Best New Southern Musicians
5 To Download: Southern Standouts for your iPod
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Credit:
Photo: Ralph Anderson
- Deerhunter
Home Base: Atlanta, GA - The Sound: One part psychedelic punk, two parts alternative rock, and a healthy dash of eccentricity. Perfect for skinny jeans-wearing hipsters—and their parents who rocked out in the '60s and '70s.
- Breakout Song: "Don't Cry," from the Halcyon Digest album, an almost Beatles-esque sound that complements their more left-of-center tracks.
- Download Deerhunter's Music from iTunes
- Randy Montana
- Home Base: Nashville, TN
- The Sound: Country storytelling with a guitar-driven sound. The raspy-voiced Montana, a standout among his "I'm more country than you" peers, breaks the genre's mold but respects its heritage.
- Breakout Song: "Like a Cowboy," with poignant lyrics that warn of a lesson often learned the hard way: You can't change a man.
- Download Randy Montana's Music from iTunes
- Sarah Jarosz
- Home Base: Wimberley, TX
- The Sound: Captivating stories told to a sonic blend of Americana and contemporary bluegrass. This banjo/octave mandolin/guitar/piano-playing songbird is being hailed the next Patty Griffin.
- Breakout Song: "Tell Me True," a happy marriage of her songwriting prowess, musicianship, and knack for appealing to any age.
- Download Sarah Jarosz's Music from iTunes
The Secret Sisters
Home Base: Muscle Shoals, AL
The Sound: A musical time machine back to the pure, ethereal country of the 1920s and '30s. Grammy-winning producer T-Bone Burnett (Crazy Heart) was so enthralled with the duo, he opened a record label just for them.
Breakout Song: The aching "Tennessee Me," a love song that sounds like it's from the Grand Ole Opry's earliest years.
Download The Secret Sisters's Music from iTunes
- Truth & Salvage Co.
- Home Base: Los Angeles, by way of Asheville, NC
- The Sound: Southern rock. An eclectic mix of rock-and-roll anthems, pop-infused toe-tappers, and ballads—with a touch of twang.
- Breakout Song: "Welcome to LA," an infectious tune about Tinseltown, with lyrics reminiscent of vintage Jimmy Buffett and a sound akin to classic Lynyrd Skynyrd.
- Download Truth & Salvage Co.'s Music from iTunes