Studio B

This fun band from Lafayette, LA spices up their Cajun and zydeco roots with rock, pop and R&B influences, and come to Boone on Thursday and Asheville on Friday. Most of the six guys have spent time in the Red Stick Ramblers, but collectively they bring together a big gumbo of other experiences and influences too. Get ready for a fun live session.

Greenville singer/songwriter Angela Easterling has a fine new album Common Law Wife, another deeply autobiographical collection of songs, many of which are firmly rooted in the Upstate and elsewhere in the South. Check out her great website, too. She performs at Barley's in Spindale on Friday night, and a number of other shows in the area too.

We are so excited to have them back! Jens (banjo) and Uwe (guitar) are absolutely jaw-dropping with their high-speed virtuosity (Jens won the 2013 Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass Music), and their affection and passion for Appalachian music is magnified all the more by their story of having followed their dream of moving here from their native Switzerland. When Joel Landsberg joins them on bass, their tight sound as a dynamic trio really gels.

Nikki and Jason Sharp have been putting a lot of miles on their travel van lately, but "Blue Bell" knows how to navigate them back home to Western NC, and they return to Spindale for a late morning live session with Martin Anderson. They play Saluda Thursday, and Asheville Saturday. Their new album "Out From the Harbor" has cracked the Americana radio chart's Top 100 this summer.

Tony has been called a genius on both slide guitar and banjo, and his ability to blend Americana, indie-rock, and various traditional roots music styles helps him earn that title, too. He has spent most of his time the past couple decades out on the road, honing his craft, though mostly out West. So it's a special treat to have an opportunity to witness his skills and stories on stage near us. He plays Studio B before playing Downtown After 5 in Asheville (with Brushfire Stankgrass), and also Hickory on Saturday.