The basement of the Brattle Book Shop may seem an odd place to conduct an interview but in this case it was entirely appropriate. Sitting on a small step ladder surrounded by a stacks of books, Justin Currie reflected on the character study captured on his debut solo album, “I wanted to explore love from […]
Drive-by Truckers + More, Releases 1/22/08
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS, Brighter Than Creation’s Dark (New West) Official Site | MySpace | Spinner Oh glory! The mother truckin’ Alabama hammers are back and they’ve got something to say. About 19 different things to say if you count the number of songs on their latest release ‘Brighter Than Creation’s Dark’. They may be without Jason […]
Bob Schneider Live from Jammin’ Java
When Bob Schneider comes to town to play a solo show, you don’t just get some dude playing a guitar and singing. You get one of the most creative musicians alive playing 2 different guitars, keyboard, upright piano, harmonica, trumpet and perhaps his best gift of all, his unfiltered potty mouth and brilliant between song […]
The Wreckers ‘Way Back Home: Live From New York’, a Giveaway
**NOTE: Contest is now closed. You can still participate but will no longer be eligible for the giveaway.** Back in 2006 I listed The Wreckers as my guilty pleasure of the year. That feeling hasn’t subsided. For some reason, I still dig these chicks. Most of my reasoning is quite shallow as my wife reminds […]
Drive-By Truckers ‘Brighter Than Creations Dark’, Full Album Streams Available
News found on iLike: Both Rhapsody and CMT.com are streaming the full album: http://play.rhapsody.com/thedrivebytruckers/brighterthancreationsdark
Best Albums of 2007 (Tom’s Picks)
Top 10 lists are relative in that they are best judged against the music the reviewer was exposed to and spent enough time listening to to properly analyze. For this reason, many fine albums of 2007 didn’t make my list. I had every intention of purchasing Steve Earle’s and Bettye Lavette’s albums in time to […]
Mayer’s Picks from 2007: The Video Companion
Before we get too far into 2008, here’s a quick trip down (recent) memory lane with some of my favorites from 2007. Among them: Jason Isbell (“Dress Blues”), Josh Ritter (“Right Moves”), Justin Currie (“If I Ever Loved You”), Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova (“Falling Slowly” plus a bonus “Into the Mystic”), Brandi Carlile (“The […]
Drive-By-Truckers – Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
When a band has a shakeup in its’ lineup critics will often look skeptically at their follow up album. But when the follow up is an epic 70 minute 19 song project, even a reasonable critic has to wonder if they can pull it off. Fortunately for us the Truckers not only pull it off, […]
Mayer’s Picks for 2008
As 2007 fades from memory, there’s a wealth of great music on the horizon in 2008. I’ve listed a few of my most eagerly awaited arrivals below, ordered by expected release date. Most of the artists have preview tracks available via MySpace; click on the artist name to link there. Check the Twangville Release Calendar […]
Mayer’s Picks from 2007: The Songs
Dress Blues, Jason Isbell Potent in its simplicity, Isbell reflects on the loss of a high school friend in the Iraqi War. Even after hundreds of listens, I still get a chill in my spine when Isbell sings “You never planned on the bombs in the sand, or sleeping in your dress blues.” If I […]