Flint, Michigan–born singer-songwriter Miko Marks takes us inside Redtone Records, the red-walled basement studio where she rehearses, in a house tied to the founding of East Palo Alto. She also recalls her first gig, a second-grade show with a $25 fee she never saw, and talks about the day job she still holds as social director at a tennis club.
AmericanaFest 2026, Mayer’s Picks (Part 1)
BOY GOLDEN I caught Boy Golden twice, and both sets were terrific in song and stagecraft. At the second show, I recognized a guy in a Boy Golden t-shirt from the previous set. I struck up a conversation and it turned out to be Dad Golden. Boy Golden also had to follow the reunion of […]
Americanafest 2026, Todd’s Take
Going into this year’s Americanafest there was no “one big thing” that I had to see. I was open to anything. Sure, there were a few acts that I had on my wish list, but there wasn’t anything as exciting as last year’s Daniel Lanois appearance so I decided not to make much of a […]
Johnny Rawls & Dave Keller – Tribute to Soul
Johnny Rawls and Dave Keller want you to know how much fun soul blues can be. In their collaboration this summer, Tribute to Soul, the two put together a celebration of the music that hits the mark. Rawls has been a fixture on the blues festival circuit for decades. Once a sideman for the great […]
Monday Morning Video – Otis Redding
Few performers could captivate a crowd like Otis Redding. It’s been a minute since we paid tribute to one of the masters of the craft, so this week’s Monday Morning Video goes back to a legendary performance from the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, captured just months before Redding died in a plane crash. If nothing […]
Ruthie Foster: The Long Road to Saying Yes
Photo Courtesy Big Feat PR For Ruthie Foster, the road to music began with a child’s stubborn curiosity: sitting close to the television, trying to convince her siblings that the Grammy Awards mattered. She watched singers like Janis Ian and Roberta Flack step into the light and sensed something larger than fame. Music was not […]
The Family – Delusions of Grandeur
Some records feel assembled; Delusions of Grandeur feels inherited. The Family is Dylan LeBlanc, his father James LeBlanc and James wife and stepson Angela Hacker and Bay Simpson. The album carries the unmistakable weight of shared history, where blood ties matter less than the lived experiences that shape every lyric and harmony. Recorded at Muscle […]
Effie Zilch – Higher Calling
Back in the middle of the 20th century, the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper had a legendary columnist, Herb Caen, who wrote about the issues of the day affecting the working and middle class families that called the City home. To make sure he didn’t veer off into pedantic topics of interest only to insiders or […]
The Twangville 2026 Album Preview-Side B
Here are some albums that we’re looking forward to hearing in the back half of 2026… Material Witness by William Matheny (10 July) William Matheny brings pure rock and roll spirit to Material Witness, leaning heavy on electric guitars and hearty, driving rhythms. His lyrics crackle with authenticity and a wisened view, proving there’s still […]
Still in the Groove: Martha Reeves Keeps Searching
Photo courtesy Martha Reeves Martha Reeves has spent more than six decades giving people reasons to dance. Her voice powered Motown landmarks like “Dancing in the Street,” “Heat Wave,” “Jimmy Mack,” and “Nowhere to Run,” songs that still spill from radios and playlists with enough spark to lift a room. Now, as she approaches her […]