If any of you are within even a few hours of Dallas this Saturday, May 22nd, I would highly suggest that you get yourselves to the first Homegrown Music & Arts Festival. Given the name, it’s no shocker that the bands on the bill are basically D/FW area acts. Gobb Knob faves The O’s and Telegraph Canyon will be there, along with others. But, these are a large chunk of the best acts in the region, so it’s worth the trip, to be sure. Here are a couple that I highly recommend catching when you make it.

Fox & The Bird - Genius indie-folk, these artists are rather busy as they perform in this band, but also others, including the hippie-folk collective Dallas Family Band. Make no mistake, this band knows how to use an accordion and a ukulele.

Grant Jones & The Pistol Grip Lassos - The most recent winners of the Shiner Rising Star, Jones and gang are an edgy, rocking country outfit that represents an insurgent brand of country that has been making its presence felt more strongly in this are over the last couple of years.

Somebody’s Darling - Well, you guys know how I feel about these folks. I caught them at SXSW, and they simply tore the place down with their blazing, soulful southern-rocking country. Amber Farris might be the best lead-singer in town, regardless of gender.

Look, Tiger is holding The Avett brother's trophy for them...

In year’s past, I haven’t done much a personal “Best-Of” list at year’s end. I have left that up to others, mainly due to the stress level inherent with such a task. This year, I contributed a list to multiple outlets, so I figure I would share my ballot with you here. What you see below is really a big group of my favorite albums, versus an actual list of albums I think are better than other albums. Over the course of the year, I listen to a few hundred records, easily. Rarely a day goes by where I don’t pop in a new disc that may or may not see some “ink” on this blog. From that large number of records, I actually enjoyed well over 100 of them, I imagine.

The sad fact of the matter, for many reasons, there were many records I liked that I never found the time to actually say much about here on The Gobblers Knob or over on Twangville. I said all that to say this. These 25 albums could’ve easily been higher or lower than they are here. On different days, I feel like certain choices were wrong, but this is what I’m going with…for now, at least.

1.  Avett Brothers – I and Love and You: Indie darling’s go big-time with major label and super-producer. The tight melodies and trademark, emotionally charged and poetic writing prove there was nothing to worry about.

2.  Phosphorescent - To Willie: Every tribute/covers album wants to be this one when they grow up. Matthew Houck made Willie’s songs his own while keeping the raw, real vibe intact.

Here are the rest of my favorites for the year (basically 3a – 3x)…

3.  Heartless Bastards – The Mountain
4.  Miranda Lambert – Revolution
5.  Allen Thompson – 26 years
6.  Telegraph Canyon – The Tide & The Current
7.  Deer Tick - Born on Flag Day
8.  Buddy & Julie Miller – Written in Chalk
9.  Ryan Bingham – Roadhouse Sun
10. Gina Villalobos – Days on Their Side
11.  Band of Heathens – One Foot in the Ether
12.  The Takers – Taker Easy
13.  Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
14.  Roman Candle – Oh Tall Tree In the Ear
15.  The O’s – We are The O’s
16.  Sons of Bill – One Town Away
17.  Drive by Truckers – The Fine Print
18.  The Gourds – Haymaker!
19.  Scott Warren – Quick Fix Bandage
20.  Patterson Hood - Murdering Oscar
21.   Charlie Robison – Beautiful Day
22.   Lucero - 1372 Overton Park
23.   Danny Balis - Too Much Living
24.   Chad Price – Smile Sweet Face
25.   Dawes – North Hills

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Alberta Cross was a pleasant surprise for me at ACL Festival, now they are on Daytrotter.

The last few days have seen some really sweet gems pop up on a  couple of my favorite sites…let’s get to it.

• Daytrotter has welcomed a host of excellent artists recently. Here are a few of my favorites

- Bobby Bare Jr.

-Lucero

-Alberta Cross

• Dallas Observer music blog, DC-9 at Night pointed us into the direction of a few choice vids from the new Dallas NPR station, KXT 91.7. Below are my three favorite videos from two of the best country acts Dallas has to offer right now…

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This coming Sunday night will be a floor-stompin’, hell-raisin’ whale of a time at the Granada Theater in Dallas, y’all. Local roots studs 100 Damned Guns and The O’s (both bands have been featured here on the Knob, you know) will be setting the stage for none other than Split Lip Rayfield.

SPR have come back strong with, I’ll Be Around, an excellent disc of front-porch funk. Picking up the pieces of their band and their lives after the 2007 passing of Kirk Rundstrom, their friend and guitar player. This is going to be a big night for some great music. Get your tickets at The Granada Theater’s website.

LISTEN: Split Lip Rayfield – “Aces High”