What’s the Matter, James McMurtry (from the New West Records release The Horses and the Hounds) Even in the shittiest of years – and the past two years have been beauts – new music from James McMurtry is always a bright spot. In fact, given the songwriter’s infrequent album releases – The Horses and the Hounds is […]
Monday Morning Video – The 2021 Americana Music Awards
UPDATE: The full show video is no longer available so we’ve added a brief highlight clip. One of the most memorable experience of the annual Americana Music Association conference is the awards show. Held at the historic Ryman Auditorium, it is a tremendous celebration of music and musicians as well as host to some memorable […]
Americana 2021: Mayer’s Picks (Part 2)
AHI One of my AMA highlights was hearing AHI preview his forthcoming album Prospect. The setting was his producer Paul Mabury’s home studio, nestled in the mountains south of Nashville. A handful of us sat in the studio with AHI, Mabury, and several of the musicians who appeared on the album. In between listening to […]
Americana 2021: Mayer’s Picks (Part 1)
The Americana Music Association Conference and Awards made a welcome return from the virtual world this year. The annual event showcased several hundred artists who collectively illustrate the breadth of the Americana umbrella. Going back through the schedule to consider the highlights is always a frustrating experience. Not only is it tough to feature just […]
Monday Morning Video – The Accidentals
Michigan’s The Accidentals continue to shine brightly. They have just released the Vessels, the latest in a brilliant string of releases since they began their careers while still in high school. This gem is from their early 2021 release, Time Out Session 1.
Monday Morning Video – GA-20
Blues trio GA-20 came through town last week. Or more aptly, they lit the town on fire with an incendiary set of rock and blues. Guitarists Matthew Stubbs and Pat Faherty, accompanied by drummer Tim Carman, kept the talking to a minimum as they blazed through gems from their 2019 album Lonely Soul as well […]
Monday Morning Video – Mavis Staples “The Weight”
Love this version of “The Weight” performed by Mavis Staples and the Jools Holland Rhythm & Blues Orchestra. A mighty big voice + a mighty big band = one powerful performance.
Bonus Monday Video – Celebrating Summer With Dinty Child and Mark Erelli
Where the heck did summer go?  It seems like after the past year and a half we should get an extra month of summer this year (and not in a climate change kinda way…).  Well, Dinty Child and co-conspirator Mark Erelli wrote a rocking celebration of the season.  Even better, they invited friends, family, and […]
Monday Morning Video – Two Cow Garage
20 years is a long time in pretty much any context, but it’s a lifetime for a rock and roll band. Columbus, Ohio-based Two Cow Garage will be celebrating that milestone later this week – Saturday, September 4th to be exact – the date that they held their first band rehearsal 20 years ago. They […]
Special Monday Video – Remembering Charlie Watts
We lost a giant last week with the passing of Charlie Watts. Known primarily for propelling the Rolling Stones for decades, he was also a jazz and boogie-woogie aficionado. Let’s honor his memory with this 2011 performance by Watts with The A, B, C & D of Boogie Woogie, captured at the Blue Note in […]