Twangville Jeff and I caught Chatham County Line last week. Ya gotta appreciate a bluegrass band from North Carolina who chose to celebrate their cd release day at, as they aptly described it, “a basement in Cambridge, MA.” I, for one, am damn glad that they did. It was my first time seeing the quartet […]
More Than a Feeling: A Special Boston Playlist*
FEATURED ALBUMS Smith & Weeden, by Smith & Weeden It’s always a treat to stumble across a band that, quite simply, sounds like they are having fun. Such is the case with the Providence-based quartet* Smith and Weeden, whose songs run the gamut from harmony-laced country to guitar-fueled rock. In the country category are ambling […]
Monday Morning Video: Justin Currie
In at least one way, the United States is finally catching up with Europe. Singer-songwriter released the brilliant Lower Reaches in Europe last year. Now music fans in the US are getting their chance. Currie has long excelled at writing alluring pop songs. His sense of melody will suck you in while the intelligence and […]
Mayer’s Playlist for April 2014, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTHS Parker Millsap, by Parker Millsap What is it about Oklahoma? As if the state’s musical credibility weren’t long ago established, there’s been a surge of great young artists emerging from the state. Count Parker Millsap among ’em. Millsap blends gospel, bluegrass and folk to perfection all the while filling his songs […]
Mayer’s Playlist for April 2014, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTHS Till Midnight, by Chuck Ragan There seems to be a symbiotic relationship between punk and Americana. While punk has its raw intensity and Americana its musical sincerity, both styles are rooted in emotion and authenticity. The latest to prove the point is Chuck Ragan who takes the rock intensity that he […]
Monday Morning Video: Sturgill Simpson
We’ll start this week off right with a bit of classic country from new traditionalist Sturgill Simpson. The song is “Could You Love Me One More Time” and it was recorded at the Pickathon Music Festival in Portland, Oregon last year.
Old Settler’s Music Fest – 2014 Edition
Every spring, a couple of weeks after the madhouse of SXSW, the music festival season kicks off with Old Settler’s Music Festival, about a half hour outside of Austin. Â Started as a bluegrass festival, Old Settler’s now embraces a broad spectrum of Americana. Â Organizer Jean Spivey has a magic touch for consistently mixing old with […]
Jesse Winchester, In Memoriam
April is shaping up as a difficult world in the world of music. This past week we lost Jesse Winchester, whose soft-spoken style belied the power of his songs. Here are two magical Winchester performances. The first is an early (and often covered) classic “Defying Gravity.” The second is the celebrated appearance on Elvis Costello’s […]
SXSW 2014 — The Sounds, Part 2
DAVE AND PHIL ALVIN I’m a big Dave Alvin fan. Unfortunately for me I discovered the Blasters, the seminal band co-founded by Dave and his brother Phil, after they went their separate ways. I was hooked, though, on their encyclopedic knowledge of American music — everything from folk to country and from blues to vintage […]
SXSW 2014 — The Sounds, Part 1
THE HOLD STEADY While I may not be as crazy as my friend who chased the band around Austin for the band’s 7 planned shows, I wasn’t going to pass up a chance to see the Brooklyn rockers celebrate their first album in 4 years. I accompanied said friend to the front of the stage […]