Here are this week’s five songs worth listening to.

Steve Earle–It’s About Blood

My affinity for Steve Earle as a storyteller is well known in this blogosphere. Well, here is the single from Coal Country, the emotional climax to a story about an explosion, specifically, and the evils of corporations on a larger scale. The song peaks with the reading of those who died in the actual event.

God damn right I’m emotional,
I ain’t nothing but a man
Hell yes this is personal
Before we leave here
You gonna understand

Chicago Farmer–Deer In The Sky

I’ve featured Chicago Farmer on here before, but why not another. This is one about chasing dreams (metaphorically) with some fatherly advice. And also, holy ghost of John Fogerty on this one. Cody was joined by Band of Heathens for this album, and it is probably his best yet.

You can stick around with your feet on the ground
There ain’t nothing wrong with getting high
Cause you can’t drink a beer while you are driving down here
And you can’t hit a deer in the sky

Orville Peck–Turn To Hate

Time now for a gay, canadian, country crooner. Yeah, you read that right. Orville Peck made his name with a gimmick, always wearing a distinctive mask, but behind the mask, literally, is a hell of a voice. I didn’t give this album a try when it first came out because I assumed it was gimmicky, but someone I trust their opinion on mentioned it a couple times, so I gave it a try. Turns out, I kind of like it, in a Weird Elvis Does New Wave Country kind of way.

Charles Wesley Godwin–Hardwood Floors

Coal Country and Seneca Creek are probably better tracks on this album, but in honor of ripping up carpet in our living room this month, I went with this track off the debut album from Godwin, out of West Virginia. The album sits heavily in the appalachian noir, but this one is more of the peppy kind.

Let’s warm up these hardwood floors
And tonight I’ll see you spin around
Take my hand, honey, let’s just dance
And pretend there ain’t nobody else in town

Jake Stringer–Let The Wolf Out

I’m in a few very active artist fan groups–American Aquarium, Avett Brothers, Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, etc. Every now and then, I’ll throw out a challenge to give me someone I haven’t heard to but need to. Jake Stringer was one such recommendations from the Childers group. He has two EPs out, and this one was on his reissue debut. Stringer was the road drummer for David Allan Coe for a while, along with a few others, before setting off with his own band, the Better Than Nothin’. He hails out of southwest Missouri, and you can just hear this sound sitting right at home in an Ozark honky tonk right along with the Jamey Johnson types. So pour a highball and tonight let the wolf out.

We’ll be back with five more next week. Until then, remember the immortal words…
“Songs are really just interesting things to be doing with the air.” Tom Waits