Rescuing Me from Me in 2013

Rescuing Me from Me in 2013 

In my last post about music, I talked about the music that fueled a difficult 2012 for me. If you are prone to minor seasonal depression, like yours truly, you know just how hard the post-holidays winter months can be. For me, it's a time when both football and baseball seasons are over, the weather is bitterly cold, the fishing is relatively sparse, and the days are gloomy, and far too short. 

These conditions conspire to make life less pleasant and I always turn to music to help buoy me through the winter blues. If left to my devices without hobbies, insanely-detailed projects and music, I am quite certain that I'd be weaving baskets by April.

The following albums are just a few of the records that are in heavy rotation right now in the Kughen house, bringing a little sunshine to the cold, gray days of central Indiana. 
 

Album	Why It Made My Ears Happy
	Gaslight Anthem, Handwritten, 2012 Proving that punk and country go together like peas and carrots, The Gaslight Anthem has churned out four pure gold records over the past few years that aside from being the darlings of music critics, they have gotten zero love from the general public. Let's band together and change that. Check out "45," "Mae,"and their rendition of Tom Petty's "You Got Lucky." GA's previous albums, "American Slang," and "The '59 Sound," are must haves as well. This is pure rock goodness sprinkled with a little country/folk funk.
	Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Howl, 2005 This record isn't at all what you might think it is given the band's name (or for that matter, the name of the record itself). While BRMC is known for gritty, gravely (and slightly spacey) rock that's best enjoyed at dangerously high volumes, "Howl" is soulful, bluesy, folk-tinged and purely amazing. The lyrics are insightful and seem to hint at the band's spiritual beliefs. Check out "Shuffle Your Feet," "Ain't No Easy Way," and "Promise. Or, just buy it, strap on your headphones, kill the lights and relax. The band released "The Howl Sessions Vol. 2" EP in 2006. The track, "Mercy," is a gem. "Baby 81," "Beat the Devil's Tatoo," and "BRMC" are all worth adding to your collection, too. These albums rock much harder than "Howl," but they're tailor made for sunny, cold day and a long car ride.
	Kings of Leon, Come Around Sundown, 2010 The Kings of Leon aren't exactly new news to rock fans, but they aren't yet a household name. The Kings had a commercial breakout with their 2008 record, "Only By the Night," which spawned several hit singles. Their follow-up, "Come Around Sundown," is a swaggering, gritty stomp through 13 southern rock-inspired tracks. If you don't feel the mud, grime and heart from which these tracks come, you might want to see a doctor. Standouts are "The End," "Back Down South," and "Radioactive."
	Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood, Live from Madison Square Garden, 2008 If you like Clapton - particularly Clapton-is-god era, screaming blues guitar Clapton - then this disc is for you. Winwood is spectacular in his own right - at the mic, on the guitar and on keyboards. They play a good selection of Clapton's solo work, as well as stuff from Derek & The Dominos, Blind Faith and Traffic. They also hit a few requisite blues numbers from other artists, including "Voodoo Chile," "Stormy Monday," and "Little Wing." Their rendition of "Cocaine" is worth the price of the disc alone. Groovy, dudes...
	The Black Crowes, By Your Side, 1999 I realize this album is yesterday's news, so speak, but it deserves some serious love. The Crowes' bluesy, Mary-Jane-influenced brand of rock-n-roll is in full swing on this record, and despite obvious pop rock hooks, this album didn't not spawn any significant radio hits. Key tracks include "Only a Fool," "By Your Side," and "Kickin' My Heart Around."
	Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto, 2011 I have to admit that I didn't like this record on the first listen. While Coldplay's first few records, "Parachutes," in particular, are on my desert island list, the first spin through this record got a resounding "ho-hum" from yours truly. That changed one night when I was feeling especially reflective and decided to flop on the couch with my headphones while listening to this record. In this more fragile moment, the lush soundscapes, insightful lyrics and polished tracks spoke to me in a way that I hope all records will (and so few do). Standouts include, "Hurts Like Heaven," Paradise," and "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall."
	Counting Crows, New Amsterdam - Live At Heineken Music Hall, 2006 Say what you will about Adam Duritz's struggles with fame, fortune and his own mental health, the Counting Crows have consistently delivered thought-provoking, hook-laden, thinking man's rock music. There's not a dud in the Crows' catalog. This performance is striking in that it was recorded at the tail-end of the band's arduous 2003 tour. Duritz was coming apart emotionally, which is evident in the gut-wrenching performance he delivers here. "Rain King" reaches new heights on this record that the studio performance on "August and Everything After" could never reach. Soon after this performance, Duritz exiled himself from the music business and sought treatment for mounting mental problems, emerging in 2008 healthy with "Saturday Nights, Sunday Mornings."
	Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan, In Session, 1999 In 1983, blues god Albert King (known as "The Velvet Bulldozer for his towering height and penchant for wearing velvet suits on stage) agreed to do a live for television studio session with then little-known guitar virtuoso Stevie Ray Vaughan. Thank goodness there were sound engineers on hand to capture this epic performance. These two guitar giants rip through a variety of material including some King originals as well as Vaughan's "Pride and Joy." Given that both King and Vaughan have since died, this session remains a lasting tribute to two of the greatest blues musicians to ever play.
	Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Damn the Torpedoes, 1979 I remember buying this record - and I mean record, real vinyl and stuff - when I was in fourth grade. I had to do a serious sell job on my mother to let me bring home an album with a curse word in the title, but I persevered. Once my mother heard the music, I think she was relieved to find out that it was far less subversive than she might have initially suspected. DTT remains one of Petty's most enduring records all these years later, spawning three top 40 singles, "Refugee," "Even the Losers," "Don't Do Me Like That," and "Here Comes My Girl." In 2010, Petty released a deluxe, remastered edition with an entire disc of extra tracks, and I immediately snapped it up. This album takes me back to a happy, simpler time, while still remaining lyrically and sonically relevant. While it's 33 years old, to me, it remains as fresh as when it was released during the Jimmy Carter era.