Well, it’s that time of the year again, and after awakening from my yearly food coma, I realized I hadn’t compiled my annual inexpert list of favorite blues-based albums. Well, here we go: Â Jimmy “Duck” Holmes – Cyprus Grove. A collection of earthy originals and covers from the last of a breed of Mississippi Delta […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best of 2019, The EPs
As more and more artists are transitioning from albums to EPs, I thought I’d highlight a few of my faves in that medium. Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite EPs of 2019 GOODNIGHT, TEXAS, The Senseless Age JESSE TERRY + ALEX WONG, Kivalina ANTHONY D’AMATO, Five Songs from New Orleans RADICAL […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best of 2019, The Albums
Another year – heck, another decade – is winding down, which means that it is time for the ubiquitous best of year lists. Without further ado, here are my picks for the best albums of 2019. 10. MATTHEW RYAN, The Future Was Beautiful Matthew Ryan somewhat quietly released a pair of EPs in 2019 before […]
Remembering Sleepy LaBeef
One of my fondest musical memories was the time that Sleepy LaBeef got under-aged me and my younger brother into a club to see his show. I had been recently introduced to Sleepy’s music by a cousin, who himself was introduced to Sleepy’s music by music historian Peter Guralnick. I thought it would be fun […]
Monday Morning Video – A Slaid Cleaves New Years
There are a few occasions where I allow myself to re-post songs and New Years is one of them. I’ve always enjoyed Slaid Cleaves’ “One Good Year,” a magical blend of melancholy and hopefulness. Happy New Year everyone!
Best of 2019- Chip’s Picks
This was a tough year to rank best albums. The sheer volume of good releases made it difficult. This is especially true in the Americana genre with it’s ever expanding boundaries. All the same, I gave it my best shot. 1)Yola- “Walk Through Fire” Released early in the year, from my first listen I knew […]
Lost Bayou Ramblers on a Troublesome Flat Tire and Their Approach to Rehearsals
Andre and Louis Michot of the Lost Bayou Ramblers share their tip for making tours more tolerable and discuss why a musician’s personality, outlook and musicianship matter.
Monday Morning Video – Paul Kelly’s Gravy Recipe
I’ve posted this song before but, hey, it’s a classic. How do you not appreciate a holiday song without a chorus that tells the tale of a man spending the holidays in jail and includes a gravy recipe. The song “How to Make Gravy” appears alongside many other Paul Kelly gems on the upcoming Songs […]
EP Gems: The Family Band & Kailey Nicole
Before I fall into the end-of-year routine I wanted to highlight a couple of EP’s that struck me particularly well. One’s been out a couple of months and the other releases next month. I’ll start with the one that’s not out just yet, Kailey Nicole’s self-titled release. Raised in southern California, Nicole started her artistic […]
Handsome Dick Manitoba on Olive Loaf, Broken Microphones, and His Rock and Roll Clubhouse
Punk legend Handsome Dick Manitoba talks about the first song that he sang with the Dictators and shares the sage advice that he heard from the late Lou Whitney.