Slim Pickings

A few years ago, when MySpace was a more relevant term, I stumbled across a link somewhere in the vast depths of Internet and it brought me to Jessica Lea Mayfield’s MySpace page. That fortunate, mistaken click lead me to one of my favorite new artists.

This kind of fortune seems to court the young singer. There were only 100 copies made of her debut EP, White Lies, and one of them found its way into the hands and ears of the Black Keys’ frontman Dan Auerbach. She would go on to be a guest vocalist on their Attack and Release album and Auerbach would go on to produce her 2011 release, Tell Me.

The track that baited my ears was "Our Hearts Are Wrong." It has a simple yet infectious melody and the writing sounded like Kurt Cobain taking a stab at noir country. There were large yet soft guitars, echoing tastefully against her fragile but determined voice.

This Friday, Aug. 10, Jessica Lea Mayfield will play with Langhorne Slim at the Casbah.

Langhorne Slim recently released his latest album, The Way We Move. The music is charged poetic alt-country with banjo pushing and pulling against rollicking piano and twanged vocals. The Way We Move is a break-up record that finds itself galvanized and energetic.

The album was ushered into the world by the donations of fans through pledgemusic.com. In return for the donations, Slim offered everything from presales to the opportunity of having a drink with the band -- an opportunity perhaps possible this Friday at the Casbah.

August 10, 2012:

• Langhorne Slim & the Law, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Quiet Life @ Casbah
• Coda Reactor, Low Volts, the Beautiful View, Children of Nova, Jesse Lamonaca @ The Griffin
• The Donkeys, Bad Dad @ Eleven
• Sleeping People (CD release), Devfits, Kata (CD release) @ Soda Bar
• Schitzophonics, Gloomsday, Cash Crop, Small Talk @ Tower Bar
• The Offspring @ Del Mar Concert Series 
• Monster of Rock Tribute with Damage Inc., Back 2 Black, Wag Halen, DJ Man Cat @ Belly Up
• Pussy Galore featuring Slpwlkrs, DJ Robin Roth & Samazon @ Whistle Stop
• D.P.I., Six Cents & Skunk @ The Shakedown
• The Madeira, the Secret Samurai, El Ray @ Tin Can
• Taboo @ Til-Two Club
• Gregory Page @ Java Joe's
• Uptown Ocean Beats presents GIRL UNIT (Night Slugs/London), SALVA, URBN:LGND, AUSTIN SPEED, CRMNL @ Ruby Room
• Gaza, Eagle Twin, Kodiak, Lewd Acts, Griever @ Ken Club
• Aja Lee, Neveready, the Saline Solutions @ Lestat's
• Feel the Noise @ Kitty Diamond
• DJ Slinkee & Ayla Simone @ U-31
• RnR with Social Club, Sould Malady and H.A. Perkins @ House of Blues
• Atomic Groove Happy Hour @ Belly Up
• Year of the Dragon, G.F.P., the Remotes, Ralph Jug & the Deadline Jitters @ Brick By Brick
• World Music with Bateke Beat and Puente @ Winston's
• Nicky B with DieNasty Select @ 710 Beach Club
• Mike Perez, Golden Revival, Geneva Pina, Roxanne Reed, Matt Slaven, Jovanny Michael Enos @ Epicentre
• So Far Gone, Mister Wister, Lucky & Wild, Aqua-Rythm, Blue in the Face, Woolly Mammal @ Soma
• Dangers, Hostage Calm, Good Grief @ Che Cafe
• Viva Santana @ Humphreys Backstage Lounge
• Gypsy Kings @ Humphreys Concerts By the Bay
• Kinetic, the Ship & the Storm @ Flying Elephant
• Sheila E & the E Family @ 4th & B
• Back to the Garden tribute to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young @ Anthology (Early Show 7:30 p.m.)
• Back to the Garden tribute to Woodstock @ Anthology (Late Show 9:30 p.m.)
• Chi Club, DJ Lya @ Gallagher's
• John Foltz @ Marble Room
• Nari & Milani @ Voyeur
• Zenbu Fridays with DJ Leif @ Zenbu Cardiff
• Tribe of Kings, DJ Unite, dash eye, kid riz, cros1 @ El Dorado
• Fix Your Face with Rober Ri’chard @ Spin
• Ritual with DJ Brett Bodley @ Fluxx

Alfred Howard writes lyrics for the Heavy Guilt and the Black Sands. He also writes music reviews for Owl and Bear.

Related Topics Jessica Lea Mayfield, Langhorne Slim, Casbah

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