With the release of Steven Spielberg’s new movie “Lincoln,” it seemed only fitting to make this song a Monday Morning Video selection. The song was written by Chip Robinson and originally recorded by his then band, Raleigh, North Carolina’s The Backsliders. Fast forward a few years and American Aquarium, themselves from Raleigh, revived the song […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2012, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Little Victories, by Chris Knight This has been the season for political commentary and focused exploration of the American spirit. Lots of people will attempt to describe it, but few will come as close as Chris Knight. His songs ring out with an unparalleled authenticity, with music as well worn as […]
Monday Morning Video: The Mavericks at the Americana Music Awards
PBS will be featuring highlights from the 2012 Americana Music Awards on the Austin City Limits program this week. Look below for the performances in the episode, all recorded at the awards ceremony held September 12 at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Here’s a preview: the reunited Mavericks tearing up the Ryman with a […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2012, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Everything’s Up For Grabs, by Christian McNeill and Sea Monsters It has been ten years since Christian McNeill’s last studio release, but it’s not as if he has been absent from the music scene. He has continued to write and perform around Boston, ultimately joining up with a talented crew of […]
Monday Morning Video: Joe Pug and Jason Isbell
I usually try to stick with amateur-recorded videos for our Monday Morning Video, but we’ll make a worthwhile exception this week. Two Twangville favorites — Joe Pug and Jason Isbell — both released new videos this past week. Joe’s video is for “Hymn #76,” a fine track from his most recent album titled Great Despiser. […]
Music With a Purpose: A Tribute to Springsteen’s Nebraska
Musicians have a long tradition of giving. Sure, they give to all of us with the music that they share. Yet they also have a penchant for supporting meaningful causes. Over the next few weeks we will highlight several releases that demonstrate this giving spirit. Bruce Springsteen has long supported food banks and hunger charities […]
Monday Morning Video: Kasey Anderson
The VH-1 series “Behind the Music†has long chronicled tales of musical excess and success. Yet, for many musicians, the real story is far less glamorous for many musicians. Music is both an art and a business, and the latter can be daunting. Kasey Anderson knows the story well. For more than five years he […]
Monday Morning Video: 2012 Americana Music Conference Highlights
As we wrap up our 2012 AMA coverage, here is a playlist highlighting some of the official showcases. We kick things off with a special treat — Richard Thompson telling an amusing story about Robert Plant. We move quickly into the tunes with Hayes Carll, Jason Isbell and Patterson Hood paying tribute to Levon Helm […]
Americana 2012: Say What?!
One of my favorite things about attending music conferences and festivals is the crazy comments that you hear along the way. Here are a few choice selections. I’m always impressed, and so is my accountant, when someone is able to translate my music. Richard Thompson on other artists covering his songs. He wrote a song […]
Monday Morning Video: 2012 Americana Music Awards
As part of our re-cap of the 2012 Americana Music Conference and Festival, here are some highlights from the Americana Awards show. We bookend our collection with the all-star version of “The Weight,” a tribute to Levon Helm. We open with Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, Richard Thompson, Brittany Howard and others rehearsing “The Weight” for […]