Steve Earle is back. He may have never really left, but “So You Wannabe An Outlaw” stands beside his best albums (and there are many). It sounds like his classic period from the 80s up through his classic Transcendental Blues in 2000 (without the early 90s records during his descent into drug addiction). Earle has […]
Emerging Artist – Courtney Marie Andrews’ Honest Life
Catching up on missed music is not what I thought that a newborn would allow me to do this summer. But the late nights, and the missed sleep between feedings, seemed only like a time when I would just wish I could sleep through the night. But there I was, 3:30 AM on a Tuesday, […]
Jeff’s Best of 2015
As we get ready to ring in the new year, I’m going to make a confession: I haven’t listened to much new music this year. With a son who just turned one, a broken leg, and the usual stacks of correcting (I’m an English teacher), I haven’t listened to much new stuff. The Mrs. and […]
Jason Isbell’s “Something More Than Free”
Every once in awhile, there is an artist whose album is so anticipated by the Twangville Posse that a number of us pile on for a team review. Put Jason Isbell’s “Something More Than Free” in that category. SHAWN’S TAKE Jason Isbell’s last album, Southeastern, was my favorite album on the year. It was a […]
Isbell, Shires & Fletcher at the Sinclair
Even after leaving the Drive-by Truckers, Jason Isbell has continued to wow and amaze. Â His literary songs and rockin” guitar licks accentuate catchy and heartbreaking melodies. I saw Isbell and Shires a year ago in Hartford in an acoustic setting. It fit so perfectly in the at the Wadsworth Atheneum Art Gallery that I wasn”t […]
Peter Bradley Adams – Traces
If you recognize the name, you probably think you’ve heard this one before. Heartbreaking melodies and a girl who left you blah blah blah. The same sad tone seems prevalent from the first notes of adult alternative single “You Dance†(Adams’ collaboration with Kat Maslich) to the lead single “For You†and throughout Adams’ work. But you […]
Anthony DaCosta-Abbie Gardner “Better Nights-Better Days”
Ryan Adams. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings. Conor Oberst. Cory Branan. These are names that are thrown around a lot when you are talking about modern day singer-songwriters. What if I told you there may be someone not just like them, but better? Anthony DaCosta might just be. About 3 hours ago, my brother handed […]
Beth Whitney + More, Album Previews
Beth Whitney, Leave Your Shoes (Partial CD) [MySpace] At this point in the year there’s less new music to talk about. Its that time for the record companies to start releasing the records that they know we’ll buy for the holiday season like our beloved Christmas albums and “best of” records for our friends and […]
Mayer’s Playlist for September 2007
THE ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Goodbye Blue Monday, by Jeremy Fisher Canada’s Fisher is a fresh voice on the scene with a sound that falls somewhere between folk and acoustic pop. The opening track “Scar That Never Heals” recalls Simon & Garfunkel’s “Me & Julio Down by the Schoolyard” and Simon-esque songwriting percolates throughout the […]
Mayer’s Playlist for August 2007, A Video Companion
Another great month of music, another fine collection of videos. And speaking of videos, how about Justin Timberlake at the VMAs imploring MTV to play more videos. Rock on, Justin, rock on. Highlights this month include a dynamic duo of live Josh Ritter performance and a double shot and short documentary from new faves Stonehoney. […]