Happy Monday, folks! Unless you live in Florida, in which case, um, have fun getting hit by a hurricane?

1. The Gaslight Anthem, “Positive Charge”: This song has been stuck in my head for two or three weeks at least. Maybe this will finally dislodge it. Maybe.
2. Charlie Sexton, “Regular Grind”: Of all the musicians I listen to, this is the one who needs to put out a new album the most. It’s been almost 20 years, man! Give us something new!
3. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, “King Of Oklahoma”: This man, on the other hand, cranks ’em out like clockwork pretty regularly. And damn if this song doesn’t make me feel something.
4. John Cougar Mellencamp, “Rumbleseat (2022 Mix)”: Generally speaking, I’m curious to hear what musicians come up with when they remix their old albums with modern techniques and studio trickery. This feels…unsuccessful on that front. The guitars are too muted, the drums are too loud and yet also lifeless, and it just feels like it was a huge missed opportunity to really punch everything up.
5. Drive-By Truckers, “Used To Be A Cop”: The Drive-By Truckers can take even the most irredeemable character – in this case, a cop who had a nasty streak and has all sorts of misogynistic tendencies – and still make them someone you want to sympathize with. That’s impressive.
6. The Head And The Heart, “Lost In My Mind”: “How’s that bricklayin’ comin’/How’s your engine runnin'”? is one of those couplets that seems innocuous when you first listen to it, but the stuff that follows – “Is that bridge getting built/Are your hands getting filled/Won’t you tell me my brother/’Cause there are stars/Up above” – and the way their voices soar in harmony is just…damn, it’s just really good.
7. Mark Knopfler, “Hill Farmer’s Blues”: Speaking of musicians who can make downtrodden and misunderstood characters feel sympathetic, here’s Knopfler singing about a farmer going to town for supplies and making it seem freakin’ epic.
8. Fall Out Boy, “Dance, Dance”: You get a pass this one time, Fall Out Boy, but only because you’re named after a Simpsons reference.
9. The Beatles, “You Really Got A Hold On Me”: Michelle and I were listening to this song over the weekend and just commenting on how great a song it is. Smokey Robinson knew what was up, my friends.
10. Van Morrison, “Magic Time”: Though it happens less frequently than it used to, Van Morrison can write a stunningly beautiful song. This one counts and makes me wish he hadn’t become some sort of weird Covid skeptic and conservative curmudgeon in recent years.