To win, simply comment below with your pick and tell us why you picked that band or video. We’ll randomly pick two winners – one winner for each band- and contact our two winners by email. Contest promotion ends Thursday, May 12 at midnight EST so don’t delay and be sure to tell a friend.**

TRUTH & SALVAGE CO., “Call Back”

THE DUSTIN BENTALL OUTFIT, “3000 Miles”

http://www.truthandsalvageco.com/
http://www.dustinbentall.com/

I’ll say it again… comment to win!

**By participating in Twangville contests you agree to allow Twangville to post the winner’s name and city on our web site. We pass along the winning addresses to the record company for fulfillment. Twangville will not use your address for any other reason. Contest open to US and Canadian residents.

Down in the dirty, dirty south there’s a new band hitting the scene that’s about to change everything. Atlanta is probably one of the unlikeliest places you’ll hear this particular brand of freakadelia. The South has always had a sordid tale to tell and it’s been told many times over. This time around the storyteller looks and sounds a little different. Picture a smoky, underground party of punch-drunk circus freaks and you’ll see an 8-piece band they call The Constellations. Led by Elijah Jones, the band blends a little funk, soul, rock, and hip hop into their own psychedelic flavor of storytelling. Jones describes the band as a group of stars, hence the name “Constellations”.

As for tunes, “Setback” kicks the party off by giving you the feeling like you’re dressed to kill and walking right into the red light district. You know you’ve arrived when you hear the Waitsian “Step Right Up” a cowbell-enhanced tale that is the ultimate essence of the album. The smooth harmonies of Alaina Terry and Shab Bashiri lay the foundation for “Love Is A Murder” a song that proclaims “if you really want to live / you gotta be ready to die / every single love is a murder / you gotta commit to survive”.

This is not a typical Twangville dish, but a hearty one fresh from the garden of earthly delights. I don’t expect everyone to like this record, but those that do will LOVE it. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard an album this rich in sound with a narrative so painterly, like a Toulouse-Lautrec. The Moulin Rouge has found a new hometown in Atlanta and a new house band in The Constellations. Step right up!

[Tom Osborne - ★★★★/4.273]

The Constellations – “Setback”

THE CONSTELLATIONS | MySpace Music Videos

BONUS: Be the first to comment and win my review copy PLUS a vinyl LP featuring “Setback” and “Love Is A Murder”! (already awarded)

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=414317175319

Twangville readers picked fan write-in Acousticueticals by Plain & Simple as their favorite release for week of August 11, 2009. Plain & Simple is the work of B.J. Purnell a middle-America father of five who appears to live up to the “plain and simple” moniker. The album contains 11 original songs written by Purnell accompanied by his acoustic guitar. A propensity for unapologetic use of phonetic spellings with song titles like “Synacl” and the play-on-words title “Inasense” adds to the honesty prevalent in the songwriting. Among other songs, “The Pig Song” highlights a keen sense of humor with lines like: “She’s mounting my pig again / Lord something must be wrong / The way she keeps screaming Jimmy Dean / All night long”. Purnell is at his best with the reserved intensity he exhibits in “Finish Line”. RIYL Jay Farrar, Ben Nichols, Todd Snider, Chris Knight. Also check out Jeff’s review of Acousticueticals. Listen or purchase Acousticueticals on the Plain & Simple website.

“Viva La Vinyl”

This review is also posted on Amber Waves of Twang

DC area artist Bill Williams, whom you may have previously seen in the capitol area with such bands as Last Train Home, Kevin Johnson and the Linemen and The Grandsons, recently released his first solo effort. The album titled Handful is a collection of 13 songs of roots soaked americana. Joining him on this journey are friends and DC-area veterans like Scott McKnight, Tony Flagg (bass), Steve Woerle (drums), Chris Watling (saxophone, accordion), Dave Van Allen (pedal steel) and Shannon Brown (harmony vocals). You’ve heard me mention Dave Van Allen before who is Last Train Home’s go to pedal steel guy and likely the best pedal steel musician you’ll hear in this area. I give Williams a ton of credit for surrounding himself with this talented crew.

Handful opens with “Helen” a catchy tune with humorous lyrics like “Helen, she’s not that beautiful but you know how rumors spread / She’s been in everyone’s bed”. “Beautiful Dreamer”, the second track is a Stephen Foster penned song. I’m guessing this song takes second position to both set the tone for the album and to recognize Williams as a student of early American songwriting. “Sentimental Values” is perhaps the most memorable song on the album due to the colorful instrumentation and beautiful harmony over sweet lyrics. The most rockinist song on the album and of course my favorite is “Soup du Jour”, reminiscent of something you’d hear from Elvis Costello and The Attractions or The Replacements. While I think the album is a great first solo effort, “Soup du Jour” is the song that I’d like to hear 12 more of.

Sample Tracks:

“Helen”

“Sentimental Value”

“Soup d Jour”

When not doing the solo thing, you can hear Bill Williams play around with One Horse Town and Little Pink. He’s at willbilliams.com and on MySpace and you can find “Handful” at CDBAby, Amazon and iTunes.

Artist Discoveries showcase bands and musicians that I was not aware of prior to the past year.

Giveaway Promotion*

As a means of sharing the music of Bill Williams more closely with you, I’m giving my promo copy of “Handful” away to one lucky winner selected randomly. To win, simply leave a comment and tell us your favorite DC-area artist or band of all time. Contest ends Thursday, 11/15/07 at midnight EST.

*By participating in this contest you agree to allow Twangville to post your name and city on our web site. We will never use your info for any other reason.