Ever had that moment when you discover a musical artist and you’re just hooked? I’ve been listening to talented artists for a long time but when I come across someone new whose amazing music opens my eyes, I immediately go into a phase. When I started “studying” for Newport Folk Fest this year I found lots […]
Newport Folk Fest 2018 Preview
On our previous two trips to cover Newport Folk Fest for Twangville (2014 and 2016), my wife and I were particularly excited to see big draws in the Americana scene (Ryan Adams, Nickel Creek), living legends (Elvis Costello), or big name contemporary acts (Jack White, Alabama Shakes). This year, the slate is packed with rising […]
Ryan Bingham – Wining and Dining
Sitting down to a nice meal at City Winery in Boston, my wife and I were excited about what we had coming. But even we didn’t know that Ryan Bingham was about to perform almost three hours of songs and stories. When it comes to vignettes, Ryan has more than a couple and has lived the […]
Courtney Marie Andrews – Kindness of Strangers
Courtney Marie Andrews has been shifting her sound to a more 70s down-tempo style for a while it seems. On her latest album “May Your Kindness Remain,” Andrews explores slower speeds and luckily her voice is up to the task of holding up the song on its own. Andrews’ voice draws a comparison to Neko […]
Jason Isbell – Divine Providence
“How did we not know about this show?” my wife said to me. “I have no idea.” Even though we have two little ones under four and rarely make it out to shows (when we used to attend three or four regularly per week), a Jason Isbell show is an event. His songwriting, particularly since […]
Josh Ritter and Good Old War in Northampton
It’s not easy to get an overnight sitter and get out to a show these days, but when we had the chance to see Josh Ritter play again we made the many arrangements for our two kids and made a night out of it. Both acts were amazing. The lion’s share of the crowd […]
David Ramirez – We’re Not Going Anywhere
If you haven’t heard of David Ramirez yet, this album might be the call. If you have, this one is a step forward. Unlike the brilliant understated “Fables,” “We’re Not Going Anywhere” is fleshed out and the arrangements only accentuate the emotions. In particular, Sam Kassirer, Josh’s Ritter’s piano player, produces and plays piano. He […]
Josh Ritter – Gathering
While it seems like things have gotten a bit quieter on the Josh Ritter front for the last few years, they’re every bit as relevant and moving. With his new album “Gathering,” Ritter finds himself slowing down the tempo in many cases but uses words and melodies to bring together the emotional punch. Tunes like […]
Good Old War – Part of Me
Good Old War is a trio that sounds like a modern poppy take on Simon & Garfunkel. What their acoustic guitar and harmony driven tunes have are hooks. Perhaps their lyrics sometimes like the poetic vision of Paul Simon, but they trade it for an intimacy in lyrics. The title track of the EP, […]
Iron & Wine – Beast Epic
Iron & Wine (the moniker for singer/songwriter Sam Beam) had been toiling away in obscurity until his demo tapes fell into the hands of a Sub Pop. Sub Pop then released the recordings as is for what became “The Creek Drank the Cradle” in 2002. Sam Beam made hushed and thoughtful recordings highlighted by warm […]