On The Vine

Recent pickings aplenty in the For The Sake Of The Song headquarters, so let's not waste any precious time. First up: the Owsley Brothers, doing that dirty garage blues thingy very well. Rotten On The Vine is a teaser for their new album Cobalt, out in March. Can't wait, guys. On now to our Canadian pals from Woodpigeon. Love some of their tunes, while others strangely enough leave me cold somehow. This time I'm in luck, as the dreamy title track of their recent ep For Paolo definitely falls in the former category.

Owsley Brothers - Rotten On The Vine

Woodpigeon - For Paolo

That enticing Swedish girl duo called First Aid Kit is at it again as well, and I'm happy to say their brand new set of songs called The Lion's Roar is the first contender for our 2012 end of year list. The country-tinged Emmylou (that's a certain madame Harris of course) is plenty proof of that methinks. And finally, please welcome Anne-Marie Sanderson from the north - will rise again - of England. She plays a hypnotizing guitar and at least to these ears sounds quite a bit like Joanna Newsom on her folky single Endless Eyes. Keep a close watch.

First Aid Kit - Emmylou

Anne-Marie Sanderson - Endless Eyes

And sadly, we have to play you some of the old stuff as well, as a heartfelt tribute to two r&b giants who passed away recently at a ripe old age. Miss 'em.

Johnny Otis Orchestra - The Midnight Creeper (Part 1)

Etta James - Seven Day Fool

Wonder Show

It´s a dirty job, but somebody´s gotta do it... So without further ado, here´s the one and only For The Sake Of The Song end of year list. Accept no substitutes, baby. Ten albums that were in heavy rotation during 2010, and that´s what counts in the end. Check! Buy the whole wonder show why don´t you.

1. Gil Scott-Heron - I´m New Here

Unexpected comeback of the year, by one of HipHop´s true forefathers.

Gil Scott-Heron - I´ll Take Care Of You MP3

2. Bonnie Prince Billy & The Cairo Gang - The Wonder Show Of The World

Will Oldham met guitarist Emmett Kelly, which lifted the fog on many a dreary day.

3. Charlie Parr - When The Devil Goes Blind

Intense and authentic pre-war blues, anno 2010. No, I´m not kidding.

Charlie Parr- 1890 MP3

4. Neil Young - Le Noise

Teaming up with producer Daniel Lanois was an excellent idea, sonically speaking.

5. First Aid Kit - The Big Black And The Blue

A lovely Swedish girl duo provided no-frills acoustic bliss. Jag älskar dig.

First Aid Kit - Sailor Song MP3

6. Phosphorescent - Here´s To Taking It Easy

Matthew Houck´s take on Americana compared to slipping into a warm bath.

7. Wounded Lion - Wounded Lion

Growling barb wire pop from smoggy LA. Debut of the year I´m sure.

Wounded Lion - Pony People MP3

8. Tunng - ...And Then We Saw Land

Not as adventurous as previous outings, but still the finest freakfolkers around.

9. Isobell Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Hawk

That marriage between a Belle and a Screaming Tree surely was made in heaven.

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - You Won´t Let Me Down Again MP3

10. Bill Callahan - Rough Travel For A Rare Thing

The former Smog foreman impressed once more, this time in an intimate live setting.

Bubbling under: Sun Kil Moon, Grinderman, Joanna Newsom, Drive-By Truckers, Pearly Gate Music, Off!, the Black Keys, Alasdair Roberts, Roky Erickson with Okkervil River, and the Graham Nash tribute Be Yourself.

Some old stuff released this year that I really enjoyed: Johnny Cash´s epitaph American VI: Ain´t No Grave, Dylan´s Witmark Demos and Live At Brandeis University, Complete Mythology by Syl Johnson, Satan´s A Waitin´ by Sonny Burns, and the Legacy Edition of Raw Power by Iggy & the Stooges. Music books of the year: Bob Dylan In America by Sean Wilentz, and We Never Learn - The Gunk Punk Undergut 1988-2001 by Eric Davidson.

Wishing you a bopping new year, dear readers. I´m off on a short break, see ya sometime early 2011.

Swedish Charms

A friend of mine recenty alerted me to the charms of young Swedish girl duo First Aid Kit. Thanks for the heads-up, bud: the warm, fresh and just a tad naïve pop of their full-lenghth debut The Big Black And The Blue goes down a treat here. No-frills acoustic bliss, located somewhere halfway between late-sixties Laurel Canyon and modern Stockholm. "I wish that I could have known by then... we all know now that we're never getting back to those times..."

Johanna and Klara´s earlier cover of the Fleet Foxes beauty Tiger Mountain Peasant Song, which got them on the musical map in the first place, isn´t half bad either by the way. Which finally gives me the chance to practice my Swedish in public: Välkommen, jag har saknat dig!

First Aid Kit - Heavy Storm MP3

First Aid Kit - Tiger Mountain Peasant Song MP3

And just in case you forgot what the original sounded like...

Fleet Foxes - Tiger Mountain Peasant Song MP3