‘Laughing With The Reckless’ by The Contenders edged out ‘Brand New Day’ by The Mavericks in what has to be our most competitive end of year Readers’ Pick poll to date. Thanks to all who voted. Look for our annual Authors’ picks coming soon.
Monday Morning Video – Leeroy Stagger
Leeroy Stagger has been consistently putting out some fine releases for nearly 15 years. He’s never been one to pull his punches and Love Versus, his latest album, is no exception. He pays tribute to the “prophets” of punk (“Joe Strummer and Joey Ramone”), contemplates racial disharmony and violence (“Living in the Future”) and questions […]
Readers’ Pick: Best Album of 2017 Poll
It’s that time of year and we want to hear from you what your favorite new album of 2017 was. We’ve narrowed the choices to fifty by selecting from your favorites throughout the year in our weekly Readers’ Pick poll alongside your nominations and a few critically acclaimed additions. Now it’s time to vote. As […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2017, Part 3
(This Ain’t) An Original Sin, Will Hoge (from the EDLO Records release Anchors) Nashville-based singer-songwriter Will Hoge possesses the twin powers of lyric and melody, a talent that is finely displayed on Anchors. From a lyrical perspective, the album overflows with yearning, disappointment and self-reflection. “You can try to fight the truth, but time will […]
Dori Freeman/Letters Never Read
I’m not sure how I stumbled across Dori Freeman’s latest release. Facebook marketing maybe? A friend listening on Spotify? An email I accidently clicked on instead of deleting? Whatever the method, I’m grateful that I did, as she has turned out to be one of my favorite discoveries of 2017. After listening to the first […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2017, Part 2
No Heart Left Behind, Hannah Aldridge (from the Rootsy Music release Gold Rush) “I take my heartache with a little bit of ice,” announces Muscle Shoals-raised Hannah Aldridge on “Burning Down Birmingham,” one of several stand-outs from her latest release. Electric guitars lead the charge, sometimes chugging with an insistent stoicism and other times unleashing […]
Monday Morning Video – Justin Currie
Justin Currie continues to quietly — really too quietly — put out exceptional albums. He could teach a masterclass in how to write a song with blunt honesty and emotional punch. Here is a favorite from This Is My Kingdom Now, released earlier this year.
Readers’ Pick: Best Album of 2017 Call for Nominations
For the next week, we’ll be taking your nomination to supplement our Readers’ Pick: Best Album of 2017 poll. The rules: You get one nomination — choose wisely. If you mention more than one, we’ll only take your first mention. Nominate by adding a comment to this post. It has to be a full length album — no EPs. That usually means more than […]
Peace, Twang, and Turkey Grease: A 2017 Thanksgiving Toast to Chip Frazier
Chip Frazier pictured second from left in green shirt. Here we are again… Thanksgiving 2017, y’all… which means we’re celebrating 12 years of Twangville’s existence. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been writing a Thanksgiving toast each year to thank our contributors, our community, and the artists who give us something to listen […]
Josh Ritter and Good Old War in Northampton
It’s not easy to get an overnight sitter and get out to a show these days, but when we had the chance to see Josh Ritter play again we made the many arrangements for our two kids and made a night out of it. Both acts were amazing. The lion’s share of the crowd […]