ALBUMS OF THE SEASON: Love on the Dial, by Stone River Boys From the depths of tragedy springs a new beginning. When Chris Gaffney, one half of the Hacienda Brothers, was diagnosed with cancer in early 2008, brother Dave Gonzalez led a tour to raise funds for his close friend. Among those who joined for […]
Warren Hood – Live at Amnesia
As a preview to an upcoming mini tour, Warren Hood played an unannounced show last week at Amnesia Bar in San Francisco. Â Featuring his new band, the Goods, the brief-but-very-enjoyable show covered a wider range of material than Warren”s background might otherwise indicate. Â Covering everything from Stevie Wonder to neo-Balkan indie music to a song […]
The Sadies – Darker Circles
For Dark Circles (Yep Roc) the first studio album since 2007, The Sadies once again enlisted the help of Jayhawk co-leader Gary Louris to produce. And, they also employed their signature melange of tight, Bakersfield electrified country, psychedelia, and jamming surf rock. While the Toronto foursome, led by brother Dallas and Travis Good, has racked […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2010, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE SEASON: Street Songs of Love, by Alejandro Escovedo Alejandro Escovedo is living proof that some things just get better with age. Street Songs of Love rocks with abandon and rolls with purpose. “Anchor†is a fitting opener, electric guitars kicks off a rocker that, although mid-tempo, still packs a forceful punch. “If […]
Tim Barry- 28th and Stonewall
“It’s Not What You Make or Do, It’s How You’re Living†Tim Barry is one of those guys. In the spirit of Ben Nichols, Chuck Ragan, Micah Schnabel, and Michael Dean Damron, he can climb on stage and belt it out armed with only an acoustic guitar and sincerity. His songs are true, both to […]
John Prine – In Person & On Stage
One of my favorite John Prine songs, Dear Abby, has a line in the chorus that “you are what you are, and you ain’t what you ain’t.” Â That simple but astute observation does a pretty good job of describing Prine’s music and musical sensibility. Â Think about it: when you tell a friend about a musician […]
Caleb Caudle and the Bayonets- Snake River Canyon
Caleb Caudle blew me away with his debut record Red Bank Road. That record was a calm exertion, a seamless acoustic record of classic Americana. Supplemented by occasional pedal steel flourishes, the record was largely just Caleb and an acoustic guitar. Red Bank Road lived in my car stereo for months. The songs, penned by a […]
Josh Ritter – So Runs the World Away & Live at the 9:30 Club
As a music fan, I have always felt that recorded music and the live show are the yin and yang of an artist. You simply can’t have one without the other (okay I’ll give you the Beatles & Nick Drake, but they are the exception). But with a true music artist, both parts of the […]
Screen Door Porch
Todd Snider once advocated a life where you could “pack everything you own in 15 minutes and move on” as a way to collect the stories needed to be a good singer-songwriter. Â That philosophy has certainly given Todd plenty of good material. Â The duo of Seador Rose and Aaron Davis, in their persona as Screen […]
Merle Haggard – I Am What I Am
Looking back 25 or 30 years ago, here are some things I never thought I’d see or hear; Kris Kristofferson winning an Academy Award, Bocephus still alive (much less a Hank III), Merle Haggard as a country pop crooner. Â Yet, here they are, the latter of that list a nod to portions of Merle’s latest […]