My Taste in Music

Songs of the day, albums of the month, and why I like them

country

  • Silver Dagger – Charley Crockett One of the best entertainers out today, Charley Crockett should be one of the faces of country music, but instead the powers that be continue to pander to a pop radio audience and perpetually shove acts like Morgan Wallen down our throats. Morgan has a cool voice, but his songs Read more

  • Self Destructive Zones – Drive By Truckers The Drive By Truckers first post-Isbell record, Brighter Than Creation’s Dark is one of their best. There are plenty of songs to highlight and it was hard to choose just one for today’s post, but before I got into this album in it’s entirety, “Self Destructive Zones” was Read more

  • I mentioned yesterday how the “Pizza Tapes” are what really got me into the Dead. Up until then, I had no idea about the amount of influence that country music had on Jerry Garcia. Backstory of the music – in 1993, David Grisman was at his home studio jamming and hanging out with Tony Rice, Read more

  • I’m On Fire – Whitey Morgan and the 78s I’m a big fan of covers that give us a different spin or take on songs, or just something to make it unique compared to the original. Whitey Morgan‘s “I’m on Fire” might be my favorite. Whitey is a true outlaw country singer, and I had Read more

  • Pink Skies – Zach Bryan Whenever I’m going through a tough time, there are certain artists that I tend to gravitate back to. Zach Bryan is one of those, as he has plenty of songs for whatever mood I’m in. One of the things I love about his music is how close to home his Read more

  • Look at Miss Ohio – Gillian Welch I first heard “Look At Miss Ohio” in a cover done by Miranda Lambert that is really good, but I think the original by Gillian Welch is my favorite. There’s something about the way that Gillian sings the song that perfectly matches the lyrics, almost like you can Read more

  • Rock Salt and Nails – Tyler Childers Another song covered by so many artists, and written by, but never performed or recorded by Utah Phillips, “Rock Salt and Nails” is one of the most haunting country songs of all time. Performed by Tyler Childers, the song seems to take on a whole new level of Read more

  • In Bloom – Sturgill Simpson Sturgill Simpson covering Nirvana. A perfect union of contrary things. Sturgill remains one of my favorite modern country musicians, and in all honesty probably one of my favorite artists of all time. I was first made aware of him when this album, A Sailor’s Guide To Earth came out in Read more

  • Midnight Special – Various Artists “Midnight Special” is one of the great American songs, with origins a prison work song in the south. This is one of those songs that transcends time, and has been performed in various different styles, with its roots of course being in the blues, the foundation for pretty much all Read more

  • Dance In the Desert – Daniel Donato Happy New Year! I decided to start off 2025 with a really fun one. Daniel Donato is a hell of a guitar player, and I would recommend listening to more than just the song I chose to feature to get a real sense of his style. This one Read more