Strings make pretty much any song better. Here’s proof to the point: Justin Currie of Del Amitri performing his classic “Be My Downfall” with the Royal Conservatoire Scotland Symphony Orchestra as part of the 2024 Celtic Connections Festival.
Bonus Monday Video – Twangville Showcase Preview, The Covers
Hannah Aldridge, Kellen Asebroek, and Trapper Schoepp – all of whom are performing at tonight’s Twangville showcase in NYC – have been known to sprinkle some fun covers in their sets. We’re not promising that they’ll do so tonight but figured that we’d give you a taste of what might happen. Hard to go wrong […]
Monday Morning Video – Twangville NYC Showcase Tonight!
Last call for tonight’s Twangville showcase in NYC! Hannah Aldridge, Kellen Asebroek, and Trapper Schoepp will share the stage for a stellar evening of songs and stories. Here are a trio of videos – one from each artist – to get you ready. First up is Hannah Aldridge performing “Dream of America”, the title track […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2024
Give It To Me One Last Time, Jeremie Albino (from the Easy Eye Sound release Our Time in the Sun) Canada’s Jeremie Albino traveled to Nashville to record an album steeped in Memphis and Muscle Shoals soul. In Nashville, Albino teamed with Dan Auerbach to create an outstanding album that has a retro feel without […]
Monday Morning Video – Matt Sucich
New York City’s Matt Sucich played some under-the-radar gigs around town earlier this year. These shows, in small clubs and generally not advertised, were lively and fun. Sucich and company clearly relished being able to play with limited pressure and expectations. If only they had captured the kinetic energy of those performances… Turns out they […]
Elegy – a Premiere from Susan Cattaneo
“My country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty” sings Susan Cattaneo in her latest single, but her reference to the patriotic anthem is anything but celebratory. Rather, as her song title suggests, it’s a statement about the decline of discourse and civility in America. More to the point, Cattaneo isn’t optimistic. “Once a beauty, […]
Monday Morning Video – Matthew Sweet
Matthew Sweet emerged in the era of grunge and broke through by combining the intensity of that genre with the melodic grandeur of power pop. The results were potent. Sweet recently suffered a massive stroke while on tour in Canada. Like many independent musicians, Sweet doesn’t have adequate insurance coverage. He now faces a long […]
Singles Club – A Special Twangville Playlist
I typically stick to writing about albums and EPs – it’s enough to just keep up with all of those. There have been a slew of stand-alone singles over the past several months, however, that caught my attention. Here’s a sampling of them. Optimistic, Fee Doyle I had a conversation earlier this year with a […]
Bonus Monday Video – The Waymores
Atlanta’s The Waymores have spent years on the road, cross-crossing the country with their honky-tonk sound. Unfortunately things are about to change for the duo of Kira Annalise and Willie Heath Neal as Annalise is facing brain surgeries in the coming months. The healthcare costs, not to mention the loss of touring income, are a […]
Monday Morning Video – Jeffrey Gaines
When I’m not listening to stuff that I plan to review, I like to listen to music on shuffle. It’s particularly fun when I get reminded of an artist who had slipped from memory. This past week’s surprise was Jeffrey Gaines, whose music and performances pack an emotional punch. Here’s an example, “No, I Don’t […]