One of the things that makes California unique is the breadth of its geographic features. You can easily hit the slopes on Olympic quality runs at Lake Tahoe in the morning and then catch the late afternoon break at Steamer’s Lane in Santa Cruz. It’s barely 100 miles from the glitz and glitter of Hollywood […]
American Aquarium’s Road Trip to Raleigh.
Upon leaving the third and last night of American Aquarium’s Road Trip to Raleigh, one conclusion was obvious. B.J. Barham really knows how to throw a party. In fact, more than a party, it is a festival. Other bands do special weekend events to be sure, but Barham to his credit goes deep into his […]
James Talley – Bandits, Ballads and Blues
I count myself a fan of Twangville as well as an occasional contributor. This is mainly because I often discover new music that I hadn’t heard before. But sometimes, Twangville reminds me of forgotten voices that I had embraced long ago. When I was growing up in the Twin Cities, my older sister Peggy turned […]
Tinsley Ellis – The Naked Truth
At this point, Tinsley Ellis is pretty much recognized as a blues master. Usually a hard blues-rocker of the Stevie Ray Vaughn school, now with The Naked Truth he has released his first all-acoustic blues album – and it’s fantastic. A native Georgian who spent much of his childhood in Florida, Ellis played in Atlanta […]
Emanuel Casablanca – Strung Out on Thrills
Emanuel Casablanca’s billing says he’s an “outlaw-bluesman.” Whether he’s an outlaw or not, he certainly has a knack for aggressive blues-rock. (Note to self: resist the temptation to include a reference to the movie Casablanca.} The Brooklyn-based Casablanca is a painter, actor, and singer-songwriter who released his debut album, Blood on My Hands, in August […]
Chip’s Best of 2023
I had the same problem with my year end rankings as always. There were at least 35 albums worthy of the top 25. As you can see that math only works for congressmen and poker hustlers. I focused the top 25 on Americana and Roots music. To have included Indie and Alternative would have been […]
Uncle Lucius – Like It’s the Last One Left
The sub-title of this review could be “Uncle Lucius, a band in 3 acts”. In the early-mid 2010’s, Uncle Lucius was emblematic of the Austin bands that could make a living without ever sleeping in a hotel (although they certainly did their fair share of touring). Then in 2018 front man Kevin Galloway decided it […]
Low Water Bridge Band – Back to the Valley
If Nashville is the white collar home of country music, then the blue collar home must be about 500 miles northeast of there, near the Shenandoah Valley. I stumbled across a band recently that is the epitome of blue collar country music, and coincidentally they call the Shenandoah Valley home. The Low Water Bridge Band […]
Nora Jane Struthers – Back To Cast Iron
We all had to make unplanned changes for the forced differences the pandemic made on our lives, but few had to adapt as much as Nora Jane Struthers. Having reconciled how to be simultaneously a traveling musician and full-time mother, she suddenly had to re-examine almost everything. That whole process informed the songs on her […]
Guy Forsyth Video Premiere – Rider
At the risk of mixing metaphors, Guy Forsyth started his journey washing dishes and mucking stalls in the musical kingdom of Austin. From those early days of busking on the UT campus he worked his way up to leading multiple bands and securing a residency at Antone’s, the throne room of Texas blues. Along the […]