Ben de la Cour’s 2020 album Shadowland overflowed with stark tales and flawed characters, none the more so than “Anderson’s Small Ritual”. De la Cour has just announced a planned follow-up, no doubt as dark – and wonderful – as the last. Learn more about the album here.
Monday Morning Video – Amy Ray
Our recent interview with Amy Ray sent me back into her solo catalog. Here’s “Sure Feels Good Anyway” from 2018’s Holler.
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2021, Part 2
The Wind’s Just Gonna Blow, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall, and Jack Ingram (from the Vanner Records/RCA Nashville release The Marfa Tapes) Lambert, Randall, and Ingram. Kind of sounds like a law firm, doesn’t it? In this case it’s a trio of songwriters who have just released some intimate recordings from their writing retreats in Marfa, […]
Monday Morning Video – Goodnight, Texas “Dearest Sarah”
Back in 2014, Goodnight, Texas released the album Uncle John Farquhar, a series of stories set in the Civil War era. Among them was a song based on a letter that soldier Sullivan Ballou wrote to his wife Sarah shortly before his death at the Battle of Bull Run in 1861. Sarah my love for […]
Monday Morning Video – Glen Campbell
I’m not sure which is more impressive: the talent amassed on this stage or their collective admiration of Glen Campbell’s performance of “Gentle On My Mind”. You be the judge.
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2021, Part 1
Deep End, Joe Pug (from the Nation of Heat Records release The Diving Sun) What began as a collection of archival material emerges as a full-fledged album, complete with some wonderful new compositions. All flow with the grace and melodic charm that are Pug hallmarks. The Diving Sun is a mix of quiet acoustic and […]
Monday Morning Video – Glorietta
The band Glorietta was billed as a one-time collaboration among singer-songwriters Noah Gundersen, Matthew Logan Vasquez, Kelsey Wilson, David Ramirez, Adrian Quesada, Jason Robert Blum. I’m hoping that they go back on their word and re-convene for a second album. In the meantime, here’s a beauty from their self-titled first release.
Monday Morning Video – Lloyd Price
We lost a legend last week with the passing of Lloyd Price. The Louisiana native was a rock and roll pioneer, writing and recording storied classics like “Stagger Lee”, “Lawdy Miss Clawdy”, and “Personality” (the song that inspired his nickname “Mr. Personality”). We had the chance to interview Price several years ago and it remains […]
“Together Alone” – a Premiere From Jeff Plankenhorn
While we are by no means out of the woods, there is at least some semblance of hope emerging. But even as we look forward, we can’t forget what we’ve experienced over the past 15 months. That’s where our artists and musicians come into play. Jeff Plankenhorn’s “Together Alone†conjures up the sense of isolation […]
Monday Morning Video – Jimbo Mathus and Andrew Bird
Not sure how I missed this release earlier in the year, but former Squirrel Nut Zippers bandmates Andrew Bird and Jimbo Mathus reunited for the stripped down and magical These 13. Here’s “Poor Lost Souls”, their sobering reflection on homelessness. She’s just a lump of coal, but she could have been a diamondHe’s just a […]