In January 1961, a 19-year-old Bob Dylan made his first New York City appearance at Cafe Wha? on MacDougal Street. That same year, he turned up in Cambridge at Club 47 — now Club Passim — and talked his way onto the stage between another act’s sets. Both rooms are still standing, still booking songwriters. […]
“Sweet Song” – a Premiere from Leah Tash
From the very first bar, Leah Tash’s “Sweet Song” brings the kind of charm that’s impossible to ignore. A bright, plinky piano sets the backdrop, but it’s the infectious, happy-go-lucky melody that immediately hooks you in. It takes a special talent to balance classic country influences without sounding dated. Tash drew inspiration for her new […]
Twangville x Dial Back Sound: Live in Boston & NYC
While not often discussed, the choice of recording studio has a profound impact on a record. Great music rarely comes from sterile, assembly-line spaces—it comes from studios with character and warmth, filled with vintage gear and musical mojo in the walls. That mindset is at the heart of Dial Back Sound, located in the quiet […]
“Don’t Fence Me In” – a Premiere from Sanford
Brooklyn by way of South Carolina, Jay Sanford follows January’s Big Tent Revival with an old-school two-sided (digital) single. The A-side, “Don’t Fence Me In,” takes a honky-tonk two-step and runs it through a rock engine — same dance-floor bones, more muscle. Sanford lays out the thesis in the chorus: “I do some honky-tonkin’ but […]
The Family – Delusions of Grandeur
Some records feel assembled; Delusions of Grandeur feels inherited. The Family is Dylan LeBlanc, his father James LeBlanc and James wife and stepson Angela Hacker and Bay Simpson. The album carries the unmistakable weight of shared history, where blood ties matter less than the lived experiences that shape every lyric and harmony. Recorded at Muscle […]
“Start a Band” – A Premiere from Bleu
LA popmeister Bleu doesn’t release a lot of his own music these days — he’s too busy writing and producing for television, film, and other artists. But personal experience provided the impetus for his new album: a tribute to two close friends he lost, longtime studio partner Ducky Carlisle and college best friend Alex Scutro. […]
Mayer’s Picks – The Best of 2026 (So Far), the Songs
Don’t Let Go, Fantastic Cat (from the Missing Piece Records release Cat Out of Hell) A scream-along-at-the-top-of-your-lungs anthem about holding on to your dreams. Nothing you can buy can save what you soldSo hold on tight to the light in your soulDon’t look down, baby don’t let… Don’t let go Suffer, Boy Golden (from the […]
Get Into Trouble – a Premiere from Travis McKeveny & the Famous Doctor Scanlon Band
Travis McKeveny, a beloved NY musician, died in 2021, leaving behind two albums and a community that loved him as much for his friendship as his music. Just as important, he left behind a collection of songs and a blueprint for a third album he was ready to record. Shortly before the pandemic, Travis assembled […]
Eilen Jewell Steps Off the Road, But Not Out of the Song
Photo credit: Damu Malik After two decades of nearly continuous touring, folk-Americana singer-songwriter Eilen Jewell is stepping away from the road—not as an ending, she insists, but as a recalibration. Her “indefinite hiatus” from touring marks a deliberate pause in a life shaped by motion, performance, and the steady accumulation of miles across continents. Yet […]
Drayton Farley – A Heavy Duty Heart
It was just a few years ago that Drayton Farley was recording songs in his bedroom. His new release, A Heavy Duty Heart, boldly announces that though they were recent those days are long in the rearview. Like his previous album, the project was produced by Sadler Vaden, guitarist for Jason Isbell and the 400 […]