Some records feel assembled; Delusions of Grandeur feels inherited. The Family is Dylan LeBlanc, his father James LeBlanc and James wife and stepson Angela Hacker and Bay Simpson. The album carries the unmistakable weight of shared history, where blood ties matter less than the lived experiences that shape every lyric and harmony. Recorded at Muscle […]
Aaron Lee Tasjan – Get Over It, Underdog
Success as an artist can be hard to quantify. Many of the greatest painters the world has ever known died penniless. Most of us have favorite musicians that we’re mystified why they haven’t become superstars. The flip side of that coin is when some success does come, it can be hard to understand why you […]
Effie Zilch – Higher Calling
Back in the middle of the 20th century, the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper had a legendary columnist, Herb Caen, who wrote about the issues of the day affecting the working and middle class families that called the City home. To make sure he didn’t veer off into pedantic topics of interest only to insiders or […]
The Twangville 2026 Album Preview-Side B
Here are some albums that we’re looking forward to hearing in the back half of 2026… Material Witness by William Matheny (10 July) William Matheny brings pure rock and roll spirit to Material Witness, leaning heavy on electric guitars and hearty, driving rhythms. His lyrics crackle with authenticity and a wisened view, proving there’s still […]
Monday Morning Video – Austin Plaine
Some songs meet you exactly where you are — and then lift you somewhere better. Austin Plaine has a gift for that kind of winsome, quietly uplifting songwriting, and “Rise Above It” is a perfect example. It sits with the weight of hard-won experience before arriving at something that feels like grace. “Looking at the […]
Jesper Lindell on Record Deals and Lyrical Memory
Swedish singer-songwriter Jesper Lindell talks about the moment his tour van’s brake pads flew off just as they pulled into a venue, his years working as a mailman before music took over full-time, and why streaming alone doesn’t sustain artists outside the mainstream.
Mayer’s Picks – The Best of 2026 (So Far), the Songs
Don’t Let Go, Fantastic Cat (from the Missing Piece Records release Cat Out of Hell) A scream-along-at-the-top-of-your-lungs anthem about holding on to your dreams. Nothing you can buy can save what you soldSo hold on tight to the light in your soulDon’t look down, baby don’t let… Don’t let go Suffer, Boy Golden (from the […]
Mayer’s Picks – the Best of 2026 (So Far), the Albums
Cat Out of Hell by Fantastic Cat Fantastic Cat’s third album is another classic, nothing but pure pop perfection. Four songwriters with distinct styles blend here in a way that shouldn’t work as well as it does — sharp and spirited in both lyric and melody. And credit where it’s due: any album title that […]
Get Into Trouble – a Premiere from Travis McKeveny & the Famous Doctor Scanlon Band
Travis McKeveny, a beloved NY musician, died in 2021, leaving behind two albums and a community that loved him as much for his friendship as his music. Just as important, he left behind a collection of songs and a blueprint for a third album he was ready to record. Shortly before the pandemic, Travis assembled […]
William Matheny on Tinned Fish and Not Making Artistic Compromises
West Virginia singer-songwriter William Matheny talks about Isaac Asimov, destination dining, and why every US citizen should be drafted into two years of mandatory customer and food service upon turning the age of 18.