Jolie Holland talks about touring in a microvan, shares an early song lyric, and explains why she is sincerely uninterested in genre .
Smith & Tegio – Can’t Stay Here
Practiced nonchalance. In the music world, it’s the ability to sound just as fresh the 500th time you play a song as you did when you first wrote it. Bands that are good at it are always better live. Although I’ve only seen them live once, I get an overwhelming sense Californians Mark Tegio and […]
Monday Morning Video – Pete Seeger and Johnny Cash
The legendary Pete Seeger’s name has come up several times over the past few weeks. Seeger, who passed away in 2014, was a cornerstone of folk music for much of his 94 years. He was notable as much for his commitment to humanity as he was for his performances. Seeger was always quick to encourage […]
Monday Morning Video – Shane MacGowan
Last week brought the news that Shane MacGowan, co-founder and singer-songwriter for Ireland’s legendary the Pogues, had passed away. MacGowan’s songs, not to mention his interpretations of other folk songs, were as stirring as his life was complex. Even though he had only performed sporadically over the last decade, the impact of his music has […]
When It’s Twilight in Boston – a Special Twangville Playlist
Bulletproof Man, The Bluest Sky (from the self-released The Bluest Sky) Chuck Melchin first appeared on our radar a number of years ago as the Bean Picker’s Union. Essentially a solo artist surrounding himself with a loose collective of acoustic players, he wrote songs that oozed melancholy and were tied to quiet and captivating melodies. […]
Vinnie Paolizzi – The Vinnie Paolizzi LP
Plenty of people, myself included, have lamented the music Nashville is known for has become a formulaic creation from click-tracks and tailgate party themes. While there’s certainly plenty of that, it’s an exaggeration to suggest that’s all there is. Case in point is Pennsylvania native, now Nashville resident Vinnie Paolizzi. After banging around Music City […]
Melissa Ruth Song Premiere – Low-Key Christmas
As we head into the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, we’re bombarded with reinforcements of the typical Western Christmas by pretty much any and every media outlet we come across. You know them all: a bountiful, picture-perfect family dinner, fashionably wrapped gifts under an impeccably decorated tree, snowfall adding a glisten and sparkle […]
Jacob Sharp of Mipso on Warning Lights in the Band’s Tour Van and His Love of Wine
Mandolin player and vocalist Jacob Sharp of Mipso talks about the most rewarding part of being an artist and what bums him out about the music industry.
Kristen Grainger & True North – Fear of Falling Stars
One of the benefits of this writing gig is I get exposed to musicians who have loads of talent, but aren’t well known outside their corner of the world. A great example of that is Oregon-based Kristen Grainger & True North. They just released their latest album, Fear of Falling Stars. Weaving between folk and […]
Tom Heyman – 24th Street Blues
It’s fashionable these days to predict the demise of San Francisco. Its problems are vast; no one wants to live there; it’s too expensive. Long-time Philadelphia and San Francisco resident Tom Heyman has been around cities enough to know that’s cyclical, not an end destination. He documents his own love/hate relationship with the City by […]