There’s a fine line between being in a rut and addiction. Sometimes you think it’s the former and in your attempt to get out you realize there’s more to it. That’s the position North Carolinian folk singer-songwriter Meris Gantt found herself in. A two-year journey to shape her new life became the basis for her […]
Alexander Wren – To Whom It May Concern,
Concept albums aren’t a new thing, of course. You may see them less frequently than you used to but they’re still around. Alexander Wren puts a new twist on them, though, with his debut full length album, To Whom It May Concern,. It’s an open letter to the universe: a combination of love letter to […]
Tim O’Brien – Cup of Sugar
Heading into June, the heart of festival season, I’ve been thinking about some of the pioneers of the progressive bluegrass movement. Robbie Fulks’ excellent new record contributed to that reminisce, as did the arrival of the latest album from Nashvillian, by way of Colorado and West Virginia, Tim O’Brien. It’s called Cup of Sugar and […]
Vance Gilbert – The Mother of Trouble
When I got the press release for Philadelphia native Vance Gilbert’s upcoming album, The Mother of Trouble, it noted the project contained “4 bullies, 4 deaths (3 of them murders), 3 moms, 2 accidents, 2 Black people, 2 dogs, 1 dog ball, and one missed flight due to gas station sushi.” I mean, who’s not […]
Brian Beken – New Geography
You know, something you don’t hear as much about these days is fiddle contests. They’re certainly still around, but it used to be that every county fair and Town Founders Days celebration had a fiddle contest alongside the animals-raised-by-kids judging and best pie battle. That (mostly) friendly musical competition environment and heritage nurtured a young […]
Mike Donello – Rendezvous
With spring finally arriving in most of the country and summer just around the corner, it’s time to lighten up your playlist. The world is less about introspection in front of the fireplace and more about sunshine and flip-flops. Austinite Mike Donello, and his band The New Essentials, are genius at pulling off that casual […]
The Rough & Tumble – Only This Far
One of my best finds at this year’s Folk Alliance was The Rough & Tumble, the musical duo of Mallory Graham and Scott Tyler . A couple based out of, well, let me get back to that, they have a modern folk, bluegrass-tinged sound that’s a little bit joyous and a little bit philosophical. On […]
Logan Halstead – Dark Black Coal
Comfort is a small town in southwest West Virginia. As the saying goes, it’s a place to be from, not where you want to go. A kid growing up there knows from an early age they want out. But like a socio-economic black hole, that’s easier said than done. Poverty has a way of desensitizing […]
Old Settler’s Music Fest 2023 – The Music
Yesterday I wrote about the history and vibe of Old Settler’s Music Festival. But the driving reason most Twangvillians would go to this event is the music. OSMF has a rich tradition of using a broad definition of Americana music when booking their acts, and 2023 was no exception. A new format allowed festival goers […]
Old Settler’s Music Festival 2023
April means springtime, and with it the beginning of festival season. There are many choices, from the multi-weekend, party-with-half-a-million-friends behemoths to the local and regional celebrations of singular musical styles. Falling closer to the latter is one of my favorites, Old Settler’s Music Festival. Held an hour southeast of Austin, it leans heavily toward string […]