Guster - Since
forming at Tufts University in 1992, Guster has become one of the leading
indie/alternative bands, releasing seven critically acclaimed albums over the
last two decades. The band broke the corporate mold by developing a strong fan
base, an innovative use of the Internet and selling more than 40,000 copies of
its first two independent releases. With novel instrumentation (two acoustic
guitars and bongos) and a sense of humor to match, the band signed to Sire and
released a pair of records in the late-‘90s. 2010’s “Easy Wonderful,” debuted
at No. 22 on the Billboard 200 chart and reached No. 2 on both the SoundScan
Alternative and iTunes charts. In 2015, the band released “Evermotion,” its
most ambitious project to date which was produced by Shins keyboardist/Black
Keys bassist Richard Swift.
Robert Earl Keen
- One of the nation’s finest musical storytellers, Robert Earl Keen
bridged the gap between country and folk, setting the stage for a style that
became known as alt-country. Over his three-decade career, the much-loved Texas
singer/songwriter’s songs have been recorded by artists including Lyle Lovett,
Nanci Griffith, George Strait, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and the Dixie
Chicks. In 1994, “Gringo Honeymoon” telegraphed the upcoming Americana genre,
combining Keen's story songs with a band led by Austin guitarist Gurf
Morlix.Thanks to a connection fostered by Cowboy Junkies’ singer Margo Timmins
Keen’s “Picnic” CD was produced by John Keane (R.E.M., Indigo Girls) in Athens,
GA. Keen also produced the influential annual concert series and talent
festival, “Texas Uprising,” which took place at several venues around Texas and
the Far West. “Ready For Confetti,” released in 2011, is the second project
produced by veteran Lloyd Maines. Keen wrote nine of the 11 songs while on the
road - a first - performing 180 dates a year. The disc reached the No. 1 slot
on the Americana chart and was listed as one of author Stephen King’s “2011 Pop
Culture Favorites” in Entertainment Weekly. In 2015, Keen released “Happy
Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions,” a collection of bluegrass covers, which
featured top shelf players like Danny Barnes and duet partners including Lyle
Lovett and Natalie Maines. A favorite of both music lovers and beer drinkers,
Keen’s shows are often cross-promoted by beer and liquor distributors.
The
Westies - The meeting on that fateful night between Michael
McDermott and Heather Horton set in motion a chain of events that would lead to
what would later be known as the album West Side Stories. After just avoiding a
would-be prison sentence (which McDermott is uneasy to discuss) and a spiraling
life, McDermott's chance meeting with Horton would change the course and the
trajectory of his life. "All I ever wanted to do was write songs and tell
stories, like my grandparents and parents did from a long Irish lineage. With
that lineage came a proclivity for drink, for mayhem, and a wee bit of crime. I
write what I know and what I know, is much of the time, ugly." This is no
guy / girl group. The Westies are a band that unabashedly confronts the trials
of the inner city heart with a slow burn delicacy that juxtaposes many
uncomfortable subjects with a tender and elegant beauty that is rare in the
current music landscape.