As Blue Oyster Cult once sang, then came the last days of May. As we head into summer, it’s a good time to look at some of the best tunes so far of this year. This list heavy on alt-country/No Depression/Americana, but that’s just the way I roll these days. The #1 slot is by the band with the best album of the year so far (and the #3 slot comes from the second best album of the year). I have no idea if Parker Millsap is being sincere or ironic on “Truck Stop Gospel,” but in either case, he’s made me a believer. In Parker Millsap.
25. She Used to Love Me A Lot, Johnny Cash
24. Long White Line, Sturgill Simpson
23. No Strings, Chloe Howl
22. Stranger to My Happiness, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
21. Shelter Song, Temples
20. Call Me, St. Paul & the Broken Bones
19. Zigzagging Toward the Light, Conor Oberst
18. Dizzy Heights, Neil Finn
17. The Last Time, The Rolling Stones (Live 1965)
16. Destination, Nickel Creek
15. I Ain’t Looking for No Trouble, Ray Benson
14. The Swan, Cheatahs
13. Lies You Forgot You Told, Peter Mulvey
12. Love Sublime, Tensnake
11. Black and Blue, Secret Sisters
10. Bad Self Portraits, Lake Street Dive
9. It’s Not Easy, The Henry Girls
8. Shit Shots Counts, Drive-By Truckers
7. This Will Be Our Year, Kelly Willis and Bruce Robinson
6. Sour Times, The Civil Wars
5. Hunter of Invisible Game, Bruce Springsteen
4. Truck Stop Gospel, Parker Millsap
3. Head, Lydia Loveless
2. A Feather’s Not a Bird, Rosanne Cash
1. Longer Than You’ve Been Alive, Old 97’s
