Using entire shows from the Grateful Dead’s decades of touring as a launching pad, Dark Star Orchestra recreates song for song performances straight from historic set lists. Not merely mimicking the Dead, DSO instead seeks the individual style of each era and offers its own interpretations and improvisations for a group famed and loved for their interpretations and improvisations.

Having just celebrated their 13th anniversary of touring worldwide to the tune of over 1900 shows, Dark Star Orchestra’s determined commitment to ‘raising the Dead’ has drawn them much critical acclaim. It’s really about the sound that’s created.

It’s about a sense of familiarity. It’s about a feeling that grabs listeners and takes over. It’s about a contagious energy: it’s about the experience.

Dark Star Orchestra has been delivering this experience to old and new Grateful Dead fans since 1997, after guitarist John Kadlecik contacted keyboardist Scott Larned with a concept — performing complete Grateful Dead shows from out of the band’s long touring history. When Scott mentioned having the same idea, John knew they were on to something.

The newly formed Dark Star Orchestra secured four Tuesday night gigs at Martyrs’ in Chicago. The first night, November 11, 1997, saw only 78 people, but by the fourth week they had sold out the room. One year later, on the eve of their first anniversary, Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman of Phish joined the band at Martyrs’ after their own show in Chicago. Fishman sat in for the majority of the evening, which included a rollicking drum section with four percussionists!

The ensuing buzz caused national interest in the band. That winter, their Colorado tour sold out almost every performance, their MP3 website was getting millions of hits and everyone wanted to know how they got their sound so precise. The Washington Post declared them “the hottest Grateful Dead tribute act going” and USA Today raved that DSO was “channeling the Dead.” Dark Star Orchestra had arrived.

darkstarorchestra.net

Yonder Mountain String Band has always played music by its own set of rules.  Bending bluegrass, rock and countless other influences that the band cites, Yonder has pioneered a sound of their own.  With their traditional lineup of  instruments, the band may look like a traditional bluegrass band at first glance but they’ve created their own music that transcends any genre.  Dave Johnston points out “What could be more pure than making your own music.”  Yonder’s sound cannot be classified purely as “bluegrass” or “string music” but rather it’s an original sound created from “looking at music from [their] own experiences and doing the best job possible.”  The band continues to play by their own rules on their new record The Show.

yondermountain.com

On February 24th Yonder Mountain String Band will be performing at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC. Prior to the show, please join us for a St. Baldrick’s Foundation benefit. St. Baldrick’s is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. The event is from 4-5PM at “Pulp” in The Orange Peel and the cost is $20 at the door. Longtime Yonder fan Tom Clinge will be shaving & donating his hair for the cause. The band will be on hand for a meet n’ greet so come out for this great cause!

stbaldricks.org

Yonder Mountain String Band has always played music by its own set of rules.  Bending bluegrass, rock and countless other influences that the band cites, Yonder has pioneered a sound of their own.  With their traditional lineup of  instruments, the band may look like a traditional bluegrass band at first glance but they’ve created their own music that transcends any genre.  Dave Johnston points out “What could be more pure than making your own music.”  Yonder’s sound cannot be classified purely as “bluegrass” or “string music” but rather it’s an original sound created from “looking at music from [their] own experiences and doing the best job possible.”  The band continues to play by their own rules on their new record The Show.

yondermountain.com

Simon Green a.k.a “Bonobo” has always been an expert at welding together music dripping with atmosphere, combining his own musical and technical talents in such a way as to make utterly organic-sounding machine music. This is not just a knob-twiddling producer but a multi-instrumentalist at work, who writes, plays and then manipulates almost every note of music he releases.

Over the last couple of years, Bonobo has become one of the premier artists on the Ninja Tune imprint and certainly one of the most listened to, with over 16 million plays recorded on LastFM. His combination of superb live shows and studio wizardry means that he is now perfectly placed to push on into a yet bigger league.

bonobomusic.com

Paper Tiger is the meeting of two alter-egos who relish in the space where inhibitions die and art is made. They are inspired by sounds, instruments, vinyl records and ideas that otherwise may never connect. Beautiful Asheville NC, is their home. They love the city, they love nature, they draw inspiration from both. They recycle. This is a short version of their story.

In the beginning, there was a jazz singer who met a DJ/producer. They shared a mutual love of Radiohead and collaborated on their own cover version of “Fake Plastic Trees”. Although both MINGLE (one half of a duo) and RubySlippers (one third of a trio) were working with other projects, they felt a spark in their new creation and began to write and record their own material.

Paper Tiger has hit a stride in creating original lounge/trip hop, and are quickly establishing themselves as a duo in the Asheville music scene. They’ve opened for the likes of King Britt, NOMO, Bonobo, Mark Farina, and Brooklyn electronic musician Eliot Lipp. They were featured in POPAsheville 2008 & 2009 as well as LAAFF (the Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival) 2008 &2010 , Bele Chere, and showcased at the MOOG Foundation CD Release party at the Orange Peel. The duo’s song Folded Laundry is featured on Lunch Video Magazine #16. In 2008, RubySlippers & MINGLE won the electronic category in the Earth Day Asheville Contest. They played the first Asheville MoogFest this past Halloween

www.facebook.com/papertigermusic

The phenomenon known as Sublime, arguably the most energetic, original and uniquely eclectic band to emerge from any scene, anywhere, ended with the untimely death of lead singer, guitarist and songwriter Brad Nowell in May of 1996. But encompassing the sense of place and purpose long associated with Sublime’s music, Badfish, a Tribute to Sublime continues to channel the spirit of Sublime with a fury not felt for some time. What separates Badfish from other tribute bands is that they have replicated Sublime’s essence, developing a scene and dedicated following most commonly reserved for label-driven, mainstream acts. Badfish make their mark on the audience by playing with the spirit of Sublime. They perform not as Sublime would have, or did, but as Badfish does.

badfish.com

The Los Angeles-based post-grunge seven-piece Flogging Molly are an interesting mix of traditional Irish music and spunky punk rock. Former Fastway acoustic guitarist/frontman and Dublin native Dave King formed the band with fiddle player Bridget Regan, guitarist Dennis Casey, accordion player (and former pro skateboarder) Matt Hensley, bassist Nathen Maxwell, drummer George Schwindt, and mandolinist Bob Schmidt. Getting their start playing regularly at the L.A. bar Molly Malones, Flogging Molly eventually took their music to the road; their explosive and passionate live show was the heart of the band, after all, and the band toured relentlessly around the world throughout their career. Their rowdy folk-rock punk revival sound has been compared to the likes of other Irish bands such as the Pogues and Black 47, but the raucous septet opted for its own unique brashness that defied genre lines.

floggingmolly.com

David Earl Tomlinson is among Asheville, North Carolina’s more soulful singers and performers. Cutting his teeth as the token white guy singing gospel in the Kuumba and David Band, David Earl quickly gained a reputation as one to watch. As the Kuumba and David Band gave way to The Plowshares the focus switched to David Earl‘s very strong original material. The 2008 EP ‘Local Anesthesia‘ was rated the 17th favorite regional release by the listeners of the local NPR station WNCW, and the band was among performers featured in a 2009 Summer primer of bands not to miss in WNC Magazine. After a short hiatus David Earl is back with an extended original rock and roll setlist and band with phenomenal talent and experience.

reverbnation.com/davidearlandtheplowshares

Lotus has crafted a unique musical style outside of simple genre limitations. On a given weekend the band could be the only group with guitars at an all electronic music festival and then the next night crash a traditional rock festival with their dance heavy beats, synths and samples. Equal parts instrumental post-rock and electronic dance, the band’s distinguishing feature is the ability to maintain a decidedly unique musical voice and remain current while bucking passing trends.

No matter what the venue, the energetic joy and catharsis of a Lotus show is infectious. The band slowly built a devoted fan base through steady touring and the crowds have grown at an increasing pace. This grassroots growth has made the band in high demand for festivals including Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Ultra, and Rothbury and earned the band sold out shows at the country’s premier theatres and clubs.

lotusvibes.com

GALAXC GIRL # THA DUB BROTHAZ # QUETZATL

GRAVITON PROJECT # JOHAN ESS # BETTY TOKER

with special guests
MOLLY from Paper Tiger
DAVE MCDERMOTT
(SIC) IMAGES
and more

Wondrous multi-media environment with mind bending visuals and cosmic decor. Wear your crunkest attire and come ready to get down to the dankest dubstep, future bass and psychedelic crunk!

Evan Griffith Dando formed The Lemonheads with two high school buddies in late winter ’86, in their senior year at Boston’s tiny Commonwealth School. A few months later, they spawned what is now one of the most sought-after punk relics of the 80s, the indie EP Laughing All the Way to the Cleaners. Boston-based Taang! Records immediately picked up on The Lemonheads, with three college radio pleasers to follow: the LPs Hate Your Friends (1987), Creator (1988), and Lick (1989). In 1990 Atlantic Records took notice of the massively expanding Lemonheads fanbase in Europe (where they toured in 1989) and America by signing the band and releasing their well-received (in Cambridge, Massachusetts) fourth LP, Lovey.

Even by this time, The Lemonheads lineup had been volatile: more than a dozen different configurations over a period of just five years, all sorts of bit parts and reshuffles, with Dando as the only constant. At one point it got so confusing that an ex-drummer, just a week after getting kicked of the group, answered The Lemonheads‘ ad to replace himself. By a conservative estimate, the band has had more than ten bass players and at least a dozen drummers over the years.

http://www.thelemonheads.net/

Melissa Hyman is a cellist and singer based in Asheville, NC whose songs and stage presence radiate warmth and humor. With a deep, jazz-inflected voice and soft-worn sound, she is often compared to Norah Jones. Her lyrics are both surprising and relatable, with broad appeal: Hyman‘s 2009 recording debut Mama Loves You includes songs about lost love, traveling blues and cowardly dragons.

Through the positivity and thoughtful honesty of her music, Melissa Hyman has found a growing and devoted fan base. She has honed her stagecraft with nearly two years of nonstop touring, playing at venues large and small throughout the eastern US, and she continues to tour the Southeast regularly. A versatile songwriter and performer, she shares her infectious joy in music with audiences of all ages.

reverbnation.com/melissahyman

Combining an array of influences and a diverse musical background, Two Fresh’s sound is difficult to describe but impossible to ignore. Built on a foundation of instrumental hip hop, their music seamlessly incorporates elements of sampling, a tight low end and catchy synth lines, with a strong beat always at the cornerstone. On stage, audiences are treated to the addition of Colby Buckler, regarded as one of the strongest drummers in the live electronic music scene today. This energetic trio continues to bring exciting new performances to crowds across the country as their sound naturally evolves. twofreshbeats.com

The dubstep electronic genre has emerged as a force in the United States, and no one embodies its momentum more than San Jose based artist NiT GriT. One of the most prolific and hardworking of the new field of dubstep/grime performers, his current music was formed in his home turf of the Bay area from a background in glitch, idm, and breakcore, and is set apart by its soulfulness and melody. True to the trend towards dramatic entrances in so many of the new fraternity of sensational dubstep artists, NiT GriT burst on the scene with his first show in March 2010 in a co-billing with Excision. nitgrit.com

In the beginning, a father passed away and a child was born. Luther and Cody Dickinson lost their father, Memphis music legend Jim Dickinson, only months before Luther became one. Jim had always told them, “You need to be playing music together. You are better together than you will ever be apart.” Coincidentally, the Dickinson brothers were not together when Jim passed. At that moment, they were both off on their own, Luther with The Black Crowes and Cody with the Hill Country Revue. So in the spring of 2010, the North Mississippi Allstars reformed and went into the Zebra Ranch, the family’s recording studio where they had spent countless hours together with their dad, to create a record that could help them cope with the loss, and, at the same time, rejoice in his honor. The first line of Jim’s self-written eulogy was, “I refuse to celebrate death.” Luther, Cody and Chris Chew took heed and aimed to celebrate life instead; and the songs for the new record, Keys To The Kingdom (Songs of the South), came pouring out of their souls.

nmallstars.com

Just Die!   Zombie Queen   Pleasures Of The Ultraviolent

*With every pair of MUTEMATH tickets purchased online, you’ll receive a digital copy of MUTEMATH’s new album ‘Odd Soul’ as well a special instrumental version of the album and a behind the scenes video of the making of ‘Blood Pressure’ video. Ticket purchasers will receive instructions via email on how to redeem their digital albums and video file within 3-5 business days after their order.

Primarily written and recorded at singer/keyboardist’s Paul Meany’s New Orleans, Louisiana home, MUTEMATH’s new album Odd Soul is the band’s third studio release and their first self-produced effort.  After the departure of longtime guitarist Greg Hill, Meany, bassist Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas and drummer Darren King were staring at a crossroad as they pondered how to move forward. “As we began to work on songs, we quickly realized that having fewer people in the creative process was better.  Roy’s a great guitar player, and we all started feeding off of this new inspiration for the kind of record we could make… all we needed was to be left alone until we got there.”

There’s a spontaneity and spark to all of the songs on Odd Soul that’s unmistakable, something Meany credits to the fact of starting the recording process right after working on their 2010 DVD Armistice Live. “We really wanted to just cut to the chase on this album and compose music that would work for us on stage. We were craving more high-spirited music for this album so any song idea that came close to depressing got nixed,” he continues. “We’re not good at being dark so we wanted to see how far we could go into creating something glaringly bright.”

mutemath.com

While economic uncertainty and political upheaval define the global landscape on a broad scale, expect HENRY to bring the human (and often humorous) side to light during The Long March as he shares stories from the road less traveled – including recent visits to North Korea, Mongolia, Bhutan, Vietnam, India, Tibet, Sudan, Uganda, Haiti and Cuba.

HENRY’s relentless globetrotting to far-flung and often misunderstood corners of the globe is also the focus of his latest book, Occupants (Chicago Review Press), his first book of photos from his travels. Penetrating observations and incisive essays accompany the photos, as HENRY juxtaposes the disturbing legacy of war and conflict with the hope, bravery, and kindness of humans around the world; the tragic effects of hunger and poverty with the strength and beauty of those living in dire circumstances.

henryrollins.com

Two brothers decide to form a band, adapting the blues, folk and other roots-music sounds they loved as kids into their own evocative sound and twining their voices in the sort of high-lonesome harmony blend for which sibling singers are often renowned. While that’s not a terribly unusual story, the Wood Brothers took a twisty path to their ultimate collaboration. Indeed, they pursued separate projects for some 15 years before joining forces.

You wouldn’t necessarily gather this fact from listening to Smoke Ring Halo (Southern Ground), the duo’s third full-length album – their musical chemistry has never felt more profound. Oliver Wood (guitar, vocals) and Chris Wood (bass, vocals, harmonica) refine their rich, spacious sound on songs like the rousing opener “Mary Anna,” the back-porch-funky “Shoofly Pie,” the waltz-time plaint “Pay Attention,” the elegiac title track, the gospel-inflected “Made It Up the Mountain” and more.

thewoodbros.com

After a one-album sojourn away from their band-built recording studio Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog returned home to Meth Beach to self-produce their latest collection of gloriously ramshackle rock ‘n’ roll reveries. Out February 7, Be The Void (Dr. Dog’s second release on Anti-Records) showcases the critically adored band’s renewed commitment to cultivating a stripped-down live sound. “This record comes from our pushing toward a rawer, more powerful, somewhat jittery competence,” explains guitarist-vocalist Scott McMicken. “We drew a lot of inspiration from soul music and the Rolling Stones and the Velvet Underground—music that’s got its roots in live expression rather than that studio-perfected sort of vibe.”

While Be The Void bears the same style of scrappy yet hook-packed rock served up by Dr. Dog for more than a decade, the six-member outfit (McMicken, bassist-vocalist Toby Leaman, rhythm guitarist Frank McElroy, keyboardist Zach Miller, drummer Eric Slick and multi-instrumentalist Dimitri Manos) seems newly emboldened by its deepened devotion to a bare-bones aesthetic. A marked departure from the soaring pop of 2010’s Shame, Shame, the album also finds Dr. Dog revitalized by the recent addition of Slick (who’s previously played with Ween, Adrian Belew, and Project Object) and Manos (also a member of Arizona-based alt-country band Golden Boots).

Recorded in the summer of 2011, Be The Void seizes that vibrant spirit and transforms it into a 12-track song selection that’s at turns deadly catchy and dance-worthy (the shuffling swagger of “Big Girl”), wistful and bittersweet (the lovely, languid sigh of “Get Away”), and earthy-earnest (the twangy troubadour folk of “Turning the Century”). Though each track feels richly textured and intricately layered, the band made a conscious effort to keep the recording process fast and loose. “We worked quicker and trusted our gut more than ever before, and at times it was scary and almost panic-inducing,” says McMicken. “All of a sudden you’d be aware of a feeling like, ‘This is really working, so don’t mess it up.’ And then the song ends and your heart’s pounding and you realize you haven’t taken a breath in three minutes. It was like riding a rollercoaster and wishing you could get right back on again.” As a result of that newfound abandon and surrender to intuition, “there’s so much on the record that I could never have imagined us being able to come up with,” McMicken adds.

Perhaps the album’s most epic moment, “Warrior Man” makes for one of Be The Void’s most thrilling surprises. Both sprawling and beautifully bombastic, the track attacks with lead-heavy beats, pseudo-futuristic sound effects, and psychedelic back-up harmonies. “‘Warrior Man’ was born out of a joke—it started as some silly phrase that Toby was singing, then turned into a jam, and ultimately became this monster of a tune that was recorded live,” says McMicken. “Everything about its origin reflects that freedom and confidence to own a weird idea and just let it live.”

Another deviation from Dr. Dog’s more summery and sleepy material, “Vampire” slaps a snarling guitar riff against ragged, howling vocals that perfectly capture the song’s pained refrain about love gone evil (“You’re a vampire, baby/No reflection at all”). “Heavy Light,” meanwhile, mutates from a percussion-driven dream-pop pastiche to shimmering piano ballad to freewheeling experiment in blissed-out psychedelia—all in just three minutes and 41 seconds.

All throughout Be The Void, Dr. Dog delights in a playfulness that lends a refreshingly oddball feel even to the record’s more true-to-form tracks. “These Days,” for instance, backs its bouncy bassline with a dizzying swirl of sunny guitars, while the handclapping and hollering on the album-opening “Lonesome” help twist a downer of a refrain (“What does it take to be lonesome? Nothing at all”) into a sweetly anthemic stomper of a song.

At the same time, Dr. Dog’s rugged, rough-and-tumble disposition and razor-sharp wit preclude Be The Void from ever nearing mindless whimsy. Possibly the album’s most deceptively breezy offering, “That Old Black Hole” sets its sly lyrics (“Take this thorn from my side/Fix this chip on my shoulder/Time is racing with the clock/And I ain’t getting any older”) to a smoldering groove that turns frenetic and urgent in the song’s final seconds. By the same token, the disarmingly desperate “Do The Trick” pairs its woozy disco beat with a barrage of flirty wordplay that’s relentlessly clever (“I’ve burnt the candle on every side/I’ve long since run out of wick/Will you be my flame tonight?/Will you do the trick?”).

The first album recorded away from Meth Beach, Dr. Dog’s 2010 Anti- debut teamed up the band with Rob Schnapf (a producer who had previously worked with Elliott Smith, Beck, and Guided By Voices). Although that partnership yielded the much-acclaimed Shame, Shame, the band opted against bringing in an outside co-producer again for Be The Void. “We did try out a few songs with another producer, but we then we stepped back and asked ourselves, ‘Do we really need that?’” recalls McMicken. “Part of our growing aesthetic is to find the simplest approach that works best, and the decision to produce this one ourselves was sort of the first gesture toward recognizing our confidence in our experience and ability and sense of playfulness.” Indeed, that dedication to keeping it playful was key to shaping the sound on Be The Void, says Leaman. “Back when Scott and I first started making music together, there was a period of time when we just recorded and recorded constantly—just for our own pleasure, not even to try to get shows or anything,” he says. “Making this album felt like that again. It was like we were just putting a bunch of tunes together, just to have a good time.”

drdogmusic.com

A native of Syracuse, New York, Martin Sexton grew up in the 80′s, uninterested in the sounds of the day, and fueled his dreams on the timeless sounds of classic rock and roll. Sexton eventually migrated to Boston, where he began to build his following singing on the streets of Harvard Square and gradually working his way through the scene. His 1992 collection of self-produced demo recordings, In The Journey, was recorded on an old 8-track in a friend’s attic. He managed to sell 20,000 copies out of his guitar case busking. In 2010 his latest studio release, Sugarcoating, finds this one-of-a-kind-troubadour doing what he does best: locating larger truths within the specific details of the life he’s living. In November of 2010 NBC anchor Brian Williams interviews Sexton about life, music and sugarcoating.

“His intense and soulful voice stands head and shoulders above his modern Folk-Rock contemporaries.” – Rolling Stone

“He is in full command of his talents: an explosive falsetto, an unusual guitar technique that incorporates heavy bass, and his electric guitar0like vocal soloing.” – Acoustic Guitar

“Martin Sexton is a down-home virtuoso with a voice that can groan like an alternative rocker, slide like a soul man or leap up to a pearly falsetto.” – The New York Times

martinsexton.com

gomeztheband.com

When he’s not busy writing for television, performing with his sketch group Derrick Comedy, or acting on the NBC comedy Community, Donald Glover somehow finds the time to make beats and rap as his alter ego, Childish Gambino. The project started as Glover‘s pragmatic solution to finding someone to rhyme over the beats he had been making in his spare time, and then began to take on a life of its own.

Childish Gambino has emerged as one of the premiere young talents in music. A unique blend of hip-hop with elements of multiple genres, combined with lyrical genius, Gambino has gone from a viral cult following to a mega sensation. Childish Gambino has released two mixtapes,” I Am Just A Rapper” and “I Am Just A Rapper 2” and in 2010 released his first full length original material album entitled “Culdesac” which received critical and public acclaim. In March 2011, Childish Gambino released an untitled EP that featured the hit “Freaks and Geeks“. Most recently, Childish Gambino wrapped the sold out I AM DONALD TOUR and played to over 10,000 people at the Bonnaroo Music Festival listed as one of the top five acts to see at the festival by “Spin Magazine.” Childish Gambino is recently released his much anticipated full length album, “Camp.”

iamdonald.com

Buckethead is one of the most bizarre and enigmatic figures in American underground and experimental music since Parliament-Funkadelic birthed their bevy of cosmic characters in the mid-’70s. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist best known for his virtuosic command of the electric guitar, Buckethead is one of the instrument’s most recognizable contemporary innovators, his rapid-fire riffing, near-robotic fretwork, and idiosyncratic lead lines combining elements of Yngwie Malmsteen, Adrian Belew, Slayer‘s Kerry King, P-Funk‘s Eddie Hazel, and avant-improv artist John Zorn‘s Scud-attack sax abuse. In 2008, he realeased Bolt On Neck, a collaboration called Frankenstein Brothers with That 1 Guy. As the one-man band known as That 1 Guy, Mike Silverman plays an instrument of his own invention, which he calls “the magic pipe.” After growing frustrated with other instruments, he designed it over the course of a month spent haunting hardware stores, collecting odd lengths of pipe and tools with the manic fervor of Richard Dreyfuss’ character in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

bucketheadland.com

THE MACHINE, America’s top Pink Floyd show, has forged a 20 year reputation of excellence, extending the legacy of Pink Floyd, while creating another legacy all their own. Over the years, The Machine has touched the hearts and souls of many, selling out theaters, large clubs and casinos across North and Central America, Europe and Asia. They have also appeared at renowned music festivals such as Bonnaroo, Riverbend, Gathering of the Vibes, Buffalo’s Artpark, and Germany’s Rock of Ages.

The New York based band focuses on making every show an authentic Floydian experience for their fans. Known for performing a diverse mix of The Floyd’s extensive 16-album repertoire (complete with faithful renditions of popular hits as well as obscure gems), The Machine’s stellar musicianship, dramatic lighting and video, and their passionate delivery sets them above and beyond the rest.

In the classic tradition, The Machine explores collective improvisation paralleling and even rivaling that of an early 1970’s Pink Floyd mentality. Their use of expanded theatrical elements and elaborate stage displays continues in the spirit of the later Floyd lineups of the 1980’s. The band is also known for recreating entire albums as a part of their show, accepting requests from fans, and for taking an A to Z approach in which one song is played for every letter of the alphabet. Additionally, the quartet has been sharing the stage with full symphony orchestras, including the Atlanta, Detroit, Pittsburgh and San Diego Symphonies.

themachinelive.com

Jake Owen became a star so quickly that he didn’t have time to memorize any Country Music Rule Book – which made it that much easier to toss it out the window.

Guided by sheer musical instinct, a drive for self-improvement and a willingness to experiment, the singer-songwriter has crafted Barefoot Blue Jean Night as one of the most innovative and refreshing country collections of the year. The CD’s title tune is already exploding as the biggest hit of Owen’s career to date.

“I never wanted to be the guy that did everything the way you’re supposed to do it,” says the candid and outgoing music maker. “And that led me to make this record, which I think really represents who I am more than anything I’ve ever recorded. If nothing else happens after this, I can honestly say that I did the absolute best that I can do. I’ve never felt this good about music, or anything in my career, as I do right now.”

jakeowen.net

An ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute band needs glitzy jackets, glittery gloves and 80’s regalia. It must pay studious attention to the intricate details of every original groove and gravity-defying dance step. It must demonstrate a commitment to the unforgettable musical legacy the King of Pop left us. Beyond replaying MJ’s countless hits, an ultimate Michael Jackson tribute band must possess the ability to connect millions of people around the globe with each resurrection of our favorite Michael Jackson songs.

In January of 2004, Who’s Bad mesmerized a standing-room only gathering of friends and pop music lovers at a small nightclub in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. They have since played over 700 shows in numerous countries and now boast the title, “The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band.” Their live performance is a jaw-dropping musical extravaganza that pulls from 3 ½ hours of Michael Jackson’s catalogue and spans four decades of Michael Jackson’s extraordinary music career.

whosbadmusic.com

Formed in Athens, OH, Papadosio has been creating a home at the forefront of live electronica for five years. With a sound defined by unexpected combinations, this quintet has wowed crowds at clubs, theaters, and festivals across the country. The bands songwriting showcases improvisational interludes and refreshing vocal harmonies with an amplified message of transcendence, unity, and universal understanding. Now hailing from Asheville, NC, Papadosio‘s mission is clear: to combine eclectic musical traditions with modern electronica to stir the heart and fuel the mind.

papadosio.com

There’s something panoramic about The Joy Formidable‘s music – their mountainous, fuzzed out riffs and ferocious, earthy rhythms shrouded in ethereal haze. It sounds like where they’re from: Childhood friends Ritzy Bryan (vocals, guitar) and Rhydian Dafydd (bass, vocals) grew up in rural North Wales, surrounded by rolling green hills and little else. “There’s a beauty and a loneliness to the landscape there,” says Dafydd. “We had no neighbors growing up,” Bryan notes. “I think my parents looked for a house with no neighbors so they could play their music as loud as possible.”

“You could compare The Joy Formidable‘s sound to riding a rollercoaster: think dramatic holds followed by hurtling dips and dives that are a thrill to experience, even if you can see them coming a mile off.” – The Guardian

“After a decade that saw Britpop break down into Franz Ferdinandian funk, Arctic Monkeys insolence, and xx-ian austerity, the Joy Formidable project a certain guileless bravado rarely heard since the mid-1990s.” – Pitchfork

thejoyformidable.com

SBTRKT  (pronounced as “subtract”) is the stage name of Aaron Jerome, a musician and producer from London, United Kingdom. SBTRKT began his career as a DJ in the east London club “Plastic People”. SBTRKT has remixed songs by artists such as M.I.A, Radiohead, Modeselektor, Basement Jaxx, Mark Ronson and Underworld, and has released singles, EPs, and a self-titled album. SBTRKT‘s music is a mixture of two-step, UK funky, dubstep, US RnB and Chicago house.

SBTRKT is an alias used to support the concept of anonymity. SBTRKT has explained that he’d “rather not talk about myself as a person, and let the music speak for itself. The name SBTRKT is me taking myself away from that whole process. I’m not a social person, so having to talk to DJs to make them play a record is not something I want to do. It’s more about giving them a record as an anonymous person and seeing whether they like it or not. If they play it, they play it.”

“The mix of shiny vocals with tight, accelerated textures is steeped deep in a glorious combination of two-step, UK funky, dubstep, US RnB and Chicago house.” – BBC Music

sbtrkt.com

DC and Hooks are Zeds Dead. They first hooked up in 2004 and formed Mass Productions. Influenced by the digging in the crates sampling school of hip hop, Mass Productions released one independent album in the summer of 2007 entitled Fresh Beetz. It was their first and only release. In the summer of 2009, the two launched their second collaboration – Zeds Dead – turning up the bpm and aiming the bass-lines at the dance-floor. Soon after Zeds Dead (alongside the Killabits) founded a weekly party in Toronto called BassMentality. Guests have included Nero, Skrillex, 12th Planet, Borgore, Mary Anne Hobbs, Plastician, Netsky, and many more.

whoszed.com

A producer capable of using the Akai Music Production Center (aka the MPC, a drum machine and sampler) on the fly, AraabMuzik was inspired by the likes of Dr. Dre, Swizz Beatz, and Just Blaze but is known to incorporate samples from high-gloss trance singles into his output. The Providence, Rhode Island native creates hard-hitting beats swathed in dramatic strings, spiked with repetitive piano and synthesizer vamps, and switches between stripped-down and layered arrangements to equal effect. During the latter half of the 2000s, he broke into the Dipset camp, where he contributed productions to tracks by the Diplomats, Duke Da God, Jim Jones, Cam’ron, andVado, and he went outside the crew to assist Capone-N-Noreaga on 2010’s The War Report 2. The same year, he issued a mixtape of instrumentals, a volume in the Instrumental Kings series, and followed it in 2011 with Electronic Dream — a dance album featuring samples of tracks by Jam & Spoon, Ian van Dahl, and Kaskade.

araabmuzikmvp.com

It began as a party, grew into a band, evolved into a sound, and emerged as an institution. Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band (aka the Booty Band) has gone through many changes since their fated onset in 2002. Today they are ready to shake the world, one cheek at a time.

The band’s first official studio release, Now You Know, debuted in 2007 to critical acclaim. The Booty Band received Home Grown Music Network’s Album of the Year and Band of the Year awards, as well as the #3 best regional album from WNCW, one of the top Triple A stations in the country. Awe-inspiring live shows, powerful original compositions, and crowd-pleasing presentations have helped the Booty Band build a rock-solid nationwide fanbase. Having completed three national tours in 2010 alone, the band has worked hard and done well to keep this fanbase fired up and growing fast. They have secured headlining slots at many prestigious festivals including Wakarusa, Jam Cruise, Bear Creek, Jazz Aspen, Long Beach Funk Fest, Rock Boat, Bele Chere (six consecutive years), Floyd Fest, and Smile Fest.

bootyband.com

Take what you know about Heavy Metal and throw it out the window. Asheville, NC rockers Kings of Prussia – a mostly instrumental ensemble of wailing guitar riffs, soaring electronic beats, and everything else that exists under the sun fused together – take the genre of Metal to a whole new progressive level.

kingsofprussiamusic.com

The brainchild of singer/guitarist Kevin Barnes, of Montreal was among the second wave of bands to emerge from the sprawling Elephant 6 collective. A native of Athens, GA, Barnes was inspired to form the euphoric indie pop group in the wake of a broken romance with a woman from Montreal. The band has had an evolving crew with Kevin Barnes as the group’s mainstay. From the start, the band buoyed its bright, flamboyant indie pop sound with elements of psychedelia and vaudeville; of Montreal‘s earliest records also exhibited a lo-fi sound that bordered on twee pop, although the band steadily shed those influences as it evolved.

ofmontreal.net

Asheville welcomes Godspell and Resurrectio back to the Orange Peel for four shows April 6-8. Performing one of the longest running Broadway shows inside one of the top five music venues in the country will once again provide great entertainment. Godspell, a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John Michael-Telebak, opened on Broadway in 1971 and has been a wild hit for thousands of audiences ever since. The Highland Acting Company brings a fresh and relevant portrayal of the 70’s musical, utilizing modern art forms – including a live band – while embracing the original nuance of the musical’s comedy and memorable songs such as, “Day by Day” and “Prepare Ye.” Godspell is based on the Biblical book of Matthew and brings a playful, yet compelling look at the teachings of Jesus. Highland Acting Company will also perfom Resurrectio, an original musical telling of the story of the resurrection of Christ through stirring songs, “Three Days,” “Mary’s Song” and “Go.” This local acting company delivers powerful vocals, innovative theatre, lots of laughs and a terrific production. This is a great story, a great way to raise funds for a Community Center in downtown Asheville, and a great way to spend Easter weekend.

For more information, go to www.HighlandActingCompany.com

Opening Night – Friday April 6th- Semi-formal GALA! Dessert Theatre and Auction- $40
Saturday Matinee – April 7th- $10
Saturday Night – April 7th – $15
Sunday Night – April 8th- $15

Asheville welcomes Godspell and Resurrectio back to the Orange Peel for four shows April 6-8. Performing one of the longest running Broadway shows inside one of the top five music venues in the country will once again provide great entertainment. Godspell, a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John Michael-Telebak, opened on Broadway in 1971 and has been a wild hit for thousands of audiences ever since. The Highland Acting Company brings a fresh and relevant portrayal of the 70’s musical, utilizing modern art forms – including a live band – while embracing the original nuance of the musical’s comedy and memorable songs such as, “Day by Day” and “Prepare Ye.” Godspell is based on the Biblical book of Matthew and brings a playful, yet compelling look at the teachings of Jesus. Highland Acting Company will also perfom Resurrectio, an original musical telling of the story of the resurrection of Christ through stirring songs, “Three Days,” “Mary’s Song” and “Go.” This local acting company delivers powerful vocals, innovative theatre, lots of laughs and a terrific production. This is a great story, a great way to raise funds for a Community Center in downtown Asheville, and a great way to spend Easter weekend.

For more information, go to www.HighlandActingCompany.com

Opening Night – Friday April 6th- Semi-formal GALA! Dessert Theatre and Auction- $40
Saturday Matinee – April 7th- $10
Saturday Night – April 7th – $15
Sunday Night – April 8th- $15

Asheville welcomes Godspell and Resurrectio back to the Orange Peel for four shows April 6-8. Performing one of the longest running Broadway shows inside one of the top five music venues in the country will once again provide great entertainment. Godspell, a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John Michael-Telebak, opened on Broadway in 1971 and has been a wild hit for thousands of audiences ever since. The Highland Acting Company brings a fresh and relevant portrayal of the 70’s musical, utilizing modern art forms – including a live band – while embracing the original nuance of the musical’s comedy and memorable songs such as, “Day by Day” and “Prepare Ye.” Godspell is based on the Biblical book of Matthew and brings a playful, yet compelling look at the teachings of Jesus. Highland Acting Company will also perfom Resurrectio, an original musical telling of the story of the resurrection of Christ through stirring songs, “Three Days,” “Mary’s Song” and “Go.” This local acting company delivers powerful vocals, innovative theatre, lots of laughs and a terrific production. This is a great story, a great way to raise funds for a Community Center in downtown Asheville, and a great way to spend Easter weekend.

For more information, go to www.HighlandActingCompany.com

Opening Night – Friday April 6th- Semi-formal GALA! Dessert Theatre and Auction- $40
Saturday Matinee – April 7th- $10
Saturday Night – April 7th – $15
Sunday Night – April 8th- $15

Asheville welcomes Godspell and Resurrectio back to the Orange Peel for four shows April 6-8. Performing one of the longest running Broadway shows inside one of the top five music venues in the country will once again provide great entertainment. Godspell, a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John Michael-Telebak, opened on Broadway in 1971 and has been a wild hit for thousands of audiences ever since. The Highland Acting Company brings a fresh and relevant portrayal of the 70’s musical, utilizing modern art forms – including a live band – while embracing the original nuance of the musical’s comedy and memorable songs such as, “Day by Day” and “Prepare Ye.” Godspell is based on the Biblical book of Matthew and brings a playful, yet compelling look at the teachings of Jesus. Highland Acting Company will also perfom Resurrectio, an original musical telling of the story of the resurrection of Christ through stirring songs, “Three Days,” “Mary’s Song” and “Go.” This local acting company delivers powerful vocals, innovative theatre, lots of laughs and a terrific production. This is a great story, a great way to raise funds for a Community Center in downtown Asheville, and a great way to spend Easter weekend.

For more information, go to www.HighlandActingCompany.com

Opening Night – Friday April 6th- Semi-formal GALA! Dessert Theatre and Auction- $40
Saturday Matinee – April 7th- $10
Saturday Night – April 7th – $15
Sunday Night – April 8th- $15

Returning with the ceaselessly hostile Torture, Cannibal Corpse prove that when it comes to combining unrestrained maliciousness, involving song writing and technical precision they still have no equal, once again fortifying their position at the forefront of death metal. The twelfth full-length of their inspiring twenty-four year career, the Floridian quintet have never sounded so vital, the album building upon the wealth of powerful, dark, and memorable songs comprising 2006′s Kill and 2009′s Evisceration Plague and pointedly upping the ante at every turn. While this marks the latest progression in the band’s sound, Torture also witnesses a return to what drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz accurately terms “the frenzied attack of Butchered At Birth (1991) or Tomb Of The Mutilated (1992)”, infusing the band’s advanced musicianship with the raw savagery that haunted their earlier releases, and in the process conceiving the definitive Cannibal Corpse record.

cannibalcorpse.net

Having scalded listeners’ ears with sonic lava on Budos I and stung them with venomous frequencies on Budos II, The Budos Band delivers on their promise to spread the epidemic of “Budos Fever” far and wide with the release of The Budos Band III. The cobra is poised to strike if anyone dares challenge The Budos on their quest. And, if there was ever any question whether the brotherhood of The Budos is instrumental afro-soul royalty, the Chateau de Budos that graces the back cover of The Budos Band III assures all that the group is strong – unstoppable even – and will use all of nature’s power to ascend to their rightful throne.

thebudos.com

Charles Bradley is no stranger to hard times. Born in Gainesville, Florida in 1948 and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Charles spent the better part of his childhood living on the streets. One of the more optimistic moments of his childhood came in 1962, when his sister took him to see James Brown at The Apollo. Brown’s energy formed a lasting impression on Charles. He went home and immediately began practicing microphone tricks with a broom attached to a string, imitating the Godfather’s every move. With his newfound inspiration came an urgent desire to get off the streets and make something of himself. Charles Bradley spent most of his life dreaming for a better one, and now there is no more time for dreaming, just time for singing, dancing and loving.

thecharlesbradley.com

As electronic influences continue to penetrate the live rock, jazz, and jam ethos, one band consistently rises to the top, bringing together fans from across the musical spectrum. EOTO crisscrosses the country blowing out basement dives, packed theaters, and stages under the stars. Check your festival schedules: this 100% improvised dubstep/breakbeat/house/drum & bass/trip-hop duo is the premier late-night party in the country.

Throbbing bass and thudding beats are the signatures of this project from drummers Michael Travis and Jason Hann. Born out of their shared love of electronic dance music, EOTO’s M.O. is to take the free-wheeling party vibe of a DJ set to the next level by using organic instruments, innovative performance technology, and uncharted musical exploration. Live drums, guitars, and keys, and vocals are mixed, remixed, and sampled on the fly using cutting-edge programs. This is all done without a script, and without a net.

eotomusic.com

With over 80 years experience collectively Simon Posford and Raja Ram are more than qualified for the exploration into the unclassifiable music frontiers they have ventured into; ‘SHPONGLE’ is a new world of traditional sounds, acoustic guitars, Moroccan drums, Turkish operatic singing, cello, double bass, backing vocals and silver flute blended together with the computer wizardry of Simon Posford‘s studio production.

Simon Posford (aka Hallucinogen) has long had a reputation as the, ‘Hallucinogenius‘ a imitable pioneer in sound experimentation, from his seminal first album, ‘Twisted‘ which reached No.28 in the French charts selling over 50,000 copies worldwide, up to his recent Millennium hit, ‘Mi-Loony-Um‘ with its up-to-the minute modem melodies. His international fan base has flowered from country-wide to world-wide in the last ten years, since his humble beginnings at Youth’s Butterfly Studios in Brixton, this year alone he has played over 16 sell out gigs around the world, each with a capacity of over 1500 people, in Australia, Israel, New York, Pittursburg, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Moscow, Geneva, Montreal, Tokyo to name just a few. In Tokyo he has received a lot of TV and press coverage for their ambient project, ‘Shpongle’ which has intrigued the Japanese audience with its international blend of traditional world music and modern musical mastery.

shpongle.com

Mickey Hart is best known for his nearly three decades as an integral part of an extraordinary expedition into the soul and spirit of music, disguised as the rock and roll band the Grateful Dead. As half of the percussion tandem known as the Rhythm Devils, Mickey and Bill Kreutzmann transcended the conventions of rock drumming. Their extended polyrhythmic excursions were highlights of Grateful Dead shows, introducing the band’s audience to an ever-growing arsenal of percussion instruments from around the world. Exposure to these exotic sounds fueled Mickey’s desire to learn about the various cultures that produced them.

mickeyhart.net

GWAR are thrash metal’s answer to the more mainstream satire of Spinal Tap. Gory, sexually perverse, and scatological in the extreme, GWAR were formed at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond as an experiment in marketing strategy by several musicians, art students, and dancers. The group claimed to consist of all-powerful interplanetary warriors, descended from aliens stranded in Antarctica and initially created from the lowest filth in the universe, who came to Earth to sexually enslave and/or slaughter the human race.

gwar.net

Say Anything has been making odd, unclassifiable indie rock music since they were 14 or 15 years old, playing strangely literate and loud rock, characterized by what one might imagine if Larry David fronted a Fugazi cover band with the members of Queen. Not that that’s a stretch or anything. Having been birthed from the indie/punk boom of the early twenty-first century, Say Anything rose to prominence with their (oddly) popular record …Is a Real Boy and somehow broke the “pretty boy punk” mold by establishing a career that thrived somewhere between music your pretentious college student of an older brother would like and the loud crap that your little brother uses to annoy him with. Say Anything followed that record up with the equally eclectic and lengthy, In Defense of the Genre and their exceedingly bratty (hopefully in a good way) self-titled LP. Say Anything will release their highly anticipated fourth studio album, Anarchy, My Dear in March 2012.

“Say Anything is the most self-conscious emo-rock band out there today, and other bands should take note, as this is how you upset clichés to make something unique without sacrificing an ounce of who you are.” – PopMatters

sayanythingmusic.com

2011 has been a seminal year for Conspirator. Formed in 2004 by Aron Magner and Marc Brownstein (The Disco Biscuits’ keyboardist and bass player) along with New York producer DJ Omen, Conspirator has taken on many forms through the years. With the recent addition of virtuoso guitarist Chris Michetti and stalwart drummers Darren Shearer (the New Deal) and Mike Greenfield (Lotus), Conspirator has reached a new level.

As a full band, the music is hitting new highs, and with the addition of an arsenal of new material, crowds across the nation have begun to catch on. Conspirator can no longer be considered merely a side-project, but must be looked at entirely as its own entity.

Coming off of break-out performances at Ultra Music Festival and Nocturnal Festival, Conspirator has begun to catch the eye of electronic music aficionados everywhere. Refusing to be pigeon-holed into one genre, they explore the many realms of electronic music, effortlessly slipping between house, dub-step, drum and bass, and electro. Check out Conspirator at one of the many festivals they are appearing at this Summer: Electric Forest, Camp Bisco, Liberate Festival, Catskill Chill, and more.

conspiratorband.com

After years of toiling in the rap chitlin circuit, the mixtape matrix and doing hooks for a spectrum of artists ranging from Juelz Santana to Slim Thug, Yelawolf broke out in grand fashion with his critically acclaimed independent release Trunk Muzik (Ghet-O-Vision Ent.) on New Year’s Day 2010. Prideful boasts on songs like “I Wish” (“I wish a motherfucker would tell me that I ain’t Hip Hop/Bitch! You ain’t Hip Hop!) made listeners look beyond his tattoo-decorated skin and respect his skills. The excitement, paired with his unforgettable live shows, led to numerous magazine covers a record deal through Ghet-O-Vision/Interscope and then a partnership with Shady Records. The label founded by the man who many naysayers opted to unfavorably compare him to, Eminem.

“There is a fair comparison between us,” says Wolf. “But the true difference is vocal. The cadence and the words I use. There are words that I can rhyme that he can’t just because of my Southern accent. I can go to totally different places because of my slang alone.”

“Yelawolf is definitely one of the best rappers to come out of Alabama in a very long time, and is one of the best technical rappers I’ve heard in the last few years.” – AllHipHop.com

“The most captivating new voice in hip-hop.” – Washington Post

yelawolf.com

Trampled by Turtles is Dave Simonett, Tim Saxhaug (bass, vocals), Dave Carroll (banjo, vocals), Erik Berry and Ryan Young (fiddle). Within the contained music scene of Duluth, the members of the band did their own time in punk and rock bands, brandishing their electricity proudly before switching to acoustic instruments. While they never set out to be a “bluegrass” band, Trampled by Turtles employs many of the same traditional techniques of the genre, but their differences in influences, attitude and attack make for their unique sound.

“Supercharged songs with a hooky playfulness and white-knuckle power…” – Esquire

“Lit up and charged…four-part harmonies that are close to being crystalline.” – Daytrotter

trampledbyturtles.com