TnJ BEST of 2010

TOAST’s FAVORITE ALBUMS of 2010

10) WHITEWATER RAMBLE – All Night Drive

Like Leftover Salmon before them, this amp-up Colorado newgrass combo has invented their own genre: “High-Octane Rocky Mountain DanceGrass.” On “All Night Drive,” they gather a few guest stars to (presumably) up the “High-Octane” factor, but seem to have plenty of that on their own. The best first 6 songs in a row I’ve heard on a CD in years. Josh Clark (of Tea Leaf Green) adds a great electric guitar jam to track 11: “Riptide.” Not (repeat, NOT) for bluegrass purists!

09) BROKEN BELLS – Broken Bells

One of a spate of supergroups to come down the pipe in the last few years, and it doesn’t even have Jack White involved! Danger Mouse and James Mercer (from the Shins) have a very pleasant chemistry in the studio. I was particularly drawn to “Trap Doors,” “The High Road,” and “The Ghost Inside;” the latter also sports a spiffy lo-fi sci-fi music video starring Christina Hendricks. Broken Bells’ sound owes as much to 60s psychedelia as to any of the contributor’s previous projects.

08) LUBRIPHONIC – The Gig Is On

Funkified with essential grooves and melodies, this Chicago sextet (though their publicity photos would lead me to think septet) continues to revive 70s-style proto-funk and R&B with flair. Guest keyboardist Ivan Neville, while not unwelcome in these proceedings, hardly seems necessary. Especially impressive are 3 tracks buried deep on the play list: “The Chicken Is Worth More Alive than Dead,” “The Getaway,” and the searing title track, “The Gig Is On.” All are a call to booty-shaking action, and threaten to derail themselves with breakneck pacing, but hold together miraculously.

07) MOKSHA – Mammal or Machine

Great, possibly un-classifiable sounds are coming out of Las Vegas, NV on this disc. Sure, lots of people combine funk and rock and electronic music, but no one else combines them quite like this. True to the jamband manifesto, if there is one, Moksha (pronounced MŌK-sha) weaves several different pre-existing genres into their musical tapestry. Favorites include “Easy A,” “Open the Door (with DJ Logic on turntables),” and 2 tracks guest-starring Brian Stoltz on guitar, “Blind to the Time,” and “Bran Nu Junk.”

06) GREAT AMERICAN TAXI – Reckless Habits

Not sure I remember what I expected Vince Hermann (Leftover Salmon) to do with his new project, but it probably wasn’t this. Nevertheless, this is an outstanding album bursting with memorable ditties I can’t wait to see live. None have the frenetic mania of Leftover Salmon at their craziest, but songs like “One of These Days” and “Unpromised Land” are nearly anthemic, something Salmon rarely managed to accomplish. Shades of Dr. John, the Band, and Little Feat permeate the album, and keyboardist Chris Staehly tosses a little Gram Parsons twang into the musical salad via “American Beauty” and “Albuquerque, NM.” There are a few goofy duds in the batch, but if “Get No Better,” a choice John Hartford cover, doesn’t lodge itself in your memory for at least a week, see a brain specialist.

05) JIMI HENDRIX – Valleys of Neptune

Just to show how ahead-of-his-time Jimi Hendrix really was, consider this: these tracks were relegated to collecting dust for years – nay, decades – never to see the light of day, because they didn’t measure up to his other material. And yet, even Hendrix’s leftovers are compelling enough to be ranked on someone’s top 5 list for the year. A good number of these tracks are even “alternate takes” on classics we’ve come to know and love, and in some cases, decidedly unnecessary ones. But his genius can only be held down by lifestyle excess for so long; the “Hear My Train A-Comin’” here is possibly the most memorable of all recorded versions, “Bleeding Heart” and “Ships Passing through the Night” are phenomenal jams which only suffer through lack of an associated melody upon which to sun themselves, and the title track is just short of being a polished diamond on the order of his canonical tracks. My favorites in this collection, however, are an instrumental arrangement of Cream’s “Sunshine of your Love,” a song he was obviously fond of, and a re-worked “Red House,” originally a Hendrix B-side from 1967. Both of the versions here better imply the true greatness of these songs than their original recordings.

04) TROMBONE SHORTY – Backatown

An impressive collection of varied musical styles on the order of scrubbing through a WWOZ play list or walking down the street in old New Orleans and taking the sounds wafting out of each dive bar as they come. Sure, sometimes the spirit grooves you, and you linger for a few moments, but then amble onward, determined to soak it all in. Tracks like “Neph” and “In the 6th” are thunderously confident, with just enough swagger to make them soulful. Speaking of which, there are some genuinely sizzling R&B turns here as well, like “Fallin’” and “Something Beautiful,” which guest stars Shorty’s old boss, Lenny Kravitz. Shorty has already proved himself a great musician, now he seems intent on proving himself as a great composer as well. The variance in musical styles could almost be taken as a calling card or résumé-style of album building, where the only ones really listening are the club owners whose venues you hope to book or possibly the reviewers who might give you some press and, sadly, maybe that’s where all printed CDs are headed. Luckily for now, though, a few of us music fans are feasting our ears on a well-plotted album for a change.

03) LOS LOBOS – Tin Can Trust

Their best album since 1992’s “Kiko,” Los Lobos show the kids how rock’n’roll is done, like it’s going out of style. Wait. Is it? Well, maybe it’s only as alive as its practitioners. So, keep rock alive kids! Start here. It’s a good choice. Cesar Rosas teams with Robert Hunter on a new track (“All My Bridges Burning”), and the whole team burns through a great reading of the Dead’s “West L.A. Fadeaway.” So, Deadheads probably have this one already. Everyone else who wants to believe Los Lobos can be great again, listen to tracks like “On Main Street,” “Tin Can Trust,” “the Lady and the Rose,” oh, hell, they’re all so good. The instrumental “Do the Murray” is a charming little number. “Jupiter or the Moon” is a trippy slow-burner on par with the best. Even the radio single, “Burn It Down,” deserves a few listens in the context of a great album. A modern classic from masters of the craft.

02) DIERKS BENTLEY – Up On the Ridge

I haven’t looked to see whether I’m the odd-man-out in the jam world for picking this album, but I think he played Bonnaroo not too long ago, so that makes him fair game in my book. Normally a pop country star, Bentley takes a detour into bluegrass territory and produces one of the most listenable albums of the year. The song-smithery is like fine carpentry, with consistent aesthetic fervor evident throughout. And if you think he’s just fiddling around, at least he roped in Kris Kristofferson, Del McCoury, and Jamey Johnson for this go-round, and it’s a great ride. Chris Thile and the Punch Brothers add their painterly, evocative touches on 3 tracks. Two of my favorite songs of the year are on this album: the title track and one called “Bad Angel,” featuring Jamey Johnson and country’s official angry chick, Miranda Lambert. As an aside, Bentley also does a little guest-starring of his own on the latest Infamous Stringdusters album, “Things That Fly,” this year. If this album is any indicator of what’s to come, I vote he stick around the newgrass stable for a while.

01) WIDESPREAD PANIC – Dirty Side Down

Where to begin? The Georgia road warriors are hitting on all cylinders here, with Jimmy Herring settling into some tasty grooves and seeming a little more comfortable in the lead guitarist’s chair. John Keane is back on board as producer, and adds some really nice touches (especially in arranging the sprawling opener, “Saint Ex,” I hear). I don’t think there’s any debate that this is the best album since co-founder Michael Houser died, as Panic solidly step in to claim what is their rightful inheritance: the psychedelic southern rock crown. “Dirty Side Down” is one of the most exciting tracks John Bell’s ever graced, and with a throaty, Leonard Cohen-esque delivery to boot. Expansive and multi-layered, you might even say thick at times, the sound could knock you over if you turned it up loudly enough. On real speakers. Not those crappy earbud things. JoJo’s “Visiting Day,” on the live set list since 2000, benefits from the studio treatment and reveals itself to be fine songsmanship. And how can you not pump your first, or at least tap your foot when “St. Louis” segues into “Shut Up and Drive?” Turn this album up in the car, roll down the windows, and let the wind blow, primal, hard, and free.

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TOAST’s FAVORITE SINGLES of 2010

10) THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND – Everything’s Raising

An anthem for hard economic times. Woodie Guthrie on meth.

09) DR. DOG – Shadow People

Retro rock strutting its stuff. Cheap Trick with a dollop of trippy and a dash of nerd.

08) FISTFUL of MERCY – Father’s Son

Best supergroup this year, and one of the best outlets for Ben Harper’s talents ever.

07) JOHNNY CASH – Ain’t No Grave

Crikey! Godzilla vs. Giant-Zombie Johnny Cash? Cities topple. Cash wins.

06) CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS – Hit ‘Em Up Style

Just plain catchy. I dare you not to love this one on first listen. Olde timey!

05) SOULFÈGE – Do Right

Funkiest of the funky. Your booty will shake like rarely before!

04) CEE-LO GREEN – Fuck You

Greatest, happiest, grooviest profanity-laden song ever.

03) TOM PETTY & the HEARTBREAKERS – I Should’ve Known It

Will literally rock your socks off if you let it.

02) WIDESPREAD PANIC – Dirty Side Down

See caption for #3 (above).

01) JAMEY JOHNSON – Macon

Best song in any genre this year. Imagine Marvin Gaye and Waylon Jennings having recorded a song together. It might be as good as this one.

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TOAST’s FAVORITE COVER SONGS of 2010

Sometimes a great cover stays close to the original arrangement, and sometimes it’s a whole different ball game. My general preference is for the latter.

KELLER & the KEELS – Rehab [originally Amy Winehouse – 2006 Back to Black]

Definitely not the first time Keller’s surprised me by re-working an R&B song with his bubbly, acoustic sheen; probably not the last. I dare you to listen and not smile.

SOULIVE – I Want You (She’s So Heavy) [originally The Beatles – 1969 Abbey Road]

A friend of mine dismissed this entire album (Rubber Soulive) as being mere muzak, but I think Soulive have proven their worth as musicians over the years, and if they want to do a whole album of instrumental Beatles covers, who am I to tell them no? This particular track comes off as the most psychedelic of the bunch.

LOS LOBOS – West L.A. Fadeaway [originally The Grateful Dead – 1987 In the Dark]

Probably the truest to the original of any cover song on this list, Lobos tweak the sound ever-so-slightly and, in the process, beef up the song’s sense of impending dirtbag menace. Like past Dead covers by Lobos, respectful of the material, but unafraid to make it their own.

JESSE McREYNOLDS & FRIENDS – Black Muddy River [originally The Grateful Dead – 1987 In the Dark]

Astonishingly, I like this version better than the original, and can’t help but wonder if this is how Jerry always meant it to be done.

DIERKS BENTLEY f/ DEL McCOURY and THE PUNCH BROTHERS – Pride (In the Name of Love) [originally U2 – 1984 the Unforgettable Fire]

Who knew that country folk had even heard of U2? Despite my long-standing dislike of Chris Thile’s needlessly baroque Punch Brothers project, this cover packs so much jubilance it sounds like this was how it was meant to be arranged in the first place. Del McCoury adds a certain bluegrass authenticity to the proceedings. Well done!

THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – In God’s Country [originally U2 – 1987 the Joshua Tree]

Another incredible newgrass re-working of U2 – like a little mini-trend! The arrangement as it appears on the studio track is a little lifeless compared to some of the expansive live versions I’ve heard them perform, but it’ll suffice until I can see them again.

SOL DRIVEN TRAIN – Look at Miss Ohio [originally Gillian Welch – 2003 Soul Journey]

Sometimes I don’t even recognize a song as a cover until the song’s halfway through. In this case, I don’t think I realized it was a cover until after the 3rd or fourth time through the entire song. This arrangement seems to owe as much to Pink Floyd as Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings.

BLACK PRAIRIE – Red Rocking Chair [now in the public domain, or “traditional,” as they say]

Wow, they managed to turn this standard into a hypnotic heroin-trip funeral dirge! Like Ralph Stanley meets Mazzy Star.

NOTE: Though many of these songs may have appeared in live performance set lists for years, these covers were released as studio recordings in 2010.

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TOAST’s BEST of 2010 – SPECIAL CATEGORIES

BEST OFFICIAL LIVE RECORDING:

AVETT BROTHERS – Live, Volume 3

BEST UN-OFFICIAL LIVE RECORDING:

FURTHUR – 3/3/10 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL

BEST LIVE VIDEO:

PHISH – Coral Sky DVD [11/2/96 Coral Sky Amphitheater, West Palm Beach, FL]

BEST ARCHIVAL REISSUE:

JERRY GARCIA ACOUSTIC BAND – Almost Acoustic [originally released in 1987]

BEST ANTHOLOGY:

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Jerry Jams for Rex

BEST BANDS I SAW LIVE in 2010:

PHISH
GOV’T MULE
WIDESPREAD PANIC
DELTA SPIRIT
INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS
DUMPSTAPHUNK
ORGŌNE
NEKO CASE
JAMES McMURTRY
GIFT of GAB

BEST LIVE BAND THAT’LL PROBABLY NEVER PLAY SANTA FE:

GOGOL BORDELLO

BEST LOCAL BAND to SEE LIVE:

ANTHONY LEON & the CHAIN

BEST LOCAL ALBUM:

D NUMBERS – Onda

BEST COVER ART:

JENNIE ARNAU – Chasing Giants
U-MELT – Perfect World
WIDESPREAD PANIC – Dirty Side Down

BEST ALBUM by SOMEONE I’D NEVER HEARD BEFORE:

GUGGENHEIM GROTTO – the Universe Is Laughing

LEAST FAVORITE GENRE of the LAST 30 YEARS:

Pseudo-Reggae

BEST ACTUAL REGGAE ALBUM:

SIERRA LEONE’s REFUGEE ALL STARS – Rise & Shine

MOST PROMISING, WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE from THESE:

HILL COUNTRY REVUE
STATESBORO REVUE
PO’BOYZ
DAN HUBBARD
THE DEFIBULATORS

WTF?

Katy Perry. Fashion Disaster. Train wreck mish-mash. Does anyone in her organization know WHO she’s trying to market to? ‘Cuz it seems like they’re just throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. The fact that it’s sticking somewhere is the most amazing part. I guess it would make more sense if she was as hot as the other brain-dead pop stars, but she’s like a total average nerd chick. I guess I just don’t get it.

WHY ISN’T THIS GUY MORE FAMOUS?

RAY WYLIE HUBBARD

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