On with the List ...
12. Bored by Waxahatchee.
"Armed with a safety pin
Overly confident
My skin is airy thin
But my game is rigged to win."
Waxahatchee (aka Katie Crutchfield) returns with a half-spoken, half-sung single about ... complacency? Also look for her duet with MJ Lenderman "Right Back to It," full of banjos and Southern angst. You'll hear from Mr. Lenderman again, soon.
13. Another good year for the roses by Kurt Vile.
"These days I ... man, these days I do whatever I want,
Tone out the rest
'Til something wakes me from a rest.
Tone out the rest."
Kurt's doing his best to try to stay positive. To which I say both thank you and good luck.
14. The Death Of The Punchline by The Hold Steady.
"Now I'm trying to manage some bands.
Looking for sad kids writing anthems for the big time.
Hands in the air and a flag at half mast on the grapevine.
Mourning the American dream and the death of the punchline."
Our Midwest poet Craig Finn and friends are back again, telling us a tale of gambling, drinking, possibly drug pushing ... and a band manager. Carry on, good sir.
15. Mint Tea by Johnny Blue Skies/Sturgill Simpson.
"So put another band-aid on my bullet wound
Pour us both another cup of that mint tea.
Sit down by my side underneath the moon
Tell me why you're so afraid of little ol' me."
A song about (mostly) comfortable, well-worn love. I think. With his nom de plume Johnny Blue Skies, Sturgill takes a more direct country route, with the little (but restrained here) blues and rock flourishes we've come to enjoy.
16. Maestro (Tears Don't Lie) by Wilder Woods.
"I can tell that you're tryin'
I can tell that you're scared
Trail of fears and a face for denyin', baby
But I'm still here."
17. Love Of A Girl by The Avett Brothers.
"So I sneak out, peace out, peek out the curtains
Of a blacked-out bedroom passed-out cartoon
Version of a person with a whole herd of sheep
Just floatin' in a circle with come capital z's."
What meaning is the in this daily grind? It's all for the love of a girl. Maybe it's an oversimplification, but I have to think the Brothers' interchanging vocals would be much more difficult to accomplish if they weren't ... brothers.
18. Breakfast for Dinner by Winnetka Bowling League.
"It's when I picture us in forever
Wrinkles matching, layering up
For cozy winters
And a lifetime of breakfast for dinner."
A fun little love song from a group that I must admit I was somewhat disappointed to learn is not from a Northern suburb of Chicago but, rather, was named after a real bowling league in Southern California.
19. The Place That Makes Me Happy by The Moss.
"My baby got a twist like you've never seen
Shakin' her ass in the grass, she's a dancin' queen."
Demographically and life outlook wise, I'm sure I have little in common with The Moss. But I do appreciate their attitude, and this song.
20. anything you wanna get! by Katie Billes.
"And what did your father say?
'If you hit it with your pure emotion
You can get it,
Anything you wanna get.'"
Another obscure one judging from the YouTube views, but a fun, positive song that the dad of a bright, successful daughter has to like.
21. I'll Be Ur Friend by Rigby Picnic.
"One day I'll be growin' older
Being bolder, puttin' out the flame
I'll have picked my poison
Made my noise 'n given up the game."
Yet another little heard song, which warms my heart. A lovely end-of-love song. Rigby Picnic are (is?) Philidelphia-based musician Jake Hoffpauir (according to its/his Facebook page).
22. Up All Night by James Bay (with The Lumineers and Noah Kahan).
"Let's talk about dreams
Let's talk about lies
Let's talk about all the things that keep us up all night.
Let's talk about who
Gotta talk about why
Let's talk about all the things that keep us up all night."
A fun stomper. If insomnia can be fun, that is. While they're not present on the video, the contributions of list favorites The Lumineers and Noah Kahan are unmistakably present in the music.
A pretty strong middle 11 this year, if I do say so myself. On to the next batch!
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