Justin Townes Earle - With echoes of Springsteen and Guthrie, Justin Townes Earl creates stark portraits with elements of acoustic blues and folk. After cutting his teeth in a bluegrass/ragtime combo The Swindlers and the rock oriented The Distributors, Earle, the son of legendary singer/songwriter Steve Earle - began to focus on songwriting. With inspirations as diverse as Townes Van Zandt (whom he was named for), The Replacements, Ray Charles and The Pogues, Earle forged his own brand of American roots music. In 2009, Earle won the “Best New and Emerging Artist” at the Americana Music Awards. Earle appeared on HBO’s “Treme” with his father and was named by “GQ Magazine” as one of “The 25 best dressed men in the world” in 2010. The title track to his 2010 release, “Harlem River Blues,” garnered a “Song of the Year” award at the 2011 Americana Music Awards. His latest, “Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now,” was recorded live over four days at an old converted church recording studio in Asheville, NC with contributions from guitarist Jason Isbell and fiddler Amanda Shires.

Alejandro Escovedo - An artist that “Rolling Stone” recently described as “is in his own genre,” Alejandro Escovedo has led a succession of cutting edge bands, beginning with San Francisco-based punkers The Nuns in the mid-'70s, Rank and File in the late ‘70s and the True Believers in the ‘80s (which included Alejandro’s brother Javier and singer/songwriter Jon Dee Graham). In the ‘90s, Escovedo struck out on his own earning the moniker “Artist of the Decade” by “No Depression” magazine. When Escovedo was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, musicians responded with benefits and the 2004 tribute CD “Por Vida: A Tribute to the Songs of Alejandro Escovedo.” In 2008, he teamed with noted producer Tony Visconti for “Real Animal” and it’s follow up, “Street Songs of Love,” produced and co-written with Chuck Prophet. His new release, “Big Station,” which again teams him with Visconti and Prophet, incorporates guitar rock and ethereal horns, and includes the Spanish language “Sabor a Mi,” a classic Latin pop song that dates back to 1959.

 

Elizabeth Cook - Described by Nanci Griffith as "this generation's Loretta Lynn," singer/songwriter Elizabeth Cook is the youngest of 11 half-brothers and sisters. Her father learned to play upright bass in a Georgia prison band while serving time for running moonshine.  Her mother was a West Virginian who played guitar and mandolin and sang on local radio shows. Cook was singing onstage with her mother at age four and had a band by age nine. After graduating college with degrees in Accounting and Computer Information Systems, she released “Elizabeth Cook/The Blue Album” in 2000. A major label debut followed but fell prey to label restructuring. Next was “Balls,” produced by Rodney Crowell, which included the anthem "Sometimes It Takes Balls To Be A Woman" and a cover of the Velvet Underground’s “Sunday Morning.” The title of her latest, “The Welder,” was inspired by her father’s welding business in central Florida that supported Cook’s musical career. Produced by Don Was, it contains unflinching songs like “Heroin Addict Sister”, “Snake In The Bed” and “Yes To Booty.” Cook is also a popular satellite radio host on Sirius XM’s “Outlaw Country,” which landed her on the “Late Show,” where she had David Letterman laughing at his desk on CBS television.

The Quebe Sisters Band - Formed in Fort Worth, TX, in 2000, The Quebe Sisters - Grace, Sophia and Hulda - are all National Old-Time Fiddlers Contest champion title winners. Performing a blend of western swing, hot jazz and swing standards, the songs are laced with intricate triple fiddles and three-part harmonies. After attending a fiddle contest near their hometown the sisters were mentored by champion fiddler Joey McKenzie who now joins them onstage playing arch top guitar. The group also includes upright bassist Drew Phelps. The band performed at the Cambridge Folk Festival in the U.K. and on a Houston broadcast of  “A Prairie Home Companion.”

Todd Burge - Employing wry humor, dextrous guitar work and drawing on a rich variety of life experiences, Todd Burge has emerged as one of West Virginia’s most prolific singer/songwriters. A native of Parkersburg, WV, Burge attended WVU in the late-‘80s and early-‘90s where he became an integral part of the Morgantown music scene in bands like “The Larries,” ”Triple Shot” and “63 Eyes.” His 2008 CD “My Lost and Found” was produced by WV native Tim O’Brien. In 2012, he released a pair of CDs, “Building Characters” - produced by Don Dixon and featuring Tim O’Brien - and a children’s CD, “Character Building.” The latter will serve as an ongoing fundraiser for The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. Burge’s high-energy shows are packed with songs and stories of bizarre characters and critters, from dogs to sharks to humans and beyond.

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This episode is scheduled for distribution by NPR on Friday Sept. 14, 2012.

For more information, including hi-res photos, please call Adam Harris at 304.556.4900.