Burn It, Joshua Ray Walker (from the State Fair Records release Wish You Were Here) Texas has a rich tradition of extraordinary storytellers. Writers who weave exceptional stories filled with colorful characters that find themselves in situations both trying and humorous. With Wish You Were Here, his debut release, Joshua Ray Walker firmly establishes himself […]
The Way Down Wanderers – Illusions
There’s a fine line between disappointment and disillusionment. Â I think some of it has to do with permanence, but whatever the definition the boys in The Way Down Wanderers do a good job of staying on the fleeting side of pessimism on their latest album, Illusions. Â In general, they accomplish that with upbeat instrumental support, […]
Carsie Blanton On Two Lessons Learned and The Time She Almost Quit Music
New Orleans singer-songwriter Carsie Blanton talks about her storied rehearsal space called “The Watermelon”, sampling local cuisine while touring and making $50 at her first paid gig when she was 13.
Dale Watson on a Hand-Me-Down Tour Bus and Some Memorable Early Gigs
Eminent Honky-Tonker Dale Watson talks about rehearsing at shows, working on an assembly line and the best way to learn about music.
Monday Morning Video – Carter Sampson
There are inevitably a few albums that slip by my radar each year. Carter Sampson’s 2018 release Lucky fits into that category. The album is filled with songs that sit on the cusp of folk and country, often determined solely by the arrangements. She passed through Dallas several weeks ago and treated to two shows, […]
Readers’ Pick: Gurf Morlix – Impossible Blue
You picked Impossible Blue by, Gurf Morlix, as your favorite new release for the week of February 8, 2019. Poll Results New Releases Did we miss something? If you feel a new release is missing from our current poll, please let us know in the comments. Readers’ Tops Winter & Spring 2019 AMELIA WHITE – […]
Colin Linden & Luther Dickinson with the Tennessee Valentines – Amour
Once in awhile there’s a collaboration that turns the music word on its head. Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto was such a pairing when, in 1963, they popularized bossa nova jazz in the United States. Jan and Dean did much the same for surf music, and Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry paired up for a […]
Mayer’s Playlist for January/February 2019, Part 1
Full Moon Goodbye, Michael McDermott (from the Pauper Sky Records release Orphans) Orphans is notable in that it is made up of songs that were written for but didn’t make the cut for McDermott’s recent albums. Orphans they may be, outcasts they are not. This collection of songs more than hold their own in the […]
Amelia White Talks Guerrilla Duct Tape and Peanut M&Ms
Nashville singer-songwriter Amelia White recalls trying on Rod Stewart’s white silk jacket and the paradox of a bad early gig.
Peter Mulvey on His Annual Bicycle Tour and the Beauty of Discovery
Singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey reflects on a series of glorious fleeting moments and the mullet and twelve-string Gibson that powered his first gig.