Twangville

A music blog featuring Alt-Country, Americana, Indie, Rock, Folk & Blues. Est. 2005.

MilkDrive – Places You’ve Not Been

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“Sophisticated” and “bluegrass”.  Not often you see those two words paired.  On Places You’ve Not Been, the latest album from Austin-based MilkDrive, however, the two adjectives clearly belong together.  The disc certainly holds its own blasting as background rolling down the highway on a sunny California day.  But it really rewards you when you take […]

Readers’ Pick: Best of Winter 2015

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JAMES MCMURTRY, Complicated Game beats out STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES, Terraplane by 8 votes as your favorite for the Winter of 2015. Readers’ Official Top 25 – Winter 2015 JAMES MCMURTRY, Complicated Game (26) STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES, Terraplane (18) JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE, Absent Fathers (17) JOE PUG, Windfall (14) THE DECEMBERISTS, What […]

Monday Morning Video – Couch By Couchwest 2015

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Coinciding with SXSW is the annual Couch By Couchwest Festival. What’s not to like about a festival with the tagline “where the beer is cheaper and the only hipster is you.”? (Far be it for me to quible, but some of the beer at SXSW is free. Just sayin’.) Here’s how it works. Artists — […]

SXSW 2015 — Say What?!

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One of my favorite parts of SXSW is the crazy things you see and hear along the way. Here are a few choice selections. This song is called “I’ll Tell You How It’s Gonna Be.” It’s about you not telling me what to do. Best Coast singer Bethany Cosentino responding to an annoying fan who […]

SXSW 2015 — the Sounds, Part 2

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THE STONE FOXES This San Francisco-based rock band added a new drummer since the last time that I saw them. The change enabled original drummer Shannon Koehler to step out as the band’s primary front-man. It’s a role that suits him well as he fired up an afternoon crowd, bounding around the stage and through […]

SXSW 2015 — The Sounds, Part 1

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TRAPPER SCHOEPP The Milwaukee-based rocker used a raucous early afternoon set to preview songs from a forthcoming album. With Hold Steady guitarist Steve Selvidge in tow, Schoepp and his band the Shades provided an electric jolt to all those in attendance. Count me among those eagerly awaiting Schoepp’s new release — it’s gonna be a […]

SXSW 2015 — The Scene

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For me, the true harbinger of spring is the arrival of the SXSW Music and Media Conference in Austin, Texas. Or rather, spring begins for me when I arrive in Austin for SXSW. With upwards of 2,200 bands and more than 20,000 attendees from around the world, SXSW is the world’s premiere music conference. Even […]