Some duos sing together. The Milk Carton Kids still seem to share one lung. On Lost Cause Lover Fool, Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan return to the close-mic folk architecture that made them feel less like revivalists than custodians of a fragile old machine. The “Then” is Simon & Garfunkel’s 1968 Bookends, a record that proved two voices and sharp writing could carry the weight of memory, aging, distance, and national unease without raising the temperature much above a murmur. Lost Cause Lover Fool was released April 24, 2026, with nine songs on Far Cry Records/Thirty Tigers.
Readers’ Pick: The Milk Carton Kids – Lost Cause Lover Fool
You picked The Milk Carton Kids – Lost Cause Lover Fool as your favorite new release for the week of April 24, 2026.
India Ramey – Villain Era
No Fear. Nashville’s India Ramey must have taken some inspiration from that clothing line’s name. Lots of musicians have songs about finding their true self and coming to terms with who they are. On Villain Era, Ramey takes it a step further with a confidence and frankness that would make Clint Eastwood blush. She doesn’t […]
Twangville Returns to NYC’s Cafe Wha? on June 18th
All of our shows start with a simple premise: invite some of our favorite singer-songwriters to share a stage. On June 18th, that stage is the legendary Café Wha? in New York City. Charlie Marie possesses a voice that draws comparisons to country music’s classic era—the kind of singing that stops a room. Her songs […]
Trever M. Keith on Rehearsing in His Buddy’s Garage and Playing 1980’s Covers
Singer-songwriter Trever M. Keith admits to leaving the trailer door open (more than) once and talks about why there’s no such thing as “making it”.
Monday Morning Video – Dave Mason (1946 – 2026)
Dave Mason earned his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction as a founding member of Traffic. It was well-deserved, yet it’s only a fraction of his contribution to rock history. You can find his fingerprints on records by Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney—a first-call contributor to some of the […]
Now & Then: Vincent Neil Emerson’s Blue Stars and the reach of Old No. 1
Some records announce themselves with a bang. Vincent Neil Emerson’s Blue Stars does something tougher. It settles in, tells the truth, and lets the weight of the songs do the heavy lifting. That makes it a natural fit beside Guy Clark’s Old No. 1, a record that helped define how Texas songwriting could be plain, precise, and quietly devastating. Beyond sound or geography, the connection is a shared belief that the smallest details often carry the biggest truths.
Readers’ Pick: Vincent Neil Emerson – Blue Stars
You picked Vincent Neil Emerson – Blue Stars as your favorite new release for the week of April 17, 2026.
Odd Marshall – Seconds
I’m not really a believer in fate. I just feel like people can make rational choices that end up steering them down a new path. Having said that, I’ve certainly seen examples where the Universe just keeps knocking someone back on track. The musician Odd Marshall seems to be one of those. An obsession with […]
Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band – Time
Taj Mahal just keeps doing great music. This master, at 83, continues to show that he, like his namesake building, is a wonder of the world. To say that Taj Mahal has been around for a long time is an understatement. He was raised in Massachusetts in a musical household and gained an appreciation not […]