Sharla June & The Mayhaws

Witnessing The Mayhaws live at the European Street last Thursday, I basked in nostalgia, thinking back to my youth, when as a boy, I would visit my Dad's relatives in Danville, Virginia...Vivacious Sharla and Carrie with Dave produce precise vocal harmonies as sweet as clover honey. Carrie...augments her upright bass by playing harmonica (on a brace). Sharla plays her acoustic guitar with hot chops and sings lead with authority. Dave is a consummate mandolin player and adds his male voice to the harmony mix. For me, the group's sound stirred up visions of an old country dirt road that winds up a mountain where small houses sit precariously on stilts propping up one side to make the floor even. Yes, this is the real roots music that inspired so many folk artists during its heyday in the early 60s. It now inspires the post-modern folk movement. — Rick Grant - Rick at Night

One doesn't normally associate left-leaning folk bands with the Florida panhandle. But a mighty wind evidently blows through Tallahassee, in the form of The Mayhaws, a trio...whose sound harkens back to the days of the Urban Revival...The songs are rooted in American traditional music, but often updated with a modern twist. You'll hear some insightful original tunes, along with old pop classics transformed into country-tinged rootsy numbers. — Caine O'Rear - Richmond.com

Floridian Sharla June's new album, Flyin' without My Wings Again, is a high-energy acoustic romp that incorporates many elements of traditional American music, including folk and country blues, bluegrass and jug band music. Perhaps it might best be described as front porch music that gets you out of your seat. What lifts you up is Sharla's punky attitude, perfectly captured on this recording, that makes her kindred spirits with Exene Cervenka of The Knitters and a number of better known female artists (think Neko, Kelly, etc.) associated with the Bloodshot Records label in recent years. The CD's 13 tracks include 10 originals tackling diverse subjects with intelligence, wit and charm, and 3 brilliant covers, including personal favorite "Those Memories of You" by A. O'Bryant that highlights the superb playing of The Mayhaws, Sharla's band that formed during the recording session. Indeed, the musicianship throughout finely balances looseness (not sloppiness) and tightness (not rigidness) for a perfect feel, and Sharla's singing covers a broad range of emotions but is always infectious.— Cat - Radio Free Americana

Hands down this is my favorite CD of the week! If you ask me to catergorize it the best I'd be able to come up with is "GREAT" She's soulful, rootsy, eclectic, folky, edgy and more -- you need to listen to this one yourself to add the rest of the adjectives. Go to her myspace link...and listen to Bumble Bee. It's the album's opening track and she had me hooked with it right up to the closing "Black Dog".— Take Country Back - Taking It Back to the Roots

The latest Mayhaws CD — "Lonely Places" — is as bittersweet, delicious and aurally addictive as rich, dark chocolate. It serves up blue-and-lonesome country twang (the title song, "Five Days on the Wagon"), smart-footed rambles through the brambles ("Bite the Bitter," "Prickly Pear"), a seafaring shantey ("Sailing No More") and gossamer, lovelorn ballads ("Little Brown Bird," "Don't Wanna Hear You Laugh).

The harmonies are nigh-on angelic, the musicianship is top-notch (thanks for getting Hamby to strap on that squeezebox!), and it all makes for a pungent musical blossom that unfurls fresh petals with each listen.

~Kati Schardl - Tallahassee Democrat

From time to time a bully comes around in the old CD case I carry in my car and is downright hateful towards its well-respected brethren… For the last two weeks, Mr. Bully has been in the surprising form of Lonely Places by The Mayhaws…. Some initial thoughts: Cheer up you guys. On second thought cheer down: the title track really is a whopper; on third thought, stop all medication, increase all drinking quotas, and listen only to Townes Van Zandt or Johnny Paycheck records…go ahead and buy Lonely Places and you can thank me later. Just buy me a couple of beers at the next Tallahassee Mayhaws’ show. Make sure you apologize to your other CD’s; they will probably get a little bit jealous. - Old Five and Dimer blog