Portastatic!

Indie rock LEGEND Mac McCaughan (Superchunk, Merge Records) phones it in from Chapel Hill, NC.

"Started in the early 90s as a lo-fi side project and musical foil to Superchunk, over the years, Portastatic has evolved into a[n in]credible artistic entity of its own."

Songs:

A Cunning Latch / I'm In Love (With Arthur Dove) / San Andreas / Isn't That The Way / I Wanna Know Girls

Simon Joyner

Simon Joyner phones it in from Omaha, NE.

"Joyner is as mercurial a songwriter and performer as one is likely to find. He's a true outsider; he not only won't come in from the cold, but he can't; he's gone too far by now. And the nebulous edge he walks, crawls, and stumbles upon is the blood-red stiletto of the human heart."

Songs:

Answer Night / Fathers / Nocturne / Peace In My Time / If I Left Tomorrow / You Don't Know Me

Scout Niblett!

Emma Louise Niblette phones it in from Portland, OR. Originally from Nottingham, England, Scout drinks from the same emotional and harrowing ponds that brought us PJ Harvey's "Dry" back in 1992. "A full-bodied caterwaul that could rival Gillian Welch, Neko Case, and even Johnny Cash," but that sounds uniquely her own. How can such a kind voice haunt so much?

Songs:

Uptown Top Ranking (Althea & Donna) / Where Are You? / Wolfie / Just What I Needed (the Cars) / Relax / Black Hearted Queen

Justin Vollmar

Bluesanct blue boy Justin Vollmar (also of Mt. Gigantic) phones it in from Bloomington, IN. Vollmar is a preacher's kid, and the states familiar to his youth are Virginia and West Virginia. He loves the ocean and will hush you with the quiet style, like Phil Elvrum, Leonard Cohen or your favorite sad dream.

Songs:

That One Is Me / When Love Love Love / The Me That Never Knew / ONFLASHINGRED / Green Glove Green Glow / Worm in the Face of Love / Burning Rose and Spoiled Flame / We Need Our Sampsons