Here, in no particular order, are a few more favorites from 2016. Midnight MotelJack Ingram Rangers & ValentinesTrapper Schoepp Teens of DenialCar Seat Headrest Burn Something BeautifulAlejandro Escovedo Kicked Out of EdenJavier Escovedo My Way HomeEli ‘Paperboy’ Reed Cold SnapAnthony D’Amato LakesideEric Ambel Eric BachmannEric Bachmann The RevealerJesse Dayton BlindfallerMandolin Orange RockinghamBJ Barham American BandDrive-By […]
Mayer’s Picks – the Best of 2016 (So Far), the Albums
It’s been a good year for music so far this year (and the rest of the year is shaping up quite nicely, too). Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite releases from the first half of 2016. WILLOW SPRINGS by MICHAEL MCDERMOTT Michael McDermott channels life’s hardships, both his own and those […]
SXSW 2016 – The Sounds, Part 1
We’re gonna start with the faves – these are the artists who delivered my favorite sets of SXSW 2016. JAVIER ESCOVEDO Escovedo didn’t do much talking but, then again, he didn’t have too. He and his crack band demolished the crowd with a two (sometimes three) guitar onslaught and the best set of straight-up rock […]
Mayer’s Playlist for February 2016, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Heavy Hearts, Hard Fists by Nikki Hill We’re gonna call this the best 2015 album that slipped by me last year. Better late than never, right? Hill’s sophomore release, the aptly titled Heavy Hearts, Hard Fists, hits like a punch in the gut. While her sound is rooted in old-school R&B, […]
Monday Morning Video: The True Believers
Here’s a flashback to this year’s SXSW. Austin rockers The True Believers — featuring singer-songwriter-guitarists Alejandro Escovedo, Javier Escovedo and Jon Dee Graham — let their guitars ring out at Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop in this set recorded for Seattle public radio station KEXP. This band was meant to be played LOUD. The set list […]
Tuesday Morning Video, SXSW 2013 Highlights Part 2
We continue our celebration of SXSW 2013 with a special Tuesday edition of our Morning Video series. We’ll call this the SXSW classic rock and country showcase, led off by a three-fer featuring Alejandro Escovedo. The True Believers let their guitars do the talking on “She’s Got” and “All Mixed Up” Bobby Bare Sr., joined […]
SXSW 2013: The Sounds, Part 2
The True Believers Austin’s The True Believers were high on, if not at the top of, my list of bands to see at SXSW. Nearly thirty years ago they established a reputation as a powerhouse rock and roll band. Given that I wasn’t attending many rock shows thirty years ago so I was downright giddy […]
Monday Morning Video: True Believers
Let the guitars ring out, the True Believers have reunited! Back in the mid-1980’s, the legendary Austin band scorched a blazing trail as they criss-crossed the country with their three guitar attack. A solid debut album was released. A follow-up album was recorded but was lost for years in record company limbo. The frustrations mounted […]
Alejandro Escovedo’s Legendary Conclusion to SXSW 2010 at the Continental Club
It was two years ago at the unofficial Sunday night South-by closing ceremonies at the Continental Club that Alejandro Escovedo world premiered his then-forthcoming album, Real Animal live and in sequence from the first track to the last. It was a remarkable show, and it proved to be an album that raised Alejandro’s profile considerably, […]
Kiss Off! A Special Playlist, Part 1
At one point or another we’ve all been on the wrong side of a break-up. So why not celebrate it? Every Tuesday for the next few weeks I’ll be highlighting some of my favorite break-up songs in a special Twangville playlist. And its all dedicated to you, ___________ (INSERT NAME HERE). See You Around, Javier […]