“Tell everyone at Twangville I said ‘Hi and thanks’.” - Will Hoge

“Send my regards to everyone over at Twangville.” - Josh Ritter

“It’s a beautiful night in the Glades, we rode in on a fan boat because that’s how we do.” -Mike D.

“Did you just say the Glades are in the house?” - Adam Horovitz         “Yup.  I did.” - Adam Yauch

“I’m having some delicious hair for lunch today.” - Oliver Wood, about the wind blowing his hair in his face

“This is the windiest gig of our Wood Brothers career, it’s a momentous occasion.” - Chris Wood

“I need some SPF 1,000.  I’m a little pale.” - Chris Wood, in response to people asking him to stay on stage longer

“I forgot my band-aids and now I’ve broken a nail.  Most people, if they broke a nail, they’d just go home, but not me.”- Ben Folds

“I’m pretty sure there are some Floridians here, and I’m pretty sure there are some people from neighboring states here, and I’m pretty sure there are some Norwegians scattered throughout the crowd.” - Stipe

“Is that Moby?” - A guy who passed me in the crowd during REM’s set

“We hopped outta the van, got on the stage, and when this is over, we’re gonna hop back in the van and go back to Nashville, so this song is for us.” - Will Hoge, introducing the song “The Highways Home”

“We were in Ottowa yesterday and we had everything, ponchos and ski pants and at the bottom we had itty bitty little speedos.  It was great.” - Josh Ritter

“This is a song about falling in love in a missile silo.  I hope you get the chance.” - Josh Ritter introducing the song, “The Temptation of Adam”

“I’m from the generation of declining vocabulary, apparently, so I’ll just say it’s really cool to be here.” - Josh Ritter

“I wanna talk to you about two things, love and temptation…and I hope that in the remaining few hours you all get lucky.” - Josh Ritter

“My name is actually Josh Ritter, not John Ritter, like it says in the program, but I’d like to thank Landerado for everything.” - Josh Ritter

“That’s pretty hot.” - Josh Ritter, on people slow dancing at his show

“The Line is of utmost importance!” - Dan Deacon, trying to organize people into playing games during his set

“Really sassy now!” - Dan Deacon, on how to sing the line “Silence like the wind overtakes me”

“This next song I want to dedicate to my mother.” - G. Love, introducing the song “My Baby’s Got Sauce”

“Put ‘em up, Langerado, I’m pullin’ up in my El Dorado.” - G. Love

“We’ve been glad to start your day off funky.” - The Dynomites

“No matter what you do, do it with soul.” - The Dynomites

“Play because I’m yelling!” - Guy in crowd after Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood, as people were yelling for an encore there was no time for

On a completely unrelated note, I have to share my newest musical infatuation with you guys. I was turned onto Trampled by Turtles by a co-worker of sorts (we work in the same building, but not for the same company) and I have been hooked since day one. If you love bluegrass of any sort, and especially if you love bluegrass even though you used to be into punk music, you simply must check them out. I would recommend that anyone who falls into the latter group begin with the song ‘Codeine’. The lyrics could easily have been written by Lagwagon or Pennywise, and hearing them in a bluegrass context both floored and seduced me. I spent the next week playing them on my iPod for friends in bars, my parents, bosses, anyone who would listen, and I’ve come away with more than a few converts. Check them out on their website, or in the iTunes store.

That’s all I’ve got for now, but I promise I’ll do my best to try and keep up with you guys.

Art by Mitch Clem

You might know Henry Rollins for any number of reasons, whether you’re a Black Flag fan, an I.F.C. movie buff, an avid political reader or someone who’s crazy about watching stand-up comedy and spoken word. Seeing as I am all of the above, it’s understandable that I was interested in interviewing him. He’s currently touring and if you are a member of any of the aforementioned groups, I would suggest you find a way to go see the man. Also, if you enjoy that What Would Henry Rollins Do? picture as much as I do, I would urge you to go to www.mitchclem.com and check out his other stuff. He does a few webcomics which I adore.

Twangville: What’s the best thing you’ve read in the past year (and for that matter, what are you reading right now)?
Henry: The best book I have read in a great while is Dark Ages America by Morris Berman. I learned a lot and it made me think. I am starting on a book called War Made Easy and wrestling with Alfred Jarry and Proust as well.

T: What’s your favorite venue you’ve performed in, and is there any particular reason why it means something to you?
H: I think the best venue in America was Club 57, otherwise known as Webster Hall. It’s in NYC and it’s such a perfect sound in that place.

T: Who’s your favorite new artist and where did you hear about them?
H: I don’t know if I have a “favorite” but I have been listening a lot to new bands like The Epsilons, Bark Bark Bark, Real Shark Fake Zombie, and others but there’s a lot of kind of new bands that I listen to a lot. Yellow Swans, Wolf Eyes, Black Dice, Mar Shi, Excepter, Deerhoof, who are not all that new but what great records they make. There’s a ton of happening bands at the moment.

T: If you could see any artist or band perform live at any point in their career, who would it be and when?
H: Hendrix 1970, Coltrane 1965.

T: Who’s your favorite author?
H: That’s hard to answer. Thomas Wolfe, Camus, Miller, Hamsun, Selby, Fitzgerald, Kapuscinski, Kharms, there are many writers who have moved me.

T: Do you prefer touring on your own or with the band?
H: Both have upsides but as far as the actual act of touring, I would rather be on my own.

T: What’s your favorite city to travel to alone?
H: NYC, Melbourne, Casa Blanca, Cairo, Washington DC, Tokyo, there are many.

T: Who’s your favorite West Wing Character (completely a question just for me)?
H: CJ!

T: If you had to choose, who would you volunteer for in the ‘08 election?
H: Edwards

Twangville: First off, thanks so much for taking the time, I know you’re in the middle of a soundcheck for tonight.

Marc: Not at all, I’ve got all the time in the world.

T: The songs you’ve chosen for this album [S.O.S.] are all by well-known songwriters and performers, but I think I’m safe in saying that these are not some of their best-known songs. What made you choose these particular tracks?

M: It’s basically a concept record to do a bunch of soul tunes. I didn’t want to do the best known songs of all time, I wanted to do some b-sides that weren’t as well known. I wanted to introduce these soul songs to a younger generation.

T: Since so many of your shows get recorded, and then released in 3- and 4-track samplers, would you ever consider releasing all your favorite b-sides of your own performances, or is that kind of what S.O.S. has been for you already?

M: There’s always gonna be a time when we’re gonna release songs that we never really get to do that everyone really wants to hear.

T: I’ve come across some studio recordings that aren’t on any of your albums. Some of them are listed as being from the Woodland Sessions, but try as I might I cannot find any information about that, so could you fill me in?

M: It’s basically just a name for all the never-released demos and all the songs that get posted on the website.

T: I know you started playing with your dad when you were pretty young and you’ve said many times that he’s a huge musical influence. How old were you when you actually began performing with him and what was it like?

M: I was 5 and a half when I performed with my dad for the first time, and I learned to play guitar at 11. Mostly I used to just follow him around to all the gigs he had in the area.

T: One of my favorite sings I’ve heard you cover live is James Taylor’s ‘Never Die Young’. Is this a song you grew up with?

M: That whole album was definitely something I grew up with. ‘Never Die Young’ was really crucial in the writing of the song ‘Wanderer”.

T: Is there any person or group you would really like to perform or work with that you haven’t yet?

M: Stevie Wonder, because he is the phattest man alive.

T: Can I quote you on that?

M: [laughs] Absolutely.

T: Okay now for the random questions. What’s your favorite thing you’ve read recently?

M: ‘10 Stupid Things Men Do To Mess Up Their Lives’ by Dr. Laura Schlessinger

T: What’s your favorite city to travel to for fun?

M: Probably New York City, I really do love it there, but I love the beach, too. So New York City or any beach town in Florida

T: What’s one new artist you’re really excited about right now?

M: Sons of William

T: What’s your favorite thing about touring?

M: The people I work with. They’re my best friends.

T: Who’s your favorite artist to see perform?

M: Prince. I saw him on the Musicology tour 2 1/2 - 3 years ago and it was amazing.

T: What’s been your favorite venue to perform in thus far?

M: That would have to be a tie between the Fillmore in San Francisco and the Beacon in New York.

T: Who are some of your favorite songwriters?

M: Stevie Wonder, for sure, James Taylor, Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye.

T: Okay, now for the stereotypical last question. Now that you’ve done this album, what’s next for you?

M: I don’t know. We’re gonna go into the studio and record an original album at some point in the next year, and for the moment just keep touring and promoting the new album.

T: Well, good luck with everything and thanks so much for your time.

M: Not at all, thank you.

So here’s the deal, kiddies. I happen to have gotten my grubby little hands on two copies of the promo poster for the newest album from JJ Grey & Mofro, “Country Ghetto”. One went straight to my wall. The other, however, is currently homeless. I figured the best way to find a deserving person to adopt it was to post a contest of sorts. I will send the poster to whoever emails me first at sarah[at]twangville[dot]com telling me your address and which track is your favorite from “Country Ghetto”. A fair warning, the poster came folded in half when I got it, so if you’re a little OCD about your memorabilia, you might want to stay away from this one. Other than that, the poster is in top form, had her shots and everything. It pretty much is just the cover of the album with the alligator.com logo and the words “Don’t tread on me” at the bottom and a review from Billboard at the top. Let the games begin!

Each track pulls you further and further into the plot by presenting you with a variant on a larger musical theme, pulling up memories of other artists through the ages, from Johnny Cash in ‘Folsom Prison’ to Neil Young on ‘Harvest Moon’ an even toRadiohead on ‘OK Computer’. I promise you that you will listen to every track all the way through the first time you encounter this album, and that upon finishing it you will want to immediately go back and start from the beginning, getting involved in the stories again in the way you re-read and continue learning from a favorite book.

The thing I have the hardest time believing about this album is that it took me so long to hear about it. Some places date is as coming out as early as 2005, some place it in 2006. Whenever it was released, it is far from the first thing under his musical belt. Doucet spent time as SarahMcLachlan’s guitarist and recording his own solo projects. Many, many thanks to the kind soul who thought I might enjoy this CD and sent it on down to Florida. I highly encourage you to get one for yourself.

The talent list includes but is certainly not limited to: Norah Jones, John Legend, Van Morrison, Jill Scott, Irma Thomas, Allman Brothers Band, Counting Crows, Better Than Ezra, Joss Stone, Taj Mahal, Ludacris, Dr. John, Jerry Lee Lewis, Allen Toussaint, Marcia Ball, Dr. Lonnie Smith, The New Orleans Social Club, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Buckwheat Zydeco, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Rod Stewart, Steely Dan, ZZ Top, and a closing performance by Harry Connick Jr. on May 6th. If you want to know who’s playing which weekend, all of the information is available at the Jazz Fest website.

1. Prairie Home Companion Soundtrack - Various Artists An album that reminds me of family reunions in East Tennessee. A great mix of bluegrass, comedy and American classics, this soundtrack evokes a nostalgia for good Midwestern Americana, even if you’ve never encountered it.

2. Ways Not to Lose - The Wood Brothers What can I say about this album that I haven’t already? Think about sitting on a dimly lit porch at dusk on a muggy night and singing your heart out. This album is the easiest way to transport yourself to that place.

3. Lemonade - G. Love Again, this is an album that I’ve already written about, and one that I’ve become quite attached to over the past few months. A few weeks back a friend and I realized that we could play it overhead at work and have been dancing our way through shifts ever since. It doesn’t hurt that every time we play it, at least two or three customers come up and ask if they can buy it.

4. In The Dark - Josh Ritter An irish album recorded by an Idaho boy. You can’t buy it in stores state-side but it is available on his website (or was, at any rate, I think it might have been a limited printing). On ‘Snow is Gone’ and ‘Lillian, Egypt’, the crowd gets going so loudly that you can clearly hear the lyrics they’re singing and Ritter feeds off the energy. Easily one of the best live albums I’ve ever bought.

5. Out Louder - Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood A solid new album from some of my favorite boys. Out Louder melds all the jazz talent of MM&W and experiments with Scofield’s incredibly funky guitar. As my friend Austin would rave, “It’s nasty, son.”

6. Nightmares & Daydreams - WeakSauce Ah, yes, the Sauce. How could I not include what was easily one of the most anticipated local albums of the year? I remember when I first got a copy and was listening to it in my car in St. Augustine. A lady in the parking lot followed me until I parked and then asked what it was I was listening to, because it was amazing. Nightmares & Daydreams was everything we wanted and whenever I’m forced to go more than a month not seeing the guys live, I bust out this CD and rock out for a few days. As a local album, it’s also not available in stores, but you can buy it from them online.

7. Half the Perfect World - Madeleine Peyroux I love pretty much anything Madeleine Peyroux creates and that has only continued with this album. Her voice sounds like a blend of Billie Holiday ad Etta James, and every song she sings makes me want to create a little cafe in my backyard to read in and drink tea. Talk about more than half the perfect world.

8. Ben Kweller - Ben Kweller I’ve realized that many of my favorite artists are bens and joshes. While I love Ben Kweller in the band The Bens, I have to say I love him much, much more on this self-titled album. Songs like ‘Penny on a Train Track’ show just how far he has come in his songwriting, and considering he was always a great writer, this story just keeps getting better and better.

9. Subtitulo - Josh Rouse This album is so wonderfully diverse that I pick it up whenever I want to relax, and sometimes when I want to get energized. It has a quiet energy that there is no other word for but delightful. Rouse simply knocks it out of the park.

10. Supply & Demand - Amos Lee Amos Lee’s music has an old-town Louisiana-Americana feel to it that works so well with his voice that it’s hard not to get sucked in. I stumbled upon his older work just as this album was about to come out. The timing was great, as I got to explore his changes in his older work and immediately see how he had grown in his newest work as well. Another great collection of what I can only really describe as porch music, which is swiftly becoming my favorite genre as more and more artists seem to fall into the category. I think I need to have a bonfire and get everyone to sit around and play guitar and sing tonight. Who’s in?

Best of 2006 - The Tracks

This Girl That I Know - Beck “The Information” (bonus track)

Let The Music Play - G. Love with Ben Harper & Marc Broussard “Lemonade”

Chocolate on My Tongue - The Wood Brothers “Ways Not to Lose”

You Can Leave Your Hat On - Marc Broussard “Sail Away - The Songs of Randy Newman”

Old Plank Road - Robin & Linda Williams “Prairie Home Companion Soundtrack”

Me & Jiggs - Josh Ritter “In The Dark - Live @ Vicar Street”

In Between Days - Ben Folds “Supersunnyspeedygraphic - The LP”

Simmer Slow - DJ Logic “Zen of Logic”

These Photographs - Joshua Radin “We Were Here”

Everybody’s Talkin’ - Madeleine Peyroux “Half the Perfect World”

Postcards From Italy - Beirut “Gulag Orkestar”

Waking Up in the City - The Ditty Bops “Moon Over the Freeway”

The Devil’s Paintbrush Road - The Wailin’ Jennys “Firecracker”

Consolation Prizes - Phoenix “It’s Never Been Like That”

I Gotta Get Drunk - The Little Willies “The Little Willies”

Sweat Pea - Amos Lee “Supply & Demand”

No Regrets - WeakSauce “Nightmares & Daydreams”

Coconuts Feeding Birds - Billy Martin “Solo: Live @ Tonic”

What a Difference a Day Makes - Jamie Cullum “Live @ Ronnie Scott’s“

2. Good Man

3. Me & Jiggs

4. Harrisburg

5. Wings

6. One More Mouth

7. Lillian, Egypt

8. Kathleen

9. Best For the Best

10. Girl In The War

11. Thin Blue Flame

12. Snow Is Gone

13. Leaving