Artist:  The Avett Brothers

Hails From:  Concord, NC

Musical Style:  Alternative Country, Folk, Rock

For Fans of:  Bob Dylan, Wilco, The Jayhawks

Why you should check them out:

Defined by the desire to promote honesty through their music, The Avett Brothers blend folk inspired instrumentation and sweet vocal melodies, creating a level of sincerity unaffected by their growing commercial success and recent major label backing.

Background Check:

The Avett Brothers may look the part of standard folk rock hipsters, but outward appearances are exactly where the similiarities end.  With their heart-on-sleeve narratives and overall mission to promote honesty, loyalty and truth, the North Carolina trio are far cry from many typical mainstream agendas.  Brothers Scott and Seth Avett have been playing music together since small children, and it shows. Combining sing-along lyrics and mellow guitar and banjo riffs, it’s hard to not get sucked into the sentimental, beautiful and celebratory moments present throughout their songs.  While accompanied on stand-up bass by long-time member Bob Crawford, the focal point of their music remains between the intertwinning vocal harmonies of both brothers.

Their most recent EP, The Second Gleam, marks their eleventh release to date.  While the Avett Brothers have been playing and releasing albums since 2000, they have only recently gained mainstream exposure with the help of their highly accessible 2007 full-length Emotionalism.  With every intention to keep on growing, The Avett Brothers have recently announced a contract with American/Columbia records for their forth coming album produced by Rick Ruben (Johnny Cash, Beastie Boys).

Progressing through eight years of constant touring, the Avett Brothers have collected hordes of dedicated fans eager to support them through their ever growing commercial success.  And after listening to just a few of their emotionally charged folk rock tracks you’re going to want to join them.

Where you can find them in cyberspace:

www.myspace.com/theavettbrothers

www.theavettbrothers.com

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_avett_brothers

Where you can find them on tour:

Jambase
 

Artist:  The Dodos

Hails From:  San Fransisco

Musical Styles:  Indie Pop, Psych Rock, Folk

For Fans of:  Elliot Smith, Magnetic Fields, Animal Collective 

Why you should check them out:
Combining the finger picking guitar styles of Meric Long and the syncopated rhythms of drummer Logan Kroeber, The Dodos offer complex pop narritives so layered you’d swear they were a five piece band. And with their constant touring schedule and charismatic live performances, people far beyond their home base of San Francisco are starting to take notice.

Background Check:

We’re all familiar with the various hype slogans that media outlets readily disperse now-a-days.  Whether it’s “best new artist” or “top artist to look out for in 2008″ far too often all these titles boil down to a whole lot of hot air and very little talent. But every so often that new “it” band of the moment proves to be worthy of all the praise, and in this case, that band is the San Francisco duo, The Dodos. With smooth vocals and intricate guitar and drum rhythms, The Dodos create a mixture of charming folk pop that you just can’t resist singing along to.

Starting out as a solo project title Dodo Bird in 2005, Meric Long soon enlisted the help of drummer Logan Kroeber for the release of their first album Beware of the Maniacs under their new moniker The Dodos. While touring nearly non-stop in support of their album, The Dodos wrote the material for their follow-up, Visiter, released in March 2008 on Frenchkiss Records. Both the misspelled name and the artwork seen throughout Visiter was taken directly from childrens drawings made for the duo after a performance at a special ed class in L.A.  How sweet is that?  For The Dodos, winning the praise of music critics, a classroom full of chrildren, and an evergrowing group of music fans alike, is all just part of a job well done.

Where you can find them in cyberspace:

http://www.myspace.com/thedodos

http://dodosmusic.net/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dodos

Where you can find them on tour:

Jambase.com