Here, in no particular order, are a few more favorites from 2017. New MistakesTerra Lightfoot Letters Never ReadDori Freeman Other Love SongsFront Country Boy Crazy and Single(s)Lydia Loveless Transient LullabyThe Mastersons The World We BuiltThe Wild Reeds Youth DetentionLee Bains III and the Glory Fires Tomorrow ForeverMatthew Sweet Life Is FinePaul Kelly This Is My […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best of 2017
Another year is winding down, which means that it is time for the ubiquitous best of year lists. Without further ado, here are my picks for the best albums of 2017. #10. BAND OF HEATHENS, Duende The Heathens plugged in their guitars more so than previous albums without losing any of their Texas Americana allure. […]
Monday Morning Video – Leeroy Stagger
Leeroy Stagger has been consistently putting out some fine releases for nearly 15 years. He’s never been one to pull his punches and Love Versus, his latest album, is no exception. He pays tribute to the “prophets” of punk (“Joe Strummer and Joey Ramone”), contemplates racial disharmony and violence (“Living in the Future”) and questions […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2017, Part 3
(This Ain’t) An Original Sin, Will Hoge (from the EDLO Records release Anchors) Nashville-based singer-songwriter Will Hoge possesses the twin powers of lyric and melody, a talent that is finely displayed on Anchors. From a lyrical perspective, the album overflows with yearning, disappointment and self-reflection. “You can try to fight the truth, but time will […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2017, Part 2
No Heart Left Behind, Hannah Aldridge (from the Rootsy Music release Gold Rush) “I take my heartache with a little bit of ice,” announces Muscle Shoals-raised Hannah Aldridge on “Burning Down Birmingham,” one of several stand-outs from her latest release. Electric guitars lead the charge, sometimes chugging with an insistent stoicism and other times unleashing […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2017, Part 1
Don’t Tell Me to Smile, The Mastersons (from the Red House Records release Transient Lullaby) The husband and wife team of Chris Masterson and Bonnie Whitmore continue to refine their sound on the glorious Transient Lullaby. The duo thoughtfully explore the foibles of contemporary relationships with a studied blend of thoughtfulness and realism. The arrangements […]
Monday Morning Video – Kasey Chambers
Songs, let alone performances, don’t get much more powerful than this. “Ain’t No Little Girl” is from Dragonfly, Chambers’ latest release.
Trout Steak Revival – Spirit To The Sea
I’m generally a big fan of songs that tell a story. Probably because I’m a writer, a good tale put to music is something I appreciate. Sometimes I hear music that does a wonderful job of creating a mood or describing a point in time. But sometimes I realize I need to let go of […]
Peter Parcek – Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven
If you like crusty, aggressive blues and you haven’t heard Boston’s Peter Parcek, give him a listen. You won’t be disappointed. Parcek, whose love of blue-rock began when he was an American ex-patriot in London during the Vietnam War, again shows off his lightning guitar-slinger licks on Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven, his third […]
Contending with The Contenders – A Twangville Premiere
I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure if we’d ever get new music from The Contenders. The duo of Jay Nash and Josh Day introduced themselves with 2014’s outstanding Meet the Contenders ep, played some shows and then… nothing. Music is, in fact, a business and Nash and Day spent the time apart focused on other […]