Sound Obsession

Another year done and gone, and what a great year for music.  These are my top ten favorite albums of 2023, in alphabetical order by artist name . . . . Baroness:   Stone     (Abraxan Hymns - 9/15/23) Not so long prior to 2015’s   Purple , Baroness’ excellent fourth album in a color-coded series that concluded this year, their tour bus flipped in Bath, England, resulting in both shattered bones and band lineup.     Founder and frontman John Baizley remains as the sole original member of this Savannah, GA, sludge and progressive metal group.     2017’s   Gold & Grey   introduced fans to axe-shredder extraordinaire Gina Gleason, cementing a new and now consistent dynamic that pays dividends on Baroness’ latest LP,   Stone .     As its title implies, this one is rock solid with drums and bass locked in propulsive motorik tempo, Gleason’s soari...

What a year, right?  With live music shutting down in mid-March, the last nine months or so have been all about studio albums for me.  Here are my top ten favorites of 2020, in alphabetical order.  Not too many curveballs.  We're talkin' comfort food here.  Many of these artists have made my top ten favorites lists in recent years, and here they are again.  This time though I was happy to see and hear some stylistic experimentation, lineup changes, and pushing of envelopes.  Check out my runners up and honorable mentions list too.         Have a listen.  Hope you enjoy, and Happy New Year! Brent Cobb:   Keep 'Em On They Toes    (Ol' Buddy - 10/2/20) South Georgia native Brent Cobb, cousin to country super-producer Dave Cobb, released his fourth studio album this year.  This time Brent switched gears, enlisting indie-folk p...

Brent Cobb, Rock & Roll Hotel, Washington DC - 9/18/19 Black Pumas, U Street Music Hall, 9/12/19 Black Pumas, U Street Music Hall, 9/12/19 Black Pumas, U Street Music Hall, 9/12/19 Tame Impala, The Anthem, Washington DC - 10/24/19 Tame Impala, The Anthem, Washington DC - 10/24/19 Tame Impala, The Anthem, Washington DC - 10/24/19 Chris Stapleton, Margo Price, Marcus King, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MD - 10/11/19 Chris Stapleton, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MD - 10/11/19 Chris Stapleton, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MD - 10/11/19 Ward Davis, Pearl Street Warehouse, Washington DC - 10/9/19 Charles Wesley Godwin, Pearl Street Warehouse, Washington DC - 10/9/19 Torche, The Black Cat, Washington DC - 7/31/19 Jim Kweskin, Colony, Woodstock NY - 7/5/19

"Everything except country.” That was my unhesitant reply for many years when asked "what kind of music do you like?" Reinforced by the mental image of Garth Brooks flying over a stadium audience on a wire-rig in the early 90’s, the genre was incomprehensible to me, if not reprehensible. It just wasn’t my thing, and never would be. Lately, however, I'm never quite sure what genres and artists will inspire me year to year - only that I’ve tried to keep an open mind and am prone to odd musical obsessions. This year, it finally turned out to be country music. It shouldn't have come as a surprise. Chris Stapleton's soulful companion albums From A Room Vol. 1  and From A Room Vol.2  topped my favorites list last year and Sturgill Simpson's experimental A Sailor's Guide To Earth  made that list the year before. Maybe nostalgic childhood memories of Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and Waylon Jennings softened me up. More recently, perhaps it was blu...