All Be Gone, Buffalo Tom (from the Schoolkids Records release Quiet and Peace) One of rock and roll’s great debates is whether to burn out or fade away. There’s a third option, though. Buffalo Tom make the point that it is possible for rock and roll to mature gracefully while still maintaining an edge. In […]
Deep Ellum Blues – A Special Dallas Playlist
Good Luck, Garrett Owen (from the self-released Sad Eyed-Son) To call Fort Worth’s Garrett Owen a captivating performer just doesn’t do him justice. Even as he sings songs about heartbreak and loss, he somehow pulls in listeners with an enthralling allure. There’s a melancholy that hangs over his music – he sings achingly of heartache, […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Winter 2018, Part 2
Simple Scenes, Marie/Lepanto (from the Big Legal Mess Records release Tenkiller) It perhaps shouldn’t come as a surprise that Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster (Water Liars) and Will Johnson (Centro-Matic et al) named their new project after a rural road sign that marks an intersection near two Arkansas towns (Marie and Lepanto). Tenkiller exudes a sense of […]
Tuesday’s Blend, a Playlist
Tuesday’s Blend is a Twangville-inspired Folk & Blues playlist blending newer releases with timeless classics and familiar covers. Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.
Mayer’s Playlist for Winter 2018, Part 1
Time Will Be the Healer, Glen Hansard (from the Anti- Records release Between Two Shores) Songwriting is arguably a numbers game. For many artists, the quantity of songs released is a fraction of those that are written. It’s a shame, really, as some quality songs can get left on the shelf gathering dust. For his […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best Songs of 2017, Part 3
I posted my list of favorite from the first half of 2017 back in July (here). Rather than replicate that list for my full year review, consider this a continuation — the best songs from the second half of the year. Stone Age, David Ramirez (from the Thirty Tigers release We’re Not Going Anywhere) “Well […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best Songs of 2017, Part 2
I posted my list of favorite from the first half of 2017 back in July (here). Rather than replicate that list for my full year review, consider this a continuation — the best songs from the second half of the year. No Heart Left Behind, Hannah Aldridge (from the Rootsy Music release Gold Rush) I […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2017, Part 3
(This Ain’t) An Original Sin, Will Hoge (from the EDLO Records release Anchors) Nashville-based singer-songwriter Will Hoge possesses the twin powers of lyric and melody, a talent that is finely displayed on Anchors. From a lyrical perspective, the album overflows with yearning, disappointment and self-reflection. “You can try to fight the truth, but time will […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2017, Part 2
No Heart Left Behind, Hannah Aldridge (from the Rootsy Music release Gold Rush) “I take my heartache with a little bit of ice,” announces Muscle Shoals-raised Hannah Aldridge on “Burning Down Birmingham,” one of several stand-outs from her latest release. Electric guitars lead the charge, sometimes chugging with an insistent stoicism and other times unleashing […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2017, Part 1
Don’t Tell Me to Smile, The Mastersons (from the Red House Records release Transient Lullaby) The husband and wife team of Chris Masterson and Bonnie Whitmore continue to refine their sound on the glorious Transient Lullaby. The duo thoughtfully explore the foibles of contemporary relationships with a studied blend of thoughtfulness and realism. The arrangements […]