Port O'Brien - Stuck On A Boat

Folk Indie-Rock band, Port O'Brien, is named after the bay on Kodiak Island where founder member Van Pierszalowski's parents met. The group was originally a duo of Pierszalowski and Cambria Goodwin. Eventually they added Caleb Nichols and Joshua Barnhart as rhythm.

They have done a lot of travelling and toured with Nada Surf, Bright Eyes and The Cave Singers and toured Europe with Modest Mouse. They have released three albums; a self record album called The Wind and the Swell and two studio-recorded albums.

Stuck On A Boat is off their 2008 release, All We Could Do Was Sing.

Langhorne Slim - Set Em Up

Folk singer, Langhorne Slim actually hails from Langhorne, PA. Now, I can see someone named East Texas, Slim or Baton Rouge Slim, but calling yourself Langhorne Slim, which is a really a north suburb of Philadelphia, is pretty funny. But this fits perfectly with him. He has been described as a one-man mixture of the Cramps, Beck's early indie records and the soundtrack to O Brother Where Art Thou. Quite an interesting sound.

Langhorne Slim, whose real name is Sean Scolnick, released his first album, When The Sun's Gone Down, in 2005. He put together an album in 2007, but before the release, his label V2 Records folded and the self titled album did not come out until 2008.

His popularity grew with performances on Dave Letterman, US and European tours including festivals like the Newport Folk Festival, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Lollapalooza, and the Philadelphia Folk Festival. He also sang "God Bless America" during the seventh inning stretch during a Phillies-Marlins game in August 2009.

His latest release, Be Set Free, came out in 2009 and the track, Say Yes, is getting a lot of airplay.

Set Em Up is off his debut album When The Sun's Gone Down.

Great Lake Swimmers - Your Rocky Spine

Canadian acoustic group, Great Lakes Swimmers, has been compared to Nick Drake and Iron and Wine blending the same haunting and melodic acoustic sound with intellegent lyrics.

They released their first album in 2003 in Canada, which was then picked up for release in the US in 2005. Since then they have released 3 more albums, each one receiving excellent reviews. It was not until Your Rock Spine, off their third release, Ongiara, was featured on the soundtrack to the show Weeds.

Their fourth album, Lost Channels, expands on their brand of mellow folk-pop but add more orchestrated sound.

Guggenheim Grotto - Her Beautiful Ideas

Uniquely named band, Guggenheim Grotto, hails from Dublin Ireland. Kevin May (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Mick Lynch (vocals, guitar, bass, viola) played together in Dublin and soon recruited Shane Power (drums, keyboard) who helped with the band's first EP. As you can see each member of the trio is multi-instrumental.

You can hear this multi-instrumentalism in their 2005 debut release, …Waltzing Alone. The self-released album garnered critical acclaim in their native Ireland. After touring extensively in the US for several years, playing at SXSW, performing in every venue from listening rooms to large festivals and doing interviews and performances on small radio programs to nationally syndicated shows like Charleston's Mountain Stage radio/TV show, they built up a large faithful U.S. following.

After all this touring, they did not take a break, going back to the studio and recording their follow up, Happy the Man. This release shows how their sounds has expanded as they delve into more sampling and electronic techniques.

Her Beautiful Ideas is a fantastic tune off this sophomore release.

Amos Lee - Supply And Demand

I remember when I first heard Amos Lee. It was Arms of a Woman off his debut release. The song was so simple, quiet, yet very powerful; you could feel the emotion come through. It seems that all his music has the quality. He puts his heart and soul behind each song and that feeling is what make his music stand out.

Lee was born in Philadelphia and grew up there and Cherry Hill, New Jersey. After graduating high school, she enrolled at the University of South Carolina and graduating with an English degree. Music entered Lee's life in college when his stepfather gave him an acoustic guitar and he got a job at a record store that specialized in jazz musicians, where he picked up an affinity for Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis.

After college, he moved back to Philadelphia and taught elementary school for two years, but later made the decision to stop teaching in order to pursue a music career. In 2003, he released a self-produced EP that featured five songs and was signed by Blue Note Records soon afterward. The EP sold well in Philadelphia, catching the attention of Norah Jones. Jones invited Lee to open for her on her 2004 tour and her bassist, Lee Alexander, produced his self-title debut album.

Supply and Demand is off his second album of the same name.

Lavender Diamond - Here Comes One

Lavender Diamond, fronted by the ethereal voiced, Becky Stark, has it's origins in Stark's work in a play Birdsongs of the Bauharoque, as the character Lavendar Diamond. It was created and written by puppeteer Xander Marroher who was inspired by the work of artist Paul Laffoley. She produced a CD of her songs to accompany the play.

Feeling her songs deserved to be taken more seriously, she moved to Los Angeles and met up with other band members, guitarist Jeff Rosenberg; pianist Steve Gregoropoulos and drummer Ron Rege, Jr.

In 2005 they released an EP, The Cavalry of Light, and a split 7" with Queens of Sheeba. Interest grew in the band after performances at ArthurFest and South by Southwest and touring with the Decemberists, eventually leading to a full record deal.

Here Comes One is off their first release, 2007's Imagine Our Love.

Alison Krauss - Gravity

More than any other artist, Alison Krauss brought bluegrass into the mainstream. Blending bluegrass and folk, she made the music accessible and both her and the genre's popularity increased.

At age eight, she started entering local talent contests. By age ten she had her own band. When she was thirteen, she won a major fiddle championship and the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass in America named her the Most Promising Fiddler in the Midwest. She recorded her first album in 1985 at age 14. and has not looked back. Most recently, she recorded the album Raising Sand with Robert Plant. The album went platinum and won all 5 Grammys for which it was nominated.

Gravity is off her 2004 release Lonely Runs Both Ways which was recorded with her band Union Station.

Natalie Merchant - Tell Yourself

Natalie Merchant began her musical career at age 17 with 10,000 Maniacs and quickly became the artistic influence in the group. After a string of successful albums, she left 10,000 Maniacs at what appeared to be the height of their popularity to begin her solo career.

Her first two albums, Tigerlily and Ophelia were very successful with the albums going to #13 and #8, respectively, on the Billboard 200 chart. It took 3 years before she released another studio album, Motherland. This time she teamed up with T-Bone Burnett and his influence seemed to add a grittier, edgier element to album. In 2003, she released the album, The House Carpenter's Daughter, which contained traditional and contemporary folk music.

Since then she has not released a new studio album and focused on her family and many charity and recording with other artists, like BeauSoleil, David Byrne’s Imelda Marcos life album and joining Cowboy Junkies to record a song for their 20th year anniversary release of The Trinity Sessions. The good news for fans is that earlier this year, she returned the studio to record a new album of her original songs.

Tell Yourself is great song with a great message off her 2001 Motherland release.

Nickel Creek - When You Come Back Down

Nickel Creek is Chris Thile (mandolin), Sara Watkins (fiddle), and her brother Sean Watkins (guitar). They have never had a permanent bass player, but Mark Schatz has played with them regularly since 2003.

They formed in 1989 at "That Pizza Place" in Carlsbad, California with Scott Thile, Chris' father, playing string bass. The two families, the Watkins and the Thiles, met after Sean Watkins and Chris Thile had mandolin lessons with the same teacher. They don't like to be called a bluegrass band, but describe themselves as progressive acoustic that incorporates bluegrass into their music.

When You Come Back Down is a great Toad The Wet Sprocket cover. The track is off their first release, Nickel Creek, which was produced by bluegrass legend, Alison Krauss.

Lucinda Williams - If Wishes Were Horses

Lucinda Williams born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, is the daughter of poet and literature professor who worked as a visiting professor in Mexico and different parts of the American South before settling at the University of Arkansas. Williams started writing when she was 6 years old, was playing guitar at 12 and had her first live performance in Mexico City at 17, as part a duo with her friend.

She release her first albums (traditional country and blues) in 1978 and 1980, to little success. It was the song 'Passionate Kisses' off her 1988 self-title release that was covered by Mary Chapin Carpenter in 1994 that began her climb to fame. She got a Grammy for Best Country Song for the song in 1994. Her 1998 release, Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, is her most successful release to date and she garnered another Grammy for it. She has continued to release albums to critical acclaim, but not the same commercial success although she did get a 3rd Grammy for Best Female Rock Performance for her single, Get Right With God.

If Wishes Were Horses is off her latest release, Little Honey.

Interesting Note: In the fall of 2007, Williams announced an unprecedented series of shows in Los Angeles and New York. Playing five nights in each city, it was the first time a major artist would perform her entire catalog on consecutive nights. These albums include the self titled Lucinda Williams, Sweet Old World, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Essence, and World Without Tears. Since these shows, other artists have imitated this idea in different variations, but to date no else has accomplished this exact feat. Each night also featured a second set with special guest stars.

Griffin House – The Guy That Says Goodbye to You Is Out of His Mind

Griffin House describes his music as rock/folk/punk. Electing to remain on his own, he mostly operates as an unsigned act, releasing his albums through Evening Records. However, his first release, Lost And Found, in 2004 and his latest release, Flying Upside Down, were in major record labels. He also tours extensively.

The Guy That Says Goodbye to You Is Out of His Mind is off both his independent release, Homecoming, and major label release, Flying Upside Down.

Paul Simon - Kodachrome

Today's Hump Day Retro Closet track is brought to you by Kodachrome. Kodak recently announced that they will no longer manufacture the iconic film that, as Paul Simon said "gives the nights bright colors, gives the green to summer, makes you think all the world's a sunny day." Well, Mama took it away.

Paul Simon is as iconic as the film he sung about. Writing, playing and recording music for over 4 decades, first with Art Garfunkel and as a solo artist. Way too much to write about Simon in this simple post.

Kodachrome is off his #1 1973 solo release There Goes Rhymin' Simon. The song was not released in the UK as the BBC did not play it, due to copyright regulations. In the US, Kodak required that Simon note on the album that Kodachrome is a trademark of Kodak.

Eva Cassidy - Time is a Healer

Eva Cassidy had a powerful voice and could go from a sweet sound to a powerful soul sound. She was relatively unknown before her untimely death in 1996 due to melanoma. In 2000, her recording of Over the Rainbow was played on the popular BBC Radio 2 show 'Wake Up to Wogan' and her popularity soared.

Time is a Healer, written by the talented songwriter, Diane Scanlon, is off her Eva By Heart album really and shows off her musical ability.

Donna the Buffalo - Family Picture

I love it when others submit new music I've never heard before. I was introduced to Donna the Buffalo recently and love these guys. Family Picture off their 2-disc live CD Live from the American Ballroom is a great track and really showcases their rootsy folk sound. They were described to me as 10,000 Maniacs meets the Grateful Dead. How can I not like that.