The Best Songs of 2011 (so far...)

Recommended for immediate downloading from your favorite vendor:

The Movement of Cherry Blossom Shadows - Le Concorde

Come A Rain - Kevin Welch

Not Too Late - Freebass

Burden of Tomorrow - The Tallest Man On Earth

You Say It Too - Buva

Magic Lantern - Doug Powell

Drinking Beer On The Roof - The Handsome Family

Like New Year's Day - Matthew Ryan & Hammock

Mr. Let's Find Out - The Caribbean

The Magic Place - Julianna Barwick

Late Bloomer - Ron Sexsmith

Kiss Like Your Kiss - Lucinda Williams

Love And Hard Times - Paul Simon

Up On The North Shore - The Sea And Cake

Someone You'd Admire - Fleet Foxes

Always Like The Son - Release The Sunbird

Perfect Day - Cassettes Won't Listen

The Copper Top - Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat

Towers - Bon Iver

Horses - Joseph Arthur

Cemetery Guns - Fountains of Wayne

NOTE: many of these can be downloaded for free at

 http://www.magnetmagazine.com/category/free-mp3s/

Doug Powell - The Apprentice's Sorcerer

Somehow Doug Powell's latest release slipped past me until I stumbled upon it about a week ago on emusic. Released fittingly back on Halloween 2010 The Apprentice's Sorcerer is a concept album that turns the world of magic and belief upside down while scrutinizing the essence of light and its impact on what is and is not revealed. It's easy to interpret these songs as an extension of Powell's ongoing spiritual quest as they probe the concepts of belief, deception and ultimately faith. He's become quite the wizard in the studio as the production is top-notch and the songs sound dynamic, provocative and crystal clear. Most of the tunes are hyperactive toe-tappers but Doug squeezes in a couple of touching ballads that really shine in contrast. The album ends with The Professor's Nightmare which features a spoken-word intro by a Stephen Hawking-like drone whose computerized voice creates a synthetic non-human approach to the spirit world yet morphs into a lively piano solo that seemingly incorporates all of humanity's passion and potential and, perhaps, even a bit of its madness. And then suddenly, it's over: all matter has at long last fallen apart along the edges and God has left the building.

Or has He simply emerged from another door?

Available from CD Baby.