Suicide of Town, Ben de la Cour (from the Julian Records release Sweet Anhedonia) There isn’t a lot of sunshine in Ben de la Cour’s music and Sweet Anhedonia is no exception. Heck, the album is titled after the condition of not being able to experience pleasure. But that’s part of the Nashville singer-songwriter’s magic […]
Tim O’Brien – Cup of Sugar
Heading into June, the heart of festival season, I’ve been thinking about some of the pioneers of the progressive bluegrass movement. Robbie Fulks’ excellent new record contributed to that reminisce, as did the arrival of the latest album from Nashvillian, by way of Colorado and West Virginia, Tim O’Brien. It’s called Cup of Sugar and […]
Vance Gilbert – The Mother of Trouble
When I got the press release for Philadelphia native Vance Gilbert’s upcoming album, The Mother of Trouble, it noted the project contained “4 bullies, 4 deaths (3 of them murders), 3 moms, 2 accidents, 2 Black people, 2 dogs, 1 dog ball, and one missed flight due to gas station sushi.” I mean, who’s not […]
The Rough & Tumble – Only This Far
One of my best finds at this year’s Folk Alliance was The Rough & Tumble, the musical duo of Mallory Graham and Scott Tyler . A couple based out of, well, let me get back to that, they have a modern folk, bluegrass-tinged sound that’s a little bit joyous and a little bit philosophical. On […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2023, Part 1
Rockaway, Brian Dunne (from the Kill Rock Stars release Loser on the Ropes) Brian Dunne sets a clear tone for his latest album with its title. Loser on the Ropes chronicles life in a troubled world, focused on the personal rather than the geo-political. The characters in his songs are often taking stock of their […]
Logan Halstead – Dark Black Coal
Comfort is a small town in southwest West Virginia. As the saying goes, it’s a place to be from, not where you want to go. A kid growing up there knows from an early age they want out. But like a socio-economic black hole, that’s easier said than done. Poverty has a way of desensitizing […]
Old Settler’s Music Fest 2023 – The Music
Yesterday I wrote about the history and vibe of Old Settler’s Music Festival. But the driving reason most Twangvillians would go to this event is the music. OSMF has a rich tradition of using a broad definition of Americana music when booking their acts, and 2023 was no exception. A new format allowed festival goers […]
Old Settler’s Music Festival 2023
April means springtime, and with it the beginning of festival season. There are many choices, from the multi-weekend, party-with-half-a-million-friends behemoths to the local and regional celebrations of singular musical styles. Falling closer to the latter is one of my favorites, Old Settler’s Music Festival. Held an hour southeast of Austin, it leans heavily toward string […]
Melissa Ruth Video Premiere – Poor Man’s Daughter
A few weeks back I posted a review of Melissa Ruth’s latest album, Bones. It was a noteworthy record because on first listen it’s upbeat Americana music, with hints of gospel, jazz, and classic rock. Dig a little deeper though, digest the lyrics and pace of the songs, and you find a number of stories […]
Monday Morning Video – Guy Clark’s “Hell Bent on a Heartache”
I was looking for a video of Clark performing his brilliant ode to heartbreak but, alas, I couldn’t find one. Of the covers that I did find, this one by Korby Lenker and Betsy Phillips best captured the longing and loneliness of Clark’s song.