|  Radio
Free World Guide to Hot Artists
Hand-picked
recording artists, performers, singers, and songwriters
Click
on an artist's image below for special features and exclusive tracks
available to users of
Apple's iTunes
software.
Slack key music is
a phenomenon of the Hawaiian Islands that has a resonant quality, both
pleasant and deep. "Slack
Key Lady" Cindy
Combs has established herself as one of the most heart-felt
players in the islands. Her recordings incorporate a soft jazz feel
with the excellent sound of open-tuned guitars.
  Modest
Mouse has a new album that is skyrocketing up the
charts. It's now available for downloading through Apple iTunes (by
clicking the picture on the left.) Preview the songs and see what the
fuss is!
The Wailin'
Jennys are three fun ladies with a highly integrated acoustic
sound. Their harmonies blend as if they are sisters and their live shows
are both very entertaining and heartfelt. The instrumentation supporting
their fine vocals generally consists of acoustic guitar, mandolin, violin,
and percussion. They do a great version of Neil Young's Old Man!
Susan Latimer has a voice that reminds us at times of early
Janis Joplin and she is a  fantastic
acoustic guitarist, steeped in country blues and folk traditions. Hailing
from Ontario, Canada, she typically plays about 15-20 gigs each month
and it shows in her seasoned playing. Her latest album, Grey
Matters is a serious work that gets right to the heart of the highs
and lows of life. A recent
video (Windows Media Player format ) of Sue performing her haunting
tune The
Ghosts Are Out displays her pure singing quality and superb lyrics
quite well.
 The
Duhks are a smokin' band out of Manitoba, Canada, who are
proof that genres have no limits and everything somehow fits together.
Imagine a fusion of blues, salsa, old-time, and Celtic, combined with
focused motivation, and you have a sound that is both surprising and
timeless. Check
out this piece from National Public Radio about The Duhks.
Marc
Cohn is a delightful singer/songwriter perhaps best known
for his song Walking
In Memphis. In his  recent
musical endeavors he has been joined by talented friends such as Crosby
and Nash, Rosanne Cash, Patty Griffin, Chris Botti and Martin Sexton.
A revealing live album, Marc
Cohn Live was issued in Spring 2006.
 
Young musician Conner
Oberst and his band Bright
Eyes have been selling out large arenas and making a big
splash lately. Known for great songwriting and assembling great players
to back him up, Oberst could possibly end up being one of the finest
songwriters of his generation.
Matthew Lien is a composer, producer  and
performer from the Yukon who writes incredibly inspirational songs as
a direct result of his love for nature and wild animals. He interprets
World Music in his own unique way by incorporating Celtic, European
folk, light jazz, classical, and traditional and aboriginal influences
into his work.
 
Elliott Smith had a sound like Simon and Garfunkel rolled
into one. A student of the Beatles music, he liked to use funny chords
and odd melodic twists with his very interpersonal lyrics. Many of his
songs were written at coffee shops and all-nighters. Although he is
gone now, his honesty, beauty, and immense talent will
live forever.
Creating album
after album of fresh music,  spilling
out her gut feelings and always pushing the envelope, Ani
DiFranco is a gem in the music world. She started out making
very rhythmic, sparse albums, then toured with a five-piece group. Lately
she has rediscovered performing and recording solo. Her company, Righteous
Babe Records, is at the forefront of new music.
 Dan
Hicks has been cranking out swingin' music for over forty
years. He was a member of The
Charlatans, one of the groups that started things off in the San
Francisco bay area during the sixties.
Later Dan fired up Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks,
his signature band, who have made many
excellent albums. At the Web site, Welcome
To Hicksville, you can enjoy a pictorial history of Dan Hicks, as
well as classic film clips in the Pics
& Flicks section.
A contemporary singer/songwriter
in the style of John Mayer or Dave Matthews,
 Matt
Nathanson has been touring around and cranking out tunes
left and right. He's opened for such heavy hitters as Train, Howie Day,
OAR, Maroon 5, Guster, and Five for Fighting, and has been learning
his craft well along the way. Keep your eyes open and go see him when
he comes to your town. Thanks to word of mouth, he has built a loyal
grassroots following.
The
songs of Susan
Raven soar
high  into
the air and gently glide back down. Her themes bring the history and
romanticism of the British Isles into the current time. Acoustic 12-strings,
Irish flutes, lush keyboards, and solid percussion lay the groundwork
for her dynamic melodies and colorful lyrics.
"Through all the years of playing with various bands, Andy
Irvine has maintained his  individualism
and singular passion for songs and music that stretch the boundaries
of traditional music. Whether it be blending Eastern and Western European
traditional music together; carrying the immigrant and exile songs of
the Irish diaspora back to Ireland and around the world; or being a
persistent voice of social justice and a reminder of the joys and sorrows
throughout our human experience, Andy has always stood apart."
--AndyIrvine.com
 Eric
Anderson has been a hard-working singer/songwriter
for over 30 years and continues to make fantastic albums full of tunes
written from experiences gained from a life of traveling. He has written
songs for many legends in the music industry, including Judy Collins,
Fairport Convention, Peter Paul and Mary, Rick Nelson, Linda Ronstadt,
The Grateful Dead, and Francoise Hardy. Recently he has collaborated
on new albums with Rick Danko (The Band) and Jonas Fjeld. He divides
his time between New York City and his home outside of Oslo, Norway.
  Tunes
written by Aimee
Mann are like short stories set to music. Her latest album,
The
Forgotten Arm, tells the story of two lovers as they meet and take
a road trip across the country. "I pictured it as taking place
in the early 70's," says Mann, "during my own experience at
the state fair at that time..."
Two guys, one cool sound. Communicating long distance (via snail mail)
The
Postal Service solidified a unique fusion that people all
over the world love to listen to.
Weaving an audio
visual world of fantasy and mystery, singer/songwriter/graphic artist
 Priscilla
Hernandez presents her art forms in a very beautiful and
cosmic way. She has style, grace, and exceptional artistic talent. Her
songs take the listener on aural journeys to pleasant and exotic places
that open up one's imagination and sensuality to higher levels of awareness
and meaning.
Major Black is a very soulful cat and a fantastic all-around
musician with decades of experience under his belt . His new project
has a feel of "Santana meets Earth, Wind, and Fire."
Nickel
Creek started as a phenomenal bluegrass band, but in their
latest album they have begun to explore more pop and contemporary folk
genres. The group has a tremendous amount of musical energy and creativity
and where it will lead will surely surprise all of us.
The Waybacks
are a very upbeat, eclectic band merging bluegrass, jazz, classic rock,
folk, and Celtic music into one exciting show. They are all very dynamic
and talented players and have a great sense of humor, which assures
that their gigs are very entertaining and left us wanting to hear more...and
more!
Recently the Waybacks did a series of shows with the Dead's Bob Weir
and the group's individual members have performed with a who's who of
artists.
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acoustic trip into an Emerald Green Universe with singer/songwriter Joey Latimer. "A soothing album featuring well-played acoustic instruments and engaging lyrics."
