Twangtown Paramours

The Twangtown Paramours
THE PROMISE OF FRIDAY NIGHT
Inside Edge Records: 002
****1/2

The Twangtown Paramours (Mike T. Lewis and MaryBeth Zamer) certainly know how to reel out great songs, with several proudly accepted awards (including the Wildflower Festival’s Michael Terry People’s Choice Award) under their belts to prove it, and their acoustically charged follow-up release, THE PROMISE OF FRIDAY NIGHT certainly promises to be their best yet, offering up twelve delightfully well-written and eclectically arranged songs, all enchantingly exploring common-man themes of second chances, struggles and hope, amongst others; with a dash of humour laced in for adequate measure. Infectious beats are aplenty here, from the bass-heavy opener “All The Love I Can Stand” and mandolin-led “Same ‘Ol Same ‘Ol,” to the barnyard-romping, amuse-injecting “Walks Like A Duck”—all three sure to get your foot tapping and fingers clicking. In fact, there’s just as many ballads as there is toe-tappers, if not more and songs such as the “If I Fall For You, Will You Turn To Me,” “Farewell Hello, Hello Farewell” and title-track “The Promise Of Friday Night” show that they manage this softened element so very well; MaryBeth’s at times beautifully rich vocal delivery reminiscing tones of Trisha Yearwood, Lynn Miles and Jackqui Sharkey.The quite beautiful Appalachian-themed “Widow Of The Mountain,” Irish-esque “Chains,” the interestingly-quirky bonus track “Flowers When You’re Dead” and my absolute favourite, the steady “I’ll Get Through To You” are just brilliant highlight numbers; the latter—being about loves persistent nature—is simplistically effective, with delicious harmonies and tingling top-end B3 notes which for me, make it one heck of a gem. There isn’t a bad song on here and it’s really quite clear that the Paramours are made of some seriously talented stuff; just getting better and better with each record they finely craft. Without a doubt, I’m more of a fan now than I ever thought I would be. I can’t praise this or the Paramour twosome high enough. You really need to give it an ear-spin—it’s well-worth it.

Emily Saxton
www.twangtownparamours.com
- Maverick Magazine (U.K.)

The Twangtown Paramours
The Promise of Friday Night
(Inside Edge Records)

The Twangtown Paramours offer an acoustic album of gentle beauty and wisdom to the second chancers, lost lovers and broken hearted of this world. The songs are well-written and the strings are beautifully effective throughout this collection. Vocalist MaryBeth Zamer delivers their message of resilience, hope, and belief in love, superbly. This is a very nice record, and MaryBeth Zamer is simply wonderful.

Review by Rick Harris - Americana Gazette - Rick Harris

The Twangtown Paramours
The Promise of Friday Night
(Inside Edge Records)

The Twangtown Paramours offer an acoustic album of gentle beauty and wisdom to the second chancers, lost lovers and broken hearted of this world. The songs are well-written and the strings are beautifully effective throughout this collection. Vocalist MaryBeth Zamer delivers their message of resilience, hope, and belief in love, superbly. This is a very nice record, and MaryBeth Zamer is simply wonderful.

Review by Rick Harris - Americana Gazette - Rick Harris

One Humanist Touch

The Twangtown Paramours, The Promise of Friday Night
by David McGee
twantgown-paramours-friday

The second album from singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Mike T. Lewis and his wife and musical partner MaryBeth Zamer–collectively known as the Twangtown Paramours–is a solid advance over the couple’s 2010 debut (reviewed in July 2010 in this publication’s previous incarnation as TheBluegrassSpecial.com; the Paramours were interviewed as an Artists on the Verge 2011 pick in our February 2011 issue as well), which one of that year’s best albums. In their self-titled introductory effort, these real-life paramours explored the vagaries of relationships with surprising equanimity: Lewis’s songs acknowledged the difficulties confronting lovers in close quarters, emotionally and otherwise, whereas Ms. Zamer’s smart, nuanced vocals–clear, plaintive, resonant–honored the complexity (and duality) inherent in her husband’s lyrics. Beyond these virtues was the songs’ bracing maturity: “Might As Well Be You” posited a breakup as the best of all possible outcomes in a relationship gone awry, and the lovely “On My Way” detailed a relationships’ end days but shrugged off its failure as the price of experience.

The Twangtown Paramours, ‘Widow of the Mountain’

It’s not quite the same world on The Promise of Friday Night. The games lovers play remain a focus, but Lewis’s new songs–11 in all (plus a bonus track)–are more like a collection of short stories edging into the turbulent interior of Flannery O’Connor territory. His writing–sharper and more pointed than on the first album–is enlarged by Ms. Zamer’s knowing readings. Once a member of the band Method Actor with her friend the late, great Eva Cassidy, she’s a classic American pop singer from an era that never goes out of style with its clear diction, ringing timbre and touching expressiveness. With these qualities she’s a nice fit with Lewis’s rootsy, acoustic arrangements centered on dobro (Gary DiBenedetto), violin and viola (Mountain Heart’s Jim Van Cleve), guitar and mandolin (Lewis himself), with understated percussion courtesy Rick Lonow and, though less than on the previous album, keyboards (piano and B3 by Jay Vern). Lewis gives these fine musicians a challenge in his arrangements and makes especially good use of the awesome artistry of Van Cleve, whose striking pop-classical flourishes add a whole new, exciting wrinkle to the Paramours’ sound. All these elements coalesce beautifully on several occasions.

The album’s most chilling moment occurs in “Widow of the Mountain,” one of two Lewis-Zamer co-writes in the tunestack. In contemplating this mountain dirge, readers might want to know that Ms. Zamer’s day job is as an attorney with the U.S. Department of Labor, supervising a team of attorneys who try cases relating to coal mining issues (leading Lewis to refer to her as “the singing Federal prosecutor”–suffice it to say her oral arguments are most persuasive). Singing over a stark backdrop fashioned by Van Cleve’s mournful fiddling, Ms. Zamer bids a final farewell to her husband, who has been buried alive in an underground mining disaster; doubtless her understanding of the people in coal country counts for the weary, fatalistic acceptance she voices of her man’s fate, knowing that his final resting place is also a love she can’t compete with.

Equally affecting, “Heaven Is Somewhere Else” is arguably the moment when everything–music, lyrics, vocals–congeals to produce the long player’s most memorably performance. There’s nothing new in the song’s theme of the folly of the grass always seeming greener on the other side, but here the principals put a new coat of paint on it with compelling force. Along with its Beatles-ish flair in the insistent strings flowing into and out of the arrangement and the cooing background chorus, “Heaven” boasts a bright pop melody and catchy lilt, which work in contrast with a cautionary lyric warning against looking anywhere but into your heart for your personal true north, because “that’s not where the angels are/no, Heaven is somewhere else.” (On the Paramours’ website this song is described as being about agnostics; maybe it’s a song about agnostics becoming believers, as a hedge against, you know, finding out that there is a there there. At any rate, that either of these interpretations could be viable says something about the ideas in Lewis’s songs.)

The Twangtown Paramours, ‘Walk Like a Duck’

Despite some dark goings-on in this environment, the Paramours do exhibit a sense of humor. Consider Lewis’s whimsical side as revealed in the delightful “Walk Like a Duck.” No matter its levity, the song says something useful to those who need to be mindful of the message in its festive, toe tapping “don’t make me over-you don’t own me” memo complete with a barnyard beat and a country flavor as Ms. Zamer declares in a firm but lighthearted way her intention to preserve her own identity in a - Deep Roots Magazine

One Humanist Touch

The Twangtown Paramours, The Promise of Friday Night
by David McGee
twantgown-paramours-friday

The second album from singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Mike T. Lewis and his wife and musical partner MaryBeth Zamer–collectively known as the Twangtown Paramours–is a solid advance over the couple’s 2010 debut (reviewed in July 2010 in this publication’s previous incarnation as TheBluegrassSpecial.com; the Paramours were interviewed as an Artists on the Verge 2011 pick in our February 2011 issue as well), which one of that year’s best albums. In their self-titled introductory effort, these real-life paramours explored the vagaries of relationships with surprising equanimity: Lewis’s songs acknowledged the difficulties confronting lovers in close quarters, emotionally and otherwise, whereas Ms. Zamer’s smart, nuanced vocals–clear, plaintive, resonant–honored the complexity (and duality) inherent in her husband’s lyrics. Beyond these virtues was the songs’ bracing maturity: “Might As Well Be You” posited a breakup as the best of all possible outcomes in a relationship gone awry, and the lovely “On My Way” detailed a relationships’ end days but shrugged off its failure as the price of experience.

The Twangtown Paramours, ‘Widow of the Mountain’

It’s not quite the same world on The Promise of Friday Night. The games lovers play remain a focus, but Lewis’s new songs–11 in all (plus a bonus track)–are more like a collection of short stories edging into the turbulent interior of Flannery O’Connor territory. His writing–sharper and more pointed than on the first album–is enlarged by Ms. Zamer’s knowing readings. Once a member of the band Method Actor with her friend the late, great Eva Cassidy, she’s a classic American pop singer from an era that never goes out of style with its clear diction, ringing timbre and touching expressiveness. With these qualities she’s a nice fit with Lewis’s rootsy, acoustic arrangements centered on dobro (Gary DiBenedetto), violin and viola (Mountain Heart’s Jim Van Cleve), guitar and mandolin (Lewis himself), with understated percussion courtesy Rick Lonow and, though less than on the previous album, keyboards (piano and B3 by Jay Vern). Lewis gives these fine musicians a challenge in his arrangements and makes especially good use of the awesome artistry of Van Cleve, whose striking pop-classical flourishes add a whole new, exciting wrinkle to the Paramours’ sound. All these elements coalesce beautifully on several occasions.

The album’s most chilling moment occurs in “Widow of the Mountain,” one of two Lewis-Zamer co-writes in the tunestack. In contemplating this mountain dirge, readers might want to know that Ms. Zamer’s day job is as an attorney with the U.S. Department of Labor, supervising a team of attorneys who try cases relating to coal mining issues (leading Lewis to refer to her as “the singing Federal prosecutor”–suffice it to say her oral arguments are most persuasive). Singing over a stark backdrop fashioned by Van Cleve’s mournful fiddling, Ms. Zamer bids a final farewell to her husband, who has been buried alive in an underground mining disaster; doubtless her understanding of the people in coal country counts for the weary, fatalistic acceptance she voices of her man’s fate, knowing that his final resting place is also a love she can’t compete with.

Equally affecting, “Heaven Is Somewhere Else” is arguably the moment when everything–music, lyrics, vocals–congeals to produce the long player’s most memorably performance. There’s nothing new in the song’s theme of the folly of the grass always seeming greener on the other side, but here the principals put a new coat of paint on it with compelling force. Along with its Beatles-ish flair in the insistent strings flowing into and out of the arrangement and the cooing background chorus, “Heaven” boasts a bright pop melody and catchy lilt, which work in contrast with a cautionary lyric warning against looking anywhere but into your heart for your personal true north, because “that’s not where the angels are/no, Heaven is somewhere else.” (On the Paramours’ website this song is described as being about agnostics; maybe it’s a song about agnostics becoming believers, as a hedge against, you know, finding out that there is a there there. At any rate, that either of these interpretations could be viable says something about the ideas in Lewis’s songs.)

The Twangtown Paramours, ‘Walk Like a Duck’

Despite some dark goings-on in this environment, the Paramours do exhibit a sense of humor. Consider Lewis’s whimsical side as revealed in the delightful “Walk Like a Duck.” No matter its levity, the song says something useful to those who need to be mindful of the message in its festive, toe tapping “don’t make me over-you don’t own me” memo complete with a barnyard beat and a country flavor as Ms. Zamer declares in a firm but lighthearted way her intention to preserve her own identity in a - Deep Roots Magazine

The Twangtown Paramours – The Promise Of Friday Night
Posted on October 12, 2012 by ChuckDauphin

by Chuck Dauphin

Classifications are something that are very important in music these days. Everything must fit in a neat, little 4+6 box, so we can call it whatever we think it is. The Twangtown Paramours shatter that line of thinking. They are, all at once, a little bit of blues, pop, country, and even (at times) bluegrass. But, on each of these cuts, they are nothing but excellent.

Lead singer MaryBeth Zamer is a vocal force of nature – one of the most expressive vocalists I have heard in some time. There’s a soulful roots-ish sound that reminds me of the best work of Rosanne Cash back in the 1980s. That comes to light with her vocals on cuts like the heartfelt and emotional “If I Fell For You” and “I’ll Get Through To You.” She also offers a passionate performance on “All The Love I Can Stand.”

But, the Twangtown Paramours can also have a little bit of fun. “Same Ol’ Same Ol’,” and “Walks Like A Duck” are more than a little bit quirky, but MaryBeth and Mike T. Lewis more than handle the challenge of making them interesting. As producer, Lewis adds the right touch of instrumentation, and also was wise to bring in great pickers as Jim Van Cleve and Gary DiBenedetto. At the end of the day, it still might be tough to dissect what style they are, but they are dang good. That’s a nice description, isn’t it? - Music News Nashville - Chuck Dauphin

The Twangtown Paramours – The Promise Of Friday Night
Posted on October 12, 2012 by ChuckDauphin

by Chuck Dauphin

Classifications are something that are very important in music these days. Everything must fit in a neat, little 4+6 box, so we can call it whatever we think it is. The Twangtown Paramours shatter that line of thinking. They are, all at once, a little bit of blues, pop, country, and even (at times) bluegrass. But, on each of these cuts, they are nothing but excellent.

Lead singer MaryBeth Zamer is a vocal force of nature – one of the most expressive vocalists I have heard in some time. There’s a soulful roots-ish sound that reminds me of the best work of Rosanne Cash back in the 1980s. That comes to light with her vocals on cuts like the heartfelt and emotional “If I Fell For You” and “I’ll Get Through To You.” She also offers a passionate performance on “All The Love I Can Stand.”

But, the Twangtown Paramours can also have a little bit of fun. “Same Ol’ Same Ol’,” and “Walks Like A Duck” are more than a little bit quirky, but MaryBeth and Mike T. Lewis more than handle the challenge of making them interesting. As producer, Lewis adds the right touch of instrumentation, and also was wise to bring in great pickers as Jim Van Cleve and Gary DiBenedetto. At the end of the day, it still might be tough to dissect what style they are, but they are dang good. That’s a nice description, isn’t it? - Music News Nashville - Chuck Dauphin

The BluegrassSpecial July, 2010 by David McGee

The other pairing of note with a new album out states their position plainly in their musical identity as the Twangtown Paramours, which is also the title of their debut album. The couple in question is multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Mike T. Lewis and his real-life paramour, MaryBeth Zamer (the dictionary defines paramour as “illicit lover, esp. of a married person,” but Mr. Lewis and Ms. Zamer emphasize theirs is a completely aboveboard liaison). These Twangtown Paramours, though making their debut as a recording entity, are hardly coming from nowhere: Mr. Lewis has toured as a standup bassist with Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and as a songwriter he’s had a massive #1 pop hit in South Korea (“A Heartbeat Away” by Yang Pa) and had his songs cut by a variety of indie artists on these shores, in the U.K. and in Japan. Ms. Zamer has been singing demos and background vocals in Nashville, and previously sang with the band Method Actor, featuring the late, great Eva Cassidy. Based indeed in Twangtown (Nashville), the Paramours’ introductory effort is a total delight of smart songs abundant in heart and wit, discrete but engaged musical support, and striking vocals by Ms. Zamer, whose soothing but plaintive voice surely must have caught Ms. Cassidy’s ear, but beyond that is the fact of its alluring, seductive quality: the country in her comes through clearly, but she has a way of selling a song with sophisticated, complex emotional shadings that suggest she could work wonders with the Great American Songbook (she’s an earthier Rachel Bay Jones, who brought bluegrass to her natural Broadway leanings on her impressive 2009 debut, ShowFolk). Mr. Lewis leaves most of the vocalizing to his twangtown paramour, but has a striking moment of his own on his lovely, guitar-and-dobro billet doux, “Ciara My Dear” (pronounced Keer-a), a heart tugging romantic plea to a damaged soul reluctant to “surrender and let me dry your tears,” which succeeds not only on the basis of melody and austere ambiance, but also by the singer’s plainspoken but nuanced beseeching of his reluctant inamorata.
In an album defined by gentle, folk-country rhythms and atmospheres created with admirable subtlety by a tight ensemble of guitar, bass, drums, dobro, pedal steel and the occasional keyboard; measured readings overflowing with conviction; and literate writing exploring the ways of the heart—there are breakups, unions and reunions all going on here—it’s hardly surprising to find so many songs with a positive, balanced perspective, a healthy attitude towards the twists and turns and what becomes of people who wrap their lives around each other’s. The catchiest song here, “Might As Well Be You,” a sturdy, propulsive shuffle with a soaring chorus demanding to be sung along with, finds the narrator ignoring “the ghosts of bad choices,” accepting the inevitability of heartbreak (“all I’ve known, all I’ve been shown, are the thousand ways love dies”) and embracing with cool equanimity the certainty of being dumped by the current object of her affection as the best of all possible outcomes. In “On My Way,” the album opening ballad, the singer, framed by a decidedly southwest-flavored arrangement rich in fiddle and dobro, is packing up and leaving, saying sayonara to a failed relationship, but matter of factly, without bitterness, accepting the toll exacted as the price paid for her commitment, now beginning a new chapter as she vows to let her ex’s memory fade—but adding, “if I can’t forget/I’ll try to forgive.” When things are good, they’re really good, and the Paramours state this as clearly as they outline the speed bumps in other songs—in terms “Simple and True,” to cite the quiet, fingerpicked ballad that seems the album’s emotional center in its frank admission of how the real thing can defy explanation and definition both, and is best understood as a feeling, “like this simple ache I have for you…and it’s simple and true,”; or, as delineated in the soft shuffle of “Under the Next Blue Sky,” in acknowledging the certainty of love’s persistence, no matter the distance between partners or the turning of the earth. Ultimately, the Paramours’ outlook is summarized in the penultimate track, “Rise,” its shifting textures and more forceful thrust foreshadowing and enhancing each verse’s affirmation of the point the stories here have made, to wit: “Everything must fall away/and everything must rise.” The Paramours’ voices harmonize and elevate on the word “rise,” carrying it and the song forward, infusing it with hope and possibility. There’s the rub—hope and possibility. From the Twangtown Paramours’ mouths to our ears, and may we learn to find the place of grace so vividly described in their exquisitely rendered tales.

- The Bluegrass Special - David McGee

NO DEPRESSION JANUARY, 2011

CD Review: The Twangtown Paramours – Inside Edge Records
by Chris Harkness

I received a package from the Nashville based Twangtown Paramours and it found its way to the box I whimsically refer to as “CD Limbo” where it remained until I found a few spare moments to open it and give it a whirl. I sat listening and lamenting not getting to this CD sooner – it’s really good. I like everything about it, from the packaging to the superb production and musicianship. I would hate to be the person charged with the responsibility of choosing which song to work as the single from this project. From the first track “On My Way” to “Orphan In The Storm” and closing with the very humorous “Ballad of Little Lulu” The Twangtown Paramours spin an emotionally charged web of insightful and engaging stories that leave the listener wanting more. This CD is definitely a keeper…

The Twangtown Paramours are MaryBeth Zamer and Mike T. Lewis. According to the Bio on their website, “MaryBeth Zamer has sung professionally since the age of 18. Before moving to Nashville, she was a fixture of the local music scene in the Washington, D.C. area, where she fronted a popular bar band for several years. Mike T. Lewis has played guitar for a million and a half years, and bass for about half that long. He sometimes tours with Jimmie Dale Gilmore, playing upright bass. In 1997, Mike had a #1 pop hit in South Korea on Yang Pa’s first album called “A Heartbeat Away.”

I would like to thank Georgeanne Olive for giving me the heads up on The Twangtown Paramours and then relentlessly reminding me to give them a listen. Your persistence is appreciated.
- No Depression - Chris Harkness

NO DEPRESSION JANUARY, 2011

CD Review: The Twangtown Paramours – Inside Edge Records
by Chris Harkness
I received a package from the Nashville based Twangtown Paramours and it found its way to the box I whimsically refer to as “CD Limbo” where it remained until I found a few spare moments to open it and give it a whirl. I sat listening and lamenting not getting to this CD sooner – it’s really good. I like everything about it, from the packaging to the superb production and musicianship. I would hate to be the person charged with the responsibility of choosing which song to work as the single from this project. From the first track “On My Way” to “Orpan In The Storm” and closing with the very humorous “Ballad of Little Lula” The Twangtown Paramours spin an emotionally charged web of insightful and engaging stories that leave the listener wanting more. This CD is definitely a keeper…
The Twangtown Paramours are MaryBeth Zamer and Mike T. Lewis. According to the Bio on their website, “MaryBeth Zamer has sung professionally since the age of 18. Before moving to Nashville, she was a fixture of the local music scene in the Washington, D.C. area, where she fronted a popular bar band for several years. Mike T. Lewis has played guitar for a million and a half years, and bass for about half that long. He sometimes tours with Jimmie Dale Gilmore, playing upright bass. In 1997, Mike had a #1 pop hit in South Korea on Yang Pa’s first album called “A Heartbeat Away.”
I would like to thank Georgeanne Olive for giving me the heads up on The Twangtown Paramours and then relentlessly reminding me to give them a listen. Your persistence is appreciated.
- No Depression

Good news... We're #11 on the Folk DJ chart for August. Thank you to all the folk DJ's and listeners for supporting our music! We also remained in the top 40 of the Cashbox Country roots chart all summer. - us

Recent Radio Airplay:
WDCB Chicago, IL
KCLC St. Louis, MO
KPFT Houston, TX
KTEP El Paso, TX
KFAN Fredericksburg, TX
KWMR Point Reyes, CA
WTMD Towson, MD
KDNK Carbondale, CO
WWUH Hartford, CT
WHAY Whitley City, KY
WMUA Amherst, MA
WMUC College Park, MD
WDVX Knoxville, TN
WTNQ Knoxville, TN
WMPG Portland, ME
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WFDU Teaneck, NJ
WAGS Bishopville, SC
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(We were also Whole Wheat Radio Independent Artist of the Day on 6/13/10) - Radio

“The Twangtown Paramours bring a blend of thought provoking lyrics with angelic vocals combined with well accomplished musicians. What more could you ask for? I guarantee the Twangtown Paramours self- titled CD to be a welcome addition to any collection.”
- Dennis Double, Co-host Writer's Block, WDVX-FM, Knoxville, TN

"These are professional musicians, with the dexterity and variety you'd expect from people with backgrounds like theirs. This CD will delight music lovers across a spectrum of genres”
- John McLaughlin, Roots & Wings, WMUC-FM, College Park, MD

“Listening to the music of The Twangtown Paramours was a delight, and is the type of Americana that best fits my show."
- Lilli Kuzma, host of Folk Festival, WDCB-FM, Glen Ellyn/ Chicago, IL


Debut CD from the Twangtown Paramours
May 6, 1:46 AM Chicago Folk Music Examiner Gary Tuber

"Mike T. Lewis and MaryBeth Zamer
Twangtown, as in, Nashville, where the people play guitar a lot. Paramours, and in they are an item.

Mike T. Lewis, a successful songwriter and musician (he had a number 1 hit in South Korea. Chew on that for a while) and vocalist MaryBeth Zamer, who has been a longtime fixture in the Washington, DC and Nashville music communities, have collaborated to form the Twangtown Paramours.

Their self-titled debut CD is expertly produced by Mike, himself, to feature Marybeth's singing - and that is worth featuring. The genre is more country than folk, with a mixture of pedal steel guitar and dobro, and a decidedly Texas blues influence. We'll just call it Americana.

The cuts are in a varying level of seriousness. At this moment I particularly liked the more whimsical "You Play Me Like a Radio" and the bonus cut, explaining how Little Lulu keeps cool in the hot Polynesian sun. I'd explain further, but this is a family column."

“Played the front track on yesterday's program, Great recording! Bravo!”
- Chris Darling, host of Us Folk, WMPG, Portland, ME

- Radio Stations

Chicago Folk Music Examiner May 6, 2010
By Gary Tuber
Debut CD from the Twangtown Paramours

Twangtown, as in, Nashville, where the people play guitar a lot. Paramours, and in they are an item.
Mike T. Lewis, a successful songwriter and musician (he had a number 1 hit in South Korea. Chew on that for a while) and vocalist MaryBeth Zamer, who has been a longtime fixture in the Washington, DC and Nashville music communities, have collaborated to form the Twangtown Paramours.
Their self-titled debut CD is expertly produced by Mike, himself, to feature Marybeth's singing - and that is worth featuring. The genre is more country than folk, with a mixture of pedal steel guitar and dobro, and a decidedly Texas blues influence. We'll just call it Americana.
The cuts are in a varying level of seriousness. At this moment I particularly liked the more whimsical "You Play Me Like a Radio" and the bonus cut, explaining how Little Lulu keeps cool in the hot Polynesian sun. I'd explain further, but this is a family column. Tomorrow maybe I will be more inclined toward the serious numbers.
Not yet released to the general public, you, my loyal Chicago Folk Music Examiner fans, can order a copy through their web page, Twangtownparamours.com. Ok, anybody can, but at least you now know about it, through the magic of the internet.

- Chicago Folk Music Examiner - Gary Tuber

The Twangtown Paramours
July, 2010

The Twangtown Paramours are romantics. They move all over the lust versus desire landscape, but no matter what the topic or background, there is a powerful sense of romance. On opening track, “On My Way”, the lead character is leaving. Like all true romance, there is drama. She draws the goodbye, you get the impressions that she (dramatically) turns, starts to walk, stops, considers and turns, delivering another reason (“I’ll say so long, my darlin’, no longer will I stay ”) or admission (“don’t know where I’m going”). Though her voice carries the weight of emotion, Mary Beth Zanner delivers her vocals with a touch of tease and a glimmer of hope. She senses the character’s directions with precision.?Twangtown Paramours, Mary Beth joined together with Mike T. Lewis, make up the core players. They may sound a little familiar. You may have seen Mary Beth backing up Eva Cassidy and you saw and heard Mike playing as road upright bass for Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Their self-titled release, moves with the same nod to the note perfect. There is not a lot of flash but the fulfillment comes from songs that ease on in and stick around. Still riding romance, they deliver the pat on the back, and warm embrace, on “Have A Little Faith”, Mike twists in the wind like a thumb/forefinger tweaked dial singing lead on “You Play Me (Like A Radio). On “The Moon and Back”, Mary Beth slows the pace, riding shotgun on a rhythm that flows like honey, again giving bad news with that spoonful of sugar. This is the Twangtown Paramours strong point, you don’t really want to hear the message, but damn that delivery makes you want more. - Alternate Root Magazine

The Twangtown Paramours - Self-Titled
by Chuck Dauphin
The duo of MaryBeth Zamer and Mike Lewis make some incredible music, there’s no doubt about it. They are proof that two great musical minds can sometimes be better than one. They are one of those acts that you can’t put neatly in a 6 + 6 box and classify. No, better yet….you actually have to listen to them to get them.

“Getting them” is a pretty exciting thing to do, though. They have recorded some very impressive material that blends Country, Pop, and even a few cool breezes from California, by the way. The first cut, “On My Way,” has a definite Ronstadt-ish sound to it, but Zamer is able to hit it well. One of the other highlights from the disc is “Simple & True,” which is a beautiful and effective love song.

There’s a little something for everybody on this disc, regardless of what genre you might prefer. Whether it be Folk (“The Moon And Back”), Traditional Country (“Under The Next Blue Sky”), Tropical (“The Ballad Of Little Lula), or when they mix it all up into a melting pot (“Rise”), they are a duo that rises to the occasion time in and time out!

For more about TTP or to buy this CD, visit http://www.twangtownparamours.com/
- Music News Nashville - Chuck Dauphin

The Twangtown Paramours - Self-Titled
by Chuck Dauphin
The duo of MaryBeth Zamer and Mike Lewis make some incredible music, there’s no doubt about it. They are proof that two great musical minds can sometimes be better than one. They are one of those acts that you can’t put neatly in a 6 + 6 box and classify. No, better yet….you actually have to listen to them to get them.

“Getting them” is a pretty exciting thing to do, though. They have recorded some very impressive material that blends Country, Pop, and even a few cool breezes from California, by the way. The first cut, “On My Way,” has a definite Ronstadt-ish sound to it, but Zamer is able to hit it well. One of the other highlights from the disc is “Simple & True,” which is a beautiful and effective love song.

There’s a little something for everybody on this disc, regardless of what genre you might prefer. Whether it be Folk (“The Moon And Back”), Traditional Country (“Under The Next Blue Sky”), Tropical (“The Ballad Of Little Lula), or when they mix it all up into a melting pot (“Rise”), they are a duo that rises to the occasion time in and time out!

For more about TTP or to buy this CD, visit http://www.twangtownparamours.com/
- Music News Nashville - Chuck Dauphin