You have to be pre-disposed to like any album that starts out with a paean to Lawnchair Larry. Â Maybe it’s just a song about a couple of fella’s similarly tempted, but Weather Ballon, the opening cut on the debut album from Austin-based Sons Of Fathers, is an apt metaphor for how quickly this record soars […]
Stockbridge to Boston: A Special Playlist
Here’s the latest installment of my playlist series highlighting the latest and greatest in New England music. FEATURED ALBUM C’Mon by Barnstar! There’s a lot to be said for just getting in the studio for a few days and just having fun. Now while I can’t confirm that this was the case with Barnstar, it […]
Mayer’s Playlist for September 2011
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Old Mad Joy, by The Gourds The Gourds latest is a bit deceiving. The band has built a reputation as a bluegrass and backporch country band, but things aren’t always what they seem. The album open as one would expect. “I Want You So Bad” is built around an accordion and […]
The Dang-It Bobbys – Big Trouble
WWDCFCD. Â What Would Death Cab For Cutie Do (or some other indie favorite) if they recorded an album with just bluegrass instruments? Â The answer to that question is maybe the latest release from The Dang-It Bobbys, Big Trouble. Â It doesn’t have a radio-friendly thumping bass, but the idea of a pop song with intelligent lyrics […]
Great Twangy Hopes
We here at Twangville get to hear tons of great music. We share as much of it as we can with you and just hope that you like it as much or more than we do. On a personal note, in the past year or so, I’ve had a hard time getting as excited about […]
Mayer’s Playlist for August 2011, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: I Recall Standing As Though Nothing Could Fall, by Matthew Ryan If I needed proof as to why Matthew Ryan is among my favorite songwriters, I needn’t look any further than his explanation of his latest release: It wasn’t my intention to make a gloomy album. I know it will be […]
Fall 2011 Release Preview
It is hard to believe that summer is nearly over. How do I know this? I was at a music club on Saturday that had changed over their Sam Adams tap from Summer to Octoberfest. Talk about jumping the gun! Anyway, the next few weeks will unleash an abundance of great new music just in […]
Q & A – Maps & Atlases
Chicago-based four-piece Maps & Atlases aren’t a math-rock band. O.K., good, we’ve got that out of the way now. Sure, there are some rather math-y elements to the band’s indie-folk informed sound, but not to the extent where those intricacies define their overall sonic contributions in the way that many would have one believe. While […]
Kelsey Waldon – Anybody’s Darlin’
Like the aunt that you only see at Christmas, some people put out a vibe that’s fun to be around. Â Same thing with some records. Â My case in point is the second release from Nashville-based singer-songwriter Kelsey Waldon, Anybody’s Darlin’. Â I’ve listened to this record half a dozen times now and I can’t really put […]
Nick 13
By now, surely it’s no secret that country and punk go together about as good as peanut butter and chocolate. And typically, when these two classic American forms of music are welded together, the result seems to resemble a harder, thrashing product. Of course, the overall ethos attached to artists that practice either style in […]