Twangville


Recommendations

A selection of favorites from our editors and polls. Readers’ Picks marked in bold.

2012

Winter

  • RUTHIE FOSTER, Let It Burn
  • JOHN HIATT, Crossing Muddy Waters
  • DARRELL SCOTT, Long Ride Home
  • MICAH SCHNABEL, I’m Dead, Serious
  • CRAIG FINN, Clear Heart Full Eyes
  • NADA SURF, The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy
  • CHRIS CASTLE, Last Bird Home
  • KATHLEEN EDWARDS, Voyageur
  • GUIDED BY VOICES, Let’s Go Eat the Factory

2011

Fall

  • Shurman & Family Christmas Vol. 1
  • SHE & HIM, A Very She & Him Christmas
  • RHETT MILLER, The Interpreter: Live At Largo
  • R.E.M., Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982 – 2011
  • SEAN COSTELLO, At His Best: Live
  • STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN, Soul to Soul
  • NOEL GALLAGHER, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
  • LAURA VEIRS, Tumble Bee
  • THE DECEMBERISTS, Long Live the King
  • MIRANDA LAMBERT, For The Record
  • TOM WAITS, Bad As Me
  • DEER TICK, Divine Providence
  • PAUL KELLY, Songs From the South
  • SHELBY LYNNE, Revelation Road
  • CHRIS ISAAK, Beyond the Sun
  • RYAN ADAMS, Ashes & Fire
  • SCOTT H BIRAM, Bad Ingredients
  • JAMES MORRISON, Awakening
  • BONNIE PRINCE BILLY, Wolfroy Goes to Town
  • MIKE VIOLA, Electro De Perfecto
  • INDIGO GIRLS, Beauty Queen Sister

Summer

  • WILCO, The Whole Love
  • MATTHEW SWEET, Modern Art
  • MEKONS, Ancient & Modern
  • JAYHAWKS, Mockingbird Time
  • RICHMOND FONTAINE, The High Country
  • WILL DAILEY, Will Dailey & The Rivals
  • LYDIA LOVELESS, Indestructible Machine
  • GOURDS, Old Mad Joy
  • RECKLESS KELLY, Good Luck & True Love
  • SLAID CLEAVES, Sorrow & Smoke: Live at the Horseshoe Lounge
  • TOM RUSSELL, Mesabi
  • JOHN DOE, Keeper
  • ERIC LINDELL, West County Drifter
  • ROBERT EARL KEEN, Ready for Confetti
  • MATTHEW RYAN, I Recall Standing as Though Nothing Could Fall
  • STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS, Mirror Traffic
  • THE BOTTLE ROCKETS, Not So Loud: An Acoustic Evening
  • JEFF BRIDGES, Jeff Bridges
  • GUY CLARK, Songs & Stories
  • JOHN HIATT, Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymns
  • KEB MO, The Reflection
  • FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE, Sky Full of Holes
  • BODEANS, Indigo Dreams
  • JIMMIE VAUGHAN, Plays More Blues, Ballads & Favorites
  • RAY WYLIE HUBBARD, Ray Wylie Hubbard & the Cowboy Twinkies
  • AMY LAVERE, Stranger Me
  • GEORGE THOROGOOD AND THE DESTROYERS, 2120 South Michigan Ave
  • OLD 97′S, Grand Theatre Vol. 2
  • TIM EASTON, Since 1966, Vol. 1

Spring

  • GILLIAN WELCH, The Harrow & The Harvest
  • EILEN JEWELL, Queen of the Minor Key
  • DAVE ALVIN, Eleven Eleven
  • BON IVER, Bon Iver
  • JIM LAUDERDALE, Reason & Rhyme
  • JAMES MADDOCK, Wake Up & Dream
  • NEIL YOUNG INTERNATIONAL HARVESTERS, A Treasure
  • MARC BROUSSARD, Marc Broussard
  • MADELEINE PEYROUX, Standing on the Rooftop
  • JOE ELY, Satisfied at Last
  • TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND, Revelator
  • CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS, Heritage
  • MY MORNING JACKET, Circuital
  • DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, Codes And Keys
  • FLOGGING MOLLY, Speed Of Darkness
  • EDDIE VEDDER, Ukulele Songs
  • JOSEPH ARTHUR, Graduation Ceremony
  • CHIP TAYLOR, Rock & Roll Joe
  • LEVON HELM, Ramble at the Ryman
  • SARAH JAROSZ, Follow Me Down
  • HANK WILLIAMS III, Hillbilly Joker
  • FELICE BROTHERS, Celebration Florida
  • BEN SOLLEE, Inclusions
  • OKKERVIL RIVER, I Am Very Far
  • FLEET FOXES, Helplessness Blues
  • BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA, Take The High Road
  • ELIZA GILKYSON, Roses at the End of Time
  • JEFFREY FOUCAULT, Horse Latitudes
  • R.E.M., The Lowdown
  • STEVE EARLE, I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive
  • EMMYLOU HARRIS, Hard Bargain
  • THE WAIFS, Temptation
  • ROGER CLYNE & THE PEACEMAKERS, Unida Cantina
  • BOB SCHNEIDER, Perfect Day
  • GRAVEYARD, Hisingen Blues
  • RALPH STANLEY, A Mother’s Prayer
  • JASON ISBELL AND 400 UNIT, Here We Rest
  • ALISON KRAUSS AND UNION STATION, Paper Airplane
  • PAUL SIMON, So Beautiful or So What
  • HA HA TONKA, Death of a Decade
  • ROBBIE ROBERTSON, How To Become Clairvoyant
  • HOT TUNA, Steady As She Goes
  • BAND OF HEATHENS, Top Hat Crown & The Clapmaster’s Son
  • LOS LONELY BOYS, Rockpango
  • WILLIE NELSON, WYNTON MARSALIS, AND NORAH JONES, Here We Go Again
  • SHANNON MCNALLY, Western Ballad
  • THE STROKES, Angles
  • SOLOMON BURKE AND DIJK, Hold On Tight

Winter

  • CAITLIN ROSE, Own Side Now
  • THE DAMNWELLS, No One Listens to the Band Anymore
  • NICK LOWE, Labour of Lust
  • J MASCIS, Several Shades of Why
  • R.E.M., Collapse Into Now
  • DR JOHN, Zu Zu Soiree
  • BRUCE COCKBURN, Small Source of Comfort
  • EXENE CERVENKA, Excitement of Maybe
  • LUCINDA WILLIAMS, Blessed
  • BUDDY MILLER, MARC RIBOT, BILL FRISELL & GREG LEISZ, The Majestic Silver Strings
  • RON SEXSMITH, Long Player Late Bloomer
  • LOW ANTHEM, Smart Flesh
  • ADELE, 21
  • THE CAVE SINGERS, No Witch
  • DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS, Go-Go Boots
  • HAYES CARLL, KMAG YOYO (& other American stories)
  • BRIGHT EYES, The People’s Key
  • PJ HARVEY, Let England Shake
  • THE WAILIN’ JENNYS, Bright Morning Stars
  • OVER THE RHINE, Long Surrender
  • TEDDY THOMPSON, Bella
  • TODD SNIDER, Todd Snider Live: The Storyteller
  • CARRIE RODRIGUEZ AND BEN KYLE, We Still Love Our Country
  • NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS, Keys to the Kingdom
  • AMOS LEE, Mission Bell
  • WANDA JACKSON (WITH JACK WHITE), The Party Ain’t Over
  • LORI MCKENNA, Lorraine
  • CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS, Carolina Chocolate Drops / Luminescent Orchestrii
  • IRON AND WINE, We Kiss Each Other Clean
  • THE DECEMBERISTS, The King Is Dead
  • GREGG ALLMAN, Low Country Blues
  • SOCIAL DISTORTION, Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes
  • ABIGAIL WASHBURN, City of Refuge
  • EDIE BRICKELL, Edie Brickell
  • CAKE, Showroom of Compassion

2010

Fall

  • SCOTT MILLER, Christmas Gift
  • SHELBY LYNNE, Merry Christmas
  • INDIGO GIRLS, Holly Happy Days
  • DAN HICKS, Crazy For Christmas
  • MASON JENNINGS, The Flood
  • SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS, Kudzu Ranch
  • BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, The Promise
  • VARIOUS ARTISTS, Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute To Loretta Lynn
  • NORAH JONES, …Featuring Norah Jones
  • THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH, Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird
  • ALBERT KING/STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN, In Session
  • ELVIS COSTELLO, National Ransom
  • KEITH RICHARDS, Vintage Vinos
  • WEEZER, Death To False Metal
  • BOB DYLAN, The Bootleg Series: The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964
  • ELTON JOHN & LEON RUSSELL, The Union
  • KINGS OF LEON, Come Around Sundown
  • OLD 97S, The Grand Theatre Volume One
  • BELLE AND SEBASTIAN, Write About Love
  • DAR WILLIAMS, Many Great Companions
  • RAILROAD EARTH, Railroad Earth
  • RAUL MALO, Sinners & Saints
  • THE AVETT BROTHERS, Live, Volume 3
  • GUSTER, Easy Wonderful

Summer

  • NEIL YOUNG, Le Noise
  • JOHN MELLENCAMP, No Better Than This
  • PETE YORN, Pete Yorn
  • THE POSIES, Blood/Candy
  • JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE, Harlem River Blues
  • ROBERT PLANT, Band of Joy
  • MAVIS STAPLES, You Are Not Alone
  • VARIOUS ARTISTS, Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band: Legacy
  • STEELDRIVERS, Reckless
  • JERRY LEE LEWIS, Mean Old Man
  • RICHARD THOMPSON, Dream Attic
  • BOBBY BARE, JR., A Storm A Tree My Mother’s Head
  • THE WEEPIES, Be My Thrill
  • JJ GREY, Georgia Warhorse
  • MARTY STUART, Ghost Train (The Studio B Sessions)
  • NILS LOFGREN, I Came to Dance
  • EELS, Tomorrow Morning
  • RAY LAMONTAGNE, God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise
  • JOHN MELLENCAMP, No Better Than This
  • ELI “PAPERBOY” REED, Come And Get It
  • NEIL JUKEBOX YOUNG, Neil Young’s Jukebox
  • LOS LOBOS, Tin Can Trust
  • ARCADE FIRE, The Suburbs
  • BLACK CROWES, Croweology
  • GOV’T MULE, Mulennium
  • MARK OLSON, Many Colored Kite
  • BUTCHER HOLLER AND EILEN JEWELL, Butcher Holler
  • BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS, Rocksteady
  • SHERYL CROW, 100 Miles From Memphis
  • FRONTIER RUCKUS, Deadmalls and Nightfalls
  • CHRIS SHIFLETT & THE DEAD PEASANTS, Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants
  • CHATAM COUNTY LINE, Wildwood
  • TOMMY KEENE, Tommy Keene You Hear Me: A Retrospective 83-2009
  • CROWDED HOUSE, Intriguer
  • JIMMIE VAUGHAN, Jimmie Vaughan-Plays Blues, Ballads & Favorites
  • STONEHONEY, The Cedar Creek Sessions
  • ROBERT POLLARD, Moses on a Snail

Spring

  • ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO, Street Songs of Love
  • JACKIE GREENE, Till The Light Comes
  • VARIOUS ARTISTS, Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs Of John Prine
  • PAUL THORN, Pimps and Preachers
  • GRIFFIN HOUSE, The Learner
  • CONSTELLATIONS, Southern Gothic
  • GASLIGHT ANTHEM, American Slang
  • TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS, Mojo
  • PERNICE BROTHERS, Goodbye Killer
  • GRACE POTTER AND THE NOCTURNALS, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
  • DEER TICK, Black Dirt Sessions
  • DELTA SPIRIT, History From Below
  • TIFT MERRITT, See You On The Moon
  • JACK JOHNSON, The Bride Screamed Murder
  • WATERMELON SLIM, Ringers
  • SADIES, Darker Circles
  • BAND OF HORSES, Infinite Arms
  • BLACK KEYS, Brothers
  • MARY GAUTHIER, The Foundling
  • CROOKED STILL, Some Strange Country
  • JIM LAUDERDALE, Patchwork River
  • THE NATIONAL, High Violet
  • JACKSON BROWNE AND DAVID LINDLEY, Love Is Strange
  • JOSH RITTER, So Runs The World Away
  • HOLD STEADY, Heaven Is Whenever
  • JUSTIN CURRIE, The Great War
  • NEW PORNOGRAPHERS, Together
  • JESSE MALIN & ST. MARKS SOCIAL, Love It to Life
  • ANDERS OSBORNE, American Patchwork
  • MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER, The Age of Miracles
  • WILLIE NELSON, Country Music
  • SHELBY LYNNE, Tears, Lies, And Alibis
  • APPLES IN STEREO, Travellers In Space And Time
  • MERLE HAGGARD, I Am What I Am
  • RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu
  • INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS, Things That Fly
  • LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS, Agridustrial
  • CARRIE RODRIGUEZ, Love And Circumstance
  • MGMT, Congratulations
  • NATALIE MERCHANT, Leave Your Sleep
  • PETER WOLF, Midnight Souvenirs
  • JAKOB DYLAN, Women and Country
  • DR. DOG, Shame Shame
  • SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS, I Learned the Hard Way
  • MARTIN SEXTON, Sugarcoating
  • GRAHAM PARKER, Imaginary Television
  • JOAN ARMATRADING, This Charming Life
  • BLACK FRANCIS, Nonstoperotik

Winter

  • ROADSIDE GRAVES, You Won’t Be Happy With Me (EP)
  • THE RIGHT ONS, Look Inside, Now!
  • SHE AND HIM, Volume Two
  • DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS, The Big To-Do
  • THE WHITE STRIPES, Under Great White Northern Lights
  • POPA CHUBBY, The Fight Is On
  • THE CHIEFTAINS FEATURING RY COODER, San Patricio
  • FRIGHTENED RABBIT, The Winter Of Mixed Drinks
  • BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB, Beat the Devil’s Tattoo
  • JOHN HIATT, The Open Road
  • THE TEXAS TORNADOES, Esta Bueno
  • HOLMES BROTHERS, Feed My Soul
  • SHOOTER JENNINGS & HIEROPHANT, Black Ribbons
  • JOHNNY CASH, American VI: Ain’t No Grave
  • WILL KIMBROUGH, Wings
  • DEADSTRING BROTHERS, Sao Paulo
  • JOE PUG, Messenger
  • KASEY ANDERSON, Nowhere Nights
  • MATTHEW RYAN, Dear Lover
  • CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS, Genuine Negro Jig
  • IKE REILLY, Hard Luck Stories
  • BACKYARD TIRE FIRE, Good to Be
  • RECKLESS KELLY, Somewhere in Time
  • TIM BARRY, 28th & Stonewall
  • ALLISON MOORER, Crows
  • GLOSSARY, Feral Fire
  • PATTY GRIFFIN, Downtown Church
  • BLUE RODEO, The Things We Left Behind
  • LADY ANTEBELLUM, Need You Now
  • CRAZY HEART, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (New West)
  • DANNY BARNES, Pizza Box (ATO)
  • SPOON, Transference (Merge)
  • RAY WYLIE HUBBARD, A. Enlightenment, B. Endarkment (Hint: There Is No C)
  • LAURA VEIRS, July Flame
  • FREEDY JOHNSTON, Rain on the City

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