As 2007 fades from memory, there’s a wealth of great music on the horizon in 2008. I’ve listed a few of my most eagerly awaited arrivals below, ordered by expected release date. Most of the artists have preview tracks available via MySpace; click on the artist name to link there. Check the Twangville Release Calendar […]
Mayer’s Picks from 2007: The Songs
Dress Blues, Jason Isbell Potent in its simplicity, Isbell reflects on the loss of a high school friend in the Iraqi War. Even after hundreds of listens, I still get a chill in my spine when Isbell sings “You never planned on the bombs in the sand, or sleeping in your dress blues.” If I […]
Mayer’s Playlist for October 2007
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: What Is Love For, by Justin Currie Justin Currie sets the tone for his long-awaited solo debut with his opening line, “What is love for?” Over twelve intense tracks, Currie explores broken relationships with a studied but captivating eye. Lyrics filled with tinges of regret and resignation abound, often with an […]
Beth Whitney + More, Album Previews
Beth Whitney, Leave Your Shoes (Partial CD) [MySpace] At this point in the year there’s less new music to talk about. Its that time for the record companies to start releasing the records that they know we’ll buy for the holiday season like our beloved Christmas albums and “best of” records for our friends and […]
Roman Carter + More, Album Previews
Roman Carter, “Never Slow Down (Full CD) [MySpace] In a year that graced us with a new album from Bettye Lavette, now we get Roman Carter of the famed Carter Brothers (Albert, Jerry, Roman) bringing us some funked up blues. The album is a collaboration with LA producer Tom Rothrock (Beck, Elliott Smith, R.L. Burnside). […]
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss + More, Album Previews
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, ‘Raising Sand’ (Full CD) Ever since Robert Plant formed the Honeydrippers and sang the cover “Sea of Love”, I’ve forgiven him for ever being anything but Led Zeppelin. Now with the help of T-Bone Burnett, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have teamed up to produce the best collaboration since last […]
Neil Young + More, Album Previews
Neil Young, ‘Chrome Dreams II’ (Partial CD) [MySpace.com] One listen to ‘Spirit Road’ a track off of Neil Young‘s new album Chrome Dreams II and you will be reminded why he’s one of the greatest rockers of all time. Its rockin’. Its soulful. It reminds us that we’re all human and a part of our […]
Justin Currie + More, Album Previews
Justin Currie, ‘What is Love For’ (Full CD) [MySpace.com] It’s a bit of a quiet week for new music releases, but one that’s got us here at Twangville buzzing is the new Justin Currie (of Del Amitri) album titled What is Love For. Its his solo debut as well as his first record with Rykodisc. […]
Will Hoge + More, Album Previews
Will Hoge, ‘Draw the Curtains’ (Full CD) [MySpace.com] It’s that time of year again when we here at Twangville go Hogin’. With a new 10 song LP titled Draw the Curtains, Will Hoge packages live show favorites such as “Dirty Little War” and “Washed By The Water” as well as new songs “These Were The […]
Bruce Springsteen + More, Album Previews
Bruce Springsteen, ‘Magic’ (Full CD) Not even a Bob Dylan release can distract me from the mounted anticipation of Bruce Springsteen‘s new release Magic. He’s back with the E Street Band for this record which means the hootenanny is over at least temporarily. I’ve learned to like anything that Springsteen has made over the years, […]