About a year ago, (or longer…time escapes me) I had the pleasure of catching John Fullbright play a show with Sam Baker and Natalia Zukerman at a local club here in Columbia, South Carolina. I’d never heard of Fullbright, but I enjoyed his songs as much or more than Baker’s, the reason I’d came to […]
Mindy Smith
Mindy Smith’s new self-titled album finds her moving back to her roots. She delivers the music in a way that is truly her own. It is a rare quality to be able to exude this kind of passion so overtly. However it is natural for Smith, the emotions of each song rise up from inside […]
Barnstar on Tour at Club Passim
The idea of bluegrass supergroup may seem foreign to some, hell even most music fans. But the band Barnstar! didn’t listen to that. They threw caution to the wind and pulled together some of the most respected indie musicians and bluegrass players in the Boston area. And between their other obligations, they have managed to […]
Mayer’s Playlist for June 2012
THE PLAYLIST That Wasn’t Me, Brandi Carlile (from the Columbia Records release Bear Creek) Any Carlile discussion begins and ends with her voice, an instrument of power and beauty. While her latest is more relaxed than her earlier efforts, it retains the inspirational tone that is a hallmark of her songwriting. Many of the songs […]
Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires at the Wadsworth
When I heard about a one-off Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires show, three hours of driving on a Friday night didn’t seem that bad. There’s something different about a rock artist who slows down to let the songs shine through. Isbell has done the rock gig with the Drive-by Truckers, the solo gig, and the […]
Albert Castiglia – Living the Dream
Albert Castiglia plays a hot guitar in a traditional blues format, taking cues from generations of Chicago electric bluesmen. Echoes of Freddie and Albert King, Otis Rush and Magic Sam can be heard in Castiglia’s playing, although Castiglia takes a decidedly more aggressive tack than those greats. Castiglia’s connection to those great Chicago artists that […]
Peter Karp & Sue Foley – Beyond the Crossroads
Peter Karp and Sue Foley have developed a unique sound that seems to be a cross between country and blues – bluntry – but with a healthy dose of R&B thrown in. Both veteran blues-roots musicians, Karp and Foley joined forces for a second combined effort, Beyond the Crossroads, reprising the teamwork that made 2010’s […]
Justin Townes Earle at the Somerville Theatre
At a college neighborhood near Boston, Justin Townes Earle seemed a bit different again. He has gone through so many phases in his life and music it’s tough to figure him out. I’ll always yearn for the simplicity of Yuma and his first live performance opening for Ron Sexsmith back in the day. At the […]
Royal Southern Brotherhood
Ever since Little Village’s one disappointing album in 1992, I am prepared to be underwhelmed by any new group promotors tout as a “supergroup.” There have been, of course, huge successes when music superstars were mixed and matched into new units (e.g., Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – comprised of members from Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds and […]
The Bottle Rockets at the Center for the Arts
After forming his first band in 1977, alt-country pioneer Brian Henneman could easily say “I’ll Be Coming Around” at some point and he would. After a stint in Uncle Tupelo, and then a lending a hand on Wilco’s debut album, Brian can certainly say he’s had his hand in some pretty influential stuff. But then, […]