MAGNOLIA ROAD:  Tom Ranken

Favorite New Millennium Albums (2000-Current)

Newer Stuff:

• Derek Trucks Band, Already Free, 2009:  His other records search for a defining sound.  This one finds it.

• U2, No Line on the Horizon, 2009:  Worthy of being played over and over again.

• Bruce Springsteen, Working on a Dream, 2009:  I think this one is overrated.  Not as brilliant as his other recent E Street Band records.

• Lucinda Williams, Little Honey, 2008.  Everything she does is brilliant.  Saw her with Bill Frissell sitting in.  Two of the greats together.

• Jeff Beck, Performing This Week...Live at Ronnie Scotts, 2008:  The record is great.  The DVD is awesome.

• Sonny Landreth, From the Reach, 2008:  Really great record.  Happens to be done by a unique and brilliant slide guitar players.

• Nils Lofgren, The Loner: Nils Sings Neil, 2008:  Great songs, nicely unplugged by the great virtuoso Nils Lofgren

• Weezer, The Red Album, 2008:  Good stuff.

• Kanye West, 808s and Heartbreak, 2008:  A pleasant surprise for me. 

Elvis Costello, Momofuku, 2008