I walked into the Life is Good festival and noticed that it really is good there. Even on a humid September day in New England, the sprawling Prowse Farm was the perfect venue for music, food and activities galore. And by activities, I mean the fun stuff. Whiffle ball, cornhole, football toss, and watermelon seed […]
Grace Potter Sharpie(s) It Pink
Grace Potter has been everywhere recently. Besides singing in the commercial for the new network TV show Pan AM, she’s even making me like Kenny Chesney. But more importantly, Potter and her Nocturnals are continuing their already impressive track record in supporting some pretty worthy charities. Potter has announced that she’s collaborating with City of […]
Mayer’s Playlist for September 2011
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Old Mad Joy, by The Gourds The Gourds latest is a bit deceiving. The band has built a reputation as a bluegrass and backporch country band, but things aren’t always what they seem. The album open as one would expect. “I Want You So Bad” is built around an accordion and […]
Readers’ Pick: John Hiatt, “Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymnsâ€
READERS PICK: AUGUST 2011 Twangville readers picked Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymns by the John Hiatt as their favorite album of July 2011. Two things ring true about John Hiatt’s 20th solo album, Dirty Jeans And Mudslide Hymns… 1) he makes a less than perfect world lovable and 2) he’s still a badass – no […]
The Dang-It Bobbys – Big Trouble
WWDCFCD. Â What Would Death Cab For Cutie Do (or some other indie favorite) if they recorded an album with just bluegrass instruments? Â The answer to that question is maybe the latest release from The Dang-It Bobbys, Big Trouble. Â It doesn’t have a radio-friendly thumping bass, but the idea of a pop song with intelligent lyrics […]
Win Big: Paul Kelly
What is it about Australia and New Zealand? Per capita, they’ve got some of the most talented and enjoyable musicians in the world. Neil Finn and Tim Finn (from Splitz Enz to Crowded House and the solo stuff in between) to Kasey Chambers to You Am I. And then there’s Paul Kelly. Kelly himself best […]
Slaid Cleaves – Addendum
Several days ago I wrote a partial review of the new Slaid Cleaves live double album, Sorrow & Smoke: Live At the Horseshoe Lounge. Â Since then the album has come out, I’ve overcome the technical issue with getting both discs, and I got a chance to see Slaid live at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in […]
Butchers Blind – Play For the Films
“Got a twenty on the bar, and the world on a string. Â Hanging out ’til the brass bell rings.” Â I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a better description of what it’s like to be young and full of expectations for what life will bring. Â That’s a verse from Brass Bell, the first cut on the […]
Listen Up: Lydia Loveless
The Lydia Loveless experience begins before one even listens to a note – the cover art is an illustration of a red-headed girl chugging from what appears to be a gas can. If that isn’t an indication of what is to come, I’m not sure what is. Loveless is a spit-fire 21-year-old from Columbus, Ohio […]
Slaid Cleaves – Sorrow & Smoke: Live At the Horseshoe Lounge
I’m going to do something that I don’t think anyone at Twangville has done before. Â I’m going to review half a record. Â I was excited to get a pre-release file of Slaid Cleaves’ new live album, Sorrow & Smoke: Live At the Horseshoe Lounge. Â I gave it several listens, wrote up most of a review, […]