For the record, I’d like to state I wish I was related to Frank Solivan.  The Solivan family reunions must be the ultimate bluegrass festival/jam session you could ever imagine.  Along with that family, and some additional friends, Solivan is recreating the spirit of that figurative event on his latest record, Family, Friends & Heroes.  The […]
Brett Harris Talks About Proposing to His Wife in a Song and Why He Tours With a Set of Running Shoes
Brett Harris talks about why he was more nervous for his first solo gig than he was singing in front of a large crowd at the National Cathedral and a particularly memorable – and meaningful – first song.
Dead Winter Carpenters – Washoe
For most travelers, the next stop out of Bakersfield is either the high desert and Las Vegas, or the sprawl of Los Angeles. Â Musically, Bakersfield leads to the honky tonk of rural California, or the alternative rock and roll sprouting out of the Mojave. Â There’s a third path, though, north to the mountains and the […]
Photos that ROCK! Josh Brings his Joy to Boston!
Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band House of Blues, Boston MA February 19, 2016 On a cold night in February, I walked out of the sweaty House of Blues feeling like I had just been to some sort of a therapy session (and I am a therapist as my day job!) and my spirits […]
Folk Alliance 2016 – The Video Companion
Actual videos of our fave Folk Alliance performances are hard to come by, well at least good quality ones. So we decided to go with the next best thing – videos of these performers captured in other, sometimes unique, locations. Featured in this video playlist are: The Show Ponies, Parsonsfield, Aoife O’Donovan, Session Americana, Bob […]
Shawn’s 2016 Folk Alliance Favorites
For what I’m certain won’t be the last time, I headed to Kansas City for the Folk Alliance International conference (and musical extravaganza). Â With nearly half of the 2500 attendees being musicians, you could barely round a corner in any public area and not find impromptu jams. As you might expect, there were a number […]
Folk Alliance Conference 2016 – The Scene and the Sounds
Twangville returned to Kansas City two weeks ago for the annual Folk Alliance Conference. As we wrote last year, Folk Alliance is a different than your typical music conference or festival. For starters, the attendees are overwhelming musicians (save party crashers like us). This translates into an all music, all the time philosophy. This comes […]
Brian Carpenter On Avoiding Fast Food and Why He Makes Music On His Own Terms
Multi-instrumentalist and composer Brian Carpenter talks about the benefits of keeping a day job and recalls a memorable meal he and his band enjoyed while touring through Washington, D.C.
Mayer’s Playlist for February 2016, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Meridian Rising by Paul Burch Paul Burch is a musician’s musician in the truest sense of the word. Admired by peers (who regularly lend their talents to his recordings), he is also ambitious with his musical exploration. Case in point – his latest release is a fictionalized take on the life […]
Mayer’s Playlist for February 2016, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Heavy Hearts, Hard Fists by Nikki Hill We’re gonna call this the best 2015 album that slipped by me last year. Better late than never, right? Hill’s sophomore release, the aptly titled Heavy Hearts, Hard Fists, hits like a punch in the gut. While her sound is rooted in old-school R&B, […]