Autumn Souvenir

After departing the Drive-By Truckers, Jason Isbell held onto the bottle and recorded a few solid, but inconsistent, records, along with his band The 400 Unit. Then, sometime around 2011 or 2012, Isbell got sober, and similar to Steve Earle with I Feel Alright in the 90s, released his best record, 2013's Southeastern . Not just his best record, but via my ears, the best record so far in the 2010's. Though different in subject, Southeastern is as personal as Dylan's Blood on the Tracks or Springsteen's Tunnel of Love . An artist at his best, laying it bare for all to see.  A heart on the run Keeps a hand on the gun  You can't trust anyone I was so sure what I needed was more Tried to shoot out the sun Days when we raged, we flew off the page Such damage was done But I made it through, 'cause somebody knew I was meant for someone At what seemed like a bit of a  cooling off period in the singer-songwriter world, Isbell released an all-...

Like no other band on this list, Denton, Texas' Slobberbone hold a piece of me that I'll cherish until my last day. I've told this story before, but I'm so appreciative of what Brent Best, Brian Lane, Jess Barr and Tony Harper (unknowingly) did for me, that I keep repeating it. 1999 was my first SXSW. I made my way down to Austin, 25 years old, with what felt like the weight of the world on my shoulders. Decades-long family issues were finally being brought to the surface, and I was having trouble processing all of the rapidly moving stories, once hidden/now exposed secrets, and what all this news and emotion would do to my often-confused family situation. And it literally all dropped as I was heading to Texas. As the drama piled on, I was a few thousand miles from home, attempting to usher it aside and enjoy myself. But I couldn't. Was just too much, at the time. I had glimpses of fun the first few days, but my mind was back in New Jersey/New York. I considered l...

One of the greatest living songwriters. Favorite record? Civilians (2007) Where are they now? Still making incredible records, blending jazz, Americana and rock n' roll. Also one of the greatest living producers.

One of the bands most responsible for my explosive and never-ending interest in music that hit in the mid-90s. Right around the time I discovered Uncle Tupelo, there was Minneapolis' The Jayhawks. The perfect sound for what I was seeking out at the time. As much as folks have credited Uncle Tupelo with being the fathers of the alt.country movement, The Jayhawks released Bunkhouse in 1986, and the more widely-adored Blue Earth in 1989. Gary Louris and Mark Olson were the Everly Brothers of that time: gorgeous melodies, beautiful songwriting, and to this day, they remain one of the most unfairly under-appreciated bands ever. If the Avett Brothers could reach the masses, The Jayhawks should've been stars. Think the Avetts or any other "Americana" band of the day, but with depth and longevity. Best record? Hollywood Town Hall (1992) Where are they now? There have many, many incarnations of The Jayhawks, but the real nucleus broke up in 1995, later to re-form a fe...

When I reflect on the years that I lived in Brookyn, I'm not sure there's a band that brought more joy to my group of friends and I than Dallas' Old 97's. Shows at Irving Plaza and Rhett Miller solo sets at Fez and around Manhattan, represent some of the most joyful nights of my life. As Rhett sings, "I just might get drunk tonight and burn the nightclub down." There was also a lot of drinking. A lot. Late nights, edging into the morning. Bar 119 adjacent to Irving Plaza. Mayhem. The backdrop of it all was often those early 97's records. Favorite record : Too Far To Care (1997) Where are they now? I sort of stopped following the new rel3eases after 2008's Blame It On Gravity (which is fantastic), but they're still putting out records and touring the country.

When the alt.country scene was slowing in the early 00s, no band filled that void more than Okkervil River. 2005's Black Sheep Boy came at the perfect time, and I ran with the band for a good decade. Favorite record : The Stage Names (2007) Where are they now?  About to start touring behind their upcoming release, In the Rainbow Rain

Word of Russ Solomon's passing has left me thinking about Tower Records throughout the day. As a kid, when a career in hoops or baseball finally sailed away, music quickly became my biggest passion. I mean, I'd had some solid introductions as a child. My dad used to throw raucous parties in the 70s and 80s, and the sounds I heard careening off the walls of his Jersey home: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, Stones, Seger; they all not just peaked an early interest, but became the foundation for a musical exploration that's now hit four decades. First few years of high school, many weekends (and weeknights) were spent about ten miles down the road at Tower Records in Paramus, New Jersey. Before we had driver's licenses, our parents would drop us off, and return hours later. We'd walk into a mecca of music: CDs, vinyl, music magazines, books, singles, EPs, rarities. Every genre under the sun. But we were mostly rock kids. Raised on classic rock, but starti...