If you’re a fan of 70’s country rock, you’ll feel right at home with the latest release from Great American Taxi, Reckless Habits.  Vince Herman, the leader of Taxi, was also a founder of Leftover Salmon, and the jam band roots are noticeably.  But what really comes through is a homage to the early pioneers [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

Few cities have as rich a musical heritage as New Orleans, Louisiana. Even fewer have a modest building the mere mention of which conjures up vivid images, both visual and aural. Such is the legacy of Preservation Hall. The building itself is strikingly humble. No running water. No air conditioning. Six [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

Rich McCulley’s (Official / Myspace) 4th album, Starting All Over Again wastes no time in establishing its identity as a catchy pop-rock record that twangs in just the right spots and even reflects without moping. “Tell Me, I’m Listening”, “Dreams Tonight” and “The Last Song” open the album with a steady tempo that rocks [...] more »

by Kelly Dearmore

ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: The Day After Everything Changed, by Ellis Paul New England folk musician Ellis Paul headed south to Nashville to record his latest album and returned with a more polished sound. Despite the change of locale, however, the vividness of his songwriting remains the same. Paul’s songs are filled with rich [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

Austin Collins is an artist on the rise. His previous release Roses are Black received a lot of critical praise. With the release of Wrong Control on March 2nd, music fans will no doubt take notice. Along with his band the Rainbirds, Collins is delivering a more rocking twist to accompany his excellent songwriting. The album [...] more »

by Chip Frazier

When did Gillian last do an album, 2003?  Sure, David Rawlings had a great release last year, but it was a Dave Rawlings album that Gillian sang on, not a Gillian album.  Well, if you have a hankering for something new in that vein, I suggest you check out the latest release from The Honey [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

Musical fads are a double-edged sword…or are they a blessing and a curse? Either way, with each new “movement”, whether it be Texas/Red Dirt or Freak-Folk or whatever, we see an influx of artists that, thanks to the artists who initially drew the attention of the masses to a certain trendy style, get to [...] more »

by Kelly Dearmore

Need some extra juice to get you through the week? Two Twangville faves recently released mp3s for your listening pleasure. Drive-By Truckers, “This Fucking Job” Justin Townes Earle and Dawn Landes, “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind” more »

by Mayer Danzig

Imagine if Graham Parsons had hooked up with Grace Slick instead of Emmylou, and one of their offspring had moved out to Joshua Tree for a decade or so, then formed a band with a couple of his friends.  The real story of how I See Hawks In L.A. came into being is less, well, [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

I can’t think of a better way to end this week than to help spread the news on a new release from none other than the Texas Tornados. You will be hard pressed to come up with a band that is more representative of what many consider to be true “Texas Music”. Esta Bueno (Bismeaux Records), [...] more »

by Kelly Dearmore

For a guy from Dallas, I will admit to feeling pretty lucky about the great music I have available to me throughout the Dallas, Ft. Worth and Denton area, no doubt. I will also admit that I sometimes get twinges of jealousy of the music lovers in my state’s capitol. Austin is obviously home to [...] more »

by Kelly Dearmore

So the boys from Stonehoney stopped by Q Division Studios in Somerville Massachusetts for an in-studio performance. Of course, the boys made one mistake. They neglected to invite me to what looks like a heck of a party, fueled by beer from the Naragansett Brewing Company and bbq from legendary local joint Redbones. [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

If you’re a frequent Twangville reader you know by now I’m an unabashed live music aficionado.  I usually manage to see 30 or more live acts a year, so in addition to the top records of the year I have to add my view to the best live sets I saw. #9 Michelle Shocked.  Many successful [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

I came across a few tracks from Quiet Life (Myspace) a while back. I really enjoyed them and looked forward to hearing more sometime. Well, that time has come with the release of their newest EP, California Vacation. As with the last batch of songs I listened to, the tracks here are a fun and loose [...] more »

by Kelly Dearmore

2010 is shaping up quite nicely, thank you. Here are ten upcoming releases whose arrival is eagerly anticipated at the Twangville general store. FREEDY JOHNSTON, Rain on the City (Release date January 12th) Has it really been eight years since Johnston’s last album of originals? Johnston’s instrument of choice is an acoustic guitar, all [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig