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NEW YORK | LOS ANGELES | MIDDLEBURY
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Andy Friedman Andy Friedman may be better known for his regular cartoon contributions to The New Yorker, but the songs written by this "hard scrabble singer-songwriter" (Time Out New York) aren’t written for laughs. "Friedman has a mastery of wordy self-loathing that many white dudes with guitars would kill for," says Nashville Scene. The release of his second album, 2009's Weary Things, has garnered widespread critical praise along with appearances on NPR's Mountain Stage and XM's Bob Edwards Show. Friedman tours nationally with his two distinctly different backing bands-- The Other Failures and The Golden Winners-- performing at seedy dives, fancy listening rooms, and everything in between. |
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Anne Heaton Anne Heaton's intriguing blend of musical styles is a reflection of a curious mind. Boston-based (Chicago native) Heaton once thought she would be a philosophy professor and turned down a classical piano performance scholarship offer from Berklee because-- as she said in a New York Times Online interview-- it was too inhibiting and exact. Her first release-- Black Notebook (2002) was the "Top DIY Pick" from Performing Songwriter Magazine and started a buzz in the folk circuit that has carried her forward through subsequent critically acclaimed offerings and non-stop touring ins support of the likes of Melissa Ferrick, HEM, Jill Sobule, The Pernice Brothers, Catie Curtis, Jennifer Kimball, Jonatha Brooke, Edie Carey and many more, as well as a West Coast tour with Jewel. With a rapidly growing fan base, Heaton has an ambitious tour schedule that will have her criss-crossing North America for the remainder of 2009. |
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Clinton Curtis Clinton Curtis grew up between Jamaica and Key West, the son of musicians, reggae dancehall owners and Jamaican music promoters and managers. As a kid, he played with and learned from some of the Jamaican giants - Gregory Isaacs, Desmond Dekker and Roots Explosion.
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Wisebird This four piece (bass, drums, guitar, keys) got their start in Utah and Colorado before moving to Austin, TX. Their affinity for the diverse roots of American music is clearly demonstrated in their recordings and at their raucous live shows. From their up-tempo, second line rhythms and gospel stomps to gritty funk and swampy Southern rock, Wisebird's sound earns easy-- but well-deserved-- comparison's to Black Crowes, Allman Brothers and Little Feat. Wisebird is geared up to tackle the Southeastern U.S. now, while growing their presence in the Mountain Region and on the West Coast. |
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Yarn Yarn owes as much to Gram Parsons and Earl Scruggs as to Jerry Garcia and Exile On Main Street-era Rolling Stones. Following in a fine tradition that includes forward thinking roots bands like The Flying Burrito Brothers, New Riders of The Purple Sage and Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Yarn weaves roots musical idioms into a fresh, exciting sound that turns on hipsters and country fans alike. Edie Brickell, anticipating a performance with Yarn, summed it up: "I'm excited to get to sing with this band. they have a lot of heart and soul." Yarn gotten a bit of buzz and excited international press about their last release, Empty Pockets, which has been in the national AMA charts since October 2008 (reaching #5) and made the Ballot for the 2009 Grammy Awards in several categories. |
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Zach Deputy With family roots in Puerto Rico and St. Croix, Zach Deputy is a songwriter, guitar wizard and a soulful singer with a 4+ octave vocal range. He is also a master of the live looping technique. The Zach Deputy sound is essentially roots rock, but in his case the roots are in soul, calypso and dancehall, underpinned by driving hip-hop, rock steady, Motown and Stax backbeats created with his layered, vocal beatboxing. On top of the backbeat, Deputy’s nylon strings pull multiple duties as bass, rhythm and lead guitar. Riding over that, a plethora of sounds-- keyboard, steel drums and an entire horn section-- are created with live loops (no pre-recorded tracks, samples or trickery). The result is a vibrant, high energy, one man musical experience that sounds like a full band, which Zach calls "dance music for the soul". |
