“My dream came true. I saw America changed through music.” As a Grammy Awards audience acknowledged his genius, a frail Harry Smith, months before his death, basked in the recognition that had eluded him for a half century. The importance of his landmark Anthology of American Folk Music cannot be overstated: it is often credited […]
Loomer – Songs of the Wild West Island
When asked about remaking his favorite songs, Scott Loomer remarked, “You don’t cover ‘Crazy’ unless you’re Patsy Cline, which we’re not.” That’s a taste of the wit and wisdom that makes Loomer (the band) so appealing. No flash, no pretense, Songs from the Wild West Island is just a solid batch of songs that pierce […]
San Saba County’s “Its Not the Fall that Hurts”, At a Glance
SXSW darlings, San Saba County, take us on an around-the-world bar hop from the saloon to the cantina then back to the saloon with their latest album, Its Not the Fall That Hurts. The beechwood-aged twangers’ second full-length album is thematically heavy on heartbreak and audibly represents a diversity of Texicano influences giving it a […]
Jamie Cullum & Josh Ritter live in Florida
Let me begin by saying that the talent on this tour is immense. Even the roadies play classical piano and jump in here and there when the band members are busy trading off on other instruments (it seems they all play at least 2 or 3 professionally). Add to that the fact that the frontmen, […]
Pogues Reissues
Rhino does it again! Remastered, repackaged and revived editions of the first five Pogues albums were released in America last week (their entire catalog was reissued in the UK in 2005). Supervised by the band, the remastered sound is sterling, and the 29 bonus tracks should satisfy any completist — they include the entire Poguetry […]
Twangville Recommends: Bob Walkenhorst
Bob Walkenhorst is among the most impressive songwriters that I’ve heard, a vibrant and literate lyricist who packs his songs with social commentary. As the lead singer and songwriter for Missouri’s Rainmakers in the late 1980’s, he matched intelligent lyrics with the force of classic rock and roll. Although I didn’t share his political views […]
John Gorka – Writing in the Margins, Reviewed
I was reminded of John Gorka while watching a Judy Garland biography on PBS last week; he wrote a character sketch of the actress on his first album, detailing the movie studio mistreatment that contributed to her tragic struggles. It was a fledgling example of his ability to report the human condition with keen insight […]
Special Guest Twangville Commentary
While conducting an interview backstage at this year’s Lollapalooza Festival, Mike Patton (Faith No More, Peeping Tom) offers his opinion on the band Wolfmother. See the video here. Video courtesy of G4.
Bonnie Raitt and Friends, Reviewed
Effortless. Like an eagle soaring in a calm wind. This is how Bonnie Raitt delivers her music. Back in September of 2005, Raitt played a concert for VH1 Classic in Atlantic City at the Trump Taj Mahal. It would have been enough to record Raitt and her band alone, release a live concert album and […]
Twangville Recommends: Jabe
After several years spent performing as a guitarist for Kris Delmhorst and Todd Thibaud, Jabe Beyer returns with Where are We Going & When Do We Get There, his fourth solo release. I’ve got my own question for New England guitarist Jabe Beyer: why did we have to wait so long for his latest release? […]