For some reason, 2024 brought a lot more country and Southern rock to my playlist than usual. There’s always some mixed in, but at least according to Spotify, three of my top five bands and four of my top five songs of the year were country or Southern rock – and I can’t deny that the genres produced two of my absolute favorite albums of 2024. I’m still a metal guy through and through, so I’m sure there’s some great stuff out there that I missed that will leave the true aficionados of country shaking their heads, but here’s a look at my favorites for what it’s worth:
No. 10. JOHNNY BLUE SKES – PASSAGE DU DESIR: I’m firmly in the camp of folks who wish that Sturgill Simpson would return to the traditional country ofHigh Top Mountainor even the psychedelia of Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, but I guess we just have to accept he’s not going to do that. The things he’s done since then have been a mixed bag, some I liked and some I really disliked. Now comes his alter ego Johnny Blue Skies, a mix of country, blues, blue-eyed soul and at least one song that has some ’80s pop leanings. While I like it, Passage Du Desir is very much a mood record for me and not something I’d listen to regularly. I’m still more drawn to the songs here that lean to the country side of his sound.
Standout songs: “Scooter Blues,” “Who I Am,” “Mint Tea,” “One for the Road”
I consider Blackberry Smoke’s 2012 album The Whippoorwill to be one of the greatest Southern rock albums of all time, and yet I haven’t listened to it in years. It was a record that arrived in the darkest hour of my life and seemed written for me.
I identified with nearly every song on it, and I’m not being dramatic when I say that it played a huge role in helping me survive the turmoil and return to the land of the living again. And therein lies the problem. While I’ll still occasionally rock out to “Sleeping Dogs” or “Shakin’ Hands with the Holy Ghost,” some of my favorite songs from The Whippoorwill – like “Ain’t Much Left of Me” and the title track – are too tightly tied to that darkness for me to comfortably revisit. They hold emotions and feelings that are better left in the past.
For years now, I’ve wished that Blackberry Smoke could release another album that hit the way that The Whippoorwill did so I could enjoy it in better times. While I’ve liked most of what they’ve done, it’s never quite reached that pinnacle. But Be Right Here may be the record that I’ve been waiting for them to make.
It’s not until you sit down and actually start combing through the hundreds of records you’ve listened to over a decade that you realize how daunting the task of picking favorites over that period of time is. I barely remember who the guy occupying my body in 2010 was, much less where his head was musically when he picked his Top 10 for that year. It seems like both just yesterday and a lifetime ago.
After a bit of mild agonizing, I’ve chosen 30 favorites for the decade. It’s a completely random number because, basically, that’s as far as I could narrow the list – and even at that, there were a couple of tough cuts. They’re listed in alphabetical order because I didn’t have the fortitude to attempt to rank them 1-30, and if I had, it might be another decade before I’d be able to finalize the list. I’ve also limited it to one album per artist, even though several of the artists on the list had multiple records that I would have liked to include. As always, I stress that I am in no way saying these are the “best” albums of the 2010s, only my favorites, and I’m sure that I’ll kick myself for forgetting something as soon as it’s published. Still, off we go …
ALESTORM – NO GRAVE BUT THE SEA (2017): If I had to name my artist of the decade, it would probably be Alestorm. No band brought me more pure, unadulterated fun and joy in the 2010s, and every album they released was a contender. It came down to a tough choice between this one and 2011’s Back Through Time, but in the end, I think No Grave but the Sea may be their best piratical adventure to date. It has some of the most memorable melodies, an injection of heaviness in the form of an increased presence of keyboardist Elliot Vernon’s harsh vocals – and as always, Christopher Bowes’ quirky and silly sense of humor. Oh, and it spawned the profane anthem about an anchor that will likely close every show they do from now on with a rousing, drunken sing-along.
OK, not really a "best of." I didn’t listen to enough country and Southern rock this year to feel comfortable taking my usual approach to this Best Country and Southern Rock of 2016 list. I know there are some great records out there that I just haven’t heard, possibly better than the ones below. But there were a trio of albums that I wanted to call out, so here goes …
3. WHISKEY MYERS – MUD: These Southern rockers, I don’t believe, get the respect that they deserve. Mud isn’t as strong an outing as 2014’s fantastic Early Morning Shakes, but still a top-notch effort with some hell-raising Southern rockers and heartfelt odes to life, and a nice tribute to No. 2 on my Best Country and Southern Rock of 2016 list.
“Rebirth,” Lazarus A.D. From the album The Onslaught (2009). I remember that this debut album from Lazarus A.D., an aggressive, Exodus-influenced brand of thrash really excited me. I thought we might finally have a band from the new wave of the style that could play with the originals. The follow-up, sadly, was quite disappointing.
Editor's Note: This is the fourth in a four-part series covering my favorite releases of 2012.
This is the first time that I’ve ever enjoyed enough records from the country and Southern rock genres to put together a list. Maybe I’m getting old and turning into that country music-loving guy that my relatives always told me I would when I “grew out of all that crazy stuff and realized what good music was.”
Then again, have you seen my other list?
No. 10
CHELLE ROSE – GHOST OF BROWDER HOLLER: At times mean and ugly, at others downright beautiful. At times strongly reflecting her Appalachian roots, at others blowing the speakers out like a rocker girl. Chelle Rose’s debut was easily one of the more interesting releases of the year in country music.
I apologize in advance if this review becomes very personal, but there are just some times that you listen to a record and know that it’s going to be a big part of your life for a long, long time.
It hasn’t happened to me in quite a while, but the feeling was instant on my first run through the latest from Blackberry Smoke.
The songs on The Whippoorwill hit me right where I’m living right now, which makes it mean a little more to me. That aside, it’s just filled with incredible songs, funky Southern grooves and hooks that the original Skynyrd lineup would be envious of.
This is Blackberry Smoke’s third full-length album, and while I’ve enjoyed their previous records, I’ve never come close to loving them this much.
It's hard for a three-chord AC/DC-style band to win me over, but somehow Jackyl managed to do it in the early 1990s. Maybe it was the humor in their music, maybe the Southern rock overtones, maybe the Ted Nugent-style attitude. Whatever the reason, I still occasionally pull out one of their records and give it a spin today. So when I heard about frontman Jesse James Dupree's new project, I had to give it a try.
"Rev It Up and Go-Go" is an interesting record -- really an interesting couple of records. The first half of the album is pretty much what you'd expect. It's straight up, attitude-filled, occasionally raunchy rock 'n' roll in the Jackyl style. The title track kicks the record off on a solid note with an opening banjo riff and plenty of energy once the rock kicks in. Dupree extols the virtues of good old boy Southern life, while giving shouts to some of his favorites -- Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kiss and Hank Jr.
"Bite," "Drop Dead Ready" and "Tank" follow in that style, filled with Southern grooves, dripping with attitude and loaded with solid hooks. When Dupree turns down the attitude a little, the results are mixed. "1095 Days" has its moments, but isn't quite as strong as the earlier tracks, and "Get to Me" seems to drag a little in places compared to the higher energy tunes. But songs like the infectious "Money, Lovin' and Speed" more than make up for the lost momentum.
Guitarist Charlie Star lays down some nice crunchy and catchy guitar riffs under Dupree's ranting and raving vocals, and the rhythm section of Jackyl bassist Roman Glick and drummer Mike Froedge is solid. In short, if you like Jackyl, you should love the first half of the record.
The second half of the album, is a little different. Dupree is joined by Richard Young and Fred Young from the Kentucky Headhunters for a set of country songs. The format of this part of the record, modeled after an old-fashioned country radio show, is a little corny, but I guess that's the point. Surprisingly, it sounds like Dupree is having a lot more fun here than on the Jackyl-styled music.
Some of the country songs, co-written by the Youngs, are surprisingly solid. The humor of "Reality Star" and "Had to Get Stoned," which cover very traditional country songwriting territory are a lot of fun. "The Party" and "Well Enough" are also solid tunes. While I'm not sure Dupree could make a go as a full-time country singer, it's still a blast to listen to.
