JOHN FOGERTY “I just got my songs back and I’m gonna play every one of them,” said Fogerty at the start of his show, celebrating the return of his song publishing rights. He wasn’t kidding. He and his band cranked through hit after hit, culminating with a bruising “Fortunate Son”. The icing on the cake? […]
SXSW 2025: The Scene
For me, the true harbinger of spring is the arrival of the SXSW conference and festival in Austin, Texas. Or rather, spring begins for me when I arrive in Austin for the annual event. With upwards of 1,000 artists and tens of thousands of attendees from around the world, SXSW is the world’s premiere music […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best Songs of 2024, Part 2
I posted my list of favorite from the first half of 2024 back in June (here). Rather than replicate that list for my full year review, consider this a continuation — the best songs from the second half of 2024. Rosemary and Thieves, Garrett Owen (from the self-released Memoriam) Owen’s tale of fractured relationships is […]
Mayer’s Picks, More 2024 Favorites
Here, in no particular order, are more favorites from 2024.
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2024, Part 2
Behind The Eight/Count Your Blessings, Michael McDermott (from the Pauper Sky Records releases East Jesus and Lighthouse on the Shore) For nearly a decade, Michael McDermott has been on a creative tear, releasing more albums in that period than many artists create during their entire careers. And apparently he’s not interested in slowing down; rather, […]
“Big Dreams” – a Video Premiere from Tyler-James Kelly
Tyler-James Kelly is known to many as the former singer/songwriter/guitarist for late, great Providence, Rhode Island rock band The Silks. With his debut solo release, however, Kelly takes his talent in an entirely different musical direction. Dream River hearkens back to the days of Willie and Waylon, a glorious collection of classic country songs brought […]
Americana 2024, Mayer’s Picks (Part 2)
LYDIA LOVELESS Loveless played two shows to celebrate a new album, Something Else, a reimagined version of her 2014 release Somewhere Else. The new release is nearly entirely Loveless solo on piano and was the focus of a stunning Thursday appearance at Todd Snider’s Purple Building. The next afternoon Loveless and John Calvin Abney brought […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best Albums of 2016, Boston Edition
This has been an exceptional year for music in and around Boston. I hesitate to break these out into a separate regional list as many of these releases would figure prominently on my overall Best of 2016. That said, taken together they make a great statement on the vibrancy of the Boston music scene. The […]