Synergy is such an over-used word, but the idea is so important you can’t stop using it in protest, especially when you witness how a band comes together as something greater than the individuals. Â On her latest album, Aiofe O’Donovan (pronounce Ee-fah if you’re new to her music) has captured that magic in a single […]
Newport Folk Festival 2016- Sunday
Newport Folk Festival 2016- Sunday After a scorching first two days at Newport, I was tired. But the lineup on Sunday was definitely the most exciting. From start to finish, the acts on Sunday were incredible. When I arrived to see Joan Shelley at the Harbor Stage, I was already moved by her previous great […]
Newport Folk Festival 2016- Saturday
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. […]
Mayer’s Picks – the Best of 2016 (So Far), the Albums
It’s been a good year for music so far this year (and the rest of the year is shaping up quite nicely, too). Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite releases from the first half of 2016. WILLOW SPRINGS by MICHAEL MCDERMOTT Michael McDermott channels life’s hardships, both his own and those […]
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 […]
Mayer’s Playlist for May 2016, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Poor Man’s Bible by Mike June Mike June doesn’t pull his punches. At all. His latest release is filled with biting commentary about society, politics and religion. He approaches it with a working-man’s perspective, certainly jaded but with a spirit that flirts between combative and cautiously optimistic. “Big corporations too big […]
Mayer’s Playlist for May 2016, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Between the Moon and the Midwest by Austin Lucas Austin Lucas wears his heart on his sleeve. He writes from a personal place, revealing – if not quite reveling in – tales of his adventures in love and music. “I look around and at 35 all I’ve got are songs,” he […]
Front Country Debut – Three Of A Perfect Pair
It’s been two years since progressive string band Front Country parlayed their Best Band wins at Telluride and Rockygrass into their first album, the critically-acclaimed Sake Of The Sound. Â Since then they’ve been touring practically non-stop, playing everywhere from a cave in Tennessee to the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco. While that hasn’t given them […]
Dead Winter Carpenters – Washoe
For most travelers, the next stop out of Bakersfield is either the high desert and Las Vegas, or the sprawl of Los Angeles. Â Musically, Bakersfield leads to the honky tonk of rural California, or the alternative rock and roll sprouting out of the Mojave. Â There’s a third path, though, north to the mountains and the […]
Monday Morning Video – Courtney Barnett Pays Tribute to You Am I
Aussie singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett celebrates her fellow countrymen — and Twangville faves — You Am I by covering their brilliant song “Heavy Heart.” What’s not to like about a song with lines like “I’m like a waterlogged ball that no one wants to kick around anymore.” Sad, but certainly vivid. As a bonus, scroll down […]