1) Bottle Rockets~ South Broadway Athletic Club
2) John Moreland~ High On Tulsa Heat
3) Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats~ S/T
4) Gurf Morlix~ Eatin' At Me
5) Glen Hansard~ Didn't He Ramble
6) J. D. McPherson~ Let The Good Times Roll
7) Mountain Goats~ Beat The Champ
8) Ryan Bingham~ Fear & Saturday Night
9) Jeffrey Foucault~ Salt As Wolves
10) Ray Wylie Hubbard~ The Ruffian's Misfortune
11) Richard Thompson~ Still
12) Josh Ritter~ Sermon On The Rocks
13) Joseph Arthur~ Days Of Surrender
14) Jason Isbell~ Something More Than Free
15) Shakey Graves~ And The War Came
16) Daniel Romano~If I've Only One Time For The Asking
17) Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard~ Django & Jimmie
18) Wrinkle Neck Mules~ I Never Thought It Would Go This Far
19) Rickie Lee Jones~ The Other Side Of desire
20) Steve Earle~ Terraplane

No musical comment, but I did just spend an evening a couple weeks abo watching semi-pro wrestling at the South Broadway Athletic Club. Haven't heard that Bottle Rockets yet, but they are always solid.

Really like both of these, but especially the JD McPherson - it's pretty much assured on my top ten.

In reality, the first 6 or so on my list could easily be put in a hat, and pulled out in any random order and it would be fine with me- that's how much I like every one of them.

Back in early spring, I was in Pittsburgh, heard McPherson's "Head Over Heels"on the radio driving somewhere, and was caught, completely. Ordered the album as soon as I got back to hotel. No disappointments.

McPherson is also a highpoint on Shovels & Rope's Broken Jukebox, lending vocals to a cover of Toussaint McCall's "Nothing Takes The Place Of You."

Rateliff almost made my list. I also liked Isbell and Romano, though I preferred Romano's previous albums. Wasn't crazy about those odd instrumental interludes he put between each song. They just didn't seem to quite fit.

John Moreland, Jason Isbell and Daniel Romano would all make my list if I made one.

I recommend the 2015 albums from Robert Earl Keen and Barna Howard if you haven't heard them.

Keen is one of those people that I've always liked as a songwriter more than as a performer. Barna Howard is unknown to me.

I didn't warm up at all to the Isbell for a while. The first few listens told me it was pretty forgettable, but I was on a road trip downstate and back a few weeks ago, and I guess I actually listened to it. The Romano is not a stellar effort, IMO.

Isbell albums for me are always growers. I'm usually initially very annoyed by what I feel like is little attention paid to sequencing. They feel like mere collections of mostly good songs with poor flow and no cohesive vision. After I've listened enough, I usually like most all of the songs enough that I get completely over that. Happened again with this one.

I like the Romano and probably much more than the last one but it still would fall somewhere in the 10-20 range for me.

Here's a good intro to Barna Howard:



The songs here are from his 2012 debut but it will give you a good impression of his sound. He sounds pretty heavily influenced by TVZ to my ears. He's definitely worth your attention imho.

I understand what you are saying about Robert Earl Keen. I'm not a huge fanboy but this album is different -- its an album of bluegrass covers -- both classic bluegrass/country songs and songs like Richard Thompson's "1952 Vincent Black Lightening" re-imagined as bluegrass songs. He has a pretty crack band behind him and I really love the album. It would be #2 on my year end list but #1 roots/americana/country style.

here's a taste (well live, not studio):



The other album I should have but forgot to recommend was Gill Landry's (of Old Crow Medicine Show). Its pretty great.

Way to work, 'Toze!