1. Damien Jurado/The Horizon Just Laughed – After the Maraqopa trilogy with Richard Swift, Jurado self-produces the personal The Horizon Just Laughed. It’s vintage Jurado with biting lyrics and observations that leave plenty open to interpretation. 2. Michael Flynn/Pretend Like – A beautifully done album with strings-a-plenty and gorgeous images. 3. BRMC/Wrong Creatures – They […]
Mayer’s Picks – More Favorites from 2018
Here, in no particular order, are a few more favorites from 2018. Tenkiller Marie/Lepanto Out From Under
Mayer’s Picks – Best Songs of 2018, Part 2
I posted my list of favorite from the first half of 2018 back in July (here). Rather than replicate that list for my full year review, consider this a continuation — the best songs from the second half of the year. Right On Time, Kevin Gordon (from the Crowville Media release Tilt and Shine) A […]
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 – […]
Monday Morning Video – Alex McMurray
Alex McMurray has long been a fixture on the New Orleans music scene. From the early days with Royal Fingerbowl through to his later solo work (with plenty of bands along the way), he has amassed a remarkable catalog of songs. He shifts from the sublimely moving to cleverly entertaining with ease, bringing each composition […]
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 […]
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. […]
Stephen Kellogg – Objects in the Mirror
Songwriters as a general rule are better at identifying difficulties and apprehensions than they are pointing out the positive aspects of life. Maybe it is because truly good art exists in the margins of American society and not the mainstream. It could also be the current political climate or possibly even too much Gluten. In […]
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.
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 […]