Matt the Electrician talks about “Jesse’s Girl”, “Rocky Raccoon” and writing his first song as an assignment for Mr. Loomis’s high school English class.
Bonus Monday Video – Remembering Neal Casal and Donnie Fritts
Last week was another tough one in the music world with the passing of both Donnie Fritts and Neal Casal. Fritts Fritz was the longtime keyboardist for Kris Kristofferson and a renowned Alabama songwriter while Casal was the guitarist in groups ranging from the Chris Robinson Brotherhood to Ryan Adams & the Cardinals to the […]
Monday Morning Video – Runnin’ Solo with Ken Stringfellow
Ken Stringfellow has quite a musical resume. After firmly establishing his power pop credentials as co-founder of The Posies, he has gone on to perform with everyone from R.E.M. to the re-formed Big Star. In between these and several other collaborations, he’s released a couple of stellar solo albums. Stringfellow is about to launch a […]
Paul Cauthen – Room 41
On the second song of his new album, “Room 41â€, Paul Cauthen eponymously references his nickname “Big Velvetâ€. There may not be a singer who ever had a more appropriate moniker. With a voice perfectly balancing a tightrope between Waylon Jennings and Roy Orbison, Cauthen delivers a collection that has elements of Country, 70s R&B […]
Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters – Beyond the Blue Door
Ronnie Earl has become a dependable source of exceptional music every year or so. A great guitar player with an expressive instrumental voice, Earl and his Broadcasters have, over the years, embraced styles ranging from jazz to soul blues to blues-rock. Now, with Beyond the Blue Door, Earl and company have released an album that […]
David Wax Museum on the Economics of Touring and Life as Creative Entrepreneurs
David Wax Museum talk about “El Burro Blanco”, their quirky tour van, share a recipe for road salad and explain why their rehearsals are often disrupted.
Jody Stephens and Luther Russell Talk Those Pretty Wrongs, Big Star and Life in a “Grassroots” Enterprise
Luther Russell and Jody Stephens of Those Pretty Wrongs share stories about their tour strategies, varied rehearsal studio experiences and songs written together and alone.
Monday Morning Video – Vincent Neil Emerson
Country singer Vincent Neil Emerson’s debut was a long time in the making. For several years the East Texas native has been honing his craft the old school way, playing honky-tonks across Texas and beyond. One can hear the miles, not to mention the honky-tonk dance floor dust, pulsing through the songs that make up […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Summer 2019, Part 2
Have You Seen My Girl, Todd May (from the self-released Let’s Go Get Lost) There are certain albums that were meant to be heard on vinyl. While the latest from Todd May isn’t available in that format, one can hear both its inherent warmth and insistent crackle in every song – even when streamed or […]
Video Premiere: Eleni Mandell
Earlier this summer, L.A. folk music fixture Eleni Mandell came out with her 11th album, Wake Up Again. Between some of her songwriting students and collaborations with musicians like Tom Waits, Chuck E. Weiss, and Tony Gilkyson, she’s developed a real knack for telling stories in her songs. Frequently they’re about people and places that […]