Let’s continue with the “and friends” theme that we started last week. Next up is a three-fer from the great Mavis Staples. First, a 1988 performance of the Staples Singers classic “I’ll Take You There” that features Dr. John and Jeff Healey. Second, a 2011 backstage rehearsal of the Band’s “The Weight” with Wilco and […]
Readers’ Pick: Mike and the Moonpies – One to Grow On
You picked Mike and the Moonpies – One to Grow On as your favorite new release for the week of August 13, 2020. New Releases Did we miss something? If you feel a new release is missing from our current poll, please let us know in the comments. Readers’ Tops Summer & Fall 2021 Shannon […]
The Northern Belle’s “Kaleidoscope Dream” – A Twangville Premiere
Earlier this year Norway’s The Northern Belle honored John Prine with an exquisite version of the late singer-songwriter’s “Summer’s Endâ€. Now that summer really is coming to an end, the group is marking the occasion with the release of a new mini-album called The Women In Me. The album’s opening track really sets the tone for the collection. […]
Newport Folk Festival – Monday
For the first day of the “Folk On” portion of the second three days, the lineup told Suzanne and I one thing: we had to be there. Hiss Golden Messenger (lead by M.C. Taylor) was playing an acoustic solo set. The first act of the day however was Courtney Marie Andrews. She released “Old Flowers” […]
Newport Folk Festival – Sunday
For our second day at Newport, Suzanne and I knew we had to get to see the Dimmer Twins. If you don’t know them by their acoustic duo name, you may know them as core members of the Drive-By Truckers Mike Cooley and Patterson hood. The name is a nod to the “Glimmer Twins” which […]
Matthew Stubbs of GA-20 on the “Road Condo” and How the Band Has Evolved
Guitarist Matt Stubbs of blues band GA-20 talks about bringing t-shirts to the people, selling cell phones, and rehearsing in a renovated hair salon. And he has a request of you, dear reader.
Newport Folk Festival – Saturday
In the era of Covid, the seemingly eternal Newport Folk Festival must rise again. Splitting the festival in half (half the people and the acts) and adding a second trio of days was a novel idea. It satisfied the board of health and the desperate fans. It sold out quickly (long before artists were announced) […]
“Indiana” – A Premiere from Ward Hayden and the Outliers
Boston’s Ward Hayden has never been one to pull his punches, especially in recent years. On the band’s forthcoming Free Country, he directs it somewhere unexpected: at the state of Indiana. We’ll let Hayden explain: This is the meanest song I’ve written. I’ve spent 15 years of my life touring and traveling the country. I […]
Monday Morning Video – Randy Newman and Friends
Randy Newman is an American treasure. Whether cynical or sentimental, his songs brilliantly capture the characters and moments that inhabit them. Here’s Newman, accompanied by Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, John Fogerty, and an all-star band performing his classic anthem “I Love L.A”. I wish they alternated the verses that Jackson Browne and John Fogerty sang […]
Readers’ Pick: Them Coulee Boys – Namesake
You picked Them Coulee Boys – Namesake as your favorite new release for the week of August 6, 2020. New Releases Did we miss something? If you feel a new release is missing from our current poll, please let us know in the comments. Readers’ Tops Summer & Fall 2021 Shannon Clark & The Sugar […]