Someday I’ll be able to convince Bobby Klausner to become a contributor on Twangville. He’s a friend of Mayer’s which makes him a friend on mine. I’ve never met Bobby but I know him for at least 2 reasons. At the end of every year he sends out a very thoughtful newsletter covering his favorite […]
Mike’s Best Albums of 2006
I waited 24 years for The Who (my favorite band) to release a new album, and it didn’t make my 10-best list! What a drag. Oh well, maybe they’ll get it right in 2030. Not to worry, there were plenty of discs to celebrate in 2006. Drum roll… #1 John Gorka Writing in the Margins […]
Sarah’s Best Tracks of 2006
I purposely titled this one ‘best tracks’ because some of these songs have been floating around for a couple of years or longer, but have been released in the past year as live tracks or, in one case, a compilation release. While some people might argue that they should therefore be out of the running […]
Best of ’06: Stirred, a Playlist
This is the third of three playlists featuring some of my favorite songs of the year. Witness a double dose of Sonic Youth (oh yeah!). Its unusual for me to put the same artist twice on one mix but how could I resist when both Thurston and Kim rock the mike. Can I say that […]
Best of ’06: Shaken, a Playlist
This is the second of three playlists featuring some of my favorite songs of the year. I’m calling this one Shaken. It features songs that have an Alt-Country or Americana orientation or otherwise twanged up. They are ordered to flow (not by rank) and limited to 19 in order to fit on a single CD. […]
Best of ’06: Chilled, a Playlist
This is the first of three playlists featuring some of my favorite songs of the year. I’m calling this one Chilled. It features songs that have a Folk orientation or are otherwise mellow. They are ordered to flow (not by rank) and limited to 20 in order to fit on a single CD. For song […]
Best of 2006, The Outliers
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be narrowing down my favorite albums of the year (yes, Paris Hilton is of course a contender… bleh). I seem to be slow at this because these lists are appearing everywhere. My list of favorite albums will likely elevate the twang and usually the albums are collections of original […]
Best Alternative Songs of 2005
While my taste in music has gone decidedly Americana, I still consider Alternative the root of my interest in song. That being said, I’m not going to go into detail on why I like these but I did want to list some of my favorite alternative songs from 2005. (listed in no particular order) Playlist […]
Best Albums of 2005 (Tom’s Picks)
My Top 10 Albums of 2005 listed in order. 1. Back to Me, Kathleen Edwards An impressive follow-up to 2003’s Failer, for me Back to Me was the album to beat all year. I’ve listened to songs from this album all year long. Her tales of absence and heartache delivered by smokey yet smooth vocals […]
Mayer’s 2005 Picks: The Songs
Here, in no particular order, are my favorite songs from 2005. Washed by the Water, Will Hoge (available for download at Hoge’s web site) In a song as inspiring as it is inspired, Will Hoge leads a gospel revival for New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. “Down here we are washed by the water, the […]