Folk Alliance International isn’t your typical music conference. Held this year in New Orleans, days include industry panels, seminars, and public showcases in hotel ballrooms, but the real magic happens late at night when up to 100 hotel rooms transform into intimate “private showcases”—artists who normally fill 500-seat theaters performing for 20 people at a […]
Folk Alliance Int’l 2026 – Mayer’s Picks, Part 1
Folk Alliance International isn’t your typical music conference. Held this year in New Orleans, days include industry panels, seminars, and public showcases in hotel ballrooms, but the real magic happens late at night when up to 100 hotel rooms transform into intimate “private showcases”—artists who normally fill 500-seat theaters performing for 20 people at a […]
The Naked Sun – Mirror In the Hallway
One of the vivid memories I have as a child is the annual county fair and carnival where I experienced my first hall of mirrors. As a kid it’s a wonderment: you see yourself fat, skinny, multiple eyes, all kinds of variations of what you know is you. Philadelphia’s The Naked Sun took a very […]
Monday Morning Video – David Garza “Butterflies”
David Garza rarely tours, so stumbling into his Dallas show late last year felt like finding money in an old coat pocket. I’ve been a fan of his music for years, but “Butterflies” from 2004’s A Strange Mess of Flowers had somehow slipped through the cracks until now. The song’s gentle melody masks the raw […]
The Twangville Early 2026 Preview
The Dreamin’ Kind by Langhorne Slim (16 Jan) Langhorne Slim cranks up the electric guitars on his newest release. Yet while the sound may be different, the songs remain the same – brilliant sing-along anthems that don’t shy away from the darker side of humanity. From start to finish, he wears his heart on his […]
Mayer’s Picks, More 2025 Favorites
Here, in no particular order, are more favorites from 2025.
Mayer’s Picks – Best Songs of 2025, Part 2
I posted my list of favorite from the first half of 2025 back in July (here). Rather than replicate that list for my full year review, consider this a continuation — the best songs from the second half of 2025. Permission, Alex Wong featuring MILCK (from the Shamus Records release Permission) “Permission” is a defiant sing-along anthem that […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best Albums of 2025, Boston/Dallas Edition
I live in NYC these days but am fortunate to be connected to the music scenes of two cities in which I previously lived – Boston and Dallas. Artists from both metropolitan areas have released some exceptional music this year. Here are a few favorites. Love it local. LOVE THAT DIRTY WATER (BOSTON YOU’RE MY […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best of 2025, the Albums
HONORARY 2025 PICK: No Hard Feeling by Balto Released on December 20, 2024—too late for my 2024 list, but technically not a 2025 album—Balto’s surprise farewell record lives in an in-between space that mirrors the band’s own bittersweet moment. Songs like the epic “Big City” and the blistering “Black Snake, Mojave Blues” build from restraint […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall/Winter 2025, Part 2
Little Red Rider, Kathleen Edwards (from the Dualtone Records release Billionaire) The music world is a better place when Kathleen Edwards is writing and performing. It’s been said before, but Billionaire makes it worth repeating. Edwards has never been one to mince words. Her storytelling carries a truthfulness built on specific details and brutal honesty, […]