Here, in no particular order, are a few more favorites from 2014. And the War CameShakey Graves The Shipwreck From the ShoreAnthony D’Amato HealStrand of Oaks Parker MillsapParker Millsap All or Nothin’Nikki Lane Common Ground: Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill BroonzyDave Alvin and Phil Alvin Eli Paperboy […]
Corb Lund – Counterfeit Blues
Corb Lund built a time machine. Â He took his long-time band, The Hurtin’ Albertans, down to Memphis and recorded a number of his live show staples and made them sound more original and rootsy than when they first laid down the tracks 8 – 10 years ago. Â Retransmitting the ambience of the famed Sun Studios, […]
The Nighthawks – 444
DC-based blues-rockers the Nighthawks seem to be undergoing a late-career resurgence, winning their first Blues Music Award with Last Train to Bluesville (acoustic album of the year, 2011), and following that up with a solid effort on Damn Good Time! in 2012. With 444, front man Mark Wenner and the boys continue to crank out high-energy, […]
Photos that ROCK! Girls Guns & Glory
Over the past few months, I’ve gone on a bit of a Girls Guns & Glory binge. I saw them first at the Sinclair in Cambridge, MA, then at a Church coffeehouse in Franklin, then at an arts center in Natick, all in a fairly short amount of time. These boys are always on the […]
The Howlin’ Brothers – The Sun Studio Session
The Howlin’ Brothers are a three piece acoustic band. I hesitate to call them a “String†band, because they don’t fit the stereotype. While they do play traditional music, their version has many facets. Beyond traditional and Bluegrass, they also employee Blues, Country and you may even hear a little Bourbon Street. Their music can […]
Monday Morning Video: The V-Roys
This week we’re gonna go back a few years to enjoy a classic Farm Aid performance from 1997. The V-Roys were a rocking quartet from Knoxville, Tennessee who married a rootsy sensibility with plenty of rock and roll guitars. They were briefly signed to Steve Earle’s E-Squared label. Look closely and you’ll see Earle make […]
The Muscle Shoals Music Guide, Part 3
Twangville has teamed up with Muscle Shoals musician Jimbo Hart, known to many for his work with Jason Isbell and others, to highlight the many great artists that call Muscle Shoals home. PINE HILL HAINTS Twangville Says: Accordion laden drinking tunes, Johnny Cash covers, rockabilly/hillbilly…the Pine Hill Haints seem to do a little bit of […]
The Acoustic Burgoo – Word.
If the saying “variety is the spice of life” is true, The Acoustic Burgoo is the equivalent of my grandmother’s cooking drawer. Â There was a lot of cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and other baking flavors for a comforting dish. Â There were plenty of herbs for savory dishes, and some pepper for bite. Â And a couple of […]
The Little Willies – For the Good Times
If you are looking for hot, fun country music by folks who are playing it because they love it, The Little Willies’ newest release, For the Good Times, should be your destination.  A side project by several artists on separate musical paths, the best known of whom is the enchanting Norah Jones, this second album by The […]
Mayer’s Playlist for December 2011
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Too Drunk to Truck, by Roy Sludge This album was tailor-made for Twangville. Old school in all the best ways, it might as well be a collection of lost classics from the Sun Studios archive. The title track kicks off the album with a strong indication of what will follow. Yup, […]