Americana musician Kirby Brown has reinvented his musical self as Kirby Baby. He comes out swinging with “Hell When You Come Around”, a great indie rocker about a relationship as irresistible as it is destructive: i know it’s going to be scars after loving youi know I’m going to fall hard like I always doit’s […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2025, Part 2
True Believer, Jason Isbell (from the Southeastern Records release Foxes in the Snow) Foxes in the Snow finds Jason Isbell in a raw, reflective space, drawing from the emotional wreckage of heartbreak and the cautious hope of starting over. These songs live in the aftermath—where pain lingers, memories echo, and new love emerges slowly, shaped […]
Monday Morning Video – Celebrating Two Greats
We lost two great architects of rock and roll last week with the passing of Brian Wilson and Sly Stone. Each pursued a singular vision and leave behind tremendous musical legacies. Here is but a taste of their greatness. “God Only Knows” and “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times” from Wilson and “Everyday People” […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2025, Part 1
The Van Pelt Parties, Patterson Hood (from the ATO Records release Exploding Trees and Airplane Screams) Patterson Hood has long been a master of Southern storytelling, and on his latest album, he delivers a collection of tales—some real, some imagined—that reflect the complexities of life in the Deep South, particularly his native Alabama. These aren’t […]
Rabbit Feet – a Premiere from Norma
I’ve written before about the richness of the Norwegian Americana scene, affectionately called Nordicana. The latest to emerge from those fertile grounds is Norma, a quartet delivering some mighty fine cosmic country. Their sound blends psychedelic shimmer, rock grit, and folk warmth, all wrapped in luminous three-part harmonies. Though still a relatively new band, they’ve […]
Monday Morning Video – Radney Foster
With Father’s Day coming up this Sunday, it feels like the perfect time to share this song. One of the standout moments from last year’s AmericanaFest was seeing Radney Foster perform it during a songwriter round hosted by Sunny Sweeney. As the event was winding down, Sweeney asked Jack Ingram to close it out. Ingram […]
Monday Morning Video – Charles, Domino, and Lewis
What’s better than last week’s Fats Domino video? How about Domino teaming up with Ray Charles and Jerry Lee Lewis for a rousing take on the Hank Williams classic “Jambalaya”. Look closely at the band and you’ll see Ron Wood and Paul Shaffer, among others. “Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the […]
“When the Dust Has Settled” – a Premiere from Session Americana
Music Business. While artists rightfully focus their attention on the first word, there’s no avoiding the second. Creating the art is hard enough—but getting it out into the world takes a rare kind of perseverance and grit. Since the music industry began its digital transformation, I’ve watched countless artists explore different strategies when releasing new […]
Monday Morning Video – Fats Domino
How about we go back – way back – for this week’s video. Inaugural member of the Rock Hall of Fame Fats Domino released his version of the classic “Blueberry Hill” back in 1956 and performed it on Austin City Limits back in 1987.
Monday Morning Video – David Garza’s Disco Ball World
Sometimes ya just wanna hear a great blast of rock and roll. David Garza delivers that and then some with this incendiary take on “Disco Ball World”, captured live in Austin back in the late aughts. Hard to go wrong when you’ve got two drummers throwing down a furious beat…