FEATURED ALBUM Riverboat, by Tim Gearan Tim Gearan has long been a mainstay on the Boston roots scene, with 2-3 weekly residencies and a tendency to show up to play at any number of other shows in a given week. His primary Friday night residency is a weekly party – there is no other way […]
Monday Morning Video: John Doe (with Jon Dee Graham)
Here’s a lost classic that remains one of my favorite songs. Doe and his band (look closely to see Jon Dee Graham on guitar) let loose a furious romp that punctuates Doe’s social commentary. Some people say they like to hear me talk ’cause I tell ’em what’s wrong. I don’t see much more than […]
Mayer's Picks: The Best of 2012, So Far (The Songs)
Jericho, John Fullbright (from the Blue Dirt Records release From The Ground Up) Fullbright’s is a welcome new voice on the singer-songwriter scene. He writes and sings with a voice that belies his 23-odd years, as evidenced by this stirring track. Throw your arrows and your slings And your other precious things Outside your gate […]
Monday Morning Video: Lucero with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra
First it was the horns. Now horns and strings?! Damn, what I would have done to have been at this show. Hopefully we’ll get to see and hear the full show at some point.
Mayer’s Picks: The Best of 2012, So Far (The Albums)
You’ve got to love a year where this list is made up of so many young and emerging artists. Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorites from 2012. BARCHORDS, BAHAMAS Canadian singer-songwriter Afie Jurvanen unleashes a pop album that is simply sublime. The production has a textured feel anchored by the nuanced […]
Monday Morning Video: Whiskeytown
Ah Ryan, such a great songwriter and always so, um, soft-spoken. Here’s a gem from 1997.
Mayer’s Playlist for June 2012
THE PLAYLIST That Wasn’t Me, Brandi Carlile (from the Columbia Records release Bear Creek) Any Carlile discussion begins and ends with her voice, an instrument of power and beauty. While her latest is more relaxed than her earlier efforts, it retains the inspirational tone that is a hallmark of her songwriting. Many of the songs […]
Ruby Jane – Celebrity (Empire of Emptiness)
One of the great things about creative people is they don’t appreciate boundaries the same way we ordinary sods do. Â I think you see this a lot with musicians, especially the younger ones. Â There’s nothing wrong with combining Tim O’Brien inspired licks with a Radiohead song, for instance. Â The latest example of this I’ve heard […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2012, Part 3
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH The Lumineers, by The Lumineers I discovered the Lumineers thanks to, of all things, an airline who shall remain nameless. When they botched my return to Boston from a day gig work trip to LA, I found myself stranded in Denver. Others might have been upset, but I relished the chance […]
Monday Morning Video: The Right Ons
My spring playlist features a killer track from The Right Ons‘ recent release (listen and download here). Well, the boys also made a Beatles-inspired video for the explosive track “On The Radio.” Turn it up loud and enjoy.