Mike Zito throws all of himself into his music.  With Keep Coming Back, Zito & The Wheel has taken Zito’s gritty recipe of blues-rock and country and stirred in a bit more country than in his 2013 release, Gone to Texas, and some classic rock to cook up a strong collection of songs. A St. Louis native now […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best Albums of 2015, Boston Edition
This has been a great year for music in Boston and throughout New England. Here, in no particular order, are some favorites 2015 releases from area artists. SESSION AMERICANA, Pack Up the Circus What started as an informal gathering of friends playing primarily cover songs has blossomed into a remarkable musical collective. The group’s latest […]
Monday Morning Video – Marah “Reservation Girl”
Marah, who have a well-earned reputation for incendiary live performances, have reunited their classic line-up to celebrate the reissue of their legendary breakout album Kids in Philly. Only a handful of shows have been scheduled but here’s hoping that the reunion morphs into an on-going revival. Although this song isn’t on Kids in Philly (or […]
Three Additional Gems
Sometimes I get records I really enjoy, but I can’t quite seem to get a full length review out of them, or there are just too many things in my queue.  Frequently that happens with some really good EP’s, but also sometimes with full length releases.  With releases slowing down this time of hear, I thought […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best Albums of 2015
Another year is winding down, leading us to the moment where we look back at all our favorite releases from 2015. Without further ado, here are my choices for the best albums of the year. #10. (tie) ANDERSON EAST, Delilah The Nashville by way of Alabama singer-songwriter is a welcome new talent whose songs are […]
Grant-Lee Phillips on Not Bothering With Set Lists and the Value of Making Your Own Mistakes
Grant-Lee Phillips reveals why eating is one of the better parts of touring, why he always double-checks his guitar strap before walking on stage and introduces a song called “Mr. Baldankles.”
Monday Morning Video – Glen Hansard’s Surprise Serenade
People prepare for Thanksgiving in different ways. Me? I prepared for turkey and stuffing by catching Glen Hansard in Atlanta last week. What better way to ease into the holiday, right? Hansard started the show solo and sans mike, silencing the crowd with “Grace Beneath the Pines,†the opening track from his latest release Didn’t […]
Eric Bibb & JJ Milteau – Lead Belly’s Gold
Huddie Ledbetter, aka “Lead Belly,” wrote some of the most familiar folk and blues songs of our musical heritage. Discovered by father and son folklorists John and Alan Lomax in 1933 while an inmate in Louisiana’s infamous Angola prison farm,  Lead Belly’s music was a critical link in popularizing folk and blues and, eventually, lead to […]
Mayer’s Playlist for November 2015, Part 2
Life’s a Bell, Langhorne Slim (from the Dualtone Records release The Spirit Moves) The pride (at least I think) of Langhorne, PA is back with his best album yet. He still has one foot planted in the Americana realm – a banjo plays subtly yet persistently across many of songs here – yet his sound […]
Monday Morning Video – Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats
There’s been, well, a bit of buzz around Nathaniel Rateliff. His recent Boston appearance was initially booked into a small club with a 240-person capacity but was moved to a room that holds more than 1,000. Even then, the show sold out quickly. The buzz is well-deserved as Rateliff and the band put on a […]