For me, the true harbinger of spring is the arrival of the SXSW Music and Media Conference in Austin, Texas. Or rather, spring begins for me when I arrive in Austin for SXSW. With upwards of 2,200 bands and more than 20,000 attendees from around the world, SXSW is the world’s premiere music conference. Even […]
Adam Turla of Murder By Death On Logging More Than 1 Million Miles on the Road to Success
Murder By Death’s Adam Turla talks about diner breakfasts with the crew and what it means to hit stride after 8-10 years in the music business.
Session Americana “Pack Up the Circus”
Every once in awhile, there is an artist whose album is so anticipated by the Twangville Posse that a number of us pile on for a team review. Put Session Americana’s Pack Up the Circus in that category. SHAWN’S TAKE Pack Up the Circus, the latest album from Session Americana, seems a nearly perfect name […]
Taarka – Making Tracks Home
You could probably argue that all music, regardless of genre, falls into two categories.  There’s music celebrating (or bemoaning) the here and now, and there are songs that take you back to a time or place.  The latest release from Colorado-based Taarka, Making Tracks Home, does a superb job of exploring both of those buckets in […]
Kiss Off — A Special Twangville Playlist, Part 6
A few years back 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. Over the past year […]
Lilly Hiatt – Royal Blue
The skeptics tend to come out of the woodwork when the progeny of a well-known musician launches a career. To be true, their caution is often warranted. One listen to Lilly Hiatt’s new release “Royal Blue†silences all doubt. This is her second album; and it firmly establishes Hiatt as a gifted artist who is […]
Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys – Ionia
In small rural towns across America Friday night is high school sports night. Â Everyone collects at the field/gymnasium about 6:30 and watches the local kids take on the town-down-the-road kids. Â In autumn it’s football, winter means basketball, and spring is for track & field. Â Because the school is so small, all the kids play all […]
Mayer’s Playlist for February 2015
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Complicated Game, by James McMurtry Six years. That’s how long it has been since we last heard new music from McMurtry. While he hasn’t been missing during this time – he could always be found on the touring circuit – many of us were anxiously awaiting some new music. Well, that […]
The Mavericks – Mono
As I noted before, The Mavericks have a kind of timeless sound to them.  Their previous album, In Time, evoked a particular moment in history when you listened to the whole thing.  Their latest release, Mono, doesn’t seem to have  quite the same thematic focus, but all the elements that make the band so ageless are […]
James McMurtry Shares His Rules for Eating While Touring and Building a Career In Music
James McMurtry talks tour van strategies, the difference between Ford and Chevy vans and the sources of artist income, yesterday and today.