Corey Harris long ago established himself as one of the most important and innovative bluesmen of his generation. He is an amazing musician. With Insurrection Blues, his first album in over three years, Harris has added yet another to a long line of fine albums. As a musical adventurer, Harris can be compared with Taj Mahal […]
Stash – Walk the Walk
Stash is an all-star group from the West Coast roots rock scene. They will be releasing their excellent album “Walk the Walk” on November 5th. Born out of the pandemic the album should not be this much fun. Thankfully it is an eclectic Rock N’ Roll gem that I have had on repeat since getting […]
Sue Foley – Pinky’s Blues
Throughout this past year-and-a-half-going-on-two, it’s been hard to find much to get excited about. If you’re like me, it seems, much like with coronavirus, everything has lots its flavor. Sue Foley’s Pinky’s Blues may just be part of the antidote. A native of Ottawa, Canada transplanted in Austin, Texas, Foley says she had an epiphany […]
Angus Gill – The Scrapbook
We tend to think of country music as a uniquely American style of entertainment. While we’re certainly home for it, there are excellent practitioners of the art all around the world. Such is the case with Angus Gill and his latest album, The Scrapbook. Australian Gill was literally about as far from Nashville as you […]
Natalie Hemby: Pins and Needles
Natalie F-ing Hemby, where have you been all my life?! She first blasted into my consciousness a few years ago as a member of supergroup “The Highwomen”, alongside Amanda Shires, Brandi Carlile, and Maren Morris. Now Hemby as emerged as her own powerhouse with this record, which has been playing on repeat in my car […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2021
What’s the Matter, James McMurtry (from the New West Records release The Horses and the Hounds) Even in the shittiest of years – and the past two years have been beauts – new music from James McMurtry is always a bright spot. In fact, given the songwriter’s infrequent album releases – The Horses and the Hounds is […]
Hank Erwin – The Copper Album
“Having cancer and recovering from surgery was great. It was a distraction from the severe depression.” Taken from Hank Erwin’s website bio, that was my first hint that the inspiration for Erwin’s new album, The Copper Album, was captured from his own, less-than-fluffy, life experiences. Indeed, that bio serves as commentary on several of the […]
Readers’ Pick: Joshua Ray Walker – See You Next Time
You picked Joshua Ray Walker – See You Next Time as your favorite new release for the week of October 8, 2021. New Releases Did we miss something? If you feel a new release is missing from our current poll, please let us know in the comments. Readers’ Tops Summer & Fall 2021 James McMurtry […]
Americana 2021: Mayer’s Picks (Part 1)
The Americana Music Association Conference and Awards made a welcome return from the virtual world this year. The annual event showcased several hundred artists who collectively illustrate the breadth of the Americana umbrella. Going back through the schedule to consider the highlights is always a frustrating experience. Not only is it tough to feature just […]
2021 Americana Music Awards
It was good to be back. The annual awards show, held at the fabulous Ryman Auditorium, is always a highlight of my musical year. First, how can you not favor any show at the Ryman. The acoustics, the atmosphere, the decor, it would make any event special. Second, although showcases have starting creeping in ahead […]