Everybody Talkin’ ’bout the All American, JD McPherson (from the Rounder Records release Let The Good Times Roll) Let’s just call this the dance hit of the year. One listen and you’ll know what I mean. You Got To Me, James McMurtry (from the Complicated Game Records release Complicated Game) On a given day I’d […]
Monday Morning Video – Ike Reilly
While a good portion of Boston converged on a Somerville club on the off chance that U2 would make an appearance, I did the opposite and went into Boston to catch Ike Reilly. Damn glad that I did (and it has nothing to do with the fact that U2 didn”t show up in Somerville). Reilly […]
Mayer’s Picks: The Best of 2015 (So Far), the Songs Part 1
For me, at least, this year has been more about songs than albums. Here are just a few of my favorites from the first half of 2015. If Still It Can’t Be Found, Joe Pug (from the Lightning Rod Records release Windfall) A melancholy ode to perseverance and pursuing one’s dreams. Simply magical. Don’t Let […]
Tweed River Talk – a Few Words with Lydia Loveless
Lydia Loveless is no stranger to Twangville. We’ve long been fans and she continues to impress. Somewhere Else, her most recent release, was among our favorite albums from 2014 and we are eagerly awaiting the follow-up. The Ohio native, along with her band, are making their first visit to the Tweed River Music Festival this […]
Mayer’s Picks – the Best of 2015 (So Far), the Albums
Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite releases from the first half of 2015. COMPLICATED GAME by JAMES MCMURTRY As he celebrates the release of his first album in six years, there’s a part of me that wishes that McMurtry was more prolific. Then I remember that it takes time to craft […]
Tweed River Talk – A Few Words with Duncan Arsenault of the Curtis Mayflower
New England quintet The Curtis Mayflower are no strangers to the Tweed River Music Festival. They’re regulars, in fact, who never fail to awe the crowd with their intense live performances. If you haven’t heard it, seek out their 2014 full-length debut Everything Beautiful Is Under Attack for a taste of their soulful brand of […]
Steve Barton Reflects on a Few Firsts (Song and Gig) Plus Some Memorable Day Jobs
Steve Barton recalls a memorable first gig playing to people with names like “Hippie John” and “Flower Child Doris” and describes how the first song that he ever wrote finally saw the light of day thirteen years after it was written.
Ted Drozdowski of the Scissormen on His “No Burgers, No Fries” Rule and Learning to Treat Music as a Business
The ringleader of Nashville’s Scissormen talks the benefits of driving a “soccer mom” van, writing a jingle for a fictional funeral parlor and why he’s like Donald Trump.
Monday Morning Video – Smith & Weeden’s “Sunshine”
There’s a certain irony in selecting this song as this week’s Monday Morning Video. The video grabbed my attention with it’s stunning harmonies and Seamus Weeden’s glorious guitar solo. I didn’t recognize the song from their album, though, so went back to check my notes. Sure enough, it’s there but it somehow failed to capture […]
Tweed River Talk – A Few Words with Bow Thayer
It is fitting that we launch our interview series with Bow Thayer, Vermont native and a co-founder of the Tweed River Music Festival. Thayer got his start in the Boston-based rock/reggae band 7 League Boots in the early 1990’s. He subsequently moved to Vermont and began an extended exploration of Americana and blues. Thayer’s most […]