Dance Party Friday: Guest Edition

My friend Alicia from Iowa City is visiting me today while her husband gets a tattoo at the Chicago Tattooing Co. Alicia and I are a couple of those crazy people that knew each other online before meeting in person. She and her husband are about to embark on an exciting adventure - selling all their stuff and traveling the world for a year! Then they're gonna come back and become sheep farmers . . . or something. Anyway, she's in town, we had a yummy lunch and now she gets her very own Dance Party Friday!

Here are her picks . . .we're going with a country/Americana theme. Did I mention it was Alicia who introduced me to the Avett Brothers? Oh yes, it was.

She says this was a major part of her childhood.


This is written by Greg Brown, but these lovely hipsters have the best video of it on YouTube. :)


Here's Marrow, sung (and probably written by) William Elliott Whitmore and Jenny Hoyston - from their Hallways of Always album.


Creepin' In - Dolly Parton and Norah Jones! Alicia just said her band covered this song, it has some "sweet banjo licks" - yes, Alicia plays banjo! Long but endearing intro. Note, this is a song by the late, great June Carter.


Alicia says this is one of her favorite videos of all time, but come on, isn't this one of EVERYONE'S favorite videos? I've seen a great basement party performance of this with Alicia on the banjo . . . wish I could share it with you but it's on facebook lockdown. Alicia loves the camp of this video. Me too!


This is Alicia's friend Katie's band, the Awful Purdies. They have a new album coming out, so Google the heck out of it and buy it! Now.


This one has neat flood pictures, if you like that sort of thing. Which I do. The female vocalist is Alicia's uncle's ex-wife's step-daughter. If you're wondering about Ferris Bueller's health status, she can probably tell you.


Dave Moore is an Iowan artist who plays a mean harp. He is also known to be a swell dude.


Horse Feathers! Alicia just saw them a few weeks ago, she (and the rest of the audience) got to sit on stage with the band for the performance. They also have a Tiny Desk Concert which Alicia says automatically makes them cool.


Great performance in LA's Knitting Factory. Alicia is famous by proxy because last week he gave her a high five. She knows this dude! She & her husband Tony have a design/printing business and they did a really cool concert poster for Will a while back. Check it - and their other wares, out, at Cicada Grove.

The end!!