To be honest, before I heard Devil’s & Dust I thought Bruce was a cheesy 80s stadium rocker. Each song was dripping with annoying horns and god-awful production from that decade. I can just see him now pumping his fist while he sings “Glory Days†or “Born in the U-S-A.†He seemed like an 80s […]
The Day the Music Died
Fifty years ago tonight, the music world lost some shining lights. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper died when their plane crashed into a field on February 2nd, 1959. We’ll never fully know what they would have accomplished had they lived. Yet there is little doubt of the impact that they’ve had on […]
Mayer’s Playlist for January ’09, a Video Companion
What’s a playlist without a video companion? We kick things off with Otis Gibbs and Miranda Lee Richards, our featured artists this month. From there we’ve got live clips from the Gourds, Gary Louris & Mark Olson, Joe Ely and A.C. Newman, plus videos from Frank Turner and Bruce Springsteen. We close out this month […]
Mayer’s Playlist for January ’09, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Light of X, by Miranda Lee Richards LA-based Richards is a testament to persistence. Eight years have passed since The Herethereafter, her 2001 debut release. Yet in 2009 Richards picks up right where she last left us. Light of X is steeped in the Gram Parsons Laurel Canyon-sound, layered with a […]
A.C. Newman – Get Guilty
If you’re a fan of A.C. Newman or perhaps his band The New Pornographers, you probably already know about his densely layered pop melodies and musically adventurous song craft. Even if you’re not a fan of his, you can’t really deny that Newman applies many styles easily into each of his songs. Each note is […]
Mayer’s Playlist for January ’09, Part 1
ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Grandpa Walked a Picketline, by Otis Gibbs Otis Gibbs is an American original, a gruff musical journeyman who is unafraid to tell it like he see’s it. With a matter of fact lyrical style, he spins tales of the back roads and the folks that wander them. “Caroline,” for example, tells […]
Best Albums of 2008, Official Twangville Picks
This is our second year aggregate of our year-end best album lists representing another great year in music. This year we’ve broadened the list to include our Reader’s Picks and Bobby K’s annual picks. Scoring was based on 10 points for a #1 pick working its way down to 1 point for a #10 pick. […]
Mark Olson & Gary Louris – Ready for the Flood
Some songwriting teams are made to be together. No doubt Mark Olson and Gary Louris established themselves as such a team with the early Jayhawks albums Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow the Green Grass. They established themselves along with Farrar and Tweedy of Uncle Tupelo as leaders in the Alt- Country phenomenon of the 90s. […]
Win Big: Elvis Costello’s Sundance Spectacle
I have to admit that I was a bit suspect when the Sundance Channel’s Spectacle series was first announced. The show features Elvis Costello interviewing a collection of artists ranging from Elton John to the Police to Lou Reed and others. As it turns out, the series is quite entertaining. Costello’s own musical experiences give […]