If there has been a more heart-breaking song this year than the Miller’s “Chalk,†I haven’t heard it. The twinge in Buddy’s voice as he sings, “If all our heartaches were in a stack, they’d go all the way up to heaven and back,†is spine-tingling. The song, a duet with Patty Griffin, is only […]
Bombadil – Tarpits & Canyonlands
While many buzzed-about-blog-bands are typically the laptop-toting, electronic, shoe-gazers, or the hipper-than-thou indie act that may or may not have hints of The Band in their sound, the occasional rootsy, folk driven band eeks through and creates a stir. The Avett Brothers (who were at Ramseur Records before going with Rick Rubin for their upcoming […]
Ronnie Fauss – New Songs for the Old Frontier: Vol. 1
SXSW 2009: The Video Companion
For more Twangville SXSW coverage click here.
SXSW 2009: The Sounds (part 3)
The Damnwells The Damnwells burst right out of the gate with the rocking “55 Pictures†from their exceptional new release. The set was electric as the band veered from brawny rockers to moody ballads. Almost as entertaining was the young girl – I’m guessing 4 years-old – who jumped on stage to join the band. […]
SXSW 2009: The Sounds (part 2)
The Right Ons The quintet from Madrid, Spain is like a party in a box. They’re well-studied students of the classic Detroit garage rock sound, with bits of Jimi Hendrix and Sly and the Family Stone thrown in as well. They paid tribute to Stone with their intense cover of Sly’s “I Want to Take […]
SXSW 2009: The Sounds (part 1)
Low Anthem The Central Presbyterian Church, one of the more interesting SXSW venues, was the perfect room for the majestic songs of the Low Anthem. The talented trio moved swiftly through a range of instruments during the course of their set. It was completely captivating, albeit a bit ironic to hear songs about Charles Darwin […]
Twangville City Limits – Mo Robson
Mo Robson is the lead-singer and songwriter for The Mo Robson Band. To celebrate the release of his new live album, Mo Robson Band – Live at Adair’s (Smith Music – out this week), Mo gives us a stripped-down preview of some of the new tracks and old favorites that we can expect from the […]
Michelle Shocked – Live at Yoshi’s
A friend of mine told me she saw a double bill 15 or so years ago with Michelle Shocked and Billy Bragg. Wow, to paraphrase an old Rodney Dangerfield joke, I went to a protest and a concert broke out. Michelle is on tour again in support of her upcoming album, Soul of My Soul. […]
The Legacy of Townes and Sir Douglas
Spring brings us two phenomenal releases honoring the legacy of Texas music pioneers Doug Sahm and Townes Van Zandt. The recently released Keep Your Soul: A Tribute to Doug Sahm (Vanguard Records) pays tribute to San Antonio native Doug Sahm. Sahm established himself in 1965 as leader of the Sir Douglas Quintet, a band whose […]