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Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
When I was growing up back in the 70’s, it wasn’t unusual for an artist to have a Concept Album. They would take some idea or theme and write a number of songs at least vaguely in line with the concept. Of course all those records can really be traced to Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts […]
Riverboat Gamblers – Underneath the Owl
Austin, TX by way of Denton, TX rockers Riverboat Gamblers have built a reputation for being raucous performers who don’t mind bleeding a little during their frenetic live-set. The spirit of their live-performance ways are captured brilliantly in their new record, Underneath the Owl (Volcom). The band will be spending a great deal of time […]
Mayer’s Playlist for February 2009, a Video Companion
We book-end this month’s video playlist with Dan Auerbach (of the Black Keys), opening with a rocking take on “My Last Mistake” and closing with a special acoustic performance of “Trouble Weighs a Ton.” In between we’ve got live performances from Alex Dezen (The Damnwells), Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Justin Townes Earle, Sam […]
Mayer’s Playlist for February 2009, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, by Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit There’s something satisfying about watching a performer mature before your eyes. Though Jason Isbell has long been a Twangville favorite, his latest showcases his tremendous growth as a songwriter and performer. Exhibit A is “Soldiers Get Strange,” the […]
Mayer’s Playlist for February 2009, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: One Last Century, by The Damnwells “Somewhere between nothing and something is everything,” sings Alex Dezen about halfway through the band’s latest release. It seems an apt, if cryptic, explanation for his decision to make the album freely available on the internet. Freed from music industry obligations but still possessed by […]
Heartless Bastards – “The Mountain”
When I first heard the Heartless Bastards a few years back, I thought, “there’s someone who listened to a *lot* of Zeppelin when they were young.” That’s not a unique thought, by any means. It will get further reinforcement on their latest release, The Mountain. In addition to the guitar-fueled wall of sound, the lyrics […]
The Weight – Are Men
Grab a bowl. Place a few New Yorkers in the bowl. Give one of them an almost Dwight Yoakam-like vocal. Mix in a little jingle, a dash of jangle. Throw in a few nods to the glory of 70’s Southern-Rock while folding in some serious Country sensibility that retains a sense of humor and you […]
Brett Dennen — Hope For The Hopeless
Everyone should be so lucky as to live in a place that inspires the kind of love song to a city as "San Francisco", the opening track in Brett Dennen’s latest album, "Hope For The Hopeless". Dennen grew up in Oakdale, CA, a couple of hours from the city by the Bay, but it seems […]
Appleseed Cast – Sagarmatha
“Post-Rock” is a term often used to describe a heavily or completely instrumental Rock sonic that may or may not employ effects and instruments not typically associated with Rock & Roll. Of course, as with any other label given to a sound, whether general or quite specific, that term has met with various forms of […]