Though “Club Passim” in Cambridge has a generally laidback vibe, it took the homey comfort of a prodigal son to turn it into a what a coffeehouse should be. Slaid Claves played his highly literate tunes in front of capacity crowd of about 100. Square tables, appetizers and friendly stories made Cleaves’ feel like a […]
Mayer’s Picks: The Best of 2013, So Far (the Albums)
This has been a great musical year and we’ve still got several months — and some highly anticipated releases — to go before it ends. Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite releases from the first half of 2013. You’ll see that I’ve listed my favorite Boston releases as a group. Each […]
Ducktape Saves Lives- Frank Turner’s Recovery
Another entry in our recurring feature, Ducktape Saves Lives demolishes the normal review protocol in favor of cheap jokes, extended digressions, and an occasional interesting thought or two. Inspired by long back and forth emails between myself, fellow Twangviller Todd Mathis, and my twin brother Kyle Petersen, Ductape Saves Lives is intend for ‘big’(ger) records […]
Monday Morning Video: Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Friends Perform Woody Guthrie
Here’s a great one from the archives. Legendary folk singer Ramblin’ Jack Elliott is joined by Marty Stuart, Joe Henry, Kelly Hogan and Billy Bragg to perform a cover of Woody Guthrie’s “The Ballad of Pretty Boy Floyd” from SXSW back in 2006.
Jonas Friddle & the Majority – Use Your Voice
I once heard a comment, that I agree with, at a Calexico concert that anytime there’s both a trumpet and a slide guitar on the same stage it’s going to be a good show. Â Having listened now to the latest from Jonas Friddle & the Majority, Use Your Voice, I’m going to say that the […]
Win Big: Signed Twangville Music Festival Poster
So, the Twangville posse is just about recovered from last month’s Twangville Music Festival, a weekend’s worth of fantastic performances from six incredible artists. We’re not done yet, however. We’re giving away a couple of limited edition Festival posters. Even better, the posters are signed by each of the musicians who performed at the Festival: […]
Drive By Truckers – Live at Track 29 in Chattanooga, TN
I woke up June 28th and all the signs were there. My ears were ringing. My voice was gone, and my head hurt. It wasn’t the flu. I had been to see the Drive-By Truckers the night before. Track 29 is a converted skating rink behind the ubiquitous Chattanooga Choo-Choo Hotel. When the Truckers took […]
Monday Morning Video: Sittin’ Around the Kitchen Singin’ George Jones
There’s a cool house concert series in Boston called the Kitchen Sessions. Well, Ward Hayden of Girls Guns & Glory, Amy Black and Sarah Borges stake their claim on that particular room with this killer cover of George Jones’ “Why Baby Why.” The trio, rehearsing for an upcoming set of shows that they are doing […]
The Boston & New England Festival Circuit
It’s a good time to be a music lover in New England. The region is awash with great music festivals, both long-standing and new. Not surprisingly, my list starts with the recent Twangville Music Festival and the famed Newport Folk Festival. Here, however, are a host of new festivals bringing great music to New England. […]
Steve Earle: The Warner Bros Years
I ‘m usually not a fan of re-releases. My general view is that if I bought the album once, why should I buy it again? Well, I’d make an exception for Shout Factory’s new collection The Warner Bros. Years, which brings together Steve Earle’s first three releases for Warner Brothers Records. This trio of albums […]