Two of the best young Newgrass groups have upcoming albums. Crooked Still – will release Some Strange Country on May 18th on Signature Sounds. They are certainly a genre bending groups always, but they rise to a new level on this. The album is beautifully arranged,lyrically infused with both spiritual and earthly wisdom, and as […]
Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt
While you may wonder why a folky Swede deserves to be recognized on a decidedly more twangy website, one listen should do the trick. In that one song you’d probably never know that Tallest Man on Earth wasn’t raised in the mountains of North Carolina. Perhaps that’s because as well as Bob Dylan, Kristian Matsson […]
Twangville Talks to Kasey Anderson (+ Giveaway)
“You been spittin’ out nails and knockin’ back whiskey/ you got a new tattoo, it says that you don’t miss meâ€- Kasey Anderson I caught up with Kasey Anderson as he was returning from SXSW and days away from touring the ENTIRE REST OF THE COUNTRY (tour dates below) in support of his excellent new […]
Carrie Rodriguez – Love and Circumstance
Lots of people have covered the Hank classics. Â The Carrie Rodriguez version of I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry, on her latest record Love and Circumstance, ranks right up there with the best of them. Â With Carrie on mandolin and Bill Frisell on guitar, there’s a richness to the instrumental that complements Carrie’s vocals and […]
The Longwalls – Dark Academy
Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like there’s a recent trend in the land of Twang to add some of the production values and philosophical, lyrical meanderings of the indie music scene into the roots and country values that have defined Americana. Â I’m not saying this is bad, or even new; in fact I’d […]
Jason & the Scorchers – Halcyon Days
For all of you youngsters out there who love the history of alt-country, the first fact to know is that Uncle Tupelo started it all. Wrong Answer!!!! Before there was something called alt-country, there were many in the field. Rank & File (an early Alejandro Escovedo project), X was heavily roots influenced, The Blasters just […]
Red Molly- James
There are a lot of female folk trios out there and most of them are worth their salt (or at least a good long listen). Red Molly was/is one of those bands. I liked their self-titled EP, the live CD Never Been to Vegas, and especially their 2008 effort Love and Other Tragedies. The trio […]
Newport Folk Festival 2010- Preview
Fort Adams State Park becomes the land of milk and honey once again this year. George Wein’s Newport Folk Fesitval will return on July 30th through August 1st. Gracing the main stage will be Levon Helm’s Ramble on the Road, John Prine, Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket, and Doc Watson & David Holt along […]
Memphis 59 – Ragged But Right
With a name like Memphis 59, and an album cover like a rusty truck you may think that the “Ragged” moniker would ring true. But instead of a rough edged, dirty sound, Memphis 59 come off as clean as a whistle. Grammy-winner John Jennings has cleaned up their sound to a fault. It’s squeaky clean. […]
Tumbledown into Punk Country
There are still many a music fan out there that doesnt quite get where the roads of punk and country or folk meet. For those that do “get it”, it isnt hard to draw a straight line that connects the spirits of Woody Guthrie and Joe Strummer. While the sonics of the two genres can […]