Artists In Residence
Sam Witt is a poet. Sam Witt is a minute galaxy strung between the crumbling ledge & the frame of his kitchen window. Sam Witt masquerades as a spiderweb by the stove; at the wormhole swirling at its center, the mobius strip over which this nebula was folded in on itself, Sam Witt sleeps alone on his feet. & when the spider stirs, gyrates madly from her deep hole, Sam Witt ceases to dream.
Named after a vintage Gretsch bass drum pedal, Floating Action is the pseudonym of Black Mountain, North Carolina-based musician, songwriter, and producer Seth Kauffman. Following the 2007 homemade gem Research (released under his own name) and Floating Action’s gorgeously understated self-titled follow-up from 2009, Kauffman’s third full-length is titled Desert Etiquette.
San Francisco-based Birds & Batteries are drawing on their energetic aviary nomenclature and rising, rising. They are selling out shows in SF, sneaking songs onto TV soundtracks, and touring with Peter Wolf Crier. They've got three albums worth of lush, adventurous, and mind-bending stuff in the bag--and a fourth LP, "Stray Light," is on the way. The new stuff is purportedly the future filtered through synth prisms and green dappled light. Batteries included. Enter for *free download*
Joe Pug has logged a ton of melodic miles next to his beat-up guitar case. Whether it's his stripped down EP Nation of Heat, his debut full-length Messenger, or the shiny new album he's working on, his songs all do one thing really goddamn well: they steal your face off of your head and fill it with images that you've never before envisioned, and verses you've never before heard. Somehow, though, they make you feel like you're home.
Red Wanting Blue has been called the hardest working rock band in America. This isn’t surprising considering leader Scott Terry’s decade-long dedication to the road. His songs about its trials, sung in a remarkable baritone, are backed by his expert band’s shimmering new-classic rock sound. Twelve of these tunes comprise this Columbus, Ohio-based band’s first official label release "These Magnificent Miles".
Benji Hughes is a Charlotte guy with rural Tennessee roots. He writes songs and sings them, sometimes with a band, sometimes at Snug Harbor, once in a while in the studio. He has one full length album to his credit, and it’s a double—the wonderful and bountiful A Love Extreme (2008). He also has a sweet little EP called A Little Extreme and a smattering of singles and collaborations with the likes of Jenny Lewis, Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly) and Ke$ha. His songs will alternately hit your funny bone, get you all verklempt, and ask you to cough twice.
The name Gideon, inspired by the Biblical account in the book of Judges, was originally conceived as a stage name for Jason Brown. When Jason’s sister Erica became involved as a vocalist in late 2009 the band became a harmonic collaboration between the two and the name Brown took on broader family significance. The third and most recent addition to the group came in early 2010. Ruth Hayden brought an additional alto harmony and an added layer of viscerally warm emotion. The trio is currently recording their debut album, “The Prodigal.”
Determined to bring back the musicality and work ethic of the 1960s & 70s, The Wandas cut their teeth on their last album, New Wave Blues, then self released the LP and backed it up with a year and a half of touring in their 20 year old 30 foot RV that doubled as their home for the near 2 year road stint. Spanning 40 U.S. states and 200+ shows, The Wandas grew their fan base from the ground up; one brick at a time. From DIY basement shows to theaters, they left no potential fan untouched.
Dear Companion is the Swedish-American duo of Loren Francis and Maja Alderin. Their music is filled with a longing engendered by the space between two continents. "Hold me close, or hold me far away," is their emblematic lyrical refrain. This duo is all or nothing.
Ben Knox Miller and Jeffrey Prystowsky met while DJing an overnight jazz show on a Brown University radio station, WBRU. Miller and Prystowsky played in various ensembles together ranging from classical and jazz to electronica before The Low Anthem was formed in 2006.
