As singer and songwriter of Reigning Sound, Greg Cartwright has pulled off rock’s toughest trick: dependability. A luminary of garage rock, Cartwright’s talent, craft, and inexhaustible curiosity have produced thirty-plus years of music that miraculously never disappoints. Reigning Sound songs are knowing, petty, tender, brash, exultant, beautiful, and always generous. Their new album, A Little More Time with Reigning Sound, is out now! It boasts another collection of songs that are unmistakably Cartwright’s, but with something new to say. It’s one thing to make great albums; it’s another to be incapable of making a bad album. Greg Cartwright is a rare breed.
As you know, I ask guests what songs mean the most to them. Then, I close every conversation by asking my guest about a song of theirs I love. What you’re about to hear is that segment from all 10 episodes. These pieces are fascinating: some guests really open up talking about their own work, others demur. Some talk nuts-and-bolts craft; some get more personal. All of them are deft at speaking for themselves.Listen to the Bonus Tracks on Spotifyhttp://bit.ly/cmthemix1track11The Mix: Bonus Track1) The Hold Steady, "Wait A While"2) William Bell, "You Don't Miss Your Water"3) Garrison Starr, "To Garrison, On Her 29th Birthday"4) IMAKEMADBEATS, "James"5) Cory Branan, "Spoke Too Soon"6) Talibah Safiya, "Middle of the Night"7) Good Question, "Catcher In The Rain"8) Cory Branan, "The Freefall"9) Margo Price, "Four Years Of Chances"10) Liz Brasher, "Painted Image"
The Mix is an hourlong conversation where I ask fellow artists one question: "what songs means the most to you?" But in this special live episode, the guest is you. You wrote in with your most meaningful songs and co-host Elizabeth Cawein and I dove deep into your mix.Listen to Your Mix on Spotify:http://bit.ly/cmthemix1track11Listen to Elizabeth's Mix on Spotify:http://bit.ly/cmthemix1ec1Your Mix:1) Stevie Nicks, "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"2) Ray Charles, "You Don't Know Me"3) Otis Redding, "Try a Little Tenderness"4) Ryan Adams, "Come Pick Me Up"5) Skee-Lo, "I Wish"6) Rolling Stones, "Shine A Light"7) The Beatles, "Something"8) Big Star, "Thirteen"
Liz Brasher is a force. Half Dominican, Half Italian, recent Memphian, Liz’s music is as eclectic as her background. Her voice alone would earn her attention—soulful, dextrous, powerful. But she’s also a multi-instrumentalist, a fearsome guitar-player, an accomplished songwriter. In her two releases, Liz synthesizes soul, blues, garage rock, and Latin influences into something distinctly her own.Listen to Liz's Mix on Spotify:http://bit.ly/cmthemix1track10Liz Brasher's Mix:1) Mahalia Jackson, "Elijah Rock"2) Amy Winehouse, "You Know I'm No Good"3) Bob Dylan, "Dark Eyes"4) The Ventures, "Walk, Don't Run"5) The Meters, "Cissy Strut"6) Otis Redding, "Free Me"7) Iron Maiden, "Hallowed Be Thy Name"8) Bobbie Gentry, "Mississippi Delta"9) Pete Drake, "The Spook"10) The Monophonics, "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)"11) The Sonics, "Strychnine"12) Liz Brasher, "Painted Image"
Matt Ross-Spang is a rising star. He began as an intern at legendary Sun Studio at age 16, and worked his way up to Chief Engineer in short order. After engineering Jason Isbell’s Something More Than Free, Matt Ross-Spang earned two Grammy's and credits with John Prine, Margot Price, Al Green, and—bringing it all back home—Elvis. But as you’ll hear, his attitude sets him apart: easy-going and hospitable, considerate, strikingly modest. In an industry filled with grifters, divas, and ne’erdowells, Matt Ross-Spang is proof that good things still happen to good people.Listen to Matt's Mix on Spotify:http://bit.ly/cmthemix1track9Matt Ross-Spang's Mix:1) R.E.M., "Man On The Moon"2) John Prine, "How Lucky"3) Dan Penn, "Nobody's Fool"4) Ann Peebles, "(You Keep Me) Hangin' On"5) Bobby Charles, "I Must Be In A Good Place Now"6) Courtney Marie Andrews, "Took You Up"7) Billy Swan, "Don't Be Cruel"8) Chuck Berry, "You Never Can Tell"9) Margot Price, "Four Years Of Chances"10) Chris Isaak, "Wicked Game"11) Bill Withers, "Let Me In Your Life"12) Al Green, "Simply Beautiful"
No artist has impacted my adult life more than Cory Branan. One of my luckiest breaks was discovering his music at the moment I was just starting to think about (maybe, one day) making my own. Cory's now five albums into a career that began with Rolling Stone anointing him the next great American songwriter. For once, they weren’t wrong. He’s a contemporary of heralded artists like Josh Ritter, Craig Finn, Conor Oberst, and longtime friend Jason Isbell. To my ears, he’s that generation’s greatest lyricist. Listen to Cory's Mix on Spotify:http://bit.ly/cmthemix1track7Cory Branan's Mix:1) Warren Zevon, "Desperados Under the Eaves"2) John Prine, "You Got Gold"3) Joni Mitchell, "A Case of You"4) Belle & Sebastian, "Dear Catastrophe Waitress"5) Gillian Welch, "I Dream A Highway"6) James McMurtry, "Copper Canteen"7) The Faces, "Ooh La La"8) Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Lodi"9) Cory Branan "The Freefall"10) Bruce Springsteen, "Dry Lightning"11) Mark Knopfler, "Beachcombing"12) Guy Clark, "Desperados Waiting For A Train"
If you look up powerpop in the dictionary, it ought to list Van Duren as a synonym. Though the term doesn’t do justice to the breadth of his work, Van Duren pioneered a sound that reverberates to this day. A contemporary and collaborator of Memphis legends Big Star, Van’s earliest records were critically-adored gems of sparkling songcraft and production. He's uniquely gifted at packing a great deal into a small space. A breathtaking melodist, a meticulous writer. An artist and a craftsman.Listen to Van's Mix on Spotify:http://bit.ly/cmthemix1track7Van Duren's Mix:1) Neil Finn, "She Will Have Her Way"2) Sam Phillips, "Strawberry Road"3) Sting with Mary J. Blige, "Whenever I Say Your Name"4) Liam Grundy, "One More Night"5) Sara Bareilles, "King of Anything"6) David Bowie, "I Can't Give Everything Away"7) NRBQ, "Tired Of Your Permanent"8) George Harrison, "What Is Life"9) Nick Lowe, "Stoplight Roses"10) Van Duren, "Catcher In the Rain"11) Aimee Mann, "Amateur"12) Supertramp, "The Logical Song"13) The Band, "Tears Of Rage"
Talibah Safiya is immediately inviting but hard to classify. Her music contains elements of R&B, soul, and jazz. NPR named her among the Best of Americanafest in 2018. Comparisons to Erykah Badu abound. I get it: these kinds of descriptors give people a point of entry; these kinds of comparisons are flattering. But in this case, they’re are also beside the point. Talibah Safiya is, as much as any artist I know, utterly, thankfully herself.Listen to Talibah's Mix on Spotify:http://bit.ly/cmthemix1track6Talibah Safiya's Mix:1) Nina Simone, "See Line Woman"2) Erykah Badu, "Didn't Cha Know"3) Little Dragon, "Constant Surprises"4) Bob Marley, "Natural Mystic"5) Duke Ellington, "In a Sentimental Mood"6) Outkast, "Liberation (with Cee-Lo)"7) Talibah Safiya, "Middle of the Night"8) Damian Marley, "There For You"9) D'Angelo, "One Mo' Gin"10) Kanye West, "Late"11) Gangsta Boo, "Where Dem Dollas At"Banner photo: I Love Memphis Blog / Wesley Paraham
If you don’t know Jeff Powell’s name, you know his work. As a producer and engineer, his credits include (deep breath): B.B. King, Lucinda Williams, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Allman Brothers, ZZ Top, Primal Scream, Afghan Wigs, Sharon Jones, Tonic, Big Star and, oh yeah, Bob Dylan. In recent years, he’s started his own vinyl-cutting business, Take Out Vinyl. He has, to put it simply, left an indelible mark on popular music.Listen to Jeff Powell's Mix on Spotify:http://bit.ly/cmthemix1track5Jeff Powell's Mix:1) Edwin Hawkins Singers, "O Happy Day"2) The Beach Boys, "God Only Knows"3) The Beatles, "Helter Skelter"4) Stevie Wonder, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered"5) Susan Marshall, "I Don't Have To Crawl"6) Joni Mitchell, "A Case Of You"7) Scott Joplin, "Maple Leaf Rag"8) Queen, "Somebody To Love"9) Black Sabbath, "Black Sabbath"10) Carl Anderson, "Heaven On Their Minds"11) Cory Branan, "Spoke Too Soon"
James Dukes speaks softly and carries a big stick. As a producer, he’s worked with some of rap’s biggest names: Ludacris & Trey Songz to name a few. As a businessman, he’s founded Unapologetic—a record label that’s developing some of Memphis’s most exciting young artists. As a visionary, he sees Unapologetic as not just a label, but as an artistic collaborative, a creative safe space, a way to pour resources back into the community. And as an activist, he actually makes it happen. James Dukes speaks softly and carries a lot of big sticks.Listen to IMakeadBeats' Mix on Spotify:http://bit.ly/cmthemix1track4IMakeMadBeats' Mix:1) A Tribe Called Quest, "Electric Relaxation"2) Pete Rock & CL Smooth, "They Reminisce Over You"3) Flying Lotus, "1983"4) Curtis Mayfield, "The Other Side of Town"5) Slum Village, "Fantastic Interlude"6) D'Angelo, "Africa"7) Jay-Z, "PSA"8) IMakeMadBeats, "James"9) Sam Cooke, "A Change Is Gonna Come"10) Stevie Wonder, "As"11) The Streets, "Blinded by the Lights"12) The Prodigy, "Firestarter"
Garrison Starr is a badass. A precociously talented teenager, Garrison had a voice well beyond her years. She was signed to Geffen Records by age 21, thrust into the major label machine with all of her enormous gifts and all of their attendant hype. She’s achieved great—and hard-won—success in her career, but not in the ways Little Garrison might’ve expected. She’s a Grammy nominee, an A-list writer for film & TV, and a master of songcraft. Her talent runs deep and wide.Listen to Garrison Starr's Mix on Spotify:http://bit.ly/cmthemix1track3Garrison Starr's Mix:1) Otis Redding, "Stand By Me"2) Tom Petty, "Free Fallin"3) The Beatles, "Paperback Writer"4) Mary Chapin Carpenter, "I Am A Town"5) Tori Amos, "Pretty Good Year"6) Bonnie Raitt, "Nobody's Girl"7) Tom Petty, "Insider"8) Garrison Starr, "To Garrison, On Her 29th Birthday"
William Bell is a living legend. As a singer and songwriter for Stax records, he had his first hit in 1961. In 2017, he won the Grammy for Best Americana Album. In the intervening 56 years, he's performed on every conceivable stage and his songs have reached every corner of the globe. Though I I've known Mr. Bell's music since childhood, I've collaborated and performed with him in recent years. This conversation is a window into the songs we love and the man himself: his story, his warmth, his humor, and his enormous generosity.Listen to William Bell's Mix on Spotify:http://bit.ly/cmthemix1track2William Bell's Mix:1) Sam Cooke, "A Change Is Gonna Come"2) Soul Stirrers, "Touch the Hem Of His Garment"3) Bob Dylan, "Blowin In the Wind"4) Nat King Cole, "Unforgettable"5) Bob Marley, "One Love"6) Louis Armstrong, "What a Wonderful World"7) Willie Nelson, "Always On My Mind"8) William Bell, "You Don't Miss Your Water"
Steve Selvidge is one of the best guitar players on earth. The son of Memphis folk icon Sid Selvidge, Steve was born into a musical house in a musical world, armed with prodigious gifts. But in recent years, Steve's felt a pull toward a new role: singer/songwriter. As a fan, this is thrilling. As a singer/songwriter, I quit.Listen to Steve's Mix on Spotify:http://bit.ly/cmthemix1track1Steve's Mix:1) John Kilzer, "Scars"2) Sid Selvidge, "Miss the Mississippi and You"3) The Bloodthirsty Lovers, "A Postcard From the Sea"4) Funkadelic, "I Wanna Know If It's Good To You"5) Miles Davis, "Flamenco Sketches"6) Acetone, "Stray"7) Built To Spill, "Carry the Zero"8) Booker T. & the MG's, "Green Onions"9) The Beatles, "I'm So Tired"10) David Bowie, "Moonage Daydream"11) Glen Campbell, "Wichita Lineman"12) Sir Douglas Quintet, "And It Didn't Even Bring Me Down"13) The Hold Steady, "Wait a While"