MerleFest Reveals Late Night Jam Lineup

MerleFest is proud to announce the 2019 lineup for their beloved Late Night Jam. Sponsored by The Bluegrass Situation and hosted by Chatham County Line, this year’s Late Night Jam will feature Molly Tuttle, Jim Lauderdale, The Brother Brothers, Donna the Buffalo, Presley Barker, Ana Egge, Steve Poltz, and more. 

The annual homecoming of musicians and music fans returns to the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, April 25-28.

Tickets for this year’s festival, as well as the Late Night Jam sponsored by The Bluegrass Situation, may be purchased at www.MerleFest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857. MerleFest is presented by Window World.

MIXTAPE: The Brother Brothers, Tunes to Get Us Down the Road

If you’ve looked at our tour schedule recently, you’ll notice that it’s jam-packed, and each place is hours from the next. One of us will be on driving duty and the other on the tunes/podcasts. This is a list of tunes that have found their way onto our speakers in times of natural serenity, boredom, inspiration, or just plain “Ooh, I want to listen to that song.” They consist of friends, heroes, and people we admire — if it were all of them it would go on for hours. Here is a quick list for now, and it may get longer by the day.

“Ditch” – Sam Baker

There are many modern songwriters that can spin a story that makes the listener feel like they’re living it, but Sam is really one of the coolest and relaxed. Every time I hear one of his songs I feel like I’m remembering a dream I’ve just awoken from.

“Dad’s Gonna Kill Me” – Richard Thompson

Needless to say that Richard is one of the most influential songwriters of all, and this is a song that has really hit me hard recently. Songs of fighting war are a common theme in songwriting, and this one is very effective.

“Katie Dear” – The Blue Sky Boys

When you do research to learn harmonies, you stop here.

“Down in a Willow Garden” – The Kossoy Sisters with Erik Darling

Boy is this just good and in the way like not much else.

“Willie O’ Winsbury” – Anne Briggs

I remember the first time I heard this version. I’d listened to many others before and then the clouds parted but the rain kept pouring down and I was in heaven

“If You Ain’t Got Love” – The Revelers

What is there to say about the essence of country? This is where it lies for me. It is kind of the perfect song.

“Tired of Your Tears” – Feufollet

After attending the Black Pot Festival in Lafayette, LA we heard this band. To describe a better time listening to music would be very few and far between. What a great dance band and group of musicians

“Diggin’ Holes” – Brent Cobb

There are very few times that you hear a song and decide it’s time to quit music because you could never be as clever or sincere or capture a feeling to its core as Brent does in this song. I hate how good this song is.

“Fool Me” – Buck Meek

Listening to Terry Allen and Michael Hurley is one thing, and our pal Buck does it so very well with this song. It’s so perfect.

“Jonathan” – Adrianne Lenker

There are times that I sit down to write a song and just can’t because this song haunts me. It is the stars I am shooting for.

“Take Me Back” – Sarah Jarosz

We had the wonderful opportunity to do a bunch of opening shows with Sarah and this is the song that has stuck with me all this time. I wake up with it sometimes and can’t seem to get enough of it.

“Cosmic Doo Doo” – Blaze Foley

What can I say, but how great is this song?

“Real Peach” – Henry Jamison

He doesn’t remember how, but Adam found out about Henry, and we listened to his album every day in the car for weeks. It’s so good.

“Ain’t That Bad” – Timmy the Teeth

This is just a hit and I love the sentiment. His voice and the vibe and the words, it just is the butter that makes you want another.

“Emmylou” – First Aid Kit

We heard three different bands cover this song before we checked out the original. Then we listened to it over and over again. It’s just one of those earworms that gets in both ears.

“The King’s Shilling” – Karan Casey

When you visit Scotland and the UK you just end up falling in love with it all, and this is one of my favorite songs I’ve heard that isn’t twenty minutes long.


Photo credit: Erika Kapin

STREAM: The Brother Brothers, ‘Tugboats’

Artist: The Brother Brothers
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Album: Tugboats
Release Date: January 27, 2017

In Their Words: “This EP is our first official release. We named it Tugboats in homage to our fierce ties with the Red Hook neighborhood in Brooklyn. In addition, Justin Camerer took the photo of a lifetime catching a moving tugboat in the sun with us posing in the frame. We had to use it! What you’ll hear on the album is just what you’ll hear live. Two voices and two instruments (at a time).” — Adam Moss

WATCH: The Brother Brothers, ‘Tugboats’

Artist: The Brother Brothers
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY by way of Peoria, IL
Song: "Tugboats"
Album: Close Up at Faraway Sounds
Release Date: July 15

In Their Words: "There is a hill at the top of Brooklyn that overlooks the lower buildings of the island of Manhattan. You can imagine working late, past midnight, in a city that's brand new and sitting there alone, looking into the East River, and finding comfort in the boats moving to and from the New York Harbor. Thanks to Buck McAllister for the setting, and Jacob Bloomberg and his expert camera work for helping us capture this feeling of the hustle bustle in the body of water that so many people have known in a moment of severe transition." — Adam Moss


Photo credit: Justin Camerer