Set aside his own impressive catalog, Robbie Fulks knows a good song when he hears one. Here’s an impressive cover of Fountains of Wayne’s brilliant power pop confection “The Girl I Can’t Forget.” A trombone and guitar solo? Fuggedaboutit. In true Fulks comedic fashion, the performance comes from a tribute night entitled “Fountains of Wayne […]
Guy Davis – Kokomo Kidd
Guy Davis is among the vanguard of musicians, including Keb’ Mo’, Eric Bibb, Otis Taylor, Alvin Youngblood Hart and Corey Harris, who have carried the blues torch lit by the post-war greats like Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and B.B. King.  His newest album, Kokomo Kidd, reminds us why Davis is a key voice in […]
Monday Morning Video – Kasey Chambers “Pretty Enough”
We recently wrote about Kasey Chamber’s great new album (here). Here’s a gem from her catalog, the moving “Pretty Enough” from 2008’s Barricades and Brick Walls.
The Blackberry Bushes String Band – Three Red Feathers
I love it when music transports you to another time or place. Â Some musicians do it with their stories. Â We wrote about Kevin Gordon last week. Â John Prine and Robert Earl Keen also come to mind. Â Other musicians do it with the music itself. Â The Mavericks always make my short list for that, as does […]
Route 128 on a Dark and Lonely Night – A Special Boston Playlist
Here is the latest installment in our periodic series highlighting Boston and New England artists. (View the complete series here.) Jambalaya, Girls Guns and Glory (from the self-released A Tribute to Hank Williams – Live!) Girls Guns and Glory’s annual Hank Williams tribute shows have rapidly become a New Year’s tradition. With the help of […]
Kevin Gordon – Long Gone Time
While all of the Twangville writers have their favorite artists, there are a few of them that end up on just about all of our lists. Â Kevin Gordon makes that short list, and his latest record caught the imagination of more than one of us. Â So here are a few thoughts on Long Gone Time. […]
Mea Culpa! A Special Summer Playlist, Part 3
Hard Work, Christopher Paul Stelling (from the Anti Records release Labor Against Waste) Count Labor Against Waste among the most powerful albums that you’ll hear this year. Wandering troubadour Stelling uses his songs to offer taut social commentary, peering into human intentions and sharing pointed perspectives on life’s opportunities and challenges. The mesmerizing ballad “Scarecrow” […]
Jackie Greene – Back To Birth
I’ve always liked musicians who mix things up in a live show and aren’t afraid to dive into a new genre, comfortable their artistry and talent aren’t confined to a single style. Â Over the years, Joan Osborne has been a poster child for that, doing everything from 90’s pop ballads to covers of Motown classics […]
Mea Culpa! A Special Summer Playlist, Part 2
Devil in Me, Anderson East (from the Low Country Sound/Elektra Records release Delilah) There’s something special about that old-school soul sound. It’s all the more impressive when it is created by a young whippersnapper like Anderson East. The Nashville by way of Alabama singer-songwriter serves up an exhilarating debut album that is steeped in Muscle […]
Peace, Love and Twang at the Philadelphia Folk Festival
The Philadelphia Folk Festival, which has been around for 54 years, isn’t your grandfather’s folk festival. While there is still a smattering of venerable acoustic solo folksingers on its program like Arlo Guthrie, Bruce Cockburn and Tom Paxton, the festival has become a great platform for Americana artists of all flavors as well as for […]