It’s hard to beat a warm, sunny summer day, outside with a cold beer, some BBQ, and bluegrass in the MP3 player. It’s Labor Day as I’m writing this and I scored big in the music side of that equation as I’m reviewing the last effort from The Rubber Knife Gang, Drivin’ On. I just […]
Hans Chew – Tennessee & Other Stories…
Most people drink corn whisky for one of two reasons; to forget their troubles or to start some new ones. But there’s a third path, a fine line, where the bourbon serves to focus an artistic endeavor and provide the fuel for an emotional fire. Hans Chew’s debut album, Tennessee & Other Stories, seems to […]
The Giving Tree – The Joke, The Threat & The Obvious
To hear about a band being “green†in today’s society seems like another gimmick. We have whole foods, organic produce, carbon footprints and alternative energy bombarding us from all action. As a music fan, I like to listen to my music to unplug and hear the “organic†side for a while. But Todd and Eric […]
Green Corn Revival – Say You’re A Sinner
Never underestimate the imagery a good audio track can create. Fifteen seconds into the opening song of Green Corn Revival’s first full length effort, Say You’re A Sinner, all I could think about were Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns. Part One, as the track is called, is an avant garde country number with soaring background harmonies […]
Lissie/Catching A Tiger
So, for the last couple of weeks I’ve been riding around with Lissie in the car. And no matter how hard I try, I can’t get past second base. Sorry, I meant the second track. I’m not sure if it’s the pounding bass or the hooky repeating guitar line or the chorus that sticks in […]
Newport Folk Festival 2010 (Part Two)
Day two of the Newport Folk Festival dawned with even better weather than the day before. With the giant bridge gleaming at me in the background, I trekked from the parking lot straight to the set of Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons. I had seen Cory’s name around a lot recently, opening up for […]
Ray Lamontagne – God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise
Ray Lamontagne’s latest project might be the most un-Lamontagne album he has done, thus far, even though it’s the first album he has produced for his own self. God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise, his fourth studio LP, was recorded in Lamontagne’s New England cabin with the help of his country, soul-brothers, the Pariah […]
Kathleen Edwards- Northampton, MA (07.21.10)
Kathleen Edwards is one of my favorite singer-songwriters. Though sometimes dismissively lumped in with Tift Merritt, Allison Moorer, and other female alt. country singers, she has released 3 overwhelmingly consistent and great albums. With a penchant for writing songs that seems to write themselves and a sound that makes the alternative country genre sound like […]
Newport Folk Festival 2010 (Part One)
I’m really learning to love the Newport Folk Festival. This was my second year in attendance and I have been consistently impressed not only with the quality of the line-up, but also with the relaxed atmosphere. Music runs from about 11:30am to 7:30pm on 3 stages in Fort Adams State Park, Newport, Rhode Island on […]
Mayer’s Playlist for June & July 2010, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Joe Hill’s Ashes, by Otis Gibbs Gibbs is one of the most distinctive voices in Americana, both for the integrity in his songwriting and the authenticity of his voice. While some may find both a bit gruff, it gives his music a realism that can’t be doubted. Most songs are built […]