The first time that I heard the Bottle Rockets was in an Atlanta recording studio. It was one of the intimate in-studio performances that had about 15 of us sitting on the floor while the band played a brief stripped-down set. Drummer Mark Ortmann played a guitar case. The song that stood out for me […]
Joseph Arthur + More, Releases 9/30
Joseph Arthur playing “Temporary People” from his SXSW performance at Red Fez on March 15th, 2008. JOSEPH ARTHUR & THE ASTRONAUTS, Temporary People (Lonely Astronauts) Official Site | MySpace | Samples (Amazon) Joseph Arthur has been dropping EPs all year long and now we have a full length to chew on. As if the video […]
Southside Johnny, Hearts of Stone under a Grapefruit Moon
Some 30 years ago, when Springsteen released his seminal Darkness on the Edge of Town, John Lyon, better known as Southside Johnny did the same with his Hearts of Stone. Though the album didn’t sell all that well at the time years later Rolling Stone magazine would vote it as one of the best albums […]
Win Big: Jim Boggia
I’ve always had mixed feelings about music in commercials. For many of us, songs often become connected with certain personal feelings and experience in our lives and it is a bit jarring when a commercial suddenly associates it with something totally different. On the other hand, commercials can be a lucrative source of income and […]
Old Crow Medicine Show + More, Releases 9/23
Old Crow playing an upbeat version of Caroline at Merlefest. OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW, Tennessee Pusher (Nettwerk) Official Site | MySpace | Samples (imeem) Known for their live shows and throwback sound, Nashville’s Old Crow Medicine Show delivers their third album on Nettwerk Records. If Bob Dylan were ever holed up deep in the hills […]
New Music from Matthew Ryan
Matthew Ryan was kind enough to forward this astonishing new song, Some Streets Lead Nowhere.” It is an astonishing performance that highlights his ability to wrap emotional intensity in delicate arrangements. Equally impressive is Ryan’s essay about the song’s original and meaning, provided below. You can download “Some Streets Lead Nowhere” via iTunes. Matthew Ryan, […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Aug/Sept 2008, Video Companion Part 2
How do you spell pop music? I spell it “Jim Boggia.” This video companion features a few from the pop maestro. Keep going to find live performances from Willie Nile, Chris Knight, Air Traffic, the Avett Brothers and a classic from Todd Snider. Finally we’ve got a special interview and performance video from Randy Newman.
Marc Broussard + More, Releases 9/16
Marc Broussard performs “Real Good Thing” live at Paste Studios. MARC BROUSSARD, Keep Coming Back (Atlantic) Official Site | MySpace | Preview (AOL Music) I’m positively giddy about this new set of original tunes from Carencro, Lousiana’s Marc Broussard. Its his debut album on Atlantic records and is sure to continue to raise his neo-soul […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Aug/Sept 2008, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Misadventures in Stereo, by Jim Boggia Jim Boggia is a pop classicist extraordinaire. He takes simple and sublime melodies and packages them in intricate yet accessible arrangements. It is a skill to admire and a treat to enjoy. Take “To and Fro,” a rollicking ode to complicated relationships in which Boggia […]
The Legend of Sir Lattimore Brown
It’s Such A Sad, Sad World Who you might say? That’s what I thought when I first saw this name pop up over at the “B” Side, Red Kelly’s excellent blog. These days the net is swarming with Internet publications, blogging is so easily accessible that anybody with a half functioning computer can work it […]