#1. JASON ISBELL & THE 400 UNIT, Here We Rest (Lightning Rod) I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t hoping for a full-on rock assault from Isbell and crew. What I got was something better — a nuanced musical tour of his home state of Alabama. From the back porch acoustic sway of […]
Sinful Savage Tigers – The Last Night Of The Revels
The book and movie publishing moguls tend to view releases in terms of two seasons. Â There’s the “beach read” that’s an easy vehicle for light entertainment. Â The winter is when serious contenders for an Academy Award are released. Â The depth of cold & dark apparently being when people are contemplative instead of just wanting instant […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Oct/Nov 2011, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Beauty, Wit & Speed, by Nathan Hamilton “Give me the mad ones, the sad ones, the ones who’ve got nothing to lose,” sings Hamilton in “Through Ether and Time” from his latest release. It is a telling comment and a great introduction to an album that deftly explores the search for […]
Laurie Lewis – Skippin’ and Flyin’
Timeless. Â That’s the single word that best describes the latest release from Berkeley, CA-based songstress and multi-instrumentalist Laurie Lewis. Â Skippin’ and Flyin’ is a sort of tribute album to Bill Monroe. Â The tribute is an abstract though, that includes Monroe songs, songs from others that were inspired by Monroe, and even songs that just evoke […]
Mark W. Lennon – Home of the Wheel
Listening to Mark W. Lennon’s new release Home of the Wheel, I felt as if I was transported back to depression era America without leaving 2011. At times it is the music that takes you there, and other times it is the lyrics. Lennon draws the parallels between the Modern and the past with a […]
Mayer’s Playlist for September 2011
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Old Mad Joy, by The Gourds The Gourds latest is a bit deceiving. The band has built a reputation as a bluegrass and backporch country band, but things aren’t always what they seem. The album open as one would expect. “I Want You So Bad” is built around an accordion and […]
The Dang-It Bobbys – Big Trouble
WWDCFCD. Â What Would Death Cab For Cutie Do (or some other indie favorite) if they recorded an album with just bluegrass instruments? Â The answer to that question is maybe the latest release from The Dang-It Bobbys, Big Trouble. Â It doesn’t have a radio-friendly thumping bass, but the idea of a pop song with intelligent lyrics […]
Great Twangy Hopes
We here at Twangville get to hear tons of great music. We share as much of it as we can with you and just hope that you like it as much or more than we do. On a personal note, in the past year or so, I’ve had a hard time getting as excited about […]
Fall 2011 Release Preview
It is hard to believe that summer is nearly over. How do I know this? I was at a music club on Saturday that had changed over their Sam Adams tap from Summer to Octoberfest. Talk about jumping the gun! Anyway, the next few weeks will unleash an abundance of great new music just in […]
The Greencards – The Brick Album
It does not seem long ago that the Greencards burst onto the New Grass scene. Almost immediately they captured audiences with music that blended influences from their Australian, European and American heritages. With the release of their fifth studio album, The Brick Album, The Greencards are now one of the most respected bands around. Their musicianship is admired […]