**NOTE: Contest is now closed. You can still participate but will no longer be eligible for the giveaway.** The Drive-by Truckers had to make ‘Brighter Than Creations Dark‘ in the way that they did. Consisting of 19 songs comprising 75 minutes of twanged up tell-it-like-it-is rock n’ roll. I’m sure the band will attribute the […]
SXSW 2008 – John’s Saturday Night Highlight: The Airborne Toxic Event
My Saturday night started strong and finished monumentally, though in the middle was an unfortunate lowlight in the form of the only showcase I didn’t get into this year due to the length of the line (it was an acoustic Nada Surf performance, but don’t cry for me, Twangville Nation — I’m seeing them at […]
SXSW 2008 – John’s Saturday Afternoon Highlight: Kate Nash and Billy Bragg
Saturday afternoon began for me with a touch of deja vu, as I once again started my day at Cedar Street Courtyard for the kickoff of day three of the Filter throwdown there. I didn’t know it at the time, but I’d be bookending my day parties with Filter on this day. Kicking things off […]
SXSW 2008 – John’s Friday Afternoon Highlight: Los Campesinos!
My Friday afternoon was largely about Filter magazine’s Showdown at Cedar Street party. This was day two of what was a three-day throwdown hosted by Filter this year, and it was a lineup that (for me) couldn’t be beat, not even by the SPIN party, for which I turned down a pass generously offered by […]
SXSW 2008 – John’s Thursday Night Highlight: Jens Lekman
The highlight of my Thursday night occurred straight out of the gate in the 8 o’clock showcase time slot, but it was hardly all downhill from there, as a “bonus highlight” also awaited me during the witching hour. I’ve had a few tracks by the Swedish singer-songwriter, Jens Lekman, for a couple of years now. […]
Jackie Greene + More, Releases 4/1/08
JACKIE GREENE, Giving Up The Ghost (429) Official Site | MySpace | eCard ‘Giving Up The Ghost’, the fourth release from San Francisco based Jackie Greene shows a steady maturation of one of the biggest up and comers in American music. Reminiscent of Dylan, the Stones, and to a lesser extent Springsteen, Greene is keeping […]
Mayer’s Playlist for February 2008, A Video Companion
What’s a monthly playlist without a video companion? This month we start and finish with a pair of incredible acoustic performances by the Jones Street Boys. In between we’ve got clips from Tift Merritt, Nada Surf, Butch Walker, Joe Jackson and Greg Trooper, among others. Don’t miss the haunting J. Tillman & Emily Loizeau duet […]
Mayer’s Playlist for February 2008
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Another Country, by Tift Merritt After 2004’s classic Tamborine, Tift Merritt escaped more than her record contract — she fled the country. Relocating temporarily to Paris, she found an apartment with a piano. The record that emerged is a travelogue of a different kind, a search for identity and assuredness. Merritt […]
She & Him + More, Releases 3/18/08
Its been days now since I’ve returned from the world’s greatest music festival in Austin, TX, SXSW of course. Good times were had, new friends were made, great music was listened to and yet I crave more. Before the music festival had even officially kicked off I had already seen James McMurtry, The Smithereens, Matt […]
Death to Anders/The Hollyfelds
I’ve recently received Submissions from a couple of upstart bands I think are worth a look. They are Death to Anders and The Hollyfelds. Death to Anders has just released a new album Fictitious Business. Their sound has it’s basis in the L.A. Indie Rock scene but it is also heavily influenced early 90’s Sonic […]