With the end of 2012 approaching fast, it’s time to get serious about rounding up the year’s best tracks. Here are our picks for the best country album tracks of September. This edition is sixteen songs strong, playable as a 7-minute Amazon sampler or a full 47-minute Spotify playlist, and virtually guaranteed to contain cool stuff you haven’t heard yet.
Who else do you know simultaneously recommending songs by Janis Martin, Chris Knight, and Big & Rich?
Whether you like what you hear or think we’ve finally lost our marbles, be sure to let us know in the comments. As always, your own picks are welcome.
The Time Jumpers – “Yodel Blues”
from The Time Jumpers
Chris Knight – “Nothing on Me”
from Little Victories
Dwight Yoakam – “Waterfall”
from 3 Pears
Brent Cobb – “Diggin’ Holes”
from Brent Cobb EP
Rodney Crowell w/ Emmylou Harris and Vince Gill – “Dangerous Fun” (unavailable on Spotify and Amazon MP3, but on CD and here on Youtube)
from Quiet About It: A Tribute to Jesse Winchester
Glen Campbell & Jimmy Webb – “If These Walls Could Speak”
from In Session
Robert Ellis – “All Men Are Liars”
from Lowe Country: The Songs of Nick Lowe
Kathy Mattea – “West Virginia, My Home”
from Calling Me Home
Ricky Skaggs – “What You Are Waiting For”
from Music To My Ears
Janis Martin – “Oh Lonesome Me” (unavailable on Spotify)
from The Blanco Sessions
Mark Houser & Bluegrass Drive – “Delilah”
from Uneven Road
Kix Brooks – “She Knew I Was a Cowboy”
from New to This Town
The Grass Cats – “Meet Me Up in Heaven” (unavailable on Spotify)
from The Mountains My Baby and Me
Big & Rich – “Cheat on You”
from Hillbilly Jedi
John D. Hale Band – “Desperate People”
from More Than I Can Handle
Waylon Jennings – “Belle of the Ball”
from Goin’ Down Rockin’: The Last Recordings
Prime Cuts: September 2011
Best Country Albums of 2013: Midway Report
Struck by Horseshoes and Hand Grenades
George Palmer Macias Is Cool Like Raul
Jonathan Pappalardo says
Great minds think alike, C.M. “West Virginia, My Home” is also my favorite track off Kathy’s brilliant album. One of the finest moments in country/bluegrass/roots/americana all year (song and CD).
Also digging DY’s “Waterfall” and will be checking out that Harris/Gill/Crowell collaboration. That combination is sure to bring fourth something stellar.
DAP says
Glad you were able to dig your way through the Big & Rich album and find “Cheat on You.” Wish they did more stuff like that.
Acca Dacca says
They do.
See:
“Wild West Show”
“Holy Water” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dXLC1butGc
“Deadwood Mountain”
“Live This Life”
“Never Mind Me”
“I Pray For You”
“8th of November”
“Live Forever” with Billy Joe Shaver http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W01TTkekYC4
“Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace”
“When the Devil Gets the Best of Me”
“Lay it All On Me”
“Can’t Be Satisfied”
Most of these are album tracks and I’ve pulled selections from each of their four releases. They’re far deeper and more poignant than their party songs and Rich’s behavior might lead you to believe. Make sure you at least listen to “Live This Life.” It’s one of their best songs. All of these are on YouTube and Spotify but the site made me remove most of the links.
Sarah says
Thanks for this; the Chris Knight track is awesome. I’d been putting off checking out that album, but after hearing that, I will put it off no longer.
Mark Houser says
Thank you for including my song among your top picks for September! It has certainly been an exciting time for me as a songwriter to slip on the artist cap and record. Thank you again Country California!