Listening to Joachim Cooder’s EP Fuchsia Machu Picchu, it’s easy to see how his famous father Ry Cooder got the atmospheric feel that dominates many of the tracks on The Prodigal Son, released last month. Cooder the Younger, who turns 40 later this summer, has been a drummer, percussionist and keyboardist on his father’s team for many […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2018, Part 1
The Fold, Brent Cowles (from the Dine Alone Records release How To Be OK Alone) One doesn’t need to tell Brent Cowles that life is a struggle. The Denver singer-songwriter isn’t afraid to bare his soul, a fact that is evident from the fervent opening moments of “The Fold” to the quiet closing moments of […]
E.Z. Shakes/ The Wolf video
If you’re an NPR junkie like me you probably know about their Tiny Desk Concert Series. If not, check it out. Here’s an entry from a couple of months back from one of the best singer/songwriters here in South Carolina, Zach Seibert, these days going under the moniker E.Z. Shakes. He has a new album dropping […]
Christina Cavazos – Mile Marker
It’s fashionable these days to whine about how the youth of today don’t do anything except play on their cellphones and can’t interact with anyone except on Snapchat. Â I’m fortunate enough to see and meet many young musicians that contradict that belief. Â Christina Cavazos is one of them. Â She was a finalist in the new […]
Pharis and Jason Romero – Sweet Old Religion
The sun comes up over the pine trees, darkness and shadowy forms give way to the crispness of the air and the glint reflected off the lake. Daylight accentuates the feeling that it’s going to be a beautiful day with nothing but great things on the horizon, regardless of the distresses of yesterday. Â That’s the […]
The Berkshires Seemed Dreamlike – A Special Boston Playlist (Part 2)
Barefoot Sailors, Session Americana (from the self-released Live at the Haybarn) Session Americana in concert is more than a show, it’s an experience. The group takes their musicianship seriously yet are equally focused on delivering a relaxed, freewheeling and entertaining performance. Live at the Haybarn, recorded in Dec 2016, is a perfect snapshot for both […]
The Berkshires Seemed Dreamlike – A Special Boston Playlist (Part 1)
All Be Gone, Buffalo Tom (from the Schoolkids Records release Quiet and Peace) One of rock and roll’s great debates is whether to burn out or fade away. There’s a third option, though. Buffalo Tom make the point that it is possible for rock and roll to mature gracefully while still maintaining an edge. In […]
Ry Cooder – The Prodigal Son
In a somber chat between Jesus Christ and Woody Guthrie, Jesus cautions Woody that the “engine of hate” that fueled Woody’s struggles last century was back again and “you good people better get together or you ain’t got a chance anymore.” That sums up how Ry Cooder paints today’s world in “Jesus and Woody,” one […]
Deep Ellum Blues – A Special Dallas Playlist
Good Luck, Garrett Owen (from the self-released Sad Eyed-Son) To call Fort Worth’s Garrett Owen a captivating performer just doesn’t do him justice. Even as he sings songs about heartbreak and loss, he somehow pulls in listeners with an enthralling allure. There’s a melancholy that hangs over his music – he sings achingly of heartache, […]
Wood & Wire – North Of Despair
The best artistic efforts have the ability to hit you on many levels–strikingly beautiful at even the first glance, and then building your appreciation as you peel back the layers and get more and more out of it. Â I found that to be the case with the latest record from Austin-based Wood & Wire. Â It […]