Every morning when he isn’t on the road, Oliver Wood starts the day in his designated writing chair with a cup of coffee. Many of the songs from “Fat Cat Silhouette”, Wood’s second solo record, began taking shape in that chair. The contemplative feeling of meditation/prayer and a morning coffee is what sets the mood […]
Cosmic Guilt – Palace of Depression
A friend of mine noted earlier this year there has developed a tiny silver lining to the Cat 5 hurricane of the pandemic. He observed that anyone still in the music business now is in it because they can’t live without it. The people who were doing it because they could, or because of peer/family […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2024
Lay By Your Side, Christopher Paul Stelling (from the self-released Forgotten but Not Gone and Few and Far Between) I’ve never been through a divorce but, listening to Christopher Paul Stelling’s new Forgotten but Not Gone and Few and Far Between, I have greater insight into the explosion of emotions that occur. Stelling has long […]
VIDEO PREMIERE: Them Dirty Roses – Birmingham Steel (Lyric Video)
We at Twangville are thrilled to be premiering the lyric video for Alabama based Southern Rockers, Them Dirty Roses, latest single “Birmingham Steel”. The video highlights the history of the steel industry in Birmingham and the North Central part of the state where the band grew up. I must admit I share some of their […]
Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival Preview
Back in the early 70’s there was something in the air in the music industry. Well, besides that. Multi-band shows were evolving away from several bands crammed into a 3 hour schedule in a ballroom or dance hall. In particular, the acoustic music scene was embracing longer sets and extended solos, no doubt influenced by […]
Grant Langston – aLAbama
There’s an axis on the songwriting philosophy spectrum that ranges from serious and important to fun and lighthearted. Country musician Grant Langston, originally from Alabama, but residing in LA for the last couple of decades, has spanned that entire range. His first couple of records leaned toward serious ballads, but his new one, aLAbama is […]
Monte Warden and the Dangerous Few – Jackpot!
There’s definitely a generational thing that happens with music. You grow up listening to what your parents like until you’re old enough to develop your own style. Frequently that’s the opposite of what you heard through childhood. By early adulthood you start to appreciate the older music, and by midlife it’s part of your playlist […]
Hannah Connolly – Shadowboxing
Making mixtapes for friends was an active hobby for those of us working in college radio back in the day. Turns out hoping to broaden someone else’s musical horizons wasn’t unique to FM DJ’s, and the mixtape, albeit no longer a tape, is still thriving. So it’s kind of heartwarming that even musicians find inspiration […]
Ruby Joyful – The Pie Chart of Love
Bluegrass has always had a large family element to it. From sitting around picking with friends and relatives to packing the clan into the camper for a weekend festival, it’s frequently a multi-generational activity. That’s as true today as it was fifty years ago–witness the story behind Colorado duet/band, Ruby Joyful. Co-founder Dan Rubinoff lived […]
My Black Country – The Songs of Alice Randall
What do you get when Allison Russell, Rhiannon Giddens, Valerie June and others get together to sing songs by an underappreciated black songwriter on John Prine’s label? My Black Country – The Songs of Allice Randall. Alice Randall has been writing country music songs for decades. Though hers isn’t exactly a household name, she’s been […]