Other albums from 2011 that I really liked (in alphabetical order by artist): Kasey Anderson and the Honkies - Heart of a Dog Blackie and the Rodeo Kings - Kings and Queens The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow Dawes - Nothing is Wrong The Decemberists - The King is Dead Drive-By Truckers - Go-Go Boots Foo Fighters - Wasting Light Glossary - Long Live All of Us Ha Ha Tonka - Death of [...]

With Christmas out of the way, and the year almost over, it's time I finally get around to compiling my Top 20 albums of the year of 2011 (in fact, there are 21 entries). Each album is represented on the mix with a song, and each entry has a link to the artist's homepage or other outlet where the album can be ordered from. Because this list is intended not only to show off my impeccable taste, but also to showcase artists, all data files in the mix have been downscaled to 128kbps. This is not really a chart, but [...]
MARY GAUTHIER AND LORA MCKENNA ON SATURDAY SEP. 17TH AT MCCABE'S GUITAR SHOP, 3101 PICO BOULEVARD, SANTA MONICA. 10:00PM/ $24.50/ ALL AGES

***It's been a long time since I've done a notes column... And I do have a few things to share... So... ***You may have noticed that my posting schedule has been a little more consistent these last couple of weeks. I'm trying to get on a regular posting schedule so that you will always know when to expect new content on the site. The ReviewShine Wednesday and Weekend YouTube features will remain on their regular schedule in addition to the new Friday Quick Hitters posts that started a few weeks ago. Mondays will be [...]
Lori McKenna is now about the same age as her mother Lorraine was when she died. Though McKenna was only seven at the time, those fleeting memories and the introspection that they inevitably bring figure heavily in her fine new album named for the mother she lost long ago. A New England songwriter who only began performing in local folk clubs when she was 27 (married with three kids and living the suburban life where the word "play date" had nothing to do with a club gig), her songs still found their way to Nashville's elite: Alison Krauss, Carrie [...]

Our music library may be vast, but we've never claimed to be completists here at Cover Lay Down. There's always something missed or previously unheard, and always something new, too, released just in time to taunt us in the aftermath of a topical post. Serendipitous addenda come from fellow bloggers, readers, labels, artists and library visits into our welcoming ears and hands. From there, they make their way back to you via our (Re)Covered features, wherein we share new and newly-rediscovered songs that dropped into our laps just a bit [...]

I keep missing Kasey Chambers when she comes through town, but it's not for lack of trying. The Australian singer-songwriter with the airy twang in her voice does heartache so well, it's a dream of mine to sit on the grass at some summery festival, eyes closed, letting the bittersweet music burn through me like the sunshine. Kasey's talent springs from growing up with music in her veins: the daughter of steel guitar player Bill Chambers , she picked up her first strings early, and spent an adolescent decade on the road [...]
Following her critically-acclaimed previous album, Mandy Moore returns with the highly anticipated, 'Amanda Leigh' - to be released May 26, 2009 on Storefront Recordings - a new partnership with RED Music. Mandy Moore on amazon.com Mandy Moore on amazon.co.uk Primarily co-written by Moore and Mike Viola, 'Amanda Leigh' was recorded at engineer Ducky Carlisle's modest basement studio in his home outside of Boston and [...]
This song is from Pieces of Me, Lori McKenna's second album. MP3 File
I love me some cover songs. Beck - Your Cheatin' Heart (Hank Williams cover). Beck's take on the classic is kind of a mellow, echoey, multilayered pop song, with just enough of a country touch to bring the original to mind. Buy Timeless: A Hank Williams Tribute. Blanket Music - Red Right Ankle (Decemberists cover). I just downloaded this from Cover Me 's excellent Decemberists post - the Patti Smith cover of "Here I Dreamt...." is amazing. So, yeah, [...]

Katrina, Narissa, and Amelia Nields, Clearwater Folk Festival, 2005 As a volunteer for performer check-in at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival for several years, I had the rare privilege of meeting the children of several notable folk musicians, from Lucy Kaplansky's adopted daughter to Katrina Nields' newborn. Seeing my favorite musicians up close and personal was always a treat. But seeing folk musicians in parenting mode always felt like peering behind the curtain of the public persona to something real. And once you see that [...]

I've been weeding through my hard drive, storing mp3s on an external hard drive in hopes to improve the overall speed of my PC. While weeding, I found a nice batch of Fake Plastic Tree songs. Listen (in order of my favorites): Lori McKenna ~ Fake Plastic Trees Radiohead ~ Fake Plastic Trees Christopher O'Riley ~ Fake Plastic Trees Some versions I found at The Live Music Archive : Charlotte Martin ~ Fake Plastic Trees (live) [...]
The Felice Brothers ~ Your Belly In My Arms St. Vincent ~ Your Lips Are Red Lori McKenna ~ Your Next Lover Sylvie Lewis ~ Your Voice Carries Great Lake Swimmers ~ Your Rocky Spine Joel Plaskett Emergency ~ Penny For Your Thoughts The Format ~ On Your Porch (Acoustic Version) More: 7 from '07s [...]

Ozomatli ~ Don't Mess with the Dragon Over The Rhine ~ The Trumpet Child The New Pornographers ~ Challengers Clara Moreno ~ Meu Samba Torto Lori McKenna ~ Unglamorous Blitzen Trapper ~ Wild Mountain Nation Beirut ~ The Flying Club Cup More: 7 from '07s Many of these artists are available for your 25 [...]

This is a mix of songs that are the last cut on albums released in 2007 by ladies. Of course, you could probably ascertain that from the title. Just call me The Duke of Redundancy. 1. Adrienne Young ~ Happy Ending 2. Clara Moreno ~ Tenderly 3. Feist ~ How My Heart Behaves 4. Bebel Gilberto ~ Words 5. Patty Griffin ~ Crying Over 6. Eleni Mandell ~ Miss Me [...]

(Pssst...did you take my survey yet?) Lori McKenna ~ This Fire (w/ Kris Delmhorst singing AND playing cello) RIYL: Bostonians playing folk music More Calling for Backups Use some of your FREE 25 songs from eMusic to get more great backup vocals.

A dedicated reader prompted me to do a post on shoes. I hope this is what he had in mind. Paolo Nutini ~ New Shoes Lori McKenna ~ Ruby's Shoes (live) Danny Hutchens ~ Sensible Shoes Bird ~ Shoes Should All Cost The Same The Cat Empire ~ Two Shoes Rosie Thomas ~ 2 Dollar Shoes Covay, Don & The Jefferson Lemon Blues Band ~ Why Did [...]
"Wenn die Sprache nicht stimmt, so ist das, was gesagt wird, nicht das, was gemeint ist; Ist das, was gesagt wird, nicht das was gemeint ist, so kommen die Werke nicht zustande; Kommen die Werke nicht zustande, so gedeihen Moral und Kunst nicht; Gedeihen Moral und Kunst nicht, so trifft das Recht nicht; Trifft das Recht nicht, so weiß die Nation nicht, wohin Hand und Fuß setzen; also dulde man