Although Larry Campbell has released a number of his own recordings, he is known more for his associations than solo work. He is such a versatile musician it would almost be easier to list instruments he does not play. Most recently he garnered acclaim as a producer for Levon Helm’s final albums. Both albums, “Dirt […]
Della Mae – Della Mae
The first time I drove CA 1 through Big Sur it was on a rainy day in a big, 80’s rental car with more of a rudder than a steering wheel. Â A few years later I had the chance to drive it in something much sportier and the difference was exhilarating. Â All those curves changed […]
Short Takes – Three Gems For Summer
There has been a lot of good music cross my desk in the last couple of months, and I’ve finally internalized I’m not going to get to all of it.  Summer’s here, though, and it’s important to have some new music in your player.  So here are some short takes on albums I’m really enjoying, but […]
Leaf Rapids – Lucky Stars
“The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life.†William Faulkner was known not just for long sentences, but also his ability to so luridly set […]
Monday Morning Video – Vintage Los Lobos
Let’s kick it old school this week with a classic from one of rock music’s true legends. These guys can do it all, from the Mexican music of their heritage to blues to rock and everything in-between. Here’s a full concert from 1989 that proves the point. Over the course of an hour-long show they […]
Old Settler’s Music Festival 2015 Edition
My favorite weekend of the year has come and gone again. Â A couple of weeks after the over-sized crowds, egos, and marketing campaigns of SXSW comes a music festival in the hill country outside Austin that’s just about the music. Â With only 15,000 attendees, and a couple of stages, you can see at least a […]
Mayer’s Playlist for March/April 2015, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Down To Believing, by Allison Moorer Real life is often the best inspiration for art, notably when it is created in response to heartache and sorrow. Such is the case for Allison Moorer, who channels her emotions into a collection of songs that is by turns sad, angry, regretful and defiant. […]
Lyal Strickland on Eating Healthy on the Road and Why You Can’t Ride on Talent Alone
Lyal Strickland talks about life as a single dude driving a minivan, what happens when friends drive by his farm while he is rehearsing and why he changes his guitar strings before every show.
Pharis and Jason Romero – A Wanderer I’ll Stay
A few years ago I saw Gillian Welch in Golden Gate Park. Â When she did I Had A Real Good Mother & Father, her voice was so lonesome and pleading it sucked the warmth out of a sunny summer day in the meadow. Â The temperature hadn’t changed, but people started shivering. Â Pharis Romero took me […]
Taarka – Making Tracks Home
You could probably argue that all music, regardless of genre, falls into two categories.  There’s music celebrating (or bemoaning) the here and now, and there are songs that take you back to a time or place.  The latest release from Colorado-based Taarka, Making Tracks Home, does a superb job of exploring both of those buckets in […]