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There was a lot of great music released in ‘007, but some stood out more than others. This is my year-end recap of what I enjoyed the most. NOTE: this list excludes anything released on Palo Duro Records, which of course would be at the top of my list!
Lyle Lovett and his Large Band, It’s not Big It’s Large, may be the first and only CD I have actually purchased while standing in line at Starbucks. I’m not certain what that means, other than I am a fan and was excited to see this new release.
And thanks to Starbucks for doing what radio has forgotten - educating people that new music does exist, and we’re not stuck in the 80’s. Well, most of us.
This is a fine recording, filled with soul-stirring and just darn good songs. Buy it.
Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective is another band that you will not discover thanks to our mass media. A 
friend of mine, a paralegal in Austin, caught them live during the Austin City Limits Festival and I happen to speak with her the next day (fresh aglow with discovery). Amazon’s new MP3 store had just launched, so I took the opportunity to purchase Wátina online and test the new iTunes competitor all at once. It was cool - within 5 minutes, I was listening to the music of this relatively obscure artist/band.
First of all, digital technology can be a great thing — the odds of my actually finding this release at my local Wal-Mart are less than zero. What a shame; this is one of my favorite recordings in 2007. If you are into world beat rhythms, check this out - it’s really cool. You can stream portions of this album online, thanks to Amazon.
I’ve always been a fan of the boss, and Bruce Springsteen released two very-good
projects this year. Live in Dublin is expectedly fun – some great remakes of old standards with a very cool twist. And his studio project, Magic, may become one of my all-time favorites. Double points for both the old and the new - a true Americana legend.
At least someone has the good taste to still create great music without signing to a mainstream country record label. Keep on rockin’.
Although Walt Wilkins produced this next recording, it technically
is not released on Palo Duro - and thus qualifies for this list. Sam Baker‘s Pretty World is a raw, soulful collection of memories and poems from this Texas singer/songwriter.
Sam is completely unknown in the states, sadly, but Europe once again proves it’s intelligence by pushing Sam’s record to #1 on their charts. Well done, mates - you have great taste.
If you prefer an occassional quiet drink of a rare and expensive scotch every now and then, you will enjoy Baker’s music. It’s not for the party crowd.
Jimmy LaFave finally recorded a masterpiece with Cimarron Minifesto. I’m still not certain if it compares well to seeing Jimmy perform live, but it comes close.
I personally think it’s really cool when a recording doesn’t meet up to the live show; it’s difficult to capture the magic of a great performer on a piece of plastic, and when the recording sounds better than the real deal - well, it’s just cheap plastic.
Jimmy is the real deal, and this is still a great recording. Go see him live; you will appreciate it. And buy the CD after the show.
My final entry for #7 in ‘007 must go to Elizabeth Cook and her latest release, Balls. I 
am not at all a fan of Elizabeth’s previous recordings, and probably had a negative impression of her talent as a result. But Balls changed my mind, and now I’m a fan of this feisty gal.
She’s the real deal, and quite something to see live. I witnessed her stage banter during the AMA Awards Ceremony, where she transformed a sound glitch into a impromptu comedy act. Oh, and yes - she rocked the room once the problem was fixed. Impressive live, and this recording is worth a listen. Please do.
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