GLEN HANSARD Hansard delivered what was easily the best set of the week. He brought a full band, including strings and horns, to showcase songs both new and old. Josh Ritter joined for a couple of choice covers, including songs by Jason Molina (Magnolia Electric Company), Bruce Springsteen and Leonard Cohen. THE BOTTLE ROCKETS At […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Fall 2013, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE SEASON The Death of the Self-Preservation Society, by Two Cow Garage Two Cow Garage have a well-earned reputation as road warriors who put on ferocious live performances. Their shows are always intense, sweaty and raucous, the way rock is meant to be enjoyed. What sets these guys apart, however, is the strength […]
Americana 2013: The Sounds, Part 1
Every fall, The Americana Music Association gathers members, artists and music fans together in Nashville for its annual conference. Starting with the annual Americana Music Awards and continuing through four days of showcases and panel discussions, it is a tremendous celebration of Americana music. PATRICK SWEANY Sweany delivered what was, hands down, my favorite showcase […]
Monday Morning Video: Jeff Tweedy and the Bottle Rockets
Here’s a cool one from the archives. In 1994 Brian Henneman of the Bottle Rockets, formerly the guitar tech for Uncle Tupelo, played lead guitar on Wilco’s debut, A.M. Twelve years later the two reunited when Tweedy joined the Bottle Rockets for a few songs at a Chicago club. Said Henneman, “I don’t know if […]
Americana 2011: The Sounds
MUSCLE SHOALS TRIBUTE SHOW Detroit may have by Motown and the Funk Brothers, but Alabama had Muscle Shoals. Side-stepping which was the better musical factory, it is impossible to ignore the impact that Muscle Shoals has had on American music. This performance provided irrefutable evidence to the greatness of this legacy. The set was loose […]
Americana 2011: The Scene
This year, Twangville made it’s first trek to Nashville for the annual Americana Music Conference and the 10th Annual Americana Music Awards. Over the next week I’ll be highlighting some the moments, musical and otherwise, from this year’s event. WHAT’S IN A NAME? The running joke all week was how to define Americana. The context […]
Monday Morning Video: The Bottle Rockets!
The Bottle Rockets’ newly released acoustic album sent me scurrying to the band’s killer catalog. Here’s “Gravity Fails”, one of my favorites, recorded live in Chicago from last year. This ain’t no acoustic performance — check out the dual guitar solo at the end of the song. Now how about a Boston show, boys? (Looking […]
Bottle Rockets – Not So Loud: An Acoustic Evening With the Bottle Rockets
As much as it pains me to say it, MTV had a good idea. Â It was back in the 90’s and someone there decided it would be unique to hear a rock band playing acoustic and unplugged. Â And very quickly, the better bands discovered they could turn that opportunity into a new sound; something that […]
Mayer’s Playlist from July 2011
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Not So Loud: An Acoustic Evening, by The Bottle Rockets I don’t know why, but I’ve always hedged when considering the Bottle Rockets as an acoustic outfit. It makes no sense, I know, given that the band is so well travelled on the Americana road. Sure, I love the backporch feel […]
Mayer’s Playlist from July 2009, a Video Companion
So my quest for a Bottle Rockets video from the new release turned up empty. That won’t, however, stop us from watching the boys rock out with David Bowie’s “Suffragette City.” From there we run through a string of great live performances from Daddy (Will Kimbrough & Tommy Womack), Jones Street Station, Those Darlins, Ketch […]