Newport Folk Festival 2016- Saturday We arrived at Fort Adams Park in Newport bright and early on Saturday and were greeted with a a lot more heat and humidity. Luckily, the musical acts on Saturday almost made you forget about the sun. From living legends to hot new acts, the day had much in store. […]
Newport Folk Festival 2016- Friday
On the first day of the Newport Folk Festival, the breeze was up and the humidity was down. Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island was a beautiful spot for the particularly exciting Friday lineup. At Twangville, we’ve known about the new scene in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and following in the footsteps of the […]
Sammy Walker on the Career Question That He’s Pondered for Years and Why He Feels Lucky as Heck Today
Folk singer Sammy Walker reflects on his career, from making $18 at his first gig to what the internet has meant to his career.
Monday Morning Video – Revisiting Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land”
Inspired, or more rather provoked, as a populist response to Irving Berlin’s “America the Beautiful,” Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” has become an American institution in its own right. In celebration of Independence Day, here is a video playlist that includes some engaging covers of the Guthrie classic from the likes of the […]
Mayer’s Picks – The Best of 2016 (So Far), the Songs Part 1
This has already been quite a year for songs. Here are just a few of my favorites from the first half of 2016. Unbroken Hearts and Call the Doctor, Austin Lucas (from the Last Chance Records release Between the Moon and the Midwest) Lucas tells his tale of life in the music business, set to […]
Elizabeth Wills – Every Little Star
Somewhere along the way, we seem to have lost an important component of American music. Â In the 70’s, as solo artists, Joni Mitchell and Carol King defined popular music every bit as much as Zeppelin or the Stones. Â Fast forward a couple of decades and Sarah McLachlan and Jewel were the flag-bearers. Â Nowadays, Shawn Colvin […]
Ana Egge Premiere – Promises To Break
Last year I reviewed Ana Egge’s album, Bright Shadow. Â She had a progressive folk sound that owed a lot to her back up band, the Stray Birds. Â For her latest effort, Ana has thrown in with Danish indie band, The Sentimentals, to supplement her rich vocal talents. Here at Twangville we’re darned happy to offer […]
Guy Clark, 1941 – 2016
An already rough year for music just got a bit tougher. Legendary country and folk singer Guy Clark passed away earlier today. He was an inspiration to both music fans and artists alike. Whether singing songs happy or sad, there was a tremendous warmth to his music and a wonderful vibrancy to his lyrical storytelling. […]
Monday Morning Video (and a Song) – Sammy Walker
Bob Dylan casts a long shadow, perhaps too long. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of Dylan’s work and consider him one of the greatest songwriters we’ve known. But think about how many artists have been called “the new Dylan†over the years. While in one sense it is undoubtedly flattering, it is nonetheless […]
Jason Wilber – Echoes
If you know the name Jason Wilber it’s probably because he’s been John Prine’s guitar player for 20 years. Â However, he’s been exploring his own creative side for a long time and on Echoes, his 9th album, he’s taking aim at cover songs. As he states, he focused on vocal interpretations rather than his finely […]