Far Away In Another Town, Steve Earle & the Dukes (from the New West Records Release J.T.) Chances are you might already be aware of the story behind J.T., Steve Earle’s tribute to his late son Justin Townes Earle. The younger Earle tragically passed away from a drug overdose in August of 2020, leaving behind […]
Brazos in My Bones – a Premiere from Stefan Prigmore
There’s something special about a Texas songwriter. The stories that they share are richly colorful, filled with characters who live life by their own rules. The more outrageous the tale, the more likely that they contain some kernels of truth. Fort Worth’s Stefan Prigmore continues this tradition with pride, spinning yarns as dusty as the […]
Monday Morning Video – Glenn Thomas
Although I never wrote about Reassure Me There’s a Window, the 2020 release by Glenn Thomas, it has maintained a place in my musical rotation. The album version of this stunning song about confronting loss is lush and string-laden. This acoustic version, however, lays bare the song’s raw emotion.
Drayton Farley- A Hard Up Life
Drayton Farley has released a new album, “A Hard Up Life”. The songwriting is authentic and has great depth. He has become one of my favorite songwriters, and certainly needs to be recognized as so many other Alabama born musicians have been recognized the last decade or so. Farley if from Woodstock, Alabama; a dying […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best Songs of 2020, Part 2
I posted my list of favorite from the first half of 2019 back in July (here). Rather than replicate that list for my full year review, consider this a continuation — the best songs from the second half of the year. I Remember Everything, John Prine I Don’t Want This (Job Interview), Jackson Emmer (from […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2020, Part 5
The Contractor, John Calvin Abney (from the Black Mesa Records release Familiar Ground) Familiar Ground, like John Calvin Abney’s previous albums, possesses a beautiful spirituality that is comforting and uplifting. Case in point – he opens this latest release with the heartening “When This Blows Over”, a song that serves as a quiet anthem for the […]
“The Somerville Lights” – A Twangville Premiere from Dan Blakeslee
Christmasland Jubilee is a dream fulfilled for Dan Blakeslee. As he tells it, he started recording Christmas songs on his meager home recording gear in 2006 to share with his family as gifts. Those humble beginnings sparked his desire to record a full Christmas album with his band the Calabash Club. That process began in 2019 […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2020, Part 4
Called Out Your Name, Terra Lightfoot (from the Sonic Unyon Records release Consider the Speed) If you’re anything like me – especially in a year like this one – sometimes you just want a healthy dose of electrifying rock and roll. Thankfully Terra Lightfoot is back to fulfill that desire and, perhaps, melt a few faces […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2020, Part 3
When You’re Gone, Lydia Loveless (from the Honey You’re Gonna Be Late Records release Daughter) Daughter isn’t an easy album. Sure, the album has some strong and engaging melodies, not to mention the wonder that is the singer’s commanding voice. Yet it is also a lyrically and musically dense album, one that finds Loveless continuing […]
A Twangville Premiere from John Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner
I’ve been waiting patiently for John Pedigo to release the follow-up to 2018’s self-titled release. Pedigo, with his Magic Pilsner compadres, have been taking their time on their sophomore release, in part due to Pedigo’s “side gig” as a producer extraordinaire for the likes of Joshua Ray Walker and others. And then pandemic. Without the ability to […]