"Think 'Beatles For Sale', if Marty Robbins were a primary influence instead of Carl Perkins..." - No Depression

The Taters play an eclectic mix of roots rock, pop, country, skiffle & Americana, a sound that's been compared favorably to a mixture of Everlys, Orbison, Beatles, and Nick Lowe. Writing in Billboard magazine, critic Gordon Ely described the Taters as "determinedly-and gleefully-forging a path with no limits or end in sight. This is music for which you've been waiting a long, long time... Without a trace of self-consciousness or pretension, the Taters draw up a formula that can rightly be claimed as their own".

For the Living of These Days finds Kate Campbell returning to the rich, deep wells that have sustained her musical journey since 1995's Songs from the Levee. That debut album introduced her as an artist tapped into the Southern literary bloodline of Flannery O'Connor and William Faulkner. An abiding fascination with storytelling, race, religion, history and the day-to-day happenings of people's lives continue to fuel Kate's creative pursuits on this collection. Similarly, an ongoing love affair with the musical traditions and folkways of her native South led her to once again record at the hallowed Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and choose the legendary Spooner Oldham as her musical partner for the project.

Jay Pun is taking a short break from his busy schedule supporting Sanjaya of American Idol fame, and Morwenna is on hiatus from recording with Sammy Hagar. Enjoy this rare opportunity to catch the virtuoso duo performing right here in Charlottesville!

Virginia residents, Jeff and Brian Brown-Hill, received their first acoustic guitar and began taking lessons in the summer of 2003. In the summer of 2005, the fraternal twins, who were 9 years old at the time, began attending open mic night at Bella Bagel Café in Stafford, Virginia. In October 2005, they bought used electric guitars and began playing more of their favorite genre, the blues. Having been chided so many times about playing the blues at their age, they came up with a trademark slogan "Never too young to play the blues."

Jenny Owen Youngs is a feisty, hyper-sensitive, disease-free singer/songwriter/former girl scout who wants to be your friend. claiming influences from Beck to Jesus Christ Superstar to Britney Spears, her music is an echo of Erin Mckeown hopping into Jeff Buckley's Pontiac, cruising backwoods Alabama red dirt roads and singing along to The Sundays and Nick Drake. Her songs straddle the heart-wrenching and the tongue-in-cheek and say giddyup.

John Ashley's music is a form of poetry put to rhythm. The lyrics are the focal point of the songs. The guitar has plays more of an accompanying role. The lyrics focus on the change happening, or not happening, in the world around us. John's songs have been called cynical, pessimistic, and funny. He currently has been focussing on writing more optimistic songs though.

Going on a decade ago, there were a couple of college-aged friends who liked to sit around the Fan and pick bluegrass instruments. They enjoyed playing the Beatles ‘She Came In Through the Bathroom Window’ as much as they liked playing the Seldom Scene’s ‘C&O Canal.’ There were virtually no bounds to the tunes they chose to pluck through and learn, and there was a geniality to the playing and the comradery. Those two guys were Stephen Kuester and Travis Rinehart, now the heart of the highly regarded regional bluegrass band, Jackass Flats. Back then, these were just two fellows with tremendous voices, each his own, who enjoyed music for music’s sake. Well, look at them now. After gaining a substantial regional following, and playing venues as esteemed as the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Jackass Flats has just released Purgatory Mountain, a driving, dynamic record of all ORIGINAL bluegrass. I cannot overstate how important it is for young bluegrass bands to be writing/releasing new material. Fans of the genre are direly disserved by being forced to listen to another version of ‘Rocky Top,’ ‘John Hardy,’ or the ‘Freebird’ of bluegrass, ‘Orange Blossom Special.’ With Purgatory Mountain, Jackass Flats joins the ranks of King Wilkie, Old School Freight Train, and the Hackensaw Boys (the first two made us proud by playing MerleFest this year) as central Virginia’s up-and-comers on the National bluegrass scene. Each band has a signature style, and Jackass Flats leans on their exceptional vocals, strong fiddle playing by Dennis Elliott (warms my heart!), and diverse songwriting to put them near or AT the head of the pack. Kuester and Rinehart write all of the band’s material, typically solo, and with their unique talents, each brings a different spice that adds to what becomes a fine aural stew of an album. Vocally and instrumentally, Rinehart (banjo) is the Ralph to Kuester’s (guitar) Carter Stanley. This is not to compare their music to the Stanley’s, but to use the analogy of two opposite voices blending to make a music all it’s own. Rinehart’s is the high lonesome voice that could peel paint, and Ruester’s is the midrangey, warm one (think a gutsy James Taylor). Rinehart wrote the title cut, the wailing instrumental, ‘Purgatory Mountain,’ and Kuester wrote such storytelling standouts as ‘Freedom Song’ and ‘Murder Ballad.’ All told, with nice touches of fiddle, dobro, and a thumping doghouse bass, this young band of mighty marauders blend mountain style and new grass to form a sound that is quite appealing to these ears. Here’s to the success of local music, and here’s hoping that Jackass Flats makes the Ryman stage a standard setting for their shows, for years to come.

The Farewell Drifters, a group of inspired young musicians from Nashville, mix their influences from older folk traditions with a fresh approach to lyrical content and musical form, bringing elements of bluegrass, country, folk, and even pop and rock into their unique sound. Songwriters Joshua Britt and Zach Bevill, who play mandolin and guitar respectively, together with Trevor Brandt on banjo, Clayton Britt on lead guitar, and Ryan Pennington on bass, create a brilliantly clear harmony of music and vocals that exhibits a deep respect for the styles that inspired the group. Drifting from Monroe Brothers style duets to the sonic sounds of the Beach Boys and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, the group always focuses on playing songs with great precision and poise. While bluegrass remains their main expressive vehicle, other influences, such as Clarence White, Gram Parsons, and even Bob Dylan, appear consistently in the Drifters’ sound as the group maintains a stylistic freedom that gives their music a youthful sense of adventure. Intensifying their popularity on the scene with each new performance, The Farewell Drifters are sure to entertain traditional bluegrass fans and folk enthusiasts alike.

Charlottesville, Virginia's Pine Radio creates a unique brand of American roots music. With influences in Rock, Country, Bluegrass and Jazz they have no intention of leaving any listener behind.

Fresh from their phenomenal win in this year’s A Prairie Home Companion nationwide music talent search, Kagey Parrish and Laura Wortman are gaining recognition as one of the country’s leading twenty-something singer/songwriting teams. Performing on stage, The Honey Dewdrops’ “sweet kind of melancholy” echoes traditional American folk styles while reflecting the more modern sounds of country and rock. When it comes to composing, the duo strives for “relevant, meaningful songs.” Their tunes and words are efficient and simple, drawing from the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where they live. Surrounded by this richness of old-time blues and bluegrass, Wortman and Parrish excel in “tight” harmonies and “thoughtful” (one reviewer called it “spectacular”) instrumentation. The Honey Dewdrops are in demand for personal appearances and, shortly after being heard by millions on National Public Radio, they put final touches on their first EP. “Two voices and two guitars,” Wortman explains, “allow us to place primary emphasis on balancing the real tones produced from acoustic instruments with (but never overtaking) our own voices.” Wortman sings without affectation, cultivating a gentle but serious approach that leads her right to the heart of a song. When Parrish joins in on harmonies, his natural voice pleases and warms. It is this blending that allows them to say, virtually in unison, “We like to feel like old friends playing in your living room.”

Since their inception, Tom & Emily have headlined their own shows as well as opened shows for Richard Shindell, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Catie Curtis and John & Mary, formerly of 10,000 Maniacs. Their first CD, Pancake Mamma, was recorded at Greenwood Studio with the help of Jeff Romano. It contains 12 of Tom's original compositions and one co-written with Emily. Tom acquired a 1958 J-45 Gibson to add to his collection and Emily picked up an Explorer bass. Both instruments are featured heavily on the CD. Tom has received much praise for his songwriting and has begun to co-lead songwriting workshops locally. Pancake Mamma is a wonderful representation of their musicianship, passion and humor.

"Joia Wood has one of those miraculous voices which can bowl you over even at its most delicate whisper, and lull you even at its stormiest torrent . A true siren who will capture you with the effortlessness with which her voice can express every facet of the human heart."--Danny Schmidt

" … few bands have produced instrumental virtuosos who can follow the lead of newgrass icons like Sam Bush, Tony Rice and David Grisman … The Waybacks, on the other hand, feature hot pickers who are destined to become revered new-acousticians, thanks to their individual solo styles and the band's novel and irreverent tenor." --Scott Nygaard, ACOUSTIC GUITAR MAGAZINE

ASSOCIATED PRESS: Smither is an American original, a product of the musical melting pot, and one of the absolute best singer-songwriters in the world.

ROLLING STONE: Bathed in the flickering glow of passing headlights and neon bar signs, Smither's roots are as blue as they come. There is plenty of misty Louisiana and Lightnin' Hopkins in Smither's weathered singing and unhurried picking. So fine.

WIRED: The masterful combination of pure folk songwriting and intricate guitar blues are tangible signs of the singer-songwriter's vigorous genius. A megawatt solo performer.