New Faves 04/17/2022

For me, the era of English language popular music began with the death of Hank Williams on January 1, 1953 and ended sometime in 2012 or 2013 with Mumford & Son’s worldwide smash hit “I Will Wait”. That’s a 60 year run- not bad, but still just a drop in the bucket of civilization. The common era- when the best were the best and even diehard political opponents could come together and enjoy “Sweet Child o’ Mine” - has ended. Thanks to the Internet, home recording, and the death of both the radio and the music industries, such a musical golden age will never happen again- at least not in our lifetimes, friend.

Paul McCartney

I’ve tried my best to find new musical favorites from the current decade, with mixed results. Midlake is no Manassas; Anaïs Mitchell is no Joni Mitchell; Porridge Radio is no Velvet Underground; and the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2022 are no Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1992. A thousand years from now the popular music may get a paragraph in the Earth encyclopedia, and, with a little luck, Bob Dylan and the Beatles even a sentence or two. But even masters Dylan and Sir Walrus would be the first to admit they are no Hank Williams. Here are some more of my new musical faves. Enjoy- and Happy Easter!

Manassas

 

01. Rosita Kèss feat. Valerie June – “The Life I Used to Live” (2021)

02. Bettye Swann – “Angel of the Morning” (1969)

03. Hothouse Flowers – “I’m Sorry” (1988)

04. The New Christy Minstrels – “Cotton Fields” (1965)

05. Porridge Radio – “Back to the Radio” (2022)

06. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “White Braids & Pillow Chair” (2022)

07. Teenage Fanclub – “I Left a Light On” (2022)

08. Sting – “We Work the Black Seam” (2010)

09. The Czars – “Paint the Moon” (2004)

10. Anaïs Mitchell – “Bright Star” (2022)

11. The Divine Comedy – “Home for the Holidays” (2021)

12. Paul McCartney – “Women and Wives (Studio Outtake)” (2020)

13. Manassas – “Witching Hour”(1971)

14. C Duncan – “The Wedding Song” (2021)

15. Midlake – “Bethel Woods” (2022)

16. The Killers – “The Getting By IV” (2022)

17. The Staves – “Careful, Kid (Be Kind Version)” (2022)

18. Jake Xerxes Fussell – “Washington” (2022)

19. Cherry Ghost – “Mathematics” (2007)

20. Dawes – “Somewhere Along the Way (Live)” (2020)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...