When I was born my momma didnt want me, my daddy was gone, and I was bounced around from foster home to foster home. With that being the case, I learned to fend for myself, both at home and on the streets. I wouldn’t say, even with all the bouncing around, I had a terrible childhood, but it was filled with half-promises and lots of heartbreak. When I was 10, I saw my first person stabbed. It was in the back of the school I was attending, and that forever changed me. I was still innocent, merely 10 years old. I, still don’t know what happened that day, or what would drive someone to commit such an act on another human being, but it changed me.I saw the ambulance come, take the young man away, but I was left with questions as I just alluded to. My eyes, these innocent eyes, saw evil in the world for the first time. I saw the ambulance come, take the young man away, and a stain on the playground. I still visit that very playground, from time to time, to this day, and that stain is still there. The stain that took my innocence away.

During one particular stint with a family that shall remain nameless, they were always playing music. Whether it be Stevie Wonder, The Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, The Clash, Springsteen and even Barry Manilow, music was always flowing throughout the house. I’ll be honest, they were assholes, but they jumpstarted my love affair with music. So, I guess, I have them to thank for that. I wont mention the shitty hamburgerhelper that was served every damn night, and the smoke that was constantly being blown in my face. They changed my life, for better or worse.

Years passed, I grew to a man, but during that time it was always about “the music.” It was always a magical escape from everything that I have gone through, the heartbreak, the lies, the broken promises, the “I love you’s” that didnt mean shit, everything. Oddly enough, I have not turned into a bitter older guy. Yes, I am not 27 any more, but does that really matter? I think not!

With all that said, here are my two picks, the Baron Childs picks, as my favorite to come out of 2012′s Couch by Couchwest “festival.”

Timothy Showalter is Strand of Oaks and he chose to cover Jason Molina’s “Long Desert Train.” A song that is as painful as the title suggests. The song always said to me “hey, this shit any going anywhere, and no matter what you do to try to stop it, you’re gonna fail.” Have you ever driven through a desert? It’s never-ending nothingness, and Showalter nails that feeling perfectly.

Now, my second pick may come as a bit of surprise, but it’s Chase 56′s “Mary Jane.” Sure, the quality is kinda shitty, but isn’t life most of the time? I kid, I kid, sort of. Like I said the quality is iffy, but the vocals and instrumentation are strong, and I have been a big fan of this song since I first heard their record “Altoona Rising” a year or so back. Plus, their on a damn dock! I wanna be on a damn dock! Jealous.

The best of the rest are as follows:

My new girlfriend, Josie Little’s “This White Circle”
Austin Lucas doing one of my favorite songs “Nevada County Line”
Roadside Graves’ Jeremy Benson’s “Lbullabyby”
Greater Pacific’s “Leave this Town” – they may be drunk, or at least the drummer
Black Twig Pickers’ “Goin Down that Road Feelin Bad”