Lizard In The Spring

Mole in the ground. All hail the king of the high lonesome sound.

Roscoe Holcomb - Baby Let Your Hair Roll Down

Reapers Veil

"I was on the fence and I never wanted your two cents..." Which doesn't really rhyme of course, but I can relate to the sentiment just the same. Fine little tune this.

Timber Timbre - Demon Host

Top Dollar

South African grooves supreme from that wonderful Cape Town piano player called Dollar Brand, who changed his name to Abdullah Ibrahim when he found a new faith. My fave Dollar tune will always be the mesmerizing Mannenberg a.k.a. Capetown Fringe, but as uncle Ernie posted that gem recently at 27 Leggies, I bring you this fine fine paean to youthful innocence instead. Dig in if you please.

Dollar Brand/Abdullah Ibrahim - Little Boy

Bourbon's Fine

Here's the Late Great, reflecting on the subject of temptation. "I just think on her instead..." Just plain beautiful.

Townes Van Zandt - Greensboro Woman

Griot Gold

And the finest 'exotic' album of 2014, you may ask? That award easily goes to Tzenni by the amazing Mauritanian griot singer Noura Mint Seymali. That's her husband Jeiche Ould Chighaly on guitar by the way. Westernized, but not too much, which is a good thing of course. Here's a bit of proof.

Noura Mint Seymali - Hebebeb (Zrag)

Thistles And Thorns

Almost everything Sandy Denny recorded never ceases to amaze, be it with the Fairports, with Fotheringay, and on her solo albums. But to hear the finest female vocalist in British folk of all time at its purest, I always turn to the the BBC recordings. "The sound of music it comes to me from every place I go..."

Sandy Denny - Bushes And Bryars (live at the BBC)

Strike Him Dead

As far as I know, Barber Saloon was Michael Campbell a.k.a. Mikey Dread's first single. The legendary Jamaican dj just wanted you to know that natty dread did not have any business on the premises of a hairdresser. Classic stuff, bald heads. Roots time!

Mikey Dread - Barber Saloon

Life Like A Song

Hello, Dolly! It's the first time the Backwoods Barbie graces these pages, which is quite an omission. But here she is at last, and at her funkiest at that. Don't know where the sadness went indeed.

Dolly Parton - Getting Happy

Gold In Your Eyes

Would you like some freshly recorded, classic soul? From the soundtrack of a semi-autobiographical, low-budget movie I have yet to see, here's the one and only Willis Earl Beal. Total knockout.

Willis Earl Beal - Flying So Low

On The Hill

Presenting a rockin' track by Cincinatti's Hiders, from their brand new fifth album called Totem. Which actually caught my attention because their guitar player, who sent me a copy, informed me he once was a member of the late great Ass Ponys. Remember them? One of their finest tracks, the soulful Mr. Superlove, was later covered by Greg Dulli's Afghan Whigs.

The Hiders - Mansion
Ass Ponys - Mr. Superlove
Afghan Whigs - Mr. Superlove

Brand New Toy

Of radiowaves and microwaves... Skanking in the new with one of my fave Adrian Sherwood productions. White roots music par excellence. Storm the citadels/citydels!

Mark Stewart & The Mafia - The Paranoia Of Power

Springtime

Figured you could use a hot hiphop track on a chilly day like this one. So let's hear it for the rather wonderfully named Black Milk, coming at you straight from da Motor City. Cold Day hails from last year's fine Glitches In The Break mini album.

Black Milk - Cold Day

Not completely warmed up yet? 2014 may not have been a particularly good year for rap music, but I managed to find another diamond in the rough. All the way from da Windy City, here comes Jeremiah Jae. Good times indeed!

Jeremiah Jae - Survival

Boys & Girls

So where does 2015 begin? At the hop of course. Have a good one, y'all.

XTC - Life Begins At The Hop