I love a good origin story. In the case of Massachusetts’ duo Crowes Pasture, they met in their careers as corporate attorneys. Guitarist Andy Rogovin and banjoist Monique Byrne, by now married, didn’t really discover their vocal harmony talent until they started singing to their young kids. They describe their music as a “banjo-guitar romance”, […]
In Memoriam – Jimmy Buffett
Long before artists like Reba and Garth took their music and turned it into a brand, there was Jimmy Buffett. If the erstwhile Nashvillian had launched his career in the last couple of decades, his combination of laid back rhythms and tales of industrious avoidance of adult responsibility would have no doubt landed him in […]
The Mike Jacoby Electric Trio – The Long Haul
I think most people would agree music is a visceral experience. It’s more than that, though. Sometimes the music moves you, and other times it makes you move. Los Angeles’ Mike Jacoby mostly writes and records in the latter style, and sticks to those strengths in his new album, The Long Haul. His previous three […]
Birds of Play – Birdsongs of the American West
There are plenty of examples where a musician’s geographical home bears no resemblance to the music they’ve made their own. City boys playing outstanding country music or kids from Minnesota inhabiting the sounds of musica Norteña from Mexico, for example. In the case of western Colorado-based, string band Birds of Play, the relationship seems to […]
The Waymores – Greener Pastures
Back in the late 60’s and early 70’s, many of the top country artists were female/male duos. You know them all; Dolly and Porter, Tammy and George, Loretta and Conway, June and Johnny. The typical recording process at the time was the producer would assemble a team of crack instrumentalists in the studio, and then […]
Beth Bombara – It All Goes Up
I’ve seen Beth Bombara perform a few times and always really enjoyed it. She’s not just a good singer-songwriter, but she has a stage charisma that quickly warms up the audience. I was looking forward to her new album, but in a twist on the old “don’t judge a book by its cover”, I realized […]
Rachel Garlin – The Ballad of Madelyne & Therese
Something you don’t see much of anymore is an album that fills multiple roles, not just as something to listen to but also an accompaniment to a theatre presentation or as a scripted performance piece. San Franciscan Rachel Garlin has gone down that road with her new record, The Ballad of Madelyne & Therese. Besides […]
Brewflies Premiere – Fortunate Son
Take four musical friends who played together and separately for thirty-plus years, most of it on the road and supporting everyone from The Pogues to Del McCoury, then pull the rug out from under them, keep them separated and at home, and what do you get. By now, that pandemic story has become the impetus […]
The Scooches – Lift You Up
Not everyone embraces the use of the word Americana to describe the genre(s) of music that make up the typical Twangvillian playlist, especially when it includes certain strains of country music. But when a record touches on gospel, bluegrass, Dixieland, R&B, and jazz…what else are you going to call it? That’s exactly the case with […]
Marina Rocks – Texcentric
Marina Rocks calls Texas home. She embraces its whole self, warts and all, and takes you on a musical journey through it on her latest record, Texcentric. Starting as a child in the state capital, her mother encouraged her musical exploration at an early age, with not just the gift of a guitar but also […]