ALBUMS OF THE MONTH In the Dusk of Everything, by Matthew Ryan There are many artists who are ambitious. Some pursue the thrill of live performances, others strive for financial success. While I can’t say that Matthew Ryan doesn’t harbor some of those motivations, he possesses a more powerful quality – ambition for his music. […]
Monday Morning Video: American Aquarium and Chip Robinson
With the release of Steven Spielberg’s new movie “Lincoln,” it seemed only fitting to make this song a Monday Morning Video selection. The song was written by Chip Robinson and originally recorded by his then band, Raleigh, North Carolina’s The Backsliders. Fast forward a few years and American Aquarium, themselves from Raleigh, revived the song […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2012, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Little Victories, by Chris Knight This has been the season for political commentary and focused exploration of the American spirit. Lots of people will attempt to describe it, but few will come as close as Chris Knight. His songs ring out with an unparalleled authenticity, with music as well worn as […]
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit- Live In Alabama
By: Chip Frazier OK. I am not afraid to admit that I get emotional. I cry like a girl in movies. (I apologize for any politically incorrect sexism. None was intended.) Music can have the same effect on me. Jason Isbell is one of the few musicians who has stopped me in my tracks and […]
Duct Tape Saves Lives: Thoughts and Opinions From 3 Southerners On Jason Isbell’s Live In Alabama
Ok Twangville readers, here is another entry in our recurring feature that switches up the normal review protocol. Inspired by frequent long email chains over the years between myself, fellow Twangviller Todd Mathis, and my twin brother Kyle Petersen, Duct Tape Saves Live is more of a critical conversation than a formal review. Though to […]
Andrew Combs- Worried Man
“Lonely as these days are long/ as dark as the night bird’s song/ strange way of living, let my heart cry/ I’m lonesome and too stoned to cryâ€- Andrew Combs, “Too Stoned to Cry” Every once in awhile a voice comes along that is stunning in its capacity to evoke the spirit of Americana. Andrew […]
Monday Morning Video: The Mavericks at the Americana Music Awards
PBS will be featuring highlights from the 2012 Americana Music Awards on the Austin City Limits program this week. Look below for the performances in the episode, all recorded at the awards ceremony held September 12 at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Here’s a preview: the reunited Mavericks tearing up the Ryman with a […]
Eric Bibb & Habib Koite – Brothers in Bamako
Bluesman Eric Bibb is the latest in a succession of American musicians to get his passport stamped in Mali since Ry Cooder and the late Ali Farka Toure won the Grammy for Best World Music Recording in 1994. Bibb’s fine collaboration with Malian Habib Koite, Brothers in Bamako, stands up well next to Cooder and Toure’s Talking Timbuktu; […]
The Wood Brothers – Live, Volume 1 & 2
The best find for me in September’s AMA awards was a couple of live discs from the Wood Brothers that were included in the swag bag. Â Volume 1 is entitled Sky High, and Volume 2 is Nail & Tooth. Â Regardless of the separate names and release dates, these discs are like, well, two brothers. Â Chris […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2012, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Everything’s Up For Grabs, by Christian McNeill and Sea Monsters It has been ten years since Christian McNeill’s last studio release, but it’s not as if he has been absent from the music scene. He has continued to write and perform around Boston, ultimately joining up with a talented crew of […]