Here are some of my favorite songs this year. An eclectic lot to be sure. The Fold, Brent Cowles (from the Dine Alone Records release How To Be OK Alone) Easily my favorite song so far this year. Cowles confronts anxiety and self-doubt with a determined and uplifting anthem. Tough Folks, American Aquarium (from the […]
Mayer’s Picks – the Best of 2018 (So Far), the Albums
It’s been a good year for music so far this year (and the rest of the year is looking quite nice, too). Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite releases from the first half of 2018. HOW TO BE OK ALONE by BRENT COWLES Cowles shares a debut solo full-length that is […]
SXSW 2018 – Say What?!
One of my favorite things about SXSW (well, after the music) are the crazy comments that you hear along the way. Here are a few choice selections from SXSW 2018. Hi, we’re Dressy Bessy. We won Dumbest Band Name here at SXSW in 1999. This year we aren’t even in the top 500. Tammy Ealom […]
SXSW 2018 – The Sounds, Part 3
TERRA LIGHTFOOT If there was one artist on my “do not miss” list this year it was Terra Lightfoot. I first saw her at SXSW a few years back and she just keeps getting better and better. The combination of her voice, songs and guitar playing makes for a potent rock and roll cocktail. JAIMEE […]
Monday Morning Video – A SXSW Sampler
Sure, there’s plenty of musical diversity at SXSW. There’s also variety in the venues, not to mention the time of day. This video playlist is a sampler of the performances that happen in hotel ballrooms (Nathaniel Rateliff, SMYL, The Lost Brothers), chapels real (Quiet Slang at St. David’s) and not (Margo Price at Luck Ranch […]
SXSW 2018 – The Sounds, Part 2
RUBY BOOTS I’d previously only seen Nashville by way of Australia songwriter Ruby Boots play acoustically. SXSW offered the perfect time to remedy that as she had band in tow. It represented a better reflection of the recently released Don’t Talk About It, which rumbles with electrified melodies and a healthy back-beat. Boots and company […]
SXSW 2018 – The Sounds, Part 1
LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES If you haven’t seen Bains and company live then you’ve been missing something special. Well, perhaps special isn’t the right word; maybe cathartic? The quartet unleash a fury of rock and roll complete with blaring guitars, roaring vocals and enough energy to power a small town. Bains bounded […]
SXSW 2018 – The Scene
For me, the true harbinger of spring is the arrival of the SXSW Music and Media Conference in Austin, Texas. Or rather, spring begins for me when I arrive in Austin for SXSW. With upwards of 2,000 bands and more than 20,000 attendees from around the world, SXSW is the world’s premiere music conference. Even […]
Monday Morning Video – Folk Alliance 2018 Video Companion
We’ll wrap up our Folk Alliance International coverage with a collection of videos from this year’s conference. Most of these performances are from the official performances that took place in hotel ballrooms but you’ll see a few from the late night hotel room showcases. This video playlist includes Colter Wall, John Gorka, Jaimee Harris, John […]
Folk Alliance 2018 – Say What?!
One of my favorite things about attending music conferences and festivals are the crazy comments that you hear along the way. Here are a few choice selections from this year’s Folk Alliance Conference. It’s my first time at Folk Alliance, I was wondering if it was because my background is tainted by that rock and […]