Dallas lost one of the cornerstones of its music scene last week with the passing of Trey Johnson. Sorta, the band Johnson co-founded in 2000, quickly established themselves as local favorites and achieved some national recognition before disbanding in 2008. Johnson went on to co-found State Fair Records, the Dallas label that launched the careers […]
Monday Morning Video – Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman was a songwriter’s songwriter whose compositions have been recorded by everyone from Jimmy Buffett to Willie Nelson. Here’s the master performing a few himself, including “Banana Republics” and “City of New Orleans”, the latter of which earned Goodman a posthumous Grammy when Nelson covered it in 1984.
Monday Morning Video – Bendigo Fletcher
In search of one last morsel of music late one night at last fall’s Americana Conference, I stumbled across Louisville, Kentucky’s Bendigo Fletcher. Although I only caught a couple of songs, the band’s melodic (and harmonic) charm and lyrical intensity stuck with me. I finally got to see a full and proper set on the […]
Hank Erwin Video Premiere – Sally
Last fall I wrote about the new album from Hank Erwin, Copper. Generally speaking, the record is full of Southern rock ballads and outlaw country tales, many of them at least partially autobiographical. If you’re going to just sample a couple of songs, you can’t go wrong with Altana or Hell Or Harlan, both with […]
Monday Morning Video – Ronnie Spector
With the passing of Ronnie Spector, another rock and roll legend has been taken from us. Spector leaves behind a tremendous musical legacy, one that led to the Ronettes being inducted into the Hall of Fame (with an induction speech by Keith Richards). Below is that night’s performances of the group’s signature “Be My Baby”. […]
Monday Morning Video – Hayes Carll
While preparing year-in-review posts, it’s fun to reconnect with songs that were somewhat over-looked or have faded from memory. Hayes Carll’s wonderful ballad “If It Was Up to Me” is a prime example for me. The wistful song mixes regret for mistakes made with an idealistic hopefulness. If it was up to meMy mistakes would […]
Ward Hayden & the Outliers Have “Nothing To Do” – a Twangville Premiere
Though the title lends itself to our Covid lives, certainly these days as Omicron wreaks havoc around the world, “Nothing To Do (For Real This Time)” is about something entirely different. The song, from Ward Hayden & the Outliers‘ outstanding 2021 release Free Country, considers the experience of returning to one’s hometown after time spent […]
Monday Morning Video – Brian Wilson
As we head into another year, this song seems particularly timely given the state of our world. I was lyin’ in my room and the news came on t.v.A lotta people out there hurtin’ and it really scares me Love and mercy that’s what you need tonightSo, love and mercy to you and your friends […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best Songs of 2021, Part 2
I posted my list of favorite from the first half of 2021 back in July (here). Rather than replicate that list for my full year review, consider this a continuation — the best songs from the second half of the year. What’s The Matter/Ft. Walton Wake-Up Call, James McMurtry (from the New West Records release […]
Monday Morning Video – Joy Oladokun
With all the talk about the Beatles (I still haven’t watched the documentary… yet), I thought I’d share this wonderful cover of “Blackbird” by Joy Oladokun.