HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF - New Orleans, LA

Influenced by the sounds of Classic Country, 1960’s Rock ‘n’ Roll, and master songwriters like Townes Van Zandt and Neil Young, Hurray for the Riff Raff has deep roots in the landscape of America.

After two self-released albums (2007’s It Don’t Mean I Don’t Love You and 2010’s Young Blood Blues) the band will be releasing a self-titled CD comprised of the best songs from those records on Loose Music (Felice Brothers, M Ward, Neko Case) in Europe on March 21, 2011.

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JUNGOL - Atlanta, GA

Jungol, comprised of two brothers and their two long-time friends, has created a sound that is a clear standout in the realm of experimental rock. Sometimes moody and thereal, sometimes loud and complex, Jungol’s music stretches across a landscape of emotions. In 2011 Jungol stayed busy as usual by putting their efforts into several new releases including a new single called Who’s in Bed as well as a full-length concert DVD filmed at the Earl in 2010. They toured part of the year, sharing runs with The Winter Sounds, Today the Moon Tomorrow the Sun, and The Zou. Jungol’s local concerts continue to be explosive sellout events, dressed with LED lights, theatrics, and a crowd of singing fans reluctant to stand still.

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THE ROYAL TINFOIL - Charleston, SC

A Southern brand of gritty soul, blues-driven Americana, and full-throttle gyspy rock.

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HOPE FOR AGOLDENSUMMER - Athens, GA

“Hope for Agoldensummer is a profoundly understated, content focused group from Athens, Georgia. Their music is a bluegrass-tinged wellspring of harmony and intimate lyricism. Resonator Magazine, in an article profiling the band, wrote on the grounding humanity of their sound: “The thing with the soulful vocals, the soft finger-plucked instrumentation—it’s all so damn tangible, so damn human, so present. So much of the redemptive quality of all of Hope for Agoldensummer’s music comes from that ever-present (even in darkness) humanity. Lyrically, too, this focus on the human finds continuing expression throughout their work, most explicitly in “Luke’s Song”, in which the band intones, gospel-like, “Love you my brother / Yes I do! / I love you my brother / Yes I do! / I will not forsake you / No I won’t / Your sister will not fail you / No she won’t!” Hope for Agoldensummer’s songwriting is united by themes of community, family, love and the shared struggle for justice—themes that hover in poetic allusion or hum beneath the currents of melody, ever present yet rarely gaudy or forced. They are a band of peace, brought to Grinnell as a part of the Peace Studies Conference, though the connections, however foundational, may take a few listens to make themselves apparent.” - Scarlet & Black

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TODAY THE MOON, TOMORROW THE SUN - Atlanta, GA

Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun is about the collaborative. It’s about the connections between sound and people. It’s about the heart and the head. It’s for mistakes and triumphs, and against arrogance and underconfidence. A band of four. 2 boys. 2 girls. Noisy. Dancy. Loud. Sincere. Sweaty. Loveable. Hardworking. A real good time. Touring full-time since August ‘09. Their dwellings are in Atlanta, GA, but they call the East Coast home. 

Folks say Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun occupy a strange land…a territory full of noisy chaos that dances around many perfectly manicured landscapes.  ”It’s pop music as art at it’s very finest”, Davy Minor (ohmpark).  ”Seamless drifting between genres- synthpop as well as ambient and indie rock without ever losing its effectiveness or focus. The drifting feels natural”, Matthew Godbey (Charleston Scene).  Other folks have made up odd sub-genres for them, “Dreamy Disco Punk” “Bullet-proof Dance Jams” & “Indie-Electro-Fuzz-Rock”.  All of these rare combinations add up to a sound you can’t quite put your finger on, but feel like you’ve known for years.

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