Joan Shelley Emerging Artist Interview When I first heard Joan Shelley’s 2015 album “Over and Even” I was stunned. In a year where I came through a broken leg with an infant at home, it took me a while to warm up to the power of music again. Maybe it seemed like family and people […]
Newport Folk Festival 2016- Sunday
Newport Folk Festival 2016- Sunday After a scorching first two days at Newport, I was tired. But the lineup on Sunday was definitely the most exciting. From start to finish, the acts on Sunday were incredible. When I arrived to see Joan Shelley at the Harbor Stage, I was already moved by her previous great […]
Newport Folk Festival 2016- Saturday
Newport Folk Festival 2016- Saturday We arrived at Fort Adams Park in Newport bright and early on Saturday and were greeted with a a lot more heat and humidity. Luckily, the musical acts on Saturday almost made you forget about the sun. From living legends to hot new acts, the day had much in store. […]
Newport Folk Festival 2016- Friday
On the first day of the Newport Folk Festival, the breeze was up and the humidity was down. Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island was a beautiful spot for the particularly exciting Friday lineup. At Twangville, we’ve known about the new scene in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and following in the footsteps of the […]
Newport Folk Festival 2016: Preview
The Mrs. and I are bringing Twangville back to the best festival this year. Newport Folk has a great lineup again and we’re super excited about it. To kick off the weekend, we’ll just give a quick preview of some acts each day that we’re excited to see. FRIDAY St. Paul & the Broken Bones […]
Jeff’s Best of 2015
As we get ready to ring in the new year, I’m going to make a confession: I haven’t listened to much new music this year. With a son who just turned one, a broken leg, and the usual stacks of correcting (I’m an English teacher), I haven’t listened to much new stuff. The Mrs. and […]
Nu-Blu – All the Way
Another in my string of bluegrass reviews, Nu-Blu’s new record “All The Way” manages to take the cheesy and make it memorable. Take leadoff track “That’s What Makes the Bluegrass Blue.” I couldn’t think of a less appealing title. Yet the first spin clothed in expert bluegrass picking and airtight harmonies, makes the song surprisingly […]
The Roys – The View
As a recently inducted fan of bluegrass, I’ve come to know that the genre has the ability to turn the cheesy lyrics into an earnest and emotional tune. The Roys (brother and sister duo of Lee and Elaine) use their tight harmonies and musicianship to do just that. With a song like “Live the Life […]
Jackson Browne – One Man / Twenty Guitars
When Jackson Browne walked onto Boston’s Opera House stage on a late summer night, it was as though he was stepping into his own living room. The 65-year-old singer/songwriter couldn’t have been more adored by the crowd as they showered him in ovation after ovation and listened intently to each note he sang. Some may […]
Sierra Hull in the Courtyard
Out in the courtyard at the Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts on a summer evening, I caught one of the most accomplished mandolin players in bluegrass. Sierra Hull may only be 22, but she’s got a tight band, can pick her mandolin, and has quite the voice to go along with it. Right from the […]