“I heard those sirens singing on FM radio, and darlin’ they won’t let me go”- James Wilson “Siren Song”. Amen brother. I can only assume that one of those sirens on FM radio were The Replacements, as they seem to be the biggest new influence on Sons of Bill. Whether it’s the production of David [...] more »

by Eli Petersen

Ok. Full disclosure, I am a huge Lucero fan. They are, to put it simply, my favorite band on the whole damn planet. I celebrate their entire catalog, from the lo-fi hiss of The Attic Tapes to the boisterous horns of their 2009 major label debut. So no, you probably won’t be shocked to find [...] more »

by Eli Petersen

Justin Townes Earle The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA: March 2010 Post by Suzanne D. McMahon (Suzanne Davis Photography) One thing I can say about Justin Townes Earle: the man knows how to dress. I’ve seen him play quite a few times now and his outfits are always impeccable, which makes him even more fun to [...] more »

by Suzanne McMahon

When I first heard Todd Snider’s tongue-in-cheek brand of roots/blues/rock, I wasn’t quite sure how he’d come out as a live act. Turns out that Todd’s sitcom music entrance is a pretty good way to explain his persona. In his rough-edged bluesy vocals, Todd regaled the audience with humorous anecdotes between witty tunes. As a [...] more »

by Jeff McMahon

ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Go Fly a Kite, by Ben Kweller Kweller’s last outing was a more moody affair, however that comment can’t be made of his latest release.While there are some acoustic moments, Kweller has brought the rock. And damn it sounds good. “Time Will Save the Day” is the song Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

The Twin Cities based Honeydogs, who were tantalizingly close to stardom in the late 1990s, have kept their day jobs, survived and and now have released a new album that should please their enthusiastic followers.  What Comes After follows the recipe of the band’s superb 1997 and 2001 releases, Seen a Ghost and Here’s Luck, with simple, straight forward lyrics and exceptional [...] more »

by Bill Wilcox

ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Inspiration, by Shurman One of the things that I have always appreciated about Shurman is the ragged edge of their music. And man do they serve it up by the bucket on their latest release. Album opener and title track “Inspiration” starts things out on a positive note, both musically and [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

Driving east out of Bakersfield you see it long before you get there, the heat shimmer distorting lines and colors, and yet somehow it kind of sneaks up on you.  One minute you’re in civilization, the next…nowhere.  California’s high desert has inspired musicians from Gram Parsons and the Eagles to Ted Nugent and Queens of [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

North Carolina’s American Aquarium has certainly made the most of their tenacious touring and effective self-promotion over the past few years. With their last two studio albums, Dances for the Lonely and Small Town Hymns possessing an irresistibly comfortable blend of country and rock, and the band’s live shows having gained a reputation for being [...] more »

by Kelly Dearmore

When songwriters sing of “Darlings,” I can’t help but cringe. I think of the cheesy “darling.” You know, that one you picture in your head from a late-stage Clapton or a young Springsteen. The affectionate term could easily refer to this cute female but in”Bringing in the Darlings” the title actually seems like a more [...] more »

by Jeff McMahon

There aren’t many voices out there that are fair or worthy companions to the singular, sultry and smokey groan of Lucinda Williams. The California-dwelling Walter Rose released Cast Your Stone last month, and while it’s a solid album to be sure, it’s tough to deny the magic this song has. Want proof of said magic? [...] more »

by Kelly Dearmore

I write a lot of really nice things about a lot of different bands and artists on this website. This is partly because we here at Twangville are more about sharing and shining the light on good music, rather than being merciless critics sitting on our high horses. It’s also because there are no specific [...] more »

by Eli Petersen

Otis Taylor and Corey Harris may be the most creative blues musicians active today. And with Harris spending much of his time exploring other musical avenues, that leaves Taylor pretty much in a class by himself as an avant-garde bluesman.  His moody, atmospheric yet beautiful recordings are a welcome change from the many younger musicians trying [...] more »

by Bill Wilcox

This One’s for Him is a tribute to one of America’s greatest songwriters, Guy Clark. It was one of my favorite records released last year, though I am just now getting around to a review. It contains, by far, the strongest songwriting of any record released last year. But to be fair, no one else [...] more »

by Eli Petersen

The Avett Brothers  Life is Good Festival in Canton, MA: September 2011 Before the Life is Good festival, I was a very casual Avett Brothers fan. I really enjoyed the album “I and Love and You” but hadn’t heard much else. It was very exciting to be standing in front of the barricade, right up [...] more »

by Suzanne McMahon