Here’s a guy who just doesn’t get enough recognition for his talent and contribution to American music. Whether performing folk and country with the Flatlanders or rocking alongside the Clash or performing classic Mexican folk with Joel Guzman, Ely has proven himself a masterful musician. Here’s a randomly selected trio of Ely classics: Ely’s take […]
Monday Morning Video: Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers
Chances are that you’ve seen Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers cover of Hall & Oates “I Can’t Go For That.” It has gone viral and has nearly 1.5 million views on YouTube. The cover is part of their Van Session series, recorded with an iPhone in their van as they tour (the video descriptions include […]
Monday Morning Video: Newport Folk Festival
Here’s a great video from this past weekend’s Newport Folk Festival. Torrential rain threatened to cancel the backstage bbq event but the musicians took it upon themselves to make it happen. Here’s Jim James, Ben Sollee, Joe Fletcher and others with an acoustic take on the INXS classic “Never Tear Us Apart.” Pretty special.
Bill Evans – In Good Company
Sometimes a record has such a clear vision and superior execution that a review just writes itself. That’s pretty much the case with Bill Evans newest project, In Good Company. Â Long before he, literally, wrote the book on how to play the banjo, Evans was studying with the likes of J.D. Crowe and teaching music […]
Please Come to Boston: A Special Boston Music Playlist
FEATURED ALBUM Riverboat, by Tim Gearan Tim Gearan has long been a mainstay on the Boston roots scene, with 2-3 weekly residencies and a tendency to show up to play at any number of other shows in a given week. His primary Friday night residency is a weekly party – there is no other way […]
Kathryn Caine – When I Was His Wife
Decades ago, as part of my misspent youth, I listened to a band called the Good Rats. Â The closest thing they had to a hit was called Tasty, about a guitar player that could play fast, but he couldn’t play “tasty”. Â Let me just say that any of the musicians on Kathryn Caine’s latest release, […]
Mayer's Picks: The Best of 2012, So Far (The Songs)
Jericho, John Fullbright (from the Blue Dirt Records release From The Ground Up) Fullbright’s is a welcome new voice on the singer-songwriter scene. He writes and sings with a voice that belies his 23-odd years, as evidenced by this stirring track. Throw your arrows and your slings And your other precious things Outside your gate […]
Tallest Man on Earth – There’s No Leaving Now
I’ve seen it on his first two albums and after the first tune on “There’s No Leaving Now,” I thought maybe I’d heard the last of the Tallest Man and his guitar. “To Just Grow Away” is a subtle song with percussion and even some keys. But I only had to wait until the […]
Mayer’s Picks: The Best of 2012, So Far (The Albums)
You’ve got to love a year where this list is made up of so many young and emerging artists. Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorites from 2012. BARCHORDS, BAHAMAS Canadian singer-songwriter Afie Jurvanen unleashes a pop album that is simply sublime. The production has a textured feel anchored by the nuanced […]
MilkDrive – Waves
Daydreaming. Â I had trouble getting this review of the latest release from MilkDrive, Waves, together because every time I would start writing I put the album on to play and next thing I knew I was staring out the window, mind completely lost in other thoughts. Â They paint such immersive pictures it’s as if you’re […]