Little Red Rider, Kathleen Edwards (from the Dualtone Records release Billionaire) The music world is a better place when Kathleen Edwards is writing and performing. It’s been said before, but Billionaire makes it worth repeating. Edwards has never been one to mince words. Her storytelling carries a truthfulness built on specific details and brutal honesty, […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall/Winter 2025, Part 1
Speechwriter, Joelton Mayfield (from the Bloodshot Records release Crowd Pleaser) Joelton Mayfield’s Crowd Pleaser announces itself with purpose: vivid storytelling wrapped in guitars that know when to whisper and when to scream. The dynamics shift constantly—bobbing, weaving, building tension that reverberates from somewhere in the distance before crashing into the present moment. “Pretty Linda” offers […]
Afton Wolfe – Ophiuchus
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 […]
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 […]
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 – Todd Snider
Saturday morning brought some heartbreaking news: Todd Snider, the East Nashville icon and beloved storyteller, had passed away. The initial reaction seemed hesitant, as if all were in collective disbelief. But very quickly, an overwhelming outpouring of grief and remembrance flooded social media, filled with moving and often humorous stories about how Snider had touched […]
Gurf Morlix – Bristlecone
With Bristlecone, Gurf Morlix once again delivers an unmistakable work—painted in his palette of gothic imagery, sparse guitar, and hard-earned truth. This is the kind of album that feels like flying across Seven Mile Bridge at night in a hearse with the windows rolled down, narrowly escaping the Devil, yelling “Step On it Skinner!” It’s […]
Alex Wong on Mixing Records and Teaching Martial Arts
Singer-songwriter Alex Wong talks about rehearsing above a tallow factory (and the odors that permeated the space) and the time that he played fake guitar in a TV commercial.