Today's noteworthy tunes:
1st Wave Deep Cuts
- Obscurity Knocks-Trashcan Sinatras (An honest admission about not having life figured out yet. Lyrically, "Obscurity Knocks" is compatible with...)
'80s To Now Alt Rock
- Arrow-The Head And The Heart (...this track, which explains with conviction why it's necessary to depend on yourself.)
Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals
- Daybreak-Tobias Wilden (There's a serene music box quality on this track.)
- Virginia Roads-Lucy Duclos (A contemplative, bittersweet melody.)
The Bridge Deep Cuts
- The Caves Of Altamira-Steely Dan (A somewhat overlooked track with thoughtful lyrics about early, primitive forms of record-keeping. Not just any group could pull this off, lyrically or melodically.)
Carolina Shag
- Instant Love-The Monzas (How was this 1967 release not a hit? It has an immediately accessible Motown-meets-Archie Bell & The Drells vibe.)
Outlaw Country
- City Of New Orleans-Willie Nelson (Although I'm more accustomed to the Steve Goodman and Arlo Guthrie versions of Goodman's tune, Nelson's voice suits it well.)
Real Jazz
- Moment's Notice-Keith Jarrett (Cookin' piano combo jazz.)
SiriusXMU Discovery
- Ends Meet-Panda Bear (This February release offers a strong argument for living in the moment, appreciating one's life, and accepting that some elements of it will always be mysterious. It's a lot to swallow, so it's impressive how well Panda Bear takes the edge off of things melodically.)
Smokey's Soul Town
- Sideshow-Blue Magic (Blue Magic's vocal harmonies are similar to The Stylistics, which is always a compliment.)
The Village
- Hold Everything-Julie Fowlis, Karine Polwart & Mary Chapin Carpenter (This January release is Polwart's well-written tune about the challenges of living in our current era. The vocal harmonies are strong, as expected.)
- Seven Years Of Good Luck-Joe Sample (There's an accessible, slightly eerie quality to this melody, which made it appropriate theme music for KNJZ's "Lights Out, St. Louis" program in the mid '90s.)
