Astrovan: The Love Song Vignettes by Humbird (10 Jan) Humbird’s slow trickling of singles over the past couple months has us primed for their newest full length. Landing somewhere musically between Bjork and Neil Young, these short tunes showcase Siri Undlin’s sweet vocals. (Todd Mathis) Bloom by Larkin Poe (24 Jan) Megan and Rebecca Lovell […]
Paul Thorn – Don’t Let the Devil Ride
As many before me have observed, there’s a fine line between Saturday night and Sunday morning.  Particularly  when applied to many congregations in the American South, that observation pertains as much to the music as it does the time of day.  Many hymns originated in the late 19th century as verses created or borrowed from Christian […]
Readers’ Pick: Too Blessed to Be Stressed by Paul Thorn
You picked Too Blessed to Be Stressed by Paul Thorn as your favorite for the week of August 19, 2014. Readers’ Top Picks (last 4 weeks) Long in the Tooth by Billy Joe Shaver (13) [8/5] They Want My Soul by Spoon (12) [8/5] Too Blessed to Be Stressed by Paul Thorn (11) [8/19] Hypnotic […]
Mayer’s Playlist for August 2014, Part 1
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Too Blessed to be Stressed, by Paul Thorn It has been a bit of a wait for some new music from Tupelo Mississippi’s second favorite musical son. Thorn bridged the gap between 2010’s Pimps and Preachers and now with What the Hell Is Goin On, a fun covers album. While I […]
Monday Morning Video: Paul Thorn Wants to Whup Somebody’s Ass
The song title about says it all, doesn’t it?
Monday Morning Video: 2012 Americana Music Conference Highlights
As we wrap up our 2012 AMA coverage, here is a playlist highlighting some of the official showcases. We kick things off with a special treat — Richard Thompson telling an amusing story about Robert Plant. We move quickly into the tunes with Hayes Carll, Jason Isbell and Patterson Hood paying tribute to Levon Helm […]
Americana 2012: The Scene
Every fall, The Americana Music Association gathers members and artists 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. The Americana Music Awards Any discussion of the AMA Conference has to start […]
Mayer’s Playlist for Spring 2012, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH The Great Despiser, by Joe Pug If you listen closely to The Great Despiser, Joe Pug’s latest release, you’ll hear a theme carrying through the songs. The songs map a journey in which the protagonist seeks to find his path, generally with clear intent yet often daunted by societal expectations and […]
Readers’ Picks: Best Albums of 2010 (Plus a Giveaway)
Twangville readers rallied to give Paul Thorn‘s ‘Pimps and Preachers’ an overwhelming victory for album of the year. An interesting fact about the album is that Thorn himself painted the album cover. He painted the preacher to be his father and the pimp to be his uncle. You don’t have to look much further to […]
Paul Thorn – Pimps & Preachers
You can always count on Paul Thorn to provide a picture of life in the margins. His new effort Pimps and Preachers paints many different portraits. There are catchy singer-songwriter story songs like the opener “You’re Not the Only Oneâ€, which shows that the problems and trials of life are not unique to the family […]