With their acoustic instrumentation and the anthemic thrust of their songwriting, the Farewell Drifters find themselves in the midst of what’s bound to go down in the annals of popular music history as an era-defining, youthful folk-rock boom. But the Drifters aren’t content simply to stomp, strum and sing with gusto. They bring a unique Brian Wilson-like sensibility to the movement, with intricately arranged harmonies and atmospheric, string-swathed studio shading that is newly showcased on Tomorrow Forever, the quartet’s first album for their new label Compass Records. Collaborating with roots pop producer Neilson Hubbard (Matthew Perryman Jones, the Apache Relay) helped solidify the band’s voice, elevating their crystalline harmonies and acoustic foundation with gutsy electric guitar and orchestral-style drums to create a sound that’s earthy, richly layered, and powerful.

After learning and playing music together for years as kids growing up in Genoa, IL, brothers Jake and Zach Schweitzer have tackled multiple instruments, different styles of playing, and managed to find extended-family members in Graham Young and Kevin Koreman who complete the group’s effortless melodic folk DNA.

Zach, Jake and Graham began writing together in September of 2012 and The Wild Family was born from their soft, crooning melodies complimented by intense guitar parts and bold lyrics that deny their young age. With Jake on vocals and guitar, Graham with lead guitar and vocals, Zach with backing vocals and bass guitar, and recent addition, Kevin Koreman on drums, their lofty vocal harmonies intertwined with the heavy drive of an electrified rock set up, encourage a significant amount of movement and dancing to ensue.

After only a year together, their style and apparent talent continues to unfold as they perform heavily around the Chicagoland area. Recorded by Jonathan Alvin at Chrome Attic Studios, their debut self-titled EP will be released on February 4th, 2014.

Justin and the Salty Dogs began making music out of necessity. When Brownie McGhee (1915-1996) so astutely said years ago that “Blues is Truth,” he exposed the roots of an ancient philosophical tradition that regards music as playing an important role in the welfare of a troubled mind. The ancient Roman philosopher Seneca (ca. 4 BCE-65 CE), for instance, speaks like a bluesman when he says, “Let the mind be soothed by the reading of poetry and occupied by the tales of history; it should be treated with sensitivity and finesse. Pythagoras used to calm his worried mind with the lyre; and who does not know that the cornet and trumpet act as stimulants to the mind, just as certain songs provide it therapeutic relief” (De Ira 3.9). The songs by Justin and the Salty Dogs, initially self-prescribed medicines, have precisely this aim. The “physicians” with whom they have consulted are numerous, but a few are especially worthy of mention: Mississippi John Hurt (1893-1966); Jimmie Rodgers (1897-1933); Sonny Terry (1911-1986); Woody Guthrie (1912-1967); and Muddy Waters (1913-1983). They tip their hats to these sage musicians and others like them, in all their complexity and problems, for pointing the way.

The Webbs are the blood of the motor city pumping through a country heart. Just as a spider web is a network of fine threads constructed to catch its prey, the Webbs weave a sound that will capture your soul. The band members have been honing their craft for over 20 years and have come together to create an old country/bluegrass sound with a dark side.

The Webbs’ vocalists croon sweet melodies backed by strong musicianship. The band consists of Andie Webb, Tracy Webb, Fredric Scott Leman, and Robert Rasmussen. The band members merge their unique influences to create something beyond your basic bluegrass. Andie”Twila Lark” is an experienced singer in the Honky Tonk blues tradition. Tracy is a music aficionado with strong southern roots. Fredric “Scotty Karate” is a proto-punk/alt-country legend that plays pure, soulful hillbilly rock music. Robert R on the guitar is a versatile sideman that adds sonic soundscapes and atmospheric backdrops.

The band’s relationship runs deep and is as strong as a river current. You can feel this closeness in the group’s chemistry and you can hear it in their music. Andie and Tracy are a married musical duo that have been collaborating for more that a decade. Scotty is a long time friend of the couple having known Tracy for nearly two decades. Robert has played music with Andie and Tracy for years. The Webbs lives are woven together – they have had trials and triumphs, which lead to a musical collaboration that will bring you to your feet in celebration, hold your heart as you feel emotion, and make you smile with delight.