 |
               
|
|
Big Sam's Funky Nation
In New Orleans, a city indisputably overflowing with funk, the distinct honor of Best Funk Group of 2008 was awarded to Big Sam's Funky Nation at the 2009 Big Easy Music Awards. For the past several years, Big Sam's Funky Nation has been a driving force of urban funk.
|
|
|
Josh Charles
Josh Charles may have won the ultimate endorsement for a New Orleans style singer/pianist: that of New Orleans’ great musical ambassador, blues/jazz legend Dr. John. Charles became a protégé of Dr. John at the age of 14, incorporating much of his mentor’s style and philosophy into his own musicianship.
|
|
|
Farewell Drifters
With their shimmering harmonies, gently propulsive acoustic instrumentation, and disarmingly honest songwriting, the Farewell Drifters have arrived at an engaging, inventive musical hybrid all their own – pure, but not so simple; accessible and welcoming, yet highly personal.
|
|
|
Grupo Fantasma
Known as the funkiest and hardest working Latin orchestra to come out of the United States in the last decade, Grupo Fantasma has garnered critical acclaim worldwide for their adventurous albums, prudent songwriting and unprecedented live shows.
|
|
|
Raul Midón
New York-based vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Raul Midón unleashes a silky, soulful tenor and dazzling percussive guitar style — a syncopated, flamenco- and jazz-infused approach in which bass, harmony, and melodic lines emanate from the fretboard in one slap-happy storm.
|
|
|
Bottle Rockets
The Bottle Rockets do what few other bands can pull off — craft populist anthems with the sympathetic eye of Woody Guthrie and sonic stomp of Crazy Horse. In fact, their songs demand the windows be rolled down and the volume turned up.
|
|
|
Moreland & Arbuckle
Guitarist Aaron Moreland and harpist/vocalist Dustin Arbuckle have spent nearly a decade exploring the edges of American roots music. In the process they have forged a relentless and haunting sound that merges Delta blues, folk, rock, traditional country, soul and numerous other echoes and murmurs from an infinitely layered musical narrative that spans more than a century.
|
|
|
Plants and Animals
Like a distant Canadian cousin of Blitzen Trapper, this three-piece spins shaggy songs into expansive, genre-bending symphonies. Plants and Animals’ first release, Parc Avenue, is a sprawling collection of rootsy melodies, majestic arrangements, and classic rock riffs that owes as much to jam-band psychedelia and it does to delicately orchestrated chamber-folk.
|
|
|
Hot Club of Cowtown
From the bright lights of the Grand Ol' Opry to the UK's Glastonbury Festival, the Hot Club of Cowtown has ascended from its unlikely beginnings in NYC's East Village a decade ago to become the premier ambassador of hot jazz and Western swing through sheer tenacity, virtuosity and the unstoppable power of their breathtaking live show.
|
|
|
Black 47
Based in New York City, Black 47 is often described as a Celtic rock band though they use many different influences in their music, including Reggae, Hip Hop, Jazz, Lower East Side Noise and other sounds from the streets of New York City.
|
|
|
Civil Twilight
Originally hailing from Cape Town, South Africa, Civil Twilight is a power trio that draws parallels to Muse, Pilot Speed, and other like-minded bands with impassioned vocals and stirring, alt-rock songcraft.
|
|
|
Warren Hood
Warren Hood is an accomplished musician who plays violin, fiddle, mandolin, and composes and sings as well. He lives in Austin, Texas and performs with his local band, Warren Hood and the Hoodlums, in a blend of jazz/blues/newgrass acoustic fusion of music.
|
|
|
Carolina Chocolate Drops
The Carolina Chocolate Drops are an old-time string band from Durham, North Carolina, United States. Formed in November 2005 following the members' attendance at the Black Banjo Gathering in Boone, North Carolina, the group is one of the few remaining African American string bands.
|
|
|
Katie Herzig
In 2006, after several years of fronting the critically acclaimed Colorado-based band, Newcomers Home, Katie Herzig moved to Nashville to strike it solo. Before leaving Colorado, she single-handedly recorded and produced Weightless, a tour-de-force of innovative sonics and songwriting.
|
|
|
Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion
Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion began performing together as an acoustic duo in the fall of 2000. Their music combined Irion's love of rock and blues with Guthrie's roots of folk and country. Guthrie is the youngest daughter of folksinger Arlo Guthrie and the granddaughter of Woody Guthrie.
|
|
|
The Lost Fingers
An acoustic trio, the Lost Fingers from Quebec City, Canada are known for their love of classic gypsy jazz and '80s pop hits. Their shows were a blending of both styles, with the band covering 80’s hits as well as playing homage to such jazz legends as Django Reinhardt.
|
|
|
|
|
|