In no particular order:Mirage Rock, Band of HorsesI'm a big fan of Ben Bridwell's vocals and every song tells a distinct story with beautiful arrangements.The North, StarsThis makes the list mostly because Hold on When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It is my favorite song of the year. Fear Fun, Father John MistyQuirky, fun, inspired project from former Fleet Foxes member. Also one of my favorite live performances of the year. I saw him in Philly and he'll be at Headliners here in Louisville on Jan. 9th!Maraqopa, Damien JuradoAnother beautiful collaboration with producer Richard Swift from the godfather of Seattle folk/rock.King Tuff, King TuffHe's know to the rock-nerd underworld as King Tuff, but songwriter Kyle Thomas crafted an instantly accessible and totally engaging release. My "put it on in the car and rock out" CD of the year.Stacy Owen is the program director for WFPL's sister station, 91.9 WFPK.
