Called Out Your Name, Terra Lightfoot (from the Sonic Unyon Records release Consider the Speed) If you’re anything like me – especially in a year like this one – sometimes you just want a healthy dose of electrifying rock and roll. Thankfully Terra Lightfoot is back to fulfill that desire and, perhaps, melt a few faces […]
Two EP Gems – The Ghosts Of Liberty & Drew Aron
First up is the debut record from North Carolina couple Emma & Tyler Millard, who go under the band name The Ghosts Of Liberty. My favorite song on the 3-tune EP is Roanoke River. It’s a tension-filled, country-pop story about society’s biases and love’s ability to overcome them. With Tyler’s rootsy edge on guitar providing […]
Monday Morning Video – Billy Joe Shaver
Yeah, it’s cliche to share this song to honor the memory of Billy Joe Shaver. There really isn’t a more fitting tribute as the song is as much an institution as was the man. Nobody here will ever find meBut I will always be aroundJust like the songs I leave behind meI’m gonna live forever […]
Kelley Swindall on Mailing Lists and Alternate Side Parking
NYC-based artist Kelley Swindall talks about the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, tour breakdowns, and ordering salads in the South.
Justin Wells on Modern Country Radio and Asking For Help
Justin Wells talks about the importance of checking the spare tire before heading out on tour, buying guitar strings in bulk, and losing his rehearsal space.
Non Duo – In Your Eyes
I’ve been writing reviews for over a decade, and I listen to a bunch of things I never write about. Plus, stints on the radio and owning too many records. In all that time, I’ve never heard an album start and end with the same song, only in English and Russian. I have now. Better […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2020, Part 2
Fine, Bonnie Whitmore (from the Aviatrix Records release Last Will & Testament) Bonnie Whitmore lulls you in with a chorus of harmonies on the opening track to her latest album. But before one can settle into the lushness, a fuzzy bass, quickly joined by ominous strings and a resonating electric guitar, interrupts to create a […]
Isaac Hoskins on Channeling Steve Earle and Finding Freedom from Doubt
Denton, TX singer-songwriter Isaac Hoskins reflects on the first of his 10,000 hours in music, a tour van with some musical history, and his definition of “making it”.
Monday Morning Video – Steve Earle Mini Acoustic Set
An acoustic mini-set from Steve Earle is a fine way to kick off the week, right? It includes the Earle classics “Copperhead Road” and “Guitar Town”, along with his Guy Clark tribute “Goodbye Michelangelo” and a cover of the Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rider”.
Thriving Roots 2020 – Mayer’s Highlights
THE SCENE It’™s a glass half empty, glass half full kind of situation. The Americana Music Association awards and conference is an event that I eagerly await and always enjoy every year (mild understatement). A chance to catch up with friends both old and new, gain some knowledge at the panel discussions, and, of course, […]