![\"280_m-ward-hold-time\"](\"http:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/06\/280_m-ward-hold-time.jpg\" "\\"280_m-ward-hold-time\\"")
The beauty of M. Ward\u2019s \u201cHold Time\u201d does not make itself readily apparent upon first listen. Granted, the loose, bluesy hook of \u201cNever Had Nobody Like You\u201d and the majestic build of \u201cStars of Leo\u201d make a fine first impression, but you really need time with this album to tune into its unique brand of beauty.<\/p>\n
The simple arrangements and understated vocal lines blend seamlessly together.<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Steve Earle \u2013 Townes<\/strong><\/p>\n Steve Earl\u2019s tribute to Van Zandt goes far beyond just an album of covers. Earl offers new interpretations rather than karaoke versions of Towne\u2019s greatest hits. Even if you don\u2019t know Van Zandt\u2019s work, this album will draw you in.<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dan Auerbach \u2013 Keep it Hid<\/strong><\/p>\n Auerbach is unlikely to quit his day job just yet, but this album stands strong in the face of the brilliant Keys legacy.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Neko Case \u2013 Middle Cyclone<\/strong><\/p>\n If you don\u2019t know who Case is, you need to.<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Justin Townes Earle \u2013 Midnight at the Movies<\/strong><\/p>\n Earle even covers the Replacements\u2019 classic \u201cCan\u2019t Hardly Wait\u201d and widdles the mid-1980s rocker down to a simple guitar and mandolin arrangement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Great music exists \u2013 it only needs someone willing to find it. I listened to more new music this year than I ever had in my life. These are my top five favorite albums released during the 2008-2009 school year. Disclaimer: I listen to mostly singer\/songwriter types and most of these albums have a very […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[1988],"class_list":["post-2123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tartan-news","tag-clarionadmindennis"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"cc_featured_image_caption":{"caption_text":false,"source_text":false,"source_url":false},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5s3vR-yf","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2123"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2123\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15424,"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2123\/revisions\/15424"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"280_townes\"](\"http:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/06\/280_townes.jpg\" "\\"280_townes\\"")
It is a crime that more people don\u2019t know about Townes Van Zandt. The poetic cowboy spent a lifetime playing his music in bars across this great nation, and maybe that is where these songs belong: served up at a quarter till two in the morning, with beer spilled on the floor and the smell of stale cigarette smoke in the air.<\/p>\n![\"280_dan_auerbach_keep_it_hid\"](\"http:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/06\/280_dan_auerbach_keep_it_hid.jpg\" "\\"280_dan_auerbach_keep_it_hid\\"")
Dan Auerbach usually fronts the indie rock darlings from Akron, Ohio known as The Black Keys. Where that duo \u2013 just Auerbach on guitar and Patrick Carney on drums \u2013 keeps their grooves firmly planted in blues riffs, Auerbach\u2019s first solo release treads more experimental waters.<\/p>\n![\"280_middle_cyclone-neko_case_480\"](\"http:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/06\/280_middle_cyclone-neko_case_480.jpg\" "\\"280_middle_cyclone-neko_case_480\\"")
Neko Case\u2019s \u201cMiddle Cyclone\u201d delivers a hauntingly deep sound; chock full of amazingly complex and organic songs. The album was recorded in a barn and the ambient noises that bleed in from the surrounding farm add character to every track.<\/p>\n![\"280_jte-midnight\"](\"http:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/06\/280_jte-midnight.jpg\" "\\"280_jte-midnight\\"")
The Earles are well represented on this list; with Justin\u2019s father Steve turning up at number two. The younger Earle\u2019s album delivers a similar, mellow tone. \u201cMidnight at the Movies\u201d sounds like a classic country album \u2013 think Hank Williams meets Paul Westerberg.<\/p>\n