LUCKY 13

Fiona Boyes has recorded several albums in her native Australia and won just about every “Best Blues Guitarist” award that country has to offer. But she’s especially stoked about Lucky 13(Yellow Dog), her first U.S. release. With assistance from such American talents as Kaz Kazanoff(harp, sax, producer), Bob Margolin (guitar) and Marcia Ball (piano), Boyes has turned in one of the most sizzling blues albums—by anyone—in years. 

Her vocals and songwriting are impressive,and on both acoustic and electric guitars, Boyes is consistently dynamic and inventive. Now,perhaps, the critics will stop pigeonholing her as a great female blues artist and simply recognize Boyes as a great blues artist, period. Says Boyes, “It’s frustrating for any artist to be marginalized as a mere novelty. With blues there are more interesting issues, like how do I stay true to the traditions of the genre while finding my own unique voice within it?” www.fionaboyes.com  Jeff Tamarkin

Click Here to Listen to "High Cotton"

GYPSY GUITAR HERO

It’s a quiet night in Brooklyn and Stephane Wrembel’s trio has just finished its set to a round of hardy clapping paired with giddy smiles. People sense that performers’ talent is inversely proportional to the tiny venue’s size. Wrembel, who emigrated from France in 2000, plays guitar in the vein—not the exact manner—of the late, great Gypsy giant Django Rheinhart.

“I call our music Gypsy jam because there is a Gypsy soul to it; a nomadic feeling of freedom with a focus on wild improvisations,” says an affable Wrembel in a thick accent as his bass player and percussionist mill about the tables. While he showcases plenty of traditional and original tunes that highlight his jaw-dropping speed and dexterity, he also gives healthy nods to African and Indian traditions along with a few rock interpretations. Having released a solo album and one recently with David Grisman, Wrembel hopes to release another amidst heavy touring. Do not miss an opportunity to see one the greatest guitar players I’ve ever seen in-person—and I don’t say that lightly.  www.stephanewrembel.com  Josh Baron

Click Here to Listen to "Barbes Brooklyn"

ATHENS’ NEXT BIG THING

“You’re going to ruin the tour, all for this interview,” says The Whigs frontman and guitarist, ParkerGispert, laughing in response to my request to have him speak loudly into the phone due to technical difficulties. The Whigs are headed to their first concert on a two-month  tour of the Northeast after recently signing with ATO, which is re-releasing their debut Give ‘Em All a Big Fat Lip. 

As debuts go, it doesn’t get much better: Each song unfurls with hook after hook of sweet melodious college radio pop/rock, all punctuated by Gispert’s shaky, earnest vocals. It wasn’t long ago that The Whigs, while still students at the University of Georgia, were considered one of the best unsigned bands in the country. But Gispert, along with drummer Julian Dorio and bassist Hank Sullivan, had little doubt what they wanted to do after graduation: “We bought a bunch of equipment on eBay, recorded the record, then sold it all back on eBay,” says Gispert of Lip, which was puton tape for free in a SAE fraternity house. It’s this same ingenuity in their music that guarantees that The Whigs will be the next Athens band to leave a huge musical footprint.  Tyson Schuetze

Click Here to Listen to "Technology"

SOUTHERN ROCK ROYALTY

Being the son of Gregg and the nephew of Duane, Devon Allman, on some level  must have been eternally curious about music as a youngster. But before his father even became a part of his life, he was morphing into a music freak: “In high school, I had a little boom box in my locker, and if I could squeeze in 45 seconds of a Van Halen song in between classes, I was doing it,” he laughs.  

Now 31, the Texas-born, Missouri-bred vocalist/guitarist has survived a string of soul-killing day jobs (silk screener, insurance salesman, etc.) to carry on the family tradition full-time with his band, Honeytribe, whose new Torch conjures the would-be offspring of Dickey Betts and Edwin McCain, its lone guitar instrumental marking the disc’s apex. Says Allman, “It’s really about accepting and embracing who I am, where I come from and where I want to go.” www.honeytribe.com .  Wes Orshoski

Click Here to Listen to "Torch"

HEADS ABOVE WATER

Something’s afloat in central PA. Since 2002, Quagmire Swim Team has emerged as a viable contender for Pennsylvania’s electronic crown through a number of marathon-length “swim meets.” Quagmire Swim Team first came together after Buzz, a drummer by trade, bumped into Nate Kruis, a bassist, at a mutual friend’s party. On a whim, Kruis encouraged Buzz to switch instruments and join his trio as a guitarist.

With keyboardist Pat Bowman serving as the group’s primary songwriter, QST fine-tuned its creative process, venturing into dance-beat poptronica akin to the Postal Service or Lotus. The quartet quickly befriended local heroes like the Disco Biscuits and Brothers Past—Aron Magner even partnered with QST for his “Gnarly Pool Party” project. While the group embraces the jamband tag, songwriting remains a key part of the Quagmire experience. “We are definitely moving into a more song-driven period,” says Buzz. Perhaps the group’s secret weapon, drummer Marshall Deasy is actually a wellrespected studio engineer. “Marshall has had his hands on everything in the area, from rap to bluegrass,” Buzz says. “We’ll record our rehearsals and use those ideas to build songs.” www.quagmireswimteam.com  Mike Greenhaus

Click Here to Listen to "Slide"