Every fall, The Americana Music Association gathers members, artists and music fans together in Nashville for its annual conference. Starting with the annual Americana Music Awards and continuing through four days of showcases and panel discussions, it is a tremendous celebration of Americana music. SHANE NICHOLSON I caught Australian singer-songwriter Shane Nicholson three times over […]
Matt Bigland of Dinosaur Pile-Up Shares a Cure for Tour Anxiety and Sums Up His First Gig in 4 Words
Dinosaur Pile-Up singer-guitarist Matt Bigland describes life touring in a van that is on its last legs and recalls a memorable night mopping the floors at the bar where he was working. He also talks about the balance between being poor and finding job security.
Reckless Kelly – Sunset Motel
Reckless Kelly is releasing their ninth album, “Sunset Motelâ€, on September 23rd. Even more significant, they are doing so as they log their 20th year as a band. It is a rare achievement for any band to make it this far. For Reckless Kelly it is even more significant given the transition of the industry […]
Jonas Parmalee of The Silks on That Time Their Tour Vehicle Blew Up and What the Term “Sellout” Really Means
Jonas Parmalee of the Providence, RI-based power trio The Silks recalls being rescued by the Low Anthem when their tour vehicle exploded and why the band orders the most expensive thing on any restaurant menu.
Monday Morning Video (and Audio) – Willin’
“Willin’,” by the late Lowell George, is one of those songs that many may not know by title but is immediately recognizable when it’s heard. It’s also a song to which many artists have gravitated over the years. Here is a video playlist of wonderful cover performances, starting with Uncle Tupelo and working through Tom […]
September Playlist
Here’s a few tunes I’ve been digging from recently released and soon to be released records. Butch Walker/Stay Gold – Hands down Butch is one of my favorites whether it be live, recording or producer. He’s just rock and roll. His newest lives up to the hype. Shovels & Rope/I Know – Snarky and confident […]
St. Paul & the Broken Bones – Sea Of Noise
In 1954 Ray Charles took a gospel song, My Jesus Is All the World To Me, mixed in some R&B, and made it into a decidedly secular song, I Got A Woman. Â Soul music was born. Â Like all musical styles, soul music has morphed and evolved into something that’s a lot more popular, but along […]
David Aguiar of the Brevet on Rehearsing in a Trailer Park and the Benefit of Youthful, Blissful Ignorance
David Aguiar of the Brevet recalls the time that the band’s van was stolen (or not) and why the first song that the band ever wrote succinctly characterizes them.
Monday Morning Video – Josh Ritter Sings to the Dogs
Last year’s Sermon on the Rocks was yet another fine addition to Josh Ritter’s musical catalog. Let’s kick of the week by digging back into said catalog for this rousing rocker that kicked off 2007’s The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter.
Mayer’s Playlist for July/August 2016, Part 3
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Stay Gold by Butch Walker The opening guitar riff of the lead-off track sets the tone right out of the gate: Butch Walker is ready to rock. His last album, 2015’s Afraid of Ghosts, was a somber and moving reflection on the loss of his father. After the catharsis that came […]