Not So Sure and How Good You Are, Joe Pug (from the Lightning Rod Records release Messenger) Quite simply, I couldn’t decide which of these songs I liked better so called it a draw. Both are shining examples of Pug’s songwriting prowess: thoughtful lyrics, engaging melodies and a captivating performance. Down in the Bowery, Alejandro […]
Mayer’s Picks: Best Albums of 2010 Video Companion
I gotta say, I’m really impressed with the videos that I found to accompany my Best of 2010 playlist. Things kick off with a Peter Wolf and Shelby Lynne rehearsing their duet on “Tragedy” from Wolf’s incredible release. The performance is so powerful it defies description. Next up is Joe Pug demonstrating his captivating showmanship […]
Amos Lee – Mission Bell
On January 25th, Amos Lee is going to release Mission Bell on Blue Note Records. Mark your calendars, this early January release will remain on many best of lists by the end of 2011. Characteristically, Lee’s soulful voice is the focal point of the album. However, the sound of Mission Bell exhibits more texture than his previous […]
Listen Up: The Q-Dee Rock and Soul Series
Q Division Studios has long been a mainstay of the Boston music scene, hosting everyone from burgeoning local bands to internationally renowned artists (see the list here). The studio has been known to put out a few releases of their own, as they are doing with the limited edition Q-Dee Rock and Soul Series. Beginning […]
Solomon Burke, 1940-2010
The music world lost one of the great ones today with the passing of Solomon Burke. Here are two classic Burke performances to celebrate the life of the man referred to as the King of Rock and Soul. The first, a duet with Patty Griffin on her moving — and fitting — song “Up On […]
The Constellations – Southern Gothic
Down in the dirty, dirty south there’s a new band hitting the scene that’s about to change everything. Atlanta is probably one of the unlikeliest places you’ll hear this particular brand of freakadelia. The South has always had a sordid tale to tell and it’s been told many times over. This time around the storyteller […]
Shippin’ Up to Boston: A Special Playlist
I’m fortunate to live in a city that appreciates and supports great music. Here are a few of my current favorites. Banks of the Mississippi, Jenee Hastead (from the self-released Hollow Bones) “Baby, if we could go to the banks of the Mississippi, watch out I’ll float your body out to sea,” sings Halstead in […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2010, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE SEASON: Street Songs of Love, by Alejandro Escovedo Alejandro Escovedo is living proof that some things just get better with age. Street Songs of Love rocks with abandon and rolls with purpose. “Anchor†is a fitting opener, electric guitars kicks off a rocker that, although mid-tempo, still packs a forceful punch. “If […]
SXSW 2010: The Sounds, Part 2
Jon Dee Graham My SXSW show list is usually built around bands that I’ve never seen. Jon Dee Graham is the rare exception who makes the list every year. His gruff voice fits well with the bit of his lyrics, not to mention his razor-sharp guitar-playing. And his stories and between song banter, rich with […]
SXSW 2010: The Scene
SXSW 2010 has come and gone. Over the next week I’ll be sharing a few highlights of my experience. All in good fun. Children By the Million Sing for Alex Chilton This year’s SXSW began and ended with the passing of Alex Chilton. The co-founder of Big Star was scheduled to participate in a panel […]