There’s a specific kind of record that sounds like it was cut with the venue’s back door still propped open. You can hear traffic. You can smell the bourbon. Somebody’s laughing a little too loud and nobody’s apologizing for it.
The Naked Sun – Mirror In the Hallway
One of the vivid memories I have as a child is the annual county fair and carnival where I experienced my first hall of mirrors. As a kid it’s a wonderment: you see yourself fat, skinny, multiple eyes, all kinds of variations of what you know is you. Philadelphia’s The Naked Sun took a very […]
Matt Charette Shares One for a Friend and One for the Fight
There’s a certain style of DIY rock and roll that thrives in cities and towns across the country—gruff, edgy, and deeply heartfelt. No pretense in the songs, no bullshit in the attitude. And often, some of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. Two artists who embody that spirit – and represent its geographic reach – […]
Now & Then: Zach Bryan’s With Heaven On Top and the shadow of Heartbreaker
There’s a funny thing happening in 2026: Zach Bryan can drop a 25-track album and people still talk about it like it was passed hand-to-hand on a porch.
Sophie Gault – Unhinged
Somewhere in the exurbs of farming country sits the rural version of a night club. It’s a big, corrugated tin building with a puddle-filled gravel lot, nearly indistinguishable from the welding shop next door. Live music on the weekends is courtesy of a local band playing honky-tonk rock, the thematic choice for drinkin’, flirtin’, fightin’, […]
Now & Then: The Deslondes’ Holy Cross Blues and the shadow of Music From Big Pink
Some albums arrive like a fresh coat of paint. Others show up like somebody finding an old Polaroid in a jacket pocket and realizing: oh right, this is who we were. Holy Cross Blues is that second kind. It doesn’t feel “new” in the trendy sense. It feels newly revealed.
Todd’s Tops of 2025
At the end of each year the contributors here at Twangville vote on our favorite 25 releases and tally up the results on a magic spreadsheet. Everyone’s vote counts the same, although Mayer’s should probably count double since he consumes more music than anyone I know. On the other hand, my taste is better. I […]
Now & Then: Jason Isbell’s Foxes in the Snow and the shadow of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska
Jason Isbell has made a career out of writing songs that feel like they come with fingerprints still on them. Even when the 400 Unit is roaring behind him, you can usually hear the quiet draft underneath.
Jeff’s Picks – Best Album of 2025
“I want to go out and play these songs by myself and it sound as close to this as possible,” Jason Isbell explains to Gena Johnson, co-producer, in Well Welch’s documentary about the recording of “Foxes in the Snow.” Documenting the Isbell’s process making of the album, the above-mentioned film is called “Feel Real Good” […]
Shawn’s Album Favorites: 25 From 25
1) Silverada – Texas 42. A love letter to the Lone Star State, from the title track to the drinking song to the closer with the armadillo. With some slight changes of lyrics it’s also a requiem for living just about anywhere in southern and/or western rural America. 2) I’m With Her – Wild And […]