It isn’t every day that a sixteen year old singer songwriter can captivate a producer through a social media post. In fact, the same would go for a 26 year old songwriter. However, that is exactly what happened in this case. When Brooklyn based producer/musician Brian Murphy saw a video of Katie performing posted on […]
More Than a Feeling: A Special Boston Playlist*
FEATURED ALBUMS Smith & Weeden, by Smith & Weeden It’s always a treat to stumble across a band that, quite simply, sounds like they are having fun. Such is the case with the Providence-based quartet* Smith and Weeden, whose songs run the gamut from harmony-laced country to guitar-fueled rock. In the country category are ambling […]
Mayer’s Playlist for April 2014, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTHS Parker Millsap, by Parker Millsap What is it about Oklahoma? As if the state’s musical credibility weren’t long ago established, there’s been a surge of great young artists emerging from the state. Count Parker Millsap among ’em. Millsap blends gospel, bluegrass and folk to perfection all the while filling his songs […]
Mayer’s Playlist for April 2014, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTHS Till Midnight, by Chuck Ragan There seems to be a symbiotic relationship between punk and Americana. While punk has its raw intensity and Americana its musical sincerity, both styles are rooted in emotion and authenticity. The latest to prove the point is Chuck Ragan who takes the rock intensity that he […]
Old Settler’s Music Fest – 2014 Edition
Every spring, a couple of weeks after the madhouse of SXSW, the music festival season kicks off with Old Settler’s Music Festival, about a half hour outside of Austin. Â Started as a bluegrass festival, Old Settler’s now embraces a broad spectrum of Americana. Â Organizer Jean Spivey has a magic touch for consistently mixing old with […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Feb/Mar 2014, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTHS English Oceans, by Drive-By Truckers I suppose that this review could be titled “Cooley Steps Out.” The band co-founder, who has historically contributed only a couple of songs per release, is credited with six songs on English Oceans. Ever better, they are some of his strongest songs in years. The opening […]
Monday Morning Video: Steve Earle and John Prine cover Townes Van Zandt
Plenty to love here. Steve Earle and John Prine teaming up to cover Townes Van Zandt’s “Loretta.” Recorded live at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
Lost & Nameless, Cody Jasper
Empty Spaces, the latest EP from Lost & Nameless opens with a title track that is perhaps best described as an Americana tango. Â So right from the get-go you know this is going to be an interesting listen. Â The remainder of the record does not disappoint. Â Lost & Nameless is an Austin-based group composed of […]
Eliza Gilkyson – The Nocturne Diaries
When you question successful artists in almost any field, one of the common themes that emerges is a belief that what you resist the urge to add to a composition is every bit as important, if not more so, as what does end up in the final mix. Â Eliza Gilkyson and her son, Cisco Ryder, […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Feb/Mar 2014, Part 1
I suppose that Lydia Loveless could have gone in two directions after 2011’s outstanding Indestructible Machine…