August 22, 23, 24 2008

2008 Artists

Enter the Haggis - There aren't many groups in North America who could lay claim to possibly 18 different genres of music, but Toronto's Enter The Haggis (ETH) is one of them. To engage this quintet is to indulge rock, fusion, bluegrass, traditional Celtic fare, agitpop, folk, even Latin flavors. Sounds awfully confused, right? Wrong. ETH is one of those rare jewels that actually pulls it all off as if to own everything. 

ETH's live show is a musical feast- viscerally dynamic, emotionally uplifting and intellectually stimulating. The band's oeuvre darts effortlessly from the traditional strains of, say, The Chieftains and the Pogues to the frenetic pop of early Elvis Costello and even to the Latin-tinged spirit of the Buena Vista Social Club and beyond, complete with Lewington's deft guitar playing, the reeling of Brian Buchanan's flawless fiddle, the diverse rhythmic machinations of bassist Mark Abraham and drummer James Campbell, and Downie's transporting pipes, not to mention the near-perfect vocal harmonies.
Mountain Heart - Mountain Heart is the band that has been fearlessly revolutionizing the way acoustic music can be presented and played. Widely known throughout the music industry for constantly redefining the cutting edge, the band has gained legions of fans both as a result of their superlative musicianship, and more notably, their incomparably exciting live performances. Mountain Heart’s name has been synonymous with cutting-edge excellence since their creation in 1998. As one of the most highly awarded ensembles ever assembled, Mountain Heart, or members of the band, have won numerous Grammys, ACM, CMA, and IBMA Awards. They have appeared on the revered stage of the Grand Ole Opry in excess of 100 times and have shared the stage with everyone from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Montgomery Gentry, Merle Haggard, and Brad Paisley, to Alison Krauss, Yonder Mountain Stringband, LeAnn Rimes, and Patty Loveless.

Now, with the introduction of their phenomenally talented young lead singer, the band is poised to take their success to an even higher level. As the group leading the charge in taking acoustic music to the masses, Mountain Heart deftly combines elements of rock, jamband, blues, jazz, and bluegrass into a high-energy sound that is at once fresh, accessible, and unmistakable.
Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams - The Circus emerged from the misty hills of Sleepy Hollow, New York in 1988 and exploded upon the Hudson Valley music scene with their stunning self-produced debut release, "A Good Thief Tips His Hat". The quirky quartet then began touring and rapidly developed a loyal following. Featured recently in Relix Magazine, the New York Times and on the CBS hit show, Joan of Arcadia. The music of Slambovia has been described as "Hillbilly-Floyd, folk-pop", "alt-country roots-rock, and "surreal Americana". Dancing freely between existing religious and philosophical mythologies, their music is uplifting, empowering and fun. Gandalf Murphy and The Slambovian Circus of Dreams ... Their music can "Heal what ails ya"!
John Gorka - John Gorka is honored to be a part of the folk tradition — energetic acoustic music that is not a trend, not a fad, but an expression of everyday life.

“Gorka is widely heralded for the sophisticated intelligence and provocative originality of his songs.”  - The Boston Globe

“Listening to John Gorka sing, one can get goose-bumps all over. There are many reasons: fresh lyrics, a stunning emotional baritone voice, and his twisted humor.” – The New York Times
Tony Furtado - Tony Furtado grew up in Pleasanton, CA and took up the banjo at age 12. At age 19, he entered himself in the banjo playing competition at the venerable bluegrass festival in Winfield, Kansas (Walnut Valley Festival) and won the Grand National Championship. Hailed as a banjo prodigy, he got his first record deal in 1992 and has been making music and releasing records ever since. As he was cementing his reputation as banjoist extraordinaire, Furtado was also developing himself into an equally virtuosic slide guitarist. And now, with his latest release, Thirteen (Funzalo Records, 2007), this restless artist makes an exponential leap into the wide-open spaces of mythopoetic America, a terrain inhabited by such personal heroes as Cooder, the Band, Creedence, Petty and Waits. No two ways about it - this heartfelt, multileveled work completes Tony Furtado's ascent from the folk circuit to the big leagues.
Hamell on Trial - New York, singer/songwriter, joke-telling Hamell On Trial defies all musical categories. "Punk acoustic" and "anti-folk" come close. On stage his raw, bold energy has Rolling Stone magazine calling him a "homicidal Otto Preminger." On more than one occasion, opening act Hamell On Trial sent the headliner band, with all its Marshall amplifiers and Les Paul guitars, running for cover. "I'm a rock and roll show. Period," Hamell says. Prior to a debilitating car accident in May 2000, Hamell On Trial toured consistently, impressing audiences from New York to Los Angeles, and logging more than 250 one-night performances each year. Now fully recovered from his head and spine injuries, Hamell is back on the road (albeit more judiciously) and recently completed a sold-out East Coast tour with Ani DiFranco. With his battered 1937 small-body Gibson, Hamell checks the pulse of the nation and gives it to us straight. And we're glad he does.
Women in Docs - Women in Docs formed in 1998. To consider a label like “perhaps Australia's hardest working artists” might be giving too much credit to some acts, but for Women in Docs it’s a label that fits like a glove. As the girls release their sophomore album "Red Wine & Postcards", their achievement and continued dedication to their craft has never been more marked.

For over eight years, Roz Pappalardo and Chanel Lucas have worked their way up through the music industry ranks from playing in their bedrooms in far North Queensland, then moving to the big smoke of Brisbane and capturing the hearts of a dedicated national fan base. But they didn't stop there. The girls grabbed their passports and headed overseas to win over audiences throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

Women in Docs have accrued an impressive array of career benchmarks. They’ve played major festivals and music industry events throughout the world. They enjoy ongoing airplay throughout Australia. They regularly play to packed houses, touching the lives of people from a broad cross-section of ages and cultural backgrounds.

It’s hard not to love Women in Docs. If they haven't already caught you in their web of fans, their new album will grab you with delightfully honest and down-to-earth humor, dressed in stealthily addictive melodies and comfortable shoes.
Seth Bernard and Daisy May (singer-songwriter duo)- Two Michigan favorites, Seth Bernard and Daisy May Erlewine, are well-known to audiences as single acts. Seth grew up surrounded by gardens, goats and stringed instruments just outside Lake City. He traveled around as a storyteller, point guard, sax player or singer/guitar player in bands with names like "Freesoil", "King Lear and the Gothic Monks" or "the Pagoda Trees". Seth recorded his first album at his guitar teacher's home studio. Born into a family of musicians, May Erlewine has been playing music all her life. She paid her singer-songwriter dues in her late teens with several years of hitchhiking back and forth across the U.S., always writing and playing her music. Now with four CD? to her name, May works a variety of venues, focusing on the Midwest and her home state of Michigan. Her inspired lyrics and powerful voice have a sweetness that delights audiences. In 2006 Seth and Daisy released their first duo album, recorded in the historic Calumet Theater. This past April the duo placed third in A Prairie Home Companion? People In (their) Twenties Talent Show, out of 740 entries.
Ruby Jane - Born 13 years ago in Dallas, Texas, Ruby Jane is one of the world's premiere junior fiddlers and a fast-rising star in country and bluegrass-Americana music. With deep familial and cultural ties throughout the Southwest and Southeast, she resides in Texas and Mississippi with her mama, when not traveling as a musician, actress, or model.

Ruby Jane exhibited a strong connection to music as early as age one and began classical violin instruction at age two. At age eight, she was introduced to the sounds of Americana music in Santa Fe, New Mexico, leading to a complete devotion to old-time and bluegrass music. Subsequently, she began old-time fiddle lessons, which included the study of its unique bowing techniques, archaic tunings, and depth of expression. After only six fiddle lessons, she won first place in the first fiddle competition she entered, beginning a run of victories and increasing notoriety that continues today.

Ruby Jane listens to all kinds of music, from jazz and rock to classical and blues, while growing in her own musical expression. She writes her own original songs and plays several instruments including mandolin, harmonica, guitar, and spoons. She also is learning to play bass, banjo, and dobro. She is a consummate performer.
Kevin Bowe & The Okemah Prophets - Kevin Bowe is a singer/songwriter/producer from Minneapolis. He has earned 3 platinum records and a Grammy working with artists like Jonny Lang, Etta James, Paul Westerberg, 3 Dog Night, Peter Case, Leo Kottke, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and others.

His band is a rotating cast of roustabouts and shiftless characters, currently featuring steel guitar hero John Ely who played with Texas Swing legends Asleep At The Wheel for 10 years and Leon Redbone for 5 more!
Paul Mayasich and The Benderheads - Paul Mayasich and the Benderheads is a blues-based jam band based out of the Twin Cities. They play a variety of music including: roots, soulful blues, some unique re-worked covers, to original funk and gut-bucket tunes written by the lead guitarist and singer, Paul Mayasich.
Squeaky Clean Cretins - The Squeaky Clean Cretins adhere to the deep roots of folk tradition while adding a contemporary spin to their songwriting. They are quickly becoming recognized on the midwest festival circuit for their knack of combining beautifully crafted melodies with blended harmony vocals and infectious guitar riffs. Their eclectic songwriting style runs the gamut from pertinent and socially aware to carefree hook-inspired jams that move crowds to their feet. The Cretins call the Lake Superior country of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula home, and if you listen just right, you might hear the rolling waves of the Big Lake woven intricately into the fabric of their songs. The Cretins released their debut CD “of flesh…of marrow” in October 2007 and have recently performed at the following festivals or venues: Calumet Theatre, Earthwork Harvest Gathering, White Crow Conservatory of Music, Porcupine Mountains Music Festival, Bridgefest (Houghton MI), Crazy Wisdom Tea Room, Kraftbrau Brewery, Horizon Books, and many other clubs and coffee houses.
Charlie Parr - Charlie Parr of Duluth, Minnesota plays original and traditional folk and Piedmont-style blues, accompanying himself on National resonator guitars, 12-string guitar and banjo. Parr was raised in Austin, Minn, in a household that prized traditional American folk music and his style bears the influence of hours spent listening to country blues records and Smithsonian/Folkways field recordings. Charlie has performed publicly since 1988 and he has shared stages and opened concerts for Haley Bonar, The Black-Eyed Snakes, Baby Grant Johnson, Dan Rumsey, Paul Metsa, Dakota Dave Hull, Cam Waters, Bob Brozman, Catfish Keith and Greg Brown.
Laura Bates and Brandon Foote - Laura Bates and Brandon Foote's sound is timeless, rootsy and lush, with soaring harmonies, piano, mandolin and guitars harkening back to the olden days with new vision. Bates and Foote look and sound like they just stepped off the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, or perhaps even further back, to the dance halls of the Civil War era - always digging deeper and moving forward

With their unique blend of old-time, folk, bluegrass and country, Laura Bates and Brandon Foote have graced coffee shops, bookstores, pubs, and festivals with traditional favorites and original songs. Booking their act as "Guitar, Mandolin, and Two Voices", their sound is refreshingly simple and strives for authenticity, with nods to the Carter Family, the Monroe Brothers, and Tim and Mollie O'Brien.

Greenstone - A Variety Acoustic Sound from the Copper Country offering a blend of traditional, blues, folk, swing, bluegrass, country, gospel, and mountain music performed in a flat-pick style, enjoyed by people of all ages. Greenstone has performed at festivals, jamborees, private parties, supper clubs, and community band shell concerts throughout the west, and central Upper Peninsula. The group released its first CD Pickin’ Choose, in June of 2007.

The musicians in the group include: Gene Marion on lead guitar and vocals, Raoul Goulet on rhythm and backup lead guitar, and Jim Ross on stand-up and electric bass guitars, and vocals. “Our musical goal has been to have a strong work ethic and to continually improve our musical proficiency. Our performance goal has been first and foremost, to do our best to please the audience, and secondly, to have as much fun as possible doing so.”
The Rory Miller Band - Hailing from Chicago, Rory plays an (almost) all original high energy acoustic guitar style. Her voice is powerful and emotive. Her songs are guaranteed to yank you from your daydreams and pay attention who is making that beautiful exciting sound. Her lyrics are sometimes surreal and always poignantly and aesthetically beautiful. If you're a guitar wonk looking for variety, she's one of the few musicians that you're likely to meet who plays with a partial capo and as many alternate tunings as she has songs.
Buster's Dream - Chicago's Buster's Dream has a mountain folk sound with hints of Woody Guthrie and Rev. Blind Gary Davis. They feature acoustic guitars, mandolin, bass guitar, and mountain harmonies. Buster's Dream's songs run the gamut from the surreal and dark tale of a dying Civil War soldier to a comically romantic ode to Hot Dogs.