THE FELICE BROTHERS
CATSKILLS, NEW YORK The Felice Brothers are a close-knit band of two brothers and three longtime friends. They are self-taught, not one of them played an instrument prior to the bands inception when they started busking in New York City subway stations. They blend folk, Americana, and revivalist roots rock into a uniquely earthy sound. Recognized for their live show, The Felice Brothers will play for their audience come hell or high water. It's the sound of a band that knows its roots and knows where it's growing. It's a group who just might expand the definition of Americana music along the way.

RYAN MONTBLEAU BAND
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS Songs for Ryan Montbleau typically need to simmer. In his 10-year career this gifted singer and his limber band have built their catalog the old-fashioned way, by introducing new songs to their live set, then bending and shaping them over dozens of performances before committing a definitive version to the hard drive. The music contains influences of folk, R&B, roots-Americana, and soul, among other genres. Drums, upright bass, keys, guitar and viola, all built around the songs and voice of one unique singer/songwriter.

TODD SHEAFFER OF RAILROAD EARTH
STILLWATER, NEW JERSEY Todd Sheaffer is the lead singer, songwriter, guitarist for Railroad Earth. In addition Todd continues his solo work, performances with various friends, and his reunion with his long-time friends and bandmates "From Good Homes" who have just released a DVD of their recent reunion concerts.

SPIRIT FAMILY REUNION
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK Spirit Family Reunion play homegrown American music to stomp, clap, shake and holler with. Ever since they started singing together on the street corners, farmers markets and subway stations of New York City, their songs have rung-out in a pure and timeless way. When Spirit Family Reunion gather to sing, there is communion. Strangers and neighbors come to rejoice in the sound, and there is no divide between performer and spectator. In a strange barroom or a grand music hall, at a barn dance or on the sunny street corner, Spirit Family Reunion keep the book open, and that old familiar feeling that was almost lost is again new.

NIKKI HILL
SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI Those who have seen Nikki Hill sing her ass off agree—this isn't just another newcomer on the scene, this is a 'whiplash' moment. Hill draws on vintage female rhythm and blues influences, as well as some of her favorite male singers, without being pigeonholed strictly as a 'retro' artist. Her tough vocal style fits with contemporary sensibilities yet evokes all the great blues shouters of previous decades. Nikki comes by her Deep South soul honestly. Her musical roots began while singing in gospel choirs. A stint living in Chapel Hill introduced her to many different styles of music and the awareness of music (and more importantly, unique and non-mainstream music) as a possible career. After pairing up with her guitar-playing husband Matt, they promptly relocated to St. Louis where they have established themselves as roots rock, rhythm and blues powerhouses.

YARN
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK Americana/Alt-Country band Yarn’s sound owes as much to Gram Parsons and Earl Scruggs as to Jerry Garcia and Exile On Main Street-era Rolling Stones. Following in a fine tradition that includes forward thinking roots bands like The Flying Burrito Brothers and New Riders of The Purple Sage, Yarn weaves roots music idioms into a fresh sound that turns on hipsters and fans of country music alike, with technically impressive song-crafting and universal tales from the road of life.

BEAUCOUP BLUE
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA Beaucoup Blue is the Americana Philadelphia based group of David and Adrian Mowry. Father and son have been performing their roots based music nationally and internationally as a duo, quartet and on occasion quintet. Bridging many gaps in American music, their soulful traditional and contemporary styles mesh into an innovative and authentic sound. Although blues is a staple in their repertoire, they base their love in music from Folk, Soul, R&B, Jazz, Country and Bluegrass. All these interests and influences come out in their original song-writing in a unique way. A handsome range of instruments like six and twelve string guitars, slide guitar, round neck resonator guitar, combined with two soulful voices, encompasses a rich and honest feel, noticeably influenced by familial ties. Hear for yourself two generations coming together for the common good of great music everywhere.

TALL TALL TREES
NEW YORK, NEW YORK Tall Tall Trees is the musical project of multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Mike Savino. Often performing on a home-rigged electric banjo sent through an array of pedals and loopers, Savino along with longtime collaborators create music that is a blend of folk and rock with the occasional foray into psychedelia. Moment (their sophomore album) showcases the evolution from a quirky bluegrass-leaning side project into a fully formed indie-rock band and finds them crafting rich textured sounds to support more complex themes dealt with in this set of songs.

THE HELLO STRANGERS
MERCERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA What does Austin-influenced, rural-Pennsylvanian, indie sister-folk sound like? Verbosity aside, it sounds uniquely like The Hello Strangers, a sister duo whose haunting harmonies and original, wittingly noir songwriting style are the backbone of their sound. The sisters have created a catalogue of original music with nods to American folk traditions, modern indie rock, Texas country-folk, and roots rock, all tied together with lilting harmonies that only sisters can create. Timeless imagery and fables are at the core of each song, from tales of a boggy creek bottom where a murdered man sleeps, to a Texas roadhouse with bawdy dancers and clinking beer bottles, to more poignant reflections on the loss of winter or a man gone wrong.

RIVER CITY SLIM & THE ZYDECO HOGS
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT River City Slim & The Zydeco Hogs bring the exuberant sounds of the steamy bayous of southwestern Louisiana to the hills of New England. The Zydeco Hogs cook up a spicy musical gumbo that combines the traditional sounds of the button accordion and washboard with a driving, syncopated beat. The Hogs turn every venue they play into a rockin' Louisiana dance party!

ROOSEVELT DIME
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK Imagine yourself relaxing on a steamboat as it lazily floats down the Mississippi River all the way to The Big Easy. Suddenly, the band strikes up a tune, music fills the air and everyone is on their feet, clapping, dancing and singing along. Welcome to the world of Roosevelt Dime, a five-piece, Brooklyn-based band that blends elements of acoustic jug-band blues, classic New Orleans soul and neo-folk to create an original sound best described as Kings County Steamboat Soul. The band's nontraditional lineup — consisting of banjo, electric and washtub basses, percussion, trumpet and woodwinds — and seamless mixture of musical genres has been described as "a perpetual crowd-pleaser."

CHESTER RIVER RUNOFF
CHESTERTOWN, MARYLAND Chester River Runoff are an original bluegrass band from Maryland's rural Eastern Shore. Their honest, unaffected sound features big harmonies, insightful songwriting, and tight instrumental work, and they preserve in their live shows the warm spirit and humor of friends who first started playing together just to learn their instruments. Through this variety of settings, they have forged connections with diverse audiences without losing touch with their origins in the bluegrass tradition. By looking forward with their own vision and growing with open ears from their roots in bluegrass and country, the Runoff follow in the footsteps of the music's pioneers, who experimented freely and strived to develop their own distinctive styles.

WAHOO SKIFFLE CRAZIES
STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK Balancing relevancy with absurdity, Wahoo Skiffle Crazies offer post-modern, time-traveling, Gonzo-Folk traditional jug band tunes, ragtime, protest songs, blues and originals, influenced by the 60s folk revival and Depression Era Americana (both). They like to call themselves Staten Island's premier jug band. Of course, some like to point out that they're Staten Island's only jug band, but they don't mind. Their long term goal is to be the first jug band in outer space, and thereby lay claim to the title of universe's premier jug band. If that doesn't pan out, they at least hope you enjoy listening to their music as much as they enjoy making it!

LONESOME SHACK
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON Dance-imperative, deep-grooving Blues/Boogie band for those getting tired of hearing bands that are only shallowly influenced by American roots music. The songwriting/guitar playing are direct derivatives of people like Jimmy Lee Williams, James Davis, and Junior Kimbrough, with fat, janky beats. It will be a wild dance party.

HOGMAW
YORK, PENNSYLVANIA They ain't your granny's bluegrass…No sir, they're bringing a distinct abstract sound to string band music that can only be best described as THUNDERGRASS! They're a whoopin', hollerin', and foot stompin' good time featuring melodic and edgy originals with strong roots in traditional bluegrass, appalachian, and irish music. What started as an accidental meeting of musicians around a campfire has become a progressive bluegrass bomb that has exploded on the festival scene in the Northeast. By playing original music in an innovative style that is both experimental and familiar, HogMaw has quickly gained a reputation as something that you have to see first hand.

VINEGAR CREEK CONSTITUENCY
LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA American songs are full of deranged old ghosts howling at the moon. Vinegar Creek Constituency, an eclectic, incendiary string band out of the PA Dutch Country, channels these venerable old ghosts of the American folk tradition through imaginative, emotive original songs delivered with rock n roll intensity. Full of shouting, floorboard-stomping soul, their live performances are uplifting, high-energy events with fans dancing in the aisles and clapping, stomping, and singing along. Like their folk song forerunners that took root around campfires and on back porches across America, the songs call out from the crossroads of light and darkness. They are dreams of Heaven alongside visions of Hell; songs in praise of love alongside tales of murder and the madness of lovers betrayed; songs that ride the rails, wander the countryside, rise from the grave, and cackle in the face of impending doom.

THE FOUR LEGGED FAITHFUL
HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS The Four Legged Faithful are a band made up of 4 ordinary men who all thrive on playing music together. Their aim is not to play traditional folk or bluegrass music, but instead to create beautiful, heart-felt, and genuine music using traditional folk/bluegrass instruments. They create a sound that is honest and reflects the band's many musical influences from nearly all genres. All members sing; creating multiple combinations of 2, 3, and 4-part harmonies. All members write and sing songs about their thoughts, families, and the natural world that surrounds them. For a band without a drummer, The Four Legged Faithful achieve an incredible level of intensity using foot percussion and layered rhythms throughout every measure.

THE CORNLICKERS
CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI The Cornlickers have played and recorded with many Mississippi Blues musicians including W. C. Handy Award winner Big Jack Johnson. They are house band at Red's Juke Joint in Clarksdale during major festivals and events. They specialize in Mississippi Hill Country and Delta style blues done juke joint style.

HARD SWIMMIN' FISH
TAKOMA PARK, MARYLAND Hard Swimmin' Fish is a blues quartet that has been honing their unique sound for over twenty years. The band plays a range of styles covering the country blues of Mississippi and The Piedmont, the urban blues of Chicago, and funk infused varieties with roots in New Orleans' second line. This versatility allows HSF to offer either acoustic or electric performances and play any venue. The juxtaposition of old and new is also evident in both the band members and their play-list. Together they churn out a vibrant combination of originals, rearranged traditional material, and recognizable standards.

BOXCAR SOCIAL
HANOVER, PENNSYLVANIA Boxcar Social brings years of experience and diverse influences to the stage to form a blend of funky, soulful grooves, blues driven riffs, unique improvisation, and traditional bluegrass.

THE BORO BOOGIE PICKERS
WAYNESBORO, PENNSYLVANIA A small Appalachian community nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of PA, is home to a hoedown-inspired band called the Boro Boogie Pickers. The BBP are all longtime companions through music and otherwise. Their original music is a unique blend of bluegrass, country and folk music. Creating a fun musical outlet, with acoustic instruments.

WINGS THAT BUZZ
MERCERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA Wings That Buzz is an indie/folk/rock band with a unique blend of strong melodies, warm textures, and toe-tapping rhythms both fresh and familiar.  Fluid, energetic music and thought-provoking lyrics about the joys and struggles of life combine to create an uplifting sound that aims to inspire the listener and is as likely to get you moving as it is to leave you thinking.

CHESTNUT GROVE
PERKIOMENVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA Chestnut Grove is a blues/folk/rock experience that possesses a classic familiar sound that has never been heard before. They are a young ambitious group of individuals driven to make not just an impact in the world of music but leave an impression behind that has not been seen or heard for decades.

KYLE MORGAN Pennsylvania songwriter, singer and guitarist Kyle Morgan is dedicated to renewing the past and propelling it into the future. Shot from the backwood blues of the Mississippi Delta, into the rollicking rhthyms of the southern honky-tonks, through the heart of appalachian balladry and landing in the dying flames of modern rock'n'roll, Morgan's music is a mosaic of American song tradition.

ANTHONY WALKER All who know Anthony Walker know he's got it all: the music; the stories; the voice; the charm. With his newest album, one of New Jersey's finest roots-rock songwriters is prepped to share his career-defining material with the world, representing the complete Walker experience it's blues and rock; it's folk and soul; it's acoustic and electric; it's topical and deeply personal. Walker has developed an instantly recognizable, contemporary sound that retains the timelessness of American roots music, past and present.

MIKE MCMONAGLE
The first day Mike McMonagle picked up a guitar was a Saturday (presumably). The Pennsylvania sky was blue and cloudless (probably). The first chord he ever strummed was an E minor, and to this day, Mike still plays that very same chord, along with others, to craft an array of folk-inspired ditties about riding trains, drinking wine and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Meaning exists below the surface, as he sings to inspire hope, reconcile loss and make good on his existence in this world.

AMANDA PENECALE Taking inspiration from a life of classical music, Birkenstocks, and cowboy boots, Amanda Penecale is a singer songwriter who sings about past loves, life experiences, and the tiny moments in-between. Raised studying classical piano from the age of 4, and transitioning to guitar as her main instrument as an adult, Amanda's music splits the difference between indie/pop and folksy Americana.

Collin J. Rocker has opened eyes across the mid-Atlantic and far beyond.  With gritty tradition, he has found a way to turn timeless themes of heartbreak, the road, and the past into songs suiting today’s common man. His music is born from the hills of beautiful lingering farms, and once thriving small towns, juxtaposed with strip malls, asphalt, and suburban sprawl.
A.D. CHANDLER Adrian Dylan Chandler showcases his songwriting talents with songs of riddled relationships leading from love to angst and everywhere in between. His sounds and style is country and folk and blues, tangled in dark humor.

RAY OWEN Ray Owen has established himself as one of the most requested entertainers today. Ray whips up a veritable feast of classic American songs and stirs in a healthy helping of humor for all audiences to enjoy. When he serves it up from center stage, he pulls you into a world of fun. Ray’s repertoire has grown to include some 900 songs and encompasses such a range of traditional classics, original songs and comedy that it is not hard to imagine why he has so much popular appeal to a wide variety of audiences. Ray will be performing kids sets on Friday and Saturday morning at Mountain Folk & Roots.