There’s a specific kind of record that sounds like it was cut with the venue’s back door still propped open. You can hear traffic. You can smell the bourbon. Somebody’s laughing a little too loud and nobody’s apologizing for it.
Reintroducing Twangville Playlists
At Twangville, playlists have always been more than background noise. They’re an extension of the same thing that drives everything we do here: curiosity, community, and a deep love for roots music in all its forms.
Readers’ Pick: Lucinda Williams – World’s Gone Wrong
You picked Lucinda Williams – World’s Gone Wrong as your favorite new release for the week of January 23, 2026.
Now & Then: Courtney Marie Andrews’ Valentine and the shadow of Neko Case’s Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Some records arrive like a letter you weren’t supposed to read. You can tell it’s private because the handwriting wobbles a little, and because it tells on its author in small, unglamorous ways.
Readers’ Pick: Courtney Marie Andrews – Valentine
You picked Courtney Marie Andrews – Valentine as your favorite new release for the week of January 16, 2026.
Now & Then: Zach Bryan’s With Heaven On Top and the shadow of Heartbreaker
There’s a funny thing happening in 2026: Zach Bryan can drop a 25-track album and people still talk about it like it was passed hand-to-hand on a porch.
Readers’ Pick: Zach Bryan – With Heaven On Top
You picked Zach Bryan – With Heaven On Top as your favorite new release for the week of January 9, 2026.
Now & Then: The Deslondes’ Holy Cross Blues and the shadow of Music From Big Pink
Some albums arrive like a fresh coat of paint. Others show up like somebody finding an old Polaroid in a jacket pocket and realizing: oh right, this is who we were. Holy Cross Blues is that second kind. It doesn’t feel “new” in the trendy sense. It feels newly revealed.
Readers’ Pick: The Deslondes – Holy Cross Blues
You picked The Deslondes – Holy Cross Blues as your favorite new release for the week of January 2, 2026.
Now & Then: Jason Isbell’s Foxes in the Snow and the shadow of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska
Jason Isbell has made a career out of writing songs that feel like they come with fingerprints still on them. Even when the 400 Unit is roaring behind him, you can usually hear the quiet draft underneath.