Windfarm 2010 All-America Music Team

In an attempt at doing something other than a traditional "best of 2010" list, I've taken a bit of a different route, and instead, listed my favorite albums in the form of an All-America Team. What you'll find are not necessarily the best musicians at every position, but players from my favorite albums of the year broken out by position. Thus, many great musicians get ignored, although my main concern was including at least someone from each of my favorite albums this year.

Yes, I also know some of these are a stretch, but I couldn't just have 14 first team vocals, so there are a few picks that aren't necessarily full time on the instrument they are assigned to. Next year hopefully I can solicit votes from readers and bloggers alike to get a better compilation for this list.


Most Valuable Musicians
Every member of The National - High Violet

First Team
Vocals: John McCaulley III, Deer Tick - The Black Dirt Sessions
Harmony Vocals: Julie Davis & Joseph Pope III, Nathaniel Rateliff - In Memory of Loss
Guitar: Justin Townes Earle - Harlem River Blues
Bass: Murry Hammond - Old 97s - The Grand Theatre: Part I
Drums: Brian Moen, Peter Wolf Crier - Inter-Be
Banjo: Munly Munly - Munly & the Lupercalians - Petr & the Wulf; Slim Cessna's Auto Club - Buried Behind the Barn
Keyboard: Benjamin Tanner, Dylan LeBlanc - Pauper's Field
Pedal Steel: Jon Graboff, Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - III/IV


Second Team
Vocals: Win Butler, Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Harmony Vocals: Ryan Monroe - Band of Horses - Infinite Arms
Guitar: Seth Avett, The Avett Brothers - Live Volume 3
Bass: Reid Perry, The Band Perry - self-titled
Drums: Julian Harmon, The Morning Benders - Big Echo
Banjo: Winston Marshall - Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Keyboard/Piano: Eric Earley, Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer of the Void


All-Texas Team
Vocals: Will Johnson, Centro-matic/South San Gabriel - Eyas
Guitar: Daniel Markham, One Wolf - One Wolf II: Secret of the Wolf
Pedal Steel: Colt Miller, Thrift Store Cowboys - Light Fighter
Bass: Brooks Kendall, Jr. - Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward - The Apology, Part I
Drums: Rob Sanchez, Monahans - 2010 Recordings
Banjo: Glen Farris - Doug Burr - O Ye Devastator
Keyboards: Adi Kanlic - The Lusitania - Rain & Rivers


Other First Teamers

Autobiographer: Keith Richards - Life

Documentarian: Gandulf Hennig - Merle Haggard: Learning to Live With Myself

Live experience: singalong of "When My Time Comes" - Dawes - Fox Theatre, Boulder 06/19/10

Shameless Self Promotion: Windfarm - "The Proud Colorado Mountains of Townes Van Zandt" (Hey, I spent a lot of time on that post, so why not give it one more mention?)

Venue: Hi-Dive, Denver, CO

Song of the Year: "Red, Red" - Doug Burr - Specifically, the moment the drums come in on this song is the best musical moment of 2010 for me.

Close second place for song of the year: "Christchurch Woman" - Justin Townes Earle

Radio station: 1410 AM, KRIL, Odessa, TX

Record store find: Vic Chesnutt, Little (vinyl first printing)

TV show(s): Southland, Modern Family, Hard Knocks, Friday Night Lights, Dexter, Eastbound & Down, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, No Reservations, Human Target

Magazine Interview: "The Lost Lennon Tapes" - Rolling Stone

Sports blog: Feinstein on the Brink

Odd Celebrity Sighting: Vijay Singh on Pearl Street in Boulder (might have been 2009)

Best Daytrotter sessions: Nathaniel Rateliff - 06/21/2010; Dawes - 07/08/2010

Non-fiction book: Welcome to Utopia - Karen Valby

Album I rediscovered: The Dark - Guy Clark

Person who deserves Supporting Actor Nomination: John Hawkes in Winter's Bone

Best pick-up truck ever: This baby blue Chevy Scottsdale I saw at HEB -

Austin Bands in Austin for SXSW

Every March brings thousands of bands to Austin in search of record deals, women and free booze. There are unspoken contests on who has the coolest sunglasses at most venues in which normal people do not participate. Most locals attend some free show while others lock all of their doors and board up the windows. Local bands tend to play around the party scene and take part in at least one showcase during the week. Here’s a short list of Austin bands that I recommend. (Disclaimer: all of these bands are better than whatever “wave” party Pitchfork is hosting.)

Monahans – I’ve seen this band live around ten times in the last few years and they’ve all been enjoyable experiences. But, the band is truly firing on all cylinders since last fall and is riding the streak into SXSW. They’ve perfected their live set and mix a good number of old tunes with songs from their latest album, Dim the Aurora. Be sure to check out their “song a month” plan for the rest of 2010 at their website.

Thurs., 3/18 – Space12 (3121 E. 12th St.) - 2 PM
Thurs., 3/18 – TwangFest at Jovita’s – 4:30 PM
Fri., 3/19 – Ramble Creek Party at Show Lush’s Backyard - 3 PM

Sat., 3/20 - Alejandro Escovedo Maria's Taco Express - 11:45 AM
Sat., 3/20 – Spune Party at J. Black’s - 5:30 PM

Cory Branan – His live shows are a unique experience to say the least. If you’re in the need of an attitude adjustment then this is the man to see. He will hopefully be playing some new songs from his upcoming album as well as his crowd pleasing classics. A Cory Branan show will improve your SXSW experience beyond all reason no matter your preference of musical genre.

Thurs., 3/18 - Barbarella - 10 PM

Fri., 3/19 - Continental CLub - 2:45 PM

Sat., 3/20 - Music Gym - 9:30 PM

Centro-Matic – One of the most prolific bands to come from Texas will break their silence starting at this year’s SXSW. It’s been a while since we’ve seen the band perform on stage together. They band splits their time and members between Denton and Austin but I consider them to be more of a local act than most of the transplant bands in this town. I’m sure new songs will be revealed and loved by people who enjoy great music.

Thurs., 3/18 - Emo's Annex - 12 AM

Fri., 3/19 - Will Johnson solo Ramble Creek Party Show Lush’s Backyard - 3 PM
Fri., 3/19 – Brooklyn Vegan at Club DeVille - 4:30 PM

Sad Accordions – If you’re in the mood for music that prohibits you from sitting still then you should check out this band. Just listening to their recorded work doesn’t do the group justice. You have to see them in person to experience the force of their new songs and how each one builds into a storm of sound. That’s right, a storm of sound. They will be previewing songs from their soon to be released EP.

Thurs., 3/18 – Space12 (3121 E. 12th St.)