Following a year consumed by writing and recording new songs for their upcoming album, Dublin alt-folk duo The Guggenheim Grotto will return to the road playing headlining dates along the East Coast and into the Midwest. The band continues to promote the release of its third album, The Universe Is Laughing, but is showcasing plenty of new material as well.

The follow-up to 2009's critically acclaimed Happy The Man, The Universe Is Laughing didn't take long to catch the attention of critics far and wide, receiving praise from outlets like American Songwriter, LA Weekly, AOL Spinner, Venus Zine and being chosen for a Paste CD sampler. The band's success continued when it was invited to play 20 dates on a national tour with Ingrid Michaelson.

Released on United for Opportunity, the album is a lyrical journey through life's beautiful mysteries with equal amounts melancholy and jubilance. Largely written and recorded in hotels and living rooms while crossing this wide country on tour, it sees Kevin May and Mick Lynch further develop themes of self-discovery and enlightenment while maintaining their signature mix of timeless alt-folk, soaring melodies and emotionally intelligent lyrics with a hint of electro-pop.

The Guggenheim Grotto emerged in 2005 to critical acclaim in Ireland with its debut album...Waltzing Alone when the first single "Told You So" reached No. 12 on the Irish National Airplay Charts. Later, the band found success abroad much in part to early champions like David Dye at WXPN in Philadelphia, XM Radio's "The Loft" and Nic Harcourt at KCRW in Los Angeles. Both previous releases have made it to No. 1 on the iTunes Folk Chart and seen placements in major primetime TV programs like Brothers and Sisters and One Tree Hill. The band's sophomore record, 2009's Happy The Man, saw the band tour with They Might Be Giants and Ani DiFranco, and received tremendous support from Triple A radio, warm embraces at press, and a YouTube featured video for the first single, "Her Beautiful Ideas," that garnered over 300,000 views in just a few days. See video below.
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Ben Shannon
Ben Shannon is a Nashville born, Southwestern Pennsylvania based singer songwriter with a passion for good heartfelt songs. His aspiration as a writer is to write great songs that others want to sing.

Ben Shannon has no qualms scouring the current singer/songwriter repertoire and illuminating the cracks and crevices that haven’t yet been sung. His songs provide refreshing perspectives on old topics in a lovely voice with well-crafted, intelligent lyrics. Songs rooted in love, in loss, and redemption make each of his performances–full band or solo–a revelation.

Ben was a 2010 showcasing finalists in New York’s annual Songwriting Circle competition. That year he released his self titled EP and quickly followed up with a critically acclaimed, Triple A radio friendly, full-length studio album, Move On in May of 2011. In 2012 he was a showcasing finalist at the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival in Colorado and a main stage performer at the Three Rivers Arts Festival in Pittsburgh. He is currently working on his next studio album for release in 2013.

Ben Shannon has a natural connection with audiences through his easy going nature and his deep seated compassion for the human condition. His voice is emotionally present and the big choruses and strong hooks of his songs are equally matched by his honesty and integrity as an artist.

Barnaby Bright

Since the release of their first album, 'Wake the Hero' in 2009, Barnaby Bright has garnered high accolades for their songwriting and sound. Grand prize winners of the NY Song Circle competition, Barnaby Bright's music has also been featured on national television to soundtrack heavy moments on shows such as 'ER' and 'Days of our Lives.' Their follow up EP 'Gravity' was named one of the top 100 records of the year by Amazon.com, keeping good company with the likes of Adele and Bon Iver. They continue touring in support of their brand new full length record, "The Longest Day," gracing such notable venues as Lincoln Center and NPR's "Mountain Stage" in West Virgina, and sharing stages with the likes of the Lumineers and Norah Jones.

Nathan and Rebecca Bliss, the voices and the brains behind Barnaby Bright, are truly the modern day traveling troubadours, averaging roughly 200 shows and 40,000 miles traveled a year. You can find them on streets as far away as London or Amsterdam, and as remote as St. Paris, Ohio, toting their massive haul of instruments…multiple guitars, harmonium, banjo, ukulele, floorboard bass, thumb pianos and keyboards. Because of the great number of shows they've played in their world travels, as well as their unique instrumentation, powerful harmonies and thought-provoking, connective lyrics, this duo has mastered the original goal they set out to attain: to create a sacred, magical space for their audiences…a momentary escape from the outside world. Their songs deal with a diverse range of subjects as relatable as longing and love, and as dark as death and revenge. The resulting emotional journey Barnaby Bright takes you on during one of their shows is one you will never forget. Drawing inspiration from literature, human behavior, experiences shared with the fascinating people they've encountered on the road, as well as a hint of fantasy, Barnaby Bright is a classic vision of timeless indie folk rock in all its glory.

Nothing about the journey of this married duo has been accidental or without purpose...even the band name itself holds a myriad of meaning for them. The phrase "Barnaby Bright" is a medieval term for the summer solstice. In 17th century England, the longest day of the year was celebrated with a large festival to honor St. Barnabus, and all joined together in merry recitation of the limerick, "Barnaby Bright, Barnaby Bright, the longest day, the shortest night." Nathan and Becky were instantly drawn to the name not only for its historical context, but also because of the many metaphors it represented to them: light and dark, good and evil, and the idea that though this innate, dualistic struggle is present in all of us, on the longest day of the year, light prevails over dark...goodness wins.

This dichotomy of the human condition is represented time and again not only in their songs, but in themselves. With over a decade between them, and drastically different childhoods and life experiences, Nathan and Becky find in each other so much of what the other is lacking, both musically and personally. They have discovered that their vastly different backgrounds give them each a unique approach to the world, and to songwriting. Perhaps that is why listeners find such depth and range of emotions in the songs of Barnaby Bright. show less

Born into a large Irish Catholic family in Buffalo, N.Y., Willie began writing songs in his early teens. After graduating from the University at Buffalo with a B.A. in Philosophy, he moved to Manhattan's Greenwich Village. During his first winter there, he was sidelined by pneumonia. While spending nearly a year recuperating, he concentrated on honing his songwriting skills. After his recovery, Nile became a popular fixture in the Village's folk clubs, while drawing inspiration from the emerging downtown punk scene. His budding career received a major boost from a high-profile New York Times piece by legendary critic Robert Palmer, who called Nile "an exceptional talent" and "one of the most gifted singer-songwriters to emerge from the New York scene in years."

The local buzz stoked by the Times story led to a deal with Arista Records, for which Nile recorded Willie Nile and Golden Down, released in 1980 and 1981, respectively. Those albums won a sizable audience and generated reams of press raves, with one critic likening Nile to a "one-man Clash," and another calling his debut effort "one of the most thrilling post-Byrds folk-rock albums of all time." But his progress ground to a halt after legal disputes with his label caused Nile to walk away from the music business, beginning a recording hiatus that lasted for nearly a decade.

Although he continued to write new material, Nile maintained a discreet distance from the spotlight until 1991, when he reemerged with a new deal with Columbia Records and a new album, Places I Have Never Been, which restored the artist to prominence with fans and critics. The following year, he went the independent route with the four-song EP Hard Times in America. Willie Nile - Archive Alive, a vintage document of a 1980 performance in New York's Central Park, was released in 1997. In 1998, Nile lent his unmistakable voice to the all-star concept album Largo.

In 1999, Nile released Beautiful Wreck of the World, which marked the start of an exciting new chapter in his career, one in which he’s wholeheartedly embraced his new indie status to create and distribute his music free from corporate agendas. His new approach yielded substantial results, with Beautiful Wreck of the World chosen as one of the year's Top Ten Albums by critics at Billboard, The Village Voice and Stereo Review. During this period, Nile substantially stepped up his touring activities in Europe, where he’s since built a large and enthusiastic following.

The well-received Streets of New York, from 2006, ushered in the most productive and prolific period of Nile’s musical life. The CD Live From the Turning Point and the DVD Live From the Streets of New York followed in 2007 and 2008, respectively, as did another widely celebrated new studio album, House of a Thousand Guitars, and 2011's The Innocent Ones, which won some of the most enthusiastic notices Nile’s ever received.

The BBC called The Innocent Ones "stunning . . . THE rock 'n' roll album of the year," and Rolling Stone included it in its "Top Ten Best Under-the-Radar Albums of 2011." USA Today named the album's anthemic lead track "One Guitar" as the number-one song in the nation. It was also one of five songs chosen to be played on Occupy Wall Street's 1000-guitar march, alongside Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land."

"It's been a great time," Nile says of his recent activities. "I've been touring more in the last two years than in my entire career up until then. I'm in Europe four months a year and we've really built something solid over there. The fans are so great, so vocal, so supportive, and I’m deeply grateful to each and every one of them."

With American Ride now a reality thanks to his - and his fans'-efforts, Willie Nile is moving with the unmistakable momentum of a deeply accomplished artist who’s just hitting his stride.

"People who've heard this album say it's as good a record as I've ever made, and I don't disagree," he states, adding, "I definitely think it's as good a collection of songs as I've put together. I'm still learning as I go, and it gets easier every time in. I still love what I do and I'm probably feeling more inspired now than I ever have. I really do feel like I'm just getting started."
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Join Club Cafe and The Billy Price Band as they celebrate the release of their first studio album in four years, "Strong", on DixieFrog Records.

Billy Price, east coast blue-eyed soul man, has been entertaining audiences for the past four decades. In his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pa., he is an institution. Price's popularity isn't hard to explain. As Geoffrey Himes of the Washington Post has written, "Unlike so many blues revivalists, Price is not an imitation of older, better singers--he's the real thing." show less

Cleveland-born David Wilcox was inspired to play guitar after hearing a fellow college student playing in a stairwell. His lyrical insight is matched by a smooth baritone voice, virtuosic guitar chops, and creative open tunings, giving him a range and tenderness rare in folk music. He released an independent album in 1987, was a winner of the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk award in 1988, and by 1989 he had signed with A&M Records. His first release on the label, 'How Did You Find Me Here', sold over 100,000 copies the first year largely by word of mouth. Now, 17 albums into a career marked by personal revelation and wildly loyal fans, David continues to find and deliver joy, inspiration, and invention.


Considered a 'songwriter's songwriter', his songs have been covered by artists such as k.d. lang and many others. In addition to his writing prowess, his skills as a performer and storyteller are unmatched. He holds audiences rapt with nothing more than a single guitar, thoroughly written songs, a fearless ability to mine the depths of human emotions of joy, sorrow and everything in between, and all tempered by a quick and wry wit.

Reflecting on well over 20 years of record-making and touring extensively around the US and world, Wilcox says, "Music still stretches out before me like the head-lights of a car into the night. It's way beyond where I am, but it shows where I'm going. I used to think that my goal was to catch up, but now I'm grateful that the music is always going to be way out in front to inspire me." show less

The Wheals are an original rock and roll band who transcend a genre specific definition. Elements of reggae, gospel, folk, rock and country illustrate the band's sound. The Wheals bring a high energy live show that displays refreshing originality as well as mature musicianship.

Formed in the fall of 2005 The Wheals gained notoriety behind their first release, 2008's The Wheals. The album is comprised of 9 tracks that display sincere songwriting in a wash of Americana style arrangement. Each track lends to an overall theme of loss and self evaluation.

The Wheals are currently preparing for the release of their highly anticipated second album, Diamond Time. Recorded over the winter of 2011 the tone and attitude of this album is in sharp contrast to that of their first studio effort. Diamond Time displays grit and volume and overall is a far more electric enterprise. The sounds of multiple guitars are reinforced by larger arrangements and a comprehensively charged bravado.
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Club Cafe, a landmark of Pittsburgh's South Side, is now hosting Sunday Brunch with an international twist. With the curtains drawn up, soft daylight pours into the recently remodeled music venue, bringing a new feel to the room so familiar to its concert patrons. The concept of the European Cafe comes to Pittsburgh here, combining imported ingredients with fresh, locally sourced items to keep prices reasonable for comfortable dining with subtle refinement. Head Chef Monique Achaia Ruvolo and craft cocktail wizard Abigail Smith have joined forces to create a menu that fills the soul and excites the palate. Open every Sunday from 10:30am with last seating at 2:00pm. show less

No Cover!

Pittsburgh's #1 Open Stage returns to Club Cafe with host Clinton Clegg. Fashioned after some of the high profile and wildly successful open stages in Nashville and New York City, AcoustiCafe's open stage intends to create a supportive environment for artists to network with their peers, test new music or haul out old favorites, and most importantly, extend their reach in the local scene.

Ages 21+ Only. show less

Singer, song-juggler, and self-proclaimed "Original Gangster of Cleveland", Bushwalla represents the assorted talents of Billy Galewood.

Bushwalla began performing in musical theater at the early age of nine. At 18 he was studying theater at the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in New York City, supporting himself as a street performer by incorporating such feats as juggling, magic, face-balancing, and fire-breathing. Today, Bushwalla's sound has evolved into a unique blend of acoustic hip-hop, folk, and funk with a soul deeply rooted in authenticity and optimism.

A songwriter, collaborator and free-styler, Bushwalla co-wrote Jason Mraz's debut platinum album, Waiting For My Rocket to Come and sophomore release Mr. A-Z. Recently, his songs have been featured on hit television shows such as Weeds, Revenge, Fuel TV, E!s The Daily 10 and the Rachel Ray Show. Bushwalla co-wrote the title track to the breakout film New York Minute and, in 2012, his song "Mayhem is Beautiful" will be featured in the film 10 Year, starring Rosario Dawson and Channing Tatum.

Bushwalla has produced two full-length albums and two EPs. Ghetto Blaster, his debut release was produced by Spooner Oldham. His full length albums include Autodidactical Freestyle & Radical (2008) and The Man Who Invented The Sky (2010) which features Pigeon John, Rebecca Taylor of Slow Club, Teenie Hodges, Spooner Oldham.

Bushwalla's albums have accumulated worldwide sales to fan bases in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Canada, Eastern and Western Europe, and South America.

Bushwalla has ten years of national and international touring experience with the likes of Jason Mraz, G. Love & Special Sauce and K'Naan. Bushwalla has won over audiences in countries such as Australia, Canada, Singapore, France, England, Holland, Denmark, and Scotland to name a few. He has performed at historic venues including: Red Rocks, The Greek, The Hollywood Bowl, Sheppards Bush Empire, The Enterprise, Corn Exchange, Komedia, Paradiso, House of Blues (LA, San Diego, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Cleveland), Eagles Ballroom, The Metro, World Cafe, Fillmore, Highline Ballroom, CBGBs, Avalon, Henry Fonda theater, and The Troubadour.

Bushwalla currently lives in Southern California and is in the studio writing and recording new material to be released in 2012. show less

When the members of the legendary "Tropicalia" band Os Mutantes took the stage before an audience of thousands at the Hollywood bowl a few years back, it seemed one of the greatest secrets in modern music was finally out. The seminal band whose ethereal absurdist pop music had inspired so many prominent musicians since their breakup decades before, were back. This time the world seemed ready. Now this influential band has reemerged with a brand new much anticipated album entitled "Haih" on Anti-records.

Those who have not heard the music of Os Mutantes have undoubtedly experienced their influence. During the band’s absence, their records have been passed from musician to musician like cherished gifts, ever inspiring and altering the contemporary musical landscape. Kurt Cobain of Nirvana was tipped to the band by members of the band Red Kross. When Nirvana toured Brazil in 1993, Cobain tried desperately to arrange a meeting with Mutante bassist and singer Arnaldo Baptista. Unable to locate the musician he sent him the following note. "Arnaldo, best wishes to you, and be careful with the system. They swallow you up and spit you out like a maraschino cherry pit."

The Mutantes' cut-and-paste, sonic collage approach and their tendency for cultural irony, is an aesthetic now prevalent in modern music. The band has received praise from a growing list of luminaries including the Flaming Lips, David Byrne, Devendra Banhart and Of Montreal. But of any contemporary musician, it is Beck who appears their direct heir. For his part, Beck readily admits a longstanding admiration for the Mutantes, even dedicating his song "Tropicalia" from the album Mutations to the band. As he explains, ''Hearing Os Mutantes for the first time was one of those revelatory moments you live for as a musician. When you find something that you have been wanting to hear for years but never thought existed. I made records like 'Odelay' because there was a certain sound and sensibility that I wanted to achieve, and it was eerie to find that they had already done it 30 years ago, in a totally shocking but beautiful and satisfying way. For years it was pretty much the only thing I listened to."

This admiration by fellow artists is something Mutante founder and singer/guitarist, Sergio Dias, appreciates. "I think it is really beautiful how our sound caught on with newer generations through the songs of Beck and others," he explains. These kids were influenced by our music and started to talk to other kids and tell them. And then Beck made Mutations and he was so eloquent about that. I think it is a wonderful portrait of how things happen today."

Mutantes' unique otherworldly sound was forged in a time and place of turmoil. San Paulo Brazil of the early sixties was a city and nation under siege. The military had seized power and the authorities were coming down hard on anything resembling descent. It was amidst this precarious backdrop that, in 1964, two teenagers, Arnaldo Baptista and Rita Lee Jones met at a high school band contest. Inspired by a Revolver era Beatles, the two soon drafted Arnaldo's brother Sergio and formed what would become Os Mutantes.

Soon the band, along with other forward-looking musicians, writers and artists, were taking part in lively discussions that would eventually evolve into a culturally defining movement. With elements of political criticism, prankster humor and an eclectic range of musical styles, Tropicalia was born. "In Brazil we were influenced by things like the Beatles and Picasso," Dias explains. "But we didn't know what the Beatles were singing about and we didn't know the history of Picasso. We were in the middle of a very bad situation and we were responding to all of this. We only had bits and pieces of everything and so we formed this image of what rock and roll was supposed to be. Our music is like a patchwork quilt made up of all these different pieces from different places. We put all these elements together and just let them cook in this witches brew and that became our sound."

It was during Tropicalials start that the Mutantes recorded their self-titled debut album. As students battled the police and military, the Mutantes recorded an ambitious album merging seductive Brazilian music with the new psychedelic pop of the Beatles and Beach Boys. The end result didn't so much take a direct political stand as offer a complete aesthetic rejection of the harsh reality surrounding them.

The ruling generals soon regarded the Mutantes as musical emissaries of an emerging counter culture steeped in sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, and the group's performances began to get raided. The Mutantes, for their part, seemed to delight in their role as cultural provocateurs: with Dias performing in a Napoleonic military uniform, his brother Baptista in a priest's cassock and singer Rita Lee appearing in a bridal gown. "Many people were being arrested by the government at that time," Dias explains. "So we fought back the only way that we knew. They would try to censor our lyrics. But instead of changing the words we would put all sorts of strange noises on top of them. I don’t think they knew how much we were making fun of them."

By 1969, when the band's third album "A Divina Comedia ou Ando Meio Desiglado" was recorded, Brazil’s political situation had only further deteriorated. A governmental edict called as AI 5 (Institutional Act 5) resulted in the persecution of intellectuals, artists and activists, the closing of the congress and countless arrests. The crack down was the beginning of the end for the Tropicalia movement. Giberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, close friends of the Mutantes and two of the leading forces of Tropicalia, were arrested and exiled. Despite this the Mutantes had their biggest hit with the song "Ando Meio Desiglado". Propelled by a rocking Motown inspired bass line, the lyrics offered a forthright description of the effects of marijuana. On another song "Desculpe, Babe," Sergio's voice was distorted through a rubber hose connected to a hot chocolate can with a tiny speaker inside, as he sung over melodic Beatlesque guitars.

While performing in Paris, the band recorded an album for Polydor UK. The record was intended to introduce the band to a broader western audience and featured many of their previously recorded songs sung in English. The masters from the session were subsequently lost and the album, "Technicolor," wouldn't resurface for nearly three decades. Singer Rita Lee soon left the band to pursue a solo career and eventually it was only leader Sergio Dias, leading the band until they finally disbanded in 1978.

But in the band’s absence, Mutantes' standing amongst the rock cognoscente only intensified. In 2000, the lost 1971 album "Technicolor" was located and released to a near euphoric critical response. In 2006 the band finally reunited and performed at London's Barbican Arts Center. This was followed by triumphant shows throughout North America and the Mutantes being awarded the Brazilian equivalent of a Grammy for best band. "Playing live with this band is so amazing," Dias says. "I can not describe anything better than maybe going into space. When we were playing at the Pitchfork Festival it was like looking at yourself when you were a kid trying to mumble the words to "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" in English and not understanding the words. There were hardly any Brazilians there but the kids were all singing our songs in Portuguese. It was really beautiful."

So this acclaimed band who inspired so much now prepares to release Haih, their first new album in over three decades. On it Sergio Dias has collaborated with two of the founders of Tropicalia, renowned songwriter and multi instrumentalist Tom Ze and Jorge Ben who wrote the band’s first hit Minha Menina. But don't expect anything like nostalgia from Haih. The end result is a record that brilliantly updates the band's legendary "Tropicalia" sound, propelling it out of the sixties and into an uncharted but undeniably exotic future. As expected, the songs utilize a startling assortment of instrumentation, from austere violins to distorted metallic guitars and something called a crazy flute, lending an underlying theatrical power to their genre defying music. The song Bagdad Blues, with its tinkering old piano and seductive horns, conjures an otherworldly cabaret while Querida Querida is modern rock music unlike anything you've heard before."It would be awful to mimic something we had done when we were teenagers," Dias explains. "When we were making this album we were absolutely vigilant that the ideas were entirely fresh and I think we did a very good job. Everyone who has heard this album say it doesn't sound like Mutantes - but then it is also pure Mutantes. I really think it is a perfect vision of what Os Mutantes should sound like in the 21st century."
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