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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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The Biscuit Burners - Relentless national touring and exposure has quickly established The Biscuit Burners as one of today's hottest Americana acts. A fresh approach to acoustic music with roots that date as far back as mountain music can reach, The Biscuit Burners offer their "fiery mountain music" with innovative instrumentation, resplendent harmonies and captivating original material. Their unique yet familiar material pulls strong from their respect of traditional mountain music, their love of bluegrass and classic country and their appreciation of music from the far corners of the world.
Website: http://www.thebiscuitburners.com/ |
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Bombadil - Welcome to the world of Bombadil. Not middle-earth, but a land of great splendour and lovely music. A world of thieves and foolish children, peace and happy afternoons, one that will show you places you've never been, all the while warming you like your mother's cooking at home.
The sound was born in oblivion. Or perhaps Bolivia. No matter, for it brings with it songs that ignore familiar surroundings and draw you into its lovely tales. Though the men of Bombadil work out of Durham, N.C., their music may as well be from anywhere, or everywhere, or nowhere.
Hear how they use the classic setup of piano, guitar, drums, and bass guitar in long lost and completely new ways, but then also how they vary their palette with xylophones, organs, accordions, and trombones. See the fruits of three different songwriters, each providing a fresh perspective that displays a different scene in their world.
Website: http://www.bombadilmusic.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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Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks - Singer-songwriter Dan Hicks is truly an American original. Since the early 1960s, Hicks has deftly blended elements of Swing, Jazz, Folk and Country music to create the appealing sound he sometimes calls "Folk Jazz". The lyrics of his songs range from the simply sublime to the sublimely ridiculous, all presented with his uniquely skewed and inscrutable touch. Dan's irresistible sense of rhythm, hip lyrical styling, laid-back vocalizing, and infamous on-stage wit will make most who listen fans for life. He's a snappy dresser, too. Today, Dan tours worldwide with an updated version of the Hot Licks, and occasionally gigs at various jazz venues in the San Francisco Bay Area as a vocalist, with Bayside Jazz.
Not only does Dan continue to delight his long-time fans, he has earned the attention of a whole new generation of music lovers.
Website: http://www.danhicks.net/ |
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Chris Hillman - He is a folkie who wound up in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. He is a journeyman sideman who wound up singing lead on 10 top-10 country smash hits. He is a bluegrass mandolin picker who detoured to three Gold Records in rock bands. He is a self-taught composer who wound up cowriting some of the cornerstone songs of the country-rock repertoire.
In the beginning, he was just another curly-headed, guitar-playing kid from Southern California. But his life in music has taken him through several of the major movements that have defined modern American pop -- folk-rock, hippie psychedelia, country-rock, jazz fusion, contemporary country and modern bluegrass.
His name is Chris Hillman. During his three decades as a music maker, his collaborators have included Emmylou Harris, Stephen Stills, Vern Gosdin, David Crosby, Gram Parsons, Dan Fogelberg, J.D. Souther, Bob Dylan, and Roger McGuinn. He has been a member of The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Desert Rose Band. He is a living history of popular music. But since he is nowhere near finished making memories, that's a book he's not ready to write.
Website: http://www.chrishillman.com/ |
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Will Kimbrough - A singer/songwriter whose five solo releases betray and immense command of songwriting craft - catchy hooks, haunting, introspective lyrics and a social conscience (see 2006's "Americanitis"), Kimbrough has long been an in-demand guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, working in the studio and onstage alongside Rodney Crowell, Jimmy Buffett, Todd Snider, Mavis Staples, Billy Joe Shaver and many others. His songs have been recorded by Buffett, Snider, rising country star Jack Ingram and rock legends Little Feat. Kimbrough is a producer, too, with credits ranging from Adrienne Young's grammy-nominated work to Todd Snider's universally acclaimed "East Nashville Skyline" and "The Devil You Know" to Kate Campbell's soulful southern folk. Will's prowess on the six string has led to a fan-produced "Will Kimbrough is an Alien" T-shirt, which may be the only way to explain his mastery. Will's latest release is "EP".
Website: http://www.willkimbrough.com/ & http://www.myspace.com/willkimbroughdaddy |
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Lucy Angel - From the first note of the fire-hot "How Long" to the last note of the joyously Beatlesque "Just About Every Night" on their self-titled debut CD, it's clear the women who make up the sizzling country trio Lucy Angel are on a musical mission.
It's a mission fuled by family harmony in every sense of the term. But let's get the obvious out of the way right off the bat. Yes, Kate's the mom, Lindsay and Emily are her two daughters. But these three are far from your run-of-the-mill too-cute-for-words mother-daugter country music combo. Sure, they possess a keen [and often house-chilling] ability to harmonize, and, naturally, there is a strong family resemblance. But, as Lindsay says, "We're just three chick singers trying to get along."
And they've getting along, especially in the musical sense, for quite some time now, with a dad who was a performer, and a brother who is an opera singer, Kate's musical legacy passed passed to Lindsay and Emily pretty much by osmosis. Yet, because she kept herself busy performing with several bands as the girls were growing up in Arizona, things could get a little confusing. Lindsay recalls that she'd turn on the radio and no matter whom she was hearing she assumed it was Kate singing.
Website: http://www.lucyangelmusic.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.myspace.com/officialmontemontgomery |
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The Mother Truckers - The Mother Truckers are an irreverent, harmony driven Country band from Austin, Texas. They deliver authentic Country, featuring non-traditional lyrics and blazing guitars. From sin to redemption and heartbreak to salvation. The Mother Truckers tell original tales with their powerful blend of pristine vocals mixed with the razors edge of rockin? Country. The core of the group is the singing/songwriting team of Josh Zee and Teal Collins.
Josh Zee (vocals, lead guitar) has recorded 2 major label records with Sony's "Work" label, as the singer/guitarist and songwriter for the rock group PROTEIN. He toured with Protein extensively throughout the U.S. as part of the '97 Warped Tour..They also toured Europe and Japan as a part of an MTV Asia Summer Fest.
Teal Collins (vocals, ukulele & guitar) Teal's early introduction to music was through her dad, famous Jazz disc jockey Al, "Jazzbeaux" Collins. Teal has recorded sessions for Grammy award winning producers Narada Michael Walden (Whitney Houston) and Stephen Bray (Madonna). Teal has received Gold and Platinum albums for her work on Shanice (Motown records) and Third Eye Blind's album Blue.
Website: http://themothertruckers.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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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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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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Tommy Womack - Alt. Country hero, failed Rock star, published author, podcaster and indelible live performer Tommy Womack is a two-time winner (2002 & 2007) of "Best Song" in the Nashville Scene's annual "Best of Nashville" poll. His current record "There, I Said It!", has been awarded "Best Of 2007" by over a dozen media outlets and bloggers, including USA Today, Philadelphia Inquirer, No Depression Magazine's "Critics Poll" and "Readers Poll" and more. His songs have been recorded by Jason Ringenberg, Will Kimbrough, Pat Haney, Warner Hodges & others.
Website: http://www.tommywomack.com/ |
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