I posted my list of favorite from the first half of 2020 back in July (here). Rather than replicate that list for my full year review, consider this a continuation — the best songs from the second half of the year. I Remember Everything, John Prine I Don’t Want This (Job Interview), Jackson Emmer (from […]
Rod Abernethy on Being an Asphalt Gypsy and the Benefits of Slowing Down
Rod Abernethy talks about sun room rehearsals (with tequila), avoiding fast food temptations, and a song written about the Civil War.
Mayer’s Picks – Best Albums of 2020, Boston/Dallas Edition
I’m fortunate to be able to explore and enjoy the music scenes of two cities – Boston and Dallas. Artists from both metropolitan areas have released some exceptional music this year. Here are a few favorites. Love it local. DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS Quiet Lives by Garrett Owen Gorgeous and entrancing are the […]
Old Californio – Songs From the Sea Of Cortez
There’s a very California sound you get by taking the twangy guitar and rock solid rhythm line associated with Bakersfield and overlaying it with the acoustic guitar and multi-part harmonies that sprang from the hills and canyons northwest of LA in the 60’s. You could probably argue Graham Parsons first touched that nerve with Sweetheart […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best of 2020, the Albums
What a year it has been! Thankfully there’s been some great music to help sustain us. Here are my picks for the best albums of 2020. 11. Consider the Speed by Terra Lightfoot Another rock and roll tour de force from Terra Lightfoot. Consider the Speed is brimming with fervent guitars and musical bravado, not […]
Auyon Mukharji of Darlingside on Reasonable Band Salaries and Enjoying the Small Successes
Auyon Mukharji of folk quartet Darlingside talks about the virtue of renting a tour van and the band’s first gig, where they opened for a puppet parade.
Monday Morning Video – Devil’s Sooty Brother
Dallas musicians Joshua Ray Walker and Nathan Mongol Wells – aka Devil’s Sooty Brother – sure do like to perform. The two originally joined forces as part of Ottoman Turks, a loud and rowdy quartet. When that wasn’t enough, they started a monthly residency as Devil’s Sooty Brother, mixing originals into sets filled with classic […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2020, Part 5
The Contractor, John Calvin Abney (from the Black Mesa Records release Familiar Ground) Familiar Ground, like John Calvin Abney’s previous albums, possesses a beautiful spirituality that is comforting and uplifting. Case in point – he opens this latest release with the heartening “When This Blows Over”, a song that serves as a quiet anthem for the […]
Ben Roberts of Carolina Story on Gifted Guitar Strings and the Long, Hard Road of Music
Ben Roberts of duo Carolina Story talks about performing at his 13th birthday party, working at a private school, and following in Johnny Cash’s footsteps.
“The Somerville Lights” – A Twangville Premiere from Dan Blakeslee
Christmasland Jubilee is a dream fulfilled for Dan Blakeslee. As he tells it, he started recording Christmas songs on his meager home recording gear in 2006 to share with his family as gifts. Those humble beginnings sparked his desire to record a full Christmas album with his band the Calabash Club. That process began in 2019 […]