I’ll be taking a slightly different stance on my personal end of year list this year. Truth be told, the majority of 2019 (in terms of features) was heavy on the single features and not as full record heavy as I would have liked. Life happens. It’s inevitable. Sometimes we get wrapped up in the day gig that pays the bills. Health issues within the family take precedence. Or, the spark can sometimes die a bit for our passion projects. 2019 had a little bit of all of that on my end of things, hence this somewhat different approach.

Rather than listing my favorite records I am going to go with a subset of categorical favorite things (musically related) from 2019. Some records, some artists, some events. Narrowing it down is a bit of a challenge, but I think its important to not simply list every record that came out this year and call it a “best of” list…obviously my cynicism and sarcasm lands on the list.

Welp, here we go…

4 Records –

 

 Mandolin Orange “Tides of a Teardrop” – It’s almost not fair to have your favorite band release a record because it will inevitably become one of your favorites of all time and land on your year end list. “Tides of a Teardrop” feels almost years away at this point in terms of how many spins it has received and the timing of when it was released way back in February. It remains a mainstay. Andrew Marlin has a way of writing with deep sincerity and an open heart, but Tides breaks that door even further open with pensive and reflective songs about difficult losses and the way in which we can cope with them. Plainly put, it is devastating perfection.

 

 Tyler Childers “Country Squire” – Who can write a beautiful and moving love song about masturbating in a hotel room? Tyler Childers can and its a tear jerker. Childers has an undeniable way about him and the move to a big label had fans worried about his authenticity on his follow up to the honestly brutal “Purgatory”, but they had nothing to fear. Childers continues to manage narratives of real people in a way that is endearing and fiercely real. There is no splitting hairs and each and every word on the LPs 9 tracks cuts as deep as the last. “Country Squire” only further cements Tyler as one of (if not the) most important country artists and singer-songwriters of the current generation.

 

 Billy Strings “Home” – Billy and the boys have been hitting the road hard these past few years and the aptly titled ‘Home’ sees not only the band becoming tighter together, but also Strings maturing as a songwriter. There is an incredibly vibe to the songs here. One minute straight up traditional bluegrass in timing and structure and the next a psychedelic jam. The fluidity of the songs and vibe is infectious and when you take the moment to dig a little deeper than the surface of blistering solo runs and brilliant rhythms, you see a collective of artists that are opening up their chests and baring their full hearts and growing into their own as writers.

 

 Caroline Spence “Mint Condition” – Two years ago Caroline Spence’s “Spades & Roses” came across my inbox and shattered my ability to put words to how the music made me feel. Fast forward two years and she was able to replicate that feeling, yet again. Spence has a voice like no other. Delicate and airy, but still somehow delivering words with such weight that you carry the feeling and emotions on your back long after listening. Fluttering chests and weakening knees. Her stories are beautiful portraits of a life on the road, playing gigs to get to the next one and the feeling of isolation that sometimes comes with it all.

3 Artists –

Bella White  – You know when you have been searching for a certain thing and then you finally find it? Thats how I felt the first time I heard Bella White and her band. She commands your attention with her voice. Its that place between old time and bluegrass, the sweet spot. The twang, the piercing high notes. We can only hope that 2020 sees most touring and music for this gal and her band…

 

 

Marcus King – Disbelief was the feeling I had the first time I watched the Jam in the Van video with King singing ‘Rita is Gone’. Beautiful, high and ringing tone coming out of this man who seemed like he may have a more gristled country kind of a voice judging by the rasp on it when he introduces the tune. The band and he has such a goddamn vibe and movement to their songs. And as much as that voice knocks me down, Marcus’s guitar playing is equally as impressive and mind boggling. There are musicians and then there are rock stars. Marcus King is both. Find our for yourself and go listen.

 

Anh Phung – Anh’s playing was first introduced to me through a video with Twisted Pine and Ali McGuirk back in April. My jaw dropped because I didn’t think flute could be played like that. I then had the honor of working with her (as a part of Twisted Pine) at Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots during a video session. I almost dropped my camera multiple times. I LOVE the folks in Twisted Pine as musicians and people, but the addition of Anh elevated the session to some sort of crazy higher plain of musical existence that blew my mind away. Watch the video.

 

 2 Podcasts –

Mandolins and Beer – Two of my favorite things. Though even if you don’t particularly dig both of these things, you will still enjoy the podcast. New this year, mandolinist Daniel Patrick has already released 20 episodes in just 5 short months that span the landscape of mandolin from veterans who have been mainstays for decades to the new school of 20-30 somethings reinventing the instrument and genres of bluegrass, jazz, folk and the fusion that exists in modern music. If you want to know what strings Jacob Joliff uses, how John Reischman gets that effortless, super sweet tone or what beer Matt Flinner prefers, follow Mandolins and Beer today and dig in.

Joe Pug’s ‘The Working Songwriter’ – Ok, Ok, Joe’s Working songwriter isn’t “new”, but it continues to be the one thing I want to listen to in the car if I have to drive more than 30 minutes. More of a conversation than an interview, more like two old friends kicking back and talking about life after not seeing one another for months on end, the is such a natural flow to the way Pug drives these conversations. This year had some especially great conversations and the episodes with Langhorne Slim, The Milk Carton Kids, Nicole Atkins and the flip episode where Joe was the guest (interviews by Strand of Oaks’ Tim Showalter) were stand outs for me in 2019. If you don’t already listen, go back and start from the beginning. 

1 Event –

Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots – Its no secret that this year this was my most important and favorite thing that happened. I don’t need to say anything to folks who were in attendance and for those who were not, you probably need to attend for yourself and find your own special story with this intimate and beautiful weekend in southern Vermont. I will just leave you with this excerpt I was able to muster up after I left Manchester that weekend in August:

“This weekend, the people involved, the friends I’ve known for years and the ones I’ve made as a result of Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots Festival, I can’t begin to explain what this has done for me as a human, as an artist, as a community member and supporter.”

Being able to be a part of something as special as GMBR was not just the musical highlight of my year, but perhaps my decade.