From about the time of World War 2 up through the 70’s, Oakland, CA, was as much a music hotbed as Chicago or Memphis. The West Coast style of blues and jazz featured velvety vocals, and horns instead of harmonica or slide guitar. That whole scene in West Oakland, particularly around 7th Street, is long […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2022
Roll Away (Like a Stone), Butch Walker (from the Ruby Red Recordings release Butch Walker as… Glenn) Butch Walker’s latest is something of a concept album, but not in the traditional sense. It portrays an artist playing a club show, complete with an emcee introduction, a simulated bar fight, and calls for an encore. Yet […]
AmericanaFest 2022 – Todd’s Rundown
Americanafest is a beast like no other. Artists pitted against one another on stages across town. Do I go see someone out at Riverside Revival or Basement East? Molly Tuttle is playing at the same time as McMurtry? (Or is it spelled McCurty? See James’ facebook posts during Americanafest to get a good laugh.) Wait, […]
AmericanaFest 2022 – Shawn’s Favorites
I was once again fortunate enough to attend the fall celebration of all things roots music, AmericanaFest. Taking place across most of a week, the traditional kick-off is the Americana Music Awards on Wednesday night. The official showcases also started Wednesday, and ended Saturday night. And this year the unofficial events started on Tuesday and […]
2022 Americana Music Awards
In what’s become a signature event in the roots music scene, the Americana Music Festival was back in full swing this year in the third week of September. Although unofficial events start on Tuesday, the traditional kick-off is the Americana Music Awards held on Wednesday night at the amazing Ryman Auditorium. It’s a chance to […]
Drayton Farley – Walk Home
Before I get into his excellent new EP, let me reflect on the near meteoric rise of singer-songwriter Drayton Farley. His is a true DIY story and proof that talent, not publicists, sometimes win the day. He started out recording in his home studio with no publicists or street team and no label. He persists […]
John Fullbright – The Liar
It’s been 8 years since John Fullbright last released an album. For a Grammy-nominated artist headlining festivals, that’s an eternity. He has a new record coming out later this month, called The Liar, and it’s clear he put all that time to good use. He embraced a new band in the studio and developed a […]
Blue Moon Marquee – Scream, Holler & Howl
The unique Canadian duo Blue Moon Marquee is at it again with Scream, Holler & Howl, a release that proves that the duo owns the recipe to a fun, fantastic, genre-bending stew of their own design. The duo, which features A.W. Cardinal on vocals and guitar and Jasmine Colette on vocals and upright bass, captures […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Summer 2022, Part 2
Nobody’s Coming to Get You, Fantastic Cat (from the Blue Rose Music release The Very Best of Fantastic Cat) It takes some chutzpah to call your debut album “The Best Of” but Fantastic Cat darn sure deliver the goods with their first album. The group’s four singer-songwriters, each talented in their own right, come together […]
Marcus King “Young Blood”
Marcus King has gone to the arena on his new album “Young Blood”. The Blues and Soul are still there, but they take a back seat to 70’s Hard Rock. This album shows influences of Free, ZZ Top, Black Sabbath and Bad Company. This is an arena sized album. King and producer Dan Auerbach (Black […]