As I have in the past, I like to split the year in two in order to present my “favorites” list. Thinking back on a year in December can be tough to remember all the great records I heard way back in January or February…so, this is what you get. It’s been a pretty damn good year for music so far. I have heard some new records from some old favorites, as well as some brand new artists to me that have blown me away. The world of Red is expanding quite a bit…the Nashville connection is getting stronger and many of our southern friends have been making their way through town rather frequently (partly with thanks to Randi Millman at Atwoods for booking great acts all the time). The rest of the year is proving to shape up to really cement 2015 as an incredible year for music with highly anticipated releases from some of my favorite artists, but for now: here are my favorites from the first half of the year. (given that we are only 5 months into the year, here’s my 5 for now, and 10 later on to make for Red’s top 15 of 2015)…

John Moreland – “High on Tulsa Heat”: Moreland came my way via the “Joe Fletcher Railway”…so much great music seems to filter my way out of Nashville via Mr. Fletcher, so to Joe, thank you sir. John has a way with self-deprecation sadness that is absolutely brilliant. He is just plain f*cking fantastic…when I think of “THIS is the music that I truly love”, Moreland’s songs are the example that come to mind before I even knew who the songwriter was. its just that sound and ‘Tulsa Heat’ is the epitome of beautiful heartache that lingers in your chest long after your listen to it.

Aaron Lee Tasjan – “Telling Stories to the Wall”: “cause nobody’s got the time, but everybody has got an opinion“. Living Proof skyrocketed to the top of my favorite songs list after the first listen. He is the best parts of one of my favorite songwriters ever, Todd Snider, and different in the same way. His guitar playing is fantastic, his humor is off the charts, and the guy is one of the greats that we will be talking about a long way from now thinking “man, that Tasjan guy…I wish I saw him way back when”. He sings with a this hesistance, almost shyness to his voice that slays me. This EP…every day.

The Suitcase Junket – “Make Time”: Matt Lorenz is simply amazing. His live shows are awe-inspiring, his writing is pensive and poingnant, and I doubt there could be a human in the world that would listen to his music ala The Suitcase Junket and be able to honestly say they are not a fan. “Make Time” was able to capture that brilliance in a recording and shows Lorenz as “an undeniable talent that performs circus act-like feats in order to get a sound that is so original and impressive you will be brought back to listen again and again.”

Krista Baroni – “The Alabaster Girl”: There is a warmth and a comfort in this record. It feels old, but its contemporary. As a reviewer of music I often find myself drawing comparisons to people’s vocals “x sounds like y” or “she must listen to a lot of Z”…Krista’s voice sounds like no others, and thats a damn good thing. “Pensive and smart in every respect while maintaining a sense of being down to earth and accessible to a broad audience. There are great singers and then there are great singers who also possess a distinct, untouchable uniqueness in the tone and quality of their voice. This gal falls into the latter camp.”

The Milk Carton Kids – “Monterey”: Like there was any doubt this was going to make the list. Its the Milk Carton Kids…another masterpiece from the duo of Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan. The record felt a bit more like their live performances to me, but the recording is absolutely pristine. It has a loose vibe, but is clean…it just feels right. Harmonies and guitar lines, and everything I have come to obsess over about these guys. The best.

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So there you have it…the first 1/3 of my favorites from 2015. Wait for the remaining favorites as the year progresses and keep making great music folks.