There are but a handful of artists whose CD releases command the declaration of an official Tinsel and Rot holiday. In fact, let's establish the list right now as Bob Dylan (holiday but three weeks away), Marah, the Avett Brothers, and today's honoree, Todd Snider.
Todd's new CD, "The Devil You Know," has been available for digital download for awhile now (as avid watchers of the "Now Playing" section of this site no doubt know), but today is the official release date for the disc, Todd's first on a new label, New Door Records. And maybe this declaration loses some of its luster on the heels of my declaration of love for Huey Lewis and the News, but "The Devil You Know" may be the best CD I've heard this year (at the very least, it’s neck and neck with "Four Thieves Gone").
I've explained my devotion to Todd before here, so read up if you haven't. But in all my years listening to Todd, no other CD has sounded as good on first listen as this one. There are slamming rock tunes ("If Tomorrow Never Comes," "The Devil You Know") folky singalongs ("Happy New Year," "You Got Away With It (A Tale of Two Fraternity Brothers)", and brilliantly crafted songs that sound like short stories set to music ("Lookin' for a Job," "The Highland Street Incident," "Just Like Old Times"). Plus, you can learn about Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan in a song with a fiddle hook that won't leave your head for days ("Thin Wild Mercury").
Normally, Tinsel and Rot maintains a steadfast, "support your local independent record store/online merchant" stance when it comes to buying new CDs, but we're flexible here. So, if you're poor and/or miserly, Best Buy has "The Devil You Know" available for just $9.99 (cheap!), plus you get a bonus disc with your purchase. Hence, Tinsel and Rot grants you official dispensation to purchase the disc(s) at Best Buy. Then it's back to the independent record stores/online merchants, OK? In fact, why not go there and buy Will Kimbrough's "Americanitis"? That's a good one, too. And Todd plays harmonica on it. It will help you wipe away that icky Big Box feeling.
And in even more exciting news, Todd will make his debut on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (bad show, good exposure) Wednesday night to do the first single off the CD. Set your TIVOs or VCRs or whatever. Better yet, just stay up late. Trust me on this one.
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