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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.