Hey everyone,

Hope your holidays have been wonderful! Mine were quiet, spent with family and friends, exactly the way I hoped it would be.

Next Saturday is New Year's Eve, so I'm going to celebrate by taking a look back at some of my favorite albums from last year. Here's a sneak peak:

Chris Mills The Wall To Wall Sessions (Ernest Jenning/Powerless Pop) Occasionally quirky, often surprising, and always lovely-- another beautiful collection from one of my all-time favorites.

Johnny Hickman Palmhenge (Campstove Records)
One of the smartest, most thought-provoking, and best sounding record of '05.

Grey DeLisle Iron Flowers (Sugar Hill)
Grey and Carnival of Song favorite Marvin Etzioni make a great team on this rich release.

Maria McKee Peddlin' Dreams (Yep Roc)
The voice is back with a collection of songs that showcases it beautifully.

Jackson Browne Solo Acoustic Vol. 1 (Inside Recordings)

This album did more than just remind me how much I love these songs; it made me fall in love them all over again.

Mando Saenz Watertown (Emergent)
Strong songs and a great sound make this album a must listen.

Magnolia Electric Co. What Comes After the Blues (Secretly Canadian) Short but oh so sweet -- a moving listen.

Iron and Wine/Calexico In the Reins (Overcoat)
Another short but sweet CD -- not a moment wasted.

Crooked Fingers Dignity and Shame (Merge)
One of the most solid albums of the year.

Josh Lederman y Los Diablos Let's Waste Another Evening
(Coffeestain Music) Another great album from one of my favorite bands.

Ryan Adams 29 (Lost Highway)
My favorite out of the three albums Ryan released this year as a whole. That said, "Let It Ride" and "Friends" (from Cold Roses) and "A Kiss Before I Go" and "September" (from Jacksonville City Nights) are among my favorite Ryan tunes.

Honorable Mention:
(Album I missed in '04 but am SO glad I found in '05)
T. Griffin Coraline The Sea Won't Take Long (Shiny Little Records)

Hauntingly beautiful, I only wish I had found it sooner.

Hope 2006 is good to you in every way you need it to be.


Take good care,
Lynn

Hi everyone,

Hope you're all doing well and are getting into the holiday spirit! Despite a nasty cold, I'm looking forward to the festivities ahead. I'll be spending Christmas Eve with my family this year, but I'm in the process of picking out some special tunes to pre-record a show to play for you that evening, so you won't be carnival-less at Christmas.

It's getting to be that time -- time to pick out my fave rave albums for 2005. I'll be going through old playlists in hopes that I don't miss anything. Look for them up on the site soon, and feel free to let me know what you thought were the best releases out this year. (If even one of your choices is one you heard on the Carnival of Song, then that's just about the perfect Christmas present this DJ could ask for.)

Very excited about Ryan Adams "29" and looking forward to listening to it in it's entirety later today -- so far, it sounds like great stuff and I'm excited to share more of it with you in the weeks ahead.

Hope you're all staying well and wishing you all the happiest of holidays!

Lynn