Happy New Year, a wonderful welcome to 2025 and a fresh start to an amazing new chapter in our lives! Let’s write an even better and unforgettable addition to “our books” during these next 12 months!
Hope each of you, your families, your friends and loved ones have all enjoyed an amazingly enjoyable holiday season and are getting refreshed as we getting rolling here in January.
As in previous years, my annual review of the past year in music has uncovered some absolute gems that I wanted to share with all of you fantastic folks in my world. I’ve compiled below 14 phenomenal listens from a variety of different artists, who have so many talents on so many levels. I hope you find some nuggets of greatness, new surprises and maybe rediscoveries from artists you wouldn’t have expected.
Since we just lost our 100-year young, true American hero, legendary human being and 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, this past week, I wanted to also post some outstanding words on what music meant to him during his lifetime and some priceless quotes below:
Jimmy Carter was known for his deep appreciation of music, particularly jazz, rock, and country. He often spoke about the unifying power of music and its role in shaping culture and politics.
Here are a few notable Carter quotes about music:
On Music as a Universal Language
“Music is the universal language. It embodies everything that brings us together as people—our history, our values, our hopes and dreams.”
On Willie Nelson
Carter famously had a close friendship with Willie Nelson and once quipped:
“Willie Nelson became one of my closest friends, and I don’t think there’s a musician alive who has brought more joy to the American people than Willie.”
On Jazz
“Jazz has always been a way of bringing people together. Its improvisation and freedom reflect the best of what we strive for as a society—openness and creativity.”
Simple words of greatness right there, y’all. God bless Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter and their family. Forever in our hearts.
With all this being said, from my beloved Sir Arthur Golden Retriever Pup and I here in Dripping Springs, Texas to you and your loved ones around the world, wherever this may find you, we wish you a next year filled with great health and well-being, much happiness and solitude, incredible experiences and travel, endless laughter, love and true appreciation for this life we’ve been given. May each of you find peace, unity, safety, and many better days ahead!
LIVE A GREAT STORY, y’all!
Cheers and all my best from The “Unofficial Mayor of Austin!”
Randall Metting
The Top 14 Albums of 2024
1) Kacey Musgraves – “Deeper Well”
2) The Avett Brothers – “The Avett Brothers”
3) Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – “South Of Here”
4) Billy Strings – “Highway Prayers”
5) Willie Nelson – “Last Leaf On The Tree”
6) Johnny Blue Skies/Sturgill Simpson – “Passage Du Desir”
7) George Strait – “Cowboys and Dreamers”
8) Zach Bryan – “The Great American Bar Scene”
9) Sierra Ferrell – “Trail Of Flowers”
10) Willie Nelson – “The Border”
11) Shane Smith & The Saints – “Norther”
12) Miranda Lambert – “Postcards From Texas”
13) Luke Combs – “Fathers and Sons”
14) Kaitlin Butts – “Roadrunner!”
THE END
Randall Metting 
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