How about a double dose of Frank Turner to kick off the week. Here’s Turner – both acoustic and with his band the Sleeping Souls – performing “The Next Storm”. But I don’t want spend the whole of my life indoorsLaying low, and waiting on the next stormI don’t want spend the whole of my […]
An Album Premiere from Brett Newski
Brett Newski is a glorious enigma. His albums are rooted in pop, bursting with hummable melodies and sing-along choruses. Yet a closer listen finds them spiked with anxiety and the struggle to find one’s way in life. It’s a topic that he approaches it head-on, more often than not offering some pearls of wisdom in […]
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 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 […]
Mayer’s Playlist for March/April 2016, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Rangers & Valentines by Trapper Schoepp When was the last time that you heard an infectious song about mononucleosis? I can’t recall either but Trapper Schoepp demonstrates that it can be done. The lead-off track to his latest release crackles with energy, driven by an irresistible pop hook and emboldened by […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best Songs of 2015
I posted my list of favorite from the first half of 2015 back in July (here and here). Rather than replicate that list for my full year review, consider this a continuation — the best songs from the second half of the year. Get Better, Frank Turner (from the Xtra Mile Records release Positive Songs […]
Mayer’s Picks – More Favorites from 2015
Here, in no particular order, are a few more favorites from 2015. All A Man Should DoLucero Maudlin DaysOcean Carolina Adventures in Real TimeDylan Gardner The Firewatcher’s DaughterBrandi Carlile Positive Songs For Negative PeopleFrank Turner The Spirit MovesLanghorne Slim and the Law Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night SweatsNathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats High On […]
Monday Morning Video – Frank Turner “Get Better”
For those in denial that summer is coming to a close (at least in the Northern Hemisphere), here’s Frank Turner to the rescue with a late summer anthem. The song, from the just released Positive Songs For Negative People, is both boisterous and inspirational: So try and get better and don’t ever accept less Take […]
Frank Turner Talks About His First Gig, His Last Day Job and Trusting Your Own Judgement
Frank Turner reveals something of which he is proud and something that he has never owned.
Twangville’s Shaky Knees 2015 Recap
A new location brought a special surprise – no rain. Rain, often torrential, is a Shaky Knees tradition. From year one’s mudfest to last year’s lightning storm, the weather has never been kind to Shaky Knees. Until this year, that is. The sun shone bright (perhaps too much at times, but I’m not complaining), making […]