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

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

The Decemberists hit hard in January with The King Is Dead and maintained their number one status with me for the entire year. Butch Walker‘s The Spade was the best I’ve heard yet from the Master of Hooks. Let’s hope his work with The Black Widows will continue. In at #21 was Telekinesis the highest [...] more »

by Tom Osborne

Over the course of the year we’ve had a weekly poll highlighting select new releases. You’ve picked your favorites each week and those have turned into our weekly and monthly Readers’ Picks. Now it’s time to turn the short list into a Twangville Readers’ Pick of 2011. To qualify, a release had to have at [...] more »

by Tom Osborne

As Twangville completes it’s 6th year in existence, it’s only right that we pause and raise a glass to all who have made this little site possible again for one more year. It’s artists like Jason Isbell, Will Hoge, Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch and Old 97s who continually inspire us to write reviews. The under-the-radar [...] more »

by Tom Osborne

Here are some of my favorites from the Summer. Best of Summer 2011 OLD 97S, The Grand Theatre, Vol. 2 [★★★★/4.308] This is side two of last year’s full length originally conceived of as a double album. The band says that releasing with time in between afforded them time to adjust the songs and add [...] more »

by Tom Osborne

READERS PICK: AUGUST 2011 Twangville readers picked Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymns by the John Hiatt as their favorite album of July 2011. Two things ring true about John Hiatt’s 20th solo album, Dirty Jeans And Mudslide Hymns… 1) he makes a less than perfect world lovable and 2) he’s still a badass – no [...] more »

by Tom Osborne

READERS PICK: JULY 2011 Twangville readers picked Indigo Dreams by the BoDeans as their favorite album of July 2011. If you’ve never heard the 90s hit wonder “Closer To Free” you must be living on Mars or a country awfully close to the red planet. Featured as the theme song to Fox’s hit show “Party [...] more »

by Tom Osborne

READERS PICK: JUNE 2011 Twangville readers picked Gillian Welch‘s The Harrow & The Harvest as their favorite album of June 2011. A harrow is a heavy, machine-size rake that drags over plowed land to remove weeds and break up lumps of earth and clay. There’s no doubt careful thought was put into the title of [...] more »

by Tom Osborne

It’s just too hard to listen to every album that gets released in a given year. I certainly can’t. What that means is a handful of good recordings escaped me until this year. Fortunately, it’s never too late to discover good music. Here’s a few recommendations in case you missed them too. JAMES MADDOCK, Sunrise [...] more »

by Tom Osborne

Top 10 JASON ISBELL & THE 400 UNIT, Here We Rest [★★★★/4.455] His third album since parting ways with the Drive-by Truckers and second with band The 400 Unit. The album title, Here We Rest, takes it’s name from the original Alabama state motto. Like his former band, Isbell continually pays homage to his home [...] more »

by Tom Osborne

READERS PICK: MAY 2011 Twangville readers picked My Morning Jacket‘s Circuital as their favorite album of May 2011. If there’s anyone out there redefining classic rock it’s Jim James and My Morning Jacket. Circuital the band’s sixth LP takes me back to 70′s era Pink Floyd where sound was used to paint vivid pictures of [...] more »

by Tom Osborne

READERS PICK: APRIL 2011 Twangville readers picked Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit‘s Here We Rest as their favorite album of April 2011. His third album since parting ways with the Drive-by Truckers and second with band The 400 Unit. The album title, Here We Rest, takes it’s name from the original Alabama state motto [...] more »

by Tom Osborne

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY SERIES! As a way of saying thanks for being a part of Twangville we’re reaching into our archives to offer up some free music. To do this we’re going to have an old-school “battle of the bands” promotion where you watch a video from two different bands and pick a winner. Maybe you’ll [...] more »

by Tom Osborne

READERS PICK: MARCH 2011 Twangville readers recently picked Lucinda Williams Blessed as their favorite album of March 2011. It seems like each time Williams releases a new album critics call it the best since Car Wheels On A Gravel Road. I guess that’s the consequence of having a Grammy-winning album. While comparisons will forever be [...] more »

by Tom Osborne