Hot Picks: Out This Week

John Mayer : Born and Raised

Shannon Stephens (above) : Pull It Together

Top 10 Songs of 2009

NOTE: Before I post my top 10 songs of 2010, I thought it was high time to post my top 10 of '09. I had a particularly difficult time nailing down my 10 favorite tracks of 2009, but hindsight has finally proven helpful, I suppose.

My Favorite Tracks of the Year:
~ in alphabetical order, by artist ~

1. That Year - Brandi Carlile

2. Poison & Wine - The Civil Wars

3. Sleeping Beauty - Phillip LaRue

4. Solider - Ingrid Michaelson

5. You and No Other - PawnShop Kings

6. Marrow - St. Vincent

7. The One Who Sees Me - Shannon Stephens

8. Get on Your Boots - U2

9. The Spirit Vs. the Kick Drum - Derek Webb

10. Gentle Hours - Yo La Tengo

Sufjan 'Over Stated'?

He led us to believe that we could expect 50 state-related CDs. After churning out Michigan and Illinois(e) in a relatively short amount of time, the feat did not seem out of the question for Sufjan Stevens, the prolific, ambitious indie wondergod. But perhaps it is. Stevens recently posted an interview with his labelmate and former Marzuki bandmate Shannon Stephens in which he revealed, "I’m at a point where I no longer have a deep desire to share my music with anyone, having spent many years imparting my songs to the public" and "I sometimes feel I could not, should not, would not participate at all, and that my innocuous music offers nothing new or beneficial to the white noise of it all." Only time will tell...

Hot Pick: Out Today

Shannon Stephens : The Breadwinner

In the Oven

While a student at Hope College, I enjoyed feasting on the music that my fellow undergrads were cooking up in their dormitory laboratories. I remember seeing Sufjan Stevens' folk band Marzuki in concert a number of times. I still own both of their indie releases. After the group disbanded, I continued to keep tabs on Stevens, as well as the band's vocalist, Shannon Stephens. I've picked up all the records that each have since put out, including Ms. Stephens' EP and full-length CD. So, I was excited to recently learn that -- after taking time off to become a wife and a mother -- she has a brand new album coming out on Stevens' label, Asthmatic Kitty Records. The Breadwinner will drop on Sept. 8.