There was so much good stuff this go-around that the video companion will arrive in two parts. Up first is live footage from Chris Mills, James McMurtry, Bob Walkenhorst, Joe Pug and Hifi Handgrenades. Plus we’ve got videos from Paddy Casey and KaiserCartel. Rounding things out is Reckless Kelly with a special live cover of […]
Mayer’s Playlist for May/June 2008, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Living in the Aftermath, by Chris Mills Brooklyn-by-way-of-Chicago musician Chris Mills is a pop classicist. Spend time with Aftermath and you’ll hear a guy well versed in retro-1960’s pop but with a proper contemporary attitude. His latest release takes the production richness of his 2005 orchestra-backed “The Wall to Wall Sessions” […]
Mayer’s Playlist for March/April, A Video Companion
Here we go again, another video companion chock full of tasty nuggets. We’ll kick things off with songs from Steve Poltz and Missy Higgins, our featured artists for March & April. They we’ll dig into videos and live performances from Kathleen Edwards, Foy Vance, Against Me! and Shurman. We wrap things up this month with […]
Mayer’s Playlist for March/April, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: On a Clear Night, by Missy Higgins The first thing that you’ll notice about Australia’s Missy Higgins is her stunning voice, a magical blend of confidence and uneasiness. Opening track “Where I Stood” epitomizes this dichotomy. The song captures the moment where a woman realizes that, despite her emotional attachment to […]
Mayer’s Playlist for March/April, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Traveling and Unraveling, by Steve Poltz Poltz proves himself to be a genuine musical instigator across two concurrent releases, blending a comedic wit and biting lyrics with instantly hummable acoustic melodies. Who else would react to life’s frustrations by asking the semi-serious question “What would Ghandi do in this situation, go […]
Best of Winter 2008, Tom’s Mixtape
Another winter passes without disappointment. There were some expected solid records like those from Tift Merritt, Gary Louris, Kathleen Edwards and the Drive-by Truckers. Some breaking artists like Liam Finn, The Whigs, Mando Saenz and Justin Townes Earle. Some surprises from Counting Crows, The Black Crowes and Seven Mary Three. And some that simply made […]
Mayer’s Playlist for February 2008, A Video Companion
What’s a monthly playlist without a video companion? This month we start and finish with a pair of incredible acoustic performances by the Jones Street Boys. In between we’ve got clips from Tift Merritt, Nada Surf, Butch Walker, Joe Jackson and Greg Trooper, among others. Don’t miss the haunting J. Tillman & Emily Loizeau duet […]
Mayer’s Playlist for February 2008
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Another Country, by Tift Merritt After 2004’s classic Tamborine, Tift Merritt escaped more than her record contract — she fled the country. Relocating temporarily to Paris, she found an apartment with a piano. The record that emerged is a travelogue of a different kind, a search for identity and assuredness. Merritt […]
Mayer’s Playlist for January 2008, A Video Companion
I had a tough time finding new clips from several of the artists in this month’s playlist. So I did the next best thing and dug into the archives. Highlights include a long-time fan favorite and a new political statement from the Drive-By Truckers, Jon Dee Graham performing an acoustic “Faithless” on the back steps […]
Mayer’s Playlist for January 2008
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Lurch, by Mike Viola Whether recording under his own name or his Candy Butchers moniker, Viola is a master musical alchemist, building each song around varied instruments pulled from his bag of musical sounds. From the Fisher Price piano that kicks off “Maybe, Maybe Not” to the fuzzy bass of “It […]