Best Music of 2013 (Update)

I’ve updated my Best Music of 2013 lists to include where the songs and albums wound up in the WXPN and mvyradio countdowns.

Only one of my top 5 albums finished on mvyradio’s Top 25 list, and only one of my top 5 songs made the WXPN Top 200 list (although all of my #6-10 choices made it). I was particularly disappointed by the absence of K T Tunstall and She & Him from both lists – 3 Justin Timberlake songs made the WXPN countdown, for crying out loud. (Admittedly two of them are actually pretty good.)

Serendipity #3

This one is a little unusual, since Roy Rogers plays classic country songs and I had never heard this one before, but this is a great cover of a classic Steve Goodman song (with a shout-out to Steve in the middle).

You Never Even Called Me By My Name – David Allan Coe (1975)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYIrs1Dx4Ck

Heard 1/4/2014 around 12:15pm, Roy Rogers restaurant in Gaithersburg

Serendipity #2

Architects & Engineers – Guster (2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svugXFeZQnA

Heard 1/3/2014 around 2:00pm, Wegman’s in Germantown

#90 Substitute -- The Who (1966)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts9-4jbFWGg

This is the first song by The Who that I ever heard. Back in the mid-60s, WFEC (1400 on the AM dial) was the big Top 40 station in Harrisburg PA, where I grew up, so that’s what all of us kids listened to most of the time. At some point in the fall of 1965, I discovered that another local AM station (WKBO 1230) had a one-hour show every Sunday night that featured the music that was current in England at the time. I listened to that religiously every week and picked up on a lot of great tracks that were big across the Atlantic but never made it over here, including “Substitute.”

Somewhat unbelievably, The Who only had one Top 10 hit in the U.S. (This one wasn’t it.)

#91 The Walk -- Mayer Hawthorne (2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMrNn2azgQY

This is definitely one of the best retro, neo-soul songs from the current century. The album version can’t quite get played on the radio in its unedited form, which is why the link above goes to a David Letterman performance.

Postie #3

(from a 12/24 article on shootouts in the National Hockey League)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/capitals/nhl-shootout-isnt-going-anywhere-but-it-could-use-some-improvements/2013/12/24/6dbe3158-6c1c-11e3-b405-7e360f7e9fd2_story.html

“[The Caps’] overall record of 19-14-4 is buffeted by the eight shootout wins; two overtime wins and four post-regulation losses: one in overtime, three in shootouts.”

Merriam-Webster definition of “buffet”:
1 :  to strike sharply especially with the hand :  cuff
2 :  to strike repeatedly :  batter <the waves buffeted the shore>
3 :  to drive, force, move, or attack by or as if by repeated blows

This is a nice column by the always-perceptive John Feinstein, but somehow I don’t think this is the word he wanted here. Maybe "bolstered?"

Teddy Thompson / Danny Burns at Jammin’ Java, 12/17/2013

Great show by Teddy Thompson – one of the best I’ve seen this year (including Thompson père at the Birchmere in September). It was the first time I had seen him as a headliner; previous encounters had been opening for Emmylou Harris at Strathmore and doing a set with his band at the WXPN music festival in the summer of 2008. 

Although his albums feature quite a bit of production, including the occasional string section, the songs came across just as well if not better with just Teddy and his acoustic guitar as they do on CD. He also had a great rapport with the audience, including talking us into helping out with the chorus to “What’s This.” 

He did 14 songs (if my notes are correct) during the main  set, starting with “Delilah” and ending with “Don’t Know What I Was Thinking.” Came back for 2 encore sets, the second of which consisted of “Brink of Love” (a new one for me, but obviously not for others in the audience) and the classic “Separate Ways” (video of a performance from 2011), which really should have made my Top 100 list. Whole show ran about 90 minutes. 

He announced during the show that he had some copies of an EP that he had done several years ago for sale – had just found some extra copies, apparently. I was lucky enough to get the last one (for a mere 5 bucks, no less). 

I also enjoyed the opening set by Irish singer / guitarist Danny Burns, accompanied by a fiddle player. Highlights included a slowed-down version of the Pogue’s Christmas classic “Fairytale of New York” (although it made me miss the late Kirsty MacColl who sang on the original). 

Strangely, this was my first trip ever to Jammin’ Java in Vienna VA. Everything was great except for the getting there, which took an hour and ten minutes. (For you locals, Route 123 was jammed (pun intended) all the way from Tyson’s into downtown Vienna.) It took less than 30 minutes to get home, well after the rush hour was over. 

Jammin’ Java has reserved tables/seats, which is a big plus since it eliminates the need to get there really early and line up for a good spot. Food-wise, I can recommend the SPICY PORK ‘N TOMATILLO chili; I didn’t find it all that spicy, but it was good and there was plenty of it.

#92 Where The Boys Are -- Connie Francis (1961)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUBT69YWqBA

What’s a Top 100 list without Connie Francis???

 

#93 Fools Fall In Love -- The Drifters (1957)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSpk5hSDoTQ

“Fools Fall in Love” is one of the greatest songs ever written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, although certainly not one of their better-known. This is the original “classic” version of the Drifters that featured Clyde McPhatter, not the later (but equally great) incarnation with Ben E. King that produced such classics as “Under the Boardwalk” and “Up on the Roof.” The original Drifters were also responsible for the greatest version of “White Christmas” ever (sorry Bing), which was featured in the first Home Alone movie.

 

#94 Twisting By The Pool -- Dire Straits (1983)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMX_B8Iumsg

 

I apologize in advance to the Mark Knopfler fans who really don’t like this song – it was a hit in England but not in the U.S. – but it’s probably the greatest summer party track they ever did.