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The Avett Brothers - The songs of the Avett Brothers are honest: just chords with real voices singing real melodies. But, the heart and the energy with which they are sung, is really why people are talking, and why so many sing along. They are a reality in a world of entertainment built with smoke and mirrors, and when they play, the common man can break the mirrors and blow the smoke away, so that all that's left behind is the unwavering beauty of the songs. That's the commotion, that's the celebration, and wherever The Avett Brothers are, that's what you'll find.
Website: http://www.theavettbrothers.com |
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Roger Clyne & 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. With the conception of its first ever "VivaCast", the non-conformist rock-and-rollers successfully pioneered a revolutionary new way to create music and put their fans directly in the recording engineer's seat with a voyeur view. The stunning result is captured on Turbo Ocho, the CD/DVD released in March 2008, which chronicles the amazing creative process of producing 8 new songs in 8 days. Each song was written, arranged and recorded in a day and upon completion, instantly uploaded to the internet, along with the accompanying day's video log, for thousands of fans to hear and view.
Website: http://www.azpeacemakers.com/ |
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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.
For instance, there's the moment on the title track when a boy swings an axe and brings a glacier crashing down. "There was a cliff behind our old house where we used to go in the winter," Coleman reminisced of his Jamestown, Tenn., childhood. "We would take these bats and axes and break all the ice down. It was amazing to see it just crashing to the creek bed. It's one of those pure memories of growing up."
Or, more recently, the moments he, drummer Dave Ray and bassist "Hitch" Hitchcock spent recording "Beauty" at producer/engineer Brian Carter's Paradox Studios in rural Murfreesboro, Tennessee, not far from where the band was founded in 1999. "It's such a comfortable little house; it's like going to Grandma's," Recording "Beauty" live took just seven days at Paradox, amid Carter's collection of vintage amplifiers, tube pre-amps, microphones and a 16-track Ampex analog tape machine. "It was all done on analog so there's not a lot of changing once it's down. You kind of have to live with it and accept it for what it is, a musical moment" Coleman says.
Website: http://www.myspace.com/thecoalmen |
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The John Cowan Band - Possessing arguably one of the most powerful and emotive tenor voices in today's music, John Cowan has penned 6 of 13 songs in a tour de force album, produced by Wendy Waldman, "Always Take Me Back," a project which matches his vocals musically and lyrically. In his second solo release for Sugar Hill, Cowan reaches down into the deepest recesses of his soul in an introspective, cathartic, deeply autobiographical journey and ultimately triumphant masterpiece.
"It has taken me a long time to finally arrive at this place both musically and personally," Cowan admits. "Three years ago I went on the road with some extraordinary acoustic players and realized this is what I should do. I'd run away from the legacy of 16 years with New Grass Revival for so long; and I finally realized that for some reason me singing with these instruments make sense."
Website: http://www.johncowan.com/ |
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Cowan, Scott & Flynn - As guitarist/singer/songwriter for New Grass Revival, Flynn along with Sam Bush, John Cowan and Bela Fleck, influenced many of today's best-known artists while building their own loyal audience to near cult status. Attesting to the group's continuing popularity and influence, Capitol-EMI Records will release a very special two-CD New Grass Revival 20 year retrospective this coming May. This historic collection will feature previously unreleased live, TV and studio tracks.
During his tenure with NGR, Frets magazine's National Readers Poll voted Pat as "Best Acoustic Guitarist" for five consecutive years. For winning five years in a row, Flynn was inducted into the Frets "Gallery of Greats" alongside Chet Atkins, Doc Watson and Tony Rice.
Flynn has also been a session guitarist on more than 350 CD projects, including 26 Gold and Platinum records, as well as CMA and Grammy award winning projects, with a wide array of top artists. Flynn wrote and performed on Garth Brooks' hit single "Do What You Gotta Do" (which has recently been reissued in the new Garth Brooks box set).
Website: http://www.patflynnmusic.com/ & http://www.darrellscott.com/ |
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The Gibson Brothers - "Truthfully, I'd be recording records every month if we could, because it's such a fun part of what we do," says Leigh Gibson, the slightly younger half of the Gibson Brothers. Sibling Eric shares the enthusiasm: "I like being in the studio just as much as I like being on stage, and I love being on stage."
This passion for getting music to their fans lies behind the Gibson Brothers' most recent accomplishment: three exceptional albums in three years. Bona Fide and Long Way Back Home both earned widespread acclaim and topped the Bluegrass Unlimited album chart. Now they offer Red Letter Day, perhaps their most eclectic and energetic session to date. Working with some of bluegrass music's best sidemen during a period of personnel shifts in their own band, the Gibsons did more in-studio arrangement than usual, lending extra spirit and spontaneity to their widely acclaimed and widely known harmony singing.
Website: http://www.gibsonbrothers.com/ |
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The Grascals - Already among the most beloved and acclaimed of contemporary bluegrass groups, The Grascals were the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association's Entertainers of the Year, first earning the top honor in 2006, only one year after being named Emerging Artist of the Year and winning Song of the Year for "Me and John and Paul." Their trademark blend of traditional bluegrass and classic country with more modern elements, delivered with vocal and instrumental intensity and virtuosity, earned them Grammy nominations for their first two critically-acclaimed releases - The Grascals and Long List of Heartaches. Timely and timeless, The Grascals' music is entirely relevant to the here and now, yet based on a deeply-seeded knowledge of and admiration for the music's founding fathers. They have shared the stage with Dolly Parton, Brooks & Dunn, Dierks Bentley, Patty Loveless, Mac Wiseman, J. D. Crowe, Charlie Daniels, Kenny Rogers, Steve Wariner, Vince Gill, the Jordanaires and many others. They are proud to make regular guest appearances on the Grand Ole Opry and have also appeared on Opry Live, The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, CBS Early Show and the TV Guide Channel. All three of their releases have reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Bluegrass charts. Their latest critically acclaimed CD "Keep On Walkin'" is in stores now!
Website: http://www.grascals.com/ |
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Colin Hay - As frontman and principle songwriter for eighties hit machine Men at Work, Colin Hay is responsible for one of the most identifiable sounds in pop music: infectious, Caribbean-spiked blue-eyed soul with a pointedly quizzical lyrical outlook. Classic songs like "Down Under," "Overkill," and "Who Can It Be Now" unfold before the ears like miniature movies, with timeless twists and a bittersweet sense of humor. The wit and warmth that defined the now-classic Men at Work albums is still intact in Colin Hay. Whether fronting an electric band, contributing to a Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band performance, or in a more low-key acoustic setting, Hay's everyman charm, familiar voice, and clever observations still resonate with an audience.
Website: http://www.colinhay.com/ |
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Chris Hillman - Arguably the pioneer of the genre known as "Country Rock", Chris Hillman has carved a permanent niche in the history of contemporary American music. Through his work with such notable bands as The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Manassas and the Desert Rose Band, he has firmly established himself as an innovative songwriter and performer. Throughout his four-decades in music, Hillman has collaborated with several artists including Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Gram Parsons, Vern Gosdin, Connie Smith, Herb Pedersen and John Jorgenson. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a four time Grammy nominee plus the recipient of numerous CMA and ACM awards. His songs have been recorded by many notable artists including Dwight Yoakum, Emmy-Lou Harris, The Oak Ridge Boys, Tom Petty, Dan Fogelberg, and Beck.
Website: http://www.chrishillman.com/ |
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John McEuen - A broad spectrum of music Americana, with a bit of "the old country" music thrown in for good measure, has made John McEuen known as America's instrumental poet. His musical impressions from over 30 years of worldwide travels are brought to the stage with performing expertise that sets him apart from others, and focuses on acoustic guitar, banjo, fiddle, and mandolin.
A founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in summer of 1966, after 21 years began to broaden his artistic pursuits. Multi-instrumentalist McEuen ventured into varied musical genres, taking his music and other talents to different formats including television specials, film scoring, unusual award winning CDs and concert production while keeping up an active road schedule both solo and (as of 2002) again with his lifetime partners in music. ith his band, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, he has made over 30 albums, including the platinum-selling Will The Circle Be Unbroken, which was instigated by John and and conceived by the band's manager/producer (John's brother) Bill McEuen in 1971 for United Artists.
Website: http://www.johnmceuen.com/ |
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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.
Website: http://www.montemontgomery.net/ |
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The Mother Truckers - The Mother Truckers are taking their blend of high-octane Americana to a higher level in 2008. "It could be day it could be night, it just depends on when the feelings right...to light my dynamite" sings Teal and Josh on the lead track of The Mother Truckers provocatively titled CD, "Lets All Go To Bed" (mixed by the legendary Paul Kolderie of Radiohead, Hole, Dinosaur Jr. fame.) And just like dynamite, their high energy live show is explosive and leaves a lasting impact! With the addition of former Protein drummer Dan Thompson, and Austin music scene veteran Danny G on bass, the mix of hard hitting electric guitars, soaring vocals and irreverent lyrics is even more volatile. They mix up honky-tonk, blues and rock with their own unique twist for a high-flying party whenever they hit the stage. Whatever you do, don't miss The Mother Truckers LIVE!
Website: http://themothertruckers.com/ |
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John Oates - For John Oates, longtime member of music's best-selling duo of all time Daryl Hall & John Oates, his second solo album, 1000 Miles of Life, scheduled for release on September 23rd on PS Records in association with U-Watch/DKE Records and distributed by ICON Music Entertainment Services, was a labor of love and devotion, a summary of his three decades as a professional musician. Amazon.com will have an exclusive digital version of 1000 Miles of Life starting on September 9th up until the September 23rd street date, when it will become available in all digital and retail outlets. "It was a wake-up call for me," says John about the album, his second solo effort and first since 2002's Phunk Shui. "After 30-plus years devoting myself to my art and craft, I needed to make a musical statement that someday I could look back on and realize, at that moment of time, I did exactly what I wanted to do. I've never written songs like this. I was on this inspirational roll. There was an urgency to it. I realized that I had no more time in my life for rehearsals...and I took that energy into the studio."
Website: http://www.johnoates.com/ |
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Riders In The Sky - With 28-plus years, over 5,000 performances and counting under their collective cowboy belt, Riders In The Sky, the multi Grammy Award winning Western music group whose music is firmly grounded in the rich American music traditions of such legendary cowboys singers as Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and the Sons of the Pioneers-and whose fun-filled performances have enchanted audiences of all ages-are themselves the stuff of legend.
Indeed, the Riders-Ranger Doug (Idol of American Youth), Woody Paul (King of the Cowboy Fiddlers), Too Slim ("a Righteous Tater"), and Joey (the CowPolka King)-have single-handedly revived and revitalized an entire music genre since they formed in 1977. With their recent induction into the prestigious Walk of Western Stars in Newhall, California, they've only added more luster to an extraordinary career that long ago placed them rightfully alongside the all-time greats as the world's premiere Western recording and touring band.
Website: http://www.ridersinthesky.com/ |
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Ryan Shupe & the Rubberband - Few would-be recording artists have the confidence or wherewithal to enter the mainstream music business on their own terms. The nature of today's consolidated label structure and clogged mass media channels forces most struggling bands to jump at the first opportunity they see -- if they see one at all.
This hyper-Darwinian environment makes the nine-year saga of newly minted Capitol Nashville recording artists Ryan Shupe & the Rubberband that much more intriguing. And it is an affirmation for all those who still believe in music's ability to rise above the impossibly long odds offered by the high-stakes recording industry.
Not only did the band, and only the band, play their own instruments on their new Capitol Records CD, Dream Big, they finished the CD - completely - before even stepping foot into a record label conference room. By making their own disc before signing a contract, they never had to adhere to the edicts of record label execs or go through the standard A&R process of choosing label approved songs and producers. They did it on their own and on their own terms.
Website: http://www.shupe.net/ |
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Darrell Scott - Darrell Scott is a songwriter, an in-demand instrumentalist and an acclaimed performer and recording artist - all achievements earned while burning his own path instead of playing by the accepted rules of the music industry. Scott's long since proven that his songs deserve recognition. As a songwriter, he's contributed a string of hits that reads like a list of the best modern country music has to offer. There's the Grammy Award winning "Long Time Gone" and "Heartbreak Town," both top hits for the Dixie Chicks. "Great Day to be Alive" helped Travis Tritt complete his comeback; "Born to Fly" was a No. 1 hit for Sara Evans, while "Family Tree" was successful for Darryl Worley and "When No One's Around" extended Garth Brooks' run. "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" was cut in the same year by both Patty Loveless and Brad Paisley. In 2004, Scott had songs recorded by Tim McGraw, Keb Mo, Mountain Heart, Julie Roberts, Kathy Mattea, Andy Griggs, Faith Hill, and others. In all, Scott has had more than 45 cuts by other artists.
Website: http://www.darrellscott.com/ |
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Slow Runner - how to write your band's bio:
step 1 - start with information about your early years that nobody really cares about but that you have to put in there because otherwise the bio is thin and it's completely obvious how unsuccessful you really are.
ex. slow runner started in 2003 when singer/songwriter michael flynn and multi-instrumentalist josh kaler began musically fornicating together after college.
step 2 - create a mythos around how your 'sound' was formed.
ex. one night while walking through the woods michael and josh pulled a sword from a stone and the curtains of heaven opened up and they simultaneously realized their musical destiny involved casio, loud drums, and short pop songs about girls.
step 3 - puff your chest out and list accomplishments no matter how insignificant they might be.
ex. michael flynn almost won the john lennon songwriting scholarship in 2001. then he did win the flat rock music festival songwriting contest, then he and kaler made 'no disassemble', formed a full band, and signed a deal with j records in 2005.
step 4 - totally ignore inexplicable gaps in the narrative of the bio.
ex. what happened to our deal with j records? shut up. what happened to your mom, that's the real question assholes. move along, there's nothing to see here!
step 5 - start name-dropping like you're trying to get into the v.i.p. room at tonic on a friday night. this step is extremely important.
Website: http://www.slowrunnermusic.com/ |
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Paul Thorn - The first thing you notice is The Voice, unique and distinctive, the voice of a man who has walked a long, hot span over dusty Mississippi country roads. At turns soulful, raw, melancholy, brazen, funky, circumspect, serene, brooding, and mutinous, the voice expresses the range of human emotions, from forlorn grimness to incandescent optimism. And after repeated listens, you realize that his is not merely the voice of a poet but also of a merciful prophet, a summation not unjustified. Those who follow the career of Paul Thorn believe he is both.
Website: http://www.paulthorn.com/ |
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The Time Jumpers - The Time Jumpers are Nashville's best kept musical secret, but the word is spreading about what many of Nashville's recording artists, musicians, and industry executives have already discovered on Monday nights at The Station Inn. About twelve years ago, a few of Nashville's studio musicians and vocalists made a deliberate decision to get together on stage one night a week just to have some fun playing their music of choice, and calling it their "therapy session". The venue chosen was the world famous Station Inn and before long the band grew and so did their audiences.
The group now consists of 11 of the most talented instrumentalists and singers you'll ever have the pleasure to hear. The Time Jumpers have garnered two Grammy nominations (Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Sweet Memories" and Best Country Instrumental Performance for
"Fidoodlin'"), numerous guest appearances on The Grand Ole Opry, and a public television special airing on more than 125 stations that earned two Regional Emmy Awards for both production and video editing.
All seasoned touring and studio musicians, the Time Jumpers include bassist Dennis Crouch; acoustic rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist "Ranger Doug" Green (of Riders in the Sky); fiddlers Aubrey Haynie, Kenny Sears and Joe Spivey; pedal steel guitarist and newest Time Jumper Paul Franklin (superbly filling the void left by the death of "Papa" John Hughey); lead electric guitarist Andy Reiss; accordionist Jeff Taylor; drummer Rick Vanaugh; and lead vocalists Dawn Sears and Carolyn Martin.
Website: http://www.thetimejumpers.com/ |
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Vinyl Kings - The members of the Vinyl Kings have individually produced, written songs for, played on recordings by, or toured with such artists as Sting, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Neil Young, Shawn Colvin, Shania Twain, Paul Brandt, Jimmy Buffett, Steve Winwood, Dan Fogelberg, Glenn Frey, J.D. Souther, Kim Carnes, Peter Frampton, Bobby Womack, Steve Earle, Bob Seger, Vince Gill, John Fogerty, Mark Knopfler, Faith Hill, Tina Turner, Martina McBride, James Ingram, Leann Rimes, Michael McDonald, Trisha Yearwood, Rosanne Cash, Wynonna Judd, Brooks & Dunn, Alabama, Bad Company, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steppenwolf, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Kathy Mattea, Lyle Lovett and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
In early 2001 the Vinyl Kings decided to try some thing new: To record a CD of their original songs that would draw upon one of their greatest influences, The Beatles.
One could say that their CD "A Little Trip" is a concept record.
But the band would say that it is more of a homage to not only the Beatles, but to a time in musicial history that changed their lives forever.
Website: http://www.vinylkings.com/ |
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Chelsea Williams - Chelsea Williams is a street performer, but not for long. And unlike the typical image one conjures up when hearing that tag, she has done something unheard of: in just sixteen months Chelsea has sold over 40,000 CDs on her own - a number that eclipses many other artists signed to a normal record deal. Since she was a girl, Chelsea has been writing and performing her own music. Starting out on the club and coffee shop circuit of Los Angeles, she learned that she could make more money - and fans, for that matter - by playing on the streets. For two years, four days a week, Chelsea has been carrying her own P.A. system, pushing it through parking garages, setting up and dismantling her gear, three or four times a day. The albums are sold, one at a time, by making a fleeting, yet memorable, connection with her ever-changing audience. Among those who have taken note of her talents, and stopped by to see her play, are Adam Sandler, Sheryl Crow, and Ron Howard. Crosby, Stills, and Nash even sent Chelsea flowers in appreciation for the quality of her cover of "Helplessly, Hoping" they found on YouTube. Chelsea Williams is indeed, a rare breed.
Website: http://www.myspace.com/chelseawilliams |
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Shannon Whitworth - Shannon Whitworth currently lives in the mountains of western North Carolina, where she has spent the last ten years focusing on mountain, bluegrass and country music. Her talent as a singer and songwriter enabled her to spend the last 4 years touring the United States with a band she co-founded, The Biscuit Burners. On clawhammer banjo and guitar, Shannon's compositions contributed depth to the bands material and have helped her gain respect as a truly talented singer and songwriter. "No Expectatons" features ten of Shannon's most recent compositions accompanied by an all-star cast of musicians. "No Expectations" is one of the finest and freshest americanna/country roots records you will here today. Great singing, great writing, and great picking makes Shannon Whitworth's first solo project unforgettable.
Website: http://www.myspace.com/shannonwhitworth |
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