Tag Archives: John Mayer

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Song of the Day #3,279: ‘Moving On and Getting Over’ – John Mayer vs. Elvis Costello

The next Montauk Madness Round Two battle is a bit of a laugher, particularly for readers of this blog. I’ll be surprised if John Mayer manages more than a single vote (my wife’s) against Elvis Costello.

Costello got here by taking out Carly Rae Jepsen, who did manage to pick up 33% of the vote. Mayer narrowly defeated Beck, 55% to 45%. Had Beck triumphed, the Beck/Costello matchup would have been interesting. Both have proved adept in multiple genres and are masters of the unexpected. Continue reading →

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Song of the Day #3,245: ‘Hell Yes’ – Beck vs. John Mayer

Our next Montauk Madness matchup pits somebody it’s very cool to like against somebody it’s very uncool to like. Beck, meet John Mayer.

I’m a big fan of both of these guys, so I’ll try to keep the hipness factor out of my vote. I realize that appreciating John Mayer is not great for my street cred, but I think anybody who dismisses his musical chops or his songwriting ability is mistaken. Sure, the guy can be a smug prick and some of his songs veer too close to maudlin, but so many more are spot-on.

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Song of the Day #3,214: ‘Vultures’ – John Mayer

John Mayer has a knack for making me like genres I don’t usually dig.

Take ‘Vultures,’ a song from Mayer’s excellent 2006 album (Continuum), which sounds like a lost Steely Dan track.

I hate Steely Dan. OK, that’s a bit strong, but I definitely don’t like them. And yet I love ‘Vultures,’ and the rest of Continuum, which has the same general vibe.

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Song of the Day #2,308: ‘In Repair’ – John Mayer

continuumI don’t know where John Mayer will end up when the history of pop music in the 21st century is written.

Will he be remembered more for his frat-boy antics and failed relationships or for his guitar chops that regularly put him onstage alongside idols such as B.B. King and Eric Clapton — legends who nod to his musical skills as very much in league with their own.

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