Guitarist Eric Schenkman of Spin Doctors talks about learning how not to break guitar strings, how to rehearse effectively at sound checks, and shares his views on the music industry.
Monday Morning Video – Introducing Kirby Baby
Americana musician Kirby Brown has reinvented his musical self as Kirby Baby. He comes out swinging with “Hell When You Come Around”, a great indie rocker about a relationship as irresistible as it is destructive: i know it’s going to be scars after loving youi know I’m going to fall hard like I always doit’s […]
Tawny Ellis – Edge of the World
I generally tend toward a less-is-more aesthetic to the music I listen to. I’ll take a live studio take on a song before a 64-track production any day. I like to see songs performed on stage without autotune or a dozen recorded background tracks. But every now and then I get a hankering for some […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2025, Part 2
True Believer, Jason Isbell (from the Southeastern Records release Foxes in the Snow) Foxes in the Snow finds Jason Isbell in a raw, reflective space, drawing from the emotional wreckage of heartbreak and the cautious hope of starting over. These songs live in the aftermath—where pain lingers, memories echo, and new love emerges slowly, shaped […]
Big Love Car Wash – Daydream
A few weeks back we premiered a single, 21st Century Telegraph, from a recently formed Austin band, Big Love Car Wash. Formed after a fateful one-time gig organized by mandolinist/vocalist Sol Chase, the group discovered they had a musical chemistry that begged further time together. They gathered in an Austin studio and put together their […]
Larry McCray on Music Streaming, Ticket Prices, and Burnished Nickel Guitar Strings
Blues singer and guitarist Larry McCray talks about touring in “Nellie Bell”, the time the police drove him to a gig, and the importance of having a trusted legal advisor.
Monday Morning Video – Celebrating Two Greats
We lost two great architects of rock and roll last week with the passing of Brian Wilson and Sly Stone. Each pursued a singular vision and leave behind tremendous musical legacies. Here is but a taste of their greatness. “God Only Knows” and “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times” from Wilson and “Everyday People” […]
Moonshroom – Take A Trip
There’s no doubt choosing a life as a professional musician requires you to chart your own path. That’s pretty evident with Kansas born-and-raised songwriters Lily B Moonflower and Jake Keegan. Growing up a few miles apart, but not meeting until years later, they had similar musical experiences that fed their creative streaks. While still fronting […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2025, Part 1
The Van Pelt Parties, Patterson Hood (from the ATO Records release Exploding Trees and Airplane Screams) Patterson Hood has long been a master of Southern storytelling, and on his latest album, he delivers a collection of tales—some real, some imagined—that reflect the complexities of life in the Deep South, particularly his native Alabama. These aren’t […]
Shelby Means – Shelby Means
I sometimes get surprised when a musician releases a debut album. Their industry stature and experience just led me to assume that along with all their other projects they’d somewhere along the line done a solo record. Such is the case with Charleston’s Shelby Means. With groundbreaking and Grammy-winning stints in Della Mae, and Molly […]