October’s video companion kicks off with live performances from Joseph Arthur & the Lonely Astronauts and Matt Mays & El Torpedo, two of our featured artists. Then we settle into a nice groove with live performances from Dar Williams, Sometymes Why, Gretel, Dan Baird, Backyard Tire Fire, Brandi Carlile, Jesse Malin, Paul Weller and the […]
Mayer’s Playlist for October 2008, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Waylon Forever, by Waylon Jennings “You can take my life of luxury,” sings Waylon Jennings on the opening track of this posthumous release, “but you cannot take my soul today.” Backed by his son Shooter’s band the .357s, Jennings tackles heartfelt ballads and raucous rockers with equal aplomb. “Outlaw Sh*t” is […]
Waylon Forever!!
In this day and age where posthumus releases are as plentiful as well, releases of artists that are still alive, we have seen a mixed bag of good and bad, well done and hastily produced. With the recent release of Waylon Forever (Vagrant), we see the late and legendary Waylon Jennings’ (Official Site) teaming up […]
Twangville Cinema: Johnny Cash’s America
As a lover of music and also as a documentary geek, it doesn’t get any better for me than when I get my hands on a well done film that chronicles the artistic life of one of our greatest legends. I have enjoyed films that showcase up and comers, like Dig! for example (featuring Brian […]
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, 2008 Version
First a note that with 70+ acts over 5 stages in basically 2 days (plus a short warm-up schedule Friday afternoon), any Hardly Strictly Bluegrass review is going to be partial. I’ve discovered that with careful scheduling and a knowledge of some shortcuts between stages in Golden Gate Park, I can absorb about a dozen […]
Old Crow Medicine Show + More, Releases 9/23
Old Crow playing an upbeat version of Caroline at Merlefest. OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW, Tennessee Pusher (Nettwerk) Official Site | MySpace | Samples (imeem) Known for their live shows and throwback sound, Nashville’s Old Crow Medicine Show delivers their third album on Nettwerk Records. If Bob Dylan were ever holed up deep in the hills […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Aug/Sept 2008, Video Companion Part 2
How do you spell pop music? I spell it “Jim Boggia.” This video companion features a few from the pop maestro. Keep going to find live performances from Willie Nile, Chris Knight, Air Traffic, the Avett Brothers and a classic from Todd Snider. Finally we’ve got a special interview and performance video from Randy Newman.
Mayer’s Playlist for Aug/Sept 2008, Part 1 Video Companion
Summer ended with a bang thanks to some fine new music. We kick off our August/September video bonanza with some, well, sweet live performances by Matthew Sweet, one of our featured artists. Dig a bit deeper and you’ll get live concert footage from Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons, British Sea Power, Chris Knight and […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Aug/Sept 2008, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Sunshine Lies, by Matthew Sweet “’cause we’re already good and we’re already evil, unfazed by a world of constant upheaval,” sings Matthew Sweet on “Let’s Love” from his latest release. It’s a moment that carries meaning beyond the song’s intended topic. In the nearly fifteen years since Sweet’s seminal Girlfriend, the […]
A Tale of Two Texas Records: Owen Temple & Susan Gibson
Texas has become quite the recording hot-spot, with Austin being the central source of heat. Simply because an album happens to be recorded in the Lone-Star State doesn’t make it a “Texas Album”, in my not-so-humble opinion. Honesty, simplicity, distictive voices, and even more distinct writing is the combination of components of what I consider […]