The Dreamin’ Kind by Langhorne Slim (16 Jan) Langhorne Slim cranks up the electric guitars on his newest release. Yet while the sound may be different, the songs remain the same – brilliant sing-along anthems that don’t shy away from the darker side of humanity. From start to finish, he wears his heart on his […]
Mayer’s Picks, More 2025 Favorites
Here, in no particular order, are more favorites from 2025.
GA-20 – Orphans
About 12 years ago I caught a Charlie Musselwhite show at Blues Alley, DC’s great jazz club (that occasionally features blues artists lately). Musselwhite of course was great, but the young lead guitarist, Matthew Stubbs, piqued my intrest so much I sought out his early solo albums – Soul Bender and Medford & Main. What […]
Chestnut Vibes on a Saturday Night – A Boston Playlist
Promised Land, Ward Hayden and the Outliers (from the Faster Horses Recordings release Little By Little) On Little By Little, Ward Hayden and the Outliers take on Bruce Springsteen’s songs with both respect and imagination, reshaping them in their distinctive country style. Hayden’s expressive vocals and the band’s warm, rootsy sound give these classics new […]
AmericanaFest 2025, Mayer’s Picks (Part 1)
kirby baby Two sets from Brooklyn’s kirby baby meant double the proof that his razor-edged indie rock songs are built for live performance. Whether solo or with his full band—I saw both—the material from his new album crackled with the same intensity. JADE BIRD Bird’s magnetic presence commanded Third Man Records’ legendary Blue Room as […]
Ryan Lee Crosby on His Practice Regime and Working a Musician’s Hours
Blues artist Ryan Lee Crosby talks about why not rehearsing can be a good thing and why he tries to stay connected to an overall sense of wellness and abundance.
Candice Ivory – New Southern Vintage
From the first notes of Candice Ivory’s New Southern Village, it’s obvious she’s no shrinking violet. She’s in your face and unabashed, reminiscent of a young Tina Turner. Ivory, who daylights as a music instructor at Washington University in St. Louis, says she understands that blues is a global music with roots in the American […]
Texas Headhunters on the Texas Blues Legacy and Building Their Own Sound
Recently I had the distinct pleasure of talking to Johnny Moeller, Ian Moore and Jesse Dayton of Texas Headhunters, who have just released their first album. I’ll say it now, it’s been one of my favorite new releases of the year. Some of it is my love of guitar – you just aren’t going to […]
Rory Block – Heavy On The Blues
I lost track when I was trying to count just how many albums Rory Block has released through the years. Suffice it to say the number is around 40, and she’s been a fixture in the blues since her solo debut 50 years ago. Originally from Manhattan, Block has been passionate about the blues since […]
Monday Morning Video – Antone’s 50th Anniversary
Music history is full of legendary performers, but the places that shaped them often go unrecognized. Sure, some venues are celebrated for their physical beauty or acoustics—think Red Rocks—but the true lifeblood of music is in the clubs. These are the rooms where artists learn their craft, fail and recover, and refine their sound in […]