Sometimes a project takes on a life of its own. Just ask Boston artist Susan Cattaneo. The Hammer and the Heart, her forthcoming release, started as a single album (to use the old vernacular) with the intent of collaborating with musician friends that she admired. Well, as the project progressed the list of collaborators grew […]
Back in the Saddle Again – a Special Twangville Playlist
It’s time to get back in the playlist game. After a not-so-brief hiatus during which I opened the Twangville office in Dallas, I’m ready to get back to the playlists. And, given that the last one appeared in August of last year(!), let’s just say that I’ve got some catching up to do. To that […]
Pokey LaFarge – Manic Revelations
Pokey LaFarge is a musical iconoclast. Â Watch him on stage or listen superficially to his music, in particular his new release, Manic Revelations, and you get a throwback to a musical era when most songs were intended to be happy dance songs. Â Music was an escape, not a medium for a message. Â Listen more closely, […]
Phoebe Hunt & the Gatherers – Shanti’s Shadow
Some musicians like to master their genre. Â Some like to push the boundaries of a genre. Â Others thrive by crossing genres. Â You can count Phoebe Hunt in that last category. Â Her musical arc started with the Texas swing and big band-influenced country of The Belleville Outfit, swung across her fiddle and vocal prowess collaborations with […]
John Moreland – Big Bad Luv
After gaining much acclaim on his previous release, “High on Tulsa Heatâ€, John Moreland has released a new album of tunes that raises an already high bar even further. This time around he eschewed the solitary acoustic Folk style of previous work that put full focus on the lyrics. His new effort, “Big Bad Luvâ€, […]
The Steel Wheels – Wild As We Came Here
A really good stew is hard to describe. Â I mean, on the surface, it’s easy. Â Some meat, some vegetables, in a broth, cooked for a while. Â But it is so much more than that. Â Think of the difference between a Louisiana gumbo, a California cioppino, and a New England chowder. Â They all have seafood, and […]
Don Merckle – Follow Me Boys
Here’s a video from my longtime friend, and once collaborator, Don Merckle.  It’s from his recently released EP, The Ballad of Lincoln Wray, a concept record telling the story of his grandfather’s war exploits.  You can pick up the EP here.
Jared Tyler – Dirt On Your Hands
Life takes funny turns sometimes. Â Jared Tyler was on an arc to be a darling of the Nashville music scene. Â Big names in the music business were taking him under their wing and he was hanging with the stars. Â Then family called and he answered to his heart’s priorities. Â A couple of years pass and […]
Heather Horton – “Boomerang” Song Premiere
I was fortunate enough to have lived in Chicago in the early 90’s, when acts like Smashing Pumpkins and Liz Phair were putting sonic variety and higher production values on the grunge assault coming out of Seattle. Â When I first listened to the latest album from Chicago native Heather Horton, Don’t Mess With Mrs. Murphy, […]
Monday Morning Video – An Austin Lucas and Dan Blakeslee Show Preview
Twangville is proud to sponsor a special show this coming Thursday in Cambridge, MA. Austin Lucas and Dan Blakeslee will undoubtedly regale all those in attendance with stellar stories and songs. Do join us, won’t you? Get your tickets here. Below the show poster (a Blakeslee original) are a pair of videos from both performers […]