If you’ve ever seen Jesse Malin live, you know what a dynamic performer he is. Bounding around the stage, into the audience, up on the bar – he takes over the room. Which makes his recent health situation all the more tragic. Malin suffered a rare spinal stroke that has left him paralyzed from the […]
Meris Gantt – Forced Revival
There’s a fine line between being in a rut and addiction. Sometimes you think it’s the former and in your attempt to get out you realize there’s more to it. That’s the position North Carolinian folk singer-songwriter Meris Gantt found herself in. A two-year journey to shape her new life became the basis for her […]
Kiss Off – a Special Twangville Playlist, Part 7
A few times over the years I put together a series of special playlists featuring my favorite kiss off songs. Despite what some may think, I’m really not that cynical. Rather, I just appreciate how some songwriters can tackle the topic with humor and bite. It’s kind of like a genre unto itself. There have […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2023, Part 2
Suicide of Town, Ben de la Cour (from the Julian Records release Sweet Anhedonia) There isn’t a lot of sunshine in Ben de la Cour’s music and Sweet Anhedonia is no exception. Heck, the album is titled after the condition of not being able to experience pleasure. But that’s part of the Nashville singer-songwriter’s magic […]
Tim O’Brien – Cup of Sugar
Heading into June, the heart of festival season, I’ve been thinking about some of the pioneers of the progressive bluegrass movement. Robbie Fulks’ excellent new record contributed to that reminisce, as did the arrival of the latest album from Nashvillian, by way of Colorado and West Virginia, Tim O’Brien. It’s called Cup of Sugar and […]
Michael Jerome Browne – Gettin’ Together
Canadian bluesman Michael Jerome Browne has been traveling the back roads of the music business for decades. A gifted guitarist, Browne showcases his talents with old time country blues on his excellent Gettin’ Together, the recording of which he describes as “therapeutic” after the isolation of the COVID pandemic. “It’s been a long three years,” […]
Matt Sucich on Tom Petty and What’s Required to Cut Through the Noise
Singer-songwriter Matt Sucich talks about rehearsal space distractions and how he got a first-hand education on the inner workings of the music industry.
Doug Levitt on Theme Parks and Traveling by Greyhound Bus
Singer-songwriter Doug Levitt talks about a co-write from his middle school years and his last proper, full-time gig.
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2023, Part 1
Rockaway, Brian Dunne (from the Kill Rock Stars release Loser on the Ropes) Brian Dunne sets a clear tone for his latest album with its title. Loser on the Ropes chronicles life in a troubled world, focused on the personal rather than the geo-political. The characters in his songs are often taking stock of their […]
Logan Halstead – Dark Black Coal
Comfort is a small town in southwest West Virginia. As the saying goes, it’s a place to be from, not where you want to go. A kid growing up there knows from an early age they want out. But like a socio-economic black hole, that’s easier said than done. Poverty has a way of desensitizing […]