Lyal Strickland talks about life as a single dude driving a minivan, what happens when friends drive by his farm while he is rehearsing and why he changes his guitar strings before every show.
Pharis and Jason Romero – A Wanderer I’ll Stay
A few years ago I saw Gillian Welch in Golden Gate Park. Â When she did I Had A Real Good Mother & Father, her voice was so lonesome and pleading it sucked the warmth out of a sunny summer day in the meadow. Â The temperature hadn’t changed, but people started shivering. Â Pharis Romero took me […]
Taarka – Making Tracks Home
You could probably argue that all music, regardless of genre, falls into two categories.  There’s music celebrating (or bemoaning) the here and now, and there are songs that take you back to a time or place.  The latest release from Colorado-based Taarka, Making Tracks Home, does a superb job of exploring both of those buckets in […]
Kiss Off — A Special Twangville Playlist, Part 6
A few years back I put together a series of special playlists featuring my favorite kiss off songs. Despite what some may think, I’m really not that cynical. Rather, I just appreciate how some songwriters can tackle the topic with humor and bite. It’s kind of like a genre unto itself. Over the past year […]
Mayer’s Playlist for February 2015
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Complicated Game, by James McMurtry Six years. That’s how long it has been since we last heard new music from McMurtry. While he hasn’t been missing during this time – he could always be found on the touring circuit – many of us were anxiously awaiting some new music. Well, that […]
Hazy Shade of Winter — A Special Boston Playlist
Here is the latest installment in our periodic series highlighting Boston and New England artists. (View the complete series here.) FEATURED ALBUMS Barnstar! (from the Signature Sounds Records release Sit Down! Get Up! Get Out!) I don’t think that it is possible to listen to Barnstar and not crack a smile. Every performance, even the […]
The Twangville 2015 Release Preview, Boston Edition
I expect that these releases are just the beginning of another great year of Boston music. MAKE TIME by THE SUITCASE JUNKET(6 January) Singer-songwriter Matt Lorenz knows how to make one heck of a racket. His one-man band sound leans heavy on fuzzy guitar and ragged percussion, augmented by occasional throat-singing that gives the songs […]
The Twangville 2015 Release Preview
There is already an impressive collection of releases on the docket for 2015, with plenty more sure to follow. Here are a handful that the Twangville crew are eagerly anticipating. What albums, whether on this list or not, are you most excited to hear? ABSENT FATHERS by JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE(13 January on Vagrant Records) Earle […]
Chip’s Best of 2014
As usual it was a tough year to pick the top albums. This year was particularly tough; in that there were a number of top notch releases, but no clear standouts. Thus the conundrum, how to separate albums that are all deserving and uniquely their own. Here is an attempt to rank my top ten. […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best Albums of 2014, Boston Edition
This has been a great year for music in and around Boston. I hesitate to break these out into a separate regional list as they would all feature prominently on my overall Best of 2014. That said, taken together they make a great statement on the vibrancy of the Boston music scene. GIRLS GUNS AND […]