I’ve noted before that I’m a fan of concept albums. I have not seen anyone embrace it quite the way Nashville-by-way-of-Mississippi resident Afton Wolfe did on his newest record, Ophiuchus. Each of the 13 songs is associated with one of the 12 well-known signs of the zodiac, plus one for the lesser known Ophiuchus. Then, […]
Kiss Off – a Special Twangville Playlist, Part 8
A few times over the years 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. There have […]
Sophie Gault on Drinking Premium Water and Working to Tour
Nashville singer-songwriter Sophie Gault talks about using a guitar string to tie the bumper back on her car, time spent working at an animal hospital, and being raised by a pack of dingoes in Australia.
Bonus Monday Video – Many Rivers to Cross
Apparently I’m not the only one who considers Jimmy Cliff’s “Many Rivers to Cross” one of contemporary music’s great compositions. Here are some exceptional performances of the song by Joe Cocker, Linda Ronstadt, Annie Lennox, Lissie, Allen Stone & EJ Worland, and Bruce Springsteen.
Monday Morning Video – Jimmy Cliff
We lost another legend lost last week with the passing of Jimmy Cliff. The Jamaican singer-songwriter earned his place in music history as one of reggae’s founding voices, but his artistry always reached beyond any single genre. Songs like “Many Rivers to Cross” stand as timeless standards—simultaneously gospel, folk, and pop, defying easy categorization while […]
GA-20 – Orphans
About 12 years ago I caught a Charlie Musselwhite show at Blues Alley, DC’s great jazz club (that occasionally features blues artists lately). Musselwhite of course was great, but the young lead guitarist, Matthew Stubbs, piqued my intrest so much I sought out his early solo albums – Soul Bender and Medford & Main. What […]
Courtney Hartman on Traveling Deliberately and Not Taking Her Audience for Granted
Singer-songwriter Courtney Hartman shares a touring revelation and recalls playing her first gig at a farmers market (and getting paid in vegetables).
Monday Morning Video – Hard Working Americans
The music community continues to mourn the passing of Todd Snider, with countless stories emerging about how supportive he was of fellow musicians and songwriters. He put that generosity on full display in the early 2010s with the formation of Hard Working Americans, teaming up with Widespread Panic’s Dave Schools, the late guitarist Neal Casal, […]
A Few More Words With Trapper Schoepp
Back in August, we talked with Trapper Schoepp about songwriting, recovery, and his then-upcoming album Osborne. Now that the record’s out in the world, we caught up with him again to dig deeper into his creative process, the challenges of recording the album’s most vulnerable moments, and what it means to write without guardrails. Twangville: […]
Trish Plays Bass – Bluegrass Love Songs, Volume 1
To paraphrase a friend of mine, people go to a classical music performance to hear the composer’s music. They go to a bluegrass show to hear the performer’s music, whether written by themselves or someone else. So I found it intriguing to listen to Trish Imbrogno’s (aka Trish Plays Bass) debut EP. After 25 years […]