To end off the year, we’ve put together a free digital album that includes some of our favorite HearYa Live Session tracks from 2009. It’s called Earwood, named for the intense feeling of pleasure our ears get when listening to these great bands.  Download Volume 1 from 2008 here and download our phenomenal 2009 Volume 2 here.

Thanks to all of the bands that took the time to visit us, to all the labels, publicists and other industry types that have supported us, to Shirk Music + Sound (Steve Shirk) for the studio time, and of course all of y’all for reading. We’ll kick off 2010 with sessions with AA Bondy and The Mother Hips. Cheers to a very Happy New Year!

Exclusive: The Love Language – Providence

Exclusive: Blind Pilot – Go On, Say It

Exclusive: The Deep Dark Woods – Banks Of The Leopold Canal

Exclusive: The Low Anthem – Charlie Darwin

Exclusive: Lissie – Little Lovin

Exclusive: Alberta Cross – ATX

Exclusive: The Rural Alberta Advantage – Edmonton

Exclusive: Horse Feathers – Curs In The Weeds

Exclusive: The Roadside Graves – Ruby

Exclusive: Other Lives – Paper Cities

Exclusive: The Devil Makes Three – Do Wrong Right

Exclusive: Port O’Brien – My Will Is Good

Exclusive: Heartless Bastards – Out To Sea

Download the compilation as a zip file.

In case you weren’t aware, Vic Chesnutt died of an apparent prescription drug overdose on Christmas Day. The Athens, GA songwriter was paralyzed from the waist down from an accident in his younger days and battled depression for most of his life. In an interview with the LA Times, he had this to say about his medical situation:

I’m not too eloquent talking about these things,” Chesnutt said. “I was making payments, but I can’t anymore and I really have no idea what I’m going to do. It seems absurd they can charge this much. When I think about all this, it gets me so furious. I could die tomorrow because of other operations I need that I can’t afford. I could die any day now, but I don’t want to pay them another nickel.

Apparently Vic Chesnutt owed more than $70,000 in medical bills. If his music touched your life, please visit this page where Vic’s family and friends have set up a fund to help pay for the bills left behind. It’s a sad story and tragic loss.

Thanks to a reader (Henry) for pointing us to the video.

The Deep Dark Woods – Charlie’s (Is Coming down)

Let The Lead Fly is one of those albums that deserves to be on our Best Albums of 2009 list, but we grabbed it a bit too late. While the Wrinkle Neck Mules seem to go to a more a traditional country sound, this album is far from uninspired or unoriginal. As long as Andy Stepanian and Chase Heard are leading the charge, we needn’t worry about the quality of work from this underrated bande. In an interview on American Songwriter, Heard had this to say:

Let the Lead Fly was created in the same vein as our previous record The Wicks Have Met, but it skews towards the rootsier end of the Mules spectrum.

The band continues to remind me of Drive-By Truckers, although their sounds are quite different. Both fall into alt-country territory, but DBT is more rock and WNM is more country. The similarities lie in songwriting that paints a vivid picture and allows a scene to play out right in front of you. Stepanian and Heard rival Hood and Cooley in the storytelling category, especially on songs like “Catfish and Color TVs” and “Howard Johnson.”

From the opening salvo, “Don’t just stand there. Raise your gun and let the lead fly,” you get a 47 minute statement of everything that is good about country music. Don’t sleep on these guys. They are the cream of the alt-country crop.

Website | MySpace

Wrinkle Neck Mules – Let The Lead Fly

Wrinkle Neck Mules – Catfish and Color TVs

See picks 1-25 | See Picks 26-50

AA Bondy – I Can See The Pines Are Dancing

AA Bondy – When The Devil’s Loose

The Deep Dark Woods – All The Money I Had Is Gone

The Love Language – Lalita

Other Lives – Paper Cities

The Avett Brothers – I And Love And You

Justin Townes Earle – Mama’s Eyes

Magnolia Electric Co – Josephine

Port O’Brien – My Will Is Good

The Low Anthem – Charlie Darwin

Megafaun – Kaufman’s Ballad

Monsters of Folk – Say Please

The Wooden Sky – Something Hiding For Us In The Night

The Mother Hips – White Falcon Fuzz

Heartless Bastards – The Mountain

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros – 40 Day Dream

Langhorne Slim – I Love You, But Goodbye

Foreign Born – Early Warnings

Elvis Perkins In Dearland – Shampoo

Pink Mountaintops – Vampire

The Roadside Graves – Ruby

The Maldives – Tequila Sunday

Deer Tick – Easy

Deer Tick – Smith Hill

The Devil Makes Three – All Hail

Mumford and Sons – Little Lion Man

The Builders and The Butchers – Barcelona

Phosphorescent – Reasons To Quit

The Felice Brothers – Run Chicken Run

White Rabbits – Percussion Gun

Fanfarlo – Luna

Ha Ha Tonka – Close Every Valve To Your Bleeding Heart

Cymbals Eat Guitars – Wind Phoenix

These United States – I Want You To Keep Everything

Girls – Summertime

Alberta Cross – ATX (HearYa Live Session Version)

Neko Case – People Gotta Lotta Nerve

John Vanderslice – Too Much Time

J. Tillman – Though I Have Wronged You

The Dexateens – Down Low

Trainwreck Riders – Chug Along

I can honestly say that I love every album in this list and I think your music collection would be richer with any or all of them. Agree? Disagree? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

1.    A.A. Bondy – When The Devil’s Loose

AA Bondy – I Can See The Pines Are Dancing

AA Bondy – When The Devil’s Loose

2.    The Deep Dark Woods – Winter Hours

The Deep Dark Woods – All The Money I Had Is Gone

3.    The Love Language – The Love Language

The Love Language – Lalita

4.    Other Lives – Other Lives

Other Lives – Paper Cities

5.    The Avett Brothers – I And Love And You

The Avett Brothers – I And Love And You

6.    Justin Townes Earle – Midnight At The Movies

Justin Townes Earle – Mama’s Eyes

7.    Magnolia Electric Co. – Jospehine

Magnolia Electric Co – Josephine

8.    Dan Auerbach – Keep It Hid

9.    Port O’Brien – Threadbare

Port O’Brien – My Will Is Good

10.    The Low Anthem – Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

The Low Anthem – Charlie Darwin

11.    Megafaun – Gather Form & Fly

Megafaun – Kaufman’s Ballad

12.    Wilco – Wilco (the album)

Wilco – One Wing (live via Steregum)

13.    Monsters of Folk – Monsters of Folk

Monsters of Folk – Say Please

14.    The Wooden Sky – I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone

The Wooden Sky – Something Hiding For Us In The Night

15.    The Mother Hips – Pacific Dust

The Mother Hips – White Falcon Fuzz

16.    Lucero – 1372 Overton Park

17.    Heartless Bastards – The Mountain

Heartless Bastards – The Mountain

18.    Edward Sharpe & The Magnificent Zeros – Edward Sharpe & The Magnificent Zeros

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros – 40 Day Dream

19.    Langhorne Slim – Be Set Free

Langhorne Slim – I Love You, But Goodbye

20.    Foreign Born – Person To Person

Foreign Born – Early Warnings

21.    Elvis Perkins in Dearland – Elvis Perkins in Dearland

Elvis Perkins In Dearland – Shampoo

22.    Pink Mountaintops – Outside Love

Pink Mountaintops – Vampire

23.    The Roadside Graves – My Son’s Home

The Roadside Graves – Ruby

24.    The Maldives – Listen To The Thunder

The Maldives – Tequila Sunday

25.    Deer Tick – Born On Flag Day

Deer Tick – Easy

Deer Tick – Smith Hill

The Devil Makes Three – All Hail

27.    The Decemberists – Hazards of Love

28.    Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More

Mumford and Sons – Little Lion Man

29.    The Builders and The Butchers – Salvation Is A Deep Dark Well

The Builders and The Butchers – Barcelona

30.    Phosphorescent – To Willie

Phosphorescent – Reasons To Quit

31.    The Felice Brothers – Yonder Is The Clock

The Felice Brothers – Run Chicken Run

32.    White Rabbits – It’s Frightening

White Rabbits – Percussion Gun

33.    Arctic Monkeys – Humbug

34.    Eels – Hombre Lobo

35.    Fanfarlo – Reservoir

Fanfarlo – Luna

36.    Ha Ha Tonka – Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South

Ha Ha Tonka – Close Every Valve To Your Bleeding Heart

37.    Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains

Cymbals Eat Guitars – Wind Phoenix

38.    M. Ward – Hold Time

39.    These United States – Everything Touches Everything

These United States – I Want You To Keep Everything

40.    Girls – Album

Girls – Summertime

41.    Real Estate – Real Estate

42.    White Denim – Fits

43.    Alberta Cross – Broken Side of Time

Alberta Cross – ATX (HearYa Live Session Version)

44.    The Black Crowes – Before The Frost

45.    Neko Case – Middle Cyclone

Neko Case – People Gotta Lotta Nerve

46.    John Vanderslice – Romanian Names

John Vanderslice – Too Much Time

47.    J. Tillman – Year In The Kingdom

J. Tillman – Though I Have Wronged You

48.    The Thermals – Now We Can See

49.    The Dexateens – Singlewide

The Dexateens – Down Low

50.    Trainwreck Riders – The Perch

Trainwreck Riders – Chug Along

Introduction by Lissie

Exclusive: Lissie – Wedding Bells

Exclusive: Lissie – Little Lovin

Exclusive: Lissie – Watch Over Me

Download the live session with Lissie as a zip file.

Here are the rest:

The Henry Clay People – For Cheap Or For Free

Frightened Rabbit – The Modern Leper

The Walkmen – On The Water (live via LaundroMatinee via MOKB)

Strand Of Oaks – End In Flames

The Gaslight Anthem – The 59 Sound (acoustic on AP)

Little Joy – No One’s Better Sake

The Pack A.D. – Making Gestures

Yoni Gordon and The Goods (w/ Franz Nicoloay and Emilyn Brodsky) – Fairytale of New York (Pogues cover)

Local Natives – Sun Hands

Eulogies – Bad Connection

Yim Yames – Behind That Locked Door

Elvis Perkins in Dearland – Slow Doomsday

Lissie – Little Lovin

Ben Nichols – Toadvine

Cold War Kids – Audience

In case you weren’t paying attention, Lissie (her last name is Maurus) just ended up at #2 on our best EP’s of 2009 list yesterday. To say that she has that “something” would be an understatement. She started  shopping her EP to labels last August and by November, the album was released on Fat Possum Records (the same label that worked with early Andrew Bird, The Black Keys, AA Bondy, etc). Since then, she’s also spent some time on tour opening for Ray Lamontagne.

Along the way, she’s starting to build quite a stir in the media. I got my first real dose of Lissie when I was driving across Nevada on my move from California to Atlanta. Her music is organic, heartfelt and incredibly soulful. She writes beautiful country-tinged songs that were like Americana comfort food as the snow capped mountains raced by outside my windows.  Her unassuming girl next door appearance and demeanor is sharply contrasted by her powerful voice, reminiscent of Neko Case or Emmylou Harris. She can sing with tender sensitivity (Wedding Bells) or turn into a bluesy storm (Little Lovin). Further commentary won’t really do Lissie justice. She can sing the phone book and I’ll listen.

Introduction by Lissie

Exclusive: Lissie – Wedding Bells

Exclusive: Lissie – Little Lovin

Exclusive: Lissie – Watch Over Me

Download the live session with Lissie as a zip file.

Video: Lissie – Wedding Bells

Cold War Kids are releasing their new Behave Yourself EP on 1/19 (12/21 digitally as an iTunes exclusive) and have scheduled a few shows this winter in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and NYC. The first single, “Audience,” is groovy.

Cold War Kids – Audience

Dates:

January 22nd                Los Angeles , CA          The Wiltern

January 23rd                 San Francisco , CA        The Fillmore

January 29th                 New York , NY              Terminal 5

January 30th                 Chicago , IL                  The Vic Theatre

Video: Cold War Kids – Behave Yourself teaser