This feels like a week that would be best kicked off with some rock and roll. And who better to do so than Nova Scotia, Canada’s The Trews. The group is currently touring to celebrate the 20th anniversary of House of Ill Fame, their debut full-length release. I caught them a few weeks ago in […]
SXSW 2016 – 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 more than 20,000 attendees from around the world, SXSW is the world’s premiere music conference. Even […]
Mayer’s Playlist for June 2014, Part 1
ALBUM OF THE MONTHS Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, by Sturgill Simpson It’s easy to take pot-shots at what passes for country these days. You know what I’m talking about: the feel-good, truck-drivin’, beer-drinking music makes for great stadium concert sing-alongs. If that’s your scene, then more power to you. Some of you, like me, […]
Mayer’s Playlist for December 2012
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Love and Dirt, by Session Americana A cocktail table provides the key to understanding Session Americana. It is so much a part of the band’s experience that they typically travel with it when they tour. The table is a centerpiece, of sorts, around which the musicians gather. Sitting there, they often […]
Monday Morning Video: Mar/Apr 2011 Playlist
How about some videos to accompany the recent March/April 2011 Playlist? Lots of goodness from Mike Errico, Jason Isbell, Jill Sobule & John Doe, The Damnwells, Ha Ha Tonka, Jeremy Messersmith, The Trews, Black Joe Lewis, Ted Russell Camp, The Biters, Andy Clockwise and Fences. Whew. The videos are below and the written playlist can […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Mar/April 2011, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Wander Away, by Mike Errico I can think of less than a handful of times where I have seen an artist silence a room with a song. One of the most impressive was watching Errico, armed with just his guitar, silence a rowdy New York audience with just a single song. […]
Mayer’s Playlist for July 2008, a Video Companion
More video goodness this month. We kick things off with two of my favorite songs this summer, Little Jackie’s “The World Should Revolve Around Me” and the Hold Steady’s “Sequestered in Memphis.” Keep on moving and you’ll see a special video from Alex Woodard and live performances from Love Pyschedelico, the Baseball Project, Eric Lindell, […]
Mayer’s Playlist for July 2008, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Stay Positive, by The Hold Steady When Craig Finn preaches, “our psalms are sing-along songs,” in the opening track of their latest release, he might as well have revealed the band’s musical mission. Whereas previous albums have focused on the characters living in Finn’s imagination, this go-around spotlights the rock anthems […]
Mayer’s Playlist for July 2008, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Low on Cash, Rich in Love, by Eric Lindell Northern California musician Eric Lindell has found a spiritual home in New Orleans and it inhabits every corner of his latest release. Opener “Lay Back Down” eases you in with a breezy R&B feel before giving way to tracks like the bluesy […]
A Few Words with Will Hoge, part 1
“Songwriting is a damn mystery,†says Will Hoge as we discuss “Draw the Curtain†his restrained yet compelling current release. It’s kind of like the Wizard of Oz, he continues, “you don’t want to know what is behind the curtain.†Although Hoge reunited with producer Ken Coomer, producer of 2006’s explosive The Man Who Killed […]