Statistically speaking, most of the people reading this will live well past 80 years old. So being 40 isn’t quite to the halfway point. Philosophically though, turning 40 causes a lot of people to take stock of where they are in life. You have to admit to yourself that some of the things you did […]
Cristina Vane – Hear My Call
It’s not that unusual for roots artists (blues, rock, bluegrass, country) to develop their sound and hone their chops in America before finding a strong audience in Europe. What’s much rarer is for a musician to find their musical calling in Europe before coming to the US to build their career. That’s just what Cristina […]
Ron Pope – American Man, American Music
There’s a famous lyric from Hank Williams, Jr., that asks “why must you live out the songs that you wrote.” In the case of Nashville’s Ron Pope, his signature move is the reverse: to write songs about the life he’s lived. You can argue that’s what many songwriters do, but in Pope’s case he has […]
“Beautiful Mess” – a Premiere From Olivia Ellen Lloyd
After taking a hiatus from music, Olivia Ellen Lloyd returned to music a few years ago. And it’s a damn good thing that the she did. The Brooklyn by way of West Virginia singer-songwriter is a special talent. She’s fearless in her songwriting, a refreshing reminder of what country music can be. “Beautiful Mess”, her […]
“I Love You, I Need You” – a Premiere from GA-20
A recent personnel change didn’t slow New England’s GA-20‘s bluesy stride. Singer-guitarist Cody Nilsen joined the group, teaming up with powerhouse drummer Joshua Kiggans and group co-founder guitarist Matthew Stubbs. Still no bass player to be found, but it doesn’t matter – the group’s musical interplay gives their songs a rhythmic swagger. “I Love You, […]
Big Richard – Girl Dinner
A couple of years ago, one of the bands generating the most buzz at Old Settler’s Music Festival was a new group out of Colorado, Big Richard. They caused a stir at an early afternoon set in Telluride the summer before and now people were excited to see if the magic was still there. It […]
Monday Morning Video – This Land Is Your Land
Back in 2012, Bruce Springsteen made the trek to Austin for SXSW. Aside from giving the keynote address, he and the E Street Band played the 2,750 capacity Moody Theater. He, accompanied by some special guests, led the crowd in an amazing sing-along of Woody Guthrie’s classic “This Land Is Your Land”. Said guests included […]
The Twangville Early 2025 Preview
Astrovan: The Love Song Vignettes by Humbird (10 Jan) Humbird’s slow trickling of singles over the past couple months has us primed for their newest full length. Landing somewhere musically between Bjork and Neil Young, these short tunes showcase Siri Undlin’s sweet vocals. (Todd Mathis) Bloom by Larkin Poe (24 Jan) Megan and Rebecca Lovell […]
Chip’s Top Albums of 2024
2024 was a difficult year to rank albums. There were so many exceptional releases this year that if I tried to re-rank the list it might look a lot different depending on my mood. My top 5 were the albums that really stuck with me, as for the rest it was very difficult to rank […]
Shawn’s 25 Favs of 2024
1) Kacey Musgraves – Deeper Well She raised her game to a new level. The insight and emotion in some of the songs on this record really do make me think that cardinal was John Prine. I’m not sure there’s been a better song ever about growing up than the title track. 2) Billy Strings […]