Best Music of the Decade

For the past few months I have been thinking long and hard about this list. I've added songs, deleted songs, changed my own rules for the list and so on. Music is a huge part of my life and I often identify certain events in my life with a song. This list is my way of reflecting upon the music that helped shape my decade.

For a lot of the artists mentioned, I could have listed whole albums and been okay with my decision. I included honorable mention next to some of the songs to show that those songs could just have easily been on my list - but how interesting would a list full of David Gray, Coldplay, Sheryl Crow and the Dixie Chicks really be?

After reading this list, please tell me what I left out.

50 - La Cienega Just Smiled - Ryan Adams
49 - Van Lear Rose - Loretta Lynn
48 - I Always Liked That Best - Cyndi Thomson
47 - What It Feels Like For A Girl - Madonna
46 - Feels Like Today - Rascal Flatts
45 - Somewhere Only We Know - Keane
44 - Paris - Faith Hill (Honorable Mention: Where Are You Christmas - yes, I'm serious)
43 - Wait My Turn - Moses Mayfield
42 - California - Rufus Wainwright
41 - Cable Car - The Fray
40 - Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood
39 - Daughters - John Mayer
38 - I Hope You Dance - Lee Ann Womack
37 - Beautiful - Christina Aguilera
36 - You're Beautiful - James Blunt
35 - Forever and For Always - Shania Twain
34 - Ms. Jackson - OutKast
33 - Nothing Left to Lose - Mat Kearney
32 - I Don't Want To Be - Gavin DeGraw
31 - What Was I Thinkin' - Dierks Bentley
30 - Safe and Sound - Sheryl Crow (Honorable Mention: Soak Up the Sun, Good Is Good)
29 - Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
28 - What Goes Around - Justin Timberlake
27 - I'm With You - Avril Lavigne
26 - Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
25 - If I Ain't Got You - Alicia Keys
24 - Crystal Village - Pete Yorn (Honorable Mention: Ice Age)
23 - This Love - Maroon 5
22 - Grace Kelly - MIKA
21 - When You're On Top - The Wallflowers
20 - Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
19 - Paper Planes - M.I.A.
18 - Lose Yourself - Eminem
17 - Jolene - Ray LaMontagne (Honorable Mention: Let It Be Me)
16 - Things Have Changed - Bob Dylan (Honorable Mention: Mississippi)
15 - Hey Ya - OutKast
14 - Such Great Heights - The Postal Service
13 - Travelin' Soldier - Dixie Chicks (Honorable Mention: Not Ready To Make Nice)
12 - Babylon - David Gray (Honorable Mention: Nemesis)
11 - Umbrella - Rhianna
10 - I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
9 - Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
8 - Irreplaceable - Beyonce
7 - Don't Know Why - Norah Jones
6 - Mr. Brightside - The Killers (Honorable Mention: All These Things That I've Done)
5 - Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
4 - My City of Ruins - Bruce Springsteen
3 - Walk On - U2 (Honorable Mention: Beautiful Day)
2 - Float On - Modest Mouse
1 - Viva la Vida - Coldplay (Honorable Mention: Yellow, Clocks, In My Place, The Scientist)

Sharing new material

I've been doing some writing lately and finally have something that I think is worth posting. Here's some lyrics to a song that I'm currently writing music for. I hope to keep the creative juices flowing long enough to get this recorded ... we'll see.

Denver (Key of E - 3/4)

In pitch black
Lost on a lonely back road
I changed plans
And kept moving on, who knows
What that sleepy town might have had in store

For a wide-eyed
Hungry, young soul at a time
When my dreams
Like the air that I breathed
Supplied and fueled the need
To find something more

I never did at the time
But I can’t help it now

Looking back
In no time at all
I think of those days
And I can’t remember
Looking back
I wish I’d have stopped
To see what I could
But in no time at all
I was hours past Denver
And kept moving on

In pitch black
Wishing I could turn back time
I toss and turn
In the middle of my prime
I passed up the chance
To do something undone

I was moving so fast
I couldn’t see what I missed

Looking back
In no time at all
I think of those days
And I can’t remember
Looking back
I wish I’d have stopped
To see what I could
But in no time at all
I was decades past Denver
And kept moving on

In no time at all
Keep moving on
And in no time at all
You’ll keep moving on
‘til in no time at all
Your life will be gone

Looking back
In no time at all
I think of those days
And I can’t remember
Looking back
You’ll wish you slowed down
And taken it in
To feel the surrender

In pitch black
Lost on a lonely back road
I changed plans

And the Grammy Goes To ...

After reading this article, I think it's safe to predict that Elvis Costello's Secret, Profane & Sugarcane album will at the very least be nominated for Album of the Year at the 2010 Grammy Awards and will most likely be the "shocking" and "surprising" winner that no one saw coming. Just read the following quote and tell me this album is not a Grammy-voter's wet dream:

Ten of the album's tracks are new Costello compositions, including two written with Burnett (That's Grammy award winning producer T Bone Burnett - producer of last year's winning album "Raising Sand" and the "O Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack, which won in 2002). One song, " I Felt The Chill," was written by Costello and Loretta Lynn, while two of the album's tracks -- "Hidden Same" and "Boom Chicka Boom -- were originally written by Costello for Johnny Cash.

You heard it here first folks. Sorry U2, you're not winning this year.

WEHT - Cyndi Thompson

I'm debuting a new feature on my blog called, "What Ever Happened To ..." where I will profile a musician, artist, actor, athlete or anyone else that has fallen off the radar that I wish would come back. Why am I doing this? Well, mainly because I feel like it. I understand that this blog gets very little readership and that I am probably writing this for myself, but on the off chance that someone is reading this, especially someone connected to some of the artists that I am profiling, maybe I will somehow be credited for their comeback. Then, I shall have the last laugh ... mwahhahahaha mwahhahaha, okay enough. On to the first WEHT profile.

So, WEHT Cyndi Thompson? In case you don't know, Cyndi Thompson released possibly the best debut album by a country female with 2001's My World. With songs like What I Really Meant to Say, I Always Liked That Best and If You Were Mine, Thompson showed that she had an unmatched ability to make every word sound sexy as hell and write some pretty damn good songs.

After about a year on the charts Thompson wrote an open letter to her label and her fans saying that she was walking away from the recording business due to the overwhelming pressures of the industry. Who knows what really happened, but about a year ago I read that she was back on Capitol Nashville's roster only to very recently find out that she has again been dropped. Doesn't Nashville understand that there are people, especially in Southern Maryland, who are eagerly awaiting the return of Cyndi Thompson to the industry, if for no other reason than to stare at the album cover and the subsequent pictures inside? All kidding aside, Thompson's My World is one of my favorite albums of the decade and I can't wait until the day she decides to come back and release another one.

It looks like there is some good news on the horizon. Cyndi Thompson has recently started a Twitter account and there is some recent activity on her MySpace page, including a new song! In fact, there's some chatter about a new album in the spring. I'll believe it when I see it, but maybe the first WEHT profile will turn into a TGTRNTBADTMAC - thank God they read Not Their Blog and decided to make a comeback ... duh.

Best Music of 2008

I can't believe it's time once again for a year-end best of list. Time sure does fly. A lot happened in 2008 - historic election, a deepening recession, Britney's supposed comeback - and the list goes on. Whatever you feel about this past year, I think we can all agree that a lot of great music was made. The following are my favorites of the year.

Albums:

10) Robert Plant and Allison Krauss, Raising Sand - I bought this album, not knowing what to expect, after hearing "Killing the Blues" on JCPenney ads early on in the year. My favorites turned out to be "Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us" and "Please Read the Letter." Krauss has the voice of an angel and compliments Plant's gruff vocals and raw style.


9) John Mayer, Where the Light Is (Live) - I'm a huge Mayer fan and have been since his debut album. While this live set lacks some of his earlier work, it does a good job of capturing the energy and true musicianship that Mayer brings to the table. The nine-minute version of "Gravity" alone makes this an album worth remembering.


8) Taylor Swift, Fearless - It's no secret that I have some qualms with Swift, especially when it comes to live vocals, but this album is full of great songwriting and catchy hooks. Some of the lyrics are a little trite, but credit her for writing or co-writing every track on the album and remember, she is only eighteen. "White Horse," "Fifteen" and "The Best Day" are among my favorites on this album.


7) Flight of the Conchords, Flight of the Conchords - So, I'm cheating a little on this pick because I didn't actually buy the album, but I've seen all of the episodes of this duo's show on HBO, own the DVDs and watched as many of the live concerts on YouTube to know that the songs are absolutely hilarious. All must bow down to the awesomeness of "Bowie," "Mutha'uckas" and "Business Time." That's why they call them business socks, ya know.


6) Jason Mraz, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things - I was so happy to hear that Mraz would be releasing his third studio album this year, though a little disappointed that his first single was a re-recording of a B-side from his so-so sophomore effort. But the new "I'm Yours" worked, and actually seemed even more relevant since he'd been out of the spotlight for a while. It also brought some freshness and relevance back to the vocally gifted singer-songwriter. Check out "A Beautiful Mess," "Details in the Fabric" and "If It Kills Me" if you have some time.


5) Gavin DeGraw, Gavin DeGraw - I have some odd hangup when an artist (other than Sheryl Crow) self-titles any album other than their first. I don't know why and I can't explain it - it just irritates me. But I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this album. Like his first, this collection can be listened to and enjoyed straight through. "In Love With A Girl" got me to buy the album, but "Let It Go" kept me listening for months.


4) The Killers, Day and Age - The Killers are quickly becoming one of my favorite bands. Lead singer Brandon Flowers is definitely quirky, especially while performing, but that quirkiness does the band well on odd, but extremely catchy tunes like "Spaceman" and "I Can't Stay." I'm particularly fond of "This Is Your Life" and the hit single "Human".


3) Sheryl Crow, Detours - I'm a little surprised with myself that I didn't automatically catapult this album to the top of my list simply because of the Crow pedigree. My one qualm with the album is that it feels like two separate albums - the first half being overly political and the second half quietly introspective. All of the songs are great and the performance on tracks like "Diamond Ring" and "Make It Go Away (Radiation Song)" will break your heart. I would love it if Sheryl would throw her pop sensibilities out the window and make a true grungy rock record next go around.


2) Kings of Leon, Only by the Night - I had never heard of this band until their September 20 performance on Saturday Night Live. I loved what I heard and bought their new album days later. I love this album! It's quiet, but loud, familiarly melodic, but unexpected and full of some great (and naughty!) lyrics ("Your sex is on fire. Consumed with what's to transpire"). "Use Somebody" and "Revelry" are my personal favs. I can't wait to explore their earlier work in the year to come.


1) Coldplay, Viva la Vida - I just don't know what to say about this album other than it's awesome and you should be listening from start to finish once a day like I've been since purchasing it in June. In addition to this album, Coldplay also released the "Prospeckt's March" EP a few weeks ago, which delivers alternative versions to some of the tracks on Viva la Vida and a few others that didn't make the album cut ("Glass of Water!"). This is a fully realized concept album that will surely go down as one of the band's best career achievements. I'll certainly be routing for them when the "Album of the Year" category is announced at this year's Grammy Awards broadcast.

Favorite Singles (in no particular order):

Bleeding Love, Leona Lewis
In Love With A Girl, Gavin DeGraw
Shattered, O.A.R.
Human, The Killers
Live Your Life, TI Featuring Rhianna
I'm Yours, Jason Mraz
Chasing Pavements, Adele
Stop and Stare, One Republic
Broken, Lifehouse
Viva la Vida, Coldplay
Love Remains the Same, Gavin Rossdale
Last Name, Carrie Underwood
You're Gonna Miss This, Trace Adkins
Sweet and Low, Augustana
Nine in the Afternooon, Panic at the Disco

Officially Old

I realized tonight a very sad truth that I am no longer young. I suppose one could make the argument that the fact that I'm attempting to "live-blog" the MTV VMA Awards says something about my youth, but what's more telling is that I literally do not understand anything that is happening on this show!

Let's start with the host, Russel Brand. Who is he and why is he hosting this show? All I can say as I watch this show on TV is, "What is he saying?" or "Wow, this guy is saying some really inappropriate stuff about the Jonas Brothers and Madonna." The fact that I'm slightly offended by his attempt at humor is clue #1 that I am getting older.

Then there's the aforementioned Jonas Brothers. I don't really understand why they are famous, though, this is coming from someone who's been a Hanson fan for years. This means that I am being hypocritical just because a younger generation finds the appeal in something I don't and I'm criticizing something simply because I don't understand it, like parents in the 80s criticized hair bands or Miami Vice (thank you Youth and the Media classes at Ithaca). This is clue #2 that I'm getting older.

I consider myself a lover of all music. While rap isn't exactly my favorite music, I can appreciate some of it. Yet clue #3 that I'm getting old is that as Lil Wayne or Young Jeezy (they're both the same, right?) was performing all I could think was, "This is just noise," in the same voice my grandma would say it when I was listening to the Lion King soundtrack.

But, I don't feel so bad about all of this, honestly. See, as I write this, Slash just took the stage to present an award and my lovely wife said, "Is Slash still relevant? I mean, what's up with that hat?" Years ago we probably would have been all over that sh**. Now, we're just two old geezers who need to get to bed because it's approaching 10:15 p.m.

Note: Before I could save and post this, Pink took the stage to perform her new song, So What. The final clue that I'm not as young as I once was is that I thought to myself, "Hmm, I could get into this song," but then changed my mind after she stuck her tongue out and made a fart noise at the end of her song. Apparently, I found that wildly inappropriate.

Mid-Year Music Checkup

Wow...this has got to be the most unoriginal blog post title to date. Anyhow, 2008 is almost halfway over so I thought it would be a good idea to check in on what's rocked my lobes so far this year. With most of my money going towards gas these days ("Don't get me started, don't even get me started"), I haven't had the chance to buy a lot of music this year. Luckily, Coldplay came to the rescue by giving their first single, Violet Hill, away for free. This brings me to my top pick of the year so far...

1) Coldplay! - I love this band, and from the sounds of the two songs I've heard so far, all of America is going to fall in love with them too (if they haven't already) with the release of their fourth studio album, Viva La Vida. Strings?? Church Bells??? Synthesizers???? Awesome!

2) Gavin Degraw - Not sure about the self-titled album title, but the material on his sophomore effort is rock solid. In Love with a Girl is as hooky, yet lyrically sound as ever, but the hidden gem on this record is Let It Go.

3) I'm Yours by Jason Mraz - If you bought Mraz's second album on iTunes in 2005, you likely know this song. It was included as a bonus track and among the better songs on the entire album. Remixed and with a more upbeat tempo, it's now the lead single on his third album We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things. Somehow the lyrics are more fitting now then they were when the song was originally released.

4) Sheryl Crow - I've blogged enough about Sheryl this year, but this album is definitely worth purchasing. Some of you may be shocked that she only lands at #4 on this list. To be honest, I've stopped listening to the CD and it's only been three months! I think I listened to it way too much the first month and needed a serious Sheryl break. I promise I'll start listening again soon. If you don't feel like buying the entire album, at least purchase Diamond Ring and Make It Go Away (Radiation Song), songs that will never reach radio but are definitely worth your hard earned 99 cents.

5) Singles - I'm digging Take A Bow (Rihanna), Sweet & Low (Augustana), Nine in the Afternoon (Panic at the Disco), Falling Slowly (Oscar winners Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova), Stop & Stare (One Republic), Realize (Colbie Caillat), Trying to Stop Your Leaving (Dierks Bentley), Laughed Until We Cried (Jason Aldean), Say (John Mayer), How Far We've Come (Matchbox Twenty).

Things I'm over:

1) Madonna and Mariah. Stop making music, please.

2) The word Shawty (Shorty, Shortie, etc.) in every freaking song! Having that word in your song does not make your song good. Stop using it. Immediately.

3) Taylor Swift. Such a dilemma here - she's a talented songwriter and pretty hot, but has anyone else noticed that she can't sing? Isn't that a problem for a professional singer?

4) Sara Bareilles' Love Song - She's awesome and the song is great, but that doesn't mean it needs to be used in every commercial, movie soundtrack, Valentine's Day highlight package, etc. The song is over. Move on, please.

5) British People besides Coldplay - Corrine Bailey Rae came along and sounded cool. Then Lily Allen, who wanted to be the opposite of CBR, came onto the scene. Then Trainwreck Winehouse won a whole bunch of Grammy's. Now there's Duffy and Adele. They are all the same person and all fighting to sound cool with a throwback sound. Newsflash - you all sound the same, which makes you uncool. How about some originality?

That's it for my half-year roundup. Feel free to leave me some comments and tell me what you are listening too.

Radio Willmott

I just received great news from my friend Ben Willmott that he will be touring for a couple of dates with musician, singer-songwriter Jesse Harris. Harris is best known for writing "Don't Know Why," the song that made Norah Jones a household name. I know him best for his awesome album The Secret Sun. Tracks 1-5 on that album are essentially the soundtrack of my 2003 summer.

I'm so proud of Ben for his musical accomplishments in such a short time. He is an awesome musician and if you're ever in the New England area you should definitely check him out. If you don't travel to that area much, why don't you check him out on the radio...tonight! Of course, you can always visit his web site or his blog. Man, this guy's everywhere!

Look for Ben's latest album, Rich With Love, due May 30, 2008. And go out and buy some Jesse Harris albums too!

Ferras Fever

The side of me that is susceptible to hooky pop songs has once again resurfaced! Today, I can't stop humming Hollywood's Not America by Ferras, otherwise known as the lucky bastard who's song was hand-picked by American Idol producers as the sayonara song, as I like to call it. I'm assuming the message of the song is that Hollywood isn't the only place where you can live the American dream, so failing of not making it in that town isn't the end of the world. But, frankly, for a song like this I don't really care much what the message is. All I care about is hearing, "So long, put your bluejeans back on," otherwise known as the hook. I fall for the hook every time! Damn the hook!

The real question is, why does American Idol do such a good job of picking the sayonara song (remember Daniel Powter's Bad Day and Chris Daughtry's Home?) but such a terrible job picking the song that will eventually become the winner's first single (remember, This Is My Now and Believe...didn't think so)? American Idol needs to recruit some new talent to write a song with relevance and a good hook for this year's finale and ditch once and for all those stale songwriters who regurgitate the same song year after year.

That said, I am looking forward to this year's Idol competition. The talent seems much stronger than in year's past and a lot of the contestants are also quite impressive musicians. Let's hope the song in the finale does the eventual American Idol some justice. If not, you can always tune in just to hear Hollywood's Not America every week.

Detours, Song By Song

My copy of Detorus has downloaded. My ears are prepared for auditory excellence. My fingers are prepared to type for you my first reactions to Detours, song by sweet awesome song. It's a good day for all. Here goes...

1) God Bless This Mess - Completely stripped. Just Sheryl and a guitar. I wonder if she's playing the guitar here. Her voice cracks a little when she says "God" for the first time. I like that it's not polished. It's raw, which is appropriate for a song like this. Very political. I think she's saying what a lot of us are thinking. There are pieces to this country that are a mess right now. Good intro to the album.

2) Shine Over Babylon - One of the two songs I already know from the album. At first I thought the chorus was lazy, but it's melody gets stronger and stronger with every listen. I'm going to have to study these lyrics! The message here is a lot like God Bless This Mess - we're in need of something positive to overtake the messy, almost degenerate society we've created. There's an interesting instrumental effect in the background of the song that I love, but I can't place what instrument it is.

3) Love Is Free - The second of two songs that I knew going into the album. Very catchy. Reminds me a little of All I Wanna Do from Tuesday Night Music Club. Really good chorus. There's a weird instrumental effect in the bridge that sounds like a Nintendo sound effect when Mario jumps into one of those big round tubes. Distracting. The song makes me happy.

4) Peace Be Upon Us - Worldly instrumentals. I love when she harmonizes with herself. Sounds like an Arabic singer in the second verse. Wonder who it is. Interesting choice - maybe saying that music can bring these two cultures together. The chorus is catchy and the song has a nice beat.

5) Gasoline - Instantly love it. This album takes me back to her Globe Sessions album. I love when she kind of talks and sings at the same time. Sounds like something you'd hear in the 60's and 70's - or the Forrest Gump soundtrack to be more exact. Again, a political song if you couldn't figure that one out from the title. The jist is that we need to free ourselves from our gasoline addiction.

6) Out of Our Heads - Another worldly sounding song. Her voice sounds different here, almost like Madonna. Hmmm, the chorus is very catchy! Wow, I really like this. There is a nice choir singing in the chorus. It sounds like one of those African Freedom songs like Singabahambayo or Siyahamba.

7) Detours - The sound here reminds me of some of the Wildflower songs. Quiet, almost sad sounding. I'm a little iffy on this one. Good song, but it doesn't stand out for me.

8) Now That You're Gone - I love when songs start out with just a beat. Good start for me. This one is a little bluesy, almost R&B if you can believe it. I like the instrumentation in here. There are subtle strings in the background during the chorus and some nice guitar riffs. Not the catchiest song so far, but definitely a keeper.

9) Drunk With the Thought of You - I immediately thought Sad, Sad World, which is one of my favorite Sheryl Crow songs. I love the music in this one. I almost think her vocals could have been a little more distant in this. Maybe my stereo isn't mixing it well. Short song.

10) Diamond Ring - Short, syncopated beats - then the chorus comes and everything becomes elongated. I like the addition of reverb in the chorus. This song is obviously about Lance Armstrong, and her vocals are very raw. She goes hoarse in the middle of the song a little. This is a really good song. The bridge definitely made the song for me. She sings with a lot of raw emotion.

11) Motivation - This album is so good!! This is one of those songs that I instantly like. It will probably be my favorite for the first few weeks and then I won't be able to listen to it anymore. It's not overly political (not that I mind) and not about Lance Armstrong. I think I like it because it will make me think about how she came to write the song - and thinking about Sheryl is always a good thing. This is a fun song.

12) Make It Go Away (Radiation Song) - Not a radio song, but very good nonetheless. You can tell this is a very personal song for her. It's obviously referencing her recent bout with breast cancer. I'm really impressed with the musicality of this album and this song is a good example of it.

13) Love Is All There Is - Good melody to the song. Not too impressed with the chorus, but it's still a good song. Not my favorite. It's going to have to grow on me, which I'm sure it will.

14) Lullaby for Wyatt - So simple and really beautiful. Not overly produced. It sounds as it should - like a lullaby. The lyric is interesting. She talks about the day she is going to have to give her son away to the world as he becomes an adult. Interesting that she is thinking about that now.

Overall impressions - This album is great. Another "front to back" album where you don't have to skip songs. I can't wait to listen more and more to find some deeper meanings. You should go out and get your copy today! Grade A.

Happy Sherylday!

It's Sherylday! How are you going to celebrate? Oh, you're going to go pick up her latest album, Detorus, at your favorite music store? That sounds like a swell idea. See you there.

miMix - The Sheryl Edition

With the release of Detours, Sheryl Crow's sixth studio album, only a week away, I thought it would only be fitting to feature her as my miMix Artist of the Month -- hmm, that has a nice ring to it. The following are some of my favorite Sheryl songs. I even threw some songs in the mix that Sheryl has never personally recorded, but does have a writing credit on. Enjoy!

Maybe Angels - Sheryl Crow album
Members Only - The Globe Sessions album
Favorite Year - Dixie Chicks' Taking The Long Way album
If It Makes You Happy - Sheryl Crow album
C'mon, C'mon - C'mon, C'mon album
Riverwide - The Globe Sessions album
Somebody Stand By Me - Faith Hill's Faith album
Good Is Good - Wildflower album
Leaving Las Vegas - Tuesday Night Music Club album
Love Is A Good Thing - Sheryl Crow album

Detours Gets Reviewed

Mmmm, the smell of sweet music is in the air. Sheryl Crow's Detours is two weeks from arrival, and from some of the editorials coming out, it sounds like it's going to be a good one! Check out the review below from Amazon.com.

Sheryl also posts that her web site will be revamped as well. Hopefully that means a boatload of Sheryl pics will be posted. Ahhh, the next two weeks can't come fast enough!

Thematically, Detours may not seem like much of a detour to Sheryl Crow fans. Her politics pour out of these songs the way you might expect them to if you caught wind of her epic cross-country bus trip, with the activist Laurie David, to promote environmental awareness months prior to this release. From the quiet, faraway-sounding opener "God Bless This Mess"--a novel in a song--to the catchy but thought-provoking "Gasoline," it's clear that Crow has more on her mind these days than soaking up the sun or having a little fun, à la the Tuesday Night Music Club era. Yet there's not a groan-worthy song on this standout rock/pop/folk/blues album. If the themes are heavy (in addition to the political songs, there's an almost painfully tender lullaby for her son Wyatt and one, "Make It Go Away [Radiation Song]," that touches on her breast-cancer experience), the mood is cathartic, determined, hopeful at times and sad at others. "Now That You're Gone" grabs at clarity through the clouds of a devastating love affair and gets it, and "Peace Be Upon Us" picks apart pettiness and arrives at a wide-minded beauty. George Harrison seems present in some of these songs, especially the more personal ones ("Drunk with the Thought of You," "Love Is All There Is"). And that may be the highest compliment that Sheryl Crow, who seems to admire his gentle soul and shares his big heart, could ask for. --Tammy La Gorce

miMix - 1/23/08

Sorry I'm a little bit late with the miMix this week. Hope you enjoy these songs. I could use some suggestions of songs old and new to put on my next miMix, so comment away.

Jenny Don't Be Hasty - Paolo Nutini
This River Is Wild - The Killers
Fallen - Sarah McLachlin
Girlfriend As Pretty As You Are - Stephen Kellogg
Day You Said Goodbye - Allison Moorer
I Don't Know What It Is - Rufus Wainwright
Slow Dancing In A Burning Room - John Mayer
Fall To Pieces - Avril Lavigne
Selfish Jean - Travis
Thank U - Alanis Morissette

miMix - 01/14/08

Here is miMix for the week. I really enjoyed mine from last week. I listened to it almost everyday in the car. Did you listen? Did you download any of the songs? Leave me some feedback and suggest some songs for future mixes.

Vampyre - Pete Yorn
Slow Dance - John Legend
Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
Broken - Lifehouse
God Made Woman - Keith Urban
Bottle It Up - Sara Bareilles
Stop and Stare - One Republic
Wasted - Brandi Carlile
You Don't Know How It Feels - Tom Petty
I Know - Fiona Apple

Detours Cover Art

I posted a few days ago about Sheryl Crow's new album, Detours which comes out on February 5, but I failed to post one of the most exciting things of all...the cover art! It's so simple, yet so elegant. Only 27 days left!

miMix - 01/07/08

You might have noticed the song of the day feature at the top of the page. If you missed a song of the day, never fear, miMix (read, my mix) is here. Below is miMix of the week. Make a playlist out of it for your iPod, burn the tracks to a CD or just hum the songs in your head all week.

Three More Days - Ray LaMontagne
Like A Star - Corrine Bailey Rae
I Hope - Dixie Chicks
Dashboard - Modest Mouse
Loser - Dolores O'Riordan
Broken - Norah Jones
Faster - Third Eye Blind
You're the World to Me - David Gray
Why Can't You Be - Shelby Lynn
Not Falling Apart - Maroon 5

Enjoy!

Love Is Free

One of the most exciting things about 2008 for me is that we will be treated to a new album from Sheryl Crow. I've already memorized Shine Over Babylon, a scathing look at our social and political state, but now I'm digging Love Is Free, a more upbeat tune dedicated to the people and sounds of New Orleans. It sounds like Sheryl is stepping into a new direction with this album and I personally can't wait to hear the other tracks on Detours, due out February 5.