KCRW (Santa Monica, CA)
- Since You Asked Kindly (J. Rocc remix)-Badbadnotgood (A trance-like instrumental that picks up steam while remaining hypnotic.)
- Inside Out-Eska (An exceptionally well-sung, well-played cover of an Odyssey tune. I'd never heard Eska's music until today, and this track makes me want to hear more of her work.)
- The Only One I Know-The Charlatans (Universal sentiments set to a riff seemingly derived from Deep Purple's "Hush," recast for a 1990 college rock listener. If I'd been at KCOU in '90, I would have played this.)
- I Will Sing You Songs-My Morning Jacket (An appropriate early morning tune, with a long instrumental intro and outro and unhurried vocals. I can imagine Pink Floyd's "Us And Them" being played before it.)
- One Of These Things First-Nick Drake (Another of my favorite Drake tunes, with matter-of-fact musings about paths he could have pursued.)
- Drifting-Andy McKee (Shades of Michael Hedges in this pleasant guitar instrumental.)
- A Horse In The Country-Cowboy Junkies (Margo Timmins sings wistful lyrics, with her customary understated confidence, about love waning and taking comfort in a beloved horse.)
- Stay Gold-First Aid Kit (Who can't relate to Robert Frost's lament, "Nothing gold can stay?" Who hasn't wished that certain people, places, and times would stay as they are? These two sisters convey this universal longing effectively.)
- Mushaboom-Feist (One of two especially strong highlights from Feist's debut CD, "Let It Die." Her song, "One Evening," is also one of the CD's peaks.)
- Amsterdam After Dark-Tim Hegarty (An excellent rendition of a George Coleman tune with saxophone, piano, and vibes setting the mood. It's easy to imagine it being played onstage at a smoke-filled club.)
- Aaron Copland: Simple Gifts (Boston Pops Orchestra/John Williams, conductor) (In previous posts, I've raved about versions of this by The King's Singers and Barry Phillips & William Coulter. This majestic orchestral rendition warrants a rave review, as well.)
