The greatest feature of iTunes is showing the listener how many times he or she listened to a song or record. The numbers don’t lie. Here’s how things stacked up in my library in 2014.
10. Dave and Phil Alvin, “Common Ground.” The Alvin brothers come together for the first time since the Reagan administration to pay homage to bluesman Big Bill Broonzy. It’s a timeless and stripped down tribute made by two names synonymous with American roots music.
9. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, “Give the People What they Want.” This record was slated for a 2013 release but was delayed by Jones’ diagnosis and treatment for cancer. Classic, raw and vintage American soul music universally is loved; add this to the canon. File under American Motown and enjoy.
8. Parquet Courts, “Sunbathing Animals.” This Brooklyn band is all over the place. It’s a punk, post-punk with a Captain Beefheart take on ’90s slacking soft-core.
7. The Greyhounds, “Accumulator.” This Austin soul duo’s fourth record is a collection of blues, soul and funk, with song-writing hinting at Americana Austin. They’re ripe for the Colorado festival circuit.
6. Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives, “Saturday Night/Sunday Morning.” Stuart’s ambitious double disc is a dose of rockabilly and country that explores the contrast of party night and forgiveness morning. Stuart is classic country, yet this release explores quiet gospel, golden era-country and rock ’n’ roll.
5. Old 97s, “Most Messed Up.” Rhett Miller and friends’ mid-life crisis record held up all year. Drunken ballads, sensible Chilton-like pop and cursing garage-country are what defined their early career; it’s also what brought them into year-end best-ofs.
4. Natural Child, “Dancin’ With Wolves.” This record of garage country is like Gram Parsons leading Pavement. This band is on the quest to perfect cosmic American music.
3. Sturgill Simpson, “Metamodern Sounds in Country Music.” Oh, the irony. A few years back, Simpson wouldn’t have been invited to shine a boot outside of the Country Music Awards ceremony, yet he’s made the most memorable, down to Waylon’s earth country record this year.
2. OBN IIIs, “Third Time to Harm.” This Austin quartet is everything that’s great about rock music in a small sweaty club, and this release is a dangling of the carrot leading you to see them live. It’s an abrasive and catchy collection of garage and punk, with one of the best frontmen in the biz.
1. Lee Bains III and The Gloryfires, “Dereconstructed.” The Southern rock revival continues; musicians such as Bains are making fiery rock music like early Drive-By Truckers. It’s an aggressive, lyrical look into the growing up Southern while trying to dispel southern white myths set to bombastic rhythms. This is rock music.
Liggett_b@fortlewis.edu. Bryant Liggett is a freelance writer and KDUR station manager.
Bryant’s best
Friday: Rock music with The Crags and The Transplants, 9 p.m., no cover, Billy Goat Saloon, 39848 U.S. Highway 160, 884-9155.
Saturday: DJs JBone and MTN Menace, 8 p.m., no cover, Moe’s, 937 Main Ave., 259-9018.
