When I saw Daniel Lanois announce he was playing a couple of shows in Nashville during AmericanaFest my excitement level hit a 10 out of 10, only to be eclipsed by my excitement level of 11 when I was actually watching him play with his trio at Dreamland on Tuesday. It was a perfect display […]
AmericanaFest 2025, Mayer’s Picks (Part 2)
SOPHIE GAULT Sophie Gault kept busy at AmericanaFest this year. I managed to catch her three times—solo, with the SiriusXM house band, and with her own crew—each performance more electrifying than the previous. There’s something about an artist finally making music on her own terms, and the new songs she previewed suggest her 2026 album […]
AmericanaFest 2025 – Shawn’s Favorites
I saw one estimate that in addition to the 150-ish musical acts with official showcases at this year’s AmericanaFest, there were another 150 you could only see at an unofficial event. If rumors of the dramatic slashing of music at SXSW are true, that may make AmericanaFest the largest event of the year, at least […]
Newport Folk 2022 – the Twangville Recap
The fog seemed to foreshadow Joni Mitchell as it rolled in, surrounding the peninsula housing the War of 1812-era Fort Adams that makes up the venue of the Newport Folk Festival, after a weekend of intense sun and heat. There had been whispers all weekend about special guests; rumors of Paul Simon, Paul McCartney, Jimmy […]
Readers’ Pick: Three Red Feathers by The Blackberry Bushes Stringband
THE BLACKBERRY BUSHES STRINGBAND, Three Red Feathers beats out KEVIN GORDON, Long Time Gone as your favorite for the week of September 4, 2015. Poll Results New Releases Did we miss something? If you feel a new release is missing from our current poll, please let us know in the comments. Readers’ Top 25 – Summer […]
Craig Finn – Clear Heart Full Eyes
Craig Finn has always had a reputation as an accomplished lyricist. In fact, he is as much of a poet as he is a Rock and Roll musician. His lyrics invoke an emotional connection that is evident as the crowd sings along at Hold Steady gigs. After all, this is the man who weaved the […]
Mayer’s Playlist for January 2012
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Live At Lincoln Hall, by Joe Pug Since arriving on the singer-songwriter scene in 2008, it didn’t take long for Joe Pug to establish himself as a rising star. This live album, recorded in Chicago last spring and comprising songs from his one full-length album and two eps, is a spectacular […]
Monday Morning Video: Ryan Adams Covers Bob Mould
I hope that everyone has been keeping up with Suzanne’s survey of Ryan Adams musical catalog (parts 1 and 2; stay tuned for part 3!). Adams recently appeared at a tribute to legendary singer, songwriter and guitarist Bob Mould. Mould has provided us with legions of music from his tenures with Husker Du and Sugar […]
Twangville Town Hall: Heaven is Whenever – The Hold Steady
For the posse here at Twangville, it’s always fun to sit around and shoot the breeze as we discuss our favorite new releases. Some of them, like the recent album from the Drive By Truckers, deserve a bit more attention, sometimes. The Hold Steady (Official / Myspace) is one of our favorite acts ’round these […]