Los Angeles-based singer/guitarist Rod Melancon likes to write songs about his formative years growing up in Louisiana. These are richly colorful tales, or more to the point vivid characters, often based on real people and occurrences. If his debut album from focused on the youthful innocence (and exuberance), his sophomore release takes on much darker […]
A Twangville Premiere: Celebrating Father’s Day with Matthew Logan Vasquez
I don’t have any kids of my own but, from what I’ve heard from those that do, there’s a certain irony to the title of Matthew Logan Vasquez’s new album entitled Does What He Wants. The idea that a new-ish parent, rock musician or not, can do what he or she wants when there is […]
Back in the Saddle Again – a Special Twangville Playlist, Part 2
It’s time to get back in the playlist game. After a not-so-brief hiatus during which I opened the Twangville office in Dallas, I’m ready to get back to the playlists. And, given that the last one appeared in August of last year (!), let’s just say that I’ve got some catching up to do. To […]
Back in the Saddle Again – a Special Twangville Playlist
It’s time to get back in the playlist game. After a not-so-brief hiatus during which I opened the Twangville office in Dallas, I’m ready to get back to the playlists. And, given that the last one appeared in August of last year(!), let’s just say that I’ve got some catching up to do. To that […]
A Twangville Premiere – Cowbell Ask “What Am I Supposed to Do?”
It’s certainly summer music season and here’s another for your seasonal playlist. The track, “What Am I Supposed To Do†comes from UK-based band Cowbell. The duo, comprised of Jack Sandham and Wednesday Lyle, betray their geographical roots by running with a decidedly American sound. Imagine traipsing the dusty backroads on a path that parallels […]
Monday Morning Video – Gregg Allman (1947-2017)
It’s shaping up to be another tough year in the world of music. We’ve just lost another rock icon with the passing of Gregg Allman. Not only was he the writer of songs that have become touchstones in the rock canon, he was – and continues to be – an inspiration to musicians and fans […]
Monday Morning Video – Rockin’ with Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires
Lee Bains has amassed an impressive catalog of songs that chronicle the new south, a region struggling to maintain it’s distinctive identity while challenging aspects of its heritage and socio-political outlook. Bains and company will release Youth Detention, the follow-up to 2014’s outstanding Dereconstructed, on 30 June. If you prefer that your rock and roll […]
The Sounds of Summer – A Premiere from Trapper Schoepp
What’s more summer than an amusement park? Milwaukee-based singer-songwriter Trapper Schoepp is inclined to agree and is helping us ring in this year’s summer season with Bay Beach Amusement Park, a six-song concept ep tribute to a Green Bay, WI institution. Not surprisingly, the ep rings out with a youthful innocence and enthusiasm as Schoepp […]
John Moreland – Big Bad Luv
After gaining much acclaim on his previous release, “High on Tulsa Heatâ€, John Moreland has released a new album of tunes that raises an already high bar even further. This time around he eschewed the solitary acoustic Folk style of previous work that put full focus on the lyrics. His new effort, “Big Bad Luvâ€, […]
Heather Horton – “Boomerang” Song Premiere
I was fortunate enough to have lived in Chicago in the early 90’s, when acts like Smashing Pumpkins and Liz Phair were putting sonic variety and higher production values on the grunge assault coming out of Seattle. Â When I first listened to the latest album from Chicago native Heather Horton, Don’t Mess With Mrs. Murphy, […]