My admittedly semi-obscure pick for album of the year goes to Califone “Villagers” – Tim Rutili and company, furthering their perfection of the unlikely mash of folk sensibilities, electronic punctuation, found noises and compelling lyricism. The former founding member of blues-rock oriented Red Red Meat, Rutili has taken these disparate elements and combined them in an uncanny, unexpectedly emotional collection of observations of modern life in what can only be described as “Califone Music”. One listen will get you down the Califone rabbit-hole where there is much more to explore.
| Artist | Album | Label | |
| 1 | Califone | Villagers | Jealous Butcher |
| 2 | Joe Henry | All the Eye Can See | Earmusic |
| 3 | Jason Isbell | Weathervanes |
Southeastern Records
|
| 4 | Bob Dylan | Fragments – Time Out of Mind Sessions (1996-1997) The Bootleg Series Volume 17 |
Columbia/Legacy
|
| 5 | The Zombies | Different Game | Cooking Vinyl |
| 6 | Rickie Lee Jones | Pieces of Treaure |
Modern Recordings
|
| 7 | Bob Dylan | Shadow Kingdom |
Columbia/Legacy
|
| 8 | Little Feat | Sailin’ Shoes (Reissue) |
Rhino/Warner Records
|
| 9 | The Baseball Project | Grand Salami Time |
Omnivore Recordings
|
| 10 | Clarence White | The Lost Masters: 19633-1970 | Liberation Hall |
