Rich Hinman Vs Adam Levy
Rich Hinman vs Adam Levy is an instrumental quartet featuring Rich Hinman on pedal steel and lap steel, and Adam Levy on guitar. Having played together, on and off, for nearly 30 years, these two share a common musical language. Their repertoire of jazz, blues, country and soul songs ranges from standards to obscure numbers, and original tunes as well. Their New York-based rhythm section comprises Chris Morrissey on bass and Dan Rieser on drums. The quartet’s vibe is at once funky and atmospheric, festive and melancholy. Collectively, these four musicians have worked with k.d. lang, Norah Jones, Mark Guiliana, Allen Toussaint, Rosanne Cash, Sara Bareilles and many many others. They released a record in 2019 called ‘VS’, which is available exclusively on Bandcamp. Their second record, ‘Fan Favorites’, comes out May 17.
P.T. Burnem & His Dustkat Dream Drum Machine w/ Arielle Bryant, Katie.BLVD, and Emseein’ Eye
Eli Fribush Experiment feat. Ashlin Parker, Geoff Clapp, and Sam Fribush
You won’t see this anywhere else!
Ric Robertson
Ric Robertson is a generational songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist cut from the fabric of great American music of all kinds. He has the rare ability to deliver his authentic self on stage each night, and his personality and wisdom shine through both in his songs and any music he chooses to deliver. Ric is equally at home on Piano, Guitar, Mandolin, Drums, and Bass, and his musicianship and singing transcend the confines of any specific genre – as a part of Sam Grisman Project he has spent the last year delivering unique and inspired versions of some of his favorite songs from the musical universe of Jerry Garcia and David Grisman as well as his own originals.
Royal Cab Co
Thomas Royal’s 25-year endeavor of creating experimental lo-fi pop noir, producing various EPs and albums like “The Age of the Average” in 2023, evolved into Royal Cab Co. This transformation happened in 2023 through regular music sessions with friends, leading to the establishment of a six-member band. Royal Cab Co’s music is eclectic, blending influences across genres and periods. Imagine The Heartbreakers performing Replacements tracks, Wilco abandoning Country for Yacht Rock, The Jayhawks covering The Cure, Bill Callahan and Bill Frisell, Glenn Campbell and Glenn Tipton. You get the gist. Royal Cab Co, Thomas Royal, Rhett McAllister, and Jason Blalock on guitar and vocals, Hank Royal on keys, Todd Sizer on bass, and Tony Perez on drums, amalgamates nearly a century of musical experience. These folks have amassed thousands of performances across various bands, contributing to their rich, eclectic sound. Their collaboration results in a diverse musical tapestry, characterized by its uniqueness and influences that are left of the dial, finding normalcy in the unconventional and indie side of music. Their collective journey in music spans different genres and eras, resulting in a sound that is both seasoned and exploratory. An all-new Neo Dad Rock movement is here; defiantly maximalist and nostalgic – not a genre, but a catch-all term for anything you can get away with in the car that might offend but won’t annoy the wife and kids.
Old Heavy Hands w/ The Gone Ghosts & Rebecca Porter
Formed in 2015 in Greensboro, North Carolina, Old Heavy Hands forge a compelling brand of heartfelt southern rock informed as much by the Muscle Shoals tradition as the DIY punk rock of their youth. Their forthcoming album, Small Fires, was recorded at The Fidelitorium and Earthtones studios. With most recent single “Between You & Me” singer Larry Wayne honors the life and legacy of his grandfather. From the first chords, listeners are reminded of the bittersweet combination of love, loss, and grief. The lyrics suggest the heroes in our lives, and the values handed down through generations. Despite the grief that informs it, there’s no question the song is a rocker. This is what truly sets it apart from the pack – the intensely catchy riffs and danceable groove; it does not belong on a playlist of funereal ballads. At its core, Old Heavy Hands is about the bonds of family and the loyalty of lifelong friendships. Born from the ashes of tragedies, theirs are songs by real people for real people — inspired by true events.
Jaimee Harris with Wes Collins
Jaimee Harris’s sophomore effort Boomerang Town marks a bold step forward for this country-folk-leaning singer-songwriter. It is an arresting, ambitious song-cycle that explores the generational arc of family, the stranglehold of addiction, and the fragile ties that bind us together as Americans.Harris began cultivating Boomerang Town in 2016, a time of great loss for many in the Americana community, with the songwriter losing several musicians close to her. A shift in the nation’s political landscape had ushered in a new level of cultural polarization and for someone who grew up in a small town outside of Waco, Texas, Harris believed the values instilled by her parents were not entirely in line with how many were viewing, and vilifying, Christians. As a person in recovery, Harris has had to re-evaluate her own connection to faith and find strength in a higher power. It was from the intersection of these social, personal, and political currents that the album was born.While themes of addiction and grief permeate sections of the record, it echoes hope in the face of the darkness. Out February 17th, Boomerang Town understands that love and grief are two sides of the same coin. At age 44, Wes Collins and his wife Anita made a pact to become writers: she started writing fiction and Wes penned his first song. A few years later, they were both multi-award-winners in their fields. Collins more than makes up for lost time with songs that dig deep and go to uncertain, sometimes scary places. Come for a haunting melody and some intricate fingerpicking and stay for the wit and deep literary intelligence. There is always more to find in a Wes Collins song. Wes has played shows from coast to coast including: The Blue Bird Cafe in Nashville, TN; The Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, TX; the Cary Theater in Cary, NC (opening for Dave Olney); and many more. He is a winner of the prestigious Grassy Hills New Folk Competition and a North Carolina Arts Council Songwriting Fellowship, and has been featured as a finalist in The Telluride Troubadour Contest in Telluride, CO; The Songwriter’s Serenade Competition in Moravia, TX; and The Wildflower Performing Songwriter Contest in Dallas, TX.
Amy Martin And Bonnie & The Mere Mortals w/ Matt Elias
Originally from Harrisonburg, Virginia, Amy Martin spent the majority of her adult life in her beloved hometown. In 2021, Martin relocated to Denver, Colorado. On her latest album, “Travelin’ On”, Martin explores the breaking point between investing in a problematic, yet beloved hometown, and moving on to fully realize one’s self and one’s dreams. She was first inspired by female powerhouse singers like Martina McBride and Janis Joplin, but after finishing high school she found herself fronting a bluegrass band. For ten years the band toured regionally and built a loyal local following, and Martin’s own musical voice began merging the line between string band and soul. On her album, Martin displays compassionate confidence, born from years of developing not only a musical voice but a certain outlook on life. “I feel like every song is saying something”, she says, “And within that, there is a message that I’ve found my stride as an artist and as a person. I am sitting in the pocket of myself. I’m finding out what it is to love, and to be true to myself.” Amy Martin’s latest album is produced by Grammy Award Winning Artist, Chance McCoy.Bonnie & the Mere Mortals are a Southern Gothic outfit that sound like what would happen if Dolly Parton ever met the Cure. Their signature blend of Appalachian Americana with Synthwave and Shoegaze has brought them all around the surrounding regions with a fast growing audience of everyone from cowboys to goth rockers, from Nashville to New York. Matt Elias grew up in one of many small coal towns in southwestern Pennsylvania, helping out on his grandfather’s farm and making his own fun, which mostly meant playing the guitar and using whatever substances he could get his hands on. He has honed his craft starting at age 9: playing lead guitar and being a side man in bands ranging from rock n’ roll to death metal, from tribute bands to Americana. He currently plays guitar in both Feralcat and the Wild and Bonnie & the Mere Mortals, as well as several cover and tribute acts. He has played thousands of shows in over a dozen states, all the while preparing to step to center stage in his own way.Elias has never been a fan of celebrity, stardom, or big personalities, but the music is a different story. To Elias, the song is the hero, not the person who wrote it, and his songs have plenty to say. Elias writes songs as a conduit, stepping out of the way so the stories can take the limelight. “Soil,” Matt Elias’s upcoming first album, is the culmination of years of stories–stories of dedication, love and loss, personal battles with addiction, and life and growth in a crumbling Appalachian coal town. “Soil” drops on February 29, 2024, and we’re guaranteed more stories from a man worth listening to. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube, and keep an eye out for his debut tour in 2024.
The Dead Tongues (Solo) w/ Josh Moore
After five months of not picking up an instrument, The Dead Tongues’ Ryan Gustafsonwanted to get rid of everything that was tied to his identity as a musician. He eventhought about changing his name. He was getting ready to throw out old notebookspacked with years of material but, for some reason, he decided to stop and go throughthem, just to see if there was anything worth saving. And sure enough, he found someimages and lyrics, threads from former selves he didn’t want to lose. Thus was thecatalyst for Dust, his fifth and best album as The Dead Tongues.Gustafson recorded Dust in nine days, the fastest he’d ever recorded anything. It wasthe fastest he’d ever written anything, too – in the past, writing a song would takemonths, but this time he somehow felt freer, and wanted to have fun. The record wasrecorded at Sylvan Esso’s studio, Betty’s, in the woods of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.He built it out with help from a number of his musician friends – Joe Westerlund(Watchhouse, Megafaun, Califone) on drums, Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse) onmandolin, backing vocals from Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Molly Sarlé of MountainMan, among others.Dust is meant to be listened to while taking a night drive, farflung and roving andexistential. Somewhere between the expansiveness of American jamband and thebanjo-centric folk songwriting of Gustafson’s Appalachia home. Gustafson explains thethematic throughline succinctly: “It’s this idea of uprooting and rebirth and cycles, andthe past informing the future, and the future informing the past. There is no single story.Everything is connected.”
Holler Choir + Spencer Thomas (of Futurebirds) + Rose Hotel
Led by the lyrical craftsmanship of singer, guitarist, and songwriter Clint Roberts, the distinctly Appalachian, old-time sound of Asheville’s Holler Choir combines haunting harmonies, stirring string compositions, and heart-wrenching ballads, yet hardly conforms to a stereotypical genre. Call it a confluence of old-time, Americana, and bluegrass, but, by its own exceptional design, the sound and atmosphere of Holler Choir are singular. Robert’s wordcraft and explosive vocal range is met with the dulcet clawhammer banjo plucking of long-time collaborator Helena Rose and the sturdy timekeeping of upright bassist Norbert McGettigan. With a rotating cast of gifted musicians featured on Holler Choir’s recordings and electrifying live performances, it’s no wonder they are the band to watch in 2023. The band’s inception began when recording Robert’s 2022 solo release, entitled “Mountain Air”. That fortuitous collaboration of gifted roots musicians at Asheville’s Crossroads Studios proved to be the genesis of an unmistakable new sound built on that shared experience. Produced by Grammy award-winning multi-instrumentalist, Michael Ashworth, of The Steep Canyon Rangers, the five-song EP lit the fuse and Holler Choir was well on its way to delight audiences throughout the southeast and beyond.
