It isn’t every day that a sixteen year old singer songwriter can captivate a producer through a social media post. In fact, the same would go for a 26 year old songwriter. However, that is exactly what happened in this case. When Brooklyn based producer/musician Brian Murphy saw a video of Katie performing posted on […]
More Than a Feeling: A Special Boston Playlist*
FEATURED ALBUMS Smith & Weeden, by Smith & Weeden It’s always a treat to stumble across a band that, quite simply, sounds like they are having fun. Such is the case with the Providence-based quartet* Smith and Weeden, whose songs run the gamut from harmony-laced country to guitar-fueled rock. In the country category are ambling […]
Photos that ROCK! Barnstar! in the studio
Barnstar! at Dimension Sound Studios Jamaica Plain, MA On a lovely spring night I arrived at Dimension Sound Studios, a dozen donuts in hand. Somehow, the stars had aligned and I was invited to photograph my favorite bluegrass super-group as they finished up their second album. As I mentioned before, Barnstar! is comprised of Mark […]
Joseph Huber – The Hanging Road
Joseph Huber is a 21st century cowboy. Â Back in the middle of the 19th century, a type of individual emerged in the American West who learned to take advantage of a new opportunity. Â No longer did you have to live within sight of your neighbor and define yourself by your community. Â You could go live […]
John Mayall – A Special Life
A Special Life, indeed. John Mayall is often called the “Godfather of British Blues,” but his legacy may include more than just pioneering the British blues; he arguably had a hand in saving the blues as an active music form by introducing the music to a new audiance at a time in the 1960s when elderly bluesmen were […]
Chatham County Line – Tightrope
With blurred lines connecting all different subgenres of country music, it”s often hard to know where to start. But fans of americana/roots rock/singer-songwriter genres have an entry point for bluegrass with Chatham County Line. The band”s lead singer Dave Wilson has put together another stellar set of songs that include, but are not limited to, […]
Robert Francis – Heaven
I still can’t believe that Robert Francis has managed to steer clear of the spotlight. He’s young, talented, and has an amazing voice. His songs are both accessible and devastating. He sings about lost love, drug addiction, and the road in an authentic voice. But why wasn’t he touring? Apparently, Francis left music altogether, shaved […]
Eden Brent – Jigsaw Heart
After performing continuously since 1985, Eden Brent has really come into her own as one of the shining lights of blues piano during the past five years.  Her accolades have included Blues Music Awards for acoustic artist of the year in 2009, for acoustic album of the year for Mississippi Number One that same year, and the […]
Keb’ Mo’ – BLUESAmericana
Over the past 20 years, Keb’ Mo’ has been among a small group of African American next generation musicians widely considered to be the future of blues music. Along with contemporaries like Corey Harris, Eric Bibb, Guy Davis, Otis Taylor and Alvin Youngblood Hart, Keb’ Mo’ has carried the torch of blues music passed on […]
Mayer’s Playlist for April 2014, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTHS Parker Millsap, by Parker Millsap What is it about Oklahoma? As if the state’s musical credibility weren’t long ago established, there’s been a surge of great young artists emerging from the state. Count Parker Millsap among ’em. Millsap blends gospel, bluegrass and folk to perfection all the while filling his songs […]