Music Library: Roy Acuff, Roy Buchanan, Roy Orbison, Royal Trux, Ruby Suns, Rufus, Run The Jewels, Run-DMC, Ruth Brown, RZA

Roy Acuff - The Essential Roy Acuff 1936-1949. As Uncle Tupelo sang, play me a song that everybody knows and I bet you it belongs to Acuff-Rose. Roy Acuff was the archetypical country singer who grew to accumulate first great power in the music business and then political power in Tennessee and who became a legend when he was gone. You know the type. These are hillbilly songs on the verge of becoming country music or maybe they're on the other side of the cusp.



Roy Buchanan - "Green Onions." Blues guitarist ripping through a cover of the track by Booker T & the MGs. I didn't think I was much of a fan of the guy, but this cooks.



Roy Orbison - The All-Time Greatest Hits (1960-64). Such a brilliant weirdo. Just to call back to Roy Acuff's power, Orbison spent a part of his life as a songwriter at the songwriting firm of Acuff-Rose.  It's hard to hear him without David Lynch creeping in.



Royal Trux - Twin Infinitives (1990). Beautiful lo-fi rock melodies drowning in waves and waves of thrashing, screaming, dreaming, howling noise.



Ruby Suns - Sea Lion (2008). The kiwi version of Animal Collective, Ruby Suns have Beach Boys-like harmonies and pure pop hearts with layer upon layer of electronics.



Rufus - "Tell Me Something Good." Ugh. Yeah.

Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels (2013). El-P and Killer Mike collaborating like they were born to it. One of my favorite 2013 albums, right here.



Run-DMC - Run-DMC (1984), King Of Rock (1985), Raising Hell (1986), Tougher Than Leather (1988), and Together Forever - Greatest Hits 1983-1991. Clearly everyone's been waiting for this 40-odd-year-old white Southern guy to talk about the great Run-DMC. "Oh, Hayden," said the world, "stop talking about all this stuff that you know a bunch about and instead provide your dilettante-esque thoughts on a seminal hip-hop group!" But instead I decided to narrate this.



RZA - RZA As Bobby Digital In Stereo (1998). What? More hip-hop for me to avoid discussing? Don't mind if I do! Love this album by The RZA. You might be surprised to learn that he conceived of the Bobby Digital persona while he was high. True story.