The Marinade's Favorite Records of 2023 | Part I

Welcome to The Marinade’s Favorite Records of 2023! It has always struck me as a little strange that media outlets start to release their year-end lists as early as November. I don’t say that to be contrarian, or even critical, it just strikes me as incongruent with how I think about these things. One of my favorite records from 2022, Adeem the Artist’s White Trash Revelry was not realeased until December, and these things need time to digest.

Thus, it has been my practice to wait until the end of 2023 or first of 2024 to start compiling my list. I chose the adjective favorite because it’s a little biased. Some of my friends and favorite artists made the cut. This is not a journalistic exercise, it’s a celebration of the records that meant the most to me during what was by far the toughest year of my life.

These albums are presented in no particular order except that the three in this post were by far the most influential and important to me.

They are companions and comforts- go-tos during the good and not-so-good of turbulent year.

Enjoy the list and jump in the comments with your thoughts! Thank you for another amazing year of The Marinade!

Love,

JE

Van Plating - Orange Blossom Child

This record is close to home. For the most part, the work I do is intentionally subjective. I lose myself in records regardless of their perspective. With Van Plating albums, the immersion leaves me up to my neck in the swamp that is this place we both call home. 

Van Plating is one of the best people I know and I love her dearly. She is also one of the best songwriters in a genre full of brilliant artists.

Her brand of Americana, which she calls Orange Blossom Country, is always fresh and exciting. This record deftly touches on the reproductive rights of women, enduring and laughing at the entitled misogyny of the music industry, Gen X nostalgia, and so much more. Despite the broad swath of themes, Orange Blossom Child is a cohesive masterwork that steps up her already incredible catalog.  

Jason Isbell - Weathervanes

Marinade Media is full of exaltations of this man and his work. Jason Isbell is America’s greatest songwriter and each album is better than the last.

That point finds itself under frequent debate among Isbell’s super fans. I contend there is a case to be made that all of his other near perfect records have a misstep. “Super 8” is a good song but it sticks out like a sore thumb on his otherwise perfect breakthrough Southeastern. “Anxiety” borders on Dr. Suess triteness at times on the Grammy winning The Nashville Sound. 

Weathervanes contains no arguable missteps. It is full of songs that could each be my favorite of the year. Take “Volunteer,” which has flown under the radar. Find one song from any other artist that rivals this tune.

Pony Bradshaw - North Georgia Rounder

If Jason Isbell did not exist this would probably be my favorite record of the year. Pony Bradshaw’s sense of place and ability to transport the listener is rivaled by very few writers. I have been listening to this record since November of 2022 when it was first pitched to me for coverage.

As is custom, I burned a CD and listened to it on my morning commute, while on my way to a job I hated, and when going to the store. It was there all year and then some as I navigated the mundane as well as the complicated and heavy aspects of my life.

North Georgia Rounder does not need space to grow on you. Its brilliance is apparent from the first listen. But, if you are open, it will give and give. 

Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, Sheryl Crow, and Waxahatchee Live Review and Photos | St. Augustine Amphitheatre | June 10, 2022

Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) and her band take the stage as folks file into the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. It’s a balmy June night like so many before in this perfect venue. She takes the stage as a lion. A multi-talented cultural force who has sold more than 50 million albums and our greatest living songwriter are up next in succession. Titans who have thirteen Grammy awards between them.

Waxahatchee may not yet have the same name recognition as Jason Isbell or Sheryl Crow but what she lacks in notoriety she makes up for with stage presence and songwriting chops.

No matter how powerful the performer, there is often no way around a few folks talking through the opener. For every cluster of chatter tonight there is an equal or opposite bundle of boosters standing, swaying, stomping, and singing every lyric as Waxahatchee rips through songs from her five wonderful records.

By the time the crowd begins to settle at the end of Waxahatchee’s set, her merch table has a line to rival Sheryl Crow and Jason Isbell. New fans have been made. Existing relationships fortified. 

Photo by Jenn Ross

Sheryl Crow is due on stage at 7:30 and arrives not a second overdue. It is easy to take her greatness for granted. Nine Grammy awards and hit after hit for thirty plus years. For many of us in attendance, Sheryl Crow has been making cool stuff for damn near our entire lives. That kind of consistency and longevity of excellence can lead to supportive complacency. Tonight is a reminder of her brilliance. 

“Let’s take it back to when your kids were born,” Crow ribs as she finishes “If It Makes You Happy” and launches into “All I wanna Do.” As you read those titles, each tune made an immediate appearance in your mind’s eye. For folks in their thirties and forties, our childish crushes have turned to admiration for this woman and the contributions she has made to our popular culture.

Sheryl Crow is so damn cool. Every song in the set is a hit, and not just a tune that charted well. These are songs with generational staying power. Every word of the entire set is cemented in our popular consciousness.

Ten songs in, the hit parade still marching, Sheryl Crow announces Jason Isbell is going to join her for a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Everything is Broken.” Out of all the Dylan songs, this one from his mid-period seems like a curious choice at first. Halfway through the first verse it is clear “Everything is Broken” is the perfect duet for Crow and Isbell. 

Photo by Jenn Ross

Sheryl Crow and Jason Isbell share the rare combination of commercial connectability and artistic integrity. “Everything is Broken” feels meant for a duet in their hands. It is a mainstream chart worthy tune that dives deep. The song dabbles in the blues without trying to sound like it is from the Delta. It is a folk song and a rock song. A singalong. In so many ways “Everything is Broken” showcases the qualities that made us fall in love with Sheryl Crow and later Jason Isbell.

Crow closes out the set with a performance of her smash hit “Soak Up the Sun.” We needn’t wait too long for Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit to take the stage a few minutes ahead of schedule. Jason Isbell opening songs have become an event in themselves. At this point in his still rising career, he has released four classic studio records of original music preceded by three great efforts. His contributions to Drive-by Truckers remain some of the best in their illustrious catalog. How does he fill the leadoff spot from that roster?

Photo by Jenn Ross

Most folks have settled in their rows for the closing set. When Isbell and The 400 Unit played this same venue in 2021, the pit was general admission, standing room only. Right now it feels like we should all have an agreement to treat the amphitheatre like one big pit. 

Alas, this is a mixed crowd. Some folks are here for Sheryl and stayed for Jason. On the whole, this group skews older than a typical Isbell show. While many of us may selfishly wish we were on our feet, compromises must be made in the name of rock.

“What Have I Done To Help” kicks off the set. The song captures the energy of a live Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit show better than any piece of music journalism could. 

Isbell does so much well. Perhaps his most powerful skill is pointing a lens at society in a way that is personal and pointed, yet unpretentious and hopeful. “What Have I Done To Help” and its follow up in this set “Hope the High Road” capture the energy of the band’s community. 

Photo by Jenn Ross

During a Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit show, the doubts that plague so many of us right now are replaced by a sense that there “can’t be more of them than us.” The concert is not an escape. Problems are not swept under the rug. It’s just that here you feel less alone. You feel like we can do better. We can acknowledge the nasty bits and not get so bogged down in them that progress feels impossible. 

At the end of the night we have heard songs from the beginning of Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit’s catalog. They have played “Elephant” and “24 Frames” and “Cover Me Up.” There was even a performance of Drivin’ N Cryin’s “Honeysuckle Blue” from the excellent Georgia Blue record- Sadler Vaden owning the vocals. 

The encore included “Tour of Duty” played by Sadler and Jason like they were a progressive bluegrass duo. All of that goodness yet nothing from Jason Isbell’s time with the Drive-by Truckers. No matter. This band has come a long way since the “Stop Fucking Around and Play Outfit” tour.

Photo by Jenn Ross

Jason's Journal | Gasparilla Music Festival Day 3

Amy Ray

Jason Earle and Jenn Ross are covering Gasparilla Music Festival 2022. This is the fourth installment of Jason’s Journal which chronicles the experiences in and around the festival. To read about the lead-up to the festival, click here. For the Day 1 journal click here. Day two can be found here.

All photos by Jenn Ross Photography

Van Plating texts with an invitation to brunch right about the time my body reaches the end of its sleeping-in allowance. I am a tick tired but the trundle bed in our FearBnB treated me okay. Nine hours of sleep in a strange bed after a busy day on my feet is sufficient so long as I drink enough water and eat well.

I make sure to take advantage of any opportunity to hang with Van. She is a bright light and a good friend. I come away with each interaction a better person. She must be feeling on top of the world after yesterday’s performance.

Finding brunch in Tampa is more complicated than I remember it being years ago. Not sure if that is a function of things in town changing or me not paying as much attention to brunch spots. 

Van is on the case and of course she finds a hip place in Ybor City. I hung out in Ybor for many years before Jason Isbell wrote “Traveling Alone” or Craig Finn referenced the legendary neighborhood twice on one Hold Steady album. Still, the lyrics get stuck in my head every time I visit and they shape my memories of those times.

Sitting at this table with Van, Emily Smith, Jenn Ross, and Noan Partly, I feel enormous gratitude. I get to break bread and exchange ideas with impressive folks before we head to Gasparilla Music Festival (GMF.) 

Sunday is my favorite of Gasparilla Music Festival’s now three days. A hallmark of GMF is the lack of scheduling conflicts. Sunday is even easier than Friday and Saturday.

Amy Ray is the first must-see for us today. I have been a casual Indigo Girls fan over the years but have yet to dive in the way diehard fans swear one should. Leading up to GMF I started spending more time with their work and Amy’s solo records. There is so much to love about this set. Amy Ray is grateful for the crowd. A mix of folks who look like Amy Ray clones and middle aged men are up front hanging on every word.

Her band is on fire! It is just after 2:00 in the afternoon but the Amy Ray Band is bringing headliner energy. I had sort of figured this would be a good warm up set for me. Maybe have a few minutes to finish and publish my day two recap. Not gonna happen. She launches into “Laramie,” a tune that takes the energy up and in a different direction. I am excited to get to the merch table and buy some physical copies. 

There were few physical copies at the merch tables all weekend this year. I’m not sure why that’s the case. Lots of shirts, a few hats, almost no CDs or records. The only disappointment of the weekend.

The Legendary Mavis Staples

Kenzie Wheeler is mid-set in Kiley Gardens. Radio country sound. Not really my thing but a good example of GMF’s commitment to a diverse lineup. I think my time will be best spent hydrating and getting ready for the legend Mavis Staples! The first time I saw America’s queen was at a legendary Magnolia Fest (Mavis, Willie, Prine, Kristofferson, Stephen Marley, DBT) at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in 2013.

All of the obvious things you would expect from this moment are true. Mavis is full of light and love. She is revered by peers, fans, and folks who have never heard her name alike. The hive makes its way to the main stage well ahead of her set.

What I should have expected but did not consider until this moment halfway through her set is how Mavis keeps folks smiling while addressing the gravity of the moment. She is making statements about war, social justice, and women’s rights- all while keeping heads popping and smiles stretching. 

Mavis is an American pop culture hero. A person whose accomplishments are and continue to be unassailable. Thankfully, she tells us she “Ain’t done yet.” 

Mavis Staples Forever

I don’t envy anyone who has to follow an icon. Neal Francis seems up to the task in Kiley Gardens. Aaron Lee Tasjan tweeted about him yesterday so I knew I needed to prioritize his set. The songs are layered, haunting bits of world-building. World-building through texture is my first impression. 

These moments are the essence of Gasparilla Music Festival and I love them. Neal Francis does not make music that would normally seek out but his work is well within my passion wheelhouse. Without GMF I would have seen that tweet from Aaron, wrote it down to revisit, and then not thought about Neal Francis again until someone else mentioned him down the line. 

Instead he is in my deep dive queue right after I spend a couple of weeks with Amy Ray. 

This being Sunday, and me missing my partner and our pups, I am ready to get home. Allman Betts Band is up next. I don’t know that Jenn or I have much left but I also want to get at least a little taste of the band. 

My uncle turned me onto The Allman Brothers when I was about thirteen. It sounded cooler than anything I had ever heard. Felt like the country music I grew up on but untethered from the same structure. 

Jenn is shooting the first three and then we are heading out. I wish I could stick it out longer. Pinegrove and Trombone Shorty are up next. I would love to see all three sets. It’s just not in the cards at the moment. One lesson I learned a few years ago is to celebrate what you get to see and do not sweat what you miss. 

Allman Betts Band

I got to see great music and great friends at one of my favorite festivals. Cheers to Gasparilla Music Festival. Thank you for having us.

Finally, thank you to my good friend and collaborator, Jenn Ross. I am grateful for you.

Allman Betts Band Huddle

Jenn and Jason