Some bands stay fresh through a process of having two or three core members and a rotating lineup of additional musicians and collaborators. Others have a more stable roster and view the infrequent change as a breath of fresh air and insurance against getting stale. Such is the case with Yonder Mountain String Band, who […]
Tammy Rogers and Thomm Jutz on Good Coffee and Teaching College
Tammy Rogers (of the SteelDrivers) and Thomm Jutz talk about their cars (and how much they love them) and their shared effort to avoid fast food on the road.
Greensky Bluegrass – Stress Dreams
Greensky Bluegrass will be releasing their new album “Stress Dreams” Friday January 21. It is a vibrant high charged album that almost ignores the fact that we have been in a pandemic. Not that they are in denial, and in fact some lyrics address separation and loneliness. However, the arrangements emanate positive vibes as is […]
The Twangville Early 2022 Release Preview
Meet the new year. Same as the old? Not so much on the music front with a great batch of new music on the horizon. Here are some releases eagerly anticipated by the Twangville posse. Hell on Church Street by Punch Brothers (14 January) The virtuoso string quintet remind us yet again why they are […]
Shawn’s Picks – 2021 Favorite Albums
For the second time in a row we’ve finished a year like no other. On the plus side, all that time at home seems to have upped everyone’s songwriting skills. I can’t remember the last time my first pass at the annual favorites list was so long. The first couple of picks were relatively easy. […]
Sad Daddy Video Premiere – Charlie Pickle
Some bands stay together for years with little or no change to their lineup. Other bands are more amorphous, with different incarnations of lineups performing under different names and band members sitting in on each other’s solo projects. The latter describes Arkansas/Texas quartet, Sad Daddy. Last spring the friends got together at guitarist/vocalist Brian Martin’s […]
Angus Gill – The Scrapbook
We tend to think of country music as a uniquely American style of entertainment. While we’re certainly home for it, there are excellent practitioners of the art all around the world. Such is the case with Angus Gill and his latest album, The Scrapbook. Australian Gill was literally about as far from Nashville as you […]
Old Settler’s Music Festival Preview
One of my personal rites of spring is to head 45 minutes southeast of Austin on the third weekend of April to the Old Settler’s Music Festival. Despite not having the name of an Austin City Limits or Coachella, OSMF has been ranked in the top 10 festivals in the country. There are a number […]
Tony Kamel – Back Down Home
They say you can never go home. Clearly that’s more about the time than the location, but I’ve seen both be possible. Tony Kamel, front man for the Grammy-winning Wood & Wire, seems to be one of those exceptions. At the urging of iconic Texas musician and producer, Bruce Robison, Tony has just released his […]
AJ Lee & Blue Summit – I’ll Come Back
Although not as well known as what’s happening in the Rockies or Appalachians, there’s a strong bluegrass scene in the northern California Bay Area. The most famous product of that community right now is undoubtedly Molly Tuttle. But there are several other emerging talents, notably AJ Lee and her band, Blue Summit. In fact, Lee […]