Enough, Alisa Amador (from the Thirty Tigers release Multitudes) If I’m honest, I’m really skeptical about music competitions. Call me idealist, but I think the music industry is tough enough already and pitting artists against one another is counterproductive. That said, watching Alisa Amador win the NPR Tiny Desk Contest is somewhat reassuring. It’s wonderful […]
Monday Morning Video – Dennis Brennan
I really miss live music. In fact, it’s something of a tradition for me to ring in the new year at a live musical performance. Alas, it ain’t gonna happen this year. But I’m hopeful that sometime in 2021 you’ll be able to find me again at a show. Ideally lots of ’em. In that […]
My Mind Must Be Back in Boston – A Special Playlist
Reckless Heart, Todd Thibaud (from the self-released Hill West) Singer-songwriter Todd Thibaud decamped to rural Vermont to craft his latest album. He returned to Boston with a collection of songs somber and introspective, no doubt reflective of the environment in which it was born. Stark but nuanced arrangements play into the pensive nature of the […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best Albums of 2016, Boston Edition
This has been an exceptional year for music in and around Boston. I hesitate to break these out into a separate regional list as many of these releases would figure prominently on my overall Best of 2016. That said, taken together they make a great statement on the vibrancy of the Boston music scene. The […]
Just Like Ringing a Bell – A Special Boston Playlist
Over the past few years there’s been a rush of overdue attention paid to the studio musicians responsible for some of the finest music of the rock and roll era. The Swampers in Muscle Schoals. The Wrecking Crew in LA. The Funk Brothers in Motown. I expect that many places, even today, have a collection […]
Shamrock Shakes and Oxycontin – A Special Boston Playlist, Part 2
The musical ground in Boston and New England has been especially fertile this year. We’ve already seen some outstanding releases by artists that run the gamut from long-time favorites to incredibly talented newcomers. To that end, here is the latest installment in our periodic series highlighting Boston and New England artists. (View the complete series […]
Who’s Playing Wednesday: A Twangville Give-Away
Wednesday is apparently the national night for musical residencies. In KC you’ve got Walkenhorst while in Austin you can regularly catch Jon Dee Graham AND James McMurtry. I’m lucky to live in Boston where most Wednesday’s I can catch Dennis Brennan, usually with special guest former J. Geils Band singer Peter Wolf joining in for […]
National Record Store Day on April 19th!
Mothers and fathers get their own days, so why not independent record stores? Across the country records stores will be celebrating with exclusive releases and live performances. See below for a list of very cool exclusive releases and some select performances taking place at my favorite indie record shops. For a list of participating stores […]
Mayer’s Picks from 2007: The Albums
With the passing of one year and the start of another, we at Twangville relish the opportunity to reflect on our favorite music of the past year. Over the next week I’ll be highlighting my favorite albums and songs from 2007, culminating with a preview of some highly anticipated 2008 releases. We start with the […]