I’m a sucker for a really good cover song. Â The best ones take the same chord progressions and lyrics and convey an entirely different experience. Â Think Jimi Hendrix All Along the Watchtower compared to the original Dylan version. Â Now turn that around, where you’ve heard the second version, and now you get the original, lightly […]
Wood & Wire – North Of Despair
The best artistic efforts have the ability to hit you on many levels–strikingly beautiful at even the first glance, and then building your appreciation as you peel back the layers and get more and more out of it. Â I found that to be the case with the latest record from Austin-based Wood & Wire. Â It […]
Josh Ward – More Than I Deserve
Sometimes it is about how/where you were raised.  After time on the rodeo circuit and then a stint in the Texas oilfields, Josh Ward decided to pursue his passion, albeit in a slightly safer profession as a country music singer.  When he sings about perseverance in A Cowboy Can, it’s coming from deep in the heart. […]
2018 Old Settler’s Music Festival
For me, one of the surest indicators of spring is when I leave for my annual trip to Old Settler’s Music Festival. Â Now in its 31st year, and having moved into new digs near Lockhart, Texas, OSMF epitomizes the perfect festival mix of hot, new acts; crowd-pleasing old favorites; and a crowd size that lets […]
Jeff Bryant – “Addie” Video
Austin musician Jeff Bryant is one of those guys you’ve probably seen a lot, playing keyboard for a number of high profile bands in town, but not necessarily heard. Â All his talented friends finally convinced him to do a record on his own and he released Sleeping With the Lights On earlier this year. Â It’s […]
Jeff Warren Johnston – Undiscovered Country
Everyone has their favorite suit or set of clothes. Â You wear them and somehow your confidence goes up a notch and invariably the day goes better. Â For Jeff Johnston, that apparel turned about to be his musical identity. Â After trying other styles for a few years he decided to embrace his heritage and upbringing in […]
Jeff Przech & The Outfit – Jeff Przech & The Outfit
When I was an impressionable youth, one of the things that drew me deeply into rock and roll was the twin guitar and Hammond B-3 combo popular with the southern rock crowd. Â Whether it was Dicky, Duane and Gregg, or the front line of Skynyrd, the sound went to the depth of my soul. Â When […]
Phoebe Hunt & the Gatherers – “Marching On” Video
Long time Twangville favorite Phoebe Hunt had one of 2017’s best albums.  For 2018 she’s following Mother Nature’s lead and planning to release 4 singles coincident with the seasons.  Starting with spring and its signature rebirth, Marching On layers a bright & airy sound on top of the relentless marching band snare drum.  The result underscores her lyrical […]
Paul Thorn – Don’t Let the Devil Ride
As many before me have observed, there’s a fine line between Saturday night and Sunday morning.  Particularly  when applied to many congregations in the American South, that observation pertains as much to the music as it does the time of day.  Many hymns originated in the late 19th century as verses created or borrowed from Christian […]
Vivian Leva – Time Is Everything
Terroir. Â It’s a word used in wine tasting to denote a wine that really tastes of its place. Â On her debut album, Time Is Everything, Virginia-native Vivian Leva delivers the musical equivalent of terroir. Â She doesn’t just sing in the style of Appalachia, it oozes from the pores of the songs. The record starts with […]