Inspired by WNCW’s Top 100 list, I like to sit down every year and think about what my favorite records (yes, I said RECORDS) from the last 12 months were. Sometimes it’s hard to choose, other times it’s really easy. This year I have several that I just downright loved and just couldn’t put down. Here they are, in no particular order.

The Steeldrivers - The Steeldrivers

I discovered this band while researching for my trip to Flat Rock, N.C. for the Flat Rock Music Festival several months back. I wanted to map out my musical journey that way I knew which bands I wanted to see and when they were playing. Low and behold I found this band, a who’s who of Nashville country and bluegrass musicians who came together to create a band, aptly named The Steeldrivers. The leader singer, Chris Stapleton, sounds like he belongs in a Gospel group more then he does a bluegrass band, but his voice, alongside the harmonies of fiddle player Tammy Rogers, sounds about as perfect as anything I’ve heard in years from the bluegrass genre. It was easy to choose this one as one of my favorites from ‘08.

Chris Knight - Heart of Stone

Doing my typical surfing around my favorite internet websites, I came across a review of some yet to be released record by some guy named Chris Knight. Those few songs actually resulted in my buying his previous record, The Trailer Tapes. But what of that unreleased record you ask? That record, it turns out, was titled Heart of Stone and the name certainly does the record justice (even if it wasn’t the musicians choice for the name of the record, as he said during an interview on WNCW a few months ago). There are several standout tracks on this record, touching topics such as lost love, old beat up cars (which my co-worker Hugh Koontz knows plenty about) and a song about wanting to just go home (which rightly ends this outstanding record).

Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation’s Dark

I must admit, the Drive-By Truckers, lead by Alabama natives Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley, are possibly my favorite band on the planet. So when I heard they were releasing a new record in January 2008 I was, of course, super excited to hear it. I pre-ordered the record and had it shipped two day mail to my home because I was about to travel to Pennsylvania to take part in my sleep study. I got it just in time to rip it to my iPod, boy was I glad I payed for two day shipping! Anyway, sporting an action-packed 19 songs, this record had several standout tracks, including my personal favorite “The Righteous Path” about people who despite all their bad luck, divorces, arrests and general hard times, are simply trying to “stay focused on the righteous path.”

Old Crow Medicine Show - Tennessee Pusher

I know I know, I just wrote about this record, get off my back! The truth is that for months I looked forward to this record, but when it came out I just kept putting off buying it. My parents actually bought it first, so I kindly borrowed it and ripped it onto my computer so I could listen to it at my leisure. Low and behold this record was just as good as I thought it would be, though in a totally different manner then I actually expected. Rather then the heavy footed folk/bluegrass mix I’m use to from Old Crow Medicine Show, they slowed it down a bit and added, what I think, is a bit of a blues feel to this record. The record is pretty much written about the evils of meth, with songs like “Alabama High-Test,” the title track “Tennessee Pusher,” “Lift Him Up” and, of course, the song “Methamphetamine.”

Scott Miller - Appalachian Refugee (The Demo Sessions)

I didn’t post an album cover with this record simply because, well, there really isn’t one. This record was a very limited release (only 1,000 were made I believe) and was only sold via Scott Miller’s website and live shows. The intent of the record was to help Miller and his band The Commonwealth fund their upcoming record which they hoped to release in early 2009 (they succeeded in that goal, their next record is slated for a March ‘09 release, though I already have an advanced signed copy, gotta love Christmas presents). The record itself sports 13 songs, ranging from covers like “Hubbardville Store,” an instrumental titled “Feel So Fair To Midland” and my favorite from the record “Knoxville Viceroy.” While this was only supposed to be used to help put out the “full record,” I’d go so far as to say this was one of the better record’s of 2008, even if it was really incomplete (if you believe in such a thing).