Thursday, December 13, 2001

2001 CDs: Best of the rest

Local artists and honorable mentions

Here are just some of the fine recordings released this year from our deep pool of Eastern Iowa talent (let me know if I left your band out - we'll catch up to it):

Aerosol Halo, "Fair Transmission;" Bald Henry, self-titled; Matt Bar, "Rough Draft;" Brother Trucker, "Regulars;" Catfish Keith, "A Fist Full Of Riffs;' Jennifer Danielson, "Fallin' In;" Daugherty-McPartland Group, "Jazz Under The Stars;" The Diplomats of Solid Sound, "instrumental action soul;" Johnson Co. Landmark, "Daydreams From The Prairie;" Sam Knutson, "Shame Train and the Devil's Square Quilt;" The Mayflies of Johnson Co., "Sycamore Tree;" Merrill J. Miller, "Life's Most Frustrating Mysteries;" Kathryn Musilek, "Ballerina In A Box;" Jack Norton, "Dance Real Slow;" Dave Olson, "#80;" Orquesta Alto Maiz, "Añejando;" Joe Price, "Designated Driver;" ProtostarR, "Wanderlust;" John Rapson, "Water and Blood;" Doug Roberson & The Swarays, "Evanescent;" Shoe Money, "Misspent Youth;" Stickman, "That Boy Again;" Eric Straumanis, "Thunder and the Plains;" Dale Thomas Band, "The Back Forty;" Dale Thomas, "At The Dance;" The Tornadoes, "Blowin' Into Town;" The Trollies, "Fountain Pennies;" and Ben Weaver, "Living In The Ground."

BEST OF 2001-HONORABLE MENTION (alphabetically)

The following discs came out in the last 12 months and are all highly recommended:

• ROCK/POP: Ryan Adams, "Gold;" Continental Drifters, "Better Day;" Derailers, "Here Come;" John Hiatt, "The Tiki Bar Is Open;" Doug Hoekstra, "Around The Margins;" Los Super Seven, "Canto;" Nick Lowe, "The Convincer;" The Mary Janes, "Flame;" The Morells, self-titled; Graham Parker, "Deepcut To Nowhere;" 6X, "Thunder Bomb;" Swag, "Catch-All;" Varnaline, "Songs In A Northern Key;" Vigilantes Of Love, "Summershine;" The Word, self-titled; and Steve Wynn, "Here Come The Miracles."

• AMERICANA/BLUEGRASS/COUNTRY: Jann Browne, "Missed Me By A Mile;" Buckeye, "Amigo and the Underbelly Blues;" Kevin Deal, "Kiss On The Breeze;" Joe Flood, "Cripplin' Crutch;" Robbie Fulks, "13 Hillbilly Giants;" The Gourds, "Shinebox;" Kelly Hogan, "Because It Feel Good;" Duane Jarvis, "Certified Miracle;" Robert Earl Keen, "Gravitational Forces;" Irene Kelley, "Simple Path;" Allison Krauss & Union Station, "New Favorite;" Patty Loveless, "Mountain Soul;" The Del McCoury Band, "Del And The Boys;" Buddy & Julie Miller, self-titled; Bruce Robison, "Country Sunshine;" Shaver, "The Earth Rolls On;" Slobberbone, "Everything You Thought Was Right Was Wrong Today;" and Gillian Welch, "Time (The Revelator)."

• FOLK: Vince Bell, "Live In Texas;" Paul Burch, "Last Of My Kind;" Lucy Kaplansky, "Every Single Day;" Roger McGuinn, "Treasures From The Folk Den;" Pierce Pettis, "State Of Grace;" and Jesse Winchester, "Live From Mountain Stage."

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