How does one go about acquiring an old soul? Â Do you go down to the crossroads and make a Faustian bargain ala Robert Johnson? Â Maybe reincarnation is the answer and you just have live a lot of lives. Â Regardless of how they did it, collectively The Waifs exhibit a world weariness in their latest album, […]
Really Rockin’ in Boston: A Special Playlist
Here’s the latest installment of my playlist series highlighting the latest and greatest in New England music. Zero, Sea Monsters (from the Q-Dee Records single Zero b/w Don’t Make Me Wait) It’s about time that we let you in on a little Boston secret. They’re called the Sea Monsters and for over three years they’ve […]
The Greencards – The Brick Album
It does not seem long ago that the Greencards burst onto the New Grass scene. Almost immediately they captured audiences with music that blended influences from their Australian, European and American heritages. With the release of their fifth studio album, The Brick Album, The Greencards are now one of the most respected bands around. Their musicianship is admired […]
Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers- Starlight Hotel
If you read Twangville or any of the other excellent roots rock blogs being written across the internet, then I think you can agree with this statement “alternative country gets a bad rap.†Alt. Country, or as I prefer y’allternative, reached a brief level of prominence during the mid 1990’s, but even then it had […]
Suzanna Choffel – Steady Eye Shaky Bow
As the old Monty Python line goes, “and now for something completely different.” Â A few weeks ago I happened to catch Suzanna Choffel at Old Settlers Music Festival. Â She was playing to an Austin crowd that knew her and my notes say something to the effect of “country meets jazz”. Â Fast forward to last week […]
Jason Isbell – To the Ends of the City
Listening to Jason Isbell’s newest album was a true revelation. A few album’s later and he’s really moved beyond his life with the Drive-by Truckers. Now when I hear about a concert on the other side of DC from me, I think twice about heading out to H street. But when I heard Isbell was […]
Kasey Anderson- Heart of a Dog
Kasey Anderson went and found his own Crazy Horse. Though the change isn’t quite as stark as Neil Young’s jump from self-titled debut to the iconic Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Anderson is definitely revving up his raggedy side for the follow up to last year’s excellent Nowhere Nights. Heart of A Dog takes no […]
The Felice Brothers / Celebration, Florida
I honestly didn’t know what to expect when the new Felice Brothers album, Celebration, Florida, arrived in my mailbox. I’d been a fan of the tune “Frankie’s Gun” a few years back on their self-titled release, but that was really about as far as it went. I had failed to hear their 2009 release and […]
Readers’ Pick: Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, “Here We Restâ€
READERS PICK: APRIL 2011 Twangville readers picked Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit‘s Here We Rest as their favorite album of April 2011. His third album since parting ways with the Drive-by Truckers and second with band The 400 Unit. The album title, Here We Rest, takes it’s name from the original Alabama state motto […]
Old Californio – Sundrunk Angels
“Cosmic American Music†is what Gram Parsons called his own music. I think the term also fits Sundrunk Angels, the new release by Old Californio. The length of the songs puts them in Jam Band territory. In fact, it is a bit odd that the Jam Band crowd hasn’t widely discovered these guys yet. “Jewels […]