Twangville was in the house when the Punch Brothers played a short set at CMT Studios during the Americana Music Conference this past September. A pretty darned impressive performance.
Bill Evans – In Good Company
Sometimes a record has such a clear vision and superior execution that a review just writes itself. That’s pretty much the case with Bill Evans newest project, In Good Company. Â Long before he, literally, wrote the book on how to play the banjo, Evans was studying with the likes of J.D. Crowe and teaching music […]
Kathryn Caine – When I Was His Wife
Decades ago, as part of my misspent youth, I listened to a band called the Good Rats. Â The closest thing they had to a hit was called Tasty, about a guitar player that could play fast, but he couldn’t play “tasty”. Â Let me just say that any of the musicians on Kathryn Caine’s latest release, […]
Jerry Douglas – Traveler
Some albums infect you slowly, like some kind of happy virus, where you finally just wake up one morning and realize you got the fever. Â Others, like the latest release from Jerry Douglas, Traveler, are more like your kid brother hitting you up side the head with a baseball bat and then standing over you […]
MilkDrive – Waves
Daydreaming. Â I had trouble getting this review of the latest release from MilkDrive, Waves, together because every time I would start writing I put the album on to play and next thing I knew I was staring out the window, mind completely lost in other thoughts. Â They paint such immersive pictures it’s as if you’re […]
Old Settlers Music Festival 2012
I’ve been fortunate enough to have attended quite a number of multi-day music festivals over the years, from the Veiled Prophet Fair to the Monterey Jazz Festival and Telluride to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.  For my money, though, it’s really hard to beat the Old Settler’s Music Festival.  Held 20 miles or so outside of Austin […]
The Acoustic Burgoo – Word.
If the saying “variety is the spice of life” is true, The Acoustic Burgoo is the equivalent of my grandmother’s cooking drawer. Â There was a lot of cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and other baking flavors for a comforting dish. Â There were plenty of herbs for savory dishes, and some pepper for bite. Â And a couple of […]
Earl Scruggs, 1924-2012
Melody Walker – Gold Rush Goddess
Kris Kristofferson famously wrote “freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose”. Â Although it became an anthem for a certain lifestyle back in the 70’s, Kristofferson himself would probably admit life’s a little more nuanced than that. Â Whether consciously or not, Melody Walker seems to be exploring a lot of those shades of gray […]
Mayer’s Playlist from February 2012, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Go Fly a Kite, by Ben Kweller Kweller’s last outing was a more moody affair, however that comment can’t be made of his latest release.While there are some acoustic moments, Kweller has brought the rock. And damn it sounds good. “Time Will Save the Day” is the song Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo […]