Robert Francis – Before Nightfall Ben Kweller – Changing Horses Justin Townes Earle – Midnight at the Movies Peter Bradley Adams – Traces Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – self-titled Drive-by Truckers – The Fine Print Dave Rawlings Machine – A Friend of a Friend Patterson Hood – Murdering Oscar The Avett Brothers – […]
Collin Herring – Ocho
Singer/Songwriter Collin Herring (Official / Myspace) has spent years living in Ft. Worth, California and Austin where he has played clubs and garnered a good bit of praise from his peers as a thoughtful, insightful artist. He has also spent a good bit of time in rehab and suffering through a divorce, experiences that has […]
American Gun- Devil Showed Me His Hand
American Gun is a rock and roll band, albeit one that can’t let a song sit still. You won’t find these five guys from Columbia, SC taking the back seat and spinning their wheels on any song in their catalog, but particularly not on their third full length, Devil Showed Me His Hand. Following on […]
Joe Koenig – Somethin’ Concrete
Mellow can often mean bland, but it can also be deceiving. The heartfelt sincerity of Somethin’ Concrete by Joe Koenig (Official / Myspace) comes through in a mellow flow that is soulful, not shallow. The Californian considers his folk-rock/country/gospel hybrid to be a Texan form of soul. Such a description is appropriate, as Koenig spent […]
Drive-By Truckers Get Ready to Rock
This picture just about says it all. The Drive-By Truckers, newly signed to ATO Records, will release a new album — The Big To-Do — on March 16, 2010. “It’s very much a rock album,†says Patterson Hood, “Very melodic and more rocking than anything we’ve done since disc 2 of Southern Rock Opera.†The […]
Sam Bush – Circles Around Me
Circles Around Me, Bush’s seventh solo album is a mix of classic bluegrass covers and new originals. Quite possibly this is Bush’s most cohesive release. Bush has always been a dichotomy. He is influenced by the old but is the original innovator of the new. Hell, he literally coined the term new grass with his […]
Graham Wilkinson – Yearbook
As usual, there have been many great albums come from artists that call Austin home. I recently enjoyed Tom Gillam’s latest, and am looking forward to Reckless Kelly’s soon to be released disc. A recent release that is easily one of the better “Austin albums” of the year is Graham Wilkinson’s Yearbook. This record is […]
Peter Bradley Adams – Live
To see Pete these days, you wouldn’t guess where he’s been. The unassuming, shy appearance belies a singer whose previous act (a duo with Kat Maslich) had him opening for established folk act Tracy Chapman amongst others. These days, Pete has generally shed the poppy keyboard driven songs in favor of a simpler guitar-picking approach. […]
Chip Taylor – Yonkers, NY
I’ve never made a secret of my preference for live music. Â One of the things that attracts me to a live performance is that you learn a little more about the performer. Â They don’t just bare their sole with their music, but generally give you some of the story behind the story. Â What’s great about […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2009, Part 3
I’ve got some catching up to do. A heavy travel schedule has kept me from my monthly playlist duties. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had the pleasure to visit some impressive places. Even better, I’ve had plenty of great new music to keep me company along the way. Well, it’s time to make up for […]