Sometimes songs capture in a snapshot what ends up being a universal truth. John Prine certainly had a knack for it, and a lot of Woody Guthrie’s material is relevant 60 or 70 years later. Rod Abernethy bottled a bit of that with the title track from his latest record, Normal Isn’t Normal Anymore. Written […]
Drayton Farley- A Hard Up Life
Drayton Farley has released a new album, “A Hard Up Lifeâ€. The songwriting is authentic and has great depth. He has become one of my favorite songwriters, and certainly needs to be recognized as so many other Alabama born musicians have been recognized the last decade or so. Farley if from Woodstock, Alabama; a dying […]
Ben Nichols on Drawing Furniture, Sharing a Cell Phone, and Enjoying the Moment
Ben Nichols of Lucero recalls working at his family’s business and talks about focusing on where you are rather than where you want to be.
Monday Morning Video – Solomon Burke and Aretha Franklin
It doesn’t get much better than this – Aretha Franklin and Solomon Burke lead the choir in a rousing version of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come”.
Readers’ Pick: Steve Earle & The Dukes – J.T.
You picked Steve Earle & The Dukes – J.T. as your favorite new release for the week of January 8, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaK9ZLqqHRI New Releases Did we miss something? If you feel a new release is missing from our current poll, please let us know in the comments. Readers’ Tops Winter & Spring 2021 Steve Earle […]
The Twangville Early 2021 Release Preview
Happily, 2021 is upon us! Here are just a few forthcoming long-players that we are eagerly anticipating in the coming months. J.T. by STEVE EARLE AND THE DUKES (4 Jan) Steve Earle pays tribute to his late son – and raises funds to support the late artist’s wife and 3-year-old daughter – by recording a […]
Bill’s Blues-Based Best of 2020
Well, it’s over. We got through it, and, while it 2020 was a monster in so many ways, there were some choice blues albums that hit the street. Below is a dozen of my favorite blues (or ‘bluesy’) albums of 2020. Sonny Landreth – Blacktop Run. It’s a great album for when you’re on the […]
Lee Bains III on Tour Sandwiches, Jamming Econo, and Sage Advice from His Grandmother
Lee Bains III talks about repairing the tour van (with a tip for buying tires), working as a handyman, and playing in a band named Mind Detergent.
Monday Morning Video – Steve Earle
We lost a tremendous talent with the tragic passing of Justin Townes Earle last year. To raise funds for the late artist’s wife and 3-year-old daughter, Steve Earle and his band The Dukes recorded a collection of Justin Townes Earle compositions. J.T., the resulting album, was released last Monday on what would have been Justin […]
Twangville’s Official Favorite Album of 2020 Is…
Reunions by Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit The Twangville pick for Best New Album of 2020 is Reunions by Alabama rock outfit, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit. This list combines best of year picks from our Twangville critics plus the Readers’ Tops which you helped us create. Congrats to all the finalists. Bring […]