Favorite Albums of 2009

It’s an annual tradition, just like Ohio State beating Michigan, so here is the FolkBlog list of favorite albums of 2009.  Before I start, here are a couple things to consider:

• I spent most of 2009 employed part time, and my wife spent much of 2009 not employed at all, so there was not a lot of extra money to buy albums that I didn’t get sent this year for Festival Radio.  Consequently, I am sure there are many albums that I would have bought had I the cash that would have affected this list.  That being said, as always it was tough to narrow it down to 10.
• The albums below are generally the ones that made it onto my iPod and were taken with me to work to listen to when I didn’t have music to preview for Festival Radio.  They are, by and large, the ones that I recommended to friends and played for my wife because I thought she would like them, too.  In short, they are the ones I connected with in some way.

So, here they are:

1. Great Lake Swimmers – Lost Channels. Infectious, intelligent jangly folk/pop.  Maybe it’s my job situation, but “Still” in particular spoke to me this year and I listened to it over and over again: “I’m still tuning myself to the great key/I’m still mining for light in dark wells/I’m still a frequency swaying, a leaf in the wind/I’m still searching for whispers in between yells. “
2. The Roe Family Singers – The Earth and All That Is In It. Old-timey music featuring murder ballads and tales of death and destruction accompanied by musical saw, autoharp and banjo.  If you’re going to kill your husband, bury him deep.  And beware of starving wolves coming down out of the mountains.
3. The Clumsy Lovers – Make Yourself Known. This is the strongest set so far from one of my favorite lesser-known bands, British Columbia’s  The Clumsy Lovers.  Featuring driving banjo and fiddle, this band blurs the lines between rock, folk and country and creates a very satisfying Americana hybrid.
4. Al Stewart with Dave Nachmanoff – Uncorked.  Folk/pop legend Al Stewart mines his back catalog for a satisfying live album comprised primarily of lesser-known gems (No “Year of the Cat” or “Time Passages” here).  Also featuring guitarist Dave Nachmanoff, the album presents these classic tracks with an impressive wall of acoustic guitar sound.  Surprisingly, none of the tracks is from his 2008 release, Sparks of Ancient Light, which he was touring at the time.
5. Carla Ulbrich – Live From Outer Space.  Carla Ulbrich may be the funniest singer/songwriter working right now.  This album made me laugh really hard, even on the second and third listens.  Often bawdy, always hilarious.  The highlight for me was “Duet With a Klingon.”
6. Ashley Maher – Amina.  Recorded in Senegal (with Youssou N’Dour’s backup band) and LA, and produced by Andre Manga,  this CD continues Maher’s explorations of integrating Afropop and complex rhythms and percussions into American jazz and pop stylings.
7. John Flynn – America’s Waiting.  Folk singer/songwriter John Flynn has produced his strongest set yet, with songs taken from his extensive touring, his advocacy for New Orleans and his volunteer work mentoring prisoners.
8. Diana Jones – Better Times Will Come.  Featuring Jones’ glorious alto, these songs tell stories primarily of folks at the margins (“Appalachia”, “If I Had a Gun”, “Cracked and Broken”).
9. Putnam Smith – Gold Rush.  In addition to being a fine collection of original songs from an up and coming banjo player, this album is notable for its DIY packaging, produced by Smith himself on a 1901 Pearl letterpress.
10. Tom Rush – What I Know. The first studio album in over 30 years from folk pioneer Tom Rush is a cause for celebration in the folk world.  It’s a nice mix of originals and covers.

Honorable mentions (alphabetical order)

• Ben Bedford - Land of Shadows
• Bruce Cockburn – Slice O’Life
• Buddy and Julie Miller – Written in Chalk
• Caroline Herring – Golden Apples of the Sun
• Dala – Everyone is Someone
• Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women – Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women
• Dogan Mehmet - Gypsyhead
• Eilen Jewell – Sea of Tears
• John Gorka – So Dark You See
• The Queensberry Rules – Take Your Own Roads
• Red Stick Ramblers – My Suitcase Is Always Packed