For what I’m certain won’t be the last time, I headed to Kansas City for the Folk Alliance International conference (and musical extravaganza). Â With nearly half of the 2500 attendees being musicians, you could barely round a corner in any public area and not find impromptu jams. As you might expect, there were a number […]
Folk Alliance Conference 2016 – The Scene and the Sounds
Twangville returned to Kansas City two weeks ago for the annual Folk Alliance Conference. As we wrote last year, Folk Alliance is a different than your typical music conference or festival. For starters, the attendees are overwhelming musicians (save party crashers like us). This translates into an all music, all the time philosophy. This comes […]
Bobby K’s Music Newsletter 2015
Editor’s note: Once a year I receive an email from Robert Klausner, better known to Twangville as Bobby K. The email is an annual newsletter sent to his friends recapping favorite music picks and discoveries from the year. I asked for Bobby’s permission to repost here because it’s just too good not to share. Enjoy! […]
Best of Fall 2015 Readers’ Pick: Keep Coming Back by Mike Zito & The Wheel
With things finally kicking back into gear, we thought we’d go back and share the Best of Fall 2015. If you’ve been following our polls it should be no surprise to learn that MIKE ZITO & THE WHEEL, Keep Coming Back beats out KINKY FRIEDMAN, The Loneliest Man I Ever Met as your favorite album […]
Authors’ Pick: Best Album of 2015: Jason Isbell, “Something More Than Free”… Plus More
Official Twangville Best New Album of 2015: JASON ISBELL, Something More Than Free Here it is. Our official pick for Best New Album of 2015 is Something More Than Free by Jason Isbell. Isbell beats out Josh Ritter’s Sermon on the Rocks which is eerily reminiscent of 2013 when Isbell and Ritter also came in #1 and #2.This list […]
Readers’ Pick: Best Album of 2015: “Mono” by The Mavericks
Fans came out in full force to support Mono by The Mavericks as your favorite new album of 2015. Many thanks to the Pugwash and The Black Lillies fans who helped duke it out for spots #2 and #3Â and thanks to all who participated. We’ll include your picks into our fancy algorithm for the soon […]
Bill’s Blues-Based Best – 2015
There’s no way we can claim to track all the new music that comes out in a year. But we’re wired to find what we like. While I certainly enjoy the alt. country artists so popular on Twangville (caught Jason Isbell’s show at the Electric Factory last summer – fantastic!) I tend to write more […]
Tom’s Picks: Best of 2015
BRANDI CARLILE, The Firewatcher’s Daughter Every year there’s always one album that blows your mind no matter how many times you hear it. From the time The Firewatcher’s Daughter was released in March to now in December, every song on the album still stuns. At first listen you marvel at the mastery of Carlile herself. […]
Shawn's Picks – Best Albums of 2015
The Mavericks – Mono  More than their previous albums I felt like Mono showcased the band more than the individuals in it.  They”re not breaking any new ground here, but that”s like dinging someone for being the best in the world at something.  This stayed in the disc changer in my car for about 6 […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best Songs of 2015
I posted my list of favorite from the first half of 2015 back in July (here and here). Rather than replicate that list for my full year review, consider this a continuation — the best songs from the second half of the year. Get Better, Frank Turner (from the Xtra Mile Records release Positive Songs […]