Category: Music Reviews

Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

The more I hear Charley singing, the more I absolutely love him. He is the perfect example of someone who is at the top of their craft. Not only does he have enormous talent and charisma, he also is perhaps the hardest working man in show business, now that James Brown is gone. Charley keeps his head down and accomplishes his goals. A good comparison to Charley is Peyton Manning. Another person with enormous talent with an incredible work ethic. This work ethic is apparent in Charley’s recordings. You can hear his perfection and demand for high quality. Welcome To Hard Times is a magical collection of tunes that are modern but could have been released 70 years ago and fit right in.

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Reviewed by Mae Hunt

Chicago Farmer’s Flyover Country has a classic, honky tonk sound that shares relatable stories geared towards our nation’s working class. The album reminds me of the phrase work hard, play hard – so many of the lyrics share stories of folks spending days working and nights letting loose. At first listen, it’s a folk-filled, southern album that will undoubtedly spark a singalong. But each time I listen, I dig up more pockets of cleverness that further convince me of Chicago Farmer’s (AKA Cody Diekhoff) lyrical and poetic ingenuity!

Let’s start with the fun stuff – there is no shortage of creativity and humor in these songs. The album begins with Indiana Line, a twangy narrative about a guy whose road-tripping from Illinois to Indiana to pay off his debts. Diekhoff leads the song on vocals and acoustic, while harmonicas, keys, bass, and drums swing alongside Diekhoff’s confident voice. As the song continues, the character’s swagger diminishes along with the likelihood of him paying off his debts. By the end of the song, he’s being chased by flashing lights, suggesting he won’t reach his destination. A true singalong song, Indiana Line is a great start to the album. 

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Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

Did you ever hear the story about the country music star that did it his way without any major label support and has a following as large and as fervent as any performer out there now? Of course you have. I am talking about Cody Jinks who single handedly built a musical dynasty by doing it himself. It really is an astounding story. I would love to spend more time and really analyze how he was able to accomplish this feat and play Red Rocks as the pinnacle of his success. This is a big deal. Indie guys, regardless of the genre, don’t play Red Rocks. This is sacred ground for bands like The Grateful Dead, U2, Phish, etc. That is until last year.

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Los Angeles-based artist Kyle Lalone revealed his musical prowess in his latest album, Somewhere in Between. Released in April 2020, these five songs epitomize classic country music with unmatched lyrical and instrumental cohesion – which is no surprise considering he graduated from Berklee College of Music. Lalone wrote each song based on his personal journey with sobriety, heartbreak, and self-exploration. Though this is the first time I’ve encountered Lalone’s music, I know it won’t be the last!

The short album kicks off with Think Myself to Death, a youthful take on life’s uncertainties. The combination of pedal steel guitar and Lalone’s smooth voice (which was made to sing country music, by the way) creates a classic, upbeat twang. Lalone questions past choices, like moving away from his hometown and choosing to pursue country music. He speaks on the dangers of overthinking – oh, how relatable – and admits: “If I keep doing this, I might think myself to death.” 

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Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

This is just what the doctor ordered! Some old fashioned noise rock in the vein of The Velvet Underground, Jesus and Mary Chain, Stooges, et. al. Just some great psychedelic tinged rock and roll. I was beginning to think that rock music out of the United States was dead on arrival, but here comes Slacker Paint by the Mary Veils. I know it is only one release in the sea of auto-tune, but I am still very optimistic. I scan and listen to new releases almost every day and most are disappointing. Then I found this diamond in the rough.

The Mary Veils are A Philadelphia, PA based garage rock act. Starting out as the solo project of songwriter Brian Von Uff. Maybe Philadelphia is becoming a hub for ambient and garage-y rock and roll. The Mary Veils fit in nicely with other Philly based bands such as The War On Drugs, Low Cut Connie, and Ron Gallo. Ron now lives in Nashville, but he still has very deep Philly roots.

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Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

This is such an intriguing release! I had never heard of Bob Frank before I got this package. I am glad this was sent to me for review. Bob Frank was a great songwriter and his music was perfect for the late 60s and early 70s. In a time when people like Jim Croce, Gordon Lightfoot, Cat Stevens, and John Denver were at the top of the charts, Bob Frank would have been an incredible compliment to those artists. Bob sang about everything including drugs, bugs, and vagrants. His writing had an incredible feeling to it. Bob was able to get down to brass tacks when describing any subject and write about it in a way that hadn’t been written before. Bob Frank was picked up by Vanguard Records in the early 70’s when Vanguard was a really big deal.

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Interviewed by Mae Hunt

In this interview with Girls On Grass lead vocalist and guitarist, Barbara Endes, we discuss her roots in music, the recording process of her new singles, and what we can expect from the band in the near future!

BE: Barb Endes TL: Twangri-La

TL: So let’s start from the very beginning. You’re an extremely talented guitarist and musician. I would love to learn a little bit about your upbringing and what inspired you to become invested in music initially. 

BE: I wouldn’t say I come from a musical family. I come from an artistic family. My dad played accordion growing up and his father played. And my mother’s father was a piano player and a classical music aficionado. And there was always music around, of course. But the formal education in music I had was just in the grade school orchestra. But pretty quickly, I started cheating on that. I don’t know why just reading music didn’t appeal to me as much as memorizing it.

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Take a Look in the Book by the Legendary Ingramettes is composed of ten electrifying tracks strung together by the voices of three inspiring and talented musicians. Not only that, but this album carries 65 years worth of stories and history led by the incomparable voice of Almeta Ingram-Miller.

The story of the Legendary Ingramettes began in the 1950s when Maggie Ingram performed as a gospel singer amidst the rising popularity of black male gospel quartets. A mother of five, Maggie worked to balance her familial responsibilities with her label as the “Gospel Queen of Richmond”. She performed alongside bands including the Six Trumpets and Silver Stars Quartet until 1961 when she recruited her children to perform as Maggie and the Ingramettes. 

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Juanita Stein’s 10-track album Snapshot offers a profound take on grief. Produced alongside Ben Hillier, Snapshot processes Stein’s emotions following the unexpected death of her father in 2019. With her brother Joel on the guitar, Evan Jenkins on drums, and Jimi Wheelwright on bass, the talented group comes together to create a remarkable album. 

The bluesy tracks take many twists and turns as Stein leads her listeners down a psychedelic path bursting with folk, rock, and country music. The unique sound pairs well with the exploration of perhaps unanticipated feelings associated with grief. I say unexpected because grieving artists so often center their music on feelings of anger, despair, and loss. While there is no shortage of those emotions in Stein’s album, she also grapples with curiosity, shock, emptiness, confusion, and many other emotions associated with death. The instrumentals echo in the background of the lonely journey Stein takes as she encounters a new world without her father. 

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Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

Mike found me, I didn’t find Mike. About a year and a half ago, I got a message on Facebook from Mike about his music. I get a lot of music and it runs the gamut. Some is fantastic, but most of it really isn’t my style. I try not to say “good or “bad” since it is just a matter of taste and opinion. So when I got the package from Mike with his first two CDs, my expectations weren’t too high. Once I listened, I was a convert. I couldn’t believe my ears. The singing, songwriting, musical composition, and overall sound was fantastic. I ended up putting Mike’s first two albums on Twangri-La Radio, where they remain in full rotation.

When I was starting the record label, Mike was one of the first people to reach out and offer his support. When he told me he wanted to put an album out on Twangri-La Records, I was ecstatic. Once I heard the demos, I knew we had a winner. The songs are great and the subject matter is dealt with so eloquently.

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