Mike’s 2013

1. Jason Isbell—Southeastern. Just about every song is strong, and one as good as it gets: Elephant.
2. Tim Berne’s Snakeoil—Shadow Man. Strong second to BB’s rec. Instantly became one of my favorite ECM recordings. God, what a band.
3. Son Volt—Honky Tonk. Quite possibly their best album yet. Try Angel of the Blues.
4. Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band—Take Me to the Land of Hell. New Yoko always cause for celebration, a hell of a lot of fun to listen to for a while and funky as hell. Try Moonbeams.
5. Myra Melford—Life Carries Me This Way. Surprisingly, Melford’s first solo recording. Just started listening to this, but as she’s never put out a bad record there’s no reason to think this won’t become a favorite for the year. Attic

Reissues: Jimi Hendrix—People, Hell and Angels.