Does anyone not consider this song a classic? It is certainly hard to argue with the impressive array of artists who have covered the Bob Marley classic. In this edition of our “You Pick It” series, we get Johnny Cash & Joe Strummer; Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros; Ziggy Marley & the Chieftains; Bono, Bob […]
Mayer's Playlist for October/November 2010, Part 1
ALBUM OF THE MONTH: The Bottom of the Sky, by Bow Thayer and Perfect Trainwreck After listening to this release, it shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that Thayer has played with Levon Helm (although it was really the reverse – Helm played drums on Thayer’s 2006 release). They are kindred spirits, men whose music […]
The White Buffalo – Prepare for Black & Blue
Wow. Upon seeing the name, The White Buffalo, visions of indie-hipsters attempting achieve some sort of irony for irony’s sake, were dancing through my head. Thankfully, an irony-seeking hipster The White Buffalo isn’t. It was too good to be true that The White Buffalo would be this artist’s given name. According to our friends at […]
Nicole Atkins Digs Bonnie and the Beard
In October I stumbled upon a righteous crew called Bonnie and the Beard at the Larimer Lounge in Denver. Tip your bartender, because if you’re in Denver and love music, you’ll be here again and again. They do it right. Rising star Bonnie and the Beard opened for risen star Nicole Atkins and the Sea—the […]
You Pick It: Springsteen’s “Atlantic City”
What is it about Bruce Springsteen songs? Judging from these performances, they are as much fun for the artists to perform as they are for the audience to enjoy. Here’s a collection of artists taking on the stark “Atlantic City.” I’m partial to Levon Helm — who makes the song his own. I also like […]
Monday Morning Video: Julie Peel, Jim Boggia, Bleu and Michael Jackson
Just back from two weeks in Europe for the day gig. Lots of running around, but you didn’t think that would get in the way of a few shows now, did you? First up was Julie Peel playing a small club off the beaten path in Paris. Her quiet acoustic performance captivated the crowd, including […]
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival 2010
This year marked the 10th version of the world’s largest music festival. It’s grown from 13,000 people watching 9 acts on 2 stages in one day, called Strictly Bluegrass, to a 3-day event with nearly 90 acts on 6 stages with 650,000 attendees, called Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. All of it free: paid for by philanthropist […]
You Pick It: The Velvet Underground’s “Pale Blue Eyes”
Another Friday (finally), another installment of “You Pick It.” This week we focus on Lou Reed’s classic “Pale Blue Eyes.” Alejandro Escovedo kicks us off with a spectacular live version recorded in Paris. REM picks up the gauntlet and passes it on to Patti Smith and the Kills. We get a sneak peek of Joseph […]
Twangville Town Hall: Justin Townes Earle’s “Harlem River Blues”
MAYER’S TAKE: SHADES OF WOODY GUTHRIE It’s interesting how artists get influenced by their surroundings, particularly when they uproot from familiar territories and move to new locales. It usually sends their music into different directions, sometimes for the better and sometimes not. When Justin Townes Earle moved from Nashville to New York City, I’m sure […]
You Pick It: Springsteen’s “Born to Run”
Continuing our series of classic songs covered, today we survey a collection of fuel-injected takes on Bruce Springsteen’s legendary “Born to Run.” “This Is American Music” – a music collective featuring Grand Champeen, Two Cow Garage, The Drams, and Glossary – kick us off, followed by Butch Walker, the Smoking Popes, Cowboy Mouth, Melissa Etheridge, […]