I’m excited to be headed to Austin, Texas tomorrow for the annual SXSW music conference and festival. I take the assignment seriously, doing a fair amount of research before I arrive. That effort has resulted in some really great discoveries. Here are a pair from SXSW’s past. First up is the UK’s The Dreaming Spires […]
Monday Morning Video – Antonio Lulic
As I’ve written before, I generally listen to my music on shuffle. I love the surprise of not knowing what song is coming next, all the more so when it surprises me with a one that I haven’t heard in a while. Such was the case last week with Antonio Lulic’s “Hey, It’s OK”. I […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2018, Part 2
Bleach Blonde Bottle Blues, Larkin Poe (from the Tricki-Woo Records release Venom & Faith) Although The Lovell Sisters hail from Georgia and now live in Nashville, their latest album is mostly steeped in Mississippi blues. And by that I mean some down-home, dirty blues. They make an immediate – and powerful – musical statement with […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2017, Part 2
No Heart Left Behind, Hannah Aldridge (from the Rootsy Music release Gold Rush) “I take my heartache with a little bit of ice,” announces Muscle Shoals-raised Hannah Aldridge on “Burning Down Birmingham,” one of several stand-outs from her latest release. Electric guitars lead the charge, sometimes chugging with an insistent stoicism and other times unleashing […]
Mea Culpa! A Special Summer Playlist, Part 1
Mea culpa! So last year I made a commitment to myself to write a monthly playlist and publish it within the month for which it was named. I gave myself a hearty pat on the back when I met that goal. Thankfully, I didn’t set the same goal this year as I would have failed […]
Mayer’s Picks: Best EPs of 2012
Several of my favorite releases from this year were 5-6 song sets rather than 8-10+ song full-length releases. Here, in no particular order, are a few favorite EPs from 2012. THE VANSADERS, The Vansaders If you like your rock-and-roll raucous and whiskey-soaked, you’ll be hard-pressed to find music better than the Vansaders. I’ll take mine […]
Mayer's Picks: The Best of 2012, So Far (The Songs)
Jericho, John Fullbright (from the Blue Dirt Records release From The Ground Up) Fullbright’s is a welcome new voice on the singer-songwriter scene. He writes and sings with a voice that belies his 23-odd years, as evidenced by this stirring track. Throw your arrows and your slings And your other precious things Outside your gate […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2012, Part 3
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH The Lumineers, by The Lumineers I discovered the Lumineers thanks to, of all things, an airline who shall remain nameless. When they botched my return to Boston from a day gig work trip to LA, I found myself stranded in Denver. Others might have been upset, but I relished the chance […]
SXSW 2012: The Sounds, Part 2
Antonio Lulic A late start at the venue limited me to just a couple of songs from this singer-songwriter from North East London. His songs have a quiet intensity and his voice a weathered timbre, a pairing that combined for an impassioned performance. Audio Download: Antonio Lulic, “Hey, It’s Okay” [audio:http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17612247/Antonio%20Luli%C4%87%20-%20Rough%20-%201%20-%20Hey%2C%20It’s%20Okay.mp3] Glen Hansard The skills […]
SXSW 2012: 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 2,200 bands and 19,000 attendees, SXSW is the world’s premiere music conference. Even better, it is one heck of […]