Wilco - When
alt-country pioneers Uncle Tupelo disbanded in 1994, the split created Son
Volt, led by Jay Farrar and Wilco, which featured Jeff Tweedy and drummer Ken
Coomer. Wilco quickly became synonymous with the “No Depression” movement, and
paved the way for a generation of bands that followed in its footsteps. Along
the way, the group collaborated with Billy Bragg on a collection of Woody
Guthrie's unfinished songs, and issued “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” a radical left
turn which led to guitarist Jay Bennett leaving the band and the group parting
ways with Warner/Reprise records. “Star Wars” is the Grammy-award winning
band’s ninth studio album and its first since 2011’s “The Whole Love” and was
available for free download for 30 days this past summer. Wilco has been a
pioneer of pre-releasing albums and making its music available for free since
2001 when the band streamed “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.” In 2013, Wilco was part of
the Americanarama Festival of Music, a package tour that included Bob Dylan,
Richard Thompson, and My Morning Jacket. Wilco is currently celebrating its
20th anniversary, and has released two anniversary-related collections: “Alpha
Mike Foxtrot,” a box set of rarities and “What’s Your 20?,” a compilation of
studio tracks from the band’s first eight albums.
Brooke Waggoner
- After studying classical piano for nearly 20 years, Louisiana native Brooke
Waggoner earned a degree in music composition and orchestration, hoping to
score films and orchestrate her own projects. With a sweet voice and piano
playing that’s a cross between Little Richard and Rachmaninov, she cites
influences ranging from Simon and Garfunkel and Electric Light Orchestra to
Rodgers & Hammerstein. The London Sunday Times tagged her debut EP, “Fresh
Pair of Eyes,” as "One of the most exciting releases to come out of
America in 2007." Her 2008 release, “Heal for the Honey,” was nominated
for “Best Folk/Singer Songwriter Album of the Year” at the Independent Music
Awards. After moving to Nashville in 2009, Waggoner received the “Emerging
Artist” award at the Nashville Music Awards. While collaborating with and
writing for various Nashville-based musicians and orchestras, and licensing her
music to TV shows, Waggoner took time off in 2011 and 2012 to record and tour
with Jack White. Her upcoming release, “Sweven,” includes songs and lyrics she
wrote when she was growing up and - thanks to her mother’s insistence - were
recorded on cassette.
Shawn Mullins - Singer-songwriter Shawn Mullins readily admits that several
of the songs on his new album, My Stupid
Heart, address his perceived relationship failures. In fact, many were
written as he was falling out of his third marriage. In that respect, Mullins
says, it’s not all that different from most of his discography — which includes
1998’s Soul’s Core, the album that shot him to fame on the strength of its
Grammy- nominated No. 1 hit, “Lullaby,” and 2006’s 9th Ward Pickin’ Parlor,
which contained his AAA/Americana No. 1, “Beautiful Wreck.” (He also co-wrote
the Zac Brown Band’s No. 1 country tune, “Toes.”) But in the years since his
last release, 2010’s Light You Up, Mullins has experienced more ups and downs
on his romantic roller-coaster — a ride he’s decided to step off for a while. Still,
nothing inspires songwriters quite like a breakup, and Mullins confirms, “This
record came out of all that; all the feelings, all the heartache.”
Au Pair - A
collaboration between Gary Louris (The Jayhawks, Golden Smog) and Django
Haskins (The Old Ceremony), Au Pair strikes a balance between classic songcraft
and experimenting with things like body percussion, feedback loops, avant
guitar, and touches of Kraut rock. Louris and Haskins met in Chicago in 2013
where they were performing as a part of a "Big Star's Third" concert,
which celebrated that influential band's music with original BS drummer Jody
Stephens, Mike Mills (REM) and many others. Au Pair’s debut release is titled
“One-Armed Candy Bear.”
Joan Shelly -
While the songs of Kentucky singer/songwriter Joan Shelley have echoes of both
the American and British folk revivals, they are also startlingly original.
Over the past five years, Shelley has recorded several albums, toured the globe
with her band, on her own, and as a duo with Daniel Martin Moore. Shelley
released “Ginko,” her solo debut, in 2012, followed by “Electric Ursa” in 2014.
Her new release, a collaboration with guitarist Nathan Salsburg, is titled
“Over and Even.” She splits her time between solo outings and as one-third of
the old time trio Maiden Radio. She has recently toured with Elephant Micah,
Fruitbats, and Doug Paisley.