The residents of Twangville have spoken! Here are some of your favorites from the first half of the year.

• The Band of Heathens, The Band of Heathens
• Hayes Carll, Trouble In Mind
• Drive-By Truckers, Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
• Justin Townes Earle, The Good Life
• Kathleen Edwards, Asking for Flowers
• Elbow, Seldom Seen Kid
• Eleven Hundred Springs, Country Jam
• Alejandro Escovedo, Real Animal
• Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes
• Flogging Molly, Float
• Abbie Gardner & Anthony da Costa, Bad Nights/Better Days
• Emmylou Harris, All I Intended to Be
• The Hold Steady, Stay Positive
• Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago
• Sonny Landreth, From The Reach
• Old 97’s, Blame It On Gravity
• Danny Schmidt, Little Grey Sheep
• Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet, Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet
• Youngbloods, Elephant Mountain (reissue)

And a hearty congratulations to Kevin Peters of Bellingham, MA. Kevin won a prize pack featuring the latest releases from Matthew Ryan (MRVSS) and Jon Dee Graham (Swept Away: Live in Austin) plus the dvd Jon Dee Graham: Swept Away, A Rock and Roll Documentary.

About the author:  Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night.

by Mayer Danzig in Acoustic, Alt-Country, Alternative, Best of Year, Contests, Country, Folk, Indie, News, Pop, Rock, Roots