The Best of 2001: Staff Picks
(Photo by Erik McLean via Unsplash)
Scroll down or jump to: (in alphabetical order)
Delphine Blue | Russ Borris | Darren DeVivo | Dennis Elsas | George Evans | Laura Fedele | Pete Fornatale | Nicholas Hill | Rita Houston | Claudia Marshall | Corny O'Connell | John Platt | Vin Scelsa | Janeen Shaitelman | Julianne Welby | Karin Williams
Claudia Marshall
FUV Weekday Morning Host
In no particular order:
- Various Artists: Down From the Mountain/O, Brother Where Art Thou
- Blind Boys of Alabama: Spirit of the Century
- Don Conoscenti: Paradox of Grace
- Bob Dylan: Love and Theft
- Holmes Brothers: Speaking in Tongues
- Los Super Seven: Canto
- Kirsty MacColl: Tropical Brainstorm
- David Mead: Mine and Yours
- Sam Phillips: Fan Dance
- Rufus Wainwright: Poses
- Gillian Welch: Time (The Revelator)
Julianne Welby
News & Public Affairs Director/FUV Weekday Morning Host
- Amy Correia: Carnival Love
Just about every note on this album makes me smile, even during endless traffic jams on I-95 road trips. Thanks, Amy! - Radiohead: Amnesiac
- Rufus Wainwright: Poses
- Ryan Adams: Gold
- Honeydogs: Here's Luck
- Lucinda Williams: Essence
- Various: O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack
- Cowboy Junkies: Open
- Frank Black & The Catholics: Dog in the Sand
- Kirsty MacColl: Tropical Brainstorm
Darren DeVivo
FUV Weekday Host
- The North Mississippi Allstars: 51 Phantom
- Action Figure Party: Action Figure Party
- Freedy Johnston: Right Between The Promises
- Elton John: Songs From The West Coast
- Paul McCartney: Driving Rain
- The Electric Light Orchestra: Zoom
- Groove Collective: It's All In Your Mind
- Soulive: Doin' Something
- Swag: Catch-All
- John Hammond: Wicked Grin
- Graham Parker: Deepcut To Nowhere
- Buddy Guy: Sweet Tea
- Diana Krall: The Look Of Love
- The Bears: Car Caught Fire
- Terence Blanchard: Let's Get Lost
- John Mayall & Friends: Along For The Ride
- Carlos Santana (Reconstructions & Mix Translations by Bill Laswell): Divine Light
- Radiohead: Amnesiac (honorable mention: I Might Be Wrong Live Recordings)
- Afro Celt Sound System: Volume 3: Further In Time
- CPR: Just Like Gravity
- The Holmes Brothers: Speaking In Tongues
- Glenn Tilbrook: The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook
- R.E.M.: Reveal
- Robbie McIntosh Band: Wide Screen
- Nick Lowe: The Convincer
- Air: 10,000 Hz Legend
- John Mayer: Room For Squares
- E.S.T.: Somewhere Else Before
- The Rosenbergs: Mission: You
- Larry Carlton & Steve Lukather: No Substitutions - Live In Osaka
(honorable mention: Larry Carlton's Deep Into It)
Dennis Elsas
FUV Weekday Host
In alphabetical order:
- Ryan Adams: Gold
- Eric Clapton: Reptile
- Bob Dylan: Love and Theft
- Ben Folds: Rockin' the Suburbs
- John Hiatt: The Tiki Bar is Open
- Lucy Kaplansky: Every Single Day
- Graham Parker: Deepcut To Nowhere
- R.E.M.: Reveal
- Swag: Catch All
- Travis: The Invisible Band
- Jim White: No Such Place
Corny O'Connell
FUV Weekday Host
In alphabetical order:
- Action Figure Party - Action Figure Party
- Bob Dylan - Love and Theft
- Coldplay - Parachutes
- John Hammond - Wicked Grin
- John Hiatt - The Tiki Bar is Open
- John Mayer - Room for Squares
- Jeb Loy Nichols - Just What Time It Is
- Jimmy Smith - Dot Com Blues
- Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator)
- Lucinda Williams - Essence
Delphine Blue
FUV Weekday Host
In ever-changing order:
- Tricky: Blowback
- Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros: Global A Go Go
- Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds: No More Shall We Part
- Shelby Lynne: Love, Shelby
- Gorillaz: Gorillaz
- Bob Dylan: Love and Theft
- Habib Koite and Bamada: Baro
- Beta Band: Hot Shots II
- Buddy Guy: Sweet Tea
- Manu Chao: Proxima Estacion: Esperanza
- Strokes: Is This It?
- El Hadj N'diaye: Xel
- Bjork: Vespertine
Rita Houston
Music Director/The Whole Wide World Host
In no particular order:
- Ryan Adams: Gold
AND Whiskeytown: Pnuemonia - Bob Dylan: Love and Theft
- Macy Gray: The Id
- Raul Malo: Today
- Garbage: Beautiful Garbage
- Manu Chao: Esperanza
- Ivy: Long Distance
- Gillian Welch: Time (The Revelator)
- Zero 7: Simple Things
- Shawn Colvin: Whole New You
- Cesaria Evora: Sao Vicente
- Various Artists: Timeless (Hank Williams tribute)
Best thing I heard all year:
- Norah Jones!
Pete Fornatale
Mixed Bag Host
- Ryan Adams: Gold
- David Buskin and Friends: Wealthy Man
- Mary Chapin Carpenter: time * sex * love
- Eric Clapton: Reptile
- Bob Dylan: Love and Theft
- John Gorka: The Company You Keep
- Lucy Kaplansky: Every Single Day
- Roger McGuinn: Treasures From the Folk Den
- Dave Van Ronk: Sweet and Lowdown
- Lucinda Williams: Essence
Vin Scelsa
Idiot's Delight Host
These are some of my favorite albums of the year, albums that I believe will stand the test of time for me. In alphabetical order:
- Johnny A, Sometime Tuesday Morning
- Ryan Adams, Gold
- Laurie Anderson, Life On A String
- Joshua Bell, Plays Bernstein: West Side Story Suite
- Tony Bennett, Playin' With My Friends
- Cyrus Chestnut, Soul Food
- Bob Dylan, Love And Theft
- Hedwig & the Angry Inch, Original Film Soundtrack
- Honeydogs, Here's Luck
- Norah Jones, First Sessions EP
- Kings of Convenience, Quiet Is the New Loud and Versus
(Versus being a totally different "re-mix" version of Quiet...) - The Producers, Original Cast Album
- Jonathan Richman, Her Mystery Not Of High Heels And Eye Shadow
- Kurt Rosenwinkel, Next Step
- Anne Sofie von Otter & Elvis Costello, For The Stars
And this in since compiling the list! I can't stop listening to it!
- Mick Jagger, goddessinthehallway
FYI: The Honeydogs album has a manufacture date of 2001 on the CD, but was released in early January of 2001, so it does count.
John Platt
Development and Marketing Director/Sunday Breakfast Host
OK, so I'm cheating a bit, as usual, but you should see all the OTHER albums I left off...
- Various, O, Brother Where Art Thou? (Mercury)
- Wayfaring Stranger, Shifting Sands of Time (Rounder)
- Rodney Crowell, The Houston Kid (Sugar Hill)
- John Gorka, The Company You Keep (Red House)
- Catie Curtis, Your Shirt Looks Good on Me (Ryko)
- Jubilant Sykes, Wait for Me (Sony Classical)
- Blind Boys of Alabama, Spirit of the Century (Realworld)
Odetta, Looking for a Home: Thanks to Leadbelly (MC) (tie) - Luka Bloom, Keeper of the Flame (Bar None)
- Tony Bennett, Playin' With My Friends (Columbia)
- Shawn Colvin, Whole New You (Columbia)
Lucy Kaplansky, Every Single Day (Red House)
Suzanne Vega, Songs in Red and Gray (Interscope) (tie)
For the record, I also should mention: Natalie Merchant, Nanci Griffith, Kelly Joe Phelps, Alison Krauss, and Lucinda Williams. So much music, so little room!
George Evans
Director of Technical Operations/FUV Weekday Host
Usually I stick to a Top 10, or maybe a Top 15... But this year is different. This was the year of a CD player in my car, and enjoying lots of great music. So I felt compelled to create a list of the many albums that have passed through my car's CD player -- some of which never left.
- Coldplay: Parachutes, Capitol
- David Gray: Lost Songs, RCA
- New Order: Get Ready, WEA/Warner Brothers
- Whiskeytown: Pneumonia, Lost Highway
- Innocence Mission: Small Planes, W.A.R.
- David Mead: Mine and Yours, RCA
- John Mayer: Room For Squares, Sony/Columbia
- Norah Jones: First Sessions, Blue Note
- Ryan Adams: Gold, Lost Highway
- Jeb Loy Nichols: Just What Time It Is, Ryko
- Cowboy Junkies: Open, Latent
- Action Figure Party: Action Figure Party, Blue Thumb
- Michael Franti: Stay Human, Six Degrees
- Alana Davis: Fortune Cookies, Elektra
- Soulive: Turn It Out, Velour Recordings
- Sade: Lovers Rock, Sony/Epic
- Ivy: Long Distance, Nettwerk
- Jonatha Brooke: Steady Pull, Bad Dog
- Freedy Johnston: Right Between the Promises, Elektra
- Shawn Colvin: Whole New You, Columbia
- Bob Dylan: Love and Theft, Sony
- Lucy Kaplansky: Every Single Day, Red House
- Los Super Seven: Canto, Sony
- Kirsty MacColl: Tropical Brainstorm, Instinct
- Raul Malo: Today, Ontown
- Ron Sexsmith: Blue Boy, Spin Art
- Lucinda Williams: Essence, Lost Highway
- Turin Brakes: The Optimist, Astralwerks
- Moreno Veloso: Music Typewriter, Hannibal
- Gillian Welch: Time (The Revelator), Acony
- Natalie Merchant: Motherland, Elecktra
- Zero 7: Simple Things, Palm
- Moe: Dither, Fatboy
- Lloyd Cole: The Negatives, March
- Pete Yorn: Music For the Morning After, Columbia
- Duncan Sheik: Phantom Moon, Nonesuch
Nicholas Hill
FUV Weekday Host
7 Songs:
- "Fallen Out of Love" - Amy Corriea, Carnival Love
- "New York, New York" - Ryan Adams, Gold
- "Sugar Baby" - Bob Dylan, from 11/20 in NYC, and from Love & Theft
- "Man Of Constant Sorrow" - MC John Hartford's solo fiddle turn in the Pennebaker film Down from The Mountain
- "Persuasion" - Richard & Teddy Thompson, Action Packed
- "Down From Dover" - Dolly Parton, Little Sparrow
- "Amazing Grace" (to the tune of "House of the Rising Sun") - Blind Boys Of Alabama, Spirit Of the Century
And a toast to those who are gone...
- Fred Neil
- Sandy Bull
- Mimi Farina
- Ken Kesey
- Joey Ramone
- Kirsty MacColl
- John Hartord
- Dale Evans
- Howard Finster
Russ Borris
Assistant Music Director
- Ryan Adams - Gold
Bottom line, this man is a star. Just an amazing album, crossing genres with ease and just solid from start to finish. Listen to "Touch, Feel and Lose" and tell me he didn't become Otis Redding for 4 minutes. - John Hammond - Wicked Grin
Lots of people have covered Tom Waits, but never has someone captured the essence of his material like Hammond does here. More than a tribute, it's a celebration of a great writer and great songs than John makes his own, all the while sharing them with Tom. Does that make sense? - Bob Dylan - Love and Theft
The master can still get it done. Well written (DUH!), a great band and FUN! - Buddy & Julie Miller - Buddy & Julie Miller
We knew that they could do it; it was just a matter of when. Buddy & Julie have made a BEAUTIFUL record with the harmony you'd expect with some rockers thrown in. - Various Artists - Timeless (Tribute to Hank Williams)
Beck. Bob Dylan. Mark Knopfler. Emmylou Harris. Lucinda. Ryan Adams. Hank III. How can you go wrong? Well, maybe if this was a tribute to Air Supply. Then again... - Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator)
The best album of her career. She and partner David Rawlings have never sounded better (although she's so good, it almost seems she could harmonize with anyone). - Ike Reilly - Salesmen and Racists
A nice surprise, to say the least. When I first saw the "Parental Advisory" sticker on the disc, I feared the worst. But, Reilly has something. Good songs, a lot of edge and some nice angry wit that I always appreciate. - Rufus Wainwright - Poses
Lush, cinematic. Just plain beautiful. Watch this man score a Broadway play some day. And watch it NOT suck. - Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales
The more I listen to this record, the more special I think this guy is. Forget that he wrote "Rodeo Clowns" and that he's worked with Ben Harper. This is Jack Johnson. More people will come to know him, too. - Buddy Guy - Sweet Tea
In his own words, he "done got old," but you'd never know it. Just a thick, heavy, down and dirty Blues record. Great stuff.
Laura Fedele
Web Site Director
- Ryan Adams: Gold
I love this one for everything he's done in the past, everything I'm waiting for him to do in the future, and for every note on it. This poor guy's head must be a constant din. - Coldplay: Parachutes
Don't panic, there's no trouble here, we all live in a beautiful yellow world. Whew. - Ani DiFranco: Revelling Reckoning
If someone dared edit this, it would be the best single album around, but it's worth the time for the whole darn thing. - Whiskeytown: Pneumonia
A damn shame this didn't make everyone on it rich and famous... two years ago. - Raul Malo: Today
Put on your leather pants for this one -- or take 'em off, either one. - Sam Phillips: Fan Dance
One beautiful idea after another. More! More! - Lucinda Williams: Essence
Was there any more exciting moment this year than hearing the title track for the first time? - Natalie Merchant: Motherland
Songs that could have been written decades ago, turned lush and modern. - Norah Jones: First Sessions
The first of many, hopefully. - Catie Curtis: My Shirt Looks Good On You
Every album gets stronger; these songs stick in your head like taffy.
And my honorable mentions, not that you asked, are R.E.M., Duncan Sheik, Jeb Loy Nichols, Gillian Welch, Alejandro Escovedo, Macy Gray, Shawn Colvin and John Hiatt -- because it's hard to imagine leaving them off the list entirely.
Janeen Shaitelman
Promotions Director
In no particular order:
- Cowboy Junkies: Open
- Bob Dylan: Love and Theft
- Nanci Griffith: Clock Without Hands
- Jack Johnson: Brushfire Fairytales
- Lucy Kaplansky: Every Single Day
- Alison Krauss and Union Station: New Favorite
- Lyle Lovett: Cowboy Man
- Kirsty MacColl: Tropical Brainstorm
- Dave Matthews Band: Everyday
- Lucinda Williams: Essence
Karin Williams
Membership Director
- Stay Human - Michael Franti & Spearhead
(politics aside, this CD gets my groove on) - Lost Songs - David Gray
- Carnival Love - Amy Correia
- Action Figure Party - Action Figure Party
- Essence - Lucinda Williams
- Just What Time It Is - Jeb Loy Nichols
- Parachutes - Coldplay
- Gold - Ryan Adams
- Bossa per due - Nicola Conte
- Open - Cowboy Junkies
This year only, we present...
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