5 Reasons To Give Ryan Adams A Try

Ryan Adams and I go back to his Whiskeytown days (meaning: I started listening to him in 1995, while Ryan, well, he doesn't know who I am). Since going solo in 2000, he's taken a careening run through 27* genres of music over the course of 323* albums (these are estimates, but Ryan's made a lot of music).

He also just released a song-by-song cover of Taylor Swift's entire 1989 album.

Although his albums Heartbreaker and Gold are damn near perfect as they sit, I've built a lot of Ryan Adams playlists over the years; reconfigured super albums based on whatever emotional/spiritual jag I happened to be on at the time. (I do the same thing with Prince, another prolific guy who I'm sure would also hate me for re-sequencing his work, but, alas, another guy who also doesn't know who I am.)

Ryan's a man of many moods. I might suggest this mellow sampler when you're sipping bourbon by a late fall fire, wistfully.

You should totally do this: ukulele edition

Cheap, fun, and easy. I'm all about all three of those. If you are too, and I know you are, then have I got the thing for you! Sketchy details here:

And then, after you've followed my sage advice and got a ukulele, hit this link to hear from a guy with actual knowledge and ability and such. He addresses everything from tuning to playing. By the way, he calls it an ooo-kulele. This is the correct pronunciation. I'm just not comfortable saying it yet. Much like SOW-na, and Regina, Saskatchewan. Also note: his hat choice adds whimsy to an already whimsical undertaking. You'll have to define your own boundaries in that regard.

5 reasons to give Xavier Rudd a try

There's been a voice in my head lately. The guy behind the voice (still in my head) looks a lot like Xavier Rudd. And he's singing Xavier's song Follow the Sun. While I'm not an expert here, I will say his entire collection hits a nice spot and would fit right alongside Donavon Frankenreiter, Jack Johnson and the other puka-shelled troubadours. I should mention, there are a few nature sound effects in the mix here. And a didgeridoo. The voice in my head doesn't care whether the world is on board with that or not.