Songs for My Brother

Every year I gift my brother some music that has interested me in the past year.  This year's installment is no different, other than I am unacceptably late.  Thus, let's get right into it:

Arctic Monkeys: Four Out of Five - One of the better bands out there making new music right now, and this offers a pretty good taste of what they deliver.

Lord Huron: Wait by the River - Kind of an old school, '50's vibe, but way more than that.  Wish more music being made right now was more along these lines.

Snail Mail: Pristine - I do love an alternative band with a female lead singer and this one doesn't disappoint.  Lots in here to like, including some cool Sonic Youth undertones.

Trevor Hall: Karma - His whole album from which this was taken was damned good.  While his musical style is pretty consistent (for him), I do like it as a change-up.  Check out the whole latest album, as it's well worth it.

Caroline Smith: Bloodstyle - Some really good recent soul that isn't autotuned crap.  Well done.

Kurt Vile: Pretty Pimpin' - I really enjoy this one - it's easily in my top five for the past year.  Maybe because it has the closest thing to a guitar solo that I've heard in new music in a long time.  I really enjoy the guitar work across the whole song.

Cognac: Buddy Guy - Buddy is clearly the last of an era, and it's nice that he gets to team up with guys like Jeff Beck and Keith Richards on this.

JD McPherson: Crying's Just a Thing That You Do - I'm not a huge rockabilly guy, but I really like this guy and his take.  Really good.

Dennis Lloyd: Nevermind - The best night driving song of the set

The Devlins: Coming Alive - Not sure why these guys were not bigger.  I think they make really, really good music, and this is an example.

Boz Skaggs: Rock and Stick - Wow, is his voice still amazing.  High notes are still there, as is the smokey smoothness.  This sounds like the Boz of the '80's.  Remarkable.

4onthefloor: Fancy - One of my favorite rockers from my favorite Twin Cities band.  These guys totally rock.

Songs:Ohia: Farewell Transmission - Got this cool '70's vibe that I absolutely love.

Joe Bonamassa: Just Cos You Can Don't Mean You Should - The best blues artist out there right now.

Billie Eilish: You Should See Me in a Crown - The most popular song on the list.  Not sure if this one is your cup of tea, but there is a lot about this that I enjoy a lot, hence its inclusion.

Peter Wolf: I Stole Some Love - Kind of hard to believe how long he's been at the game, and how I've enjoyed his work across all of those decades.

The Black Keys: Lo/Hi - Another band out there that I seem to consistently enjoy.  A great new effort.

Ronnie James Dio & Yngwie Malmsteen: Dream On - Yeah, that Dream On.  I never heard this song before this year, and I have no idea how I missed it.  Dio's vocals far exceed Tyler's, and Malmsteen's guitar work far exceed Perry's.  I usually don't like covers that don't have their own original take on the song, and admittedly, this is very similar to the original.  That being said, when I hear it, I can't help but feel like "Damn, this is how Dream On should have sounded..." 

Ryan Adams: Welcome to New York - Taken from his song-for-song cover of Taylor Swift's 1989 album.  I just love his music, even when it is an interpretation of someone else's music.  This guy is just awesome.

Happy birthday, bro.  Love you tons.