ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: City Lights, by Javier Escovedo Ironically, we finish the year with an album that arrived at the year’s start. The Escovedo name may sound familiar. Brother Alejandro gets most of the attention but City Lights proves Javier to be equally talented. Escovedo is clearly a student of classic rock, filling his […]
Best Albums of 2008, Mayer’s Picks
#1. MATTHEW RYAN, Matthew Ryan Vs. the Silver State (00:02:59) Whether he’s performing a ballad or a rock song, Ryan’s intelligence and intensity course through this release. (Twangville review, mp3s and video here.) #2. THE HOLD STEADY, Stay Positive (Vagrant) They rock, they roll and then they rock some more. The Hold Steady may very […]
A Kickbacks Holiday Treat
Boston’s Kickbacks are a sentimental favorite. For ten years they’ve been serving up some mighty fine Americana. Singer-songwriter Tad Overbaugh has a knack for catchy melodies made all the more satisfying by the band’s harmonies. The band is celebrating the holidays by offering a free five-song ep for download. The ep features songs from Even […]
Goin’ Acoustic with Mike Errico
I can count only a handful of times where I’ve seen an artist silence a room with a song. My first time seeing Mike Errico was one such occasion. And it wasn’t just any room, it was a NYC club filled with an audience that managed to chat through every other performer on the bill […]
Ryan Adams, How We’ve Missed You
From a recent Q&A with Ryan Adams in the UK newspaper the Guardian: What’s the frequency, Kenneth? I mean, seriously, who is Kenneth? The answer should be, “Hey Michael [Stipe] what would happen if you sat down and actually thought this shit out for 10 minutes?” I mean, no offence but there’s a slight difference […]
The Taste of Victory
No, I’m not writing about this past weekend’s UF vs. Alabama football game. I’ll leave that to Tom and Chip, although I suspect that Chip will be rather quiet on the subject. Just wanted to acknowledge several recent winners in Twangville give-aways: Sharon Goldberg of New York, NY will be receiving the new Dar Williams […]
Mayer’s Playlist for November 2008, A Video Companion
We bolt right out of the gate this month with Butch Walker’s smokin’ video for “The Weight of Her” followed by the Right On’s blazing through a live performance of “Do Your Thing, Babe.” After that, you’ll want to catch your breath with live acoustic performances from Ben Nichols and David Garza. From there we’ve […]
Mayer’s Playlist for November 2008, Part 2
Duets, Rachel Yamagata featuring Ray Lamontagne (from the Warner Brothers release Elephants’ Teeth Sinking Into Heart) As sparse as it is breathtaking, this acoustic ballad finds two weary lovers quietly trying to reclaim a faded relationship. Yamagata and Lamontagne’s breathy vocals are a magical combination. Do Your Thing, Babe, the Right Ons (from the 2Fer […]
Mayer’s Playlist for November 2008, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Sycamore Meadows, by Butch Walker Are you familiar with the old adage of giving an artist the hook? It usually signifies the need to drag a talentless performer from the stage. For Butch Walker, however, it carries a whole different meaning. Walker has established a reputation for sharing his hooks with […]
Thank You Prince and Alan Greenspan
So it has now been officially declared that the US is in a recession. Nothing left to do but “party like its 1999.” Prince |MTV Music Can I tell you how much fun I’m having digging through the MTV archives? Post a comment with your favorite video from the MTV archives and you could win […]