All The City Lights

It is a death cult.

These people are purposefully dismantling our health networks - among other things - and do not give a damn who is harmed in the process.

#GetBackToTheCountry
#MusicChallenge

Women of Country - 5/9

"Luck in My Eyes," k.d. lang (1989)

Lang largely abandoned country in the '90s, but for a while she was Canada's best-known country export. And an icon, of course.

Glad they covered up that pesky front window and all that darned natural lighting with some beautiful drywall.

AAA estimates the average cost of owning a car is $12,297 a year, and recommends drivers spend no more than 10 percent of their income on car costs. This means you should make 120K to afford the average cost. Median *household* income in the US is $77K. The math just doesn't work.

I know both these albums fall under the general umbrella of '80s alt pop-rock, and 10,000 Maniacs has its devoted fans, but Penn's songwriting is about 50x more exciting & enticing for me. Not lyrically necessarily, but there's more variation, unexpected chord changes, hookier melodies. Accordion!

A few songs from this went into my rotation as a result of the 2000 tournament, and I'm still playing them somewhat regularly.

For those keeping track (no one) that's now three tracks from three transcendent 2005 indie folk-rock albums in the last four days. It was a good year for transcendent folk-rock is what I'm saying.

#ALL50RTS

21. "This Year"
The Mountain Goats
from THE SUNSET TREE (2005)

What a song this is. Maybe the finest autobiographical song about abuse and rebellion. The details in the lyrics. That hook. If there's 1 song among my 50 oft-played non-singles that my kids know the chorus to, it's this one.

Wow, where can you find one of these—what did he call it?—single-family neighborhoods? Are there any here in Northern California??

What's the Greek word for government by arrested development man-children who still think constantly about shit that sounded cool when they were 6?

For the ghost containment unit, naturally.

Ooh boy we sure are splitting the vote on this album. I think that means it's good!

#GetBackToTheCountry
#MusicChallenge

Women of Country - 4/9

"Here You Come Again," Dolly Parton (1977)

My favorite Dolly song ain't very country, I'm afraid, tho it went No. 1 on the country chart. And her pop crossover is a big part of the story of country music in the '70s.

I'll allow it.

#ALL50RTS

22. "Break-A-Way"
Irma Thomas
from WISH SOMEONE WOULD CARE (1964)

Had to check 9 times to make sure this was eligible but it's a B-side. It's only because of Tracy Ullman's version that it's now one of Thomas' best-known songs. None of the covers can compete with the original, in my book

If you own a home in an a city or inner ring suburb just know your insurance rates keep going up because insurers are tasked with maintaining insurance coverage in the Hollywood hills.

YouTube video by Sufjan Stevens - Topic Jacksonville

I didn’t include the embedded song link WTAF???? youtu.be/9VoHI-ztYbk?...

#GetBackToTheCountry
#MusicChallenge

Women of Country - 3/9

"Bluebird Wine," Emmylou Harris (1975)

By the time I became aware of Harris, she'd already achieved legendary status, plus that voice feels sprung from time immemorial, so it's tough for me to conceive of her as a 20-something unknown.

Also: My second pick in a row of a 2005 folk-rock track that's steeped in literate Midwesern mythos.

#ALL50RTS

23. "Jacksonville"
Sufjan Stevens
from SUFJAN STEVENS INVITES YOU TO: COME ON FEEL THE ILLINOISE [a.k.a. ILLINOIS] (2005)

Probably not gonna be anybody else's choice from ILLINOIS, but my favorite and as revealing an example of the album's baroque folk-pop as you'll find among 22 tracks.

The #PowerPop Brigade is gonna have to really come through to defeat the combined forces of interminable electro-prog and two of the best female vocalists of all time, but I gotta once again draw your attention to how good this Dwight Twilley tune is.

I think The Dude must have forgotten about these Eagles. You can't hate this.

#GetBackToTheCountry
#MusicChallenge

Women of Country - 2/9

"Leavin' on Your Mind," Patsy Cline (1963)

I'm not sure how you do this without at least one Patsy Cline song. It doesn't have to be *this* song, but why deny perfection?

YouTube video by The Carter Family - Topic Wildwood Flower

#GetBackToTheCountry
#MusicChallenge

Women of Country - 1/9

"Wildwood Flower," The Carter Family (1928)

If you're talking women of country, you gotta start with Mother Maybelle. There at the birth of the genre. Revolutionized the guitar with an entirely new style of playing that's now ubiquitous.

I also did it as part of #ArtistFave15 a few months ago. Just can't stop posting about this band & song! bsky.app/profile/atcl...

I featured this song for #MyYearInMix last year, and went into detail on why it's my top tune by a defunct band I'll never stop gushing about to anyone who will listen. bsky.app/profile/atcl...

#ALL50RTS

24. "Isabella County, 1992"
Great Lakes Myth Society
from GREAT LAKES MYTH SOCIETY (2005)

The most obscure of all my 50 picks. GLMS is one of my all-time favorites, but they never got recognition outside of a small-but-devoted fanbase of Michigan folk-rock enthusiasts.

#ALL50RTS

25. "Adventures In Solitude"
The New Pornographers
from CHALLENGERS (2007)

Playing catch-up after being out of cell service for a few days.

This was not quite the first New Pornos song that couldn't be described as "hyperactive," but a ballad this gentle & pretty was still a shock.

"because that would be the deathknell of the Constitution"

Is that bad? It seems bad.

Mom, he’s doing it again!!

Indigo Girls backup singer