Back in 2007 I reached out to Chris Stamey about mixing my band’s newest album. He’d worked with some of the artists we loved (Mayflies USA, Whiskeytown) and we wanted to see what he could do for us. He arranged to have Al Perkins play pedal steel on a few songs, got the album into […]
Joshua Radin on Being a Person of Ritual and His View on Rehearsals
Singer-songwriter Joshua Radin talks about working as a children’s art teacher for inner city kids in Chicago and why he took himself so seriously early in his career.
Colin Gilmore of West Texas Exiles on Freeze-Dried Skittles and His High School Punk Band
Colin Gilmore of West Texas Exiles talks about who in the band breaks the most strings and a teenage day job getting to jump out of a grain silo dressed as Freddy Kruger.
Monday Morning Video – John Fogerty at the Americana Music Awards
Let’s close out Twangville’s coverage of this year’s AmericanaFest, the Americana Music Association’s annual gathering in Nashville, with one of the week’s highlights. Rock legend John Fogerty took to the stage of the Ryman Auditorium, an institution unto itself, to close out the annual Americana Honors and Awards program. And he didn’t do it alone. […]
AmericanaFest 2025, Say What?!
One of my favorite things about attending music conferences and festivals are the crazy comments that you hear along the way. Here are a few choice selections from this year’s AmericanaFest. If you’re gonna sign to a major label, do it in the 1990’s – it’s the best. Rhett Miller offering advice as he and […]
Readers’ Pick: Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia – Help Yourself
You picked Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia – Help Yourself as your favorite new release for the week of September 19, 2025.
AmericanaFest 2025, Todd’s Take
When I saw Daniel Lanois announce he was playing a couple of shows in Nashville during AmericanaFest my excitement level hit a 10 out of 10, only to be eclipsed by my excitement level of 11 when I was actually watching him play with his trio at Dreamland on Tuesday. It was a perfect display […]
AmericanaFest 2025, Mayer’s Picks (Part 2)
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 […]