Bahamas Former Feist guitarist Afie Jurvanen, who performs as Bahamas, caught my ear with his second release earlier this year. Live he takes it to another level, creating an ambiance that makes his already strong songs even stronger. Part of the reason is the distinctive make-up of his band: electric guitar, drums and two back-up […]
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 […]
Best Songs of 2008, Mayer’s Picks
It would be easy to mine my top album list for the best songs of the year. But why take the easy road? Here then are the top songs that aren’t represented on the top album list. The World Should Revolve Around Me, Little Jackie (from the S-Curve release The Stoop) This song is an […]
Best Albums of 2008, Tom’s Picks
These are my favorite albums of 2008. As always, these only reflect music that I was able to afford or otherwise get my grubby hands on. Regretfully, the lastest from Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Marc Broussard, Ray Lamontagne, Amos Lee, and Butch Walker among dozens of others kept a distance. #1. THE HOLD STEADY, […]
Reckless Kelly,’s “Bulletproof”, Readers’ Choice Album of the Year
Its that time of year again where we start to see “the lists” start appearing regarding everyone’s favorite this and that from the course of the year. We here at the Twangville will have some lists of our own starting to appear over the coming days and weeks. We thought we’d kick it off with […]
Mayer’s Playlist for May/June 2008, A Video Companion #1
There was so much good stuff this go-around that the video companion will arrive in two parts. Up first is live footage from Chris Mills, James McMurtry, Bob Walkenhorst, Joe Pug and Hifi Handgrenades. Plus we’ve got videos from Paddy Casey and KaiserCartel. Rounding things out is Reckless Kelly with a special live cover of […]
Mayer’s Playlist for May/June 2008, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Living in the Aftermath, by Chris Mills Brooklyn-by-way-of-Chicago musician Chris Mills is a pop classicist. Spend time with Aftermath and you’ll hear a guy well versed in retro-1960’s pop but with a proper contemporary attitude. His latest release takes the production richness of his 2005 orchestra-backed “The Wall to Wall Sessions” […]
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 […]
James McMurtry + More, Releases 4/15
JAMES MCMURTRY, Just Us Kids (Lightning Rod) Official Site | MySpace | Preview | MP3* [audio:http://audio.sxsw.com/2008/mp3/James_McMurtry-Cheney%27s_Toy.mp3] I never really understood the James McMurtry hype until I saw him live for the first time prior to the start of this year’s SXSW music festival. Outfitted with SIX guitars on this night at Austin’s Momo’s his weapon […]