Colin McEnroe Show: Our Favorite Songs Of 2011
Wally Lamb, Joan Holliday and Eric Danton share music they loved this year.
We're bringing our music experts in today to give you their picks, especially those of you who have to buy stuff for other people during the holiday giving season. I decided to get out of their way and not bring in any picks of my own, but I'll use this little unencumbered moment to mention a few things.
First, Meklit Hadero performed here in studio this summer, and her CD "On a Day Like This," blending soul, jazz, folk and Ethiopian music has given me a lot of pleasure this year. You almost couldn't go wrong giving it to someone.
Another in-studio performer was Mike Doughty, whose "Yes And Also Yes" came out this year and blends pop, sharp-edged, funny lyrics and the art rock of his old Soul Coughing group.
On our "Song of the Summer" episode I brought up "Foster the People," whose "Pumped up Kicks" might have been the song of the summer had it crested earlier. Their CD "Torch" hangs together pretty well as out-of-the-ordinary alt-pop.
Lastly, there's the soundtrack to "Book of Mormon." You COULD go wrong giving this to somebody. Really wrong. Profane is almost not an adequate word to describe it. But it's brilliant. And it'll be ages before you can get tickets to the show.
What were your favorite songs from 2011? Leave your comments below, e-mail colin@wnpr.org or Tweet us @wnprcolin.
A listing of the music on today's show:
Joan Holliday:
Rubblebucket - “Came Out of a Lady”
Fitz and the Tantrums - “Moneygrabber”
Iron and Wine - "Tree By The River”
Decemberists - "June Hymn”
Eric Danton:
The Antlers - "I Don't Want Love"
Tom Waits - "Satisfied"
Wild Flag - "Boom"
Lydia Loveless - "Learn to Say No"
Wally Lamb:
Blackie & the Rodeo Kings (featuring Serena Ryder) - "Black Sheep"
Wilco - "Capitol City"
Steve Cropper, Dylan Leblanc and Sharon Jones - "Come On and Save Me"
Paul Simon - "Rewrite"
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Comments
EMAIL FROM ERIC:
Loved this album, playing it all year! Vocal work by Jack White and Norah Jones (!) is good, instrumentals good too! Dreamy, spaghetti-Western influenced - just wonderful.
Really enjoying the show today! And THANKS for keeping the Prince theme song - I'd never heard it before, and now it's one of my favorites.
EMAIL FROM CHUCK:
Greetings Colin & Friends,
Sorry I called too late to get on the air with you today ... in terms of pop/rock, I concur with your recommendations on the Paul Simon, Decemberists and Wilco releases.
I'd also like to put in a plug for the 2011 release - at long last - of "SMiLE" by the Beach Boys. Granted, some of it has been issued piece-meal over the years, and some of the original unfinished songs had to be tweaked prior to release, but this music shows Brian Wilson in his creative prime. The newly recorded 2004 version was enjoyable, but THIS is the real deal!
As Jazz Director at WWUH and Hartford Courant jazz freelancer, I also feel compelled to put in a plug for a few 2011 jazz recordings for the jazz fan on your list:
Various Artists: "Miles Espanol: New Sketches of Spain" - E One Entertainment
This two-disc set features Miles Davis alumni like Chick Cores, Ron Carter and John Scofield, plus a host of other outstanding improvisers reinterpreting material from the 1960 jazz classic "Sketches of Spain" by Miles and arranger/composer Gil Evans. There are also excellent originals, all revealing how the music of the Iberian Peninsula has influenced jazz.
Brad Mehldau: "Live in Marciac" - Nonesuch Records
Mehldau, a onetime West Hartford resident, offers a brilliant solo piano recital that covers a tremendous amount of musical ground, everything from covers of Nick Drake and Kurt Cobain songs to classically inspired original compositions, with a bit of bop and blues for good measure. The two-CD package also includes a DVD of concert highlights.
The New Gary Burton Quartet - "Common Ground" - Mack Avenue Records
Burton, at 68, remains one of the most respected vibraphonists in jazz. During the 1970s, he introduced the world to Pat Metheny. Recently, he's helped lead a new guitarist into the limelight, Julian Lage. Lage and Burton sound terrific together, bolstered by the powerful rhythms of current Metheny drummer Antonio Sanchez.
Thanks for allowing me to add my (long-winded) two-cents-worth ...
Happy Holidays to All,
Chuck Obuchowski
WWUH Jazz Music Director
E-mail from Bryan
Please along one of my favorite bands ever. Blue Rodeo has been a north country standard for a few decades now. Amazing musicianship and harmonies.
Please pass it along to Wally Lamb and I hope you are feeling better Lady Wolf.
Thanks
Bryan
E-mail from David
That is, straight ahead Jazz, not freaky-deaky stuff like Esmeralda Spalding, bless her avant-garde heart.
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