Twangville

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

Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2006, part 1

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Although I’ve been rather quiet on the posting front, I haven’t stopped listening to music. Here are some selections from the Fall for your consideration. Stuck Between Stations, The Hold Steady (from the album Boys and Girls in America this song combines all that is great about the Hold Steady: Tad Kubler’s in-your-face guitar, Franz […]

Tom Waits & More, Album Previews

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THIS WEEK’S ELITE: Tom Waits, Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards (Disc 1) (Anti) If the name of the album alone doesn’t sell you, how about 3 discs, 54 songs including 30 new songs and 24 “lost” tracks. Personally, I find it difficult to digest Waits’ songs in large quantities but isolated they expose their brillance. […]

The New, Weird America: The Harry Smith Project Revisited

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“My dream came true. I saw America changed through music.” As a Grammy Awards audience acknowledged his genius, a frail Harry Smith, months before his death, basked in the recognition that had eluded him for a half century. The importance of his landmark Anthology of American Folk Music cannot be overstated: it is often credited […]

Loomer – Songs of the Wild West Island

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When asked about remaking his favorite songs, Scott Loomer remarked, “You don’t cover ‘Crazy’ unless you’re Patsy Cline, which we’re not.” That’s a taste of the wit and wisdom that makes Loomer (the band) so appealing. No flash, no pretense, Songs from the Wild West Island is just a solid batch of songs that pierce […]

Check Out Sam Mellon and the Skylarks

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Check out LA-based Alt-Country/ Americana/ Roots-Rock outfit Sam Mellon and the Skylarks. They recently put out a self-produced 3-song EP in preparation for a full-length record already in production. The band is fronted by Sam Mellon (vocals, acoustic guitar) and joined by Julie Wolf (accordian, piano, vocals), David Serby (electric bass guitar), Carl Urbinati (electric […]

AMA Conference Coverage by Americana Roots

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You’ve heard me rave about Ray Randall’s podcasts in the past. Now let me offer further kudos to the fine folks at Americana Roots notably Gregg Geil for their great coverage of this weekend’s Americana Music Conference in Nashville, TN. Be sure and check out the nice photos posted to help us blokes that couldn’t […]

Bonnie Raitt and Friends, Reviewed

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Effortless. Like an eagle soaring in a calm wind. This is how Bonnie Raitt delivers her music. Back in September of 2005, Raitt played a concert for VH1 Classic in Atlantic City at the Trump Taj Mahal. It would have been enough to record Raitt and her band alone, release a live concert album and […]

Todd Snider and The Ginn Sisters, a Podcast by Ray Randall

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Because no one delivers Americana podcasts quite like Ray Randall over at AmericanaRoots.com. This week Ray covers recent albums from Nashville-based rabble-rouser Todd Snider (The Devil You Know) and Austin-based harmonic siblings The Ginn Sisters (Blood Oranges). Listen to the podcast: RRR: Todd Snider and The Ginn Sisters [AmericanaRoots.com] [audio:http://www.americanaroots.com/content/CD-Reviews/Randalls-Random-Reviews/RRR-Todd-Snider-and-The-Ginn-Sisters.html]

The Beach Boys – Rehearsals 1967

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I don’t know if there’s any band that embodies a sense of carefree Americana more than The Beach Boys. If you’re as much of a geek for their music as I am, you absolutely MUST go on over to An Aquarium Drunkard today and get your hands on this recording as soon as humanly possible. […]