With Labor Day now in the rearview mirror, life gets more serious. Students are back in school, work projects pick up, winter is coming. Even the chaos of 2020 isn’t changing that cycle. As it happens, singer-songwriter Garrett Owen is releasing a good accompaniment to buckling down, his second full length album, Quiet Lives. The […]
Monday Morning Video – Randy Newman “Louisiana 1927”
Fifteen years ago this week I published my first Twangville post. From then until now, the experience has been an absolute joy. I’m privileged to have developed so many tremendous friendships along the way, from the Twangville posse to the countless PR and industry professionals to, of course, the talented artists who continue to inspire […]
Admiral Radio – Sounds Like You
It’s funny how you can get attached to an item over time, appreciating it first for what it physically is, and then over time for what it represents. South Carolina natives Becca Smith and Coty Hoover had that experience with a 1941 Admiral Radio. As they learned more about the antique and how it related […]
It’s Alright Just to Be – a Premiere from Isaac Hoskins
Songs really don’t come much better than “It’s Alright Just to Beâ€. The acoustic ballad starts with a random encounter between the singer and a drunk man at a bar. As the man’s heartbreaking story emerges, the singer considers the false assumptions he made about the man. A musical pause transitions the song into a […]
Monday Morning Video: Kevin Gordon Goes Back to the Well
There’s something special about hearing songs in their truest form. Kevin Gordon’s recent release of the demos from his 2000 release Down to the Well is a fine case in point. Sure, it’s nice to hear Lucinda Williams adding her voice to the album version of the title track. The original demo, however, bristles with […]
Sean Danger Smith – Space Camp
He calls it “music to think to.” Sean Danger Smith’s music is introspective and interesting. Introspective, these days, with many of us unemployed and shut in at home, might just be where it’s at. I was turned on to Sean Danger Smith by a young friend of mine in Philadelphia. Smith has released a new […]
When the Lawn Gets Dark – a Premiere from Jackson Emmer
You can hear lots of musical touchpoints in Jackson Emmer’s music. There’s the lyrical perceptiveness of Jackson Browne, the melodic air of fellow Colorado artist John Denver, and the occasional flash of wit reminiscent of Todd Snider. It all comes together quite nicely on Alpine Coda, Emmer’s forthcoming new album (arriving 2 Oct). “When the […]
Peter Himmelman on Tour Cooking and Writing in Optimistic Font
Singer-songwriter Peter Himmelman talks about the tortoise and the duck in his rehearsal space and recalls the lesson that he learned at his first gig.
Samantha Crain on Five Iron Frenzy and The Worth of Work
Samantha Crain recalls the drum machine that accompanied her on her first gig and the time that someone put pepper in the tour van radiator.
Mayer’s Picks – The Best of 2020 (So Far), the Songs
No Time for Love Songs, The Mastersons (from the Red House Records release No Time for Love Songs) I love you so much but it’s no time for love songs We’re starting to unravel at the seams Maybe I care too much and this world is hard enough How come everybody’s gotta be so mean? […]