Our April Trail Mix is big.  Really big.  Thirty-one songs big!  Great artists and great tunes just kept falling from the sky and we had to include them all.  But that’s a good thing; with the spring thaw right around the corner (we hope), you’ll have plenty of time outside (we hope) and plenty of time to listen.  Enjoy!

The hardest part about this mix was choosing what track would lead it off.  We have some all- star artists featured this month – Anais Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer, The Black Lillies, Meat Puppets, The Steel Wheels, The Mavericks, The Gibson Brothers, Woody Pines, Shannon Whitworth, The Hackensaw Boys . . . . so many great artists and just one lead off spot.  You can surely recognize our dilemma.

In the end, we went with a track off of Good Man Down, the brand new record from The David Mayfield Parade.  You might be familiar with Dave Mayfield, noted singer/songwriter, producer, and former guitar player for Cadillac Sky.  Dave’s new record includes guest spots from Seth Avett, Dierks Bentley, and his sister, Jessica Lea Mayfield, and “Human Cannonball,” our featured track, is a stunner.

We are also excited to feature a track from The Artist Formerly Known As Jonny Corndawg.  While the former Mr. Corndawg is now recording and touring under his given name, Jonny Fritz, don’t expect a seismic change in his music.  This leather working troubadour still croons a step or two to the far side of reverence on his latest release, Dad Country, and we love it.

Trail Mix looked way out to the Pacific Northwest for “Bright Stars Burning,” a track from Hey Marseilles.  This Seattle sextet is making big waves in the indie folk world.  Make sure to give them a listen.

Our April Trail Mix features some great regional artists.  Check out the latest from the aforementioned Shannon Whitworth, Woody Pines, The Hackensaw Boys, and The Steel Wheels, along with offerings from The Riverbreaks, out of Washington, D.C., The Barstool Romeos, of Knoxville, and Psychobilly Cadillac, a rockin’ power trio out of Richmond.

We round April out with tracks from Adam Klein & The Wild Fires, Wickerbird, Wes Tirey, The Riverside, Ben de la Cour, Roger Knox & PVC, Pharis & Jason Romero, Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line, Maya & The Ruins, Lizanne Knott, Lisa Germano, Cherokee Red, Lauren Mann & The Fairly Odd Folk, High Strung String Band, 10 String Symphony, and Ian McEfron.

This is a great month of music.  We do hope you enjoy.  Please steam and download and help us spread the word.  Mention one of the many great songs here to a friend.  And, as always, get out and buy a record or two or three from these great artists.  The sole purpose of Trail Mix is to turn you on to great music; help us help these artists buy supporting what they do.

Download Trail Mix April 2013 here.

Click here to open the player in a new window.

Download more music from month’s past here! They never go out of style.