My Listening Month: Favorite Downloads of July

• Hank Williams, Long Gone Lonesome Blues (1952) [via Setting the Woods on Fire]
  Why oh why did I resist Hank Williams for so long? Probably it was Hank Williams Jr. and Hank III’s fault. But wow is the OG insanely fantastic. Thank God Setting the Woods on Fire insists on preaching the gospel of Hank. I finally listened. This one is the earworm of the month.
• Buck Owens, I've Got a Tiger by the Tail (1964) [via Setting the Woods on Fire]
  I have got to get me a full Buck Owens album. This is the third or fourth Owens tune I’ve come across in the last couple of months and they have all been huge fun.
• Gilberto Gil, O Canto da Ema (1972) [via Hype Machine]
  My brilliant wife and I saw Gil at the Hollywood Bowl a few weeks ago, with Devendra Banhart opening. We were really ready to be blown away by Gil, but unfortunately he’s pretty much become smoothed out world music. The sound was pristine and the players were technically flawless, but there was no edge to any of it. Nothing like the outstanding work he was doing on record in the 60s and 70s.
• Desmond Dekker, Beautiful & Dangerous (1969) [via Snuhthing/Anything]
  See above about Buck Owens; repeat with Desmond Dekker. Anytime you see early (late 60s/early 70s) Desmond Dekker, grab it.
• Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, That's What I Like About the South (1973) [via Setting the Woods on Fire]
  My favorite thing about this song is the fact that there is a hype man on a country tune. Did Flava Flav and Chuck D steal their schtick from Bob Wills?
• The Limeliters, Take My True Love by the Hand (1960) [no idea where this came from]
  Not a lot to say about this one other than that I think it’s lovely and innocent and just about perfect.
• Buffalo Springfield, Expecting to Fly (1967) [no idea where this came from]
  I bought the first Buffalo Springfield album a few months ago and liked it, though I’ve yet to feel compelled to buy up the rest of their small catalog. Hearing this Neil Young-penned track from their second album though—wow. I need to get this right away. Indie kids who think all the reverbed-out harmonizing bands of now are doing something new: sorry, Neil did it first.
• Holy Fuck, They're Going to Take My Thumbs (2007) [via This Recording]
  I’ve yet to pick up a full album by these guys, but everything I’ve heard has been pretty excellent.
• Spiritualized, Borrowed Your Gun (2008) [via This Recording]
  Haven’t heard all of Songs in A&E yet, though what I’ve heard thus far has been a little spotty. This is one of the better tracks I’ve heard yet.
• JP Haynie, Wyoming (2008)
  I don’t know much about Haynie. Friend and frequent commenter Jeremy just emailed me a few tracks and said this is what was occupying his ears. I believe Haynie is just toiling away in a bedroom somewhere without a record label, so if any of you bloggers out there want to prove your power of breaking an artist without the aid of some publicist emailing you a press release, throw a little support Haynie’s way. Really simple but heartfelt folk, free of trend-hopping. It’s been a while since I’ve heard someone new doing something so pure and free of pretense. More here.

Comments

[Paul]

I love your take on the Bob Wills tune!

[scott pgwp]

Apparently I'm not alone in that observation!

[Jeremy]

Nice. I'm glad to see that JP Haynie dude get some listens. I had eard him on a friend's blog and emailed him. In true unsigned artist fashion, when I asked if he had more material, he sent me a package of discs with, I assume, all of his output over the last several years. I've grown to really enjoy it. It's exactly what you said too. Simple folk. Good melodies. No pretense. Often, that's all I want.

[scott pgwp]

That is hilarious.

[cindy hotpoint]

Oh, I love me some Bob Wills, truly.

Glad you saw the light re: Hank Williams. That's excellent news.

[Brendan]

awww hahhh. you got bit by the country bug too.

re:buck. sundazed reissued practically the entire buck owens catalog. i'm hooked on buck.

[dean]

Desmond Dekker can't do wrong. Here's his version of a song that he partly inspired:

Desmond Dekker :Medley: Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da/Wise Man

[scott pgwp]

Awesome - thanks Dean!