The Top 100, August 2005 edition

Here’s a new CD to add to the top 100, bumping #100 off the list and back into obscurity.

Rumbleseat – Rumbleseat is Dead

Hot Water Music landed a few entries onto the original top 100 (from a few months ago) but one thing was missing: Rumbleseat. The band, which was a side project of Hot Water Music’s two voices, Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard, is a sometimes folk, sometimes Cash-esque country outfit with the easily recognizable Hot Water Music vocals. I fell in love with the first songs I heard from Rumbleseat, but since they were all released on vinyl (and since I haven’t had access to a turntable for years) I kept up with the band through various horrible sounding MP3’s off the internet. Eventually, even those were lost. Now, however, the entire catalog has been released again (along with the original six demo tracks) and I’m one of the happiest people alive for it, regardless of the fact that it was supposed to be out a year and a half ago. Every song, from the Johnny and June Carter Cash covers to the instantly catchy “Cursing Concrete” to their magnum opus “Restless” is wonderful. If you like acoustic music, you should own this. If you like country music, you should own this. If you like music at all, you should own this.

And I hope that I make a mark/And stand strong even when I’m gone – “Cursing Concrete”