The Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour Podcast

CARAVAN OF THIEVES are a gypsy swinging serenading firebreathing circus freaks band based out of Bridgeport, CT. If Django Reinhardt, the cast of Stomp and the Beatles all had a party at Tim Burton's house, Caravan of Thieves would be the band they hired. Their new CD is "Funhouse." Check out their gypsy jazz version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." MOLASSES CREEK's high-energy performances and phenomenal songwriting bring the love of their coastal home of Ocracoke Island, NC, to the stage. Award winners from Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion," Molasses Creek has recorded 12 albums over the past 19 years. The band's elegant harmonies and arrangements, blazing instrumentals, and quirky sense of humor have won loyal followers throughout the United States and around the world.

MATTHEW RYAN has been celebrated for his poetic lyricism. His work challenges listeners in so many ways, always cutting to the bone with a rare honesty that isn't prone to offer easy answers. His latest 'In the Dusk of Everything' marks a distilled reclamation of his more primal Americana/Folk roots. With the bluntness of punk and the evocative rhythm of poetry his lyricism shines amongst these twelve deceptively simple songs of perseverance and closure via a clarity that operates in layers amid a world of struggle, beauty and sublime epiphany. MISS TESS is a New York City based songwriter and performing musician, who tours regularly with her band, as "Miss Tess & The Talkbacks". Inspired by styles of vintage swing, blues, country, and early rock-n-roll Miss Tess draws comparisons to artists such as Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Peggy Lee, and Chuck Berry, but maintains a style all of her own. Miss Tess’ sixth studio album, Sweet Talk, is a collection of finely crafted original material, along with one haunting cover of the Ink Spot’s 1941 hit I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire. With songs ranging from influences deeply rooted in a rich history of American music, Tess and her band project a sound that is distinctively timeless and unique.

CLAIRE LYNCH is a bluegrass pioneer. She has earned two International Bluegrass Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year awards and earned two GRAMMY award nominations. Claire will release her as yet untitled Compass Records debut in early 2013. Lynch will be performing on the show with her band, guitarist Matt Wingate, bassist Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowelland. APPALATIN formed in Louisville, KY through band members' mutual love of the folk music sounds of Latin America and the Caribbean. Instrumentation features the guitar, charango, mandolin, Andean flutes, bongos, congas, and cajón. Their songs reflect messages of freedom, community, empowerment, human rights, spirituality, and environmental stewardship.

AMBER RUBARTH has become a fixture in New York's indie scene, named #1 Best of NYC Songwriter by Deli Magazine last year and grand prize winner of NPR's Mountain Stage New Song Contest. At 21 years old, Amber decided to quit her career as a chainsaw sculptor in Nevada in order to pursue music. She taught herself guitar, began playing open mics and recorded her songs, which soon received over 1.5 million listens on MySpace through word of mouth alone. Amber's latest is a live album 'Sessions from the 17th Ward' featuring Dave Eggar on cello, who will be performing with her on WoodSongs. THE RAGBIRDS are a fusion of folk rock and pop hooks over danceable world rhythms stirred with a Celtic fiddler's bow. Hailing from Ann Arbor, MI, the energy of multi-instrumentalist Erin Zindle demands attention. She is the songwriter and front woman of the band, skillfully switching between violin, mandolin, accordion, banjo and percussion, all while dancing. The release of The Ragbirds' fourth studio effort 'Travelin' Machine' is a new milestone for the band.

BILL EVANS is well-known within the bluegrass music community not only as a musician, but also as a teacher, writer and scholar. Bill will be bringing his solo show The Banjo in America to the WoodSongs Stage. Tracing the banjo from its West African roots to the New World, Evans performs musical examples from the 1700's to the present day on a variety of vintage instruments, explaining how the banjo has been at the intersection of African- and Anglo-American musical and cultural exchange for over 250 years. Bill's new CD "In Good Company" features an all-star cast of 26 musicians, including the Infamous Stringdusters, Tim O'Brien, Joy Kills Sorrow, Darol Anger, Mike Marshall, David Grier, Rob Ickes, Stuart Duncan and many, many more. KAYLA BENDER is an amazing 12 year old banjo picker from Oklahoma. She has placed in several banjo competitions and will be showcasing at both IBMA's Kids on Bluegrass and Walnut Valley Festival this year. Watch her tear it up on "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" with her banjo teacher Rob.

BEN TAYLOR's music is marked by memorable melodies, immaculate acoustic guitar playing and insightful, honest lyrics have been captivating fans since the moment he embarked on this journey ten years ago. As the son of James Taylor and Carly Simon, Ben has led a life so far in which music has always played a central role. His wit and skill as a singer-songwriter showcases an artist who is comfortable both in his own skin and with his impressive musical legacy. "Listening" is the follow up album to Taylor's critically acclaimed 2008 release "The Legend Of Kung Folk - Part 1 (the Killing Bite)." VON GREY is an Atlanta-based quartet of four classically trained sisters with soulful four-part harmonies, poetic lyrics and indelible melodies. Performances include over 200 shows in the past 2 years ranging from intimate venues to supporting gigs with Sarah McLachlan. ! Their forthcoming five-song EP, recorded with GRAMMY® award-winning producer/engineer Nick DiDia (Bruce Springsteen, Train, The Gaslight Anthem), captures the band's essence and the raw intensity of their live performances.

CAROLINE HERRING has established herself as a lyrical and inventive songwriter and a singer whose vocals never fail to move the listener with her high trills and rich vibrato. The Mississippi native, now based in Atlanta, has been compared to Lucinda Williams, Joan Baez, and even Mozart. Although the comparisons are nice (and hold water) the truth is that she has her own signature sound that comes to full manifestation on "Camilla", hew new career-defining record on Signature Sounds. SHEL is comprised of four sisters ages 18-24 who are classically trained and home-schooled. The band name is an acronym for their first names. Growing up in a musical household encouraged by their father, a respected local Ft. Collins, Colorado musician, they first appeared on stage as his backing band. SHEL has been performing since 2005 and graced the stages of Lilith Fair, International Folk Alliance, Music City Roots, and South by Southwest. The self-titled effort is the group's first full-length studio album.

DELLA MAE is five women that are are turning heads, winning hearts, and quickly becoming a household name in acoustic, folk, roots, and bluegrass music. The band are all seasoned performers who have won countless contests and shared the stage with the likes of Willie Nelson, Del McCoury, Leon Russell, and Laurie Lewis. PEARL AND THE BEARD are three voices, one cello, one guitar, one glockenspiel, one melodica, several drums, one accordion, ninety-six teeth, and one soul. The band's genre-bending and expectation-defying sound has since burst the trio out of the confines of the New York music scene opening for Ani DiFranco and Dar Willliams. The band's current release is "Killing the Darlings."

SARAH MCQUAID is a gifted and captivating performer whose warm, haunting alto is delicately cradled by her "sparkling guitar" (Sing Out!). She is both song crafter and song collector, equally at home with traditional Irish and Appalachian folk songs, Elizabethan ballads and 1930s jazz numbers. She is also renowned for her guitar work and is the author of acclaimed The Irish DADGAD Guitar Book. Her musical output is a direct and unfolding reflection of her own eclectic background: Sarah was born in Spain, raised in Chicago, holds dual US and Irish citizenship, and currently lives in rural England. Her new album, "The Plum Tree and the Rose," represents a departure from Sarah's previous albums, which focused on her arrangements of traditional material, in that nine of its thirteen tracks are originals. PERT NEAR SANDSTONE emerged from the same roots-based musical hotbed in Minneapolis that gave birth to Bob Dylan, The Jayhawks and Spider John Koerner. Originally formed by four friends from the same hometown, Pert Near Sandstone formed unintentionally over weekly, whiskey-fueled picking sessions in an old house in St. Paul, MN.The band rejuvenates American stringband music with raw energy; they play tightly-crafted original material that lends itself to the modern audience, as well as being stewards of the old-time and bluegrass traditions. Check out their high octane version of The Beatles "I Am The Walrus. The band's latest release is "Paradise Hop."

THE PINES rose out of the prairies of the Midwest and are one of the most distinct and powerful indie-rock/Americana groups to hit the national scene in years. Founded by Iowa natives David Huckfelt and Benson Ramsey, the band caught the attention of acclaimed indie label Red House Records. The Pines' new album, "Dark So Gold" shows a young band that has fully arrived with a sound and song craft that stands apart on the indie music landscape. THE TRISHAS are 4 girls from Austin. All can sing, play and write songs ... sometimes all at once. None are named Trisha. They first shared a stage in January 2009 and their intention was simply to perform a couple of songs as part of a tribute to Savannah's father, singer-songwriter Kevin Welch. With nearly two solid years' worth of buzz and confidence-building shows and opening for the likes Dwight Yoakam, Raul Malo, Rodney Crowell, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Todd Snider, the band has released their first full-length album, "High, Wide & Handsome." Their musicianship, songwriting and soaring four part harmony shows a band with a sister-like tightness looking to expand their grassroots audience outside of Texas.

MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHEY's song "Wildfire" was one of the biggest pop hits of the 70's. He returns to the WoodSongs stage with a brand new bluegrass CD called 'Tall Grass & Cool Water.' It's his third album in this Grammy nominated series that explores the similarities between Bluegrass and American Cowboy Music. This "singing cowboy poet", is not only the number one, best-selling singer/songwriter of American Cowboy Music, he's one of the world's most respected singer/songwriters in the Pop and Country-Western field. Michael Martin Murphey is also a recent inductee into the Traditional Country Music Hall of Fame. THE MASTERSONS are each deft instrumentalists, and they've spent years playing in others' bands before coming together as a unit. Both the Denton, Texas-born Eleanor Whitmore and Houston-reared Chris Masterson have been musicians for as long as they can recall. Whitmore and Masterson apprenticed for years with other musicians, she with Regina Spektor, Susan Gibson, Kelly Willis, Diana Ross, Will Hoge and others, he in the bands of Jack Ingram, Son Volt, Bobby Bare Jr. and more but found themselves compelled to write and sing together. They met in 2005 and joined Steve Earle band in May of 2011. Their debut album is "Birds Fly South" on New West Records.

THE WAILERS, together with Bob Marley, have sold in excess of 250 million albums worldwide. In England alone, they've notched up over twenty chart hits, including seven Top 10 entries. Outside of their groundbreaking work with Marley, the Wailers have also played or performed with international acts like Sting, the Fugees, Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, and Alpha Blondy, as well as reggae legends such as Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, and Burning Spear. As the greatest living exponents of Jamaica's reggae tradition, the Wailers have completed innumerable other tours, playing to an estimated 24 million people across the globe. Yet there's a great deal more to the Wailers than reliving the past. The band, anchored by original bassist Aston "Family Man," is still going strong today. A forthcoming Wailers' album with a star studded celebrity guest artists is in the works. As well as the band's two latest tracks featuring Koolant on lead vocals. One is a future lovers' rock classic called "Shining Star," and the other a heartfelt appeal "A Step For Mankind" made on behalf of the World Food Program, co-starring Duane Stephenson. JUNIOR TOOTS, son of Toots Hibbert of the Toots & the Maytals, is a uniquely talented recording artist and performer whose passion for reggae is evident in his moving live performances & recordings that inspire all. Born and raised in Jamaica & the US, he has a genuine commitment to socially conscious lyrics and a determination to express himself sincerely from within. This passion can be felt through his deeply soulful vocal style that is reminiscent of his father. With a mixture of Reggae, Roots, Ska, & Dancehall, Junior Toots reaches out to all supporters of conscious music with a message to unite & uplift. His new album, "A Little Bit of Love" is his finest work so far & is receiving lots of positive reviews.

MARTHA REDBONE is a leading voice in contemporary Native American music. Her award winning work is recognized by the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian. Redbone's musical talent has caught the ears of legends and she has recorded and/or performed with Bonnie Raitt, Pete Seeger, Youssou N'Dour, George Clinton, Rita Coolidge, Randy Brecker and Nona Hendryx. Her new album "The Garden of Love - Songs of William Blake" takes the immortal words of poet William Blake, the great Romantic visionary from 18th century England, and sets them in the Appalachian Mountains, bringing her uniquely soulful voice to hollered melodies, lullabies, ancient chants and inspired hymns. The result, produced by Grammy Award-winning Nitty Gritty Dirt Band founder John McEuen and David Hoffner, is a wondrous folk, country, gospel and blues reading in which the songs feel like timeless mountain classics with lyrics that are strikingly relevant. BEN MILLER BAND is a one-of-a kind trio that combines the frenetic energy of bluegrass, the soul of the delta blues and the haunted spirit of Appalachian mountain music. Band members Ben Miller, Scott Leeper, and Doug Dicharry create a unique and modern sound while continuing the tradition of blending together many different musical styles, which has long been a trait of their native Ozarks in Joplin, Missouri.

IRIS DEMENT is one of the most beloved and respected writers and singers in American music. After a series of jobs waitressing and typing, Dement first began composing songs at the age of 25. Honing her skills at open-mic nights, in 1988 she moved to Nashville, where she contacted producer Jim Rooney, who helped her land a record contract. Dement did not make her recording debut until 1992, when her independent label offering, "Infamous Angel," won almost universal acclaim thanks to her pure, evocative vocal style and spare, heartfelt songcraft. Her next two albums received Grammy nods. In 1999, she collaborated with country man John Prine on his album, "In Spite of Ourselves." Dement recorded four duets with Prine that earned her another Grammy nod the following year. "Sing The Delta" is her first LP of original material in 16 years and is being released on her own label Flariella Records. She will be the sole guest for this WoodSongs Special Event Broadcast.

ADAM COHEN is the son of the legendary songwriter Leonard Cohen. All his life Adam had sought an artistic space beyond the reach of his father's looming shadow. But in January 2007, at the age of 34, Adam Cohen owned up to his legacy. His new album "Like A Man," is a "strikingly personal album" of ten intimate songs that is "truly fit to bear the family name" (Sunday Times of London) on Decca Records. Cohen had been writing these songs and poems for a number of years, but kept them hidden away. However, the birth of his son inspired a major change of heart in Cohen. This epiphany came about during a family meal: "I was sitting at the dinner table with my father to my left and my son to my right, and I realized that it was imperative that I try and make a record worthy of my father's legacy." LAC LA BELLE is an acoustic duo from Detroit, Michigan that juxtaposes the early decades of recorded rural American music with decaying Rustbelt aesthetic. A tradition is re-imagined- or maybe just resumed- in the 'future-rustic' swirl of accordion, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and resonator guitar. The instrumentation echos another era, but is employed for a music of now. Their soon to be released album, "Bring on the Light" boasts 12 original works and one traditional arrangement, performed with a variety of instruments from accordion to banjitar. Each song presents a melodic tale, be it an intimate anecdote, or stories on their hometown Detroit, "Bring on the Light" captures the drifting spirit of early America.