I’m not sure am I going to do a mid-year best of lists. Probably not worth it. However, I did do a mid-year playlist. It’s mostly for myself, but I’ll post it here as well in case someone wants to take a listen. It’s already ridiculously long and I owe a beer to anyone who actually listens to it all way through. It’s not a definite best of the year list either. I’m sure I forgot a lot of stuff and several important ones like Leah Senior, Will Johnson, Fiver, Guy Capecelatro III aren’t available on Spotify. This is still a little under construction, but I’ll post it now, because the next work week will be horribly busy and I probably won’t have time to make it better. I might fix the order of the songs sometime later, because now there’s not a good flow and the songs are in completely random order and therefore it’s a little all over the place. I also might add another 20 when I notice what I forgot. Anyway, here are some 2017 songs that matter to me. Songs that I hold dear.
Kacy & Clayton – The Light Of Day (video)
Canadian duo Kacy & Clayton will drop their new song collection into record stores and our hearts on the 18th of August. Siren’s Song was produced by Jeff Tweedy and will be released by New West Records. The wonderful first single The Light Of Day is out and available and Nakasone Folk also directed this gorgeous (albeit disturbing) music video for the song.
Clay Parker – Queen City Blues
I didn’t plan on writing a blog entry tonight, but here I am at 4 am listening to the new Clay Parker album Queen City Blues for the first time and loving it so much that I need to quickly praise it before I go to bed. Clay Parker is a folk/country songwriter from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My first encounter with him was at CXCW festival where he performed a magnificent duet with Jodi James. I’ve kept an ear on him since then and recently my email alerted me about his new album. It took me a few days to find the the time to hit play, but tonight I did and what I found is a really beautiful and heartfelt folk album. Gentle guitar picking and a soft lovely voice and together they create a shoulder to rest my weary head. It’s perfect music for this really late Saturday night. In fact, I think I’ll go to bed now with the headphones on and I’m going to let Clay sing me to sleep and then continue listening to it when I wake up Sunday morning. Here’s a couple of gorgeous songs from the new album. The title track Queen City Blues and maybe a little bit Townes-y Upon A Winter Cloud. Listen to / buy the whole lovely album on his bandcamp or website.
Charlie Whitten – Balance
Lately I’ve been listening to quite a lot of songs by Charlie Whitten. I don’t know how I’ve managed to miss him before this year, but thankfully a couple of months ago I somehow ended up listening to his 2014 album Hey Love. I fell in love with the songs that night and ended up purchasing a download. The music is so warm and beautiful and while it’s not exatcly like it, it still definitely gives me similar feelings as early seventies folk / folk rock artists such as Iain Matthews, Bobby Charles and even Neil Young. There’s a new Playwright EP coming sometime fairly soon and I can’t wait to hear it. Gems On VHS made video for a song called Balance that you probably will find from the new EP. Such a charming song and a complete match with my overly romantic heart.
Here’s also a beauty called All Along from that 2014 album Hey Love. Erin Rae singing harmonies and Gems on VHS again responsible for the lovely video.