Alejandro Escovedo (rock band edition) just passed through Boston for a post-Thanksgiving extravaganza. In the midst of an otherwise rocking set that leaned heavily on the just-released Burn Something Beautiful, Escovedo took a solemn moment to reflect on the many musicians that we’ve lost this year. He celebrated their memory with a moving version of […]
Beaver Nelson Reflects on a Career Spent Painting Houses and Making Records
Austin singer-songwriter Beaver Nelson talks about bartering for guitar strings, the virtues of good gas mileage and touring with massive amounts of Diet Cokes and granola bars in the trunk.
Monday Morning Video – A Tough Music Year Keeps Getting Tougher
It’s been a tough year for music fans as we continue to lose a generation of greats. Here are a quartet of videos from three that we’ve lost in the past two weeks. We’re gonna miss the spirit and songs of Leon Russell, Leonard Cohen and Sharon Jones.
I Will Remember Massachusetts – A Special Boston Playlist
Monroe, Ian Fitzgerald (from the self-released You Won’t Even Know I’m Gone) For many a year Fitzgerald has plied his trade as a folk singer, a troubadour with an acoustic guitar. Over that time he has earned the respect of fellow musicians, always a good indicator that an artist warrants attention. Let’s give credit where […]
Courtney Granger – Beneath Still Waters
Outside, the warm Gulf breeze is gently blowing the magnificent oaks to a rhythm guided only by Mother Nature. Â Inside the dance hall, the velvet tones of a skinny kid in a bolo tie are doing much the same thing to the couples two-stepping around the well worn floor. Â The piano has a sound that’s […]
Monday Morning Video – Grant-Lee Phillips “Cry Cry”
Apparently this is what happens when you invite an artist into a bookstore. Grant-Lee Phillips brought his guitar to Purple Crow Books in Hillsborough, NC and songs ensued. Here he performs “Cry, Cry,” his moving tale of the Native American Trail of Tears. The song can be found on The Narrows, his latest release.
Doug MacMillan of The Connells Makes Sparks at the Gas Station and Finds Cheap Eats on the Road
Doug MacMillan of the Connells on working with record companies (his present one excluded) and songs 1 through 7.
Monday Morning Video – Ian Hunter “When I’m President”
Tomorrow is election day and we at Twangville want to encourage everyone to vote. We’re not going to get political, we’re merely going to say that it is a right, a privilege and a responsibility for those of us in the United States to select the individuals who will lead our country. The US Constitution […]
The Sadies – Riverview Fog Premiere
A few years ago I opined The Sadies were the best rock and roll band coming out of Canada.  Like Canadian pathfinders, The Band, they adhere to a storyline that’s about seizing opportunity.  Some days it’s collaborating with stellar musicians like Neko Case, Jon Langford, or John Doe.  Other days it’s about brothers Travis and Dallas Good […]
Just Like Ringing a Bell – A Special Boston Playlist
Over the past few years there’s been a rush of overdue attention paid to the studio musicians responsible for some of the finest music of the rock and roll era. The Swampers in Muscle Schoals. The Wrecking Crew in LA. The Funk Brothers in Motown. I expect that many places, even today, have a collection […]