2006: What Caught My Ears and Dragged Me Around the Room
 by Kathy S-B  ·  30 December 2006

I hesitate to call this my “best of 2006” since there’s so much music out there that I have barely scratched the surface. Here’s just a smattering of what I’ve heard and liked this year—in no particular order and they’re not all 2006 releases…just because…!

The Winterpills: Harmonies to die for. Dark, mysterious lyrics. You have to love this description on the Signature Sounds site: “Think Elliott Smith, Cat Stevens, Iron & Wine, and the Innocence Mission all get drunk and fall asleep in Joni Mitchell’s backyard.” Favorite cut: “Laughing” www.winterpills.com

Pat Wictor. Saw and heard Pat at last July’s Summerfest. His quiet calm and lovely slide guitar playing are totally captivating. He’s quickly becoming a favorite of many in the folk music scene. Check out the title cut of his most recent CD: “Heaven Is So High and I’m So Far Down.” Good stuff. www.patwictor.com

WUMB: Folk Radio at U Mass Boston. How lucky are we to have such a valuable radio station available to us either by a simple click on our radio dial or by streaming online? WUMB is my favorite traveling companion. Kudos to the entire staff, but especially Dick Pleasants and Barnes Newberry. www.wumb.org

Greg Brown. Okay, I admit it. I love nearly everything this man releases. His latest, The Evening Call, may not be his best but it’s being called his most “realized” CD whatever that means. What makes Brown special to me is his ability to take the nuances of life and turn them into songs or compelling recitatives like the six-minute “Eugene” on this recording. Who would think that a deep growling monologue about fishing spots could be so cool? www.gregbrown.org

Red Molly. A trio of talented women who have been making their mark on the music scene here in the Northeast. If you like old-timey music with an edge, you’ll love Red Molly. You can check out an entire podcasted show at their website: www.redmolly.com

Peter Case. I’m way, way behind the eight-ball in discovering this guy. Was I living under a rock? Saw him at Johnny D’s this fall and fell into instant admiration mode. A good CD to start with: Full Service No Waiting. Yeah, it’s 1998 but who cares? I don’t.
www.petercase.com

Bruce Springsteen. We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions has received a lot of press, both good and bad. I happen to like this CD. It makes me smile and wanna dance and sing and make a ruckus. Favorite cut: “Jacob’s Ladder.” www.brucespringsteen.net

The Kennedys. Yeah, the Kennedys can do no wrong by me. For many of the same reasons as I pointed out above, they make me smile a lot. It’s not just the music, although the music can be simultaneously transcendent and joyful, it’s the fact that Pete and Maura Kennedy absolutely LOVE what they do and it’s nearly impossible not to have a good time when you’re in the same place as they are. Songs of the Open Road is a collection of cover songs that are a lot of fun to listen to “on the road.” Highly recommended: “Eight Miles High” Pete’s fingers soar on this one. Music doesn’t get much better than this, folks. www.kennedysmusic.com

Bright Eyes. Just waiting for the new CD to come out. I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning from 2005 is still getting a lot of airplay on my player. This year’s Noise Floor is a collection of outtakes and singles and it’s just not the same thing as a real Bright Eyes recording. Here’s hoping that Connor Oberst takes his show out on the road in 2007. Seeing him at the Newport Folk Festival and again at the Palladium in Worcester were definite highlights. http://www.saddle-creek.com/

Amy Speace. Another name to watch for. Amy’s CD Songs for Bright Street is a real winner. She’s been nominated as Best Emerging Artist by the North American Folk Alliance. She’s a little bit country, folk, pop, Americana, all good things. www.amyspeace.com

As soon as I close this document, I’ll probably think of some more to add, so if I do, I will. ;-) Here’s to a happy, healthy, and hopeful 2007.

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