ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, by Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit There’s something satisfying about watching a performer mature before your eyes. Though Jason Isbell has long been a Twangville favorite, his latest showcases his tremendous growth as a songwriter and performer. Exhibit A is “Soldiers Get Strange,” the […]
Nine for ’09
I can’t speak for the economy, but 2009 is shaping up to be a great year for music. Pay particular attention to March. It seems that every year the stars align on a single day and we get an embarrassment of riches. This year that day is March 3rd. Here are some of the incredible […]
A Few Words with Will Hoge, part 1
“Songwriting is a damn mystery,†says Will Hoge as we discuss “Draw the Curtain†his restrained yet compelling current release. It’s kind of like the Wizard of Oz, he continues, “you don’t want to know what is behind the curtain.†Although Hoge reunited with producer Ken Coomer, producer of 2006’s explosive The Man Who Killed […]
Mayer’s Playlist for March/April, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH: On a Clear Night, by Missy Higgins The first thing that you’ll notice about Australia’s Missy Higgins is her stunning voice, a magical blend of confidence and uneasiness. Opening track “Where I Stood” epitomizes this dichotomy. The song captures the moment where a woman realizes that, despite her emotional attachment to […]
Wanted: Bonehead Who Stole Isbell’s Equipment
In the category of “Dude, that’s not cool!” we’ve received breaking news from Twang Nation and Jason Isbell’s MySpace page. Apparently the band’s been on the receiving end of some unfortunate events. In short, some ass hat stole broke into the band’s van and stole some equipment. To add salt to the wound, word has […]
Best Albums of 2007, Official Twangville Picks
For the first time in three years Twangville presents an official top albums list aggregated from several of our editors’ picks. The first number in parenthesis represents the cumulative score and the second number is the number of editors who selected a particular album. 1. Jason Isbell, ‘Sirens of The Ditch’ (26.5/4) 2. Patty Griffin, […]
Best Albums of 2007 (Tom’s Picks)
Top 10 lists are relative in that they are best judged against the music the reviewer was exposed to and spent enough time listening to to properly analyze. For this reason, many fine albums of 2007 didn’t make my list. I had every intention of purchasing Steve Earle’s and Bettye Lavette’s albums in time to […]
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 […]