice that he uses to excellent effect. His CD is a great after work one for when you just want to be quiet. Some might say he's the new Jeb Loy Nichols.

"Kentucky Woman" Sun Kil Moon

From the "Elizabethtown" EP soundtrack (the one only sold in indie record stores) called "Songs from the Brown Hotel". The movie sucked but the soundtracks are good (some points were given for using Ryan Adams' "Come Pick Me Up" and keeping the f bomb in.) This sounds like a missing track from Sun Kil Moon's "Ghosts from the Great Highway". I might have also used a song from their 2005 cover record of Modest Mouse songs but I didn't have a chance to get know it well enough.

"Star, Star" the Frames

My boyfriend's big musical discovery of 2005, the Frames are the biggest band in Ireland, at least since U2 went global. (This record isn't from 2005 that's just when I discovered it. )




I also want to mention Lucerno's "Nobody's Darlings" which was excellent ovelooked record from 2005 that I did not get to know well enough to include. I also would have included "Girl" by Rhett Miller from the Beatles tribute album, "This Bird Has Flown", but I didn't have a copy handy.

Happy Listening!