If you want to get a Twangville reviewer’s attention, mentions of beer, whiskey, or other spirits will usually go a long way. When songwriter and guitarist Jess Hoefner floated me a bottle of bourbon the other week, I knew I had to fulfill my long put off promise of reviewing his band’s latest EP, Gone [...] more »

by Eli Petersen in Reviews

ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Live At Lincoln Hall, by Joe Pug Since arriving on the singer-songwriter scene in 2008, it didn’t take long for Joe Pug to establish himself as a rising star. This live album, recorded in Chicago last spring and comprising songs from his one full-length album and two eps, is a spectacular [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig in Acoustic, Downloads, Folk, Playlists, Pop, Reviews, Rock, Soul, Streams

Most of the time, a band with a gimmick is more gimmick than band. Hokey, jokey one-hit wonders litter our memories like so many bumper stickers on a hippies VW Van. Sometimes – just sometimes – a gimmick is worth more than a disposable three minutes of our time. Austin’s The Possum Posse, a self-described [...] more »

by Kelly Dearmore in Reviews

Last year, our Twangville authors combined forces to dub Justin Townes Earle‘s Harlem River Blues as Best Album of 2010. This year official Twangille Best Album of 2011 honors go to Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit‘s Here We Rest. Let me tell you this is no small feat as we’re a picky bunch. Our [...] more »

by Tom Osborne in Best of Year, Editors' Pick

Rock and roll lost a legend on Friday with the passing of Etta James. An oft-troubled life didn’t prevent James from a remarkable career that inspired several generations of artists. And how many artists can lay claim to having been inducted into the Rock and Roll and Rockabilly Halls of Fame, not to mention a [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig in News, Rock, Soul, Videos

Instead of focusing on a best of list, I wanted to highlight 10 albums released in 2011, by artists that aren’t household names. There are so many hard working and passionate artists who deserve to be noticed. The current landscape of the music industry makes it difficult for artist from local and regional scenes to [...] more »

by Chip Frazier in Best of Year, Reviews

Everybody’s Someone In A Honky Tonk.  Anyone who’s reading this blog probably knows the David Allen Coe song, You Never Even Called Me By My Name (written by Steve Goodman), about the perfect country western song.  This tune, from the latest Carolann Ames release, may not be the perfect country song, but it has the [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood in Acoustic, Country, Reviews

If you are looking for hot, fun country music by folks who are playing it because they love it, The Little Willies’ newest release, For the Good Times, should be your destination.   A side project by several artists on separate musical paths, the best known of whom is the enchanting Norah Jones, this second album by The [...] more »

by Bill Wilcox in Alt-Country, Americana, Country, Reviews, Rockabilly

Is there anyone out there who doesn’t know Elvis? From the early Sun Studio years to the Vegas spectacles, he blazed a distinctive trail. Dig beneath the out-sized legacy, however, and you’ll find the heart of a musician. Over the course of his career, Elvis wrapped his voice around everything from gospel to country to [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig in Contests, Pop, Videos

I can’t think of many better ways to usher in the new year than to spend it rockin’ with Lucero. Hence I was thrilled when the band scheduled a New Year’s Eve show in Boston. ’round midnight the band played a song from their forthcoming release. more »

by Mayer Danzig in Rock, Videos

With 65 of 300 total votes Twangville readers picked Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit‘s “Here We Rest” as their favorite album of 2011. Rounding out the top five were albums from Matthew Ryan, The Decemberists, Ryan Adams, and Gillian Welch. Congratulations to all the nominees which were based on our monthly Readers’ Pick poll. [...] more »

by Tom Osborne in Best of Year, Readers' Pick

There were tons of releases in 2011 and I am sure I only listened to a fraction of them.  I always have a hard time narrowing down my top 5 or so choices, and then I always have a hard time coming up with a full list of 25.  Here’s my top 15 of the [...] more »

by Todd Mathis in Best of Year, Reviews

Top Live Shows of 2011   Gillian Welch at Strathmore, Bethesda, MD As a music fan, I am always looking for the beautiful sonic combination of melody, harmony and that lonesome sound. As a live show, the sonic perfection of the symphony hall at Strathmore with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings was a stunning experience.  [...] more »

by Jeff McMahon in Reviews

Rock and roll lost a friend and a brother on Friday when Tommy Ardolino of NRBQ passed away. Our video this morning is a tribute to Tom and his musical legacy. As Terry Adams says in the video below, “Gimme a beat! Gimme what I love, that beat baby!” more »

by Mayer Danzig in News, Rock, Videos

By now you’ve seen what most of us were listening to on our MP3 or CD players last year.  So I thought I’d add my favorite live sets from last year.  1) Roger Waters: I got a chance to see The Wall at the HP Pavilion in San Jose.  Holy cow.  As far as I’m [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood in Americana, Best of Year, Folk, Indie, Reviews, Rock