SOPHIE GAULT Sophie Gault kept busy at AmericanaFest this year. I managed to catch her three times—solo, with the SiriusXM house band, and with her own crew—each performance more electrifying than the previous. There’s something about an artist finally making music on her own terms, and the new songs she previewed suggest her 2026 album […]
AmericanaFest 2025 – Shawn’s Favorites
I saw one estimate that in addition to the 150-ish musical acts with official showcases at this year’s AmericanaFest, there were another 150 you could only see at an unofficial event. If rumors of the dramatic slashing of music at SXSW are true, that may make AmericanaFest the largest event of the year, at least […]
AmericanaFest 2025, Mayer’s Picks (Part 1)
kirby baby Two sets from Brooklyn’s kirby baby meant double the proof that his razor-edged indie rock songs are built for live performance. Whether solo or with his full band—I saw both—the material from his new album crackled with the same intensity. JADE BIRD Bird’s magnetic presence commanded Third Man Records’ legendary Blue Room as […]
2025 Americana Music Awards
In what now clocks in at a full 7 days of festivities, if you count the first unofficial showcase until the last, AmericanaFest landed in Nashville the week of September 8th this year. And although the organization itself has started scheduling showcases opposite the annual awards event, there’s no doubt the extravaganza at the ever-fabulous […]
Chip’s Best of 2025 – So Far
I thought I would kill two birds with one stone. My year end best of is a daunting task, so I am going to cut the challenge in half and try to get the Twangville readers to think about what their favorites are so far in 2025. No better to do that than give you […]
Studio Spotlight/Blue Rock Artist Ranch & Studio, Billy Crockett
Blue Rock provides a destination studio experience where the artist and team can live, work, play, and eat together, also hosting concerts, artist residencies, and workshops. The studio was designed and built with native wood and stone in the spirit of a 19th century fort/mission, converted to acoustic spaces for tracking and mixing audio + […]
Monday Morning Video – Flaco Jiménez
Another legend gone. Chances are you’ve heard Flaco Jiménez—even if you didn’t know his name. For more than seven decades, his unmistakable accordion sound helped define and popularize Tejano music, bridging Mexican folk traditions with American country, rock, and blues. Flaco’s influence ran deep—whether leading his own conjunto, anchoring the Texas Tornados alongside Doug Sahm, […]
Studio Spotlight/Welcome to 1979, Chris Mara
In 2018 I had the opportunity to attend Tape Camp at Welcome to 1979 in Nashville, then stay over for a few days and record. Chris and his team were nothing less than fantastic and the place is a wonderland for bands to explore. I recently reached out and asked if he would answer our […]
Mayer’s Picks – The Best of 2025 (So Far), the Songs
Wrong End & Black Snake, Mojave Blues, Balto (from the self-released No Hard Feeling) These two songs represent the scope of Balto’s musical power – the unbridled rock and roll fury of “Black Snake, Mojave Blues” and the powerful emotion of “Wrong End”, the band’s seeming farewell to music: I don’t believe in songs no moreIn the long dead horse […]
Mayer’s Picks – the Best of 2025 (So Far), the Albums
No Hard Feeling by Balto Released quietly in late December 2024, Balto’s surprise album opened 2025 on an incredibly powerful note—impassioned, defiant, and beautifully crafted. From the slow-burning heartbreak of “Big City” to the searing catharsis of “Black Snake, Mojave Blues,” the band channels their frustrations and fading faith in music into a collection that’s […]