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

I’ve had a few of these banked for several weeks and am falling behind on timeliness. But, I never said these were going to be brand new. Remember: my list, my rules.

Sadler Vaden–Good Man

This is the second Sadler song I have featured off his Anybody Out There? album. The first was the good Covid-timed title track. But this one is my favorite off the album. A song about being better because she deserves it. Yeah, I can get behind that.

David Banner–Burn

Another socially-timed hip hop track from a bevy or rappers dealing with the angst and frustration the black community has been expressing. Be part of the conversation, if just a listener.

Steve Earle–Times Like These

We now enter the old man portion of this week’s FFF. Steve just released an album. This was not on it. But, he felt compelled by the times to put this out as a one-off acoustic special. Steve wrote this early in the Trump presidency and will be releasing a full-band version on Record Store Day in August. I’ll be looking for that one to buy on vinyl.

We were marchin’ on Washington
Singin’ we shall overcome
Had a dream and the dream lives on
But we still got miles to go
In times like these
I look behind us and I can’t believe
How far we traveled and the web we weave
Through times like these

Willie Nelson–Don’t Let The Old Man In

I can’t believe I’m doing this, but I’m including something tangentially related to Toby Keith. I know, I know. I don’t like doing this anymore than you. But this is a Willie cover a Toby Keith song that was previously used in one of those late-career Clint Eastwood movies I never bother to watch. Willie’s version is better. It just fits him better, for all the obvious reasons.

Plus, that killer line–“Ask yourself how old would you be if didn’t know the day you were born?”

John Prine–I Remember Everything

Last month, they released a posthumous tribute/virtual concert to honor the legendary John Prine. Afterwards, they debuted John’s final song he recorded before passing, I Remember Everything. The man just delivered every single damn time right until the end. This one still cuts onions a month later.

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