Video from the Yacht Club show 5/21/10

Our good friends at Little Village magazine shot some video the other night at the Yacht Club, and you can see them here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXJul4GOUzY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXXyHjXyoCU&feature=related

If you like it, please leave a comment and some thanks to the good folks at Little Village.

See you soon!

The Mayflies

Stacy Webster interviewed on Taproot Radio and Podcast!

Last week our singer/guitarist, Stacy Webster, was interviewed by Calvin Powers of Taproot Radio out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Calvin has been a big supporter of The Mayflies' music, spinning our new record (A Thousand Small Things) with flattering regularity.

Click here to hear the podcast.

Spread the word!

Love,

The Mayflies

Proud to announce the arrival of a new Mayfly!

Hey folks,

The Mayflies' have experienced a couple of line-up changes in the past year, and we have been on hiatus all winter working these new members into the mix. As spring arrives, we will be performing more and more, so keep an ear to the ground.

We have added Gabriel Baillergeon on mandolin, and Natallie Brown on violin!

Gabe comes to us from Springville Iowa. He has grown up playing music with his father, Richard (an accomplished member of the Waubeek Trackers) and is currently a music student. Gabe brings a healthy dose of bluegrass, old country, and folk to the mix. He is influenced by the likes of John Prine, Gram Parsons, and Split Lip Reyfield among others. Plus he's a damn nice kid.

Natalie is a native Iowa Citian who grew up studying classical violin but broke off from the Suzuki mold to ravenously pursue jazz, traditional fiddle music and rock music. She has a classical player's chops and musical knowledge, but can improvise effortlessly with a wide musical pallete. She even plays her violin thru a Wha pedal sometimes. Wow.

Needless to say, we are thrilled about the new sounds being created in the basement reheasal space and we can't wait to share it with you all. Our nest show is Sunday March 28th at El Bait Shop in Des Moines.

Love,
Mayfly Central

hiatus my ass!

Well friends, we have been on a winter hiatus from gigging, but that doesn't men we haven't been busy. We have been working the airwaves with our latest release, and here's what has been happening.

The Mayflies' new album, A Thousand Small Things, has entered theEuro Americana Chart at #15, has entered the Freeform American Roots chart at #19, has reached #10 on the Roots Music Report Roots Country chart, and is holding at #1 on the Roots Music Report Iowa chart!

We are also getting our material prepared for the next record. Can't wait to get into the studio again.

Keep an eye open for shows in the spring.

Love,

The Mayflies

Mayflies new record enters the Roots Music Report at #25 worldwide!

Yes, we are very excited to announce that our new release, A Thousand Small Things, debuted at #25 worldwide on the Roots Music Report. (the number one independent music chart ezine in the world) Our sincere gratitude goes out to the DJs who have taken interest in our music.

Additionally, we are #1 on the same chart for Iowa based musicians. Needless to say, we are blushingly grateful.

Call your local public radio station and ask for us by name!

Review of "A Thousand Small Things"

May 21, 2009

CD reviews

The Mayflies

"A Thousand Small Things"

Mud Dauber

Iowa City's rambunctious pan-Americana purveyors The Mayflies have undergone a slew of band name and personnel changes in their decade-or-so existence.

That said, their current moniker matches their original one (after two alternates), founding members Stacy Webster (lead vocals, guitars) and James Robinson (drums, vocals) have remained constant, co-founder Patrick Bloom continues to feed the group terrific original material from the wings, and rock-steady Dave Lumberg (bass, vocals) has done much to anchor The Mayflies' rhythm section and emotional core.

On "A Thousand Small Things," co-producer/engineer Luke Tweedy (Will Whitmore) captures the band with an early-Seventies vintage treatment that perfectly suits The 'Flies' loose-limbed amalgam of folk-tinged country-rock.

There's a strong whiff of The Dead (circa "Workingman's..." and "American Beauty") throughout -- particularly on Bloom's "All These Desperate Angels" and Lumberg's "Mississippi Soul" -- and outgoing Jon Eric's idiosyncratic banjo adds a trace of The Dillards' electro-'grass hybrid.

But it is Webster's singing -- evoking James McMurtry's dusky, slightly-flatted intimacy or a young Pete Seeger, as well as the romantic, precise-diction stylings of Michael Nesmith in his groundbreaking, high-concept First National Band recordings -- that shapes/defines The Mayflies' sound.

Webster's notched-up guitar playing also is a revelation, and yet, ultimately, it is a group triumph from pillar to post.

-- Jim Musser

Video footage from our Colorado tour!

Here is some footage from The Summit in Durango Colorado. Bruce Hayes is the mandolin/lap steel player. Ripping it up!!! Our pal, Mysto the Magi provided the camera work. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=TheMayflies&view=videos