Here are acoustic versions of two songs from All My Shame, one of my top ten favorite 2021 releases, courtesy of Nashville by way of Texas songwriter Mando Saenz.
Joshua Rilko – Lost Soul/Rock & Roll
All that time with no gigs to play has resulted in some really good music being written. The latest example of that comes from Joshua Rilko, founding member of Lindsey Lou and the Flatbellies, and mandolin-about-town for the likes of Sierra Ferrell, Billy Strings, and others. He came up with 11 new songs, about half […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Feb/Mar 2022, Part 1
The Ballad of Sissy & Porter, The Whitmore Sisters (from the Red House Records release Ghost Stories) There’s a throwback quality to the Whitmore Sisters’ Ghost Stories. Sure, sisters Eleanor and Bonnie have magical familial harmonies that recall The Everly Brothers. It’s the songs and arrangements, however, that hearken back to a bygone era when […]
Yonder Mountain String Band – Get Yourself Outside
Some bands stay fresh through a process of having two or three core members and a rotating lineup of additional musicians and collaborators. Others have a more stable roster and view the infrequent change as a breath of fresh air and insurance against getting stale. Such is the case with Yonder Mountain String Band, who […]
Monday Morning Video – Trey Johnson
Dallas lost one of the cornerstones of its music scene last week with the passing of Trey Johnson. Sorta, the band Johnson co-founded in 2000, quickly established themselves as local favorites and achieved some national recognition before disbanding in 2008. Johnson went on to co-found State Fair Records, the Dallas label that launched the careers […]
Monday Morning Video – Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman was a songwriter’s songwriter whose compositions have been recorded by everyone from Jimmy Buffett to Willie Nelson. Here’s the master performing a few himself, including “Banana Republics” and “City of New Orleans”, the latter of which earned Goodman a posthumous Grammy when Nelson covered it in 1984.
Tammy Rogers and Thomm Jutz on Good Coffee and Teaching College
Tammy Rogers (of the SteelDrivers) and Thomm Jutz talk about their cars (and how much they love them) and their shared effort to avoid fast food on the road.
The Twangville Early 2022 Release Preview
Meet the new year. Same as the old? Not so much on the music front with a great batch of new music on the horizon. Here are some releases eagerly anticipated by the Twangville posse. Hell on Church Street by Punch Brothers (14 January) The virtuoso string quintet remind us yet again why they are […]
Charles Wesley Godwin on Good Old Fashioned Songwriting and Avoiding Sweets
Singer-songwriter Charles Wesley Godwin talks about life as a middle class artists recalls his first gig – playing a fashion show in Estonia.
Monday Morning Video – Hayes Carll
While preparing year-in-review posts, it’s fun to reconnect with songs that were somewhat over-looked or have faded from memory. Hayes Carll’s wonderful ballad “If It Was Up to Me” is a prime example for me. The wistful song mixes regret for mistakes made with an idealistic hopefulness. If it was up to meMy mistakes would […]