I posted my list of favorite from the first half of 2024 back in June (here). Rather than replicate that list for my full year review, consider this a continuation — the best songs from the second half of 2024. Rosemary and Thieves, Garrett Owen (from the self-released Memoriam) Owen’s tale of fractured relationships is […]
Mayer’s Picks, More 2024 Favorites
Here, in no particular order, are more favorites from 2024.
Mayer’s Picks – Best of 2024, the Albums
11. Our Time in the Sun by Jeremie Albino Bursting with raw emotion, swaggering grooves, and a touch of grit, Jeremie Albino’s Our Time in the Sun is a joyous revival of classic soul. Albino may sing about “Rolling Down the 405” in California, but one listen and you’ll imagine yourself cruising down Highway 72 […]
Fancy Hagood on Chase Rice, Cracker Barrel, and Being an Independent Artist
Singer-songwriter Fancy Hagood talks about “yes men” and “no people” in the music industry and names his favorite Nashville rehearsal space.
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2024, Part 2
Behind The Eight/Count Your Blessings, Michael McDermott (from the Pauper Sky Records releases East Jesus and Lighthouse on the Shore) For nearly a decade, Michael McDermott has been on a creative tear, releasing more albums in that period than many artists create during their entire careers. And apparently he’s not interested in slowing down; rather, […]
Ben Chapman on Guy Clark, Chick-fil-A, and the “Wantcha Back Blues”
Nashville singer-songwriter Ben Chapman talks about the time his tour van was almost stolen, the band he performed with at his first gig, and the business of the music.
CJ Lewandowski of The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys on Preventative Maintenance and Oatmeal Cream Pies
CJ Lewandowski, mandolinist and bandleader of The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, talks about the ebb and flow of music economics, getting their start as the house band at a Tennessee moonshine distillery, and the time that they had to use a broom handle as the key to their tour bus.
West Of Texas – Hot Motel Nights
There’s a memorable line in The Blues Brothers movie where Jake asks the proprietor’s wife what kind of music they play and she confides, “oh, we have both kinds, country AND western.” I get that same sentiment from the latest album out of L.A.’s West Of Texas, their sophomore release Hot Motel Nights. Although front […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2024
Give It To Me One Last Time, Jeremie Albino (from the Easy Eye Sound release Our Time in the Sun) Canada’s Jeremie Albino traveled to Nashville to record an album steeped in Memphis and Muscle Shoals soul. In Nashville, Albino teamed with Dan Auerbach to create an outstanding album that has a retro feel without […]
Loose Cattle – Someone’s Monster
Everyone is someone’s monster. That’s the premise of New Orleans musical duo Kimberly Kaye and Michael Cerveris, and their band Loose Cattle, on their new album. Although it could have been the theme for a Halloween release, the pair focused not on the monsters but on how people deal with them and, sadly, how society […]