Another country legend is gone with the passing of Kris Kristofferson this weekend. Kristofferson first established himself as a songwriter, writing such notable songs as “Sunday Morning Coming Down” (most notably recorded by Johnny Cash in 1970) and “Me and Bobby McGee” (made famous by Janis Joplin). He then embarked on his own highly successful […]
Monday Morning Video – Joshua Ray Walker
Joshua Ray Walker has rapidly established himself as one of country music’s shining lights. He burst onto the scene with the stunning “Canyon” back in 2019 and has released music at a furious pace. Two studio albums of originals, an acoustic album, a covers album, and a live album, all tremendous showcases of his talent. […]
Willie Watson on Touring in the “Wanderlodge”, Odetta, and Working in Vineyards
Singer-songwriter, poet, actor and multi-instrumentalist Willie Watson talks about 2 days spent at West Virginia’s Hillybilly Truck Repair and recalls his first gig, playing Bianca’s Daughters, an Italian restaurant in Watkin’s Glen, NY.
Bob Sumner – Some Place To Rest Easy
Everyone has their demons. There are many people who have turned those demons into musical artistry. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always mean the story ends well. For British Columbian Bob Sumner, it seems like maybe it will. A genetic heart disease diagnosis became the catalyst for him to overcome alcoholism and turn his energy more toward […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Summer 2024, Part 2
The Money or the Time, Goodnight Texas (from the 2 Cent Bank Check Records release Signals) Goodnight Texas have built a career around storytelling. Their early albums were thematic period pieces, snapshots of time vividly captured in song. Later albums, including the recently released Signals, may lack an overarching narrative but are no less compelling […]
Tony Martinez – Everywhere West
The story is not an unusual one. A successful sideman works his tail off for years, building his chops and accumulating a catalog of songs, or at least the scraps and pieces of them. Then one day kismet stops by and everything falls into place to release an album. That’s the short version of how […]
When It’s Twilight in Boston – a Special Playlist
Enough, Alisa Amador (from the Thirty Tigers release Multitudes) If I’m honest, I’m really skeptical about music competitions. Call me idealist, but I think the music industry is tough enough already and pitting artists against one another is counterproductive. That said, watching Alisa Amador win the NPR Tiny Desk Contest is somewhat reassuring. It’s wonderful […]
Karen Jonas – The Rise and Fall of American Kitsch
Elvis has inspired many a musician over the years, but rarely, if ever, in the way he catalyzed Virginian Karen Jonas. Watching an Elvis biography on the plane home from SXSW she was incited to write 8 songs in 8 days and add a few others pulled off the shelf from a previous writing spurt […]
Lasers Lasers Birmingham – Mystery Highway
If you’re a musician in California, you can feel a bit cloistered. Between Palm Springs and Lubbock there’s a lot of not much. So faced with an 8+ hour drive to the next gig east of the Mojave, or picking up 4 gigs in the 400 miles from LA to San Francisco or Sacramento, it’s […]
American Aquarium – Fear of Standing Still
By the time most bands have released a dozen or so albums, they are past their prime. They may still be releasing solid material, but the zenith is clearly in the rear view. Thankfully American Aquarium isn’t most bands. BJ Barham’s band is scarred, and road worn for sure. Lineups have changed and morphed over […]