Autumn Souvenir

A friend recently asked if I could make her a compilation of my ten favorite songs. There are few things in life I enjoy more than top ten [movies, books, records] lists, but I must say, I've never been asked for a short list of songs. Although this list will likely change before I hit publish on this post, I just scoured my iTunes and tossed together a list that'd be tough to beat. Here goes: It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train To Cry - Bob Dylan History Lesson, Part II - Minutemen One of These Things First - Nick Drake Hundred Dollar Pocket - Chappaquiddick Skyline Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Catch You Alive - Damnations, TX God - John Lennon You Ain't Goin' Nowhere - The Byrds The Wall of Death - Richard & Linda Thompson Tecumseh Valley - Townes Van Zandt

When considering the greatest and most influential human rights leaders of our time, there's little doubt that Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi sits alongside MLK Jr., Mandela and a handful of others. She has essentially surrendered her own life for the people of her nation, and after years and years under house arrest, "The Lady," is finally free and able to spread her courage and unwavering commitment to her country, to the rest of the world. Yesterday, I joined a few thousand others (mostly Burmese) and listened to the Nobel laureate share her experiences and vision for a people finally stepping away from decades of oppression. When she walked onstage I was overcome with the human spirit and felt that I was sharing the room with one of the greatest human beings to ever grace this planet. Here's her speech:

1 Bruce Springsteen : Wrecking Ball - The voices of those struggling through the Great Recession are heard not through the young and idealistic, but are delivered most clearly by a 62-year-old rocker. Bruce's best work in 20 years. Best tracks: Land of Hope and Dreams, We Are Alive, Death to My Hometown. 2 Bap Kennedy : The Sailor's Revenge - The best pure Americana (despite being a Brit) album released in years. Singer-songwriter perfection. Best tracks: Working Man, The Sailor's Revenge, Jimmy Sanchez. 3 Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker and Yim Yames : New Multitudes - Doesn't have the staying power of the Wilco/Bragg Guthrie sessions, but a strong effort, nonetheless. Jay Farrar's now at his best when collaborating with other frontmen. Key tracks: No Fear, Hoping Machine, New Multitudes. 4 Japanroids : Celebration Rock - Only 1-2 listens in, but sounds pretty nice. Key tracks: who knows.