Twangville

A music blog featuring Alt-Country, Americana, Indie, Rock, Folk & Blues. Est. 2005.

Favorite Live Sets Of 2013

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In addition to all the recorded music that finds its way to me, I was fortunate to hear a lot of really great live music last year.  Here were some of my favorite sets of 2013. Session Americana featuring Kevin Gordon – Session Americana headlined the first night of our Twangville music festival with earlier […]

Shawn’s Favorites of 2013

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Some years it’s easier than others to pick my favorite albums of the year.  (I’ll refrain from calling them the best since I know there’s a lot of good music I didn’t hear.)  This year wasn’t really one of them; the top 5-6 were still on top of my playlist, some of them for the […]

The Deadfields – Often Wrong, Never In Doubt

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Although by no means a required characteristic, it seems bands that have some sly humor in their songs manage to collect a fan base that sustains them over generations.  The Austin Lounge Lizards come to mind, as does Southern Culture On the Skids.  The legendary Little Feat even managed to soldier through the loss of […]

Scott Law – Black Mountain

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I don’t really recall when I first heard bluegrass music, but I’m certain it didn’t make much of an impression on me until the first time I saw a live show (John Hartford and The Dillards, for what it’s worth).  At that moment, the speed/death/punk/heavy metal-head in me realized that intensity and unbounded energy in […]

Breting Engel – Breting Engel

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Standing in a meadow at 10,000 feet, the first thing you notice is how the air is so incredibly clear.  Objects, even distant ones, have a sharpness that doesn’t seem quite normal.  Then there’s the vegetation; a surprising amount but it’s never lush.  Everything has some white, whether it’s the bark of the aspen, the […]

Jonathan Warren & the Billy Goats – On This Very Evening

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What if Quentin Tarantino or the Coen Brothers wrote music instead of making movies?  I think it would sound like Jonathan Warren & the Billy Goats.  There’s a simple story line to the music, yet the cast of characters and quirky delivery make for something unique that keeps your rapt attention.  Their latest album, On […]

Melody Walker & Jacob Groopman – We Made It Home

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“Heaven is right here, if you’re doing it right.”  Those words lead the chorus of Black Grace, a song that won Melody Walker the songwriting contest last year at Merlefest.  She and partner Jacob Groopman have just released We Made It Home that includes Black Grace and number of other treasures.  Produced by bluegrass virtuoso […]

The Wood Brothers – The Muse

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The first words you hear on The Muse, the latest release from The Wood Brothers, are, “wastin’ my mind on you.”  That lyrical slap in the face sets the stage for the next 45 minutes.  You can listen to this album and appreciate the pretty face and swagger as it walks down the street.  But […]