Athens, GA’s Futurebirds are nearing the end of a very busy year. After releasing two well-received EPs and touring nonstop with the likes of Drive-By Truckers, Widespread Panic, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Gary Clark, Jr., and J. Roddy Walston & The Business, the band is ready to head back to the studio to begin work on the follow up to their debut LP, Hampton’s Lullaby (2010).

The best songs of North Carolina’s Bowerbirds have always seemed eternal.

The Del McCoury Band has garnered critical raves for their latest effort, Old Memories: The Songs of Bill Monroe. This tribute to the man widely considered to be "The Father Of Bluegrass Music" has now also been recognized by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Old Memories was just nominated in the Best Bluegrass Album category for the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, which will be airing live on CBS February 12th, 2012.

Phil and the Osophers will release a new EP of holiday songs entitled "It's Christmas Time With Phil and the Osophers" digitally on December 6.  The five original songs include "Brutus The Backup Reindeer," which tells the story of a reindeer named Brutus who's asked to help pull Santa's sleigh when another reindeer comes down with the flu.

In between east coast NYE shows with the New Deal and Brothers Past (in Baltimore and Richmond, respectively), Eliot Lipp will bounce to Lake Tahoe, CA for a coveted December 30 main stage slot at the inaugural Snowglobe Music Festival.

Guitarist Dave Stryker, who got his start working with Jack McDuff and Stanley Turrentine stretches the boundaries of the organ sound while keeping the groove deep on his new CD "Blue Strike" (SteepleChase 31729).  Once again Dave teams with young Hammond organ phenom Jared Gold, as well as legendary drummer Billy Hart, and adds to the front line two rising stars with their own sounds;

The Felice Brothers will wind down a very busy 2011 in style with two New Year's shows in the northeast, performing on December 30th at Daniel Street in Milford, CT and on December 31st for a hometown show at Club Helsinki in Hudson, NY. The band, who are currently overseas at the start of a 17-date European tour, wrapped up their eight and a half week long national US tour on November 19th.

With a guy like Stephen Stills, an icon of 60s folk rock and roll, you can’t help but wonder how the passing of time might figure in to a live performance. Decades after his heyday, Stills still came in with his A-game at the Ogden Theater in Denver on Sunday.

Otis Taylor held his inaugural Otis Taylor Trance Blues Jam Festival with guitarists Bob Margolin and Mato Nanji; banjo legends Tony Trischka and Don Vappe; and bass players George Porter Jr. and Cassie Taylor over Thanksgiving weekend.The festival was a three-day event of workshops and jams Taylor held at the Boul