Spirit Moves (TOTR 231)

Rising Appalachia – Bright Morning Stars/Botawak

MaMuse – Glorious

Elbow – One Day Like This

Ray Stinnett – Naturally High

Woods – With Light & With Love

Langhorne Slim & The Law – Spirit Moves

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – Howling At Nothing

Judah & The Lion – Somewhere In-Between

Jason Isbell – 24 Frames

Langhorne Slim & The Law – Meet Again

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – Thank You

Rev. Yolanda – God Is

MC Yogi – Namaste

Matisyahu – Searchin

MC Yogi – Heaven Is Here

Rev. Yolanda – Sweet Sweet Spirit

Khrysso – Come Creator Spirit

The Waterboys – Spirit

Ray Stinnett – Loves In The Answer

Woods – Shepherd

Alice Coltrane – Hare Krishna

MaMuse – Hallelujah

Gungor – Land of the Living

We're Not A Small Town! Ten Things I Wish Every Incoming Student, Tourist, and Retiree Knew About Cookeville!

1. Cookeville is not a small town. Byrdstown, Woodbury, Red Boiling Springs -- these are small towns. Cookeville is a “micropolitan” college town, which means we have a lot in common with bigger places like Knoxville and the Boro. Just hang out in the traffic on Willow Avenue to be cured of the notion that there is nobody here doing nothing.

2. There is something to do on the weekend. Things may be slower around the Tech campus on Saturday and Sunday, but there is theater, art, and live music in the clubs, bars, churches, streets, and parks. This weekend you can hear live music from a huge variety of folks at Art in the Alley, an outdoor festival near Cookeville’s square from Noon until 7pm on Saturday! 

3. We have great local coffeehouses! As a serious coffee drinker who travels a lot, I rely on Starbucks to get me through, but if the only coffeehouse you check out is the campus Starbucks, you are missing out. Cookeville has some great local coffeehouses, with Poets on the Square being the real icon and hangout space for conversation and the occasional live music. But for a real gem and the best frozen coffee drinks I have ever had, try Perk Up on Jefferson (near Hobby Lobby). The people who run Perk Up are so genuine and nice, too!

4. WalMart is not the only store. You don’t ever need to go there. I go once or twice a year for some masochistic proletarian check-in with mass culture. I have heard that if you must Wal-Mart, the Algood Walmart is better than the Cookeville Wal-Mart. 

5. Local food sustains us. Green markets are everywhere. We have two excellent Farmers’ Markets! Check out the original farmers’ market on Mahler street, north of First and near the railroad tracks. Or the Downtown Green Market in the parking lot of First Presbyterian Church, on Broad at Dixie, adjacent to Dogwood Park. 

6. We love our waterfalls but be careful. The people at Cummins Falls State Park aren’t kidding! Please be safe! Wear hiking sandals or sturdy water shoes, not flip flops or high heels. When they say bring a backpack and not a plastic shopping bag, they mean it. When they say the hike to the falls is strenuous, they aren’t bluffing. When they say people have fallen from the rocks or drowned to meet their maker there, they are telling the truth. This is one of the best parks in the world, and I go as often as I can. But be safe not stupid. Be prepared!

7. Walking is for everyone. Don’t drive your car everywhere. Walk to Sherlock Park or the Quad on campus or walk downtown to Dogwood Park and then the West Side. A short drive can take you to Cane Creek Park for more walking. Jaywalking on Dixie at the busiest times of day is dangerous. Look both ways and use the crosswalks!

8. Being a vinyl-collecting hipster isn’t just for people from Nashville. Check out Compact Discovery at the old Cookeville mall for great used records and new records on Record Store Day. I have gotten great scores there that I never would have found in Nashville ‘s finest record stores and for a fraction of the price. 

9. Health fiends find some good news here. Fast food isn’t just your traditional fast food. Check out the drive thru juice bar on Jackson near Staples. The Turn Around is your place for great juices as well as salads and sandwiches. 

10. This is the Bible belt but not all the churches are conservative. If conservative is your thing, there are lots of churches to choose from, but Cookeville also has a growing group of religious progressives and liberals. For an open-minded and social justice-oriented faith community, check out the United Church of Cookeville, First Presbyterian Church, Unity Church of the Cumberlands, and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cookeville. 

Wonderful (TOTR 230)

My Morning Jacket – At Dawn

Fifth On The Floor – One Big Holiday

Lucius – Wonderful

Yim Yames – My Sweet Lord

My Morning Jacket – True Love Ways (Buddy Holly cover)

My Morning Jacket – It Makes No Difference (Band cover) 

My Morning Jacket – Rocket Man (Elton John cover)

My Morning Jacket – Get The Point

My Morning Jacket – Nashville to Kentucky

My Morning Jacket – Phone Went West (Live – Nashville – 8.15.08)

My Morning Jacket – Smokin From Shootin (Live – Nashville – 8.15.08)

My Morning Jacket – Easy Morning Rebel (Live – Atlanta – 8.7.15)

My Morning Jacket – Mahgeetah (Live – Atlanta – 8.7.15)

My Morning Jacket – Steam Engine

My Morning Jacket – Tropics (Erase Traces)

My Morning Jacket – Gideon

My Morning Jacket – What A Wonderful Man

Jim James – All Is Forgiven

My Morning Jacket – Librarian (Live – Nashville – 8.15.08)

My Morning Jacket – Wonderful 

Rocky Mountain High (TOTR 229)

Allen Stone – Rocky Mountain High

My Morning Jacket – Leaving on a Jet Plane

John Denver – I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free

John Denver – I Wish I Could Have Been There (Woodstock)

John Denver – Blow Up Your TV

John Denver – Readjustment Blues

John Denver – City Of New Orleans

John Denver – Paradise

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils – Colorado Song

The Flying Burrito Brothers – Colorado   

Stephen Stills – Colorado

Steve Earle – Colorado Girl

Matthews Southern Comfort – Colorado Springs Eternal

The String Cheese Incident – Colorado Bluebird Sky (feat Zac Brown Band

Amos Lee – Some Days Are Diamonds

John Denver – Thank God I’m a Country Boy

Jason & The Scorchers – Take Me Home, Country Roads

Blind Pilot – The Eagle and the Hawk

John Denver – Anthem - Revelation

John Denver – Follow Me

John Denver – Annie’s Song

John Denver – Sweet Surrender

John Denver – Poems, Prayers and Promises

Train – Sunshine On My Shoulders

John Denver – Rocky Mountain High

Walk Unafraid (TOTR 228)

Bobbie Gentry – Glory Hallelujah, How They’ll Sing

First Aid Kit – Walk Unafraid

Kory Wheeler – Wild & Free

Jason Isbell – Something More Than Free

Free – Be My Friend

Leonard Cohen – Suzanne

Roger McGuinn – Ballad Of Easy Rider

Simon & Garfunkel – If I Could

Anela Lauren – Box of Rain

Grateful Dead – Ripple

Shakey Graves – Only Son

The Dartmouth Decibelles – Southern Cross

The Grassmasters – Ezekiel Saw The Wheel

My Morning Jacket – Believe

Gungor – Us for Them

The Liturgists – Let the Waters

Donny Hathaway – Voice Inside (Everything Is Everything)

Nina Simone – New World Coming

Luther Allison – Sweet Home Chicago

Krishna Das – Jesus On The Main Line

Amy Barnes – Shiva Gospel

Stefan Waligur – For The Love Of The People

R.E.M. – Walk Unafraid (Live In Dublin)

Joe Cocker – Let It Be