Every fall, The Americana Music Association gathers members, artists and music fans together in Nashville for its annual conference. Starting with the annual Americana Music Awards and continuing through four days of showcases and panel discussions, it is a tremendous celebration of Americana music.  Traditionally, the opening of the annual Americana Music Festival was always […]
“The Favors You Ask,” A Premiere from Zach Schmidt
The best country songs tell great stories. Well, singer-songwriter Zach Schmidt has got a bunch of ’em. All the better, they are drawn from his own life experiences. The now Nashville-based Schmidt has lived a life of wanderlust, having bicycled across the US and worked on a Texas cattle ranch. No surprise to anyone, Schmidt […]
Monday Morning Video – Fred Eaglesmith “Freight Train”
Fred Eaglesmith is a songwriter’s songwriter, a talent whose commercial success has never matched the esteem in which his peers hold him. Here’s a song that I’ve heard countless other artists cover over the years. In his introduction, Eaglesmith talks about the Alan Jackson version and why he tours in an old converted school bus.
Reckless Kelly – Sunset Motel
Reckless Kelly is releasing their ninth album, “Sunset Motelâ€, on September 23rd. Even more significant, they are doing so as they log their 20th year as a band. It is a rare achievement for any band to make it this far. For Reckless Kelly it is even more significant given the transition of the industry […]
Tom Rhodes Recalls a Wild Ride in the Tour Van and the Rather Intense First Song That He Wrote
Singer-songwriter Tom Rhodes on eating local (although traveling with a pair of running shoes) and which member of the band always has the biggest practice space.
Monday Morning Video (and Audio) – Willin’
“Willin’,” by the late Lowell George, is one of those songs that many may not know by title but is immediately recognizable when it’s heard. It’s also a song to which many artists have gravitated over the years. Here is a video playlist of wonderful cover performances, starting with Uncle Tupelo and working through Tom […]
Shakin’ with Session Americana
Every once in awhile, there is an artist whose album is so anticipated by the Twangville Posse that a couple of us pile on for a team review. Session Americana, who has just released a new album called Great Shakes sits firmly in that category. MAYER’S TAKE Session Americana stretch out on their latest album. […]
David Aguiar of the Brevet on Rehearsing in a Trailer Park and the Benefit of Youthful, Blissful Ignorance
David Aguiar of the Brevet recalls the time that the band’s van was stolen (or not) and why the first song that the band ever wrote succinctly characterizes them.
Mayer’s Playlist for July/August 2016, Part 3
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Stay Gold by Butch Walker The opening guitar riff of the lead-off track sets the tone right out of the gate: Butch Walker is ready to rock. His last album, 2015’s Afraid of Ghosts, was a somber and moving reflection on the loss of his father. After the catharsis that came […]
Donovan Woods – Hard Settle, Ain’t Troubled
The long, native grasses seem to find a way to root in no more than a half inch of soil, deposited by the never-ending wind in every crack and crevice. Â Concrete crumbles and slowly resembles the sky in the many months of winter. Â Steel, on the other hand, turns a reddish-brown that’s indistinguishable from the […]