When you walk into a concert venue and you happen to find the band shmoozing in front of the chicken coop, you know the show is a bit different than the usual. I’ve seen Marah in two other small venues, but the fact is that I’ve never quite experienced the intimacy of the inaugural show […]
Life’s a Beach, Vol. 2 Playlist
A while back I pulled together a playlist I called “Life’s a Beach”. Little did I know it would quickly become a family favorite. When I was asked to do a follow up it was a no-brainer. This playlist is the result of that activity. You probably have your own mix tape playing in your […]
Sidewalk Dave- Gold Liquid Mischief
“Gold Liquid Mischief” is an album inspired by, written while, and recorded under the influence of drinking. This might seem like it was all fun and shame, and at times it really was, but when your only choice on the matter of drinking is either cheap scotch or cheap bourbon, it begins to drown your […]
Crooked Still / Infamous Stringdusters
Two of the best young Newgrass groups have upcoming albums. Crooked Still – will release Some Strange Country on May 18th on Signature Sounds. They are certainly a genre bending groups always, but they rise to a new level on this. The album is beautifully arranged,lyrically infused with both spiritual and earthly wisdom, and as […]
Record Store Day, My Favorite Holiday
How quickly Record Store Day has become one of my favorite holidays. The annual celebration of the independent record store features special performances and a spectacular list of exclusive releases. I won’t get sentimental about the decline of the record store, yet it is hard to ignore the special qualities that they possess. There’s something […]
Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt
While you may wonder why a folky Swede deserves to be recognized on a decidedly more twangy website, one listen should do the trick. In that one song you’d probably never know that Tallest Man on Earth wasn’t raised in the mountains of North Carolina. Perhaps that’s because as well as Bob Dylan, Kristian Matsson […]
Twangville Talks to Kasey Anderson (+ Giveaway)
“You been spittin’ out nails and knockin’ back whiskey/ you got a new tattoo, it says that you don’t miss meâ€- Kasey Anderson I caught up with Kasey Anderson as he was returning from SXSW and days away from touring the ENTIRE REST OF THE COUNTRY (tour dates below) in support of his excellent new […]
Carrie Rodriguez – Love and Circumstance
Lots of people have covered the Hank classics. Â The Carrie Rodriguez version of I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry, on her latest record Love and Circumstance, ranks right up there with the best of them. Â With Carrie on mandolin and Bill Frisell on guitar, there’s a richness to the instrumental that complements Carrie’s vocals and […]
Alejandro Escovedo’s Legendary Conclusion to SXSW 2010 at the Continental Club
It was two years ago at the unofficial Sunday night South-by closing ceremonies at the Continental Club that Alejandro Escovedo world premiered his then-forthcoming album, Real Animal live and in sequence from the first track to the last. It was a remarkable show, and it proved to be an album that raised Alejandro’s profile considerably, […]
Remembering Alex Chilton, Whose Spirit was Entwined with SXSW 2010
I don’t think it would be overstating the case too much to say that when the news of Alex Chilton’s death broke on the first day of SXSW, so too did the collective heart of a sizable percentage of SXSW attendees break. I got the news via text message during the second showcase of the […]