ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Live At Lincoln Hall, by Joe Pug Since arriving on the singer-songwriter scene in 2008, it didn’t take long for Joe Pug to establish himself as a rising star. This live album, recorded in Chicago last spring and comprising songs from his one full-length album and two eps, is a spectacular […]
Monday Morning Video: Etta James
Rock and roll lost a legend on Friday with the passing of Etta James. An oft-troubled life didn’t prevent James from a remarkable career that inspired several generations of artists. And how many artists can lay claim to having been inducted into the Rock and Roll and Rockabilly Halls of Fame, not to mention a […]
Mayer’s Picks: Best Songs of 2011
I posted a best songs list for the first half of 2011 back in July (here). Rather than replicate that list for my full year review, consider this the addendum — the best songs from the second half of the year. When My Time Comes, Barnstar! (from the self-released C’Mon!) I somehow missed this song […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Oct/Nov 2011, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Beauty, Wit & Speed, by Nathan Hamilton “Give me the mad ones, the sad ones, the ones who’ve got nothing to lose,” sings Hamilton in “Through Ether and Time” from his latest release. It is a telling comment and a great introduction to an album that deftly explores the search for […]
Monday Morning Video: Mike Farris and the Muscle Shoals Sound
A highlight from the recent Americana Music Conference was the tribute to Muscle Shoals soul sound. Starting at FAME Studios and continuing with the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Muscle Shoals became a rock and roll institution. Beyond defining an era in soul and R&B, it became a destination for artists ranging from the Rolling Stones […]
Americana 2011: The Sounds
MUSCLE SHOALS TRIBUTE SHOW Detroit may have by Motown and the Funk Brothers, but Alabama had Muscle Shoals. Side-stepping which was the better musical factory, it is impossible to ignore the impact that Muscle Shoals has had on American music. This performance provided irrefutable evidence to the greatness of this legacy. The set was loose […]
Mayer’s Playlist for August 2011, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: The Duke & The King, by The Duke & The King I’ll admit to not knowing much about the Duke and the King. I was aware that Simon Felice had moved on from the Felice Brothers and had formed this new outfit, but little more. Let’s just say that I’ve corrected […]
Fall 2011 Release Preview
It is hard to believe that summer is nearly over. How do I know this? I was at a music club on Saturday that had changed over their Sam Adams tap from Summer to Octoberfest. Talk about jumping the gun! Anyway, the next few weeks will unleash an abundance of great new music just in […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Mar/April 2011, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Wander Away, by Mike Errico I can think of less than a handful of times where I have seen an artist silence a room with a song. One of the most impressive was watching Errico, armed with just his guitar, silence a rowdy New York audience with just a single song. […]
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – Here we Rest
I almost didn’t make it past the first song. “Alabama Pines”. Usually that would have bad conotations, but in this case the song was absolutely mesmerizing. It is a song centered around the area of Alabama where I grew up. It is not the first Isbell penned song to have such an impact. “Dress Blues”, […]