Once again, I have compiled my inexpert list of the blues-based albums that I liked the most from the past year. Here we go: 1. Eric Bibb – Global Griot. I like experimentation, and that is something Bibb is not afraid to do, as his last several albums all include interesting collaborations and stylistic blends. […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best Albums of 2018, Boston/Dallas Edition
I’m fortunate to be able to explore and enjoy the music scenes of two cities – Boston and Dallas. Artists from both have released some exceptional music this year. Here are a few favorites. Love it local. LOVE THAT DIRTY WATER (BOSTON YOU’RE MY HOME) Sarah Borges, Love’s Middle Name Borges takes no prisoners on […]
Shawn’s 2018 Favorites
As is always the case, I heard a lot of good music this year.  And there was a lot more good music I didn’t hear. So I’m going to call this my favorites of the year and not suggest they were the best, but only the best that I heard. 1. Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best of 2018
Another year is winding down, which means that it is time for the ubiquitous best of year lists. Without further ado, here are my picks for the best albums of 2018. #10. KIRBY BROWN, Uncommon Prayer There’s a restlessness that permeates Uncommon Prayer, a point that Brown makes quite clearly in the opening track – […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2018, Part 3
Little Red Hen (With Apologies to Chicken Little) , Kirby Brown (from the self-released Uncommon Prayer) A sense of restlessness permeates Kirby Brown’s Uncommon Prayer. The album documents a quest to find happiness and one’s place in this world, a topic that brown tackles with music that is intoxicating and lyrics that are both creative […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2018, Part 2
Bleach Blonde Bottle Blues, Larkin Poe (from the Tricki-Woo Records release Venom & Faith) Although The Lovell Sisters hail from Georgia and now live in Nashville, their latest album is mostly steeped in Mississippi blues. And by that I mean some down-home, dirty blues. They make an immediate – and powerful – musical statement with […]
Revival: The Sam Bush Story
I’ve had the good fortune to have seen Sam Bush perform a number of times over the years. Â It started with the New Grass Revival back in their heyday, then his stint with the Nash Ramblers, and finally his solo act. Â I’ve come to realize that every time I’ve seen him, it’s exceeded my expectations. […]
Stephen Kellogg – Objects in the Mirror
Songwriters as a general rule are better at identifying difficulties and apprehensions than they are pointing out the positive aspects of life. Maybe it is because truly good art exists in the margins of American society and not the mainstream. It could also be the current political climate or possibly even too much Gluten. In […]
Three EP Gems – Baiman, Lukes & Champagne
Last year I had the fortune to discover Rachel Baiman. Â I noted at the time she had a knack for subtly inserting parables in her snap-your-fingers or turn-around-the-dance-floor bluegrass numbers. Â She’s at it again with Thanksgiving, a just released EP. Â Tent City is an upbeat tune with lots of great banjo and guitar picking. Â It’s […]
Gregory Alan Isakov – Evening Machines
“We took our chances, sure enough / I am brambles / But I am tangled in your love.” Gregory Alan Isakov’s words in his new record speak for themselves and and like a rare stone sparkle either on the page as poetry or as slow burning acoustic ballads that burrow into the listener’s consciousness. These […]