Twangville returned to Kansas City two weeks ago for the annual Folk Alliance Conference. As we wrote last year, Folk Alliance is a different than your typical music conference or festival. For starters, the attendees are overwhelming musicians (save party crashers like us). This translates into an all music, all the time philosophy. This comes […]
Monday Morning Video – Courtney Barnett Pays Tribute to You Am I
Aussie singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett celebrates her fellow countrymen — and Twangville faves — You Am I by covering their brilliant song “Heavy Heart.” What’s not to like about a song with lines like “I’m like a waterlogged ball that no one wants to kick around anymore.” Sad, but certainly vivid. As a bonus, scroll down […]
Mayer’s Playlist for February 2016, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Meridian Rising by Paul Burch Paul Burch is a musician’s musician in the truest sense of the word. Admired by peers (who regularly lend their talents to his recordings), he is also ambitious with his musical exploration. Case in point – his latest release is a fictionalized take on the life […]
Monday Morning Video – Reed Foehl’s “Strange Days”
Former Acoustic Junction singer-songwriter Reed Foehl shines on this solo acoustic version of a song that he originally recorded with his old compadres.
Mayer’s Playlist for February 2016, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Heavy Hearts, Hard Fists by Nikki Hill We’re gonna call this the best 2015 album that slipped by me last year. Better late than never, right? Hill’s sophomore release, the aptly titled Heavy Hearts, Hard Fists, hits like a punch in the gut. While her sound is rooted in old-school R&B, […]
Monday Morning Video – Brandi Carlile and Anderson East “Bring It On Home”
How about something a little soulful to start the week? Here are Brandi Carlile and Anderson East covering the Sam Cooke classic “Bring It On Home to Me.”
Robert Earl Keen is Coming Home
Texas hill country singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen has a tendency to mix humor, sometimes dark humor, into his songs. He plays it straight-up, however, on this tender love song “I’m Coming Home.” “Ain’t nothin’ better than your own backyard, I’m comin’ home to you.” Here is an early performance of the song taken from a […]
Monday Morning Video – Patterson Hood “The Righteous Path”
The Drive-By Truckers put out a mighty fine live album late last year. Their guitars were a blazin’. We’re gonna take a quieter approach this week, however, with Patterson Hood’s solo acoustic take on “The Righteous Path.”
Mayer’s Playlist for January 2016
ALBUM OF THE MONTH You’re Dreaming by The Cactus Blossoms There was a time when brotherly harmonies dominated the musical airwaves. From the Everly Brothers in pop to the Louvin Brothers in country, it was a sound that was both soothing and satisfying. Despite the fact that this music was a touchstone for many artists […]
Monday Morning Video – Ocean Carolina
Ocean Carolina, the musical outlet for singer-songwriter Michael Simone, have released a pair of enthralling albums. Maudlin Days, their most recent, made my list of favorite releases last year. As the title suggests, Simone excels at writing songs that conjure up cloudy days and melancholy daydreams. Here is “All I Can Do,” the leadoff track, […]