It’s been a good year for music so far this year (and the rest of the year is looking quite nice, too). Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite releases from the first half of 2017. BIG BAD LUV by JOHN MORELAND It’s not too late to get on the Moreland train […]
Back in the Saddle Again – a Special Twangville Playlist, Part 4
Sallisaw Blue, John Moreland (from the 4AD release Big Bad Luv) It speaks volumes when some of Americana’s leading lights are, pardon the pun, singing an artist’s praises. Such is the case with Oklahoma boy Moreland. Perhaps they are captivated with his profound storytelling, simple tales that overflow with emotion and meaning. Or maybe it’s […]
Gerry Spehar – I Hold Gravity
Distances in western America can be vast. Â You have to decide on a philosophy: are you about the journey or the destination. Â Focus on the goal and you can embrace the trance of picket fence telephone poles and the sporadic interruption of small towns. Â A day, two, three and you’re there with no trauma beyond […]
Monday Morning Video – K Phillips
There’s something about sitting outside listening to music on a hot summer night. All the better when the performer is someone like K Phillips. Dirty Wonder, his latest release, veers from straight-on rock to Texas red dirt country to hook-heavy pop, all with the soulful swagger that has become the singer-songwriter’s hallmark. Here’s a tasty […]
Readers’ Pick: Juke Joint At The Edge Of The World by Randall Bramblett
You picked Juke Joint At The Edge Of The World by Georgia-based singer-songwriter, Randall Bramblett, as your favorite new release for the week of July 7, 2017. Poll Results 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’ […]
Back in the Saddle Again – a Special Twangville Playlist, Part 3
Battle Born, Matthew Ryan (from the self-released Hustle Up Starling) I tend to judge the quality of a year in part based on the caliber of new music unleashed within them. In that light, any year that we get a new album from Matthew Ryan is well on its way to being a good one. […]
Steve Earle – So You Wannabe An Outlaw
Steve Earle is back. He may have never really left, but “So You Wannabe An Outlaw” stands beside his best albums (and there are many). It sounds like his classic period from the 80s up through his classic Transcendental Blues in 2000 (without the early 90s records during his descent into drug addiction). Earle has […]
Emerging Artist – Courtney Marie Andrews’ Honest Life
Catching up on missed music is not what I thought that a newborn would allow me to do this summer. But the late nights, and the missed sleep between feedings, seemed only like a time when I would just wish I could sleep through the night. But there I was, 3:30 AM on a Tuesday, […]
Monday Morning Video – The Texas Gentlemen
Ready to get your jam on? Although they’ve only formally been a band a few years, The Texas Gentlemen have already proven themselves to be musicians of the highest order. Just ask folks like Leon Bridges, Nikki Lane, Paul Cauthen and Kris Kristofferson. They are just a few of the artists who have enlisted the […]
Readers’ Pick: London Southern by Jim Lauderdale
You picked London Southern by North Carolina-based singer-songwriter, Jim Lauderdale, as your favorite new release for the week of June 30, 2017. Poll Results 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 Spring 2017 THE DUSTBOWL REVIVAL, […]