ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Stay Positive, by The Hold Steady When Craig Finn preaches, “our psalms are sing-along songs,” in the opening track of their latest release, he might as well have revealed the band’s musical mission. Whereas previous albums have focused on the characters living in Finn’s imagination, this go-around spotlights the rock anthems […]
The New New Soul
The past few years have seen a resurgence of soul and R&B. We’ve seen bands good (Sharon Jones & the Dap-Tones), bad (the Pipettes) and even confused (Amy Winehouse). We’ve even had the reemergence of a couple of legends – Al Green & Solomon Burke – to remind us how it’s done right. Just when […]
Handicapping the Songs of Summer
Now that summer has arrived we can begin handicapping the song that will dominate the airwaves this summer. What It Will Be: “Mercy” by Duffy You’ll be immediately captivated by the warmth and beauty of Duffy’s voice but the beat-heavy R&B swing, a bit reminiscent of Aretha Franklin’s “Freeway of Love,†is the secret weapon […]
Truth & Soul, Digging in Music History
In an era of digital downloads threatening the record industry record labels like Truth and Soul are a breath of fresh air. Truth and Soul is the kind of label that doesn’t aim on big sales, but is there to satisfy the needs of collectors like me. In limited editions the company releases actual vinyl […]
Listen Up: Nakia & His Southern Cousins
In a small room off the beaten path at this year’s SXSW I found a big voice. Austin singer-songwriter Nakia took possession of the room that night, his rich and brawny voice shifting effortlessly from a soulful ballad to a R&B rave-up. Ably backed by his top-notch band the Southern Cousins, it was a highlight […]
Band of Heathens + More, Releases 5/20
Interview and performance footage of The Band of Heathens. BAND OF HEATHENS, self-titled (self)Official Site | MySpace | Stream | MP3* [audio:http://audio.sxsw.com/2008/mp3/The_Band_of_Heathens-Jackson_Station.mp3] A SXSW favorite for the past two years, Band of Heathens release their own brand of Lonestar State countrified rock and soul. Formed as a result of a regular shared billing at Austin’s […]
SXSW 2008: The Sounds Part 2
Alejandro Escovedo Escovedo’s Sunday night show at the Continental is the traditional unofficial closing of SXSW and this year he served up a special treat. With co-conspirator Chuck Prophet on guitar, Alejandro and company performed the entirety of Real Animal, his forthcoming release. Lyrically it finds Escovedo in a reflective mood but musically ready to […]
In Memory of Chris Gaffney
No Depression reports that Chris Gaffney has succumbed to pancreatic cancer in a double dose of sad news this week. Among other things, Chris was known for his fine body of work with the Hacienda Brothers. Our thoughts and prayers are with family, friends and fans of Chris Gaffney.
Sean Costello, 1979-2008
It was only weeks ago that I added Sean Costello to my ‘Best of Winter ’08’ playlist. His blues-rock record ‘We Can Get Together’ (released in February of this year) is remarkable and truly sits near (if not at) the top of the list in its genre so far this year. Today we learned the […]
Mayer’s Picks from 2007: The Albums
With the passing of one year and the start of another, we at Twangville relish the opportunity to reflect on our favorite music of the past year. Over the next week I’ll be highlighting my favorite albums and songs from 2007, culminating with a preview of some highly anticipated 2008 releases. We start with the […]