Autumn Souvenir

There are few songwriters that I relate to more than Aimee Mann. The former Til' Tuesday singer has had a stellar solo career. I fell for Mann after seeing PT Anderson's phenomenal Magnolia in 2000. That movie wouldn't have had nearly the impact if not for Mann's soundtrack additions. The "Save Me" scene to close the film remains one of the most memorable scenes in film history. And well, here it is: 2005's The Forgotten Arm remains one of my favorite records of the past 20 years. For those keeping score, it was actually my eighth favorite record of the 2000s via Huffington Post . A concept album for the ages, Mann's mastery of the spoken word and chilling vocals to match is pure perfection. Bachelor No. 2 , Mental Illness , Smilers -- all albums with phenomenal moments. Aimee Mann is one of the best songwriters of our time. Or any time. Favorite record : The Forgotten Arm (2005) Where are they now? Still out there making great records...

CCR were only a band for 4+ years. From 1968-1970, they released five records, each of which is either great, or damn near close. When you consider their hits, "Who'll Stop the Rain," "Lodi," "Bad Moon Rising," "Green River," "Fortunate Son," and on and on and on, it's flat-out remarkable that they were able to accomplish as much as they did in what was a flash. As soon as they hit the masses, they were done. And the acrimony of their split, remains to this day. John Fogerty, the clear leader of the band, went on to a successful solo career, with the rest largely falling into obscurity. But what they accomplished in that short window is one of the greatest achievements in rock n' roll, if not music, history. Favorite record : Cosmo's Factory (1970) Where are they now? CCR disbanded in 1972. Frontman, John Fogerty, has had a long, successful solo career. His biggest hit was 1985's Centerfield .

I moved to the Bay Area on January 1, 2005. I'd spent the previous six years living in Brooklyn, and those entire six years were were awash in music. My friends and I saw endless shows, all over Manhattan and Brooklyn. And Philly. And wherever. Tons of nights drinking and bobbing our heads to Marah, Star City, Old 97s, Wilco, Mendoza Line, The Strokes, GBV and the endless line of great bands from that period. When I decided to leave the East Coast for a few years (now 13+), there was a feeling that that period of my life, in many ways, was over. Was  living inside the rock n' roll that filled the clubs in New York now behind me for good? I clearly recall driving around the South Bay in the spring of 2005, playing the records we listened to in New York, and feeling distanced. I needed something new. Something outside of the bands we listened to in New York. In June of 2005, LCD Soundsystem released their self-titled debut. I remember hearing "Losing My Edge" for th

Not many artists can claim to have accomplished what Tom Petty has: Moved from a critics' rock n' roll darling, to a pop star, back to a late-career songwriting genius, while also playing fantastic live shows for decades. Most of the greats have their slips, usually significant ones, but never Petty. His career began with 1976's self-titled and he went on to make records for just shy of 40 years, and with maybe an exception or two, his catalog is shockingly consistent. Even with changes in style, it all flowed perfectly. For some odd reason, Petty is often left off the list of greats; ya know, Dylan, Bruce, Paul and John, Mick and Keith, but he shouldn't be. Tom Petty's achievements are mind boggling. 1979's Damn the Torpedos is one of the best rock records ever recorded. Fast forward to 1989 and Full Moon Fever stands as one of the best pop/rock records of that period. And later came the brilliant songwriting found on 1994's Wildflowers and 1999's g

There will be more to come on this list, but Scott Miller is among the most under-appreciated songwriters I've ever heard. His command of putting words to song should put him in the conversation with the greats. From his days with Knoxville, Tennesssee's V-Roys, through to his many solo records, Miller has been a favorite of mine for 20+ years. And he sings and performs with such a charm and grace that it pains me that he never makes it West. If you care to see him live, you best be in the Southeast, as that's really the only place he plays. This cover of the Statler Brothers' "I Will Go To My Grave Loving You" is probably the video I've watched most on YouTube over the years. He plays it so perfectly, and seems so nervous, that it's nearly impossible not to be moved. This is just perfection: I saw the V-Roys once, in New York at the now-defunct Wetlands, sometime around 1997 or so. I've seen Miller live once, at the also-shuttered Lakeside

I’ve often said that if I could head back in time and see one performance, it would be the evening that Cooke recorded Live at the Harlem Square Club . In terms of live recordings, this is up there with Springsteen at Hammersmith and Dylan in 1966. The version of "Bring It On Home To Me" is about as good as a live recording as you'll ever hear. To my ears, I think Cooke is the greatest singer to have ever lived. He seemed to sing so effortlessly, but the delivery was damn-near religious. The kind of sound that erases everything around you and finds you locked in to nothing but the jaw-dropping delivery. Like many of the greats, Cooke left us too early, but his songs will carry on for generations to come. Favorite record : Night Beat (1963) Where are they now? Cooke was killed in 1964 at the age of 33.

I discovered the Eels a decade after their first record. I was making the move from Brooklyn to the Bay Area, and a friend in SF, who'd been an Eels fan since day one, pushed them on me. This is right when the double-album Blinking Lights and Other Revelations was released. This record, along with Arcade Fire's first, are the albums that are most attached to my re-location from the East coast to the West. Something I never imagined until an opportunity presented itself, I'm now fairly certain that as long as I remain in the US, I'm likely on the West side for good. And Blinking Lights was, and remains, the soundtrack for that life change. My love for this band is almost entirely around their mid-career. I listened to their first four records but they never fell in for me. It was Blinking Lights , as well as 2009's Hombre Lobo and 2010's End Times , that grabbed me. And then I lost interest. For some reason, Eels represent a moment in time, and it was fleeti

Right in the heart of the 90s alt.country "movement" there was Oxford, Mississippi's Blue Mountain. Fronted by Cary Hudson and Laurie Stirratt, if there was ever a band to grab the Americana mantle, it was Blue Mountain. 1995's Dog Days remains one of the best records not just of the alt.country (re)birth, but of the 90s, all told. And live? Wow. Cary Hudson is one of the best frontmen from that time and the threesome played with a Southern fury like I'd never heard or seen before. When I think of Southern Rock, Blue Mountain is the pinnacle. They went on to release a number of records on Roadrunner, before calling it quits, then re-forming, then finally calling it a day again. Once a national touring act, Hudson now generally sticks around Mississippi, playing solo shows throughout the deep South. His solo records, most notably, The Phoenix , are worth exploration. Favorite record : Dog Days (1995) Where are they now? Hudson continues to play, largely

Throughout this list, you'll likely hear a refrain of, "how could this band have not been huge?" I'm not sure any artist I'll mention is more perplexing, on this front, than Kelly Willis. After leaving (getting bounced from?) MCA just three years into her recording career, Willis went on to release her three best records on the always-great Rykodisc. Her first, 1999's What I Deserve , remains one of my favorite records, simply perfect from top-to-bottom. Her two subsequent Ryko releaseas are nearly as good, and it remains mind-boggling that Kelly Willis wasn't (isn't) a massive star. An incredible voice, matched with beautiful songs and a stage presence that made you feel as though you were standing before one of the greats, Willis' reach should be far greater than it is. She's a treasure and her songs have and will stand the test of time. Favorite record : What I Deserve (1999) Where are they now?  Willis hasn't recorded a proper