Our hills are alive with the sound of music. BRO highlights top upcoming performers and events.

Read about the latest tunes from Keller Williams and other artists you can download for free in this month’s Trail Mix.

One of the most under the radar and undoubtedly amazing tours rolling through the region this summer is the unique indie folk trio billed as Appalachian Voices. Consisting of Yim Yames (aka Jim James of gonzo alt-country rockers My Morning Jacket), cello-wielding soul crooner Ben Sollee, and mellow singer-songwriter Daniel Martin Moore, the group of [...]

Each month, Trail Mix aims to turn you on to artists from around the Southeast that you might not know about. Every month we’ll offer a new free 10-track compilation download of regional acts that you can take on your next adventure. Make sure to take a listen and, if you dig what you hear, [...]

Just last August, we profiled The Corduroy Road, the folk-rock band out of Athens, Georgia, and dubbed them the next big thing to come out of that fabled Southern music city. High praise, to be sure, and well justified, but now we are worried. Have we created a jinx? We certainly hope not, as we [...]

On the strength of their first two records and a relentless touring schedule over the last few years, The Infamous Stringdusters have established themselves as one of the hottest acoustic acts in the country. With the recent release of their latest record, Things That Fly, they are branching out, displaying an evolution in their songwriting [...]

For years ice cream aces Ben and Jerry’s have been assigning interesting new flavors to musical icons, including Jerry Garcia (“Cherry Garcia”), Dave Matthews Band (“One Sweet Whirled”), and Phish (“Phish Food”). But this summer the Vermont-bread creamers will create a new concoction for an entire festival. “Bonnaroo Buzz” will be released this summer to [...]

The Drive-By Truckers are in the midst of an impressive run. With Brighter Than Creation’s Dark, the band released one of the most critically acclaimed records of 2008. 2009 saw the issuing of a rarities record and—finally—a live CD/DVD combo chronicling the Truckers’ first appearance on the vaunted Austin City Limits stage. 2010 brings The [...]

Former UNC-Chapel Hill playwright student turned folk crooner Joe Pug has served notice – the next great young voice on the American songwriting scene has arrived. Pug’s voice mesmerizes, echoes, and aches over the coffee shop intimacy his acoustic guitar creates. Look for Messenger, Pug’s full length debut, to be on lots of “Best of” [...]

Will Kimbrough is a poet who happens to play guitar. Wings, his recent release, proves again that his songs can roam from the achingly emotional to the giddily funny. Part of the collective of songwriters that make up the rich—and underappreciated —East Nashville scene, Kimbrough delivers another collection of songs the delve deep into the [...]

If you were around the Charlottesville music scene in the ’90s, you’re definitely familiar with Baaba Seth. The world jam outfit was one of the region’s most popular bands throughout the decade—mixing a potent ensemble concoction of funk, jazz, rock, African rhythms, and Latin grooves. The high-energy sound was put to good use during the [...]

In the spirit of complete disclosure and unrepentant bias, I must admit to being an unabashed Trent Wagler fan. Adrienna Valentine, the 2009 release from Wagler and Jay Lapp, last year earned the distinction of being, at any given moment, the record most likely to be found in my CD player and it was, by [...]

Dave Matthews will join his old friend Emmylou Harris at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on May 18 at the Music Saves Mountains concert to raise awareness about mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia. The high-profile concert will also feature appearances by Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller, Patty Loveless, and Kathy Mattea with more artists to [...]

If you like Woodsongs, Mountain Stage, or E-Town, you should check out the new Fret Knot Radio Hour. The free online show being produced out of Asheville, N.C., features a mix of innovative artists, activists, and musicians, who are intent on making the world a better place. Stories of predominantly Southern culture are delivered through [...]

Ray Wylie Hubbard is a true Texas bad ass. His voice growls like a diesel engine that’s been on the road a few hundred miles too long. He sounds like he snacks on gravel and chases it with kerosene cocktails. And his songwriting reflects the brutal honesty found in his voice. The songs on his [...]

Bonnaroo returns to the farm fields of Manchester, Tenn., this June 10-13, and today festival organizers are creatively rolling out the massive music festival’s line-up. Every five minutes a new band is being announced on the Bonnaroo MySpace page. So far acts confirmed on the always-eclectic bill include Jay-Z, the Avett Brothers, Thievery Corporation, Gwar, [...]