Read and Appreciated in 2003

A Year’s Best List

By Anne Sydenham

Originals · Listmania! 2003 · January 8, 2004

Music

Some of my favorite Alt Country artists released fine records this year and I discovered some new artists along the way. Among the best were:

Chinatown, The Be Good Tanyas

Country Folk sung with exquisite harmonies that I found very appealing and quite addictive.

Living With Ghosts, Flaming Red, 1000 Kisses and A Kiss In Time, Patty Griffin

I was so impressed when I first heard Patty Griffin that I purchased all of her records (there are only four).

Ghosts is stark and acoustic, Flaming Red is very much rock’n roll, 1000 Kisses is lush and languid, and A Kiss In Time is a live compilation of all the above. She is an extraordinary songwriter as well as possessing a truly remarkable voice.

It’s a Movie, Shane Nicholson

This guy is a young Australian singer/songwriter who sounds very like Neil Finn of Crowded House fame. Despite that, he is an original. This CD is gentle, moody and melancholic and the songs are dreamlike evocations of love and loss. The CD actually came out last year, but I only discovered it a couple of months ago.

Just an American Boy, Steve Earle

This is a double CD of live recordings made during Earle’s tour to promote Jerusalem. I loved the Jerusalem CD for it’s attitude and it’s great songs. This CD is even better and includes great renditions of his earlier (no pun intended) stuff along with Earle’s witty and cutting monologues.

Love is Hell, Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams is a great favorite of mine. I just love his voice and his romantic twisted songs. Love is Hell is more in his Heartbreaker vein than Gold which was quite upbeat. Mournful is the word for this work. I tried to listen to his other 2003 release Rock ‘n Roll but found it too abrasive, the lyrics inferior and whole thing sounding as if it had been rushed through.

Also recommended are Bruce Cockburn You’ve Never Seen Everything (especially the track “Postcard from Cambodia”), Gillian Welch Soul Journey, Jayhawks Rainy Day Music and Kathleen Edwards Failer.

Anne Sydenham lives in Australia and maintains the Jerusalem Dreaming, an Edward Whittemore tribute web site.

Copyright © 2003 by Anne Sydenham.