Here
is FTB Editor Bill Frater's Top 10 CD's of 2003
1.
THE JAYHAWKS - Rainy Day Music… (American/Lost Highway)
2. RODNEY CROWELL-
Fate's Right Hand... (DMZ/Columbia)
3. THAD COCKRELL- Warmth & Beauty... (Yep Roc)
4. SHELBY LYNNE- Identity Crisis... (Capitol)
5. CHIP TAYLOR & CARRIE RODRIGUEZ- The Trouble With Humans... (Lone
Star/TMG)
6.
LYLE LOVETT- My Baby Don't Tolerate... (Lost Highway)
7. DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS-
Decoration Day… (New West)
8. SCOTT MILLER & THE COMMONWEALTH - Upside Downside... (Sugar Hill)
9. ADRIENNE YOUNG - Plow To The
End Of The Row... (self-released) 10.
GREG TROOPER -Floating… (Sugar Hill)
Plus 10 more CD releases worth noting...
ROBERT EARL KEEN - Farm Fresh
Onions... (Audium/Koch)
KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS - Soul ...(Audium)
NO
RIVER CITY - This Is Our North Dakota... (self released)
LUCINDA WILLIAMS
- World Without Tears… (Lost Highway)
RICK SHEA & PATTY BOOKER
- Our Shangri-LA... (Tres Pescadores)
SCOTT GIBSON - Sunday Social...
(Hayden's Ferry) THE
DERAILERS - Genuine... (Lucky Dog/Sony)
DANNY BARNES - Dirt On
The Angel… (Terminus)
BOTTLE ROCKETS - Blue Sky ...(Sanctuary)
ALBERT LEE - Heartbreak Hill... (Sugar Hill)
Various
Artists CD's (including tribute CD's): Livin’,
Lovin’, Losin’: Songs of the Louvin Brothers... (Universal South) Lonesome, On’ry and Mean: A Tribute To Waylon Jennings… (Dualtone)
Best new artist release:
(tie)SCOTT GIBSON- Sunday Social... (Hayden's
Ferry)
THE
MOTHER TRUCKERS- Something Worth Dying For… (self released)
Best
Individual Songs
BOTTLE ROCKETS- "Men & Women " Blue
Sky ...(Sanctuary)
JOHNNY CASH- Redemption Song" Unearthed
...(Lost Highway)
THE JAYHAWKS - "Save It For A Rainy Day" Rainy
Day Music… (American/Lost Highway)
SCOTT MILLER & THE COMMONWEALTH
- "The Way" Upside Downside... (Sugar Hill)
THAD COCKRELL- "She Ain't No You" Warmth & Beauty... (Yep Roc)
JOHNNY CASH R.I.P
Here's
FTB Editor Bill Frater's Best of 2002 list
1. THE FLATLANDERS- Now Again... (New West) 2. TIFT MERRITT- Bramble
Rose... (Lost Highway) 3. STEVE EARLE- Jerusalem... (E-Squared/
Artemis) 4. LAURA CANTRELL - When The Roses Bloom Again... (Diesel
Only) 5. BUDDY MILLER -Midnight and Lonesome ... (HighTone) 6.
KELLY WILLIS- Easy... (Ryko) 7. THE GOURDS- Cow Fish Fowl or Pig...
(Sugar Hill) 8. KASEY CHAMBERS- Barricades & Brickwalls... (Warners)
9. TOM ARMSTRONG- Songs That Make The Jukebox Play... (Carswel)
10. PETER BRUNTNELL- The Ends of The Earth... (Back Porch/Virgin)
and 10 "honorable mention" CD's that were seriously considered
for the Top 10
CAITLIN CARY- While You Weren't Looking... (Yep Roc) PETER CASE- Beeline...
(Vanguard) CLOTHESLINE REVIVAL- Of My Native Land... (Paleo) DOLLY
VARDEN- Forgiven Now... (Undertow) JACK INGRAM- Electric...
(Lucky Dog/Sony) PORTER HALL TENNESSEE- Welcome To Porter Hall Tennessee...
(Slewfoot) CHUCK
PROPHET- No Other Love... (New West) BILLY JOE SHAVER- Freedom’s
Child... (Compadre) CHIP TAYLOR & CARRIE RODRIGUEZ- Let’s Leave
This Town... (Train Wreck) THE WACO BROTHERS- New Deal ... (Bloodshot)
ROGER WALLACE- The Lowdown... (Texas Music Group)
Here
is FTB reviewer Kevin Russell's Best of 2002 list
1. GUY CLARK- The Dark... (Sugar Hill) 2. BUDDY MILLER -Midnight
and Lonesome ... (HighTone) 3. THE HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN- Ghost
Train... (HighTone) 4. PEARL DJANGO - Under Paris Skies... (Modern Hot)
5. LOST WEEKEND- Harbor Lights and Cowboy Blues... (Redoubtable) 6.
JIM HURST- Second Son... (Pinecastle) 7.
KENNY & AMANDA SMITH- Slowly But Surely... (self released) 8. MIKE
AULDRIDGE, JIM HEFFERMAN and HAL RUGG- Resocasters... (?) 9. BLUE
HIGHWAY- Still Climbing Mountains... (Sugar Hill) 10. NORA JONES- Come
Away With Me... (Blue Note)
10.
GREG TROOPER -Floating… (Sugar Hill) 
THE
DERAILERS - Genuine... (Lucky Dog/Sony) 
Livin’,
Lovin’, Losin’: Songs of the Louvin Brothers... (Universal South) 
6.
KELLY WILLIS- Easy... (Ryko)
CHUCK
PROPHET- No Other Love... (New West)
7.
KENNY & AMANDA SMITH- Slowly But Surely... (self released)