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It’s “Cosmic Mountain Music from Santa Cruz, California”, as the band themselves describe it. They mostly stick around the West Coast, but they’ve also played the Albino Skunk Music Festival in Greer, and plan to return there in the Fall. Front-man Chris Jones is joined by long-time musical collaborator Jon Payne on drums, Duncan Shipton on bass, Will Fourt on dobro/guitar, and Laura T. Lewis on vocals/percussion on this 2nd album of theirs.

It’s been three years since we last got a full album from Galax, Virginia’s Dori Freeman. Her follow-up to Ten Thousand Roses is a wonderful blend of pop, folk, and old-time, with songs that ponder the rockiness of relationships, the injustices inherent in a divided society, and the yearning for self-acceptance.

From the soulful singer Kevin: “It’s not easy for me to explain the impact that music has had on my person. It’s not easy for me to single out one artist that has influenced how I think about stories and song with the exception of Bill Withers. Listening to Bill Withers tell a story or sing a song for me is one and the same. It instantly attaches itself to my soul. Mr. Withers told me in a roughly two-hour conversation we had many things that (pardon the pun) lean on today. One of those nuggets of insight was to “tell the stories that make me feel most vulnerable, that’s what people connect with”. His story relates to my story. His songs relate to different points in time in my life, like no other as an artist, I hope to someday have an impact on, someone else’s world, the way Mr. Withers has had an impact on mine.”

Psychedelic Afro-Funk and Voodoo Soul from this Los Angeles band, on a blazing hot album out February 9th. Jamie Allensworth, Terin Ector, and Mermans “Mofaya” Mosengo trade lead vocals, weaving through assorted instrumental sonic voyages of multiple rhythms, layers, and moods. Produced by Sergio Rio (Neal Francis, Say She She), it’s named after a fire-breathing female monster from Greek mythology with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail.. To quote their promotional bio, “Orgone’s newest LP feels like a sustained hypnagogic hallucination – the place between waking and sleep where reality is fluid and anything feels possible.”

Introducing a new front-man whose new album is a melting pot of American roots music, thanks in part to GRAMMY-winning producer and Los Lobos member Steve Berlin, who makes room for soul, Tex-Mex, R&B, Americana, jazz, honky-tonk, and heartland rock & roll sounds that Jordan draws from. Raised by a high school music teacher in San Mateo County, CA, Jordan has played guitar, piano, and Hammond B3 organ with icons like Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, and Peter Rowan. The album will be released on March 8th, and includes contributions from harmony singer Carrie Rodriguez and accordion player Josh Baca (the protege of Norteño icon Flaco Jiménez).

Mylie Durham IV, known to friends and associates as Lee, started on drums in Hyattsville, MD punk and jazz bands in high school, and then getting serious with soul/hip hop/Mid-Atlantic funk outfit, The Mighty Heard. He’s become known as a terrific collaborator and sonic curator in the DC area, and you have likely heard snippets of his work in sound beds on NPR. It’s an impressive convergence of diverse instruments, moods, and guest artists on this all-instrumental collection from Honest Lee (his DJ name), certain to appeal to fans of the Menahan Street Band and Adrian Quesada, and fellow DC act Thievery Corporation.

One of the most talked about releases around here the past couple of months has been this heartfelt recreation of Bob Dylan’s famous 1966 concert in which he plugged in for an all-electric 2nd set, stunning the audience and prompting cries of “Judas!”. Cat Power (Chan Marshall) has had the honor of meeting with Mr. Dylan a time or two, and we now have the pleasure of enjoying this faithful recreation of music history. Fun fact: Dylan didn’t actually perform this concert at the Royal Albert Hall, though! He was at Manchester Free Trade Hall, but the famous bootleg was mislabeled.

Melissa McKinney writes and sings songs about the trauma and pain that every person inevitably experiences in their lives, as a cry for hope, healing, and inspiration to others. She is a resident artist at LEAF Global, the co-founder of the WTF (Women To the Front!) Music Festival, a board member of AVL Fest, and an Asheville small business owner. This new album of blues and rock was released this week.

Richmond, VA singer and guitarist Justin Golden has some refreshing new arrangements of some traditional standards here. Whether you call it country blues, piedmont blues, or something else, he’s got the genuine sound and feel down.

The Raleigh band of singer/songwriter Dave Wilson, multi-instrumentalist John Teer, bassist Greg Readling, and drummer Dan Hall continue to expand their sound and boundaries, in addition to their great canon of songs. Mandolin and banjo are blended with harmonium and lo-fi drum machine on this new album recorded at Asheville’s Echo Mountain Studios, and they’re joined by vocalist Maya de Vitry, fiddler John Mailander (Bruce Hornsby, Billy Strings) and drummer Jamie Dick (Watchhouse, Rhiannon Giddens.)