Here is the latest installment in our periodic series highlighting Boston and New England artists. (View the complete series here.) 1-2-3, Amy Fairchild (from the self-released Amy Fairchild) There’s something to be said for only speaking when you have something to say. Just ask Amy Fairchild who has just released her first album since 2002. […]
Kevin Gordon on Rocking 330,000 Miles and Still Rolling
Kevin Gordon talks folk art, eating David Allen Coe’s fried chicken and the difference between art and business.
Monday Morning Video: Drive-By Truckers
I caught the Truckers in Pawtucket, Rhode Island a few weeks back. The band has been playing larger and larger venues in recent years so it was great to see them in the relatively small venue known as The Met. The group was in fine form. The youngsters in the group — Jay Gonzalez (joined […]
Mayer's Playlist for October 2014, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH And the War Came, by Shakey Graves Austin-based Alejandro Rose-Garcia — Shakey Graves — makes a mighty fine racket. His live performances, generally just him on the stage playing guitar and percussion, are captivating. And the War Came is the rare studio album that captures this energy while simultaneously showcasing the […]
Sean Costello – In The Magic Shop
Sean Costello was a great talent who left us too soon. After taking the blues world by storm, Costello was found dead of an apparent overdose in his Atlanta hotel room on April 15, 2008, the day before his 29th birthday. After his death, his family confirmed that the troubled artist had suffered from bipolar […]
JW-Jones – Belmont Boulevard
JW-Jones is one slick guitar slinger from north of the border.  Cut from the mold of a Jimmie Vaughan or the late Johnny Winter, Jones hails from Ottawa, Canada, an unexpected cradle for an artist sure to be recognized for his impressive guitar skills. Somewhat of a prodigy, Jones recorded his first album, Defibrilatin’, in 2000 […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Oct 2014, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Boxers, by Matthew Ryan Boxers is an album of discontent. Life, love, work — you name it — the characters that inhabit this collection of songs are dissatisfied. There is rage, resentment and restlessness. Through it all, however, Ryan manages to find a glimmer of hope — sometimes it’s a lyrical […]
Duke Robillard – Calling All Blues
Duke Robillard is a blues guitar icon. A multiple Blues Music Award winner and Grammy nominee, if Robillard had stopped at creating the jump blues revival outfit Roomful of Blues in the late 1960s, his contribution to blues music would have been sizable. Jump blues, an up-tempo form of blues often featuring horns that was […]
Monday Morning Video: Pete Donnelly “The Trench”
It can often be both refreshing and insightful to hear a stripped down version of a songs originally performed by a full band. Here’s a great example — Pete Donnelly of the Figgs offering up a solo take on one of my favorite songs from that band’s extensive catalog. The tempo is a touch slower […]
Americana 2014: The Sounds, Part 2
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. MATTHEW RYAN This was, hands-down, the highlight of the week for […]