I’m fortunate to be able to explore and enjoy the music scenes of two cities – Boston and Dallas. Artists from both have released some exceptional music this year. Here are a few favorites. Love it local. LOVE THAT DIRTY WATER (BOSTON YOU’RE MY HOME) Sarah Borges, Love’s Middle Name Borges takes no prisoners on […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best of 2018
Another year is winding down, which means that it is time for the ubiquitous best of year lists. Without further ado, here are my picks for the best albums of 2018. #10. KIRBY BROWN, Uncommon Prayer There’s a restlessness that permeates Uncommon Prayer, a point that Brown makes quite clearly in the opening track – […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2018, Part 3
Little Red Hen (With Apologies to Chicken Little) , Kirby Brown (from the self-released Uncommon Prayer) A sense of restlessness permeates Kirby Brown’s Uncommon Prayer. The album documents a quest to find happiness and one’s place in this world, a topic that brown tackles with music that is intoxicating and lyrics that are both creative […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2018, Part 2
Bleach Blonde Bottle Blues, Larkin Poe (from the Tricki-Woo Records release Venom & Faith) Although The Lovell Sisters hail from Georgia and now live in Nashville, their latest album is mostly steeped in Mississippi blues. And by that I mean some down-home, dirty blues. They make an immediate – and powerful – musical statement with […]
William Ryan Key on Playing in a Band Called “Backwash” and Working Hard to Never Need a Day Job
Former Yellowcard singer-songwriter William Ryan Key compares his previous and current rehearsal spaces and talks about why he works so hard to never have a day job again.
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2018, Part 1
Snow White Knuckles, Jaimee Harris (from the Ruby White Records release Red Rescue) Music can be a powerful thing. At its best, it not only meant to entertain, it strives to provoke an emotional reaction in the listener. Red Rescue, the debut album from Austin singer-songwriter Jaimee Harris, is a welcome reminder of music’s potency. […]
Larkin Poe Talk About Playing Guitar with a Heavy Hand and Why Change Is Nothing To Fear
Rebecca and Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe talk about graduating from making nothing to making next to nothing in the music business and their “day job” playing with Elvis Costello, Conor Oberst and Keith Urban.
Walter Salas-Humara On Using John Cale’s Rehearsal Space and the Secret to an Amazing Life in Music
Walter Salas-Humara recalls taking an Uber 120 miles to get to a gig, a memorable song that he wrote when he was 17 and an unforgettable day job working with the likes of Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, Ed Ruscha, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Rauschenberg.
Monday Morning Video – Ruby Boots
My first encounter with Ruby Boots was an acoustic set when she opened for the Waifs. As much as I enjoyed that show, it did little to prepare me for the fire and fury when she fronts a band. It’s something to behold. Although the video quality is a bit rough, here’s Boots and company […]
Sweet Caroline – A Special Boston Playlist
By Degrees, Mark Erelli & Friends (from the benefit single By Degrees) Several of Mark Erelli’s longtime friends and collaborators join him for a special song written in response to the tragic gun violence in America. While the artists are an impressive group – Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Lori McKenna, Anais Mitchell, and Josh Ritter […]