Anybody remember Del Amitri? They released a number of solid pop albums in the 90’s before disappearing from the scene by the turn of the century. Although I was never a fan of the band’s biggest hit “Roll to Me,†their catalog is rich with intelligent pop songs. Singer-songwriter Justin Currie excelled at capturing a […]
Mayer’s Playlist for April 2007, A Video Companion
I found some great videos to accompany April’s playlist. There are book-end versions of Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova performing “Falling Slowly,” Todd Snider performing “Looking for a Job” on the Tonight Show and classic performances from Chris Whitley and Warren Zevon.
Mayer’s Playlist for April 2007
THE ALBUM OF THE MONTH: The Swell Season, by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova Although it was originally released in late 2006, this album has finally taken hold of me with its quiet beauty. Glen Hansard, singer-songwriter from Ireland’s The Frames, and Marketa Irglova, a classically trained Czech musician, collaborated to create a song cycle […]
Mayer’s Playlist for March, a Video Companion
This companion to the March Playlist includes videos from: Nathan Hamilton, the Bittersweets, Band of Heathens, Grand Champeen, Jesse Malin, Jake Brennan, Ted Leo, Son Volt, Minibar, Quincy Coleman and Graham Parker.
Mayer’s Playlist for March 2007
THE ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Six Black Birds, by Nathan Hamilton Although his roots are in folk and country, Austin’s Nathan Hamilton delivers a rock album extraordinaire. “Sooner or Later,” the opening track, sets a clear tone for the record. Over biting guitars and an angry backbeat Hamilton confesses, “I’ve never seen the wisdom in […]
Springsteen @ Carnegie Hall: Additional Highlights
Bruce Springsteen delivered a humorous monologue about his life and career during his acoustic performance of the classic “Rosalita.” Below is the full piece, courtesy of Live Daily. In addition to the monologue, I’ve also posted some video clips from the show. In the first video, the finale version of “Rosalita,” watch Badly Drawn Boy’s […]
Tribute to Bruce Springsteen at Carnegie Hall (5 April 2007)
Nice joint,†proclaimed Steve Earle as he walked onto the Carnegie Hall stage to kick-off an extraordinary tribute to the music of Bruce Springsteen. Over the next two hours, a diverse roster of twenty artists performed songs from the Springsteen canon, the best of which included the artists description of Springsteen’s influence or a reflection […]
News from the Drive-By Truckers
Here’s a letter from Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers that was just posted to the band’s web-site. Twangville sends its best wishes for continued success to both the Truckers and Jason. We’ll see y’all down the road… Y’ALL: It’s with a wide range of emotions and feelings that I’m announcing that we have parted […]
SXSW 2007: Say What?
“I’m not officially open but I don’t want to deny a man his beer. That’s just treason.” ~ a bartender who earned my eternal gratitude “This song goes out to what’s her name wherever she is.” ~ Steve Earle, introducing his song “Now She’s Gone” “Same girl, different harmonica..” ~ Steve Earle, introducing his next […]
SXSW 2007: The Sounds, Part 2
Low Stars – Some of the best SXSW moments occur when you randomly stumble across a surprise performance, such as finding the Low Stars playing a low-key club show late Saturday afternoon. The band is made up of four singer-songwriters, each with a distinct voice, mining the glories of southern California roots music in the […]