Let’s start the week with a question. Why aren’t Los Lobos in the Rock Hall of Fame? Over their more than 45 year career, they’ve demonstrated a mastery of broad musical styles alongside a tremendous commitment to artistic creativity and craft. Their live performances bring this range to life with an infectious energy. Here are […]
Bill’s Blues Based Best of 2018
Once again, I have compiled my inexpert list of the blues-based albums that I liked the most from the past year. Here we go: 1. Eric Bibb – Global Griot. I like experimentation, and that is something Bibb is not afraid to do, as his last several albums all include interesting collaborations and stylistic blends. […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2018, Part 2
Bleach Blonde Bottle Blues, Larkin Poe (from the Tricki-Woo Records release Venom & Faith) Although The Lovell Sisters hail from Georgia and now live in Nashville, their latest album is mostly steeped in Mississippi blues. And by that I mean some down-home, dirty blues. They make an immediate – and powerful – musical statement with […]
Larkin Poe Talk About Playing Guitar with a Heavy Hand and Why Change Is Nothing To Fear
Rebecca and Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe talk about graduating from making nothing to making next to nothing in the music business and their “day job” playing with Elvis Costello, Conor Oberst and Keith Urban.
Dave Keller – Every Soul’s a Star
Soul Blues journeyman Dave Keller has played with some of the best of the genre, and it is paying dividends in his performance. Having worked with Ronnie Earl and Johnny Rawls, the Vermont-based Keller’s soul blues pedigree is well established. In 2009, Keller composed with Ronnie Earl the song “Love, Love, Love,” which appeared on […]
Halloween Video Premiere – Jon Hatchett Band
Happy Halloween! Â We’re happy as all get out to premiere a perfect Halloween video today. Â It’s from New Orleans-based Jon Hatchett Band. Â I make mention of the geography, because it’s important to the story here. Hatchett commented that New Orleans is a place that feels like Halloween all year round. Â I can attest to the […]
Brother Dege on “Van Quixote” and Rehearsing in Near-Condemned Buildings
New Orleans artist Brother Dege describes his band’s frugal touring strategies, some colorful day jobs and overcoming shaky hands at his first gig.
In Memoriam – Tony Joe White
Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s I lived in Chicago. Â Popular music, whether created in Nashville or Los Angeles, wasn’t capturing my ears or heart. Â Fortunately, I could go down to North Halsted any night of the week and hear blues from some of the greats; Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Otis Rush, Sugar […]
Tanked Up on Elm Street – a Special Dallas Playlist
Polite Conversation, Cut Throat Finches (from the Hand Drawn Records release Polite Conversation) The best music offers a thoughtful, and often marked, point of view. In that context, the Cut Throat Finches latest hits pretty hard, lambasting the social upheaval that grips our world today. The make their point quite clearly on “New Age,” the […]
Ray Bonneville – At King Electric
Listening to Ray Bonneville’s spartan lyrics evokes images of freight yards, open prairies and empty dwellings. His masterful, moody songs on At King Electric embody the spirit of the North American continent he has wandered for decades. Born in Quebec, Bonneville learned English when his family moved to Boston when he was twelve. Though his […]