ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Old Mad Joy, by The Gourds The Gourds latest is a bit deceiving. The band has built a reputation as a bluegrass and backporch country band, but things aren’t always what they seem. The album open as one would expect. “I Want You So Bad” is built around an accordion and [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

WWDCFCD.  What Would Death Cab For Cutie Do (or some other indie favorite) if they recorded an album with just bluegrass instruments?  The answer to that question is maybe the latest release from The Dang-It Bobbys, Big Trouble.  It doesn’t have a radio-friendly thumping bass, but the idea of a pop song with intelligent lyrics [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

We here at Twangville get to hear tons of great music. We share as much of it as we can with you and just hope that you like it as much or more than we do. On a personal note, in the past year or so, I’ve had a hard time getting as excited about [...] more »

by Kelly Dearmore

ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: I Recall Standing As Though Nothing Could Fall, by Matthew Ryan If I needed proof as to why Matthew Ryan is among my favorite songwriters, I needn’t look any further than his explanation of his latest release: It wasn’t my intention to make a gloomy album. I know it will be [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

It is hard to believe that summer is nearly over. How do I know this? I was at a music club on Saturday that had changed over their Sam Adams tap from Summer to Octoberfest. Talk about jumping the gun! Anyway, the next few weeks will unleash an abundance of great new music just in [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

Chicago-based four-piece Maps & Atlases aren’t a math-rock band. O.K., good, we’ve got that out of the way now. Sure, there are some rather math-y elements to the band’s indie-folk informed sound, but not to the extent where those intricacies define their overall sonic contributions in the way that many would have one believe. While [...] more »

by Kelly Dearmore

Like the aunt that you only see at Christmas, some people put out a vibe that’s fun to be around.  Same thing with some records.  My case in point is the second release from Nashville-based singer-songwriter Kelsey Waldon, Anybody’s Darlin’.  I’ve listened to this record half a dozen times now and I can’t really put [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

By now, surely it’s no secret that country and punk go together about as good as peanut butter and chocolate. And typically, when these two classic American forms of music are welded together, the result seems to resemble a harder, thrashing product. Of course, the overall ethos attached to artists that practice either style in [...] more »

by Kelly Dearmore

ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Eleven Eleven, by Dave Alvin It’s hard to believe that this Alvin’s first full album of new songs since 2004’s Ashgrove. Not that he hasn’t been active; Alvin has put out a series of live albums that showcase gems from his songbook with a variety of musicians and arrangements. I, however, [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

Here’s the latest installment of my playlist series highlighting the latest and greatest in New England music. Zero, Sea Monsters (from the Q-Dee Records single Zero b/w Don’t Make Me Wait) It’s about time that we let you in on a little Boston secret. They’re called the Sea Monsters and for over three years they’ve [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive, by Steve Earle Steve Earle could perhaps be America’s most honest songwriter. When one listens to his albums there is never a doubt what he is thinking. Whether railing against George W. Bush (“Little Emperor”) or pledging his love (“Every Part of Me”) [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

As the old Monty Python line goes, “and now for something completely different.”  A few weeks ago I happened to catch Suzanna Choffel at Old Settlers Music Festival.  She was playing to an Austin crowd that knew her and my notes say something to the effect of “country meets jazz”.  Fast forward to last week [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

Covering the likes of Radiohead and Edgar Allen Poe in addition to her own superb songwriting, the single word to describe the latest effort from Sarah Jarosz would have to be “diversity”.  With a supporting cast of Americana and pop stars seemingly unavailable to any other musician under 70 years of age (Sarah was 19 [...] more »

by Shawn Underwood

How about some videos to accompany the recent March/April 2011 Playlist? Lots of goodness from Mike Errico, Jason Isbell, Jill Sobule & John Doe, The Damnwells, Ha Ha Tonka, Jeremy Messersmith, The Trews, Black Joe Lewis, Ted Russell Camp, The Biters, Andy Clockwise and Fences. Whew. The videos are below and the written playlist can [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig

ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Wander Away, by Mike Errico I can think of less than a handful of times where I have seen an artist silence a room with a song. One of the most impressive was watching Errico, armed with just his guitar, silence a rowdy New York audience with just a single song. [...] more »

by Mayer Danzig