The Lottery Winners My last official SXSW set was delivered by one of my fave new artist discoveries – England’s The Lottery Winners. The band’s energy, combined with the positivity of their songs, made for a cathartic experience. Ben Kweller Kweller treated a Friday night crowd to a set filled with rockin’ fan favorites. Power […]
Monday Morning Video – Todd Snider
Todd Snider is an American original, a songwriter rooted in folk who has followed his own path since the start of his career more than 30 years ago. In that vein, Snider is embarking on a journey through his entire catalog, storyteller style. Starting with Songs for the Daily Planet, his debut album released in […]
Folk Alliance 2024 – Musical Highlights
As noted in my previous post, a big part of the Folk Alliance International annual conference are the showcases, both official and unofficial. The official performances take place from around 6pm to 10pm in hotel ballrooms, with professional sound and lighting. Depending on the size of the room attendance can go from a few dozen […]
2024 Folk Alliance International Conference
There are many organizations set up to serve the music industry, from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the Grammy people) and their non-profit, MusiCares, to industry organizations for various segments, to local music societies. I’m certain none of them come close to the broad offerings of Folk Alliance International. FAI is a […]
Josh Fortenbery Premiere – Bored To Death
Sometimes when you hear the origin story for a record you realize it was almost destined to sound the way it does. Such is the case with the debut album from Josh Fortenbery, No Such Thing As Forever. Although he’s called North Carolina, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Mexico home, his current domicile is Juneau, Alaska. With […]
American Aquarium’s Road Trip to Raleigh.
Upon leaving the third and last night of American Aquarium’s Road Trip to Raleigh, one conclusion was obvious. B.J. Barham really knows how to throw a party. In fact, more than a party, it is a festival. Other bands do special weekend events to be sure, but Barham to his credit goes deep into his […]
James Talley – Bandits, Ballads and Blues
I count myself a fan of Twangville as well as an occasional contributor. This is mainly because I often discover new music that I hadn’t heard before. But sometimes, Twangville reminds me of forgotten voices that I had embraced long ago. When I was growing up in the Twin Cities, my older sister Peggy turned […]
The Montvales – Born Strangers
Fate can be an interesting topic. You can accept it as the reason things happen, or question whether you can change it. In the case of lifelong friends Molly Rochelson and Sally Buice, both viewpoints feature in their sophomore album, Born Strangers. The pre-ordained side comes to bear as the Knoxville-raised women went their separate […]
Crow and Gazelle Song Premiere – Take It Away
Chrislyn Lawrence and Mike McClure first met in 2003. Although they had an instant, soulful connection, life happened, and they continued on parallel paths. Mike gained considerable music credibility as the producer for such Red Dirt acts as Turnpike Troubadours, Jason Boland, and Cross Canadian Ragweed. Chrislyn’s path, besides developing her talent as a poet, […]
Sarah Jarosz – Polaroid Lovers
Back in 2005 I had the pleasure of seeing a then-13-year-old Sarah Jarosz in cut-offs and black high-tops shredding her mandolin on a couple of bluegrass numbers in the spot she’d earned by winning the previous year’s youth talent contest at Old Settler’s Music Festival. Several of the other acts that year invited her up […]