The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Shawn Nelson. Â What do they have in common? Â Anthems about being a free spirit. Â You undoubtedly know about Ramblin’ Man and Free Bird. Â In the case of Shawn Nelson, it’s Nobody Got A Hold On Me, the first track on his 4th release, San Juan Street. Â Stylistically the song is […]
John Prine – The Singing Mailman Delivers
Forty years. It has been forty years since John Prine released his first, self-titled album, with such classics as “Paradise,” “Angel From Montgomery,” and “Spanish Pipedream.” That first album was one of the few true folk albums included in Rolling Stone‘s 500 greatest albums (a bogus, arbitrary exercise to boost circulation for sure – but John Prine was on […]
Monday Morning Video: Gordon Gano + Lost Bayou Ramblers
I spent a day at the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans a few weeks back and happened upon a set by Gordon Gano of the Violent Femmes playing with Lafayette, Louisiana’s Lost Bayou Ramblers. When they launched into the classic “Blister in the Sun,” the crowd erupted. I couldn’t find good footage from Voodoo, […]
Sons Of Fathers – Sons Of Fathers
You have to be pre-disposed to like any album that starts out with a paean to Lawnchair Larry. Â Maybe it’s just a song about a couple of fella’s similarly tempted, but Weather Ballon, the opening cut on the debut album from Austin-based Sons Of Fathers, is an apt metaphor for how quickly this record soars […]
Americana 2011: The Sounds
MUSCLE SHOALS TRIBUTE SHOW Detroit may have by Motown and the Funk Brothers, but Alabama had Muscle Shoals. Side-stepping which was the better musical factory, it is impossible to ignore the impact that Muscle Shoals has had on American music. This performance provided irrefutable evidence to the greatness of this legacy. The set was loose […]
David Bromberg and Ry Cooder
The release of new albums by two masters of roots music this summer flew pretty much under the radar. Both David Bromberg and Ry Cooder have churned out album after album of Americana spanning folk to R&B since the early 1970s. Bromberg’s career has been the oddest, with long periods of withdrawal from public performance […]
Americana 2011: The Awards
The hands-down highlight of the Conference was the annual Americana Music Awards. In this instance, the words for such a magical evening are hard to come by. Set aside any the speeches and performances, the event was held in the legendary Ryman Auditorium. Originally built for religious revivalist meetings, it achieved great fame as the […]
Americana 2011: The Scene
This year, Twangville made it’s first trek to Nashville for the annual Americana Music Conference and the 10th Annual Americana Music Awards. Over the next week I’ll be highlighting some the moments, musical and otherwise, from this year’s event. WHAT’S IN A NAME? The running joke all week was how to define Americana. The context […]
Monday Morning Video: Peter Wolf and Butch Walker
This past weekend was a big one for music in Boston with both Peter Wolf and Butch Walker teaching clinics in how to deliver a high energy show. Don’t believe me? See below for the evidence. Wolf serves up a version of “Love Stinks” tailor made for Twangville while Walker and his band the Black […]
The Jayhawks – Mockingbird Time
It is time for another collaborative review here at Twangville. So here are a few perspectives on the Jayhawks new release Mockingbird Time: Eli – I am surprised by how much I like Mockingbird Time. Now you may be asking yourself “surprised? really? what’s wrong with this sap—it’s the Jayhawks—the original line-up with Louris and […]