Past Artists
Emmylou Harris
“Most of my career,” says Emmylou Harris, “I’ve been a finder of songs, a gatherer of songs, so this showcases, in part, that side of what I do.” All I Intended To Be, its simple but evocative title borrowed from the lyric of a Billy Joe Shaver song, does far more than that. Her first solo album since 2003’s Stumble Into Grace, it is indeed a catalogue of Harris’s many gifts—as an interpreter, as an eloquent composer herself, as an inveterate musical explorer who’s been able to discover, rescue, and/or give new life to many a beautiful but overlooked country, bluegrass or folk tune.
Mary Ann Kennedy
Mary Ann Kennedy and Pam Rose,"KENNEDY ROSE" recorded for and toured with STING in the 90's. The duo also enjoyed success as a songwriting team in Nashville for many years. They met EmmyLou Harris in 1985, and have a musical and personal friendship that continues today.
Annie Crane & Robin Aigner
Annie Crane's music captures you with stories of immigrant grandparents, February ice storms, heartache in snowy Toronto and an industrially sweet Brooklyn love. Robin Aigner's quirky, irreverent and original old-timey/gypsy folk has a loyal following from New York to Nashville, New Hampshire to San Francisco.
Sam Bush
Grammy Award winning multi-instrumentalist Sam Bush doesn’t seem old enough to be a musical legend. And he’s not. But he is. Alternately known as the King of Telluride and the King of Newgrass, Bush has been honored by the Americana Music Association and the International Bluegrass Music Association.
Mike Farris
In 2007, when Mike Farris debuted his critically acclaimed Salvation in Lights, people who'd never heard of the former Screamin' Cheetah Wheelie's frontman, music business people and retailers who thought they'd "heard it all and seen it all," stood with mouths agape, eyes like saucers, aghast at how that sound, that soul, could come from such an unlikely source.
Caitlin Rose
Caitlin Rose is a twenty one year old singer/songwriter from Nashville, TN, who is spending more time recreating the songs of our past than most artists twice her age are able to do. Upon first listen, you might swear you’ve heard Caitlin’s music before. Perhaps in a smoky honky-tonk or a dimly lit dive bar where the waitresses are all named Wanda and the well drinks are only a dollar. Though this would simply be an auditory illusion, your first impression wouldn’t be far from the truth.
Dex Romweber Duo
Dex Romweber is nothing less than an icon of the American music underground. Pioneering the template for the stripped to-the-essentials guitar/drums duo format in the (should be) world famous psycho-surf-rockabilly-garage-punk combo Flat Duo Jets—so often emulated, so rarely duplicated—Dex continues his resurgence with the new album Is That You In The Blue? With sister Sara on drums, the Dex Romweber Duo is a potent combo that’ll get your leg twitching with the beat and your heart racing -and sometimes breaking- with the feral excitement of music. If it don’t, you might want to consider turning in your “I Heart Rock n Roll” badge. Seriously.
Peter Bradley Adams
Peter Bradley Adams was one half of the duo "eastmountainsouth" signed by Robbie Robertson (of The Band) to Dreamworks Records in 2002. He has released two solo records ("Gather Up" and "Leavetaking") and is set to release his third, "Traces" this September on Sarathan Records.
Scott Miller
Scott Miller blends folk and rock like there ain’t no words for. The power of storytelling with the power of a compressed electric guitar comes through this Virginian not heard since the likes of Wayne Newton (fellow Virginian) or The Statler Brothers (also of the Commonwealth.) Not even since Thomas Jefferson (Virginian) and Woodrow Wilson (another Virginian) formed their rock trio with drummer Stewart Copeland (northern Virginian) “League of Nations”.
Jonny Corndawg
Jonny Corndawg is a country singer, not a singer-songwriter. Born in Montana, raised in rural Virginia, Corndawg has been touring on his motorcycle since he dropped out of high school in 2001. He’s played shows in every U.S. state, Canada, eleven European countries, Australia, Argentina and India. But you won’t find him on CMT. His music is more in the vein of that obscure, ‘70s gay country that housewives would discover on a Bear Family reissue in twenty years.
The Grascals
Great musicians will always find a way to make good music, but for great musicians to make great music, they must form a bond – one that, more often than not, goes beyond the purely musical to the personal. For The Grascals, that bond has been forged at the intersection of personal friendships, shared professional resumes and an appreciation for the innovative mingling of bluegrass and country music that has been a hallmark of the Nashville scene for more than forty years. As their records prove, The Grascals’ rare musical empathy gives them an unerring ear for just the right touch to illuminate each offering’s deepest spirit - whether they’re digging into one of their original songs or reworking a bluegrass classic or a pop standard.
James Intveld
A native of Los Angeles, James Intveld started his career at an early age listening and singing along to his parents' recordings of Hank Williams, Sr., Dean Martin, Lefty Frizzell, and Elvis. During the cow punk movement of the '80s, Intveld was working the same clubs as Dwight Yoakam and Rosie Flores, playing his own brand of rockabilly, and so impressed Town South of Bakersfield producers Pete Anderson and Dusty Wakeman that he was included on the second volume of the compilation series.
The New Familiars
From the foothills of Appalachia a new musical combo has appeared; grown from seeds of the folk, blues, and bluegrass found abundant in the Carolinas, yet shaped by the undeniable power of rock and roll. Known as The New Familiars, these five gentlemen combine an amazing passion for harmony with multi-instrumental talent and unusual storytelling abilities.
Holy Ghost Tent Revival
Characterized as "explosively intoxicating," this Greensboro, NC six-piece can only be described in terms of what has already been defined, for there is no way to narrow them into any perfect genre. Mixing euphonium with banjo, and acoustic guitar with drums, keys, and electric bass, Holy Ghost Tent Revival is an eclectic mix of so many things -- dirty jazz, ragtime, folk, roots country/bluegrass, big band and rock and roll.
Nancy Griffith
Nancy Griffith got an early start on her path to performing and songwriting. At the age of 6 she began to write songs, thinking of it as “part of the process of learning how to play guitar.” While she doesn’t remember many of her earliest songs, she does recall that “the first original song my mother commented on…was a song about Timothy Leary.” Then at the age of 14, when a campfire turn at the Kerrville Folk Festival caught the ear of singer-songwriter Tom Russell, she was on her way. Having recorded 18 albums and performed concerts all over the world, it’s safe to say that she’s never looked back.
Josh Williams Band
From easy-going ballads to fiery, hard-driving instrumentals, it’s no wonder the Josh Williams Band was voted the 2010 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Emerging Artist of the Year.
Shawn Byrne
The journey that brought Shawn from Connecticut to Nashville led him through Boston's prestigious Berklee College of Music where the self taught musician learned that formal instruction wasn't in the cards. Several garage bands, a near death experience, and a stretch living and working with special needs kids at the Perkins School for the Blind brought Shawn to the conclusion that if he was to make music his life then he would need to take the plunge and go where music and creativity can permeate an aspiring artists life.
Steve Kimock
Steve Kimock is an innovator. Not just for his ability to successfully navigate live performances spanning the Summer of Love through the advent of MTV and well into the new electronic-pop revolution. And not just for his gift for leading the live music recording and download revolution with a meticulous dedication to archive and share his live shows for more then twenty years (Macworld, 2005). He is not just an innovator because of his craftsmanship restoring vintage analog equipment and for a completely custom and organic sound (he designed a highly collected edition of Two Rock brand “Kimock Amplifiers” and most recently a custom, ergonomic Scott Walker guitar, in stereo).
Angela Easterling & The Beguilers
So the old story goes, a small-town girl with ambition puts her all into her music, moves to the big city, meets the right people, and finds success. But with Angela Easterling, it was the opposite. She went back to her small town, and in doing so, gained her greatest success yet. What she found in her native Greenville, SC had Roger McGuinn, founder of legendary folk rock group The Byrds, calling her "a bright shining star on the horizon," going on to say "Her gift is so special….brought me back to the time the Byrds recorded Sweetheart of the Rodeo - tradition meets youthful exuberance."
Webb Wilder
Hardly a purist, he has described the music he and his band, The Beatnecks, make as, "Rock for Roots fans and Roots for Rock fans." In essence: Rock and Roll. There’s nothing new about combining R & B, Rock and Roll, Country, Blues, Pop and Rock. The Rolling Stones and the Beatles proved that it can yield marvelous and diverse results. I said he wasn’t a PURIST. I didn’t say he wasn’t very PICKY about the quality of the music. That includes everything from the sonics of the recordings, the choice of players, the influences he draws on, the songs he chooses to cover, or how attentive he is to the craftsmanship of his own songs.
Charlie Louvin
The term "living legend" gets thrown around quite a bit, but it actually applies to Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie Louvin. The magical harmonies and depth of feeling found on Louvin Brothers recordings of the 50's and 60's inspired a new generation of musicians, firmly establishing the Louvins' stature as one of the most influential duos in country music history. In 2006, the Tompkins Square label reached out to Charlie about making his first new studio album in over ten years. They enlisted Mark Nevers, who engineered sessions for many top country artists, and produced Calexico, Lambchop, Candi Staton among others. Guests on the album include Elvis Costello, George Jones, Jeff Tweedy, Will Oldham, Tom T. Hall, Tift Merritt, Marty Stuart, Bobby Bare Sr., David Kilgour, members of Bright Eyes, Lambchop, Clem Snide, Superchunk and more. Louvin enjoyed the experience.
Shawn Camp
Some careers can be described with a couple of words, but Shawn Camp’s isn’t one of them. A bold and distinctive singer, a songwriter who’s provided material for artists ranging from Garth Brooks and Brooks & Dunn to Ralph Stanley, Del McCoury and Ricky Skaggs, and a multi-instrumentalist who’s played with everyone from Alan Jackson to the Osborne Brothers, his music sprawls across the lines that divide mainstream country, Americana and bluegrass—and if his songs have been recorded by more popular artists, his energetic new CD, Fireball, makes a compelling case that no one can do them better.
Green on the Vyne
Listening to Green on the Vyne is like being reacquainted with an old friend. But how can that be, when the oldest member of the group is just the tender young age of sixteen? This group of old souls is breathing a breath of fresh air into the long-existing world of acoustic and bluegrass music, while staying true to their roots. Green on the Vyne is made up of five, incredibly talented musicians.
John Cowan
Bluegrass, Newgrass, Gospelgrass, Rock N’ Rollgrass…true innovators like John Cowan break boundaries and personify innovation. John’s ability to take audiences on a musical journey through multiple genres has made him one of the most unique vocal artists of his generation.
Quebe Sisters Band
Since their musical journey began in 1998, Grace, Sophia & Hulda have been covering a lot of ground. In the beginning, the Q's started taking fiddle lessons from Sherry McKenzie (Joey's wife) and later from Joey, learning traditional Texas-style fiddling. From the start, all three sisters demonstrated astonishing talent and determination and a real love of music. Shortly thereafter, the girls began entering fiddle contests and had success early on; winning several State, regional and National fiddle championships.
Dale Ann Bradley
"I think Dale Ann Bradley is an awesome singer. It's heart and soul with her." – Ricky Skaggs It's 9 a.m. on a rainy January day in Nashville, five days into 2009. Dale Ann Bradley is coming up the studio steps without a raincoat, carrying a guitar and a folder full of lyrics. She's been on the road for 14 straight days, it's 25 degrees and pouring, but never mind all that. She's been shaping the concept of her new project, the follow-up to her Compass Records debut Catch Tomorrow, for months, and she can't wait to kick off the first song.
Radney Foster
The position that Foster enjoys in the country music landscape is remarkable. Mainstream country music and independent Americana tend to occupy separate orbits. Yet for 24 years Foster has thrived in both as a songwriter, recording artist, live performer and producer. His songs--solo, with Foster and Lloyd and recorded by other artists--have topped the country, Texas, Americana, and AAA charts alike. At the same time, he's earned the respect of his peers and a devoted audience as intent on listening as they are eager to dance.
Pam Daley
When Pam Daley delivers a song she invites the listener in as she unknowingly reveals pieces of her soul. Her refined, crystal clear vocals are at once intimate and open, as if the words are meant to be shared, but also meant only for you. In years past, Daley sang in rock bands that tended to drown out the subtler colors of her voice. But when she returned to the music that she loved, bluegrass and acoustic country, she had found her way home. *Guest appearance will be made by Pam Daley for PBS special.
Donna Ulisse
Donna Ulisse (pronounced "you-liss-ee") was born in Hampton Virginia and surrounded by a musical family. She made her first appearance singing at the tender age of three when she wandered onto the stage with a bluegrass band and broke out into "Take This Hammer". From that moment until now, there has never been any doubt that she would be creating music. She worked in a local western swing band where she met and married Rick Stanley, being fully indoctrinated into a bluegrass family when Rick's cousin Ralph Stanley, along with the Clinch Mountain Boys performed at their wedding reception.
Christabel and the Jons
Christabel and the Jons is a southern swing band based in east Tennessee that blends familiar standards with modern vintage sounding originals. Their music is acoustic and colorful, a blend of Appalachian mountain music and vintage swing. The group saunters and sways together with ease. Lead singer Christa DeCicco steals hearts with her come-hither delivery and charismatic stage performance.
Emmitt-Nershi Band
On New Country Blues the Emmitt-Nershi Band has fully realized its potential.With Drew Emmitt (Leftover Salmon) on mandolin & vocals and Bill Nershi (the String Cheese Incident) on acoustic guitar and vocals, ENB delivers a dynamic blend of bluegrass, newgrass, country and Americana that is sure to excite fans of all those genres and more.
Mountain Heart
Mountain Heart is the band that has been fearlessly revolutionizing the way acoustic music can be presented and played. The band's name has been synonymous with cutting-edge excellence in acoustic music circles since the group's creation in 1999. Widely known throughout the music industry for continually redefining the boundaries of acoustic music, the band has gained legions of loyal fans both as a result of their superlative musicianship, and more notably, their incomparably exciting live performances.
Chris Volpe
Chris Volpe’s gentle vocals, padded by long strains on the harmonica, whining pedal steel and warm acoustic guitars, have a nice way of relaying some hard truths on his new disc, Shipwrecked. Shades of Neil Young emerge in the bleak “Afraid of the Dark,” which tackles the weighty issue of environmental pollution and paints a picture of the resulting mess when mankind fails to react responsibly.
Nashville Mandolin Ensemble
With its scintillating contemporary qualities, the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble has been hailed for revitalizing and reshaping a type of ensemble music that enjoyed nationwide popularity at the turn of the 20th century. Through its array of mandolins, mandola, mandocello, violin, guitar and bass, NME commands expressive string colors of kaleidoscopic range and variety.
Cherryholmes
With their roots based in bluegrass, Celtic, and jazz music, Cherryholmes has stormed to the top of the music world since winning the 2005 IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Award for Entertainer of the Year.
Donna The Buffalo
Donna the Buffalo's eclectic and often socially conscious music has it's base in traditional old-time mountain music and is infused with elements of Cajun/ zydeco, rock, folk, reggae, and country. The group’s core are vocalists Tara Nevins, who plays fiddle, guitar, accordion, and scrubboard, and guitarist Jeb Puryear. Keyboardist Dave McCracken, bassist Kyle Spark, and drummer Vic Stafford complete the ensemble.
The Believers
THE BELIEVERS have a serious love for old school country music - they can’t help it if they were raised on punk & folk. It was that very love that prompted a move from their hometown of Seattle to their current stomping grounds of Nashville, Tennessee. Founding members Craig Aspen & Cyd Frazzini share a broad scope of influences from The Louvin Brothers to The Clash to Steve Earle to George & Tammy, all coming together to create a Country Soul sound with the urgency of a great rock record and all the intimacy of your favorite Neil Young or Bob Dylan records. Such a sound has earned them praise from the likes of Buddy Miller, Jim Lauderdale and the BBC2’s Bob Harris who simply declared them “Brilliant.”
Chuck Mead
He’s been known as the co-founder of the three-time Grammy nominated BR549, the honky-tonk heroes that almost single-handedly lit and carried the blowtorch for the mid-‘90s alternative country explosion. He’s been hailed as ‘The Hillbilly Renaissance Man’ for his subsequent successes as a songwriter, performer, producer and musical theater director. Now after more than a decade as one of the most uncompromising and consistent talents in the American roots music movement, Chuck Mead at last emerges with the most anticipated role of his entire career: Solo Artist.
Tim O’Brien
At a point in his career where you'd think he'd be charging at full speed toward the next big thing, Tim O'Brien confounded expectations by doing something else: he took time--and plenty of it--to create the next small thing. Chameleon is an intimate project that, in its blend of virtuosity, wit and warmth, is unmistakably his. And this time around, it's literally his alone.
Will Hoge
In May 2010, two weeks after a thousand-year flood devastated parts of Nashville, TN, Will Hoge and his band drove 14 hours back home to perform a single song on stage at the historic Ryman Auditorium. He'd been invited to perform the finale of a nationally televised benefit concert stacked with high-profile artists like Keith Urban, Keb Mo and Brad Paisley. But as a native son of Nashville and a true hometown rock star with an extraordinary ability to connect with a crowd, Hoge's powerhouse vocal on "Washed By The Water" proved the perfect climax and well worth the long haul.
Jason Ringenberg
A couple of years ago Jason and I were doing a run of dates together through the snowy Midwest. I was road-ragged and he was fresh as a daisy. He'd driven across Alaska not long before and spent six weeks in Sweden and England and Holland before that! We got to talking about farm life and how Jason and his brother grew up feeding the hogs at five in the morningeveryday. "You know," Jason said to me, "My brother and I worked ALL the time. It was incredibly hard work for an adult, let alone a skinny 9 year old boy. It was a never ending cycle feeding the hogs, cleaning out the hog houses (by hand), hauling water and straw, or working the fields.
Viktor Krauss
Those who know Bassist/Composer Viktor Krauss primarily by his supporting roles with Lyle Lovett, Bill Frisell, Jerry Douglas, and scores of others, might be surprised by the eclectic range of the original music on his second recording, aptly entitled II. On the other hand, listeners familiar with Krauss’ remarkable 2004 solo debut, Far From Enough (Nonesuch), and attuned to the finer details of his recording and touring credits—with everyone from Carly Simon, Elvis Costello, John Fogerty, Film Composer - James Newton Howard, and Graham Nash to Chet Atkins, the Chieftains, and Joan Baez—will find II quite consonant with that eclectic track record.
Angel Snow
The highest caliber of artistry is often intertwined with the deepest sincerity. As is the case with rising star Angel Snow, whose music is the truest and most honest reflection of her life. Her story plays out in self-penned songs, where detail by detail she lets the listener in on her innermost thoughts, hopes, and dreams.
J.D. Souther
In 1984, singer/songwriter J.D. Souther followed the chart-topping successes of "You're Only Lonely" and the James Taylor duet "Her Town Too" with HOME BY DAWN, an album that Rolling Stone declared his best, with songs that "rank right up there with his forlorn classics 'Run like a Thief' and 'Faithless Love.'"
Tony Joe White
In 1969, Tony Joe White brought his brand of Swampy Blues into a Top 10 hit with his song “Polk Salad Annie.” This was followed very shortly in 1970, by Brook Benton’s soulful rendition of White’s timeless “Rainy Night In Georgia.”
Sugarcane Jane
Sugarcane Jane's music inspires images of a southern past and gives vibrant proof of the present. Songs like, “Home Nights” weave images of white cotton clothing blowing gently, in rhythm on a warm, balmy southern afternoon. Their sweet tunes trundle you down a dusty, country road in the back of an old truck. You’ll taste sweet blackberries and when the notes fade away, you’ll want more.
Chris Scruggs
It's hard to put a label on a multi-talented artist like Chris Scruggs. The Washington Post aptly described him as "part John Lennon pop and part Milton Brown western swing with a little bit of White Stripes edginess."
Nathan Blake Lynn
Nathan Blake Lynn brings together the deep traditions of bluegrass and country music. His songs define his childhood days running through the backwaters of Western Kentucky, his long nights hauling cars across the country, and his love for honky-tonk nightlife. A writer of historical fiction, Lynn sheds new light on forgotten storyies from the Deep South to the High North.
Tomi Fujiyama
“Tomi Fujiyama” is Japan’s first lady of Country music. In 1951, a young Tomi switched from performing traditional Japanese songs for small Japanese audiences, to performing Country for the American soldiers on Army and Navy bases across Japan. After recording 21 singles and 5 albums for Columbia Records she was brought to Las Vegas to play a backbreaking 7-days- a-week, 4-shows-a-night contract at the Mint Hotel.
The Dirt Daubers
With their first ever performance having taken place at London's Raindance Film Festival, (after JD premiered his critically acclaimed southern-music documentary "Seven Signs"), The DIRT DAUBERS have proven themselves to be multi-media moguls. Add to that the tag of "radio darlings", since the band has graced the stages of such fine programs as the Red Barn Radio Show, The Blue Plate Special and Music City Roots, broadcast over Nashville's legendary WSM-AM, "The Air Castle of the South!"
Gove Scrivenor
When looking for expressive and uncommon sounds, Dolly Parton, Neil Young, Dan Seals, Hank Williams, Jr., Iris Dement and Glen Campbell all turned to the evocative sound of Gove Scrivenor’s autoharp. When Gove released early albums on Flying Fish Records, his friends, Doc Watson, John Hartford, Marty Stuart, Buddy Emmons...all lined up to contribute to his recordings.
Split Lip Rayfield
Bluegrass worthy of being blasted out of the windows of a Plymouth Barracuda with 451 Hemi engine. Metal and jazz like freakouts done acoustically. Arising out of the ashes of Scroat Belly, the Lip's live shows were the stuff of legend. They whipped crowds into a sweaty frenzy—Jeff hunched over his homemade, gas-tank bass "The Stitchgiver," Kirk breaking guitar strings by the dozen and changing them fast enough to ensure himself a place on any NASCAR pit crew, Wayne scorching his fire-proofed mandolin, and Eric, looking the part of a Civil War re-enactor, doing things to a banjo that Eddie Van Halen wishes he’d thought of.
Randy Kohrs
With the release of Old Photograph, on Rural Rhythm Records, multi-instrumentalist Randy Kohrs has also arrived as a first-rate vocalist, songwriter and producer. With a 2008 Grammy win for producing, engineering, mixing, singing harmony, and playing on Americana icon Jim Lauderdale’s latest, The Bluegrass Diaries, he has now solidified his standing as one of the strongest all-around musical forces coming up on the Nashville scene.
Kenny Brown
Sometimes it really is all about location, location, location. Kenny Brown was not only blessed with talent, he was born in the backyard of some of Mississippi’s best bluesmen. Although R.L. Burnside is fond of calling Kenny Brown his adopted son, it is really the sadly under-recorded north Mississippi bluesman Joe Callicott who was the first musician to take Kenny under his wing.
Shannon McNally
Shannon McNally was born and raised on Long Island, New York but has spent most of her adult life traveling and living all over North America. After graduating college with a degree in Religious Anthropology she followed Los Lobos out to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. She quickly signed with Perry Watts-Russell to Capitol Records/ EMI.
Afrissippi
A magnificent cross-cultural river of sound Afrissippi was born in 2002, over a jam session in Oxford, Mississippi, at the home of the legendary R.L. Burnside between Senegalese Fulani griot Guelel Kumba and Burnside apprentice Eric Deaton. The similarities between Kumba’s traditional Senegalese melodies and north Mississippi hill country blues were immediately apparent and thrilling, and so the journey began.
Jimbo Mathus & The Tri-State Coalition
The late Memphis producer Jim Dickinson once called Jimbo Mathus “the singing voice of Huck Finn.” Outside the South, Mathus is likely known as the ringleader of the hyper-ragtime outfit Squirrel Nut Zippers. In his native Mississippi and throughout the South, however, Mathus is the prolific songwriter of born-in-the-bone Southern music, the torchbearer for Deep South mythology and culture. Think Delta highways, bowling-pin Budweisers and “innerplanetary honky-tonk” for the masses.
Darrell Scott
Born on a tobacco farm in London, Ky., in 1959, and raised in E. Gary, Indiana, Darrell was part of a musical family. His father Wayne, a steelworker by trade but a songwriter in his heart, moved his clan to Southern California when Darrell was 11. Soon Darrell and brothers Denny, Dale, Don, and David were part of their dad’s band, getting on-the-job training in country music as they played its hits on the stages of roadhouses and taverns as far north as Alaska.
Supple Station Trio
Songs about the devil and whiskey aren't just for adults now. The Supple Station Trio sound like they've been playing bluegrass together for years. The trio consists of Don Chambliss, fresh out of high school, Taylor Brashears and Carter Brallier, still seniors in high school here in Nashville.
The Greencards
From the first notes struck together in 2003 through tours with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson and up to and beyond their fourth studio album in 2009, The Greencards have won steadily escalating acclaim for their multi-dimensional Americana vision. Each step they’ve taken has widened their appeal. Their releases have topped the Billboard Bluegrass charts. Two singles have garnered Grammy nominations. They’ve earned ovations from “newgrass” music devotees at MerleFest and rock loyalists at Lollapalooza.
The Sweetback Sisters
Like their pseudo-sister role models, the Davis Sisters, the Sweetback Sisters sing country songs in close, surrogate-sister harmony and matching dresses. Their repertoire combines several of the Sisters' passions -- country music from before they were born and new interpretations of those traditions -- to create a fresh take on what it means to be country.
Rebecca Pronsky
Rebecca Pronsky was just eight years old when she began singing professionally. Rebecca studied voice with a local rock singer who had a weekly gig at the Bitter End in Manhattan. One night she invited Rebecca, then a third-grader, to sing at the club. The crowd loved her, and not surprisingly she immediately felt enamored with performing. Fast-forward past the wonder years and there she was- a full-fledged teen singer-songwriter. Pronsky had picked up the guitar and had begun to write her very own songs.
John McCauley
John Joseph McCauley III, was born and grew up in Providence, RI. Self-taught on drums, guitar, piano, and pedal steel, McCauley's music shows the mixed flavours of the pop, rock, blues, and country influences he brings to his music adds complexity and depth to his tunes.
Will Kimbrough
With 10 artist albums to his credit, WILL KIMBROUGH has released five solo recordings and five albums as a founding member of DADDY, the bis-quits, and Will and the Bushmen. Dubbed an "Alien" performer as a way to explain his masterful performance on the guitar, Will was recognized in 2004 as the "Instrumentalist of the Year" by the Americana Music Association. His songs have been recorded by Jimmy Buffett, Little Feat, Jack Ingram, Todd Snider and others. His new full-length album – WINGS (Due out Feb. 23!) - features songs that invite the listener to comprehend the universe with a modern introspective eye. Exploring themes surrounding the conflict between family and career, love and work, parents and children, the music is based in classic folk rock, with touches of atmospheric guitar, cello, saxophone, trumpet, banjo, Hammond organ.
The Hot Seats
“I wonder if 'for a good time call The Hot Seats' is written on every bathroom wall in Richmond, Virginia . . . The band has taken its raw talent and honed and crafted it precisely to sound easy and effortless.” - Rochester City Paper
Ashley Cleveland
In some very real ways, God Don’t Never Change is Ashley Cleveland’s first gospel record. Yes, the new record is Ashley’s eighth full-length project. Yes, she’s been plying her trade in the ephemeral corner of the music world called “Christian music” pretty much from the get-go, crafting earthy songs with a heavenly message for nearly two decades. And yes, she’s even recorded an entire album of hymns, 2005’s Men & Angels Say.
The Vespers
The Vespers are one of those lucky young bands that have built an extensive underground following simply through word of mouth and heavy touring. The band is uniquely made up of two sibling duos; the Cryar sisters, and the Jones brothers. The four have distinguished their sound with an arsenal of acoustic instruments and harmonies only siblings can create. Their showmanship generates a roller coaster of sight, sound, and emotion and their inherent chemistry and instrumental versatility continues to set them apart.
Jerry Leger
What possesses a young person in 2010 to pick up an acoustic guitar and write a song? One reason is certainly the eternal desire to find the ideal lover, although the inherent failure in doing so remains an equally powerful motivator. This is how life’s hardest lessons are learned, and after the shock, anger, sorrow, bitterness, and fear subside, what we are left with is wisdom.
Amanda Shires
Lubbock-born gem Amanda Pearl Shires steps into the spotlight with the release of her new album, West Cross Timbers. Her clever songs glitter with a tinge of the Western swing she honed so expertly as a side woman for Tommy Allsup and the legendary Texas Playboys, with whom she began work at age 16. Though Shires hasn’t left the band she co-founded, raucous Texas indie rockers The Thrift Store Cowboys, she’s shifted her focus to her solo work for the time being.
Nedski and Mojo
The duo is comprised of Stephen Mougin (Sam Bush Band) and Ned Luberecki (Chris Jones and the Night Drivers.)Ned Luberecki and Stephen Mougin present a marvelous contrast in almost every way...and the combination works!
Danny Flowers
Tools for the Soul is Danny Flowers’ stunning Brash Music label debut- and only his third album in 25 years. At that rate, the 58-year-old developing artist- his own typically self-deprecating description- should have enough material for a box set right around his 100th birthday. Clearly, the awe-inspiring guitar guru, soulful singer and hit songwriter is not cruising in the fast lane, or racing in reckless fashion to snag fame’s temporal brass ring. Instead, the album’s eleven introspective and provocative compositions reveal a soul-searching journey colored by loss and gain, pain and joy. It is a journey that digs deep inside, reaches out to fellow travelers with selfless generosity, and arrives at a blessed state of grace.
David Ball
David Ball was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, growing up in a family where everyone played an instrument. Starting out on guitar, he eventually gravitated to bass fiddle. David joined childhood friends Walter Hyatt and Champ Hood in Uncle Walt’s band and subsequently relocated to another fertile landscape, Austin, Texas. “All kinds of great music were being made in Texas.” In the mid 1980’s, a publishing deal brought David to Nashville.
Larry Stephenson Band
Larry Stephenson began his musical career while in his early teens when he and his father, Ed Stephenson formed Larry Stephenson & The New Grass in Larry's hometown of King George, Virginia. Honing his God-given talents, he began professionally with Bill Harrell & The Virginians during January, 1979, playing mandolin and singing high lead and tenor. In June, 1983, he moved to a similar role as a member of The Bluegrass Cardinals, remaining until October, 1988, when he organized THE LARRY STEPHENSON BAND while still residing in Virginia in February 1989.
Cowboy Jack Clement
Born in Whitehaven, Tennessee, alongside Highway 61 which brought a generation of bluesmen north from the Mississippi delta to Memphis, Jack Clement played a crucial part in bringing rock 'n' roll music to the rest of the world. During a career of treading thin lines between folk singers, polka bands, outlaw songwriters, and the commercial countrypolitan music industry, this visionary maverick combined song publishing, music and film production, a record company and recording studios decades before the current trend of international conglomeration. He still runs a pared-down empire from his house, The Cowboy Arms Hotel and Recording Spa. "I thought that a recording studio was the worst place in the world to make a record, so I built this studio at home 30 years ago," he says. "Now everyone wants one!"
The Band of Heathens
The guys in the Band of Heathens are fond of saying they became a unit by accident. But that’s like saying the Big Bang was an accident. Unplanned, maybe, but hardly random. One might even argue that a kind of destiny was involved. The merger of singer/songwriters/multi-instrumentalists Ed Jurdi, Gordy Quist and Colin Brooks, with bassist Seth Whitney and drummer John Chipman, from their respective solo careers and bands may not be akin to a cosmic explosion, but their new album, One Foot in the Ether, offers irrefutable evidence that they were meant to be together — and have evolved into a solid entity worthy of the comparisons they receive to the Black Crowes, the Band and Little Feat.
Cadillac Sky
"Original", "innovative", "fearless", "ambitious", "propulsive", "a marvel of emotion and razor sharp focus"....these are the words of those that have had a chance to hear the sound that for the past several years has been reverberating out of Texas from one of American music's most compelling bands, Cadillac Sky. Their music has been coined everything from "experimental acoustic music" to "psychobilly bluegrass" but they themselves, simply hope they just make "good" music. With an admitted dose of naivety, they simply choose to believe that there should be only two categories in which music should be placed: good and bad. "We try to make music we believe in and would like to listen to".
The Gibson Brothers
2010 IBMA Award Winners, The Gibson Brothers—Eric and Leigh—are widely recognized as the finest brother duet in bluegrass music today. Help My Brother is their tenth release and arguably the finest in the duo’s career. The album features twelve tracks, most of which are originals, and all of which feature the ensemble’s tight arrangements as well as the contributions of band members Clayton Campbell (fiddle), Joe Walsh (mandolin) and Mike Barber (upright bass). Several guests make cameo appearances on the album as well, including Ricky Skaggs (mandolin and vocals), Alison Brown (banjo), Mike Witcher (Dobro) and reigning IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year, Claire Lynch.
Pokey LaFarge
Pokey LaFarge is a musician, songwriter, bandleader, entertainer, innovator and preservationist, whose well-rounded arsenal of talents has placed him at the forefront of American music. Over the last decade, Pokey has won the hearts of music lovers across the globe with his creative mix of early jazz, string ragtime, country blues and western swing, all while writing songs that ring true and fine in both spirit and sound. His music transcends the confines of genre, continually challenging the notion that tradition-bearers fail to push musical boundaries. Cleverly striding between numerous forms of traditional American music, Pokey has crafted a genre all his own, marked in its accessible ingenuity.
The Apache Relay
In an unlikely matrimony between singer/songwriter and bluegrass band, The Apache Relay are creating a strikingly fresh blend of progressive bluegrass and Americana/folk music. Playing together for under a year, the group is planning on releasing their debut LP 1988, produced by Doug Williams (The Avett Brothers “The Gleam”, “Second Gleam”, “Four Thieves Gone” and “Mignonette”) in late August.
Maura O’Connell, Two time Grammy nominee
“A lot of people think every singer is someone’s puppet,” explains Maura O’Connell from her home in Nashville. “That they are not fully invested in the song – that they are at the whim of a producer or a songwriter or a band. Singing has been denigrated like that for too long.” Widely acclaimed throughout her career as a vocalist and interpreter of utmost grace and insight, O’Connell’s latest album is a defiant, boldly undiluted statement on art of singing. Naked With Friends consists of thirteen tracks of singing – and nothing more – and is decisive evidence that singing is more than enough.
Alison Brown
An internationally recognized musician with a wide-reaching and loyal fan base, banjoist Alison Brown first came to national prominence when she was asked by Alison Krauss to join her band Union Station in 1989. Brown had already made a name for herself prior to that by performing extensively with fiddler Stuart Duncan, amongst others and an occasional pick-up session, which included Vince Gill, Byron Berline, John Hickman and others.
The Chapmans
The Chapmans continue to enlarge their fan base to include Americana, bluegrass and acoustic country genres. Albeit a young band, they have been touring professionally for almost two decades, while fans and peers alike have nominated and honored them with numerous awards for their songwriting, instrumental, vocal and entertaining talents. Having played thousands of shows, they’ve evolved into a band with a great artistic formula which reaches any size and aged audience, crossing several genres of music.
Aly Sutton
Vietti Chili’s own brand ambassador, Aly Sutton, is a Country Music Artist who can really rock your boots off!
Shannon Quinn
Shannon Quinn is the latest young musician making her mark on Canada through performance. At 20 years of age, Shannon Quinn is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, dancer and composer. Having been performing with her father Tony for 12 years, she has been featured among many successful recording artists, and in turn has become one herself. She was born and raised in beautiful Halifax, Nova Scotia; a place full of musical talent.
Big Daddy Love
BIG DADDY LOVE brings a natural blend of grass, roots and rock to the emerging North Carolina music scene. With fiery vocals, sweet-sugary harmonies, authentic song-craft, and undeniable musicianship, the quintet delivers high-energy performances comprised of their own brand of good-time music. It is the startling power of these live shows that resonate with their audience. Genuine and intensely personal lyrics captivate and connect. Be captivated. Get connected. Feel the love.
Jill Andrews
Jill Andrews has been a musician all her life: from her first original tune in kindergarten – a ditty about the letter P – to the stage at Fillmore East. And this year, the heart-stopping voice and June-apple face of the everybodyfield’s embarks on an exciting new solo project. Jill picked up a guitar for the first time when she was 19 and a camp counselor in East Tennessee. Armed with only three chords, she had all she needed to create deep and soulful songs with lonesome melodies and haunting lyrics.
Blue Mother Tupelo
Ricky and Micol Davis, shortly after marrying in 1994, began their musical life together at an open mic night in Knoxville, Tennessee. Their latest CD, Heaven & Earth, has made waves across Americana and Roots Rock Radio stations worldwide. It debuted at #2, behind Kris Kristofferson, on the EuroAmericana Charts for November of 2009.
18 South
18 South's music is created by a wide array of influences. The organic and earthy quality of their sound rings with overtones of Blues, Bluegrass, Jazz and Gospel that lends itself perfectly to their stripped down acoustic approach that is truly "Americana". The Band members resume's read like a Encyclopedia of Musical History and once you see them live you'll know why they are individually some the most well respected musicians on the scene today.
Gary Nicholson
Whether you are looking for a hit song, a cool guitar groove, a great record production or a top entertainer, Gary Nicholson is your "go-to" guy in Music City, U.S.A. A 2006 nominee for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Nicholson has had more than 350 of his songs recorded, has won 26 ASCAP songwriting awards and is responsible for more than a dozen major hits. Unlike most tunesmiths, he is not bound by musical genre. His songs routinely top the country hit parade. But rock bands, blues artists, folk stars and bluegrass acts have also embraced him as a songwriter.
Seth Walker
“The first time I heard Seth Walker at a small club in Nashville I was impressed like I haven't been impressed in 30 years, with performance, presence, and great songs.” - Delbert McClinton It would seem to those previously unfamiliar with Seth Walker that he emerged practically overnight as one of the fastest rising stars in blues and roots music. Prior to his recent move to Nashville, the 37year old singer and guitarist hung his hat in Austin for 15 years and has been finetuning his songwriting and soulful croon since his late teens.
Barry and Holly Tashian
Barry and Holly Tashian are established touring musicians and duet singers based out of Nashville. They have written songs for Kenny Rogers, Solomon Burke, Ty England, Daniel O’Donnell and others, and recorded with Emmylou Harris, Tom Paxton, Nancy Griffith and Iris DeMent.
Minton Sparks
Fusing music, poetry and her intoxicating gift for storytelling, wildly original spoken word artist Minton Sparks releases her latest triumph, Open Casket. Her debut live show DVD is yet another ground breaking performance that further proves Sparks is in a category all her own. Sparks peeks over the edge into the warm spot where most would prefer sleeping relatives lie. Open Casket is a raucous, provocative, brilliant one-woman show featuring Minton alongside world-class musicians: guitarist John Jackson, blues pianist Steve Conn, guitar and mandolin virtuoso Pat Flynn and special guest, Irish singing sensation, Maura O'Connell.
Red Molly
"Everything Red Molly sings is delivered with tick-tight arrangements, crystalline vocals, and caramel harmonies. But what is most striking is the ardor they bring to everything they do, whether snuggling into the sweet parochialism of an old spiritual, or the gritty pathos of a Gillian Welch tune. They come on less like stars strutting for their minions than pals sharing their favorite songs. In the friendly world of the coffeehouse, that remains a starmaking quality." -Scott Alarik, The Boston Globe
Harpeth Rising
“Harpeth Rising, warm, honest and true music by four exquisite musicians.” Peter van Zeijl, Folk en Zo Harpeth Rising met at Indiana University, each individually pursuing degrees in classical performance. Four years later they all graduated, still entirely enmeshed in the classical world. Then, one beautiful summer weekend in June of 2006, a trip to a bluegrass festival inspired Jordana and Rebecca to take a big chance. Rebecca took up the banjo for the very first time, and she and Jordana hit the road. They busked their way across the western United States and ended up in Hawaii (in a round-about sorta way.)
David Olney with Sergio Webb & Jack Irwin
On the new DUTCHMAN’s CURVE (Deadbeet Records, April 13, 2010) album, David Olney continues to cultivate his own Great American Songbook featuring his multi-dimensional character studies with unparalleled perspective. The prolific singer-songwriter has become known worldwide for his intense live performances - especially with multi-instrumentalist SERGIO WEBB - as well as his intelligent compositions as recorded by Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Del McCoury, Tim O'Brien, Dale Ann Bradley, Ann Rabson and others. In 2009, David became a published author with "A Sign From God" featured in the release of “Amplified: Fiction From Leading Alt-Country, Indy Rock, Blues and Folk Musicians” (Melville House). In late 2009, David launched his UStream.tv “Hear & Now” 30-minute live, interactive weekly broadcast in addition to posting videos of his stellar interpretations of classic poetry on YouTube. 2009 also heralded David’s release of “Ol' Diz: A Musical Baseball Story” about Hall Of Fame St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dizzy Dean. "In the tradition of Johnny Cash and Tom Waits, Olney has become a pioneer of the Americana music scene." -- The San Francisco Chronicle
Elizabeth Cook
I’m not a welder, at least not in the typical sense of the trade. But my daddy is, by way of 2300 hours of training that certified him, courtesy of the Atlanta Federal penitentiary. I myself couldn’t put a rod in the thingamajig. And heavy equipment makes me nervous. But I do tend to fuse things, confuse things, sometimes with sparks, sometimes like a lava melt, sometimes backed by a tank of compressed air ready to blow, sometimes quiet as a slow leak.
Jon Byrd
Jon Byrd lived his formative years in small town America in the piney woods of south Alabama, one county over from the birthplace of legendary country artist Hank Williams. When Jon was eight years old, his dad was diagnosed with TB and began singing Jimmie Rogers' "TB Blues" around the house. That same year Jon saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, and his obsession with the musical tension between country and rock was born. The very next year he was conscripted into the drum corps of his tiny school's marching band and played Booker T. and the MG's "Green Onions" while the majorettes held the cymbals and danced. There was no turning back.
Kevin Gordon
Over the course of twenty years of writing, recording and touring, Kevin Gordon has built an impressively consistent catalog of songs, a critically acclaimed stack of albums, and a reputation for dynamic live performances that make first-time listeners life-long fans. He is currently completing his next full-length album, to be released later this year. Among the new material is a 7-minute piece titled “Colfax”. The song has already generated some great press.
The Wrights
In 1998, I was living with a couple of guys in a rundown little house back in my hometown of Newnan, Georgia. I worked at a bar and grill during the day and would set up and play there on the weekends--sometimes by myself, sometimes with a little blues trio. We'd do lots of J.J. Cale, Jimmy Reed, Howlin' Wolf...some Dylan, Willie Nelson. Anything really. Things were kind of on cruise control for me then. I worked, came home, and wrote songs or played guitar. I didn't really hang out with a lot of people. I pretty much kept to myself. Even on the nights that we were playing, I'd go outside between sets and just walk up and down the sidewalk. Music wasn't my only friend, but in those days it was probably my closest.
Jim Lauderdale
Jim Lauderdale is a multi-talented performer and songwriter, with successes in both country and bluegrass music. His roots stem from the Carolinas, yet his career has taken him all over the United States and abroad, making him an international recording artist with an ever-growing fan base. Jim won "Artist of the Year" and "Song of the Year" at the first "Honors and Awards Show" held by the Americana Music Association in 2002. Subsequently, he has hosted this same show for the last seven years.
Dana Cooper
“I’ve always considered myself an outsider as far as the music industry goes,” Dana Cooper says. “I focused on a grassroots career by making albums I liked and that I took to people by playing live. Now that’s what everyone says is the new music model, that you build a sustaining career by playing live and sticking to your own vision. If that’s the case, then I figure I’m ahead of the game, because I’ve been doing it that way for more than 30 years.” With his newest release, The Conjurer Cooper strikes a powerful balance between a lived-in, natural artistry and a passionate desire to speak one’s truth. Finding that balance between craft and art takes experience, and this is where Cooper’s lifelong commitment to his work shows: Having started performing more than 40 years ago at age 16, he owns an expert craftsman’s skilled hand and a dedicated artist’s constant desire to tap deeper into his own experience.
Ray Wylie Hubbard
When F. Scott Fitzgerald issued his classic conclusion that ‘There are no second acts in American lives,' he failed to envision the career of legendary Texas troubadour Ray Wylie Hubbard. A willing conspirator in the late seventies Cosmic Cowboy revolt that ushered in the mythical Outlaw era, Hubbard was a catalyst in the cultural upheaval that led to the peaceful coexistence of Lone Star music enthusiasts who comprised each end of the social and political spectrum of that troubled time. In the stellar company of iconic colleagues like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Doug Sahm and Jerry Jeff Walker, Ray Wylie Hubbard was an architect of the musical legacy that continues to inspire subsequent generations of up-and-coming Texas talent.
The Two Man Gentlemen Band
The Two Man Gentlemen Band’s original brand of raucous, retro vaudevillian swing is fast becoming an underground sensation. Three short years ago, The Gentlemen were playing marathon sets for tips in New York City’s parks and subways. These days, they traverse the country incessantly, playing hundreds of shows per year for legions of dedicated fans and even catching the attention of big-names like Bob Dylan & Willie Nelson, for whom The Gents opened a handful of shows last summer.
Monte Montgomery
Monte Montgomery has taken the acoustic guitar beyond anyone's expectations. With his amazing fretwork, unique combination finger and pick style playing through trailblazing "chordal" thoroughfares often baffling even the most accomplished players. While Monte remains a huge enigma in the guitar universe, his legendary reputation has spread like wildfire since he appeared on Austin City Limits. In 2004 Monte was named on Guitar Player Magazine's list of "Top 50 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time" and in 2005 he was featured the Covers of "Frets" and "Acoustic Guitar" magazines. Countless articles have been written about Monte describing him "The Evel Knievel of Guitar", "Six Strings Attached To Dynamite", "The Answer To The Fermi Paradox" and "The Acoustic Shred Master" just to name a few. Monte's fretwork has become the benchmark for acoustic guitar players. "An American Original", there is no doubt Monte Montgomery is destined to become An American Legend.
Phil Lee
If Phil Lee was as good at knife-throwing as he is at songwriting he would be on the David Letterman show three times a week. He may very well be that good at it – he practices enough - but listening to any one of his excellent CDs, including this new one, has great rewards and fewer risks - at least for the audience. Phil has never feared, personally or lyrically, to scamper out on a limb with a gleam in his eye and a hacksaw in his hand. Sometimes a club owner or promoter will “suggest” that certain of his songs might ruffle a local feather or two but danged if he won’t have those very birds squarely in his corner before the night is done. Charm, guts and great material can get you a long way. Like Wile E. Coyote, he has a knack for recovering from the most explosive circumstances but unlike that hapless canine he usually ends up on top and grinning. This has been of immense help in his previous incarnations as a truck driver, roadie, huckster and bon vivant. Phil Lee likes to say that “at a hundred, my age, weight and IQ have all averaged out.” Maybe so but if that’s true he’s sure getting maximum output in all three areas. He writes constantly, eats a sensible diet and, peripatetic as hell, he won’t hesitate to haul out of his Nashville habitations in his pickup for a gig in Wisconsin on a Friday, cannonball from there to Missouri on Saturday and hit Indiana on Sunday - after church of course.
Rob Ickes & Robinella
Rob Ickes : A Northern California native, Rob Ickes moved to Nashville in 1992 and joined Blue Highway, the highly esteemed bluegrass band, as a founding member in 1994. He is recognized as one of the most innovative Dobro players on the scene today, contributing signature technique and greatly expanding the boundaries of the instrument's sonic and stylistic territory. He won the International Bluegrass Music Association's Dobro Player of the Year award for a record-setting eleventh time in 2009; IBMA notes that he is the most awarded instrumentalist in the history of the IBMA awards. Robinella : Robinella’s career began with a sort of luck that rarely comes to most artists within their lifetime. What started out as a simple husband-and-wife duo fresh out of college quickly grew to a full-fledged band that blended Bluegrass, Country and Jazz. The combination of Robinella's honey-sweet vocals with violin, mandolin, bass, drums and piano captivated audiences, thus creating the ever popular Robinella & the CC Stringband.
Doug and Telisha Williams
Doug & Telisha Williams live right in the middle of the places others only write about. A place where old time religion, superstition, run down bars, gravel parking lots and boarded up factories all mingle together. Their most recent release, “Ghost of the Knoxville Girl”, received wide critical acclaim, and spent 15 weeks in the Americana Music Association Top 40 Radio Chart. Quick wit and a Southern drawl make every show different from the last, while fearless delivery and stunning honesty make every show personal.
Peter Karp & Sue Foley
Peter Karp : Peter Karp is a gifted American troubadour, a master songsmith with an art for spinning true-to-life emotions, humor, and candor. With an upbringing that was equal parts southern Alabama and the swamps of New Jersey, Karp's music is fueled by the Yankee-Rebel juxtaposition. Sue Foley: Sue Foley is considered to be one of the finest blues/roots artists working today. Born to a working class family Sue spent her early childhood moving from Canadian town to town with her mother. At 16 she embarked on her professional career. By 21 she was living in Austin TX and recording for legendary blues label Antone's Records.
The Black Lillies
Born in the rumbling cab of a stone truck and aged in the oak of Tennessee’s smoky night haunts, The Black Lillies have come to the forefront of the Americana scene in little more than a year. Founded by multi instrumentalist and vocalist Cruz Contreras (co-founder of Robinella and the CCstringband), The Black Lillies have created their own unique brand of country, roots, rock and blues via Appalachia. The group, formed in 2008, also includes bassist Taylor Coker, electric guitar and pedal steel whiz Tom Pryor (the everybodyfields), and drummer Jamie Cook (the everybodyfields). Trisha Gene Brady rounds out the lineup with Southern charm and smoky vocals.
The Dixie Bee-Liners
The Dixie Bee-Liners are an American bluegrass band formed in New York City in 2002 by Buddy Woodward and Brandi Hart, and the band members currently reside in Bristol, Va., and Nashville, Tenn. Their music has been bluegrass, Americana, alt-country, folk, and “Bible Belt Noir”.
KingBilly
At a KingBilly show, you’ll experience something completely different—a blend of high, lonesome bluegrass harmonies, bluesy lap steel and banjo and the country equivalent of AC/DC power riffs. It’s all fused into a seamless whole as tight and dynamic as the Blue Angels in flight. The five band members are equally adept at pickin’ and writin’; like deep-sea anglers, they throw back the good tunes and only keep the great ones. KingBilly can and will play just about anything, as long as it’s good. To a man who knows his pickers, these guys are lively, inquisitive and engaging. To the fairer sex, hot, fun, and one heck of a live show. KingBilly is determined to forge an innovative path to success while maintaining the integrity of the music.
Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers
Known for blazing innovative trails with the release of several past projects, the white-hot foursome known as Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers is at it again with the web-only release of Glow In The Dark, a spectacularly sparkling live recording taped at Mexicali Blues in Teaneck, New Jersey in 2008. The project concept debuted February 2, 2009, and continues for 14 weeks at the band's website - www.azpeacemakers.com, where fans can hear and watch an entire live show that captures the true spirit and vigor of RCPM. A new song (audio and video) debuts each of the 14 weeks.
Tommy Womack
As both an artist and a person, Tommy Womack has been called everything from “Tom Lehrer with a Telecaster” to “Nashville’s best loved musical eccentric,” and he might blushingly, but proudly, accept both titles. That’s because separating Womack the man and Womack the artist is impossible, as they’re both the same guy. An award-winning recording artist and a published author, Womack writes songs as honest as anything Hank Williams or Steve Earle ever recorded, and has attracted the attention of the national press while accumulating a loyal following.
David Jacobs-Strain
Slide guitarist and singer-songwriter David Jacobs-Strain grew up in Oregon, far from Mississippi, but found his first musical home in the Delta blues. “I’ve always been drawn to the dark stuff,” David says. This young roots musician channels age-old wisdom and heartache with such energy and passion that you can’t help but feel good, even about feeling bad.
Bearfoot
It's a commonplace that crises create opportunities, but the principle was thoroughly—and successfully—tested by Alaska-‐ by-‐way-‐of-‐Nashville's Bearfoot last year, when original members Angela Oudean and Jason Norris found themselves presiding over a prolonged period of shifting personnel. Yet the cliché proved true in the end when the pair recruited Todd Grebe, another Alaska-‐to-‐Nashville transplant, Nora Jane Struthers, a rising young singer/songwriter and one of her bandmates, P. J. George, to create a renewed ensemble full of energy and creativity. And now, with the release of American Story (available Sept 27), the group's latest effort for Compass Records, it's plain to see that the crisis was little more than a blessing in disguise.
Jessica Stiles
Having grown tired of both the hippies and incessant rain of Portland, Oregon, Jessica now lives in sunny Nashville, TN. After fronting her own Honky Tonk and Americana band for the past number of years in the Northwest, she has found herself tracing her musical roots back to the mountain and classic country mecca that is Tennessee.
The Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
The Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band consists of dyed-in-the wool traditional players with over 100 years of combined live gigging experience. Joining guitarist Peter Rowan are Jody Stecher, mandolin; Keith Little, banjo; and Paul Knight, bass. The ensemble has graced the stages of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Grey Fox, Merlefest, Rothbury and numerous other festivals, entertaining audiences with original songs executed in vibrant harmony
Stephen Simmons
Stephen Simmons was raised in the small town of Woodbury, Tennessee. His mother was a schoolteacher and his father held a factory job. In his family, they were the first generation that didn’t work the farm. As a songwriter, Stephen’s vision has grown to entail more than just reflections of rural America. The songs on his new recording, Girls, deal with existential realities that are familiar to country and city dwellers alike: redemption, heartbreak, hangovers and the loneliness of the road. Like Stephen’s previous records, The Superstore, Last Call, Drink Ring Jesus, Something In Between, and The Blame’s On U.S. (which were compared to everyone from Johnny Cash to Ryan Adams), Girls combines virtuosic songcraft and musicianship with unparalleled artistic honesty.
Dread Clampitt
Blue-eyed soul grass. Hipbilly. Funky bluegrass fusion. These words have been used to describe Dread Clampitt. With clever and heartfelt lyrics, Dread combines humor and a realistic outlook of the world with the sounds of bluegrass, rock & roll, blues, jazz and some Louisiana Bayou funk.
Roger McGuinn
Roger McGuinn, prior to forming the Byrds, toured and performed folk music with the Limeliters, Chad Mitchell Trio and Bobby Darin as a guitarist and banjo player.
Brigitte DeMeyer
Brigitte DeMeyer was already one of the most discussed artists in the Americana movement. Her work stirred accolades in national media. She was tapped to open shows for Marc Cohn, Dan Fogelberg – and Bob Dylan. She wrote songs as weavers thread tapestries, her most vivid colors being a Southern feel, a churchy soulfulness in her vocals, and a way with words that bore comparison to literature as easily as to the best contemporary lyrics.
Con Hunley
Soulful singer Con Hunley was born and raised in Fountain City in the Smoky Mountain foothills of East Tennessee. One of six children, Con had music in his life from birth. His first entrance into the music world was singing gospel songs at church with his family. Con was overjoyed when his parents bought him a used "Stella" guitar for Christmas when he was nine years old. His parents taught him basic chords (G,C,D,A) and some simple songs. "I was 10 or 12 years old before I realized that everybody didn't know how to play the guitar and sing, because everybody in my family did. On Saturday nights, we'd all pick and sing. On Sundays, we'd go to church and sing. That's what everybody did, including aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents."
Steve Poltz
He trick-or-treated at Liberace’s house, planned a two-day stay in Amsterdam that ended a month later with him escaping the city under the cover of darkness, and was Bob Hope’s favorite altar boy. Alone, these anecdotes go well with a fistful of peanuts at a cocktail party. But on top of these add that this person also co-wrote the longest-running song on the Billboard Top 100, had a debut solo album that earned three and a half stars in Rolling Stone, and was awarded the title of “San Diego’s Most Influential Artist of the Decade” at the San Diego Music Awards. What you end up with is one of the most engaging, twisted, and prolific songwriters of our time - Steve Poltz.
Jason and The Scorchers
With the release of HALCYON TIMES, Jason & The Scorchers have accomplished an extremely rare feat: almost 30 years into their career they have made a rock ‘n’ roll record every bit as dynamic and mind-blowing as their vintage work. Very few rock bands can make this claim. Jason & The Scorchers can, they should, and they do.The band’s story essentially starts in the late 1970s. Warner E. Hodges, the son of country musicians Blanche and Ed Hodges, was living in Nashville after his dad’s retirement from the military. Warner had played drums as a boy for his parents’ USO bands. He knew country music inside out. However, as a teenage rebel, he got hooked on early AC/DC and the first wave of punk rockers, waving that flag with high-decibel pride. In Nashville’s schmaltzy country pop atmosphere of that time, he stood out like a pig in a perfume shop. He played in punk and rock bands with his friends Perry Baggs and Jeff Johnson, two other tough street rockers in a genteel Southern town. They made a lot of noise but were essentially ignored outside of Nashville’s tiny rock community.
Brandi Carlile
Brandi Carlile's third album, Give Up The Ghost, unveils her talents in their truest form. After two albums and non-stop touring, she has let her guard down and offers her most candid recording to date. If the phrase "give up the ghost" most often refers to death or dying, it can also be used to describe the passing of stages in life, of transformation.
Drunk Uncles
The Drunk Uncles were founded five years ago by Mike McGill and Jeff Barbra, but only filled out its full lineup nine months ago. Having assembled a well-versed but eclectic crew with a similar appreciation for country music pioneers, the group has set out to revive the tunes that inspired them and contribute new songs in the same style.
Daddy
Will Kimbrough and Tommy Womack both boast amazing underground resumes. Kimbrough (2005 Americana Music Association Instrumentalist of the Year) and Womack (Two-time winner of the Nashville Scene Best Song Award) first came together in 1992 in the bis-quits, who made one impressive guitar-fest record for John Prine's Oh-Boy! label. They discovered a musical and personal kinship that they fought for years in and amongst other commitments to get back to. With the breakup of the bis-quits in 1994, Kimbrough went on to be lead guitarist in Todd Snider & the Nervous Wrecks. (He has since produced several of Snider's records, along with a whole slew of other artists.)
Lissy Rosemont of The Junior League Band
Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Lissy Rosemont, 28, is the front woman for the Washington, D.C. based Junior League Band. This rock inspired blue grass band has only been around for a few years, but their popularity is on the rise. They've toured all over the country introducing audiences to their unique blend of rock and blue grass tunes. Despite the changes in band members, the group has managed to release three records in less than 18 months.
Sarah Siskind
Sarah Siskind is seen as one of today's most eclectic songwriters with songs covered by Alison Krauss, Randy Travis, Bon Iver, the Infamous Stringdusters, April Verch and more. Krauss released both Siskind songs as singles, and in 2008, her rendition of "Simple Love" was nominated for a Grammy.
Dexateens
THE DEXATEENS AREN'T GOING ANYHERE AND THAT'S THE WAY THEY LIKE IT. But you wouldn't know it by listening to them. These Alabama natives play a boot stomping brand of 'Skillet Rock' that'll grab you by the collar and make you dance until your legs tremble, and sing until you can't sing anymore. However, family ranks a lot higher for The Dexateens than fame and fortune. Always has and always will. Their time away from the spotlight isn't for sale at any price, so don't be surprised if they're not playing a venue near you anytime soon. When they're actually on tour your bound to catch up with 'em, and when you do it'll be worth the wait.
Tristen
The Chicago-raised Tristen also took to the stage at an exceptionally tender age, fashioning smart pop tunes that quickly caught the ears of fans and industry folks alike. After scoring a publishing deal in L.A. that earned a handful of her tunes placement in television and film, Tristen relocated to Music City. It was there the young artist developed her style, branching out from her radio roots, and instead injecting her innately playful pop sensibilities into a newly introspective brand of folk.
Futurebirds
In Athens, Georgia, the future can look a lot like the past. Often not too many changes down that way and Futurebirds certainly don’t mind. Some folks think good music comes from making a whole bunch of sounds no one’s ever heard before. Some folks think that you can sit back and take her easy for a little while without trying too damn hard. Some folks think you can have a little of both. If you push yourself every once in awhile, you might wind up in the right place around the right friends and come up with something worth playing on the porch-swing over an ice-cold beer. That’s exactly Futurebirds’ situation. Surrounded by a sleepy-living music community—more earnest than you’ll find elsewhere—the band works to set things right where they belong. Provide people with an infectious melody and a refreshing song about things they understand and they’ll sing with you.
The Boxcars
We are excited to announce representation of the newly formed bluegrass supergroup, The Boxcars. Adam Steffey, Ron Stewart, John R. Bowman, Keith Garrett and Harold Nixon make up what will surely soon be one of the top headliners in bluegrass and beyond.
Ernie Hendrickson
Born in Cuba City, WI, but raised in Rockford, IL, Ernie Hendrickson grew up on a steady diet of Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Cat Stevens, and The Grateful Dead. These early heroes opened the gates to the deep well of American roots music which he continues to draw inspiration from. Even by the age of 16, Ernie was forming bands searching for his own sound. While attending Illinois State University in Bloomington-Normal, Hendrickson found himself the leader of The Seed Band, a group that would release three independent records, and found a cult following in the university subculture and surrounding areas. CD sales numbered in the thousands and many more live tapes were circulated before the group disbanded.
NewFound Road
When it comes from NewFound Road, it comes from the soul. There are more famous bluegrass bands, but you’d be hard pressed to find one that plays and sings with more feeling and heart than this extraordinary ensemble. NewFound Road’s second collection for Rounder Records, Same Old Place, following their well-received 2006 CD Life in a Song, tells you all you need to know about this group’s depth of emotion. It’s chock full of driving rhythms, haunting ballads and classic bluegrass, all brought into sharp focus by the band’s instrumental prowess and the soulful vocals of Tim Shelton.
Have Gun Will Travel
Since the 2008 release of their debut full-length Casting Shadows Tall As Giants, the band has been gaining momentum regionally as well as nationally. The album was featured on NPR’s “Second Stage” program. "Their music has a great energy to it with some infectious, sing-along choruses and refrains." commented NPR host Robin Hilton. At Creative Loafing's Best of the Bay Awards held in Tampa, HGWT took home the Readers' Poll Award for Best Americana Act and Staff pick for Local CD of the Year. Casting Shadows... landed in the top 5 most-played album of the year on Tampa's WMNF 88.5 fm. The album opener "Blessing and a Curse" was chosen to appear on every episode of the 2009 season of PBS's Roadtrip Nation.
Jeff And Vida
Jeff and Vida’s nine years of performing and songwriting, have seen them delve into many different genres of music; country, honky-tonk, rockabilly, even a little rock and roll. But throughout their career, which has included four critically acclaimed albums, literally thousands of live shows in the U.S. and Europe, and a move from New Orleans to Nashville, bluegrass has remained a key influence in their style and sound. Nowhere is this more evident than on their new CD, Selma Chalk.
Kenneth Brian
The Kenneth Brian Band has been working very hard, finishing up the as-yet-untitled new record, produced by classic rock and studio legend, Johnny Sandlin. Sandlin's work speaks for itself. Having played in Hour Glass (with his pals Duane and Gregg Allman), he then became Vice-President and head of A&R at Capricorn Records, going on to engineer and produce some of the most influential records and artists of all time, including: The Allman Bros., Bonnie Bramlett, Wet Willie, Delbert McClinton, Cher, Widespread Panic, Leroy Parnell, Marshall Tucker Band, Derek Trucks, and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, to name just a few. Johnny's experience in the classic/southern rock genre (he is one of the pioneers in the field) is a perfect match for Kenneth Brian's southern sensibilities, musically and otherwise. Be sure to check back soon for more details on a release date and title, as the record is ALMOST DONE!!!
The Claire Lynch Band
There were very few role models for a young woman starting out on the bluegrass highway back in the mid ‘70’s when Claire Lynch joined a band called Hickory Wind. A native of Kingston, New York, who has lived in Northern Alabama since the age of 12, Claire was offered a position in the band, decided she was going to be a bluegrass singer, and that was pretty much that. After changing its name to the Front Porch String Band, the group worked regularly throughout the Southeast over the next several years, becoming fan favorites on the strength of its open-minded musical approach and incredible lead singer.
The Darlins
The Darlins was formed in September of 2008 by Erinn Bates and Jude Toy. Erinn was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee and graduated from Belmont University with a degree in Music. Just after graduation, she signed a development deal with Sony Nashville and worked with Grammy winning producer, Mark Wright. She also began working with hit songwriters, Mark Selby and Tia Sillers. Selby played guitar and co-produced her project with Wright. In 2006, she packed up and moved to Las Vegas where she sang as part of a group in a country show band. Shortly after her year in Vegas, she returned home to Nashville to pursue a songwriting and artist deal again.
The Honeycutters
The Honeycutters are, at the heart, the musical collaboration of singer/songwriter Amanda Anne Platt and Lead Guitarist/ Producer Peter James. While their sound has drawn comparisons to such artists as Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris or Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Platt and James produce a refreshingly unique blend of Americana music that is comfortingly familiar while being entirely original. Whether performing as an acoustic duo or a full fledged Honky-Tonk five piece, The Honeycutters leave smiles on the faces of the ears that they catch.
Sonos
Emerging in 2009 from the college a cappella scene, Sonos turns the genre on its head with bold interpretations of C21st classics. On their Verve debut “SonoSings,” the vocal group reinvents Radiohead, Bon Iver & Fleet Foxes and dazzles with unique twists on the mainstream such as a dark, trip-hop Jackson 5 cover. Recent appearances include live radio sessions on NPR’s Weekend Edition, KCRW, BBC Americana, Sirius/XM; collaborations with novelist Margaret Atwood at UCLA Live and the beloved Young@Heart Chorus; plus performances all over the country including the Sundance Film Festival. 2010 sees Sonos touring widely as well as embracing projects in dance with Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Co. and science/theater with bestselling author and psychologist Dr. Daniel Levitin ("This Is Your Brain on Music"). A new Sonos album featuring covers, collaborations and originals, will be available in the fall.
Kim Richey
"Kim Richey would rule the charts in a land where Marshall Crenshaw was king, Aimee Mann queen, and the The Beatles never put out another record after Revolver." Steve Horowitz, popmatters.com
Andrew Combs
With his roots in Texas, singer and songwriter Andrew Combs has been steadily growing his branches in Nashville. In essence, he is a storyteller. His sharp, southern voice carves out stories and carries you through the ridges, making you feel as if you whittled out this story from your own past. When accompanied by fellow singer and song- writer Heidi Feek, the contrast is deep, dark, and beautiful. Her tranquil and smokey style pairs with Combs' reflective exuberance like a cold glass of whiskey and a long cigarette on a sunny day.
Shotgun Party
The original Shotgun Party trio met in a little Texas dive bar in 2006. They got their start performing weekly at Austin's own Continental Club. Sparks flew and now Shotgun Party, the Austin based trio, really knows how to fire up a crowd! Their original songs are beautiful and timeless drawing influences from early blues, country, bluegrass and depression era swing. Katy Rose Cox's fearles fiddling is simply virtuosic. Miss Jenny Parrott's gorgeous vocals and addictive songs will bring you to your knees. ...and introducing Shotgun Party's newest member, Andrew Austin-Petersen (formerly of the Shake 'Em Ups) on show stopping upright bass! With tight harmonies and lively stage antics, Shotgun party will leave you with a smile ear to ear. Don't miss 'em!!
Westbound Rangers
Hailing from Nashville via North Carolina, Virginia, Alabama and Texas, The Westbound Rangers are forging a new sound that crosses boundaries between Americana, Bluegrass, and Old-Time. The four piece string band, consisting of clawhammer banjo, mandolin, guitar and doghouse bass, has been turning heads since the band’s unassuming start in 2008.
Ryan Cook
An award winning singer-songwriter from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Ryan's sound is a smooth ensemble of Country/Western, Roots, Folk and Jazz music. Raised in a large dairy farming family, Ryan did all he could to outrun the expected cliches of cowboy culture. In fact, he started playing in punk rock and heavy metal garage bands as a teenager, and helped to shape a popular Yarmouth music scene along with artists like Brian Borcherdt (Holy F*ck) and Paul Murphy (Wintersleep).
Jesse McReynolds
Mandolin stylist known for his musical wizardry, songwriting, singing and arranging. A member of the award-winning brother duo, Jim & Jesse until Jim’s death in 2002. Grand Ole Opry member for more than 45 years. Has performed throughout Europe and Africa, as well as in the U.S. Multiple Grammy nominee and winner. Co-winner of the IBMA Instrumental Recording, "Mandolin Extravaganza". Nominated in 2005 for IBMA Instrumental Recording of the Year for his stellar collection of mostly original songs, "Bending the Rules." Currently celebrating his 63rd Anniversary in music!
Rodney Dillard
The folks of Salem, Missouri, listening to Rodney Dillard pick songs as a child, had little idea the prominent role he would play in music history in later years. Rodney began his career as a part of a family group that performed at fairs, pie suppers and square dances -- a career that has spanned, so far, 40 years of creating and influencing great music.
The Whites
"There's nothing like playing music to bring a family together," says Sharon White, but that's not exactly right; over 30 years have shown that the music of The Whites - sisters, Sharon and Cheryl, and father Buck - has just as much power to bring audiences together in a feeling that resembles that of one giant, extended family.
Sierra Hull
A good chunk of popular music’s real estate has been carved up along lines of age these last half-dozen decades, and we’re used to seeing young musicians aim exclusively for young audiences then flounder as they outgrow teenaged listeners’ tastes and concerns. Pan-generational mentoring and mingling has done much to insulate bluegrass from this coming-of-age quandary. Still, Sierra Hull is the rare soul to make it through these years entirely unscathed.
The Farewell Drifters
Echo Boom, the band’s third album, displays a growing maturity both musically and thematically, as the band considers the pressures and expectations placed on their generation by the previous one, and the ramifications of some of the vague self-actualization advice passed on by the boomers to their latchkey kids. “We were told by our parents that we could do anything we wanted, and though there’s an amazing freedom in that, a lot of my generation needed more direction,” says singer and guitar player Zach Bevill. Joshua Britt (mandolin/vocals) adds, “We were told to ‘Just Do It,’ but a lot of my friends are like, do what exactly? There is a lot of uncertainty about whether the lives we’re leading are going to get us anywhere.” That sentiment is expressed in “Punchline,” the lead track from Echo Boom. Britt, who wrote the song, juxtaposes earnest seriousness (“I don’t know what it is that fills my head with doubt/I just wanna shine the light that’s trying to get out/But it takes so long/And it’s always a process/And I can’t find the patience”) with the idea that life for his generation often seems like some cosmic joke, and that success is akin to successfully delivering a punchline. The chorus ends with the plea to “Let me deliver, let me deliver.”
The Rockin' Acoustic Circus
With hearts in traditional music and heads in the 21st century, Rockin’ Acoustic Circus points toward a fresh direction for acoustic music. Sharing their passion with impressive musical prowess and boundary pushing style,eir unique vibe of original work, appeals to a wide audience of both traditional and progressive fans alike.
Frank Fairfield
It’s difficult to imagine Frank Fairfield living in an apartment, let alone using e-mail or a cell phone. It’s much easier to picture him supine in the back of a boxcar, plucking his battered banjo while shuttling across a black Southern sky. Or camped by the bank of some slow-moving tributary, fiddling forgotten Appalachian murder ballads, surrounded by hobos chomping cold beans. Or stepping out of a Faulkner novel, all gun smoke, ancestral ghosts and gee-tar.
Bobby Bare Jr.
Nominated for a Grammy at age five for doing a duo with his renowned country music dad, Bobby Bare, Jr., also managed to sing on the Ryman Auditorium stage on its closing night. Although his dad is remembered for contemporary country songs like "500 Miles Away from Home" and "Houston," Bare, Jr. took off in a different direction, reflected in the name of his CD Young Criminals' Starvation League, released in 2002 by Bloodshot. While the CD picks up the flavor of early-'70s classic country with Nashville soul, it also testifies to an angry and sad type of humor. An oddball combination of post-punk and psychedelic melancholy, the CD reflects Bare, Jr.'s skill and depth as a musical artist who doesn't have to slouch in his father's shadow.
Bryan Sutton
Bryan Sutton seemed to come out of nowhere as part of Ricky Skaggs' return to bluegrass in 1997. Bluegrass Unlimited's review of Bluegrass Rules! took special note of his "spellbinding solos...[which] establish him as a musician who bears close scrutiny," while an appearance on Tina Adair's Just You Wait And See (Sugar Hill) led another reviewer to call him "a guitarist to be reckoned with." All in all, it was a remarkable welcome for a young musician.
Gary Morris
Morris' voice is the only instrument needed to move the listener's heart and soul. He is probably best known for his original recording of "Wind Beneath My Wings," which won both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music Song of the Year Awards. At the height of his Nashville recording career, Morris boldly opted to play opposite Linda Ronstadt in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of Puccini's opera La Boheme. Next, he accepted the heroic lead role of Jean Valjean in "Les Miserables," on Broadway. Receiving resounding critical praise, including a Drama Desk Best Actor nomination, his performance set the standard for this challenging role. Morris' famous rendition of "Bring Him Home" can be found on the platinum-selling Grammy Award-winning International cast album, as well as on his latest CD, "Gospel Classics, Volume 2 - Rock of Ages."
Matt King
I hate bios, there's plenty of fabricated, fornicated stuff out there if you wanna go root around for it. I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina. I worked in a goldsmith shop and an auction company growing up. I came up at the feet of honest to God mountain people singing bluegrass music about dying and losing lovers. My dad told me stories about our family killing people, killing each other and the generalities that go along with a family of bootlegers, preachers and splintered women. I didn't think it was fashionable to talk about those things and then one day the apostles of suburbia began making up songs about how cool it was, then took it to the people and sang it to 'em. - I don't know about that. These are my stories, I try to be as honest as a liar and a thief knows how to be, I hope you find some threads of truth in here. I like rocks too, I root around in the banks and ditches, dumpsters and dirt every chance I can. Books are nice, I read 'em a lot. I always wanted to be a magician, I guess it's a fine line between Houdini and a Hootenanny. Prime numbers drive me crazy, taking apart stuff really gets me going, and a fresh dumpster in a hoity-toity part of town, well, forget it, I'm going diving. That's me, enjoy
Cary Hudson
Cary Hudson first became recognized as a pioneer of a new music movement in the late eighties while joined in songwriting partnership with John Stiratt (WILCO) in The Hilltops, an alt-country band born out of Mississippi. When Stiratt left The Hilltops to play bass in Uncle Tupelo and then Wilco, Cary Hudson formed the widely-popular Blue Mountain that captured critical acclaim and gained cult status among its followers. After enjoying a long and successful run, and several popular releases on Roadrunner Records, Blue Mountain disbanded and Cary Hudson embarked on his solo career in 2001. With his solo releases, Cary Hudson has perfected the roots rock-n-roll tradition in a new, stripped down, grittier style that returns roots rock to its roots. His releases and performances have been well-received by both critics and fans alike, proving that Cary Hudson can transition from pioneer to powerful solo songwriter and musician. His solo releases continue to redefine the music that launched a movement.
Megan McCormick
Megan McCormick always knew her life lay in music. It wasn’t a matter of fancy costumes or the notion of thousands of people clamoring for her attention. The girl who grew up in Alaska – and whose grandparents are in the Western Swing Hall of Fame – could feel it on a cellular level.
Derek Hoke
Derek Hoke has crafted a collection of equally endearing and infectious songs for his long awaited sophomore release – Waiting All Night. Out August 21, 2012 on Electric Western / Thirty Tigers, Waiting All Night picks up right where Hoke left off with his first release Goodbye Rock N Roll. There is a significant difference here though. If Goodbye Rock N Roll was slow crafted, simmered in Hoke’s brain on low, and came to life on a lazy saw dust floor one night in town, then Waiting All Night was born under the lights on stage. It’s clear that Hoke and his band have been affected by the past years of playing week after week. Nashville has a way of doing that to a singer. A way of molding a voice around the lingering smoke and whiskey hanging in the air night after night. And first and foremost, Derek Hoke is a singer. The songs, even the ballads, reach out and yearn for a late night in a dark room. It’s the same feeling you get when you leave the house at 2am to catch last call…because if you don’t you might miss something. You might miss the steel guitar or meandering piano solos and telecaster riffs. Well, get out of the house, because you won’t want to miss a tune on Waiting All Night.
The SteelDrivers
Nashville, Tennessee is a nexus – a point where tradition and innovation intersect, where commerce collides with art. It may be the only town around where salaried songwriters and full-time session musicians are as common as accountants and schoolteachers. Music is the product, and the factories line the street, from the swank Music Row mini-high-rises to the low-slung Sylvain Park bungalows. And only Nashville could give birth to a band like the SteelDrivers: a group of seasoned veterans – each distinguished in his or her own right, each valued in the town’s commercial community – who are seizing an opportunity to follow their hearts to their souls’ reward. In doing so, they are braiding their bluegrass roots with new threads of their own design, bringing together country, soul, and other contemporary influences to create an unapologetic hybrid that is old as the hills but fresh as the morning dew. This is new music with the old feeling. SteelDrivers fan Vince Gill describes the band’s fusion as simply “an incredible combination.”
Dale Watson
Dale Watson isn't one to uphold the music industry's status quo. He's moving forward on his own terms and true to his own convictions. Even with frequent proclamations declaring him one of country music's last authentic voices (like that in Crazy Again--a recent documentary on Watson's life--when a fan declares, "son, you play country like country was when country was country"), Watson is done with the "C" word and what it's come to represent in modern times. So much so that he's created his own genre, simply called Ameripolitan. In a recent posting on his website (www.dalewatson.com), Dale explains it like this: "I've been trying to come up with a name the best describes this music that me and folks similar do. When folks ask, I hesitate, down right embarrassed really, to say country. I didn't used to be that way, but with the change in country, the term doesn't mean the same as it used to. If you say traditional, or old, or western swing most folks think 'retro' and dismiss it without hearing it. I wanted a name that didn't say country anything and didn't give anyone a preconceived idea. I came up with Ameripolitan. I even put it in Wikipedia defined as: Original music with 'prominent' roots influence." And so it goes with Dale Watson, the kind of unparalleled iconoclast that's far too rare in music today.
Suzi Ragsdale
Nashville native, Suzi Ragsdale virtually cut her teeth in the recording studio. Her dad a singer/songwriter as well, she grew up surrounded by music. At age 5, she sang with the kiddie chorus on her father Ray Stevens’ Grammy Award winning smash, “Everything Is Beautiful”. At 10, she began recording children’s albums and writing her own songs… by 13, she was singing other writers’ demos… & by 17 singing in local clubs.
Kara Clark
Kara Clark is a storyteller. It’s all about reality for Kara. Whether her songs were penned from actual personal experience or the stories she heard her mother telling her friends over the kitchen table, you will hear the validity of truth in the words and music that are Kara Clark. Each song unravels the events of a captivating tale that will leave you hanging on every word to find out what happens next. Whether good, bad, or just plain and simple honesty, her words will remind you that life is always believable and definitely much more interesting than anything that can be made up! No fairytales for Kara, only truth. No dressed up lies, only honesty in its rawest form. Refusing to sugarcoat reality, Kara Clark is honest, bold and real. With one line, slipped in at a most conspicuous spot, she can bring you face to face with your own reality. Kara Clark is a gifted storyteller.
The Infamous Stringdusters
The Infamous Stringdusters are at the forefront of a new movement in bluegrass music. Their unmatched virtuosity has enabled them to take acoustic music to a completely new level. They wield an expansive repertoire touching on masters from Jimmy Martin to John Hartford, but their strength lies in their original compositions. Dedication to arrangements sets them apart and extended improvisation makes every performance completely unique. The live Stringdusters experience is antiformulaic, groove friendly, and mind‐expanding ‐ not your granddaddy's bluegrass. Unless your granddaddy was Jerry Garcia.
Barry Scott & Second Wind
Since the beginning of his musical journey at the age of seven, Barry Scott has served his time with several of Bluegrass and Gospel musics best known acts. This Georgia native has been a member of The Perry’s, The Dixie Melody Boys, Gold City Quartet, and most recently a nine year tour as tenor and lead vocalist with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver.
Chris Jones and The Nightdrivers
Chris Jones is no newcomer to the musical spotlight. His resume includes appearances and recordings with some of the world’s most respected musicians including The Chieftains (he was featured on their 2003 U.S. tour), Earl Scruggs, Vassar Clements, Lynn Morris Band, April Verch Band, the McCarters and the award-winning quartet Weary Hearts, among others. He has performed as a sideman at the Grand Ole Opry and has been seen on such television shows as Conan O’Brien, Emeril Live, and The Grand Ole Opry Live. Jones’ collaboration with legendary country singer/songwriter Tom T. Hall led to the release of the duet “Man On The Side Of The Road” from Chris’ “Just a Drifter” album, which became one of the Top 5 airplay bluegrass songs of 2001. Most recently, he appeared in the PBS series “The Appalachians” as a both a performer and commentator.
Gabriel Kelley
Raised in the foothills of the Appalachians, Gabriel Kelley grew up in a rustic space out of time, steeped in the music of his forefathers. In his world, contra dances, pickin' parties and neighborly bluegrass were no anachronism. As a child, Kelley picked up the guitar and quickly became versed in the various styles of old-time players and songwriters surrounding his youth. So when he began writing and creating his own sounds, Americana wasn't a chosen genre or format. It was, simply, music.
Ben Glover
Ben Glover has been compelled to write songs since his mid-teens when he was awoken and unsettled by Bob Dylan. It’s writers whose work contains lyrical richness and who take a poetic approach in exploring the human condition that attract Ben. In his own writing he creates characters so life like that you can almost trace the lines of their face with your finger. Whether it’s the soul-moving melody of “Too Late to Leave Her Alone,” or the worn portrait of a “Full Moon Child,” he crafted images that linger and stir. His words find their way to the deepest place in your soul.
Missy Raines & The New Hip
indie rocks bluegrass vibe meets a deep jazz groove Missy Raines & The New Hip blur the lines between jazz, bluegrass, and rhythm’n’blues- redefining the acoustic/electric/hybrid landscape. Is it ‘jam jazz’? ‘jazz grass’? ‘rhythm’n’blues-grass’?
Yarn
Brooklyn-based Americana/Alt-Country band Yarn’s sound owes as much to Gram Parsons and Earl Scruggs as to Jerry Garcia and Exile On Main Street-era Rolling Stones. Following in a fine tradition that includes forward thinking roots bands like The Flying Burrito Brothers and New Riders of The Purple Sage, Yarn weaves roots music idioms into a fresh sound that turns on hipsters and fans of country music alike with technically impressive song-crafting and universal tales from the road of life.
The Coal Men
Some people measure life in years. Dave Coleman measures it in moments. And capturing the impact of a moment is what the singer, guitarist and principal songwriter of The Coal Men set out to do on "Beauty Is a Moment," the band's second full-length release.
Folk Soul Revival
FSR has just released their third album 'Prompting The Dapperness.'The completely fan funded release (following a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign) returns to the formula that has continued to make the band so endearing- strong songwriting, sing along melodies, impassioned vocals and most of all honest music that resonates deep within the listener. There's a reason the band has such a loyal fan base ('The Congregation') and garners accolades wherever they travel.
Mary Gauthier
“There’s freedom in knowing that you don’t have to know it all,” she says, “which is why to me, a song should end with a question, not an answer.” It might seem that after six groundbreaking albums of original songs, more than a dozen years of recording and touring around the world, a harvest of music industry awards, and covers of her songs by a roster of great artists – that Mary Gauthier (say it: go-shay) should have a handle on some of the big answers. Yet with each new album, with each new cycle of songs that illuminate her soul, with each old and new set of characters and life changes she introduces, Mary is always ending up with more questions. Where do her people come from and where do they go? How can they find shelter from the storm? What is the truth?
Shannon Whitworth
If Shannon Whitworth’s first two albums were cross-country treks, High Tide is a trans-Atlantic voyage. Leaving all preconceptions of the banjo-wielding songstress behind, Whitworth’s new adventure steers into waters both familiar and refreshingly new, Gibson SG in hand. On the heels of a year spent touring with Chris Isaak and the Tedeschi-Trucks Band, and recording as the singing voice of Belk department stores’ latest campaign, High Tide finds Whitworth collaborating with Bill Reynolds (Band of Horses) and producer Seth Kauffman, while continuing to hit the road with her core quartet. From the first rolling rhythms, it’s evident that this album charts new waters. Just as her music stems from Appalachian roots (she’s a favorite at MerleFest) but sheds its traditional skin at the door, High Tide begins with a journey to the coast that takes rest stops in reverb-drenched jazz and indie rock along the way, setting the mood for a tight but playful expedition. Whether you’re holed up in a chilly Appalachian barn or walking the coast on a hot August evening, Whitworth’s High Tide holds universal appeal, from the mountains to the sea.
Gypsy Hombres
The acoustic violin/guitar based trio, The Gypsy Hombres, blend traditional jazz with European, South American, and classical music to create a sound unlike any other musical group. The Hombres' repertoire embraces a wide variety of composers and styles; from Brahms and Chopin to George Gershwin, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong to international folk songs, all while retaining the gypsy spirit. But besides just adding their own arrangements and personalities to standards, they are also accomplished composers with several original songs featured on their latest album.
Carolyn Martin
Singer Carolyn Martin has been described as “… a winning throwback to the days where emotion was measured and artful rather than loud and histrionic.” From European concert halls to intimate venues at home in Nashville, fans have come to know Carolyn as a a vocalist with a unique sense of musical style, a charismatic stage presence and a voice that exudes passion and experience – the soulful elegance that is the very essence of music.
Erika Chambers
Nashville based singer-songwriter, Erika Chambers is a modern roots artist with a nostalgic twist. Relatively new to the music scene, Erika is honored to be a 2 time IBMA showcase songwriter (2007 & 2008) and has had the pleasure of performing with such Americana/ folk inspirations as Leigh Nash, Julie Lee, Drew Holcomb, & Katy Bowser.
Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
To another artist at a similar point in their career, the idea of self-producing a new album, recording it in their own studio, and then releasing it on their own label, would be an unthinkable gamble, fraught with loose ends, complications, and a distracting degree of responsibility. For Rhonda Vincent, however, it is simply the next logical step. Among the most complete and accomplished artists of her generation – in any genre – Vincent was born into a performing family, and from an early age has dedicated herself to understanding and excelling at every element of her craft. She is quick to point out that she is not infallible: in fact, her willingness to take chances and then diligently assess the results afterwards has insured her continuing artistic and professional growth.
The Harpers
Gaylon and Katrina were both raised around music: festivals, church singings and get together's. Katrina was born into the Bob Lewis Family Band from Doniphan, Mo. They traveled the bluegrass circuit for a couple of years upon hiring a young banjo picker named Gaylon Harper while he and Katrina were both seniors in high school. After marrying and making their home in Bunker, Mo. God has blessed them with three very talented children.
Next Best Thing
They didn't grow up playing instruments or singing everyday. Although they traveled thousands of miles and listened to more bluegrass than most people hear in a lifetime --- even BEFORE they were born.
Isaac Moore
The best way to describe this young man is UNBELIEVABLE!!! Isaac is 8yrs old, and sang his first bluegrass song, "Over the Clouds of Glory", at the age of 2 in its entirety. Isaac can remember the words to a song faster than most 20 year olds. Isaac has incredible pitch & loves to sing the songs of Del McCoury, Bill Monroe, Dr. Ralph Stanley, and Flatt & Scruggs. Isaac has that old time sound at age 7 that most Bluegrass singers strive for their entire life!!!! Isaac loves to sing and is ready to go anytime the word bluegrass is mentioned.
Jerry Douglas
Internationally recognized as the world's most renowned Dobro player, Jerry Douglas undoubtedly ranks amongst the top contemporary maestros in American music. Douglas has garnered twelve GRAMMY® Awards and numerous International Bluegrass Music Association awards, and holds the distinction of being named "Musician of the Year" by The Country Music Association (2002, 2005, 2007), The Academy of Country Music (11 times), and The Americana Music Association (2002, 2003). In 2004, the National Endowment for The Arts honored Douglas with a National Heritage Fellowship, acknowledging his artistic excellence and contribution to the nation's traditional arts, their highest such accolade.
Joey + Rory
Often times, Nashville goes to great lengths to sell you on how ‘real’ an artist is. Sometimes they’re not quite as genuine as they are advertised to be…but then again, sometimes they really are.
Mother Truckers
The Mother Truckers are a kick-ass rock 'n' roll band from Austin, Texas! Their music is high-octane Americana, blending elements of Country and Blues with loud guitars, big choruses and powerhouse vocals. Their creative songwriting and high energy live performances lift you up to a place that’s somewhere between a honky-tonk and a mosh-pit!
Frontier Ruckus
We’ve memorized so thoroughly the worlds from which we come. With a lifelong obsession, we’ve catalogued and internalized the apparently permanent fixtures of a cherished locality until our bodies have in fact become either physical extensions or microcosmic containers of these landscapes: arms kinking in unbroken strip-mall chains, gaping mouths mimicking the enormous vacancy of an evacuated sports dome. The chief business of Frontier Ruckus is the collection and organization of these solid, unmoving markers. We spool the vast confusion and depth of existence around fast-food restaurants in anchoring tethers; we use the vacuous space of the abandoned 90s mall, now dead and tomb-like, as leaky reservoirs of overflowing memory. We turn to these devices to render memory and its innumerable landmarks somehow less crippling in their abundance—to seek some agency, some proprietorship over a world as heavy and unwieldy with contents of the past as a backyard filling with nightfall.
John Oates
John Oates was destined to be a musician. Singing from the time he could talk and playing the guitar since the age of five, his calling in life was never in question. Born in New York City, his family moved to a small town outside of Philadelphia Pennsylvania in the early 50's ....a move that would change the course of his life. Like most kids at that time, the impact of the early days of rock left an lasting impression on John. At the age of four he witnessed his first live concert: Bill Haley and the Comets playing their classic rockabilly hits at a local amusement park. Then there were the records...
Jeff Black
A tin lily is just what it says—and much more than it seems. A thin piece of metal shaped in the petals of a delicate flower, it's designed to take a soft glow, often from a candle, and give it more shine. It's a hard element that does what it can to spread something as ethereal yet as essential as light.
Brian McGee
Having spent his musical adolescence in Pennsylvania playing in punk rock bands, Brian McGee is not the most natural figurehead for a movement of new Americana rock. But after living in Western North Carolina for the last ten years and absorbing the sounds and culture of the region, McGee has milled a new angle into his songwriting palette and taken to fusing his punk rock heritage to raw country sounds. Once it became obvious to him that Iggy Pop and The Carter Family played the same three chords, McGee was off and running.
The Ragbirds
Led by dynamic, energetic front woman and multi-instrumentalist Erin Zindle, The Ragbirds utilize an arsenal of instruments from around the world. The Ragbirds are a fusion of folk rock and pop hooks over danceable world rhythms stirred with a Celtic fiddler’s bow.
J D Crowe
Banjoist J.D. Crowe was one of the most influential progressive bluegrass musicians of the '70s. Initially influenced by Earl Scruggs, as well as rock & roll and the blues, Crowe worked his way through several bands during the '60s, developing a distinctive instrumental style that melded country, bluegrass, rock, and blues. Crowe didn't receive national exposure until the early '70s when he formed the New South, but after the release of the band's eponymous debut in 1972 he became a fixture on the bluegrass scene for the next 20 years.
Jennifer Niceley
"After some years spent in Nashville and releasing two recordings --- 2004's Seven Songs EP and 2007's full length Luminous--- I moved away from the city and found my way back into country life. Back to the family farm in East Tennessee just outside of Knoxville, where I was born and raised. I came back without knowing what the hell I was doing or why, didn't know how long I would stay, if music was just a dream, if I would ever write a song I liked again, and also wondering: does the world even need any more "singer-songwriters"?
Manda Mosher
“Here in the city of clowns, is where it all goes down” Not many can claim they are a sixth generation Californian, let alone Angeleno. Manda Mosher can. Still what does that mean? It’s not as easily defined as saying you are a sixth generation New Yorker, or Bostonian for that matter. Manda’s first ancestor to settle in the region, came to Downtown, Los Angeles in the 1800’s from Delhi, New York after the Civil War, additional family followed establishing a chicken farm in the Valley in 1911.
Madison Violet
Both hailing from Scottish small towns in Canada, Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac have chosen another musical path; one that channels their parent’s vintage record collection that comprised of the likes of Neil Young and Dolly Parton. Madison Violet came to be nearly 9 years ago after a chance meeting at an appropriately titled restaurant 'The Green Room'. Since that fateful meeting, the pair have come into a sound of their own, which has been described as both city-folk and tumbleweed pop.
Stonehoney
On their debut album The Cedar Creek Sessions, the Austin, Texas-based quartet Stonehoney delivers a bracing set of 14 original tunes that effortlessly transcend genre restrictions, merging rootsy grit with savvy melodic hooks and pointed lyrical insight. The foursome’s catchy tunes are matched by their seamless vocal harmonies and punchy ensemble performances, which make the most of the band members’ remarkable musical rapport and personal chemistry.
Joe Diffie with Special guests Newfound Road
"I always had in mind to do a bluegrass album someday," says Joe Diffie. "It was something I wanted from the first day that I got my country deal." And while he might not be the first to say that, it not only has the ring of truth when you hear it straight from the man himself, it’s got a lifetime’s worth of bluegrass roots and connections to back it up. In fact, the most surprising thing about the translation of that thought into reality - and given the way that the country music industry has kept bluegrass at arms length, it’s not very surprising at all - is that it’s taken this long.
Riders In The Sky
For thirty years Riders In The Sky have been keepers of the flame passed on by the Sons of the Pioneers, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, reviving and revitalizing the genre. And while remaining true to the integrity of Western music, they have themselves become modern-day icons by branding the genre with their own legendary wacky humor and way-out Western wit, and all along encouraging buckaroos and buckarettes to live life "The Cowboy Way!" Riders In The Sky are exceptional not just in the sense that their music is of superlative standards (they are the ONLY exclusively Western artist to have won a Grammy, and Riders have won two), but by the fact that their accomplishments are an exception to the rule as well.
The Huntley Sisters
The Huntley Sisters have played at Silver Dollar City Bluegrass & BBQ in Branson, Missouri the last 3 years and will be there in May, 2010! We played Dollywood's BBQ & Bluegrass in 2008. We played The Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009. Tori and Kevin did an instrument demo at The Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009.
The McCrary Sisters
Ann and Regina McCrary are powerfully soulful vocalists whose gospel music really rocks. Each has had a successful career in her own right, but in combination they will take your breath away. Ann, Regina, and Freda McCrary regularly perform with Mike Farris as the Roseland Rhythm Revue. They are the daughters of the legendary Rev. Sam McCrary of the Fairfield Four.
Volunteer String Band
The Volunteer String Band is fronted by one of the most singular vocalists in music today, Travis Stinson. The VSB has been a staple of the Music City scene for over 15 years and can be heard everywhere from Nashville's famous Lower Broadway, to the cavernous depths of Bluegrass Underground, to the barn stage of Music City Roots, and even the tent stages of Bonnaroo. The VSB style is to play anything regardless of genre, whether it is timeless bluegrass songs, original tunes, or raucous covers of artists such as the Talking Heads, Grateful Dead, or Gnarles Barkley.
Ben Cameron
“Ben Cameron possesses two of my favorite new voices. He sings with one and writes with the other. And now he's made an album worthy of praise and envy.” – Peter Cooper, The Tennessean
The Howlin’ Brothers
With a whoop and yell, Raised in the backwoods of America brought up in the alleyways of country and blues, and living gumbo of American roots music!! The Howlin’ Brothers are an American band through and through from down right dirty blues to the most breathe taking vocals the brothers keep audiences on their heels. Taking America by storm they've gathered a large local following, night after night non bluegrass fans stop to take another look at what might just be the most hard working band in the business.
Julie Gribble
It just comes naturally for Julie Gribble, writing, singing, and performing. But what she loves most is to inspire, to reach people with her music. With her Traditional Americana/Country Music, Gribble has entranced audiences with her modern stories of life, love and relationships. When you think about the edge of an artist like Lucinda Williams, the melodies of Allison Krauss, and a likeness to Natalie Merchant, you'll find Julie. Audiences connect immediately to the unique lyrics because they’re not the same old love clichés. As Craig Ferguson said, on his show about her record, So Typical, "It's Fantastic!"
Elio and The Hank Sinatra Band
Elio and The Hank Sinatra band are making fans around the world and now is your chance to be part of a musical movement that is taking the music industry by storm. Don't miss this chance to be a part of music history. Elio and Hank Sinatra Band.
Doyle Lawson And Quicksilver
I was born on April 20, 1944 in Ford Town, a part of Sullivan County, near Kingsport, TN, to Leonard and Minnie Lawson. I have two brothers, James and Les, and one sister, Colleen.
Woody Pines
Certain talented musicians have the ability to transport the listener to a different place and time by just hitting some strings or directing the air that fills their lungs... For Woody Pines, you find yourself in the Mississippi Delta when AM radio is king, sippin' whiskey if you re fortunate and moonshine if you're desperate.
The Secret Sisters
The Secret Sisters’ incredible story is as simple and true as the effortless harmonies that got them here. Begin anywhere – the thick and fertile brambles of their own family history (their grandfather and his brothers actually forged a group called ‘The Happy Valley Boys’) or light upon the branches of the wondrous, fractal menagerie that makes up their debut album (a guileless, rapturous mixture of roots-ified pop that includes classics like “Why Don’t Ya Love Me?” and “Why Baby Why”). The pure goldenrod from a pair of Alabama sisters direct from Mussel Shoals (barely twenty-somethings themselves) dare to cover the Sinatra untouchable “Something Stupid,” one minute, and deliver their own self-penned, soon-to-be signature anthem “Tennessee Me,” the next.
Anna Johnson
A girl who makes music from the deepest part of her heart. It's intentionally simple so people feel what she feels. Effortless. Beautiful. No unnecessary words. No unnecessary flash. Lyrics and music from her soul to yours. Alison Krauss meets pop meets Norah Jones meets something honest and true.
John Carter Cash
John Carter Cash has been in music in some form or fashion all his life. He is a singer-song writer and record producer. He is the Grandchild of Maybelle Carter and the only son to Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. He preserves the family legacy and is caretaker to the heritage of his musical ancestors.
Catie Curtis
The vivid songwriting of Catie Curtis combines insightful lyrics with addictive melodies and energy. Catie's recordings (released on EMI, Rykodisc, Vanguard and Compass), engaging live shows and impressive touring career (in the US and Europe) have earned her rave reviews and wide recognition. Her songs have been featured on Dawson's Creek, Felicity, Alias, Chicago Hope, and Grey's Anatomy, as well as in several independent films. She's toured extensively with Mary Chapin Carpenter and with the original Lilith Fair. Catie was named grand prize winner of the International Songwriting Competition, for her song "People Look Around", co-written with Mark Erelli. In January 2009 performed at the Human Rights Campaign's official Obama inaugural ball. In 2010, she performed at the White House. Catie is recording a brand new CD of new material in January, which will be released in the summer of 2011.
Rayland Baxter
Rayland Baxter is a gentleman, a singer of song, a teller of tale, a picker of strings, a thinker of things. Born in the untamed hills of Bon Aqua, Tennessee, he tells a story unlike any other, a story that is true and full of unravelling emotion. No lines drawn, no box to be found in the world of Rayland Baxter. He is who he is and he tells the unmatched story. Wether it be the story of love, the story of struggle, or the story of joy, the road that he travels is full of dust and flowers, fire and ice, comets and dreams, and he walks with stars in his eyes, leaving the scent of wild magnolias for those on his trail...for us, we are fortunate to find him at the end, smilin. Tradition is a staple in Rayland's music. In any given song, one can hear the nuances of his favorites...from Dylan to Van Zandt, Johnson to Hopkins, or anyone else on the musical map that has tickled his fancy at one time or another. His reconstruction of song is mesmorizing in its own right...a true artist...a humble man...a dreamer.
Angaleena Presley
Born and raised in Beauty, Kentucky, I'm a true product of Appalachia. I love biscuits, gravy, dirt bikes, overalls, bluegrass, bonfires, burnt rubber, quilts, afghans, mason jars, moonshine, mud, and family. My uncle Bobby was an outlaw musician with an amazing voice and style all his own. I remember sitting on Mamaw's front porch soaking up his versions of songs like "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain", "Sixteenth Avenue", "Almost Persuaded", and "Sugar Mountain". My Daddy, who was a coal miner for thirty years, showed me how to play "Mamma Tried" when I was sixteen. I've been plucking away and writing songs ever since. My mom took Willie and Waylon's advice. Determined not to let her baby grow up to be a cowboy, she sent me to a community college right out of high school. Despite her efforts, I was drawn to music and knew in my heart that it was my destiny. I used to skip class and take my guitar up to Butcher Holler. I'd sit there at Loretta's home place and write songs, dream, and will myself to Nashville, TN. Mom eventually got her way and I wound up graduating from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in Psychology. However, one year out of school, I packed up everything I owned and moved to Music City, U.S.A. I began playing writers nights, and to my sweet surprise, I signed a publishing deal nine months after I moved to town. I'm still a staff writer with the company that gave me my first deal.
Jompson Brothers
Born in the garage, built for the arena, and hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, The Jompson Brothers are a new breed of Rock ‘n’ Roll. They’re a riff-driven, fist-pumping sonic assault fronted by Grammy-nominated vocalist, Chris Stapleton. JT Cure (bass) and Bard McNamee (drums) provide the tight, chest-thumping back line while Greg McKee brings the lead guitar swagger. Their first studio album is expected to be released in the fall of 2010.
The Carter Brothers
Raised in the Carter Family musical legacy, The Road To Roosky embodies their unique heritage with equal parts of reverence and raucousness. Their talent on their many instruments – Tim on banjo, vocal harp, mandolin and guitar, Danny Reid on guitar – lends itself to masterful arrangements alongside the drums of Dann Sherill and electric bass of Ross Sermons.
Darin And Brooke Aldridge
Darin and Brooke Aldridge are beautiful young newlyweds who sing and play a rich combination of bluegrass, bluegrass gospel, and country duets certain to please fans on any stage or festival, church or concert hall. Their fine harmony work showcases two fine individual voices which blend to perfection, and they are backed by perfect instrumentation.
Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen
A Third-Generation Californian with deep roots in the Cowboy history of the American West, Chris Hillman was born in Los Angeles, California on December 4, 1944. Hillman spent his early years on his family’s ranch home in then rural North San Diego County “riding horses, and doing ranch chores”. His interests would soon change from spurs and saddles to guitars and mandolins.
Tom Mason & The Blue Buccaneers
In celebration of the tenth anniversary of International Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sept 19th), Tom Mason and the Blue Buccaneers will bring their rollicking set to Music City Roots, with a guest appearance by legendary Australian singer Dobe Newton lead singer of the Bushwackers and a bit of a pirate hinself. The Blue Buccaneers play with the fervor of the Pogues and the sensitivity of the Buena Vista Social Club. Their songs that transport you to the wildest pub in Port Royal at the turn of the eighteenth century.
Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike
When it comes to making music, there’s nothing wrong with playing by the rules, but that’s never been the right way for Valerie Smith. While the energetic singer/songwriter knows and respects the tried and true ways of bluegrass—and knows the penalties that can follow a departure from them—she’s held fast to one simple rule of her own: “I sing from my heart,” she says. “I do my own thing.” And today, a dozen years after her first album and on the eve of the release of her latest, she can look back with pride at a musical path that’s all her own, even as she looks ahead to the next dozen with the confidence of a seasoned artist who’s built a devoted following in the best way it can be done—just by being herself.
Jason D Williams
Jason is on the road over 200 days a year playing to crowds in every setting, from clubs to amphitheaters and many corporate sponsored events. Jason D. is unique, talented and full of raw energy. This is one act you have to see and hear to believe.
MyNameIsJohnMichael
In late 2007, New Orleanian John Michael Rouchell decided it was time for a change in his life. He set out to write, record, and release one song a week for the entire year of 2008 under the name MyNameIsJohnMichael (MNIJM). What began as a solo project with Rouchell tackling every instrument and even engineering duties on occasion soon grew to the huge project it is today with an ever-expanding following.
The David Mayfield Parade
Leaving the 1956 Flex tour bus David Mayfield and his family called home to start his nightly shift at the tool and die along side his father it’s easy to understand why he celebrates every performance he’s afforded.
Matt Flinner Trio
Since its inception in 2002, the Matt Flinner Trio has been forging new pathways for the standard bluegrass trio. Mandolinist Matt Flinner, guitarist Ross Martin and bassist Eric Thorin cover a wide variety of musical styles—all with the common ground of American roots as well as originality. Bluegrass, jazz and Celtic music are all present here, but not necessarily overtly or in a contrived sense. Call it Americana Music, or New Acoustic, or Chamber Grass, or just call it Great Music; whatever label you put on it, it is guaranteed to be fresh and original, and definitely something you’ve never quite heard before.
Abigail Washburn
"A daring, definite talent, whose feel for the folk idiom results in moving material. Soulful is the word"-- Wall Street Journal "Washburn stomped and skipped through fiery Appalachian takes on the local songs of Sichuan. Her bilingualism's no gimmick; she nails the dips and peaks of pitch while leading her band in scorching variations on simple, repetitive traditional melodies…” – L.A. Times
The Defibulators
The DEFiBULATORs have emerged as one of the most engaging live acts from the thriving roots scene in Brooklyn, NY – melding, bluegrass rockabilly, dixieland, and punk into their own eclectic sound.
Last Train Home
"One of the country's most formidable roots-rock bands." That's the assessment of Nashville's Tennessean newspaper about Last Train Home. And while roots-rock is at the heart of LTH's sound, don't overlook the country, bluegrass, swing, blues, folk, pop, and Tin Pan Alley influences you'll find if you lend this band an ear. What began as a part-time band in Washington D.C. back in 1997 has evolved into an acclaimed full-time touring group based out of Nashville.
Jo-El Sonnier
The music of Jo-El Sonnier is a way of life. Steeped in passion, relentlessly committed to his craft … he has been the undisputed "King of Cajun" for the past 20 years and occupies a significant place in the rich artistic landscape of this country. His fans are undeniably dedicated, while the music industry elite - Dylan, Costello, Diamond, and Cash to name a few - admire his work to no end. He is a "musician's musician" with a wonderful gift to sing and entertain you in a way often imitated but never duplicated.
Dana Romanello and 1925
A fourth generation musician, Dana Romanello began singing with her family’s bluegrass band in Lucasville, Ohio at a very young age. With her sweet blend of bluegrass and the spark of classic country female songwriters, Dana has developed her own original style audiences know and love – something she likes to call “Sassy Grass”. Along with her career as a singer/songwriter, she is also the manager of country programming for Citadel Media and the host of ACC TV Around Town for American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks. She is a former Tennessee Titans Cheerleader and graduate of Marshall University. Dana released her self-titled debut album in 2008 and recently released a digital EP and live DVD titled “Porch Swing Sessions,” available at iTunes, courtesy of 1925 Entertainment.
Ron Sexsmith
Ron Sexsmith is a major contemporary writer/artist who has amassed a sizable and consistently enthralling body of work since making his major label debut in 1995 with his self-titled album on Interscope, followed by such eloquent musical gems as Other Songs (1997), Blue Boy (2001), Retriever (2004) and Time Being (2006). Each has its own particular character but is connected to the rest by the overarching intelligence, impeccable taste and understated emotionality of this single-minded voice in the pop-cultural wilderness. As one new fan put it in a comment on iTunes, Sexsmith’s music “wins you over with a silk punch.” Well put.
Kevin Welch
Kevin now resides in a log cabin in some woods outside of Austin, Texas, and is getting ready to hit the road behind a brand new record called "A Patch Of Blue Sky".
Dehlia Low
Emerging out of Asheville, North Carolina's roots renaissance, Dehlia Low echoes the sounds of early country with a strong bluegrass flavor, crafting a fresh originality that feels like home. Beginning in 2007, the group developed a devoted fan base with the help of their self-titled EP, receiving national and international reviews and radio play. In 2009, Dehlia Low released "Tellico," showcasing the group's exceptional songwriting talent and outstanding vocal and instrumental performances. They traveled across the U.S. on the national festival circuit in support of the release, including appearances at Appalachian Uprising, Pickathon, Jammin' at Hippie Jack's, Durango Meltdown and Bristol Rhythm & Roots.
The Coal Porters
Formed in Los Angeles during the last century, as so many things were, the Coal Porters were originally an electric act centred around ex-Long Ryder Sid Griffin, composer of the Long Ryders 1985 hit single “Looking For Lewis And Clark”.
Lissy Rosemont & The Junior League Band
The Junior League Band is an old-time inspired rock band fronted by the Georgia grown banjo, vocalist, Lissy Rosemont. Based out of Washington, DC, this nationally touring band has been compared to "Alison Krauss and the Band" by the Washington Post, and touts Levon Helm's own horn players on their catchy single "South Carolina Blues." Rosemont has been referred to as one of the "most promising up and coming vocalists on the Americana scene" (Bristol Rythm and Roots Festival) as well as recorded in the studio her old-time banjo with acts such as Missy Elliott and the Pussy Cat Dolls. Rosemont's family runs the oldest fiddler's festival in the country, the Old-Time Fiddler's Convention in Union Grove, NC. The 5 instrumentalists merge these influences with delta blues and pop rock (50's to Indie Rock) to make for an energetic, sing-song, string heavy, danceable yet mesmerizing live performance. Expect a show ripe with catchy melodies, toe tapping beats, sweet vocals, and some of the countries most talented up and coming players.
Spirit Family Reunion
Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, with roots firmly planted somewhere further south, SPIRIT FAMILY REUNION have comfortably lodged themselves in a niche lying somewhere between the protest stylings of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie, and the untamed bluegrass of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Tearing through songs off their self released as well as self sold EP/songbook, they had every soul in the small room stomping, clapping and singing along to their energetic brand of Americana. With the swagger of a man twice his age, the lead vocalist’s ability to control a room is an extremely rare and very much welcomed attribute to this generally tamed genre. With lyrics containing subject matter including God, the Devil, hard living and of love lost, they never stray too far from the road laid out years ago on that end, but maintain a constant ability to keep everything fresh and modern with the energy in which they put it on display.
Bailey Cooke
Bailey Cooke is a emerging artist in the Americana music scene. After spending a few years in Nashville and recording her first E.P, she has established herself as a new voice amongst singer songwriters and country/folk musicians. Her style incorporates influences from early country 78s and current life experiences. Her love for old music comes through her songwriting as she continues and write and perform. She looks forward to releasing her new record in January in which she has collaborated with musicians such as Beau Stapleton of Blue Merle, and David Mayfield of Cadillac Sky.
The Doobie Brothers
There’s no separating the unparalleled legacy of the Doobie Brothers from their upcoming release on HOR Records World Gone Crazy – not that anyone would want to. Nevertheless, the new album may be most remarkable for the extent to which it stands completely on its own. Yes, World Gone Crazy is another chapter in one of the great American music stories, but it’s neither comeback nor nostalgia. An exhibition of aggressive and emotional performances, evocative storytelling, unapologetic attitude and world class musicianship, the collection is its own justification.
Leo Rondeau and Dynamite Tales
Nominated for songwriter of the year in 2010 by the Academy of Texas Music, North Dakota native turned Austin, Texan; Leo Rondeau is firing up audiences after grabbing the torch from the likes of Townes Van Zandt, Doug Sahm and other ghosts of Texas music past. From honkytonks to indie clubs, hipsters to cowboys, Rondeau’s sound hooks them all. With five successful national tours under the tires, two critically acclaimed albums and a third on the horizon, Rondeau with his band, Dynamite Tales, have garnered the attention of the music world.
John Francis
Born in New York City and raised in rural Pennsylvania, John Francis started to show his musical gifts at an early age. The Gospel and Folk music of his upbringing happened on Sunday mornings swaying with the church choir, or at home gathered around the family piano with his mother at the helm. The son of musicians, and Christian ministers, Francis grew up playing music with his parents, in front of crowds. As a young child, John Francis was entranced by his father's Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and his mother's Neil Young, Dylan, and Sly & the Family Stone. He recalls, "the first cassette I owned was 'Chuck Berry's Greatest Hits', and I wore that cassette out quickly".
Mojo Gurus
The argument has been made that rock ‘n’ roll is dead. Well, if it is the Mojo Gurus are refusing to attend the funeral. These four guys from the Tampa Bay area of Florida play as if the burden of saving the genre lay square upon their shoulders. It’s bourbon soaked, gut bucket, glam meets twang, the Stones pick up Hank Williams hitchhikin’ down the Lost Highway. What’s that? Do I feel a pulse?
Allen Thompson Band
Allen Thompson Band is rootsy six piece Americana rock outfit based in Nashville, TN. Take a look at Allen Thompson’s record collection, and you’ll see names like the Grateful Dead, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, the Black Crowes, and the Band -- groups that feel more like musical communities than straightforward rock bands. The importance of family and community to the Allen Thompson Band is evidenced by the sounds of their latest effort, Salvation in the Ground. In just 2 weeks, Allen Thompson Band tracked 9 songs live to tape at East Nashville’s famous Bomb Shelter Studio with engineer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Buffalo Clover, Caitlin Rose). Strong vocal harmonies, guitar-driven rhythms, dance-inducing jams, and catchy choruses characterize their music, and the band is best known for their tight musicianship on stage and energetic live performances. Salvation in the Ground shows Thompson deepening and enriching his writing, while the simple honesty of being driven by the pure joy of playing music is what makes The Allen Thompson Band shine.
The Waymores
Grammy Award winner Don Henry’s songs have been recorded by Ray Charles, Patti Page, Conway Twitty, Kathy Mattea and dozens of other great artists… but they shine brightest when sung by the artist who wrote them. Long appreciated as one of Nashville’s finest singer-songwriters, Don is revered by fans, critics and peers alike for being one of the most inspiring, entertaining and funny(!) artists you are ever likely to see and hear.
Suzy Bogguss
“You can’t deal me the aces and think I wouldn’t play,” says Suzy Bogguss with a twinkle in her eye as she discusses her latest studio album Sweet Danger. It’s a line from one of her signature songs, but it’s also the philosophy with which the Illinois-born singer manages her career, and the stepping-off point for a collection of her strongest songwriting and most evocative vocals to date.
Camille Cortinas
Born in Dallas, Texas, Camille Cortinas’ earliest musical influence came in the form of her grandmother, a migrant farm worker who taught Camille wonderful Spanish folk songs that enchanted her and set her on a musical path. For her 16th birthday, she received her first guitar and pleaded with her older brother to teach her to play.
Amy Speace
“Amy Speace sounds uncannily like a 21st Century Joan Baez, her timbred voice full of genuine emotions…the record soars with salient vocals and poetic lyrics,” writes The Classic Rock Examiner in its review of Nashville singer-songwriter Amy Speace’s third album, Land Like A Bird (Thirty Tigers). After releasing two well-received albums on Judy Collins’ Wildflower Records, Bird is Speace’s first record since migrating south from her longtime home in the NYC area
Buffalo Clover
In the simplest terms, Buffalo Clover are vintage rock ‘n’ rollers, but the South tends to creep in. This brand of southern soul bears a striking resemblance to their idols, the Rolling Stones and The Band. Taking a cue from Bob Dylan with a lyrical poeticism inspired by the troubled times, and Janis Joplin with her rough-hewn-but-honest, bottom-of-the-heart soulful lilt, Buffalo Clover emulate their musical paragons in a style of their own. Buffalo Clover has shared the stage with The Flaming Lips, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals and legendary sax player Bobby Keys. Front lady Margo Price has worked on two projects with Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard, including their upcoming album TEST YOUR LOVE, available in May 2013.
Hymn For Her
Lucy Tight & Wayne Waxing are "Hymn For Her", a band that hails from anywhere they can park their trailer. H4H live, tour and record in their 16 foot, 1961 Bambi Airstream (comes with dog and baby). Their new release, 'Lucy & Wayne and THE AMERICAN STREAM' was entirely recorded in their classic trailer on a coast to coast U.S tour. They stopped at various campgrounds and friends driveways between shows, set up their gear in their Bambi/home recording studio, rolled tape and rocked out. Armed with 2 bullet mics, a three-stringed broom handle/cigar box, banjo, dobro, bass drum, hi-hat, and harp, this 'lil duo causes massive earthquakes wherever they play.
Joey Morant & Friends
Joey Morant is a native Charlestonian, brass instrumentalist and vocalist. He is the quintessential trumpeter from the Jenkins Orphanage band tradition of the 1950s. At the age of eleven, inspired by the piano, he became interested in classical music. When Fletcher Linton, a teacher at Charleston’s Henry P. Archer Elementary School, put a school band together, Morant began studying the trumpet. A generous benefactor, recognizing his talent, arranged for him to spend the summers of his high school years studying theory at the Berklee School of Music. By age fifteen, Morant was teaching theory and saxophone to Oscar Rivers. Later, Joey joined the Metronome All Starts under the direction of music educator, Melvin Hodges, Jr., a member of the 1996 Olympic Committee.
Brian Wright
For Brian Wright, life as a traveling troubadour began in McLennan County, Texas near the highway and the trains. That is where his father took a job that required a great deal of travel, making the family VW van Wright’s first crib. Consequently Wright feels most at home when on the road, and this movement has helped shaped Wright’s sense of bare-boned lyrics and achingly beautiful songs that seem both distant and intimate at the same time.
Scott Miller
Scott Miller blends folk and rock like there ain’t no words for. The power of storytelling with the power of a compressed electric guitar comes through this Virginian not heard since the likes of Wayne Newton (fellow Virginian) or The Statler Brothers (also of the Commonwealth.) Not even since Thomas Jefferson (Virginian) and Woodrow Wilson (another Virginian) formed their rock trio with drummer Stewart Copeland (northern Virginian) “League of Nations”.
Jonathan Edwards
Warm as summer sunshine, real as the truth, intimate as a long overdue visit between old friends … such is a Jonathan Edwards concert. Four decades into a stellar career of uncompromising musical integrity, the man simply delivers, night after night – songs of passion, songs of insight, songs of humor, all rendered in that pure and powerful tenor which, like fine wine, has only grown sweeter with age.
David Vandervelde
David Vandervelde's very clothes were ablaze that day in his Nashville basement. And the only thing that was ever going to put the flames out was laying "Learn How To Hang" to tape. How else does a song so immediate come to be? The repeated mantra of its title, set to an exhilarating, tightly-wound Buckingham-like lick, is just as much Far East philosophy as it is the most serious of stoner advice. It's a self-effacing moment of clarity under the heat of a blowtorch. Same goes for its brother jam, "Wave Country," with its galloping, sunburst metal and inner-bitch-slap hook, "You ain't any cooler in the shade." And how could we, in good conscience, ever sit on songs so immediate for any longer than one red-hot heartbeat? Some jams can't simply be placed on a release schedule months in advance. Songs like these must be loaded in our bow and shot out into the world. Free Download available at www.secretlycanadian.com
The Civil Wars
In some ways, music doesn’t get much more modest or minimalist than it is in the hands of The Civil Wars, a duo comprised of California-to-Nashville transplant Joy Williams and her Alabaman partner, John Paul White. They travel without a backup band, and on their first full-length album, Barton Hollow, the bare-bones live arrangements that fans hear on the road are fleshed out with just the barest of acoustic accoutrements. Each song is an intimate conversation, and no third wheels or dinner-party chatter are going to inter-rupt that gorgeous, haunting hush.
Barry Waldrep
Barry Waldrep is the musician’s musician, and is respected by all who take the stage with him. Throughout his career he has performed with some of his hero’s in music. Bill Monroe, Tony Rice, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, John Cowan and many others. But his father was his biggest, as he paved the way by teaching him to play, along with the ropes of the road. This is obvious when you listen to Barry’s tribute to his late father “The Man I Am Today” on the recent Band Of Brothers & Sisters release. “Barry says” He taught me at a very young age of what not to do if you are in the music business and on the road, and that has been as valuable as being able to play my instruments.
Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors
Drew Holcomb and the neighbors find themselves in the midst of a creative revival of popular music in Nashville, where artists like Kings of Leon, Jack White, Mat Kearney, and a legion of other national acts have re-invented the reputation of Nashville as a hotbed of music beyond the realm of country. Holcomb and his band have found their own unique niche in this scene, with their 2008 LP, Passenger Seat, and their 2009 EP, live forever, both debuting at #2 on the iTunes singer/songwriter charts. They’ve also had multiple TV placements on shows like NBC’s parenthood, Oprah, Army Wives, The Cleaner, and others, proving that Holcomb’s career has stretched far beyond the TN state limits where he was born and raised.
Andy Friedman
On April 5, 2011, artist and songwriter Andy Friedman will release his third studio album, Laserbeams and Dreams (City Salvage Records). Produced by noted guitarist and producer David Goodrich (Chris Smither, Peter Mulvey), the album was recorded in Friedman’s Brooklyn neighborhood and cut in 24 hours with one overdub and mixed in the studio. Complementing Friedman’s “art-damaged, ragged-but-right” (L.A. Weekly) approach and Goodrich’s restrained, atmospheric lead guitar and piano is rising-star upright bassist and composer Stephan Crump (GRAMMY-nominated Vijay Iyer Trio, Jim Campilongo), whose latest album of “ingenious originals” (The New Yorker), Reclamation (recorded with his Rosetta Trio), NPR spotlighted among its top five jazz albums of 2010. The interplay of Friedman’s “engagingly singular” (Philadelphia Inquirer) songwriting and “slow, lugubrious, dipped in country heartache” (Hartford Advocate) strum with Crump’s “full, appealingly wooden sound” (The New York Times) calls to mind classic collaborations by Van Morrison with bassist Richard Davis on 1968’s Astral Weeks, or John Hartford and Dave Holland on 1972’s Morning Bugle Call — albums also recorded live in the studio without much pre-conceived musical planning. “We captured the mood created,” says Friedman. “It wasn’t our place to second-guess the results.”
Johnson's Crossroad
For Asheville, North Carolina’s Johnson’s Crossroad, 2010 got off to an auspicious start. With boxes of their newly pressed record Blood in Black and White in hand, the band was heading to Mo’Daddy’s for their cd release party when life in Asheville came to a standstill, the town virtually crippled by a snowstorm. Instead of playing to a packed house, Johnson’s Crossroad ushered the new year in by playing for a handful of die hard fans who braved the elements and treacherous roads to make it to the show.
Greensky Bluegrass
Greensky Bluegrass is one of the most exciting bands in today’s roots music scene. This five piece band plays traditional bluegrass instruments and uses them to create original songs and soundscapes that are unique and new, yet somehow feel comfortable and familiar. Though they have been likened to ‘70s era deeply American acts like The Band, Greensky would prefer not to be compared to any other bands. “We really just try to make music as a group that sounds and feels right to us”, says mandolin player Paul Hoffman, later adding that “it is nice to know that other people really dig it, too.”
Don Gallardo & How Far West
Nashville-based singer/songwriter Don Gallardo unites introspective lyrics, gritty twang, and honey-warm vocals, producing a rootsy, personal sound that exists between the boundaries of Americana, Folk and 70's classic rock. Gallardo's 2009 release, "Sweetheart Radio Revolution, Etc.", garnered a following from alt-country and Triple A radio stations nationwide with its collection of folk-tinged songs.
Town Mountain
Asheville, NC’s Bluegrass Band Town Mountain is excited to release their fourth album, Leave the Bottle, September 4, 2012. Town Mountain is Phil Barker on mandolin & vocals, Robert Greer on lead vocals & guitar, Jesse Langlais on banjo & vocals, Bobby Britt on fiddle, and newest member Jon Stickley rounds them out with his steady bass and rock-solid guitar & vocals. They share the kind of easy-going friendly bond that relays itself through their music. One listen to their instantly memorable songs, and it’s plain to see why Grammy-winner Mike Bub would align with the group to produce Leave the Bottle as well as 2011’s Steady Operator, both through Pinecastle Records. Banjo player extraordinaire and longtime member of the Sam Bush Band, Scott Vestal, also joined the team by engineering the new album, which was recorded at Digital Underground Studio in Nashville, TN.
Uncle Monk
Tommy Ramone began his musical career as Tom Erdelyi an engineer at the Record Plant recording studios. In the musical doldrums of the 70’s he, along with the great JOHNNY, JOEY AND DEE DEE RAMONE, formed the rock group RAMONES and participated in the birth of New Wave, Punk Rock, and Alternative music. As manager, producer and drummer for the band, Tommy Ramone helped create the sound, style and ideology for what was to become modern rock. As an independent record producer Ramone has worked on recordings that include the single, Love Goes to A Building On Fire by TALKING HEADS, and the albums, Neurotica by REDD KROSS, Too Tough To Die by the RAMONES, and Tim by THE REPLACEMENTS, the later voted one of the best albums of the year by the writers of Rolling Stone, Record, The Village Voice, and The LA Times.
Paleface
PALEFACE was schooled by friend Daniel Johnston and soon discovered by the legendary Danny Fields at an New York City Antifolk open mic. He has since released over a dozen records including two major label releases. Paleface has influenced and inspired a wide range of artists including Grammy Award recipients Kimya Dawson and Beck who called Paleface “a big influence on my early work” in Annie Leibovitz's book "American Music.” Paleface's vocals, instrumentation and songrwriting have appeared on three albums by The Avett Brothers. This past Fall, PALEFACE and girlfriend drummer Monica "Mo" Samalot released their new album One Big Party (Ramseur Records), followed by US and Europe tours. Later in the Spring PASTE Magazine premiered a short documentary on Paleface, "Paleface: The Making Of One Big Party", which features an interview with Scott Avett (The Avett Brothers) in which he recounts being “blown away” the first time he met Paleface: “He was barking and singing and just throwing passion out. We were just immediately inspired and ignited by the fire he was throwing.” For more info: http://PalefaceOnline.com
Vance Gilbert
Vance Gilbert burst onto the singer/songwriter scene in the early 90's when the buzz started spreading in the folk clubs of Boston about an ex-multicultural arts teacher and jazz singer who was knocking 'em dead at open mikes. The word spread of this Philadelphia-area born and raised performer to New York; Shawn Colvin invited Vance Gilbert to be a special guest on her Fat City tour. Gilbert took audiences across the country by storm ("With the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god, it was enough to earn him that rarity: an encore for an opener" wrote the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in its review of a show from that tour.)
Sydni Perry and Cafe Blue
Sydni Perry began singing with her family bluegrass band when she was eight years old. Just a few short years later, at age fifteen she was recording with country superstar, Patty Loveless, on Grammy nominated "Sleepless Nights" and then again a year later on Grammy winning "Mountain Soul II", during which time she toured with Patty, singing backup and playing twin fiddles with fiddler extrordinaire, Deanie Richardson. She is stepping out on her own now, with her band, Cafe Blue, playing a variety of classic country, bluegrass, jazz, R&B, and original material, all with their own twist. They have performed at a variety of venues around middle Tn. and southern Ky. and are starting to get serious ttention from the Nashville establishment. If you've heard therm before, you know what to expcect. If not, you are in for a treet. You're sure to enjoy an evening with Sydni Perry and Cafe Blue.
Gurf Morlix
Tempting as it may be, don't just judge Gurf Morlix by the company he keeps, even if it does provide a fine starting point: eminent musical artists like Lucinda Williams, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Warren Zevon, Ian McLagan, Patty Griffin, Robert Earl Keen, Michael Penn, Buddy Miller, Mary Gauthier, Tom Russell, Jim Lauderdale and Slaid Cleaves, to name but a few. Instead, listen to Last Exit to Happyland, his fifth solo album, and understand why his blue-ribbon associations as a producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist have led Morlix to a similar level of excellence as a singer, songwriter and artist in his own right.
Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds
Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds is a nine piece powerhouse that delivers a blend of gut-busting soul, earthy rock, and New Orleans-inspired beats.
Patrick Sweany
Patrick Sweany likes the spaces in between. On a given night (or on a given album) he'll swing through blues, folk, soul, bluegrass, maybe some classic 50s rock, or a punk speedball. He's a musical omnivore, devouring every popular music sound of the last 70 years, and mixing 'em all together seamlessly into his own stew. Yet, the one thing that most people notice about Patrick isn't his ability to copy - it's his authenticity. Like his heroes, folks like Bobby "Blue" Bland, Eddie Hinton, Doug Sahm, Ray Charles, Patrick somehow manages to blend all of these influences into something all his own.
Jimbo Darville and the Truckadours
Bringing back the classic sounds of truck drivin' music, Jimbo Darville and the Truckadours have recaptured the vintage feel of the legendary life of a trucker! Enjoy them pickin' and grinnin' about the trials and tribulations of a driver, his rig, truckstops, and their women across the country!
Iodine
Sometimes I wonder, was I raised in the mountains, or was I raised by the mountains?" Growing up in the heart of the Appalachain Mountains, where the lines of East Tennessee and Virginia intersect, it is easily discernable where singer/songwriter Iodine draws her inspiration. She has been "dipped and stewed" in these rich roots, which is reflected strongly in her musical style and writing. Always out to create her own story - which in her opinion is far better than listening to one - she always was searching for ways to entertain herself while exploring the countryside and spending her summers fishing with her father at a neighboring catfish farm. Her ability to always find an adventure and trouble along the way earned her the nickname "Iodine" by her mother at a young age.
Highwater
Folks We Have Played With: The Meters, Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies, (The Late Great) Chris Whitley, Levon Helm, Drivin' and Cryin', Black Uhuru, Southern Culture on the Skids, Everything, Garrison Starr, Train, Mick Taylor, Kudzu Kings, Blueground Undergrass, Blue Mountain, Galactic, North Mississippi All-Stars, Bloodkin, Dayroom, Places We Have Played: New York City, NY. Long Island, NY. St. Paul, MN. Minneappolis, MN. Lewis, WS. Old Bridge, NJ, Atlantic City, NJ, Sayerville, NJ. Mt. Snow, VT. Killington, VT. Charleston, WV. Allentown, PA. Boston, MA. Lexington, KY. Paducah, KY. Bowling Green, KY. Asheville, NC. Charleston, SC. Hilton Head, SC. Cincinnati. OH. Savannah, GA. Atlanta, GA. Athens, GA. Columbus, GA. Huntsville, AL. Muscle Shaols, AL. Birmingham, AL. Auburn, AL. Jackson, MS. Oxford, MS. Starkville, MS. Hattisburg, MS. Nashville, TN.(obviously) Memphis, TN. Fairview, TN. Knoxville, TN. Murfreesboro, TN. Memphis, TN. Bristol, TN. Johnson City, TN. Chattanooga, TN. Cookeville, TN. Clarksville, TN. Little Rock, AR. St. Louis, MO. Farmington, MO. Evansville, IN. Gunnisson, CO. Telluride, CO. Steamboat Springs, CO. Fort Collins, CO. Crested Butte, CO. Baton Rouge, LA. New Orleans, LA.
Larry Cordle
Larry Cordle was born and raised on a small family farm in eastern Kentucky. While a young child he was introduced to bluegrass, country, and gospel music, by his great grandfather Harry Bryant, an old time claw hammer banjo stylist, fiddle player and dancer. He recounts, “mom said I could sing “I’ll Fly Away”, all the way through when I was 2”! Cordle fondly remembers this early influence by pointing out, “we lived so far away from everything, that we had to make our own entertainment. Papaw would get the fiddle out in the evenings sometimes and play and dance for us. Just as soon as I was old enough to try to learn to play I did so & kinda seconded after him on the guitar. He ran an old country store and I spent many happy hours in there with him playing, talking about and listening to music. It was our escape into another world, something we grew up with and looked so forward to. I was always happiest when we were in a jam session”.
Buddy Greene
Born and bred in Macon, Georgia, Buddy Greene benefited at an early age from the influences of a town and culture that produced musical giants like Little Richard, Otis Redding, and the Allman Brothers Band. By age 10 he was already playing to audiences around Macon and quickly establishing himself as a local talent worth watching.
The Tillers
The Tillers got their start in August 2007 when Cincinnati friends Mike Oberst, Sean Geil, and Jason Soudrette began thumping around with some banjos and guitars and a big wooden bass. Their earliest gigs were for coins and burritos on the city’s famous Ludlow Street in the district of Clifton. The songs they picked were mostly older than their grandparents. Some came from Woody Guthrie, some were southern blues laments, and many were anonymous relics of Appalachian woods, churches, riverboats, railroads, prairies, and coal mines.
Kopecky Family Band
Like all families, Kopecky Family Band beats with the same heart and writes in the same blood. ‘The Family’ began creating music together in Nashville, Tennessee in the Fall of 2007. What began as late night talks about life and dreams gradually flowed into eccentric and beautiful music that has led to numerous tours, including adventures to CMJ, SXSW and Bonnaroo, three EP releases and friendships across the country.
Jim Avett
You can find Jim performing in listening rooms and at festivals from the Southeast to New England. His shows are a combination of beloved country tunes, his original ballads and the stories he tells to introduce them. One comes away from a Jim Avett performance with the feeling that this is an honest man sharing his life and his love of music. It’s like spending the evening on the front porch singing and talking with a good friend.
Geoff Achison
Geoff Achison is a musician of remarkable ability who has forged his own path and won fans all over the world. Having taught himself to play in the isolation of rural Australia, he has developed a blues/funk style all his own that can be delicate one moment and explosive the next.
Onward, Soldiers
Onward, Soldiers: These guys know how to make good music. Sean Thomas Gerard, young'n from Pittsburgh who relocated to Wilmington, NC, he's a sharp guy. Teeth cut as much on folk heroes Guthrie and Dylan as Rakim and KRSOne. (Check the phrasing.) His songs are observations, peppered with prose about life as he knows it; restless, inspiring, not without ghosts or doubt but driven by ambition to leave obstacles in the dust, to wave at 'em in the rear-view mirror. Sean probably also has Benjamin Button syndrome. He looks 25 but has the voice of a man twice his age. It's bizarre, and endearing. When you see him onstage you're like "there's no way this kid isn't 50. Did he eat grandpa before the show?" "Nope, I'm right here," silver-fox drummer, Kevin Rhodes, would then reply. Kevin's reverse Benjamin Button. Don't let the gray fool you. **seriously, lock up your daughters.** Kevin has more energy than five kids on Cocoa Puffs. He sings, plays drums, piano, squeezebox, writes songs, eats cookies, and builds palace
David Wax Museum
Why do we need museums? They show us something familiar and traditional, while at the same time documenting our innovation, showing us possible directions for the future. This is the same reason we need David Wax Museum – to give us music that is somehow familiar, as if it has always existed somewhere in our cultural ether, but is at the same time undeniably fresh.
Becky Schlegel
Becky Schlegel has a gift for taking life’s experiences and transforming them into songs that are passionate and unique. Her music is a fusion of folk, bluegrass and country that is mesmerizing. Schlegel sings with an effortless, angelic and wistful soprano that has been described as “Clear and expressive. [Her] voice can go gritty at times or break appropriately or soar to ethereal heights or drift off in a whisper.” - Bluegrass Unlimited
Tiller's Folly
Tiller’s Folly are the Pacific Northwest's critically acclaimed, internationally traveled, ambassadors of song and at the forefront of a bold new movement in acoustic roots music. For the past sixteen years, through 1,000's of performances stretching from the Pacific Northwest to the British Isles, they have spread their memorable blend of energy, history, musicality, romance and just plain fun from small and large halls to theatres and festivals.
Sweethearts of the Rodeo
The acclaimed sister duo Sweethearts of the Rodeo have been talking about doing a reunion record for years, but Life always seemed to get in the way. “Life starts to get your attention, and I think we got completely distracted with that,” explains Janis Oliver. “I had kids to raise and bills to pay,” adds sister Kristine Arnold. “Not being in the music business made me humble and made me realize that it’s not the most important thing. But every year on the day after Thanksgiving, we would do a gig at The Bluebird Café. Every time we would do that, we would say, ‘Why are we not singing together all the time?’ Then we’d go off back into our routines.
Andrew Peterson
Over the last ten years Andrew Peterson has quietly carved out a niche for himself as one of the most thoughtful, poetic, and lyrical songwriters of his generation. More recently he’s established himself as the grassroots facilitator of an online literary and songwriting community (www.RabbitRoom.com) and an emerging fantasy novelist as well (The Wingfeather Saga). But it’s still ultimately that sense of rootedness that listeners, readers and fans seem to respond to most deeply—because Andrew’s songs (and books) remind us again and again of simple, solid things like love and friendship and hope and redemption and beauty and how our stories were meant to be shared, and how the darkness will not always hold sway, and how we, being human, need to hear those things over and over again, because otherwise we become disconnected from the very stories we’re living in. All of which brings us, in a roundabout way, to our real starting point, because somehow, Andrew Peterson’s new, twelve-song project, Counting Stars (produced by Ben Shive, with Andy Gullahorn) manages to do all that without ever leaving home.
Robby Hecht
The music of Robby Hecht represents a return to the early 70s golden era of acoustic pop where thoughtful, well-crafted lyrics were blended with timeless melodies to impact mainstream music and culture. His 2008 debut album Late Last Night, produced by Lex Price (Mindy Smith) and mixed by Roger Moutenot (Yo La Tengo, Josh Rouse) features an impressive list of guest performers including Mindy Smith, Jeff Coffin, Thad Cockrell, Jill Andrews of The Everybodyfields, John Deaderick (Patty Griffin), Andrea Zonn (James Taylor) and more.
The Johnny Possum Band
Since 2005 The Johnny Possum Band (formerly Johnny Possum’s Good Time Hootin’ Band) has been delivering their own brand of alt-country, Americana and bluegrass music featuring guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo and upright bass. From performances throughout New Zealand, to appearances at festivals and venues in the USA the band has developed a solid fan base and following.
Guy Davis
Whether Guy Davis is appearing on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” or nationally syndicated radio programs such as Garrison Keillor’s, “A Prairie Home Campanion”, “Mountain Stage” or David Dye’s,“World Café”., in front of 15,000 people on the Main Stage of a major festival, or teaching an intimate gathering of students at a Music Camp, Guy feels the instinctive desire to give each listener his ‘all’.
Foster and Lloyd
In 1985, Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd were two young singer-songwriters signed to the same song publisher. They came from different backgrounds but had enough in common to create an almost immediate response to the songs they cowrote and recorded. Their first success came as songwriters (early songs were recorded by Sweethearts of the Rodeo and Ricky Van Shelton), but it was the distinctive sound of their publishing demos that gained them their record deal with RCA Records.
Billy Henson
Very early in life, Billy Henson knew he wanted to be an entertainer. He taught himself to play guitar and was soon writing songs and dreaming of a big career. In 1952, while still in high school, he began his professional career with Carl Tipton & his Mid-State Playboys on WGNS radio in Murfreesboro, TN. In 1953, he joined the Goober & His Kentuckians show on WSIX television in Nashville. He and Patsy were married in 1960; with her help and encouragement, he attended business college and began to work in earnest to develop his singing and songwriting skills. In 1962, his hard work and perseverance caught the attention of the comedy team Lonzo & Oscar. He got a songwriting contract with their publishing company, a recording contract with Nugget Records and a job as their lead guitar player on the Grand Ole Opry. Billy toured the United States, Canada, and Europe with Lonzo & Oscar the next two years. Later, he was a featured vocalist on the Pee Wee King & the Golden West Cowboys Show, booked by Nashville’s Bo
Kieran Kane
Kieran Kane's music is adult in the truest sense of the word. His explorations of mature love (The Blue Chair's "Honeymoon Wine"), friends' struggles with personal difficulties ("Kill the Demon" from Six Months, No Sun), and the meaning of life (Shadows on the Ground's title cut) lead directly to his philosophical explorations of faith and life on his latest release, You Can't Save Everybody (with Kevin Welch and Fats Kaplin).
Doug Paisley
Pardon me, I won't take much of your time here, but please - this is important. I think Doug Paisley's new album, Constant Companion, can help you. You'll know it the moment you hear his voice, which'd be made of silk if silk weren't so prideful. Constant Companion's got everything his self-titled debut had, only more of it, and better. And that record's gotten me through some dark days and darker nights. He's my favorite navigator.
The Bo-Keys
In the early parts of their careers, members of the Bo-Keys performed in B.B. King’s orchestra, anchored the Hi Rhythm Section, nailed the unforgettable intro to “Theme From Shaft,” and survived the plane crash that claimed Otis Redding. This is a new, hard-hitting Bo-Keys lineup, featuring alumni both of Stax Records and Hi Records, plus younger musicians who’ve garnered an Emmy award and a Grammy nomination. Together, now, they play fresh Memphis soul.
Bobby Osborne
Bobby Osborne… the name conjurs up memories of that incredible high voice ringing over the hills at a bluegrass festival on a warm summer evening, of the sounds of Rocky Top rolling in on 50,000 watts on The Grand Ole Opry on WSM, 650 on your radio dial, of the sounds of Rubeeeeee!!!, on radio and television stations ever since Bobby Osborne first burst on the scene in 1949. Bobby’s many accomplishments as a professional musician and entertainer would fill an entire book, and they soon will, as his biography is soon to appear in print.
Amy Black
Amy Black may live in Massachusetts but her influences, like her roots, are clearly from below the Mason-Dixon line. Her live performances cover the styles and traditional themes of American music: loving, lying, drinking, dying and going to heaven – but not necessarily that order. She writes and performs her own music and weaves classics by her influences, including Loretta Lynn, Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings into her show.
Lera Lynn
The Houston-born Lynn, who in March will release her debut, Have You Met Lera Lynn?, is already well-known in Athens for her time spent as the sultry voice of mainstay folk-poppers Birds & Wire. However, the multidimensional record’s title is telling; in the days since that band's dissolution, Lynn’s taken an honest and painstaking inventory of her past experiences, and out of that process a song cycle has emerged that serves as a true representation — and a reintroduction — of the artist.
Ryan Cavanaugh
Discovered by guitar legend John McLaughlin in 2006, banjoist Ryan Cavanaugh has spent the last 4 years touring the international jazz scene with acclaimed saxophonist and Miles Davis alum, Bill Evans. In his early twenties, before performing and recording with Bill Evans, Sam Bush, Victor Wooten, Bela Fleck, Robben Ford, and many others, Cavanaugh was a champion of the Merlefest, Rockygrass, and Renofest banjo contests. In '07 Ryan released his bluegrass cd "Songs For the New Frontier" and played on 8 tracks of Bill Evans's record "The Other Side of Something" along with greats Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, Victor Wooten, and Dennis Chambers.
Sarah Jarosz
The best and brightest in the acoustic world move the music forward with an awareness of what came before them; that is certainly true of Sarah Jarosz. On her second album for Sugar Hill Records, Follow Me Down, she pays homage to her musical roots while pushing beyond those sometimes limited boundaries, taking us on a journey both dark and mystical. For this, Jarosz has a simple yet telling explanation: “I’m influenced by the older, and the contemporary, and the new.” Her approach to acoustic music is invigorating; she gives equal attention to playing, singing, and writing, choosing songs that embrace both old timey and modern sounds.
Gene Watson
If you ask any number of country singers who their favorite singer is, a large number of them will respond: “Gene Watson.” Gene has scored over 72 charted songs, including 23 Top Tens and 6 #1 hits over his forty-year career. It is safe to say that most knowledgeable country fans would point to Gene Watson as one of country music’s best ballad singers in the same league as country icons George Jones, Merle Haggard, Vern Gosdin and others who are the standard bearers for honest, traditional country music. It’s no surprise that such artists as Vince Gill, Lee Ann Womack, Trace Adkins, Connie Smith, Joe Nichols, Alison Krauss, and many others are not only happy but eager to record with Gene. There is also the stunning truth that at age 66, Gene is singing better than ever, with his clear, pure tone intact and an unmatched soulful delivery. As a result, A TASTE OF THE TRUTH, his new CD on Shanachie Records, produced by Dirk Johnson, may be his best recording yet, no small achievement for a man who has cut so many classics. And that is good news for fans of real country music rooted in the timeless values of one of America’s bedrock musical genres.
Scythian
Alexander Fedoryka: Violin/Mandolin/Harmonica/Bass/Vocals Trained classically, Alexander started playing at the age of 3 and has performed in such venues as the Kennedy Center and Wolf Trap. Of note, Alexander spent six months in Japan studying under Dr. Suzuki, the renowned founder of the Suzuki School of Music. Alexander also spent four months playing in the streets of Ireland where he picked up the Celtic spirit and combined it with the Gypsy soul of his own Ukrainian ancestry. Josef Crosby: Violin/Bass/Vocals Trained classically, Josef studied at Duquesne under Joe Petron and has performed in venues such as the Benedum Center and Soldiers & Sailors memorial hall. Making the switch to Celtic fiddling, Joe forms the second half of Scythian's signature "dueling fiddles" and is known for his jazzy "dirt & grit" style. Danylo Fedoryka: Rhythm Guitar/Accordion/Vocals Trained as a classical pianist, Danylo made the switch to rhythm guitar in order to make music with his brother Alexander. Having performed at the Kennedy Center and Wolf Trap as a classical musician, Danylo enjoys the free and somewhat loose spirit of Celtic music. Putting his keyboard skills to use, Danylo also picked up the accordion which he sports during the bands Gypsy and Klezmer pieces. Mike Ounallah: Percussion/Drums Mike Ounallah, comes from a Jazz background and enriches the sounds of Scythian with a wealth of experience and expertise. Mike recently earned a Masters of Jazz Studies at the University of Maryland. A true student of music, Mike combines his extensive knowledge with his Jordanian heritage, which compliments the Eastern gypsy style of Alexander. Although Mike is respected for his knowledge of music and his musical precision, he is also known as drummer who can flat out "bring it" and who can rock out with the best of them.
Trent Dabbs
Growing up in the rich literary and religious environment of Mississippi, and then moving straight into the country-soaked musical world of Nashville, Trent Dabbs has many stories to tell. Like Flannery O’Connor with her short story collection, A Good Man Is Hard To Find, Dabbs pieces his own spiritual and relational questions into well crafted folk-pop albums. The ghosts of Johnny Cash, old gospel-choirs, Neil Young, and Nick Drake are heard roaming the halls of Trent’s songs.
McPeake
McPeake began life as nothing more than a group of musicians who came together for special gigs and occasions. Francis McPeake first brought the band together for a stage show based on the Titanic, that he co-wrote in 2003. Since then they have worked with many prominent Irish artists including Brian Kennedy, Finbar Furey, Kieran Goss, Juliet Turner, and Ralph McTell.
Laura Cantrell
Laura Cantrell is a country music artist based in New York City. Born in Nashville, TN, she came to New York to attend Columbia College, and found that her abiding interest in country music helped her stay connected with her family roots. That interest was the motivation behind her long-running radio program on WFMU in Jersey City, NJ, “The Radio Thrift Shop.” Beginning on WFMU in 1993, the program was a Saturday afternoon staple in the New York area for 13 years, then moved to WFMU.org and ran for two seasons on BBC Radio Scotland as a summer replacement in 2005 and 2006. In her ten-year recording career, Cantrell has released three acclaimed albums: “Not The Tremblin’ Kind,” “When The Roses Bloom Again,” and “Humming By The Flowered Vine.” She has toured extensively in the United Kingdom, Europe and Ireland, and was a favorite of pioneering British disc jockey John Peel, who called her 2000 album “Not The Tremblin’ Kind” “my favorite record of the last ten years, possibly my life.” Cantrell recorded several Peel sessions for the BBC from 2000-2004 and appeared on the first Peel Day program on Radio One commemorating the first anniversary of Peel’s death.
Ben Hall
The first time Charlie Louvin discovered the young, Merle Travis-style guitarist Ben Hall playing he asked, “When can you go to work with me?” When Hall replied that he couldn’t just yet, as he was studying music at Belmont University, the elder statesman was none too pleased to be turned down, huffing, “You don’t need to be in school, you are meant to be playing that guitar.”
David Grier
The most award-winning guitarist in recent memory is David Grier. For the past several years, he has been voted by the members of the International Bluegrass Music Association as Best Guitar Player of the Year. He has also appeared on two Grammy- winning recordings: "True Life Blues-A Tribute to Bill Monroe" and "The Great Dobro Sessions." David is also included in the book, "1,000 Great Guitarists." His inspiration to learn guitar came from exposure to Bill Monroe while his father, Lamar Grier, played banjo for the Blue Grass Boys in the middle 1960s.
Guthrie Trapp
Guthrie Trapp is one of Nashville’s most in demand Electric and acoustic guitar and mandolin players. He has just finished his first solo album, Pick Peace, due out this fall. The project is a showcase for Trapp’s stellar guitar playing that has long supported the careers of superstar artists and his own bands. Through a blend of six originals and four obscure covers, this exciting and soulful instrumental album explores country, blues, Latin, reggae, jazz, rock and experimental music.
The 1861 Project
The 1861 Project begins as a collection of original songs that imagine the stories of the real people who fought and lived through the Civil War, and evolves from that creative nucleus into a broader discussion of what the war means today.
Dave Gleason
"Dave Gleason was a fixture on the West Coast Honky Tonk/Americana circuit since the early 1990's through 2010-until a recent move placed him in Nashville,TN. With four albums of his own to his credit (and countless lead guitar sessions for other artists), Gleason has shared the stage with Jim Lauderdale/Charlie Louvin/Dave Alvin/Albert Lee/Bill Kirchen and Mike Stinson to name just a few. Dan Forte/vintage Guitar Magazine says of Dave Gleason's latest album "Turn And Fade"...'Throughout, Gleasons offers enough new wrinkles to stake his claim as more than merely another “new traditionalist."
Natasha Borzilova
Born in Obninsk, Russia, Natasha Borzilova moved to Nashville as the lead singer and acoustic guitarist of the band Bering Strait, which was put together as a group of classically trained child prodigies in the late 1980's. Since then, Bering Strait had two CD releases on Universal South Records, receiving critical acclaim and a Grammy nomination for country instrumental of the year in 2002.
Tara Nevins
American roots traditionalist Tara Nevins’ new release, ‘Wood and Stone’ is an exploration of her own heritage, musical and otherwise. Released on May 3rd, 2011 on Sugar Hill Records ‘Wood and Stone’ was produced by Larry Campbell at the Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY. It showcases Nevins’ ever-evolving repertoire as she journeys both back to her own “roots” and head-long into new territory. Featured guests on the album include Levon Helm, Jim Lauderdale, Allison Moorer, Teresa Williams, The Heartbeats, along with the core band of Larry Campbell, Justin Guip, and Byron Isaacs.
Smokey's Farmland Band
Smokey’s Farmland Band is based in Atlanta, but named after a 200-acre farm near the town of LaFayette in northwest Georgia. Smokey Caldwell's farm is the focal point of the cavers who explore the magnificent underground caverns of neighboring Pigeon Mountain and is a popular venue for music festivals. Smokey's Farmland band was formed in 2004 when friends who played music and camped out together on Smokey's land decided to collaborate and further their music. Ian, Justin and Jared played enough music up there that folks on the farm started calling them Smokey's Farmland Band.
Marty Stuart
So here he is again, almost four decades strong, in the very space where so many Elvis Presley smash hits were recorded as were classic sides by Charley Pride, Connie Smith, Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton and Waylon Jennings, only to name a few. As the new Sugar Hill Records album title says, it's also where the latest Marty Stuart release, Ghost Train (The Studio B Sessions), has just been recorded.
Thrift Store Cowboys
Thrift Store Cowboys fourth studio album Light-Fighter (out October 12) could be called their post-arson period, as Daniel Fluitt and band wrote the record after a stranger torched their gear and merchandise-filled trailer parked next to Fluitt’s bedroom, nearly taking his life. Produced by Craig Schumacher (Calexico, Neko Case, Iron and Wine) Light-Fighter’s indie rock shapeshifts through ambient and Gothic western music for songs that touch on death, loss, fear, redemption, the Spanish Civil War and West Texas ghost stories. All buoyed by soaring violin, draped against bottom-ended guitar and pedal steel sounds that spaghetti western composer Ennio Morricone might envy.
Paper Bird
Paper Bird’s backbone is their songwriting, musicianship and a general allergy to all limitations and trends. With eight members and no leader, possibilities are ever unfolding, with fluctuations in style and mood akin to weather patterns.
The Everybodyfields
The everybodyfields from Johnson City, TN are rapidly gaining a reputation as the front-runners of the newest generation of the alt-country movement. Their melancholic interpretations of universal human stories are set to achingly beautiful melodies and put to life with such instrumentation as lap steel, lead guitar, electric bass, piano and acoustic guitar.
Jubal's Kin
On Jubal's Kin, the self-titled debut from the Florida based duo, brother and sister Roger and Gailanne Amundsen establish a new benchmark for the rising generation of roots musicians - Roger a three time Florida Old-Time Music Championship winner, and Gailanne the 2009 Florida & Tennessee Grand Champion Old Time Fiddler. Jubal's Kin is an eclectic blend of old-timey bluegrass and indie folk - what they've dubbed as "Appalachia-infused Cosmic Americana." And the album finds this compromise with great success, drawing from a wide palette of earthy roots inspirations.
Mindy Smith
Art helps us articulate emotions. When complex feelings seem impossible to condense into words, we turn to musicians to speak on our behalf. On her new album, Stupid Love, Mindy Smith gives voice to the myriad sentiments, from elation to sorrow, that accompany falling in love.
Billy Falcon
Over his career, Falcon has released a dozen albums, each remaining true to his hallmark of beautifully crafted songs with lyrics that move the listener to laugh, cry, think, remember, and always, to hope. His latest record, “When,” features thirteen songs that each continue that legacy.
Ange Boxall
Tasmanian born and raised songstress, Ange Boxall resides in London, UK, and regularly visits Nashville, TN, USA. On recent visits, she has worked with legendary singer songwriter JD Souther - who famously played a key role in the formation of the Eagles and co-wrote their hits "Heartache Tonight," "Victim of Love," "New Kid In Town," and "Best of My Love". Meeting in an art gallery (as you do in Nashville!), the pair found an immediate synergy and began to collaborate. The result is the beautiful 'Lucky Day' duet and will be featured on Ange's forthcoming album. The album also includes co-writes with other immensely talented artists, Jim Lauderdale, The Wrights and The Arlenes, all of whom add a new and rich dynamic. The album, produced and engineered by Marc Lacuesta, began it's recording with Anges ‘Wagon Band’ (Alan Gregg, Paul Lush and Steve Brooks), at Konk Studios (of Ray Davies fame) and was then taken to Nashville for the final overdubs, mixing and mastering.
Valley Young
Valley Young is both moving and mysterious. The music seems as if it floated out of a lonesome mountain valley.They call themselves fringe folksters! From the reverb to the songwriting, the folk music of the 1960's and 70's shaped Valley Young's sound today.
Sara Hickman
Sara Hickman grew up in Houston, Texas, as the daughter of artistic parents—a mother who was a fiber artist, a father who was a painting professor. Her household was full of interactive creativity: writing, painting, jars of clay. There was never a dull moment. At 7, she started to play the guitar, which became her best friend. She wrote her first song at 8, performed it on stage, and won an award from the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was hooked as a singer/songwriter from that point on.
Gwyneth & Monko
"Gwyneth & Monko are on the move in more ways than one. In the past two years alone, they've driven over 60,000 miles and played over 250 shows while living out of their Volkswagen Van and camping out in Walmart Supercenter parking lots as well as driveways of friends and strangers alike. In the fall of 2010, amidst tours to the southwest and northwestern U.S., they were able to fit in time to record at Old School Studio in northern California. Gwyneth & Monko’s self titled album came out February 15, 2011 and reflects the style the pair has cultivated on the road: somewhere between folky acoustic and indie rock.”
Tom T Hall
Tom T. Hall is known as a storyteller, a songwriter with a keen eye for detail and a knack for narrative. Many musicians have covered his songs -- most notably Jeannie C. Riley's 1968 hit "Harper Valley P.T.A." -- and he also has racked up a number of solo hits, including seven No. 1 singles.
Malcolm Holcombe
Born and raised in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina, Malcolm Holcombe is being recognized by the contemporary U.S and European folk/americana community as a performer of national stature, and an uncommonly unique guitarist/vocalist about whom Rolling Stone magazine says: "Haunted country, acoustic blues and rugged folk all meet [here]..."
Daphne Willis
Everything Daphne Willis has done up to now in both her music and her life has led to this moment—her new album, Because I Can (Vanguard, April 19), marks the 23-year-old writer/singer/guitarist’s artistic coming of age in thrilling—and at times heart-wrenching—fashion. This captivating LP represents an exponential leap, as she grows into her enormous talent and puts it to powerful and relatable use via her singular sensibility. Because I Can sounds very much like the defining work of a young artist who matters.
Irene Kelley
In few life stories do you find the heroine getting kicked out of her own rock band because of Dolly Parton but IRENE KELLEY proves it ain't impossible. Latrobe, Pennsylvania is better known for brewing Rolling Rock Beer than as a hot musical breeding ground. However, one does not have the privilege of choosing one's birthplace. Along side the aroma of roasting hops, music was in the air and clearly in the blood of young Miss Kelley.
Girlyman
Can the members of Girlyman read each other’s minds? Sometimes it seems so. Onstage they often finish one another’s sentences or burst into improvised three-part ditties so tight they seem rehearsed. Truth is, the Atlanta-based trio has had years to develop this rapport. Doris Muramatsu and Tylan Greenstein became best friends in second grade. The two met Nate Borofsky in college at a talent show, and since then they’ve been creating their own unique language of three-part harmony. Informed by 60s vocal groups like Simon & Garfunkel and The Mamas and the Papas, and infused with years of classical and jazz training, Girlyman’s songs are a dance of melody and suspensions – an irresistible blend of acoustic, Americana, and rock The Village Voice calls “really good, really unexpected, and really different.”
Rockin Acoustic Circus
With hearts in traditional music and heads in the 21st century, Rockin’ Acoustic Circus points toward a fresh direction for acoustic music. Sharing their passion with impressive musical prowess and boundary pushing style, their unique vibe of original work, appeals to a wide audience of both traditional and progressive fans alike.
Connie Smith
Dolly Parton once noted, famously, that there were just three real female singers around—Barbra Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, and Connie Smith. "The rest of us," she said, "are only pretending." It's less-well known that when Ms. Smith was introduced to Keith Richards, he grabbed fellow Connie Smith fan (and Rolling Stone) Ron Wood and brought him up to meet her, too, exclaiming "She's the real deal!"
Kenny Vaughan
Vaughan studied with guitarist Bill Frisell, which led to gigs with a local progressive jazz group. “Bill really opened my approach to my playing,” he explains. At eighteen, when his family moved to rural Kansas, Kenny opted to stay in Denver, and after answering an ad in the paper, he began working seven nights a week playing country music on the local honky-tonk scene. “I played with some real characters,” Vaughan recalls, “Great players and singers. We played mostly '50's and '60's country. It was like another world -- I was playing a joint one night and Willie Nelson showed up and sat in for two hours, we ended up on his bus in the parking lot. Fantastic!” It was during this time that Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings performed in the area. "Seeing those two shows changed everything. They had great bands and sang with remarkable intensity and depth."
Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
“Playing music is the easy part,” says Russell Moore with an ever-so-slightly rueful laugh as he looks back on more than thirty years of doing what he grew up wanting to do. “By the time we put this band together”—he’s talking about IIIrd Tyme Out, his musical vehicle for over twenty years now—“I was realistic enough to know that bands come and go. Being able to stay together is the hurdle that everyone faces. So I didn’t have a preconceived notion that someday I’d be celebrating twenty years with IIIrd Tyme Out—but I did feel like I would be playing music for the rest of my life.”
Rodney Crowell
Last January Rodney Crowell rented a house in my little town in Montana just to feel the cold. He had been here before, but always in the summertime, when Livingston is a temperate and sociable outpost for writers and actors and artists on the banks of the Yellowstone River. But as soon as the first blizzard rolls in most of the amateurs sensibly depart for Tucson or Key West. By January, the coldest month, the local population is down to seeds and stems. That's when Rodney and his wife, Claudia Church, arrived for a long visit. He wanted to work on his memoirs, now nearly finished, and he wanted to experience a real Montana winter, the kind he'd read about in Ivan Doig's sweeping novels. The boy from the Houston swamps figured he might learn something new in the frozen north. Rodney was disappointed when a chinook kicked up from the west and the weather turned mild. Snowdrifts melted into puddles.
Matraca Berg
It all starts with a low tremolo guitar, resonating and rumbling in a way that pulls at unspoken places. Deep in your core, you know without words, this is a song – indeed, an album – that’s about loss, desolation, realizing what life is made of and the fact that even you know it just keeps coming.
Sugar and the Hi-Lows
Sugar and the Hi-Lows… a brand new collaboration from singer/songwriters Trent Dabbs and Amy Stroup along with a band of Nashville’s finest. Together, these artists weave their hypnotic, soulful vibe and catch the ear with a playful, infectious hook. In their first project making its debut this winter, Sugar and the Hi-Lows features melodies that masterfully merge Americana’s rock and soul heritage with the band’s own unmatched, fresh sound. Lyrically, they channel a playful promise and familiar acceptance of life’s ups and downs and still remain firmly rooted in the reality of the here and now.
Elephant Revival
Elephant Revival is a soulful, seductive quiver of songwriters and multi-instrumentalists that reign from points all across America. Since Oct 06' Daniel Rodriguez, Bonnie Paine, Dango Rose, Sage Cook and Bridget Law have herded in a greatly applauded neo-acoustic gyptic revival at festivals, theaters, clubs and house concerts from the Pacific coast to the rolling hills of New England. The Revival plays entirely original music with a few carefully chosen traditionals and eclectic cover tunes but their precise genre is hard to pin down. As independent film director Mikey Eberle elaborates, "When I hear Elephant Revival I am struck by my inability to define it. I am forced to confront the music as it is, connecting to it with a virgin spirit of mind. Consequently it feels like I am experiencing music and all its joys for the very first time."
Grayson Capps
Rott ‘N’ Roll. The title originated with Grayson Capps’ fans in New Orleans as an explanation of his music. Prostitutes, alcoholics, vagrants and drifters often inhabit the southern troubadour’s songs, while his live performances are ignited by sanctified Southern soul, howling back-country stomp and raucous roadhouse blues.. Slowly, but surely, the phrase spread from one city to the next as the definition of the Grayson Capps experience. For Grayson himself, Rott ‘N’ Roll has come to represent the state of mind needed to play uncompromising roots music as a means for survival in the Dirty South; the yin and yang between the debauchery of life on the road and the come down upon returning home.. Yet, as Grayson makes clear on “Back To The Country,” the album’s opening track, when Rott ‘N’ Roll is the credo, even the serenity of home means, “eating cornbread and raising hell.”
The Wilders
In today’s new acoustic music scene, only one band delivers the urgency of rock-n-roll using the simple tools of American roots: The Wilders. Celebrating its 15-year anniversary in 2011, this internationally touring band receives critical acclaim throughout North America and Europe for its unpredictable, energizing live performances and award-winning studio recordings. The Wilders’ sound is defined by an insurgent rhythm, soulful musicality, close harmony, and an intangible chemistry forged from years of performing together.
The Milk Carton Kids
Many years ago, in a moment of professional crisis, I took up for a spell with The Jayhawks, an earnest band from Minnesota with whom I shared a tour, a dog-eared sensibility, and the lack of sufficient patronage that might’ve kept us from sleeping triple in the double beds of hard-lit motel rooms scattered throughout the land of the Great Lakes. Before meeting them, I had been given their most recent album by way of introduction; and I will confess here that upon first listen I became so seduced by the singular character that emerged from the songs, that I failed to register that there were actually two very different singers giving rise to him. Honest: I heard it all as if coming from one central figure who had a voice all his own, and that neither lead singer in the band could wholly claim or account for.
Wayne Henderson
Wayne Henderson's top-notch finger-picking is a source of great pleasure and pride to his friends, family, and neighbors in Grayson County, Virginia; his guitar playing has also been enjoyed at Carnegie Hall, in three national tours of "Masters of the Steel-String Guitar", and in seven nations in Asia. In addition to his reputation as a guitarist, Henderson is a luthier of great renown. He is a recipient of a 1995 National Heritage Award presented by the National Endowment for the Arts. He produces about 20 instruments a year, mostly guitars; he is almost as well-known for the mandolins he has made. Doc Watson, a good friend who sometimes stops at Wayne's shop in Rugby, VA, to pick a few tunes, owns a Henderson mandolin. He said, "That Henderson mandolin is as good as any I've had my hands on. And that's saying a lot, because I've picked up some good ones."
David Wilcox
David Wilcox is a true American treasure. He has sold over 750,000 discs and has been writing songs for 30 years. He is known for his open tuning acoustic guitar, sawed-off capos, storytelling wit, and insightful metaphors. His songs are a strong elixir. Music distilled. David Wilcox believes that the right song at the right time changes people’s lives.
Todd Grebe and Cold Country
Inspired by the Grateful Dead, Todd began playing guitar as a teenager, which led to his discovery of bluegrass music. Along with friends, he formed the traditional bluegrass band Well Strung, providing him the opportunity to develop his chops by playing in bars and at festivals throughout the state of Alaska.
James Blundell
James Blundell is acknowledged by many as the act single-handedly responsible for turning a younger demographic of Australians onto country music. He was the first young Australian country artist to create an impact on the mainstream pop charts and for many years was the highest selling country artist in the nation. James was also the first Australian country act to sign a major label recording deal in Nashville paving the way for the likes of Keith Urban, Kasey Chambers and others. In addition to his own success James has penned hits for Lee Kernaghan, Slim Dusty and Jimmy Little. James has been the recipient of 9 CMAA (Country Music Association of Australia) Golden Guitar Awards, double platinum, platinum and gold sales awards and is a 5 time ARIA (Australian Record Industry Association) Award nominee with one win to his name.
Catherine Britt
Catherine spent 6 years in Nashville and has toured, performed and recorded with some of music’s most respected names – Kasey Chambers, Paul Kelly, Sir Elton John, Shane Nicholson, Jerry Salley, Tim Rodgers & Kenny Chesney – and has worked with some of Australia’s and Americas finest producers.
Nikki Lane
One glorious day some years back, a teenage high school dropout Nikki Lane (née Nicole Lane Frady) packed a trailer with her worldly possessions. With one hand firmly gripping a steering wheel and the other flipping the bird, she said so long to her home, Greenville, South Carolina, The South and any sort of life it had suggested she should live. Western bound, she was headed to Los Angeles for no other reason than just because.
Griffin House
“Ultimately, these songs are about spirituality and trying to find your place in the world,” Griffin House says of Flying Upside Down (Nettwerk, April 29), an album that dramatically marks the 27-year-old Ohioan’s coming of age as an artist of formidable skills. “Specifically, it’s the continuing story of what’s happening in my life, following the realization that the more specific I am about my own life and things that have happened to me, the more people will feel it universally.”
KS Rhoads
"We work ourselves wretched for one old wood coffin, if life doesn't get you, love will finish you off" sings K.S. Rhoads on his stunning debut album Dead Language, which American Songwriter Magazine declares, " is an exhibition in style, grace, and limitless possibilities." His music has been called "... a masterful marriage of indie-pop, orchestral, and american folk." His lush string arrangements recall Danny Elfman, and his lyrics recall F. Scott Fitzgerald. His live performances are rapturous and sporadic.
Jedd Hughes
Jedd Hughes was raised on a farm in a small town called Quorn in South Australia. After high school, Jedd made a life-changing decision and flew into Levelland, Texas. There, at South Plains College, he met Terry McBride who became his first producer. Encouraged to audition for Patty Loveless, Jedd moved to Nashville and got the job as her guitarist. MCA Records picked Jedd up and, in 2004, he released his debut album, Transcontinental featuring 10 original songs.
Snyder Family Band
The Snyder Family Band features the talents of siblings Zeb and Samantha Snyder from Lexington, NC. Backed by their dad, Bud, on upright bass, this band has delighted and surprised audiences at venues including Merlefest, Bristol Rhythm & Roots, the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree, the Musicians Against Childhood Cancer Festival in Columbus, OH, and the Red White and Bluegrass Festival in Morganton, NC. They have also appeared twice on the PBS TV program “Song of the Mountains.” Mom, Laine, occasionally joins in with harmony vocals, and six-year-old Owen also makes special appearances singing or playing guitar.
Carolina Still
Carolina Still is an acoustic band with a new sound and an old-time feel. They will take you down on the farm, out into the tobacco fields, and down a dirt road with a trunk full of 'shine; you never know where they might take you. One thing's for sure, you will be schooled in southern American culture after listening to their music.
Dobe Newton
Dobe Newton – the front man in the crazy custom made suits confesses to always being a singing ‘dag’ who the late 1960’s Dobe was saved from his university studies and real life plans to be a lawyer by a bunch of Irish folkies who introduced him to the Dubliners. He was handed a lagerphone and a tin whistle, and bush music nestled in his bones.
Matthew Perryman Jones
After honing his performance skills at the ever popular listening room Eddie's Attic in Decatur, GA, Matthew Perryman Jones set his sights on Nashville and launched his career five years ago with the release of his debut album Throwing Punches in The Dark. Swallow the Sea followed a few years later further solidified Jones, as noted by Performing Songwriter Magazine, as a talent that follows "…in the footsteps of Lenard Cohen and John Lennon."
Amy Stroup
What’s the other side of love? There’s the love you see in movies. The love you’re taught as a child will be your due when you grow up. Fairytale love. Brotherly love. But there’s another side to it.
Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith got an early start on her path to performing and songwriting. At the age of 6 she began to write songs, thinking of it as “part of the process of learning how to play guitar.” While she doesn’t remember many of her earliest songs, she does recall that “the first original song my mother commented on…was a song about Timothy Leary.” Then at the age of 14, when a campfire turn at the Kerrville Folk Festival caught the ear of singer-songwriter Tom Russell, she was on her way. Having recorded 18 albums and performed concerts all over the world, it’s safe to say that she’s never looked back.
Luke Bulla
Luke Bulla has been singing and playing music most of his life. Touring with and singing in his family band from age four, Luke took up the fiddle at seven. Over the course of the next few years, he won the National Fiddle Contest (in Weiser, Idaho) six times in his respective age categories.
Ladies Gun Club
It makes sense that two of the South's finest grassroots singers had to hoof it all the way to Hollywood to find each other. In a sea of indie rock bands, the unabashedly Appalachian voices of SALLY JAYE and SARAH ROBERTS make for a stunning anomaly. Teaming up not only made sense, it felt destined.
Mic Harrison
After the V-Roys called it quits at a 1999 New Year’s Eve show in Knoxville, Harrison co-founded the short-lived band the Faults and, shortly thereafter, signed on as a member of Superdrag (power pop legends responsible for the hit “Sucked Out”). When Superdrag went on indefinite hiatus in 2003 Harrison recorded his second solo album “Pallbearer’s Shoes” with producer and Superdrag drummer Don Coffey, Jr. However, it wasn’t until Harrison joined forces with the High Score in 2007 and recorded “Push Me On Home” that everything really came together. The High Score, which included guitarist/vocalist Robbie Trosper (had been with Harrison in the Faults) and drummer Brad Henderson, was already an established band with its own following. The group needed a new bass player and Vance Hillard was recruited.
Buddy Miller
Buddy will be 56 when Written in Chalk hits stores, though his work has been on regular exhibit since his wife, Julie (who is somewhat younger), began recording in 1990, and more so since he finally started making his own records in 1995. If his genius has not yet been widely recognized, no matter; the other musicians, they know. (There was a reason the final print edition of No Depression magazine proclaimed him to be artist of the decade, and it was not simply the mercurial humor of the magazine’s two editors. It was the music.)
Fayssoux McLean
You've heard Fayssoux McLean, even if you haven't heard of her. Fayssoux's beguiling voice was an integral element in some of the finest country music recordings of our time.
Gary Bennett
Gary Bennett co-fronted and was a founding member of one of the most successful country music bands of the 1990's, BR5-49. During Gary's tenure the group received three Grammy nominations and was hailed by music industry trade magazine Billboard as having "single-handedly revived the soul of country music in Nashville". The band sold over 500,000 albums and toured the world, headlining shows as well as being invited to open shows and tours for acts like Bob Dylan, George Jones, Merle Haggard, the Black Crowes and Brian Setzer.
Duane Eddy
Eddy and Hawley met at last year’s Mojo Awards, where Eddy was awarded with the Mojo Icon Award. Hitting it off straight away, a plan was hatched whereby Hawley would work with Eddy on a new album – a dream come true for Hawley who’d wanted to work with his guitar hero for a long, long time, having been turned onto the wonders of his playing as a mere boy.
Mike Bub
Bassist for The Del McCoury Band, Mike began a 13 year association with what was to become, and still is, the most awarded band in Bluegrass Music. He's racked up an unprecedented 9 Entertainer of the Year awards, 5 Bass Player of the Year awards as well as various Album, Instrumental and Song of the Year awards and a Grammy. He's been granted membership to the Grand Ole Opry, as well as a Grammy award for Best Bluegrass Album of 2005. He's now a part of the Nashville 'Super Group' 18 South.
The Special Consensus
The Special Consensus is a four person acoustic bluegrass band that began performing in the Midwest in the spring of 1975.
Bradley Walker
Before he got his recording contract, Bradley Walker had already performed on the Grand Ole Opry, appeared on national television and sung at some of America’s leading bluegrass festivals. One listen to Highway of Dreams, his stunning Rounder Records debut, explains why: Bradley Walker is simply one of the greatest young country singers alive. He belongs to a tradition that includes such outstanding stylists as Vern Gosdin, Merle Haggard, Mel Street, Gene Watson, George Jones, Lefty Frizzell, and Keith Whitley, all of whom he cites as influences. “It’s not like I’m on any kind of campaign to bring back traditional country music,” says Walker. “It’s just that this is the kind of music I love, the kind of music that makes me happiest. I’ve been singing this way all my life.”
Wynn Varble
Wynn Varble admits he must have been destined for a career in country music. Wynn was raised in the small town of Ellenwood, Georgia, where music was a central part of his life. He recalls his father’s collection of country LP’s and the hours he spent listening to the legends: Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, Bob Wills, and Jimmie Rodgers, whom Wynn credits as being his primary musical influences. He says he did just about anything to hear the newest country record – even if it meant trading in his big brother’s rock albums and catching trouble for it afterwards!
Kindling Stone
Complementing their original and thought-provoking folk songs, Kindling Stone members Chris Moore and Mark Wingate draw from the bounty of wise words and powerful melodies found in two early-American musical traditions: The Sacred Harp and The United Society of Believers, commonly known as the Shakers. These traditions (which blossomed during the 18th and 19th centuries and both continue today) respond to some of the same questions that Kindling Stone explores in their own compositions - questions about community, aging and death, love, family, peace, discipline, nature, prayer and meditation.
Lori McKenna
Lori McKenna’s first name is actually Lorraine. Now you know. She is named after the mother she lost when she was only seven, but whose impact on Lori’s life reverberates to this day. In her sixth album, Lorraine, she considers the influence of her mother, who died at roughly the same age Lori is now, as well as her own place in relationship to her husband, family and community. It is her most personal album to date.
Chatham County Line
Ten years in, the four gentlemen of Chatham County Line have a lot to reflect on: sold out shows in the US and abroad, appearances on national radio & TV, four solid selling records, and four really dirty suits.
The Mosier Brothers
The Rev. Jeff Mosier understands the importance of occasionally re-inventing oneself. Especially when you’ve turned 50 years old, and are suddenly aware that time has become far more precious. “Some people are threatened by starting over,” he says. “Me, I love it. I really do.” In late 2009, Mosier decided to put Blueground Undergrass — the band he had fronted for more than a decade — on hiatus. That group recorded four albums and built a sizable following by combining bluegrass purism with a jam band sensibility. Mosier liked to describe the sound as “psychedelic hick-hop.”
Loves It!
Loves It! formed when two best friends, Vaughn Walters and Jenny Parrott, dreamed of traveling the world together singing songs! Both accomplished solo writers, they were surprised and excited to see their collaborative works sparkle! Besides inventive songwriting that travels between folk, country, indie pop and swing, each is a multi-instrumentalist and the live show features claw hammer banjo, guitars, mandolin, fiddle, and heart felt inspired singing. Vaughn hails from West by God Virginia and brings his love of country, punk rock, and folk to the duo's sound.
Samantha Crain
Kid Face, the third full-length album from Samantha Crain (Ramseur Records, February 19, 2013), is a revelatory song cycle as expansive as the wide-open spaces of the 26-year-old artist’s native Oklahoma, and as intimate as a conspiratorial whisper. Recorded and mixed in just eight days in the San Francisco studio of producer John Vanderslice (the Mountain Goats, Spoon), this wildly original album stands as the definitive statement thus far from an uncommonly insightful, fearlessly honest young singer/songwriter.
Dala
Juno nominees and winners of the 2010 Canadian Folk Music Award for Vocal Group of the Year, Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine of Dala write and sing in harmony best described as angelic. These two best friends met in their high school music class in 2002; they have since released five albums and toured extensively across North America. Darlings of the Canadian music scene, Dala are now poised to bring their fresh brand of acoustic pop music to the world.
Rebecca Loebe
The deal is this: I've been on the road, making my living as a full time touring indie folk singin songwriter for about four years, give or take (depending on how flexible you're willing to be in your definition of "a living," I guess). Before that I was a part-time touring folk singer and a part time recording studio engineer. Before that I was a full time recording studio engineer (also, at times, a part time cash register specialist at Whole Foods, a college student, a bank teller, the token female on the tech crew, a terrible waitress, Ruth in the Pirates of Penzance and a host of other things). As a rule I try not to put much stock in defining a person by their profession - a dangerous tendency that we have in this culture, I think - but since my brain, my heart, my music, my life, my ego, my livelihood and my identity are all kind of rolled up in one volatile little package that I load into a station wagon, drive all over the country and hoist on stage every night, it's sometimes hard to avoid. I'm working on it.
Anderson East
After releasing well received EP, "Fire Demos," in July 2010, Anderson East's creative ambition steamed ahead with a back to back release of three song EP "Transitive Property," all while gaining interest from a well respected group of music makers who would shortly prove to be the team for East's next endeavor.
ORBO & The Longshots
ORBO & The Longshots is a European rock & roll band from Norway. The band was established in the year 2000 by singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer Ole Reinert Berg-Olsen aka ORBO.
Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers
Upon hearing the unique and refreshing sound of Nicki Bluhm, it becomes immediately clear why she is in the midst of a breakout year. Nicki has filled a void in music with her brand of vintage-tinged rocking country soul -- music that's like an enchanting friend you've known for a short while but feels like you've known forever.
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings
In 1996 when Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing and Tom Wilson came together to record what was supposed to be a one-off tribute album to the great songwriter Willie P. Bennett, there was nary a thought that they would eventually become a going concern as a band. At the time, all three members were deeply committed to burgeoning solo careers that they had no intentions of putting on hold.
Painted Desert
Painted Desert started somewhat accidentally. It started with a telephone call from one friend to another, where one friend was seeking direction and the other thought the solution might lie in a song. Heidi threw out the idea to Austin that they might try writing a song together. Austin, who hadn’t really done much co-writing, thought he might give it a shot.
Erin Enderlin
Erin Enderlin has had songs recorded by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Terri Clark, Lee Ann Womack, Adam Brand, and Luke Bryan. These include Jackson’s top 5 hit “Monday Morning Church” that won an NSAI award as one of the ten “Songs I Wish I’d Written” honored in 2005, as well as Lee Ann Womack’s single “Last Call” which won the same award in 2009.
David Olney
Legendary performer and songwriter David Olney returns to the scene with the third installment of his thematic mini-album series to present a pair of complicated love stories called Robbery & Murder (October 30, Deadbeet Records). As with the first two – 2011’s Film Noir and Olney’s retelling of the Easter story, The Stone (April 2012) – the packaging on Robbery & Murder features original artwork selected by Olney and foreboding photography. Each EP includes a mix of reinterpretations of some of Olney’s classic catalog and several new tunes. The three recordings complete the box set, Body of Evidence, also available October 30.
The Roys
THE ROYS – LONESOME WHISTLE Bluegrass music is a unique art form that is as much about feel and instinct as it is technique. Blending proficiency and passion into a musically intoxicating package, The Roys make their debut with LONESOME WHISTLE ( Rural Rhythm Records) , a spirited set that showcases the siblings’ stellar vocals, taut musicianship and enviable songwriting skills.
Humming House
It’s fitting that a song about Django Reinhardt, the father of gypsy-jazz, kicks off the self-titled debut by Humming House. The bandmembers certainly embrace the gypsy spirit, having come from varied corners of the country with all types of instruments and styles to find each other in Nashville. Out January 17, 2012, and produced by Grammy winning Mitch Dane (Jars of Clay) and Vance Powell (Raconteurs and Buddy Guy) the record reflects other eras – utilizing everything from parlor guitar to clanging electric guitar, viola to B3 organ, and even a singing saw. Listen Here
Audrey Auld
Auld is a memorable and uplifting entertainer. She's a spontaneous comedienne and a writer of humorous, provocative and soulful songs. A touring songwriter, Audrey won the 2006 MerleFest Song Contest and performed her winning song 'Losing Faith' with Rich Brotherton (Robert Earl Keen) on guitar to a thrilled MerleFest crowd.
The Driftwood Singers
LA’s Driftwood Singers have gone an un-contemporary route. The duo of Kris Hutson and Pearl Charles play a stripped down kind of folk that one might have heard on front porches in the south of the 1930’s.
Jabe Beyer
In 2007, Jabe Beyer won the BMI Music Maker Songwriting Competition, was nominated for two Boston Music Awards, as well as a nomination in the WFNX FM Best Music Poll. With over 300 songs in his catalog, his namesake band, JABE, won the Abe Oleman Songwriting Award from The Songwriting Hall of Fame as well as a Boston Music Award for Outstanding Debut Album.
Nash Street
Today’s musicians increasingly find themselves at a crossroad. They find that they must choose between originality and building and maintaining an active fan-base. Typically, success depends on their ability to provide the industry and their listeners with music that is truly unique.
W.B. Givens
Raised in the hill country of northern Mississippi, W.B. Givens grew up a stone's throw away from the legendary land where the Delta Blues began. After a substantial stint in Asheville, North Carolina, he developed a strong passion for traditional Bluegrass and Country music.
Pierce Pettis
Pierce Pettis, adored by both critics and public alike, is one of this generation's most masterful songwriters. His music is distinguished by his uncanny ability to capture universals in human experience by drawing on the humor and trials in daily life. Pettis' music can simultaneously pull on our hearts and keep us laughing. The beautiful harmonies, inventive yet subtle percussion, strong guitar, and Pierce's rich vocals are a constant throughout his body of work.
Grace Pettis
Grace Pettis has solidified her reputation as an accomplished songwriter with her recent win at the 2011 Kerrville New Folk Contest, as well as being asked to perform at the2011 Falcon Ridge Emerging Artist Showcase.
Erin McDermott
Meet Erin McDermott before the gig, with a Guinness in her hand and a self-effacing wit at the ready, and you’d never suspect the transformation that’s about to take place. But when she sets down her pint and steps onto stage, pay attention. A spruce-topped six string launches into a steam-driving rhythm and her voice rises, gaining power and soaring to a pure quavering vulnerability that makes even the club regulars, the ones who’ve heard it all, stop talking and really listen.
Hogslop String Band
The Hog Slop String Band is a Nashville based old time string band comprised of seven energetic young musicians hailing from Georgia, Tennessee, California and North Carolina. Featuring Casy Meikle and Kevin Martin on fiddles, Graham Sherrill on banjo, Gabe Zorbanos on guitar, Robert Hardy (RH) Dyar Jr. on mandolin, Daniel Allen Frazier Jr. on washboard and Casey McBride on the washtub bass, these boys surely raise a ruckus.
Monroeville
Embracing a crossover sound between progressive bluegrass and acoustic country, Monroeville has caught the attention of music lovers on both sides of the tracks.
Bloodkin
Daniel Hutchens and Eric Carter met each other when they were eight years old. They solidified their early friendship based on a mutual love of baseball, comic books, and rock n roll music. They grew up in West Virginia; much time during their high school years was spent on Skull Run Road, where Eric's family lived, a few miles outside Ravenswood. The boys recall that road as being the site of their first garage band practices.
Leftover Salmon
Looking back over the past 25 years of rootsy, string-based music, the impact of Leftover Salmon is impossible to deny. Formed in Boulder at the end of 1989, the Colorado slamgrass pioneers were one of the first bluegrass bands to add drums and tour rock & roll bars, helping Salmon become a pillar of the jam band scene and unwitting architects of the jam grass genre.
Henry Wagons
HENRY WAGONS, recently named one of Melbourne's Top 100 Most Influential People, is unanimously lauded as one of Australia’s greatest and most entertaining performers. Along with his rare charisma he offers heavy doses of stomping outlaw country rock, irresistible crooning and classic songwriting.
Pert Near Sandstone
Pert Near Sandstone emerged from the same roots-based musical hotbed in Minneapolis that gave birth to Bob Dylan, The Jayhawks and Spider John Koerner. Originally formed by four friends from the same hometown, Pert Near Sandstone formed unintentionally over weekly, whiskey-fueled picking sessions in an old house in St. Paul, MN. They decided without any real intentions to start playing shows and the chemistry of their music and friendships, even early on, left people feeling like the party followed them everywhere they went.
J.P. Harris and The Tough Choices
J.P. Harris and The Tough Choices play Country-Goddamned-Music. Period. Sick and tired of the modern Pop-Country filth broadcast shamelessly and persistently across our beautiful countrysides, The Tough Choices set out to right the wrongs done to a music so classically and quintessentially American. As we speak, Hank Williams, Buck Owens, Carl Smith, and countless other champions of Honky Tonk are rolling in their graves, groaning with disgust over the watered-down contemporary excuse that Nashville presents us for Country Music. Save a few Randy Travis gems and Alan Jackson hits, this flim-flam is pathetic, at best.
Gretchen Peters
The title of Gretchen Peters’ new Hello Cruel World is a pun on the famed exit line — a joke that, like the lovely melodies and deliciously textured arrangements framing these 11 songs — sweetens this captivating music spun from a year of turmoil. The Grammy nominated singer-songwriter from Nashville calls Hello Cruel World her “most close-to-the-bone work, written at a time when I felt absolutely fearless about telling the truth.” Peters and her guest Rodney Crowell sing, “life is still a beautiful disaster,” on “Dark Angel.” But Peters keeps the accent on the “beautiful” throughout her ninth disc, with both her poetic language and the spare, evocative sounds she created in the studio to support her organic story-telling.
Martin Family Circus
Ever been to the circus before? The bright colors,the band of characters, the storied backgrounds…just plain fun! So what happens when you combine The Oak Ridge Boys, Marty Stuart, Exile, and The Grand Ole Opry, with 4 kids ranging in age from 4 to 13? Representing four generations of musical heritage, you get the Martin Family Circus!
The One & Only Bill Davis
The One and Only Bill Davis originally hails from Manitowoc, WI. He has lived in Chicago, Vail, and Austin. These days he resides in Nashville TN, where he writes songs and commercial jingles. Aside from his original music, he is the founder/frontman of 5X Beaver(classic country & western) and The Hard Rock Zombies(hard-rock/multimedia/horror-soundtracks). He also has played in many bands locally including: Tony Weeks and the Tony Weeks Band Featuring Tony Weeks, Thumbs Up!, & Pizza Party U.S.A.
Paul Kramer and Swing Street
Paul Kramer is a jack-of-all-trades; forget the "master of none" part. And having forged a successful career as a highly respected sideman to the stars‚ he is now stepping out as an artist in his own right‚ and in several directions at once!
Lonesome River Band
Lonesome River Band’s long career is obviously filled with a multitude of Awards and Recognitions including the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) honoring the group with numerous awards for Album of the Year and topping it off with an amazing four-time award wins for Shelor as IBMA Banjo Performer of the Year. The group has also received recognition by SPBGMA for numerous Bluegrass Band of Year wins, Vocal Group of the Year, Song of the Year and Shelor as Banjo Player of the Year.
SHEL
SHEL is Sarah, Hannah, Eva and Liza, four classically trained musicians who happen to be sisters ranging in age from 18-23. From the artist colony of Fort Collins, Colorado, SHEL is sophisticated and youthful, emotional and lighthearted, classic and eccentric. SHEL’s engaging live show is marked with a prodigy’s creativity and a veteran’s instinct for entertaining. Audiences delight with their unique songwriting style and fresh, new sound.
Lilly Winwood
Lilly Winwood, daughter of Steve Winwood, is already showing signs of taking over the family business with her guitar playing.
Gareth Dunlop
Gareth Dunlop began his music career at age 14 by trying to play his Fathers old Yamaha guitar. After a few basic chords were established it quickly became an addiction to play and learn more and more about music.
Grant Farm
Grant Farm is a refreshing harvest of a band from the fertile Front Range of Colorado. This much-anticipated four-piece represents the fruition of the efforts of National Flatpicking Champion Tyler Grant, one of the hottest and best-known guitar players on the scene today. Tyler was a member of The Drew Emmitt Band and The Emmitt-Nershi Band from 2005 until 2010 when he went on his own to pursue his calling as a bandleader. In Grant Farm he is partnered with dynamic drummer Chris Misner, also of the Drew Emmitt Band and Bill Nershi's Blue Planet. The quartet is completed by funky phenom Adrian "Ace" Engfer on bass and the prodigious Sean Foley on keyboards. Grant Farm has established a movement based on their connection to roots music of all kinds, devotion to their fans and family, and their brilliant performances of Rocky Mountain Rock and Roll.
The Wood Brothers
Two brothers decide to form a band, adapting the blues, folk and other roots‐music sounds they loved as kids into their own evocative sound and twining their voices in the sort of high‐lonesome harmony blend for which sibling singers are often renowned. While that’s not a terribly unusual story, the Wood Brothers took a twisty path to their ultimate collaboration. Indeed, they pursued separate projects for some 15 years before joining forces.
Leah Korbin
My name is Leah Rose Korbin and I am currently studying Songwriting and Music Business in Nashville, TN at Belmont University. I’ve been writing and recording songs since I was a freshman in high school and I expect to eventually write for other artists and soundtracks.
Taylor Brashears
Taylor Brashears is a singer, songwriter, and multi-intstrumentalist born and raised in Nashville, TN. She fell in love with bluegrass music at the age of nine and began playing shows at sixteen.
Tim & Nicki Bluhm
Tim & Nicki Bluhm are the husband/wife team of singer/songwriter Nicki Bluhm--the "It Girl" of the San Francisco music scene--and Tim Bluhm, singer/songwriter/guitarist of rock band The Mother Hips.
Walter Egan
Walter Egan is one of the most talented and underrated artists whose music I’ve ever had the privilege to hear. Although known almost exclusively for his late 1970’s hit “Magnet and Steel,” Egan is an incredibly prolific artist who has continued to write and record numerous songs, often releasing multiple albums in the same year.
Scott Simontacchi
Charleston native Scott Simontacchi has been a member of Nashville's artistic community for over eight years. Forming his early artistic career in the music industry as a songwriter and performer, Scott has worked with Ricky Skaggs, Ralph Stanley, Sam Bush, Tim O'Brien, and other roots music icons. Much like songwriting, photography is another medium for storytelling.
Langhorne Slim
There is nothing like the challenges and camaraderie of the road to inspire a songwriter who thrives upon the emotional energy and exhilaration only travel can deliver. Some singers are devoted to the pursuit of perpetual motion, and Langhorne Slim releases his wild soul in ways that come out of the discipline of live performance.
Old Union
Embarks the Chuck Foster penned, "Sweet Freedom". Poignant lyrics mixed with righteous guitar, monstrous backbone and Foster's rollicking keys make up the ingredients of OLD UNION's rock and roll formula. Foster, who began playing the keys because "everybody plays guitar", melds an eclectic jukebox of influence alongside his boogie style piano. Ranging from Waylon Jennings to Muddy Waters and all points in between, Old Union defies the boundaries of genre music. They are parts old country, funk, gospel, rock and roll and Americana.
Todd Burge
Over the last two decades, Todd Burge, has played everything from Alternative Rock to Bluegrass, performing over 100 shows per year in venues as diverse as CBGB’s, The Country Music Hall of Fame and the Kennedy Center. Burge is a repeat guest on Public Radio’s Mountain Stage and has been called the “dean of WV songwriters, the best we have”, by the show’s host, Larry Groce.
Josh Oliver
East TN native Josh Oliver has spent the past five years as a side man, touring all over the United States, singing harmony, playing lead guitar and piano with the likes of the everybodyfields, Sam Quinn + Japan 10, and Jill Andrews. And now, with his debut album, Troubles, he's taking a stab at being out front. The album features both original and traditional material, including a unique take on Townes Van Zandt's, "White Freightliner Blues," and a mournful rendering of the Carter Family tune, "I Never Will Marry."
Goose Creek Symphony
Goose Creek Symphony is considered by many to be one of the most original bands of their time. Major record labels (Capitol & Columbia) of the 60s/early 70s didn’t know what to do with a band that played a mixture of rock and roll, folk, jazz and country with an undeniable hillbilly influence, a hippie attitude and a reckless sense of instrumental daring. They used horns and fiddles as well as effects and blended it with psychedelic rock and roll. The true definition of "Cosmic American Music".
Matthew Mayfield
My journey started in 1992 when I fell in love with Guns N’ Roses after seeing Slash get up on the piano for the finale of “November Rain.” When I was 9, I decided I was either going to be a bank robber/surfer or play in a rock ‘n roll band. I’m not brave enough to ride the big waves and not radical enough to rob banks, so here I am with a guitar in my hand. I think my mother is very happy with that call.
Kellin Watson
Kellin Watson is a nationally-touring singer-songwriter, whose award-winning sound blends elements of blues, pop, folk, and soul. Hailing from Asheville, NC, Kellin draws on her Appalachian roots to bring both power and rawness to her music. With four albums out, Kellin's music is an ever-evolving collection of work rooted in soul, and folk that have brought her to where she is today.
Callaghan
At some point in the early stages of an artist’s career, there’s inevitably that defining moment—an ultimate test of one’s fortitude and willingness to gamble on a dream—that either sends said artist back to their day job, dejected, or provides the final mental push needed to become something greater…something glorious. For UK-born singer-songwriter Callaghan, that all-or-nothing proposition was manifested at 35,000 feet, in a flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
Eileen Rose
“I really have turned into a bit of gypsy, by accident,” reflects Eileen Rose, whose fifth album, Luna Turista, recorded with her band The Holy Wreck, is released on 5 October 2009 on Floating World Records. Although recorded in her adopted home town of Nashville, Tennessee, these songs have travelled all over the world. They're songs of experience, tanned and weathered, distressed and distilled, rained and shone upon. The album title itself comes from a particular moment of silvery magic the band experienced in Italy in the Summer of 2009, as Rose recalls.
Eileen Rose & The Holy Wreck
Singer/songwriter Eileen Rose plays her own unique brand of Americana music. She has released 5 critically acclaimed albums, had songs featured in a Disney movie and several major television shows, and has toured with the likes of Ryan Adams, Judy Collins and The Jayhawks. Her richly melodic, starkly emotive songs and electrifying live shows have gained her a clutch of devoted fans across Europe and the US.
Off The Wagon
For nearly a decade, Off The Wagon has enjoyed playing bluegrass music for audiences in Nashville and beyond. Featuring a steady rotation of songs by both classic and lesser-known names in bluegrass, the band cut its teeth on the stage of the world-famous Station Inn (www.stationinn.com) and other local venues. Off The Wagon continues to grow and delight audiences with favorite bluegrass standards, deeper cuts, and original tunes that put the band’s unique stamp on the traditional bluegrass sound.
Stephanie Taylor and the Boxty Bluegrass Band
People always ask me what type of music I play. I find that question difficult to answer because I play it all, classical, bluegrass, Irish, country, rock. I’d rather tell people about the music I love because bluegrass music and bluegrass musicians are second to none. Just throw me into a bluegrass jam with the amazing Nashville pickers and I’m in heaven. But bluegrass, like me, is not all that easy to define because it is influenced by all genres of music.
Jason White
With that opening line, Jason White invites us in and sets the confidential tone of his latest release The Longing. What gets White, and by extension, the characters that inhabit his rich song vignettes, through their days, is a desire for something beyond the current limits of their lives. They hunger after what’s beautiful, what’s real, and often, what’s nameless and unattainable. They dream of new beginnings. They struggle for answers. They reach for love and fall short, but never quite give up.
David Mead
After signing to RCA in 1998, David Mead released a pair of critically-acclaimed records, The Luxury of Time and Mine and Yours. Honing a songwriting gift that embraces elements of Broadway, The Beatles, Prog and New Wave, Mead has since continued to release albums (Indiana, Wherever You Are, Tangerine, Almost and Always) full of “infectious melodies” (The Guardian) sung in a voice “honeyed and compelling” (Entertainment Weekly) while touring relentlessly over five continents, sharing the stage with the likes of Fountains of Wayne, Joe Jackson and Shelby Lynne. His music has enjoyed exposure in television and film, as well as praise from some unexpected admirers: “David Mead is one of my favorite singer-songwriters,” said John Mayer, and Taylor Swift recently covered his song “Nashville” in concert. In 2011, Mead’s fans rallied around him and raised over $20,000 to fund the recording of his new album, Dudes, a work of pure pleasure filled with humor, mystery, and emotional wallop.
Leigh Nash
Leigh Nash is perhaps best known as the pixie-like singer with the heavenly voice from Sixpence None the Richer, a CCM group that enjoyed considerable fame in 1999 with the single "Kiss Me." She had started the band at age 14 with schoolmate Matt Slocum. Nearly half her life later, at age 27, Sixpence None the Richer split, albeit on good terms. Before the band called it quits, Nash had often considered working solo, if and when she would be band-less. Though the end of Sixpence left her a little distraught, Nash realized it was time to move on, and she and her husband moved from Nashville to Los Angeles. Soon after, Nash gave birth to a son. She decided to return to her roots a little, which consisted of Christian and country music, though she remained in touch with her pop influences. Nash's original musical inspiration came from classic country heroines Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, and Tanya Tucker -- whose songs she used to learn on guitar long before the Sixpence days.
Ryan Tanner
Some songs are novels. Others are mantras. Some are soda pop and candy while others are bitter pills. Ryan Tanner’s songs are, for the most part, none of those. They’re photographs. Snapshots. A truthful, beautiful, sometimes sad, sometimes contented photographic approach to one scene, one moment. Tanner has been lauded for his “knack for turning words into images” (IN Utah) and “spare songs of love and roaming” (Salt Lake City Weekly) for good reason.
Pieta Brown
Pieta Brown is a striking poet-songwriter with a seductive voice and an unmistakable style. With one foot in her Iowa home and one in Alabama where she grew up, she is a mercurial sort--a free-spirited beauty who is both self-possessed and disarmingly unaffected. Not easily categorized, her music is a unique blend of alt-country, folk, blues and indie-rock that speaks to music fans around the world and has garnered rave reviews from the likes of the BBC and Boston Globe, as well as a variety of hip music blogs and indie radio stations. She was recently featured on Amos Lee’s new hit album Mission Bell along with Lucinda Williams and Willie Nelson and has toured with such diverse artists as Mark Knopfler, Ani Difranco, Calexico and John Prine.
Ben Sollee
Ben Sollee wants you to experience all the beauty and banality that life has to offer. It’s a serious request, and his enthusiasm is genuine. Armed with a cello, Sollee is canvassing the country, sometimes by bicycle, imploring folks to rediscover the connections between music, art, film, dance, their community, and personal relationships.
John McEuen with sons Jonathan and Nathan
John McEuen is a founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, which formed in August, 1966. They are now in their 45th year and have continually played over 7,500 shows and traveled 3 million miles to do it. They have performed on over 200 television shows. Solo John has done another 2,500+ shows.
Wheeler Brothers
Formed in Austin, WHEELER BROTHERS have emerged as one of the most exciting bands breaking out of Texas. The five-piece act composed of Austin natives combines the gutsy indie vibe of the modern central Texas music scene with the longing strains of time-honored Texas folk. Brothers Nolan, Tyler and Patrick Wheeler met Danny Matthews at LSU where they spent their afternoons picking guitars and swapping stories in the bar rooms of Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
The Cumberland Collective
The Cumberland Collective is a group of independent singer/songwriters and musicians from across the U.S.
The Pa's Fiddle Band
Pa’s Fiddle Project brings the great music of the Little House on the Prairie series to our ears again. There are 127 songs embedded in Laura’s books, music that she heard in her mind’s ear as she wrote and music she wanted her readers to know,
Alejandro Escovedo & The Sensitive Boys
Alejandro Escovedo is one with his muse and his music. Over a lifetime spent traversing the bridge between words and melody, he has ranged over an emotional depth that embraces all forms of genre and presentation, a resolute voice that weathers the emotional terrain of our lives, its celebrations and despairs, landmines and blindsides and upheavals and beckoning distractions, in search for ultimate release and the healing truth of honesty. Sometimes it takes the form of barely contained rage, the rock of punk amid kneeled feedback; sometimes it caresses and soothes, a whispery harmony riding the air of a nightclub room, removed from amplification, within the audience.
Flea Market Hustlers
The Flea Market Hustlers have been on a four-year quest for music, mayhem, and the perfect taco. The Hustlers' unique sound has continued to evolve, with the band playing festivals all over the Southeast, as well as weekly shows in their hometown of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Their energetic, funky jam-grass style has cultivated an enthusiastic following.
The Willies
Jen Jones (The Camaros) and Dave Willie (9 Parts Devil, Jet Black Factory, CPS) team up to create a genre busting vehicle for new songs and a stellar Nashville band. The Willies started writing songs together in '09. The goal was to combine Dave's punk rock influences, through the lyrics, with Jen's jazz inspired piano playing, and allow for a lethal dose of Louvin Bros. style harmonies.
Delta Moon
Delta Moon’s music is a strong mix of personalities and sounds. A chance meeting in an Atlanta, GA music store brought the two founders, Tom Gray and Mark Johnson, together. Tom tried to sell Mark a Dobro out of the back of his van. Tom remembers the girl with Mark whispering, “Let’s get out of here.” Mark didn’t buy the guitar, but the two exchanged phone numbers and soon were playing together regularly in coffee shops and barbecue joints around Atlanta. Mark came up with the name Delta Moon after a pilgrimage to Muddy Waters’ cabin near Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Dirty Bourbon River Show
The Dirty Bourbon River Show made their debut at the legendary Tipitina’s during homegrown night on March 11th, 2009. After picking up bassman Jimmy Williams that summer, they embarked upon their first regional tour of the south. The contagion of their whiskey-soaked New Orleans eclecticism began to spread fast. That fall they recorded their debut studio album, Volume One.
Drivin N Cryin
Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ is a hard rock band that splits the difference between heavy metal and country music and swerves back and forth between the two while lyrically plowing the rich fields of Southern subject matter.
The Carpenter Ants
Even the best bands come and go but the Carpenter Ants have been around – with virtually the same lineup – for 25 years. The Ants have defied the odds and outlasted most of their peers for a number of reasons. First and foremost, after more than 2,000 performances, regardless of the occasion, the band never fails to have a good time – and that feeling is contagious.
The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band
Right out of rural Indiana comes The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band. This fingerpickin', scrubboard scratchin', drum-bucket country blues trio conjure up the likes of such greats as Son House and Charley Patton.
Jonathan Scales Fourchestra
Jonathan Scales is a classically trained composer turned steel pan maestro who takes in influences from Igor Stravinsky to Kanye West and uses every element in between as a basis for his mind-bending compositions. Cody Wright’s technical yet melodic style on the bass pulls from masters Bobby Vega & Jaco Pastorius. His pick-style provides the harmonic foundation for Scales’ sound, while his solos leave audiences awestruck. Drummer Phill Bronson drives the Fourchestra’s time-shifting, modern grooves with a style stemming from his extensive background as a percussionist.
Phantom Farmer
Phantom Farmer is the solo project of Joel J. Dahl, former member of De Novo Dahl and currently performing in By Lightning!
Now You See Them
Now You See Them is most often described as a breath of fresh air. If they were around in the 50's and 60's they would be considered Pop. Today, the band falls somewhere between the Folk, Indie, and Americana genres. Featuring strong guy/girl harmonies, heavy percussion, compelling lyrics, and a barrage of traditional and unique instruments, Now You See Them's energy and sound gives listeners hints of old school Rilo Kiley, The Violent Femmes, Cake, and even The Strokes...all while borrowing from the musical themes of 50's and 60's Pop music.
Bill Lloyd
The name Bill Lloyd is certainly not the most memorable one, but for those who have followed his charmed career it’s his catchy songs that get stuck in your head.
Rev Jeff Mosier & Friends
I call it Ôself-help for hippies'," Mosier laughs of the music he's now creating with Blueground Undergrass. 'I try to speak to people as if they were just like me, because guess what? They are. I'm no different because I stand up and run my hand over a piece of wood. That's what Col. Bruce (Hampton) used to say, which, you know, in '88, was something I needed to hear."- Rev Jeff Mosier
Col. Bruce Hampton, Ret.
Col. Bruce Hampton has been making music since he formed his first band in 1963. The Colonel has been in constant motion ever since leaving a trail of memorable live performances with his many bands, including The Late Bronze Age and Col. Bruce Hampton and The Aquarium Rescue Unit.
Kathy Mattea
Kathy Mattea, the beloved, Grammy-winning singer of such classics as "18 Wheels and A Dozen Roses," "Where've You Been," and many other hits says that her new album offered her a "re-education" in singing. That album, COAL, is a re-education for the listener as well, a record that reshapes the way we think about music, reminding us of why we love it so much in the first place.
Pat Bergeson
Guitarist and harmonica player Pat Bergeson has written, toured, and recorded with many of his musical heroes. Beginning at the University of Illinois in his home state, he moved on to New York City and picked up a Jazz Studies degree at William Patterson University. After playing in New York for ten years, he arrived in Nashville upon the request of Chet Atkins who heard Pat on a demo tape. Chet invited him to play on his album Sneakin' Around with Jerry Reed, and later featured Pat's guitar and compositions on his 1994 release Read My Licks. They were good friends and toured together for several years.
Alison Brown
Alison Brown has achieved success in many areas: a Harvard graduate, record label co-founder and owner, mother, and, the role that most people know her in: banjo virtuoso. An internationally recognized musician with a wide-reaching and loyal fan base, Brown first came to national prominence when she was asked by Alison Krauss to join her band Union Station in 1989. Brown had already made a name for herself prior to that by performing extensively with fiddler Stuart Duncan, and on occasional pick-up sessions with artists such as Vince Gill, Byron Berline and John Hickman.
Andrea Zonn
From an early age, Andrea Zonn was encouraged to explore her musical passions. The oldest child in a musical family, Zonn began to study the violin at age 5. She started fiddling at age 10, and traveled the contest circuit around the prairies of her native Illinois. At 14 she was accepted as a freshman violin major at the University of Illinois. Two years later, she transferred to Vanderbilt University in Nashville where she won numerous classical violin competitions and was awarded a fellowship to the prestigious Aspen Music Festival. That same year, she won the National Fiddle Championship in Winfield, KS.
Carolina Story
If you happened to find yourself at a recent Carolina Story show, you quite possibly might have mistook your initial, first-glance impression of Ben and Emily Roberts as just another married musical couple that is happy to call Nashville their home. But if you took the time to listen closely to their earnest lyrics and melodic tones, and then met with them afterwards to hear the story behind their music and origins, then you more than likely found out firsthand that they are the genuine exception to the Music Row-mass produced rule. Carolina Story is the real deal; making their personal dreams real even without a record deal so far if you will … and they certainly have and will.
Marley's Ghost
Marley's Ghost - a virtuoso aggregation composed of singer/multi-instrumentalists Dan Wheetman, Jon Wilcox, Mike Phelan, Ed Littlefield Jr. and Jerry Fletcher - celebrates its 25th anniversary with the scintillating roots-music tour de force Jubilee (Sage Arts, June 5).
Jack Pearson
Former guitarist with The Allman Brothers Band, Jack Pearson has been playing professionally since the age of 15. Although he may be best known as an A-list blues/rock lead and slide guitarist, Jack is also a soulful, creative songwriter, producer and artist in his own right.
Sol Driven Train
Sol Driven Train's music weaves through genres like a Tom Robbins paragraph. The band's sonic schizophrenia absorbs American influences like Jon Prine and Paul Simon, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms into honest songs about life, love, loss, and long johns. The 5-piece band, based in Charleston, SC, features 4 rotating lead vocalists, and multi-instrumental talent spread across horns, strings, and percussion.
Dave Eggar
Dave Eggar’s body of work is consistently greeted with superlatives and rave reviews. It’s a luxury not often enjoyed by an artist who records in diverse genres and performs live in multiple musical categories, seamlessly moving between each, be it Pop, Rock, Jazz, R&B, New Age, World or Classical music. His ability to effortlessly blur the lines between any musical style is truly unique. That's the magic of Dave Eggar.
Amber Rubarth
AMBER RUBARTH has become a fixture in New York's indie scene, named #1 Best of NYC Songwriter by Deli Magazine last year and grand prize winner of NPR's Mountain Stage New Song Contest.
The Packway Handle Band
PHB was on a roll and has continued to win over fans and rack up awards. In early 2006 the band went on the road full time, wowing audiences across the country with close 4-part harmonies and their dance around two tightly-spaced condenser mics. Packway Handle Band has emerged at the national forefront of bands that use a gather-around-the-mic style. Theirs is not a mission to preserve historical styles-- it's just how they do what they do the best.
Robin & Linda Williams and Their Fine Group
Robin and Linda Williams are like your next-door neighbors - assuming your neighbors are the salt-of-the-earth and top-flight performers to boot. One minute you picture borrowing a cup of sugar from these two; the next, you're completely stunned by their jaw-dropping talent. Bottom line: You feel right at home at a Robin and Linda concert, and their music stays with you like an old friend.
Dylan LeBlanc
Dylan expands…"for me music is about getting together with a group of people who feel like family - you create a bond, feeding off each other. Just a look or a hand gesture and they know what you’re talking about." Dylan's progress was natural, organic - learning the ropes as a young sideman helped define his own worldview and artistry through his teens.
The Whiskey Gentry
Paste Magazine was dead-on when they called The Whiskey Gentry a “toe-tapping, steamrolling kind of band, its fingers picking deep into fields of bluegrass, feet stomping in line with a punk-inspired kick drum.” Formed in 2009 by husband and wife duo Lauren Staley and Jason Morrow, The Whiskey Gentry is a group of seasoned veterans—to put things mildly, some of the finest pickers and musicians the Southeast has to offer.
The Owsley Brothers
The Owsley Brothers showcase his darker punk & blues underbelly: pounding drums, soulful vocals, reverb drenched guitars and undeniably catchy hooks. Leaked tracks from Pure Lust have attracted much attention & glowing reviews of blog community stalwarts; Indie Rock Café, Review Stalker, Mad Mackerel, Faronheit & Sonic Masala.
Thad Cockrell
As a youngster growing up in Tampa, Fla., Thad Cockrell didn’t have rock ‘n’ roll or country records around the house. His father was, and still is, a Baptist preacher, as are Cockrell’s two brothers. Thad’s first exposure to the pure country sound came from listening to Merle Haggard and George Jones on commercial radio. At home, there was always plenty of Southern gospel music.
DUGAS
Sarah & Christian Dugas - though these two Dugas siblings have made quite the sound waves each in their own right, you always know that when they are apart, it's only temporary. Sure enough, in 2007, their respective joining of the Canadian Juno-winning and Grammy-nominated, The Duhks, was staggered over a mere couple of seasons.
Erick Baker
If you listen closely, you can hear a heartbeat in the songs of Erick Baker. A warm familiar pulse of love and loss echoing from somewhere just under the surface. Written with unguarded lyrical honesty, Erick's songs are passionate confessions that reflect many of our own deeply rooted emotions and secrets.
Blue Dogs
In 2012 the Blue Dogs, after 25 years of playing shows and releasing 9 CD's and 2 DVD's, continue to perform up to 100 shows a year, from clubs, festivals, and colleges to corporate events, private parties, and fundraisers---primarily in the southeast but still traveling wherever they are called, over the past few years to New York, DC and Virginia, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and of course Georgia and the Carolinas.
Matuto
In 2002, Clay Ross embarked on a musical odyssey that brought him closer to home. The South Carolina native moved to New York to pursue a jazz career and several years later found himself in Recife, Brazil studying the region’s folkloric music. Along the way he rediscovered the straightforward songs of his native South.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is the work of Pacific Northwest musician Adrian Orange who since his teen years has been recording and performing within the Phil Elverum, Kyle Field, Calvin Johnson social circle. His voice, a delicate unsure weeping call, sings existential songs which, on later albums, emphasize percussion. Earlier works emphasized simple guitar and (sometimes goofy) songwriting.
The Ghent Legacy
His name is Aubrey Ghent Jr. also known as Aj Ghent and J Wunder. He plays both lap and pedal steel guitar. Aj comes from a historical legacy of steel guitar players, its been said that the gift is just in his blood. It all starts with Aj's grandfather Henry Nelson. Henry introduced the cutting edge soul sound of the steel guitar in a historical penecostal African American church, which sparked an interest for hundreds of men and women in the organization and abroad to start playing.
Pete Huttlinger
Pete Huttlinger has become widely known as one of the most awe-inspiring acoustic guitar players in the world. His unique arrangements and spell-binding musicality and precision have entertained audiences from Los Angeles to Milan.
The Isaacs
The Isaacs, a multi-award winning family group who began singing 30 years ago, are based out of LaFollette, TN (30 min north of Knoxville). The vocalists are Lily Isaacs, Ben Isaacs, Sonya Isaacs and Rebecca Isaacs Bowman. Playing their own acoustic instruments and joined by other band members, The Isaacs have a unique style that blends tight, family harmony with contemporary acoustic instrumentation that appeals to a variety of audiences. Their musical influences immerge from all genres of music including bluegrass, rhythm and blues, folk, and country, contemporary acoustic and southern gospel.
Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice
From the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia comes one of bluegrass music's most honest voices in the genre's history, Junior Sisk. Over the years, his haunting, almost lonesome vocals have earned him the devotion of countless traditional bluegrass fans from all over the world. His songwriting talents helped the Lonesome River Band make their ascent into bluegrass stardom in the early 1990's and then he became a member of Wyatt Rice & Santa Cruz and ultimately Blueridge, again reaching new audiences that would eventually follow him on his own musical path.
Ben Taylor
Music has always played a central role in Ben’s life. His wit and skill as a singer-songwriter showcases an artist who is comfortable in both his own skin and with his impressive musical legacy. His acclaimed previous releases comprise his debut album 2003’s Famous Among The Barns, 2005’s Another Run Around The Sun, and 2008’s The Legend of Kung Folk, Part 1 (The Killing Bite). Highlights from his previous albums include appearances on Good Morning America, The Tonight Show, The CBS Early Show, Last Call with Carson Daly and Howard Stern.
Eaten By Dinosaurs
Gibb Droll is the founder of the Gibb Droll Band and has played and or recorded with Brandi Carlile, Marc Broussard, Keller Williams, and Keller, Moseley, Droll, and Sipe (formerly WMDs). He has toured the world and appeared on Jay Leno, Conan OʼBrien, The CBS Morning Show, A&E, MTV, and VH1. His albums have sold over 50,000 records independently. Gibb has been acknowledged in Billboard Magazine and earned himself a spot in the Rolling Stone Reader's Top 20 Poll.
Shovels & Rope
Necessity is the mother of invention. Less is more. Make it work with what you've got. 2 Guitars, a junkyard drum kit (harvested from an actual garbage heap- adorned with tambourines, flowers and kitchen rags), a handful of harmonicas, voices, and above all.. songs. Hailing from Charleston, South Carolina, Shovels & Rope prefer to keep it simple. They have cleverly managed to take 3 separate recording projects and combine them into 1 cohesive, folk rock, sloppy tonk, harmonized, loose but tight, streamlined audience killing machine.
Rod Picott
Rod Picott is back with a beautifully crafted new solo CD. Picott's new cd, WELDING BURNS is a fully realized songwriting marvel with characters so vivid the songs play like intimate 3 minute noir movies. Pedal Steel guitars wind elegantly throughout the album while Picott's ragged and soulful voice spins songs of loss, desire, rapture and work. Welding Burns is an album about scars of the skin and of the heart as well. Three songs; Welding Burns, Black T-Shirt and Rust Belt Fields are co-written by Rod's longtime collaborator Slaid Cleaves.
Uncle Lucius
Austin-based indie rock band Uncle Lucius is set to release its new studio album, “And You Are Me,” on August 28, 2012. Recorded in Austin and Nashville, “And You Are Me” finds Uncle Lucius stretching their musicianship and reeling in eleven songs that punch with a fullness reminiscent of The Doors to early Black Crowes. Uncle Lucius takes rock and roll from its deep roots, pushes it onward by putting their own honest interpretation of new rock sounds with elements of r&b and blues added. The band includes Kevin Galloway on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Hal Vorpahl on bass, Mike Carpenter on lead guitar and vocals, Josh Greco on drums and percussion and Jon Grossman on lead vocals, and keys. The first single and video for “Pocket Full of Misery” will be serviced to radio and video outlets shortly.
Bill Mize
Tennessee fingerstyle guitarist and composer Bill Mize appeared with the emerging acoustic guitar movement in the 1980s, and has continued to develop a style and sense of taste that influences many of today's guitarists. Applauded by critics and guitar enthusiasts alike for his composition, tone, emotion and smoothly syncopated counterpoint, Bill is a past winner of The Winfield National Fingerstyle Guitar Competition at The Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. Guitar Player Magazine has labeled this event the “U.S. Open of guitar competitions”.
Etta Britt
It all started with a hairbrush. As a youngster, Etta Britt (born Melissa Prewitt) would spend hours at her bedroom mirror, belting out Supremes songs into her Stanley hairbrush. But the seasoned veteran, who has toured the world and shared a stage or recording studio with everyone from Engelbert Humperdinck to REO Speedwagon, didn’t want to be Diana Ross. Her ambition was to be Mary Wilson. Chances are you’ve heard her voice or seen her on TV in a background vocalist capacity. But, in spite of her modest ambition, the chance is even greater that when you hear Etta Britt sing front and center as a solo artist, relegating her to the background will pretty much be an impossible task. With what she calls a “cool groove record” — her first album for the Wrinkled Records label — Etta stakes her claim as one of the most versatile singers working today. She also happens to write a heart-piercing, soul-affirming tune from time to time. Think Bonnie Raitt meets John Hiatt.
Jordie Lane
In 2012, Jordie made his theatre debut starring in the Australia premier of ‘Grievous Angel: The Legend of Gram Parsons’ to rave reviews. He now returns to North America to showcase at Americana Music Festival, OCFF and to continue recording his third album with Tom Biller and renowned Drummer/Producer Matt Chamberlain (Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Nicks, John Mayer). It is then back to Australia for a national tour supporting Billy Bragg, before releasing a new single and touring the country with a full band.
Chris Altmann
Altmann will finish 2012 with an extensive Australian tour in support of Nothing But Nice Things. He then will return to Nashville to embark on a 3-month songwriting residency funded by the Australia Council for the Arts, who selected Altmann as the first recipient of this new initiative. With a live album, studio album and European tour planned for 2013, Altmann is in the midst of the biggest creative output of his career.
Caitlin Harnett
Caitlin Harnett hails from Sydney, Australia but her songs evoke Laurel Canyon of the early 1970’s. They share the personal and poetic nature of Joni and Jackson Browne’s early songs, youthful in their outlook but with age-old concerns at their core. Caitlin is one of the youngest signings to Mushroom Music Publishing, Australia’s largest independent music publisher. She has been recognised overseas with an honourable mention in the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) and 2nd place in the Billboard Song Contest (Americana category).
Felicity Urquhart
It takes an extraordinary artist to emerge on each new album with a fresh, original and dynamic sound — yet at the same time stay completely true to herself. But integrity is a vital part of Felicity Urquhart’s music as her new album shows. The album offers a collection of songs that reveal the many aspects of this remarkable singer and songwriter. The highly autobiographical “Girl in the Mall”, cowritten with Mark Seymour (of Hunters and Collectors fame), is both heartfelt and powerful, while the gentle “Landing Lights”, penned with ex-pat Aussie musician Jedd Hughes, touches the soul in the gentlest possible way.
The Church Sisters
The Church Sisters are Sarah and Savannah Church, twins who live in Danville VA. They were born in the coal mining area of Dickenson County. After residing in Haysi VA for a short while, they returned to Danville VA hometown of their mother Stephanie. They began their musical career in March of 2007 after winning a local talent competition on WAKG radio. The phone began ringing requesting them to appear at various places including, churches, theaters and festivals. Since winning the competition they have been busy traveling the United States and hope one day to tour Europe.
Billy Burnette
Billy Burnette is the epitome of a rock star – he exudes talent, good looks, and the rock star aura wherever he goes and understandably so, given his journey as a musician, singer, songwriter, guitarist. Born in Memphis, singer/songwriter/guitarist, Dorsey William Burnette III (aka Billy Burnette) spent most of his youth in the presence of father Dorsey and uncle Johnny (of the legendary Rock and Roll Trio). The Trio made the Rockabilly name famous by combining the name Billy and his cousin Rocky for the 1953 “Rockabilly Boogie” – thus making the term Rockabilly a household name.
Annabelle's Curse
Hailing from Bristol, VA, Annabelle’s Curse has moved beyond roots in traditional folk to create something truly different with a style all their own. The band started as the brainchild of Tim Kilbourne, Zack Edwards, and John Watson in the early months of 2010. From there, the rest is history...
Chris Thomas King
King was born on October 14, 1964, in Baton Rouge. His father, Tabby Thomas, is a locally prominent bluesman who owned a club called Tabby's Blues Box, which opened in 1979 and closed in 2004 following Tabby’s retirement. As a result, King, started early toward his musical future; even as a youngster he was well known as Rockin' Tabby's son and a child genius. While frequenting his father's club he performed with the late Silas Hogan, Guitar Kelly and Clarence Edwards, three masters of swamp blues. By sixth grade, King was learning to play the trumpet and later traveling as a rhythm guitar player of famous musicians like Lowell Folsom and Joe Tex. As he matured in the musical setting of New Orleans area blues culture, King was encouraged to experiment and develop his own style. Because each blues musician had a unique playing and singing style, he was discouraged from singing others' songs or even playing the way they did. He told Lisa Simeone on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition, "They would never sit me down and say, 'Well, this is how it goes.' They ... told me don't sing their songs ... 'Find your own song and sing that."
Lake Street Dive
Lake Street Dive makes the most of pop music virtues: solid, evocative song craft; propulsive grooves; and Price’s disarming, forthright vocals. However, it’s a personal strain of pop that is refracted through the band members’ rich backgrounds: a sinewy Motown bass line is reborn with woody heft on Kearney’s upright, Calabrese’s drumming mixes timekeeping with more adventurous jazz-inflected outbursts, McDuck’s nimble trumpet is an unexpectedly warm counterpoint to Price’s singing. It all makes for a sound with familiar roots, but with a slant that is entirely their own. Lake Street Dive’s eventual artistic breakthrough came not without struggle, and still surprises original instigator Mike “McDuck” Olson. “Now we’re a pop band, leaning very heavily on soul and rock, with hook-y writing, which I never expected,” he concludes. “If I could travel through time, I’d go back six years and play the new record for my younger self, just to assure him that the awkward, new-band phase doesn’t last forever.”
Putumayo World Music
Putumayo World Music was established in 1993 to introduce people to the music of the world’s cultures. The label grew out of the Putumayo clothing company, founded by Dan Storper in 1975 and sold in 1997. Co-founder Michael Kraus joined Storper to help launch Putumayo World Music. In the past eighteen years, the record label has become known primarily for its upbeat and melodic compilations of great international music characterized by the company’s motto: “guaranteed to make you feel good!”
The Black Cadillacs
The Black Cadillacs are a 6-piece rock and roll band, featuring 2 guitar players, bass, drums, keyboards and organ, and a stand-alone frontman. The Black Cadillacs have a diverse array of influences from classic bands like The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Pink Floyd to more modern bands like My Morning Jacket, The Black Keys, and Jack White. Over the last 3 years they have been working hard honing their sound and live performance, and have made a name for themselves in the region. They just finished their second album, “Run”, and is set to be released under Young Giant Records on June 5th, 2012.
The Memphis Dawls
The Memphis Dawls are known as the crowning jewel of the Memphis folk scene. The core group is made up of three veteran musicians who have played with several successful local bands. Brought together by their similar tastes in melody and style, and maybe a slight nod from fate, Holly Cole (guitars, vocals) Jana Misener (cello, vocals), and Krista Wroten (viola, mandolin, accordion, vocals) deliver hauntingly romantic and lyrical folk music with a modern flare.
Tom Yarbrough
Born in Plymouth, Massachusetts but raised mostly in Northeastern Oklahoma, Tom was influenced early by the "3 Bs": Bob Wills (courtesy of his fiddle-playing grandpa), The Beatles (via his guitar-playing father), and the Baptist Hymnal (by way of his piano-playing mother.) As a result, he began playing fiddle at age 6, piano at age 9, and guitar as a teenager. Yarbrough began to take songwriting seriously while in college, and performed whenever he could in local coffee houses, churches, and living rooms.
Michael Supe Granda
A multi-instrumentalist, Supe and rock and roll entered adolescence at the same time-Supe describes himself as a 'sponge' in exploring the varied sounds of famed Gaslight Square in St. Louis-and out of the exposure to the vibrant music culture came a mind and soul dedicated to a wide variety of sounds and styles.
Della Mae
In a relatively short period of time, Della Mae has become a sensation in the music world. Commanding a powerful collective chemistry with vocal, instrumental, and songwriting talent to spare, the Boston-based combo mines time-honored elements to create music that's unmistakably fresh and contemporary. The group quickly won an enthusiastic following through their high-energy live performances at festivals around the country. The band expanded its reputation with their self-released first album, 2011's I Built This Heart, which won an impressive amount of attention for a D.I.Y. release.
The Delta Saints
It’s a fusion of traditional southern soul and funk-inspired power, all layered with furious harmonica lines that simultaneously tie the group together and threaten to tear it apart. As if the warm familiar melody of rootsy porch music has been plugged in and turned up, The Delta Saints are driving listeners from the comforting recline of their porch swings right to the edge of their seats.
Bristol Rhythm And Roots Reunion
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion isn’t just a music festival. It’s an infectious, three-day music experience, bursting with creative passion, electricity, and soul. Every third weekend in September, State Street in historic Downtown Bristol, TN/VA is amped to the beat of Appalachia’s past, present, and future. It digs down deep into the roots of traditional Appalachian sound and lifts its branches to new heights–and it all happens in the heart of The Birthplace of Country Music. It is, and isn’t, your Daddy’s country music. It’s hardly strictly bluegrass. It’s not a rock show, but it totally does. And if you’ve never been, you’ll never know how much.
Rayna Gellert
Rayna Gellert grew up in a musical family, and has spent most of her life immersed in the sounds of rural stringband music, heartfelt gospel songs, and old ballads. After honing her fiddle skills playing at jam sessions and square dances, Rayna fell into a life of traveling and performing. Her fiddle albums are widely celebrated in the old-time music community, and she has recorded with a host of musicians in a variety of styles – including Robyn Hitchcock, Tyler Ramsey, Sara Watkins, Loudon Wainwright III, John Paul Jones, and Abigail Washburn. From 2003 through 2008, Rayna was a member of the acclaimed stringband Uncle Earl, with whom she released two albums on Rounder Records and toured like mad. These days she can be found on stage with Scott Miller, Toubab Krewe, or her father, Dan Gellert. She lives in Swannanoa, North Carolina.
St. Paul and The Broken Bones
Paul is a young man who began wailing straight out of the womb, and most folks would agree that he hasn’t stopped since. “Oh what a set of lungs that child has,” they’d say, “he must be destined for something special.” Not wishing to disappoint, and being a good young southern boy, Paul began singing in church, stretching those vocal cords with an eye toward becoming a man of the cloth. As it turns out, however, the cloth didn’t appreciate young Paul’s affinity for dirty jokes, Prince, and Tom Waits, and he was inclined to search elsewhere for co-conspirators.
Bobby Bare
A true country music giant, Bobby Bare scored nearly five dozen top 40 hits from 1962 to 1983. In a laconic vocal style that embraces both wry country wit and poignant folk storytelling, his literate, cross-cultural appeal has earned him the sobriquet "the Springsteen of country."
Reed Foehl
Reed Föehl's third solo record Once an Ocean pulls together the warm touch of country folk with the edgy honesty intrinsic to modern songwriting -- Foehl's landscape of lush tones and solid songs touches the raw truth of love and tragedy, without sinking into saccharine sentimentally or cold remove. Once an Ocean, originally released in 2009 to quiet regional acclaim, is being rereleased on Nov. 25th 2011 in anticipation of his fourth solo album that will drop in late Spring 2012.
Josh Farrow
Josh Farrow is an American singer/songwriter living and writing in the heart of Music City. Farrow uses his compelling, soulful voice to tell tales of the country life, ballads of the heartache of city life, and daunting visions of life on the road. Josh Farrow’s 2011 debut solo album "Southern Drag" is an excellent culmination of his refined writing styles. Not only does he blend contemporary styles of Folk and Blues with great homage to the classic elegant Country and Western sound, Josh Farrow continues to stand out in the popular wave of new-age tribute to rich American musical roots.
Star & Micey
It was a dark night, like many before it in Memphis, Tennessee. Joshua Andrew Cosby walked home from rehearsal with his guitar, case-less, slung over his back. A local homeless man flagged him down, not for money but for a story. He explained to Cosby how he had written a song about his ex-wife Micey. There, on that dimly lit street occurred an exchange, two men playing each other songs of heartbreak and the ultimate sacrifice. Upon parting ways, this man revealed his name to be Star.
Jon Weisberger
Though he’s a classically trained composer and award winning music jouranlist who performs regularly as a bass player with bluegrass artists Chris Jones & The Night Drivers, Roland White and others, Jon Weisberger is probably best known these days as the first recipient of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Songwriter of the Year award. Starting with his first song, written some 20 years ago, he has become one of the music’s most prolific and frequently recorded writers.
Chicago Farmer
Cody is a folk-singer’s folk-singer and a poet’s poet. He was born and bred in Delavan IL, population 25, surrounded by the endless skies of the American Midwest. Before moving to Chicago in 2003, Cody tried his hand at sessions in Nashville and carefully hewed and tested his art in college town bars and honky-tonks around the Midwest. He now plays regularly in the city and it’s not uncommon to see whole rooms full of strangers erupt and sing along to the choruses of his songs on their first listen (I’ve seen it happen). Cody’s voice is powerful and gritty, emotionally piercing while subtly imbuing additional layers of meaning and poignancy in his lyrical delivery. His song-writing is deeply rooted in the American Folk tradition and all of its grit but with a post Dylan sense of wit, perspicacity and that certain savior-faire. He didn’t go to college but he drank all of their beer.
Jerry Joseph
For more than 30 years, Jerry Joseph has been strapping on a guitar and chasing down truth, understanding and soul with a tenacity and resonant skill that mark him as a hard charging kindred spirit to Joe Strummer, Warren Zevon and Patti Smith. While not a household name or critic’s darling, Joseph is the archetypal musician’s musician, something resoundingly clear on his sweeping new double album, Happy Book. Captured with muscle and blood by Joseph’s longtime trio the Jackmormons, this latest chapter in his long, strange journey flows like glowing quicksilver through the modern psyche, where war and disaster wrestle with hope and faith and sometimes the best option is to sashay down to the local disco to mambo with the chicks with dicks just to remind one’s self that you’re never too old or too dead to learn a couple new tricks.
Bonnie Bishop
Singer/songwriter/musician BONNIE BISHOP's national debut release "FREE" (OCTOBER 9, 2012/Be Squared Records) was produced by Bonnie (with help from keyboard player/songwriter Jimmy Wallace) "FREE" and was recorded & mixed in Nashville, TN by John Painter at IHOF. Joining Bonnie (Lead, Harmonies and Acoustic Guitar) in the studio were Jimmy Wallace (piano/organ/clavinet), Steve Mackey (bass), Fred Eltringham (drums/percussion), Rob McNelley and Sam Hawksley (electric & acoustic guitars).
Paul Mcdonald
Nikki Reed and Paul McDonald are showing their love through song. The Twilight beauty and American Idol alum have released a 5-song EP, just weeks before the release of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt. II. The album, titled The Best Part, is described as "a stunning collection of sparse and beautiful alt-country songs." The couple also has two tracks on the Breaking Dawn Pt. II soundtrack, and Reed, 24, even directed a music video for the song Now That I've Found You.
Julie Lee
It all starts with a song, but for Julie Lee’s seventh album out March 6, it actually started with babies - not her babies, but the offspring of some of Nashville’s best musicians. As a longtime respected singer/songwriter, and Nashville being Nashville, Lee’s occasional side job of babysitting was for the likes of Kenny Vaughan (award winning guitarist for Marty Stuart, Lucinda Williams and more) and Mike Bub (Del McCoury Band). They continually offered their services if she would get out and play again, and thus The Baby Daddies were born at a live show in 2010, inspiring her to get back into the studio last year.
Jen Duke
Southern girls have it so good, since they're usually beautiful, fun and have that irresistible drawl where they can tell you to fuck off and make it sound like you're getting an extra piece of pie, with ice cream on top. Throw in a little talent, maybe some long legs or soft curves, and you can kiss your composure goodbye. Then there's Jen Duke. With the voice of an Angel and the wiles of a Siren, she'll lure you in with buttery purrs and the distant memories of smoky shadows, dirt roads and honky tonks. It is the sound of country blues, mountain bluegrass and old-time gospel, of sorrow and hope, righteousness and redemption. She sings the songs of a Southern girl who is complicated and messy, simple and plain-spoken, sacred and profane.
The Danberrys
Whether one calls it kismet or destiny, some things are just meant to be, like The Danberrys. Dorothy Daniel and Ben DeBerry both began to learn music around the age of ten and later joined talents when they met in high school in 1997. They dated through their first two years of college and then after four years, Dorothy and Ben went their separate ways. Five years later they realized they never should have never parted. They were married in October 2006.
Grace Adele
Imagine a perfect blend of Nashville and Vaudeville, incorporating sensibilities from Music City with Radio City, and you'll find the dynamic female-fronted Americana group, Grace Adele & The Grand Band. With a distinct vintage style, Grace Adele sets her stage with traditional American roots drawn from classic country, western swing, bluegrass, folk, and contemporary indie rock.
HONEYHONEY
Burlap and opals. Moonshine and macrobiotics. Shaken and soothed. How Suzanne Santo (vocals/banjo/violin) and Ben Jaffe (vocals/guitar) managed to reconcile not just polemics, but seemingly opposed realities for their sexually tinged, bruised knee honeysuckle take on roots music has to be heard to be understood.
Ed Snodderly
Ed Snodderly has dedicated his life to the arts and is a well-respected musician, writer, actor and owner of one of the country’s longest running music venues. Ed’s low-key personal demeanor belies a wealth of accomplishment and talent that distinguishes Ed in the world of Southern-roots based music.
Banditos
In 1948, Hank Williams Sr. was asked how he decided to start making country music. He responded by saying, “I don’t know what you mean by country music. I just make music the way I know how.” What he created is what felt right and what came natural to him. 63 years later, his attitude towards music reflects that of certain musicians today. Banditos, a six piece band from Birmingham, Alabama, is a perfect example of this; following in Hank Sr.’s footsteps with their “I do what I want” honky tonk attitude, Banditos create raw and gritty southern music that will get anyone and everyone stompin’ their feet.
Shelly Colvin
Mixing a relaxed, seventies country rock vibe with sweeping, breathy vocals that fall somewhere between Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt and Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star), Colvin creates an inviting sound that is both reminding and refreshing. Not content to use her early influences as simply a destination point, she showcases her creative momentum with the melodic shuffle of “Holding Steady,” the quiet heartbreak of “The Staying Kind” and the banjo-fueled pulse of “Pocket Change.”
Charlie Parr
Many people play roots music, but few modern musicians live those roots like Minnesota's Charlie Parr. Recording since the earliest days of the 21st century, Parr's heartfelt and plaintive original folk blues and traditional spirituals don't strive for authenticity: They are authentic.
Adam Pope
Adam Pope is a young old soul and it’s reflected In his craft. A Winston-Salem, NC native, Adam always had a fondness for gospel, country, and roots music. Adam's show is likened to the rockin’ spirit of the old Sun Records troupes mixed with the sounds of the torch carrying country music icons such as Alan Jackson and Randy Travis.
Rod McGaha
For the self-produced A Gentle Man, McGaha assembled a crew of players he felt would be best suited to create that “cozy” atmosphere: guitarist Andre Reiss, bass player Roger Spencer, drummer Marcus Finnie, viola player Kristin Wilkinson, cellist Kristin Cassell and violinists David Davidson and David Angell. Jeff Steinberg played piano and wrote the arrangements. “I try to choose musicians like Duke Ellington did, each one for his or her own individual character,” McGaha says. “There are certain cats that have different sounds, so I think about who I want in each chair.”
Antonia Cove
Antonia began playing in various NYC clubs before she was even old enough to get in. When she was still a teenager, she booked herself at historic venues like The Bitter End, CBGB’s, The Cornelia Street Cafe, and Kenny’s Castaways. “I remember getting a fake ID on McDougal Street so I could get into clubs and play my music. I’m sure the bookers and bouncers could tell, but they looked the other way so long as you brought in business.”
Christian Sedelmyer
A formidable combination of passion, ambition, innovation, and talent, Christian Sedelmyer exemplifies a new generation of musicians. A five-string fiddle player who is influenced in equal part by Neil Young and Stuart Duncan, Christian’s unique and progressive improvisational ideas, technical facility, and ardent musicianship have garnered him a strong reputation in Nashville, where he now makes his home.
Rachel Baiman
Rachel Baiman is a fiddle player, singer, and composer based out of Nashville, TN. Specializing in Old Time, Bluegrass, Scottish, and Folk music, her interests are diverse and range from the oldest fiddle traditions to the most innovative of collaborations.
Rachael Hester
Rachael Hester is a second-generation musician with a passion for traditional music that comes through in both her singing and her writing. Fully submerged in the Nashville music scene as a child and raised in the outskirts of Nashville, her roots in country music are as authentic as they come. Influenced by the classic country and western swing artists she grew up around and the 60’s and 70’s folk music she fell in love with at a young age, her music has a wide range of traditional sounds tied together by her unique, pure voice. Her debut album “Only Time Will Tell” is a project proudly produced and co-written by her father and Nashville fiddle player Hoot Hester.
Troubadour Kings
James House had found success penning hits for major country, rock and pop artists, but in 2009 he decided it was time to make an album that draws from his passion for blues, alt county and rock.
Leon Russell
Leon Russell is a music legend and perhaps the most accomplished and versatile musician in the history of rock 'n roll. In his distinguished and unique 50 year career, he has played on, arranged, written and/or produced some of the best records in popular music.
Pat Flynn
Pat Flynn is a well known name, in one way or another, to music fans all over the world. You may recognize him as a member of a groundbreaking musical group, New Grass Revival, or a first-call Nashville recording session player, or a producer, songwriter, and artist. One thing is for sure: in the last couple of years, Pat has found a way to combine all of these talents and showcase them for you on his latest CD releases.
Brian Ashley Jones
Brian Ashley Jones is a soulful singer, accomplished guitarist, and versatile Americana songwriter whose compositions have been placed in film and television and recorded by a variety of other performing artists. Jones' songs find influence in the guitar-driven Country, Blues and Bluegrass that he absorbed in his hometown, Spartanburg, South Carolina. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Brian performs internationally at festivals and concert series and leads seminars for music education programs, music business conferences, and NSAI chapters around the USA.
WTM Blues Band
With a sound from various influences of blues music, the WTM Blues Band is an anomaly in the blues music scene. With each album the group gravitates closer to the classic sounds that inspired them to learn their craft. What's old is new again!
Two Story Road
Jamelle and Brandon Fraley have been making music together as long as they’ve been married. While attending Belmont University, these two vocal majors quickly became each other’s biggest fans, but they also started making an impression on Nashville before they even graduated. Brandon’s early songwriting and producing caught the eye of Mike Doyle (VP of Major Bob Music) who helped him sign his first songwriting deal with Sony Music Publishing right out of college. It didn’t take long for Jamelle to be noticed either. Before graduating, her voice caught the ear of Grammy Award winning writer/producer Tommy Sims (Garth Brooks, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow) and she began working with him in the studio on his records.
Roots of a Rebellion
In the very house that once belonged to Hank Williams Sr, a new musical spirit has risen up with an entirely new sound. Roots of a Rebellion’s unique and diverse music has recently began to demand a shift of attention in Nashville, a town practically defined by country music. As an emerging reggae rock band, they have quickly proven themselves by capturing the hearts and ears of fans everywhere. They have been fortunate enough to share the stage with such notable acts as The Wailers, Iration, Zach Deputy, Passafire, The Movement, Mike Pinto and Ashes of Babylon.
Vickie Vaughn Band
Vickie Vaughn started singing when she was knee-high to a grasshopper. At the age of 9, she was hired as a background vocalist at the Kentucky Opry in Draffenville, KY, where she grew to love Classic Country and Bluegrass. At sixteen she challenged herself to learn stand-up bass and after graduating high school she moved to Nashville, TN to study Commercial Voice at Belmont University. In 2010 she released her 4-song EP, which features acclaimed pickers and longtime friends Josh Williams and Clayton Campbell performing three Vickie Vaughn originals and Bob Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind.” Touring fulltime, Vickie plays bass and sings with Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike and HanaLena, but she still finds time to pursue her solo career with her best friends:
Elenowen
It’s called ‘chemistry’, an elusive quality that can be part history, part mystery and all intangible until the moment that you feel it. It’s a meant-to-be melding of the emotional and creative that can happen between songwriters, performers, best friends or life partners. For Josh and Nicole Johnson – the duo Elenowen – that connection is all of the above and much more. And on their self-titled EP, the chemistry they share is as rare – and real – as it gets.
Josh Mirenda
2011 was a big year for up and coming country singer/songwriter JOSH MIRENDA, as this Pre-Dental student began to spend more time with his guitar and the chance to break his way into the country music industry. Having spent much of his childhood in the studio with his aunt, Nashville singer Gina Dylon and legendary manager Hazel Smith, Josh developed a love for country music and the art of writing at a young age. He was only five when Smith introduced him to revered vocal coach Rene Grant Williams, who instantly agreed to take him on as a student, impressed with his range of natural talent at such a young age. Before long, Josh had gotten his hands on a guitar and had taught himself how to play, sparking a life-long love for writing.
Andrew Duhon
Andrew Duhon began writing in high school spurred on by a fascination with the literary works of Emerson and Thoreau as well as poets Walt Whitman and Robert Frost. During the summer of '04 Andrew worked and lived at an old retreat house on the outskirts of the French Quarter. It was then that he fell in love with the character of New Orleans. A year later hurricane Katrina left the city and his former French Quarter home crippled. The blues that he had found in the French Quarter rang true as he continued to write. The honesty in Andrew Duhon's songwriting is a result of the self-realization that he has found through his writing. His music and performances reflect his personal perspective in a very real way, and his voice leaves no gaps in the experience as he sings with a conviction all too befitting of his raw, personal writings.
Benjy Davis
Louisiana singer/songwriter Benjy Davis formed the Benjy Davis Project as a folk-rock duo in Baton Rouge in 2001. Originally, the group's only members were Davis and drummer Mic Capdevielle, although the outfit eventually expanded into a six-piece with the addition of Anthony Rushing (violin, mandolin, vocals), Jonathan Lawhun (guitar, banjo), Brett Bolden (bass; later replaced by Matt Rusnak), and Michael Galasso (harmonica, keyboards, vocals). The Benjy Davis Project built up a following while touring nationally as a support act to John Mayer, Better Than Ezra, and the North Mississippi Allstars, as well as playing such prominent local shows as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The group self-released its first album, More Than Local, in 2002, followed two years later by the Practice Sessions EP. The local label Bogalusa issued their second full-length album, 2005's The Angie House, and Real Records stepped in to handle their third, Dust, which appeared in September 2007.
Great Peacock
Andrew Nelson and Blount Floyd make music enriched by their native South. Influenced by Pop Melody as well as Traditional Folklore. It's old art for the new generation.
Luella and the Sun
Luella and the Sun, one of Nashville, TN’s must see emerging acts defies any singular description. Music Connection Magazine described them in geographic terms as “feverish, bluesy jungle territory.” Regardless of how they are characterized, one certain thing is that their sound ignites a soulful blend of blues-hop, gospel and rock, merging a fearless sense of abandon and equal parts restraint. The band deftly works as a unit and every note has purpose, combining minimalist attitude with raw emotion - and even in their most unguarded moments, there's a smoldering vulnerability that's unquestionably mesmerizing. Quickly capturing the attention of the music community, Luella and the Sun is a band that you do not want to miss.
Altan
Over those years they have established themselves as one of the most important live acts to play traditional Irish music in Ireland and on the World stage. The Boston Globe has described them as “The hottest group in the Celtic realm!” Altan have toured all over the USA and Europe. They also enjoy popularity in Japan where they frequently tour and have hosted Altan festivals in the middle of Tokyo to thousands of enthusiastic fans.
Alanna Royale
Alanna Royale is 7 members, 6 beards, 3 horns, and 1 lady. Their homemade blend of "dirty pop/raunchy soul" is a unique formula that blends throwback soul, good ol' rock n' roll, and pop sensibilities into a captivating live performance. In just six short months, Alanna Royale has commanded Nashville's attention and there seems to be no signs of stopping. Coming off of a sold out release show in January for their debut Bless Her Heart, Royale is looking forward to performances at The Road to Bonnaroo, Music City Roots, and their second East Nashville Underground appearance. Royale has even gathered accolades from some of Nashville's biggest movers and shakers with Mike Grimes naming them the Nashville band to take over 2013. Their first single "Animal" is enjoying heavy rotation in February as they are Lightning 100's Artist of the Week and they are already working on their next release in April. Grab your friends, put on your dancing shows, and get ready to sweat it out at the next Alanna Royale show!
Derek St. Holmes
Known primarily as the rhythm guitarist and vocalist on Ted Nugent's early (and best) solo albums, Derek St. Holmes has also subsequently lent his talents to recordings by other artists and by the dawn of the 21st century, finally launched his own solo career.
Lee Harvey Osmond
Through the eyes of LeE HARVeY OsMOND, we revisit the wonder years and remember where we were on that eventful day.
Keller Williams
Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Keller Williams is literally a one-man jam band. His fascinating live shows feature him solo on-stage with a Gibson Echoplex Digital Pro looping unit, and he creates his backing loops in the moment, building and improvising as he goes on his custom-made ten-string guitar, and thanks to his equally as quirky, upbeat, and semi-surreal songs (which he frequently weaves into extended, half-improvised medleys) and his warm, friendly tenor singing voice, Williams is an utterly unique performer whose musical eccentricities don't keep him from being immediately accessible.
The Travelin' McCourys
The Travelin’ McCourys do not stand still. They are on the road—and online—entertaining audiences with live shows that include some of the best musicians and singers from all genres. It’s always different, always exciting, and always great music.
THE SAINT JOHNS
The Saint Johns may be brand new, but Florida natives Louis Johnson and Jordan Meredith have been hard at work crafting their signature sound for close to five years. Formally known as "Augustine", Louis and Jordan have decided to leave name confusion behind them and start fresh with a new name while maintaining the haunting, harmonic melodies for which they are known.
Sturgill Simpson
Sturgill Simpson's authenticity stands out like an island of hope in a sea of tacky. Bonafide mountain hillbilly soul, as pure as you are going to find anywhere. All it takes is one listen to FINALLY understand.
Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
These days you never know if the ringing in Joe Mullins’ ears is that of his banjo or a phone call requesting a performance by his new band, the Radio Ramblers. Mullins owns and operates Classic Country Radio, a network of three southwest Ohio radio stations featuring Classic Country, Bluegrass and Gospel music. The Radio Ramblers, a collaboration of veteran Bluegrass musicians who have worked with one another during former musical endeavors, formed in 2006 for the primary purpose of performing at Classic Country Radio promotions. However, due to the level of their professionalism and talent, the requests for performances by the Radio Ramblers has grown, thus expanding their schedule to include shows at area music venues, benefits, and festivals. It cannot be left unacknowledged that camaraderie and inherent passion for Bluegrass music within this band has had a profound impact on the quality of their stage presence and ultimate demand. The Radio Ramblers have become a welcomed addition to the southwest Ohio Bluegrass music scene.
Andrew Leahey & The Homestead
Andrew Leahey spent most of 2012 on the road, driving the 600 miles between his adopted hometown of Nashville and his native Richmond, Virginia. The trips were long, taking him over the Smoky Mountains, across the Appalachians and through a handful of cities. He passed the time by listening to several albums on repeat — Whiskeytown’s Strangers Almanac, Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ Live Anthology, Drive-By Truckers’ Brighter Than Creation’s Dark – and filing away ideas for his own songs. Those ideas, inspired by the rock & roll coming from Leahey’s stereo and the landscape unfolding outside his car window, became the songs on Andrew Leahey & the Homestead’s new EP, Summer Sleeves.
The Waybacks
They draw freely from the old school and the old world, but The Waybacks are no throwback. They've been erroneously pigeonholed as a bluegrass band and celebrated as purveyors of "acoustic mayhem." They are as uninhibited and unpredictable as the eclectic San Francisco Bay area that claims them, and for nearly a decade, their experiments have always proven sharp-witted and musically dazzling. They're living proof that in music anyway, evolution and intelligent design are entirely compatible. "The whole spirit of improvisation – that's always been the cornerstone of this band for me," says founding singer, songwriter and guitarist James Nash. "Through all the stylistic changes and regardless of the instruments we're playing, to me the fun of this band has always been that in some ways I can do whatever I feel like doing at any moment."
Little Bandit
Drawing from the very foundations of country and rock, Little Bandit manages to discover new and adventurous musical territory. The band tackles classic themes with both sincerity and fresh wit, with the help of band leader Alex Caress, whose songwriting will "make you weep openly in your whiskey."(Nashville Scene)
Los Colognes
Aaron Mortenson and Jay Rutherford set out to make their debut Los Colognes album in the mold of the great JJ Cale records of the ‘70s. Working Together is parched desert country blues at its best—full of relationships gone south, one-liners that make you think twice, and slow-burning boogie woogie.
Peter Cooper
Peter Cooper is an East Nashville-based singer, songwriter, touring artist, sideman, producer, college professor, and award-winning journalist. His first solo album, Mission Door, released in 2008 received critical acclaim as have his two albums with duo partner Eric Brace and his most recent solo project, The Lloyd Green Album. He is a Grammy-nominated producer for the acclaimed 2011 release I Love: Tom T. Hall's Songs of Fox Hollow.
Johnny Swim
Johnnyswim is a compelling amalgam of soul, folk, pop and blues rooted in the eclectic enclaves of Nashville, Los Angeles, and New York City. Like melody is to harmony, the voices of Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudano Ramirez are uniquely symbiotic. The singer/songwriters hail from Los Angeles, California and spend most of their time writing, recording and performing their tunes. If they’re not doing that, the self-proclaimed “foodies” can probably be found eating too much. They are the stylistic cousin to Lauryn Hill, John Legend, and Corinne Bailey Rae, yet wholly original and distinct from any other artist or band.
Holly Williams
Part of the key to Holly Williams’ success as a singer-songwriter is that it’s never been her mission to try and live up to the legacy cast by her famous and prolific father and grandfather – Hank Jr. and Sr., respectively – nor has she spent a lot of time trying to live it down. The respect that Holly has garnered as an artist over the course of many years spent building an international fan base, and the release of two acclaimed albums, 2004’s The Ones We Never Knew (Universal South) and 2009’s Here With Me (Mercury Records), has come on her own terms, based on her own sound. Indeed, to paraphrase Freud, sometimes a last name is just a last name.
The Mavericks
The Mavericks are back. The country-steeped garage band with a Cuban American lead singer that had emerged from Miami in 1989 with their sultry debut that was equal parts innocence, intensity, and vintage influences has reunited in 2012 after an eight-year hiatus. Time has a way of melting when you're busy living life – and two decades have passed since their polyrhythmic brand of post-modern country has given the world "All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down," "Here Comes The Rain," and "Dance The Night Away."
Annie sellick
Annie and the Hot Club in homage to the Hot Club genre (Django-Reinhardt gypsy-swing) bring fiery guitar and violin soloing on repertoire from the 1930's and 40's such as Honeysuckle Rose and Sweet Georgia Brown…and to top it off, the perky storyteller and hard-swinging singer, Annie. Nashville native vocalist Annie Sellick was voted Best Jazz Artist by readers of the Nashville Scene five years in a row, and has since toured all over the world and performed and/or recorded with many of her musical heroes including Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing, Tommy Emmanuel and jazz organ royalty Joey DeFrancesco.
Rahsaan Barber & Everyday Magic
Led by Nashville-based composer/saxophonist Rahsaan Barber, Everyday Magic is a quintet devoted to the performance of exceptional modern jazz. The band's debut CD, released in September of 2011 under Rahsaan's name, also entitled "Everyday Magic," has received oustanding critical acclaim as well as strong radio play across the country. The album was selected an Editor's Pick by Downbeat Magazine upon its release in September of 2011.
The Wild Feathers
Long before it got broken up into a million sub-genres, rock & roll was just rock & roll. Pure, true, organic. Six strings, booming harmonies and the call of the open road. It’s a singularly American tradition that Nashville’s The Wild Feathers are full-force dedicated to not only preserving but also – more importantly - evolving. Their sound melds the four unique voices of Ricky Young, Joel King, Taylor Burns and Preston Wimberly, taking inspiration from across the musical spectrum – country, blues, folk and rock – and spinning it into a roaring web of warm, cosmic melodies with vintage roots and modern tones. The Wild Feathers are a rock band that feels impossibly fresh with the air of having been here all along.
Jim Skinner
Over 130 years of combined talent make-up the Jim Skinner Wall to Wall Rhythm and Blues Band. We are a dance band that feeds off audience participation. We will keep you dancing all night from beginning to end. We are always adding new material and every show is unique, exciting, and overwhelmingly entertaining. Jim Skinner, the main vocalist, has traveled the country and has performed in venues in places such as San Francisco, New York, Atlanta, and New Orleans. He had his own band on Bourbon Street for three years and has now landed in Southern Illinois. Born in Chicago, family from Mississippi, Jim Skinner has blues flowing through his veins. Jims current band consists of Luthor Stuthers, rhythm guitarist, guitarist Dave Parrish, bass player Charlie Ryan, drummer Charlie Morrel, and lead vocalist/front-man, Jim Skinner.
Annie and The Beekeepers
Annie Lynch began her love of live music while eavesdropping on the Cape Cod Little Fiddlers’ painstakingly squeaky rehearsal in the gym of her elementary school en route to after-school pickup. This was music to her ears. The sound of their little uneven bows on the cheap instruments might as well have been that of a world-class orchestra. She begged her parents for a violin, a wish they were pleased to grant, and screeched her way through five years of Suzuki lessons until she discovered the music of Joni Mitchell and began to sing. Guitar followed singing, writing followed guitar, and by the time Annie was fourteen, creating and performing songs had seemingly become a vital necessity to her coming of age. Her love of bowed instruments would continue though, thankfully, her violin has not since been publicly unearthed.
Seryn
Seryn is a 6 piece band who calls Denton, Texas their home. When listening to the well layered textures of guitars, ukulele, accordion, bass, viola, banjo and various percussion, it's hard to imagine This Is Where We Are is the band's debut effort. The band's strength resides in their vast musical talent and understanding of dynamics. Their beauty is gracefully displayed through chilling harmonies. Each member and their voice carry the same importance. One is not complete without the other.
Roger Alan Wade
Wade wrote songs for country legends Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, George Jones and Hank Williams Jr. He embarked on a solo career with the promotional assistance of his cousin, actor Johnny Knoxville, who occasionally featured Wade’s music on his TV show Jackass. During a 2003 appearance on the Howard Stern radio show, Knoxville promoted his cousin’s songs, which were favorably received by Stern and his audience and given frequent airplay thereafter. Wade has released 2 albums, All Likkered Up and Stoned Traveler, on Knoxville’s record label.
Jeff Coffin & the Mu'tet
Featuring Felix Pastorius (of the Yellowjackets), Bill Fanning, Chris Walters, and very special guest Roy “Futureman” Wooten (of Bela Fleck & the Flecktones) Jeff Coffin is an internationally recognized saxophonist, bandleader, composer and educator and has been traveling the globe since the late 20th Century. He is a 3x Grammy Award winner from Bela Fleck & the Flecktones and played with them from 1997-2010. In July 2008, Jeff began touring with Dave Matthews Band, and officially joined the group in 2009 following the tragic passing of founding member LeRoi Moore. When not on the road with DMB, Coffin fronts his own group, Jeff Coffin & the Mu’tet.
