Jason Isbell has made a career out of writing songs that feel like they come with fingerprints still on them. Even when the 400 Unit is roaring behind him, you can usually hear the quiet draft underneath.
Jeff’s Picks – Best Album of 2025
“I want to go out and play these songs by myself and it sound as close to this as possible,” Jason Isbell explains to Gena Johnson, co-producer, in Well Welch’s documentary about the recording of “Foxes in the Snow.” Documenting the Isbell’s process making of the album, the above-mentioned film is called “Feel Real Good” […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best of 2025, the Albums
HONORARY 2025 PICK: No Hard Feeling by Balto Released on December 20, 2024—too late for my 2024 list, but technically not a 2025 album—Balto’s surprise farewell record lives in an in-between space that mirrors the band’s own bittersweet moment. Songs like the epic “Big City” and the blistering “Black Snake, Mojave Blues” build from restraint […]
Mayer’s Picks – The Best of 2025 (So Far), the Songs
Wrong End & Black Snake, Mojave Blues, Balto (from the self-released No Hard Feeling) These two songs represent the scope of Balto’s musical power – the unbridled rock and roll fury of “Black Snake, Mojave Blues” and the powerful emotion of “Wrong End”, the band’s seeming farewell to music: I don’t believe in songs no moreIn the long dead horse […]
Mayer’s Picks – the Best of 2025 (So Far), the Albums
No Hard Feeling by Balto Released quietly in late December 2024, Balto’s surprise album opened 2025 on an incredibly powerful note—impassioned, defiant, and beautifully crafted. From the slow-burning heartbreak of “Big City” to the searing catharsis of “Black Snake, Mojave Blues,” the band channels their frustrations and fading faith in music into a collection that’s […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2025, Part 2
True Believer, Jason Isbell (from the Southeastern Records release Foxes in the Snow) Foxes in the Snow finds Jason Isbell in a raw, reflective space, drawing from the emotional wreckage of heartbreak and the cautious hope of starting over. These songs live in the aftermath—where pain lingers, memories echo, and new love emerges slowly, shaped […]
Readers’ Pick: Jason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow
You picked Jason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow as your favorite new release for the week of March 7, 2025.
Newport Folk 2023 – Saturday
In its 64th year, the 2023 Newport Folk Festival boasts the longest and most distinguished history of any currently running music festival dating back to 1959. With all that history, the festival has stayed relevant with its place as one of the most trusted venues for Americana, folk, rock, singer/songwriter, and everything in between. With […]
Readers’ Pick: Jason Isbell – Weathervanes
You picked Jason Isbell – Weathervanes as your favorite new release for the week of June 9, 2023.
Mayer’s Picks – More Favorites from 2020
Here, in no particular order, are more favorites from 2020.