KT Tunstall<\/b>
\nScotland-born and Grammy-nominated musician, singer and songwriter KT Tunstall burst onto the scene in 2004 with a bravura and revolutionary solo performance on popular UK program Later\u2026 With Jools Holland<\/i>. Armed only with a guitar, microphone and looping pedal, she constructed the live arrangement of \u201cBlack Horse and the Cherry Tree\u201d in real time on live television. In the wake of that broadcast debut, Tunstall\u2019s first single from Eye to the Telescope<\/i> charted in the Top 40 on the UK, Canada, New Zealand and United States. Quickly proving that she was no one-hit wonder, Tunstall placed three more songs from that album on the UK singles charts, with one of them \u2013 the catchy \u201cSuddenly I See\u201d \u2013 climbing to No. 21 on the Billboard<\/i> singles chart. Subsequent albums have been critically well-received, and while Tunstall\u2019s appealing, emotionally resonant and hooky folk-pop hasn\u2019t stormed the charts in recent years, her studio work and live performances have earned her a dedicated following. Tunstall\u2019s most recent full-length release is a collaborative album with pioneering female rocker Suzi Quatro, 2023\u2019s Face to Face<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Sebastian Bach<\/b>
\nYes, that\u2019s (almost) his real name. Born Sebastian Bierk, the Canadian hard rock vocalist first made a name for himself as lead singer for \u201880s and \u201890s hair-metal sensations Skid Row. With that group, Bach won an American Music Award (Favorite Heavy Metal\/Hard Rock New Artist) in 1990; the band\u2019s first two albums \u2013 1989\u2019s self-titled debut and 1991\u2019s Slave to the Grind<\/i> \u2013 both went multi-Platinum. But the band disappeared form the charts as quickly as they had appeared, and by \u201887 Bach was a solo artist. In the years ot come he would prove his versatility as an actor on Broadway, in film and on television, continuing his musical career all the while. To date Bach has released six solo albums; after a decade-long break, 2024\u2019s Child Within the Man<\/i> is his latest. With its deeply strange, primitive cover art (by his father!), Child Within the Man<\/i> nonetheless earned glowing reviews from metal publications, performing respectably on the Billboard<\/i> 200 (peaking at No. 44) and nearly topping the UK Rock and Metal charts at No. 3.<\/p>\n
Black Label Society<\/b>
\nNew Jersey-born guitarist Zak Wylde (yes, that\u2019s his real name) first came to wide attention as the guitarist taking over in Ozzy Osbourne\u2019s band after the firing of axeman Jake E. Lee. Wylde debuted on record with Ozzy on 1998\u2019s well-received No Rest for the Wicked<\/i>; in addition to lead guitar duties, Wylde co-wrote all of the album\u2019s nine songs. Wylde remained with Osbourne through the release of 1995\u2019s Ozzmosis<\/i> before departing, though he would return and appear on several more of Ozzy\u2019s albums and tours, right up to 2025, the year of Osbourne\u2019s passing. Wylde has kept busy and productive outside Osbourne\u2019s orbit as well, playing with speed metal outfit Pantera and leading both cover\/tribute band Zakk Sabbath and original group Black Label Society. Together since 1998, Black Label Society has released 12 studio albums; 2026\u2019s Engines of Demolition<\/i> is the group’s latest. While the band went through a constantly-shifting succession of players during its first 15 years, Black Label Society has boasted a stable lineup since 2015.<\/p>\n
Rising Appalachia<\/b>
\nEffectively bringing together three aesthetics \u2013 Boho-hippie culture, a world-music mindset and elements of folk and old-time music \u2013 Atlanta-born sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith launched Rising Appalachia in 2005. Over the years the group has called Atlanta, New Orleans and Asheville, N.C. its home base, but frequent touring around the globe qualifies the group as world citizens. And their undercurrent of socially-conscious messaging is very much in line with that characterization: while their acoustic-electric music draws from mountain music and non-American musical styles, their lyrics often focus squarely on issues related to the environment, social justice and other big ideas. The band has been consistent in its album release schedule; with more than ten albums to their credit, Rising Appalachia has operated largely outside of the music industry machinery. The band\u2019s reflective, poetic-leaning lyricism has made them a sensation on the festival circuit, appealing to the bright-eyed idealist that exists within many listeners. And the group\u2019s passionate activism in support of causes it holds dear means that unlike some of their well-meaning contemporaries, Rising Appalachia truly walks the talk.<\/p>\n
10,000 Maniacs<\/b>
\nIncongruously and inexplicably named after a horror film from exploitation director Herschell Gordon Lewis, 10,000 Maniacs make music that is undeniably tuneful and friendly. Based in upstate New York, the breezy alternative rock group debuted on record with 1983\u2019s Secrets of the I Ching<\/i>. That record and its 1985 followup were well-received but did not chart. Everything changed with the release of 1987\u2019s In My Tribe<\/i>. Spurred in part by the charting single \u201cWhat\u2019s the Matter Here?\u201d the album would eventually go double-Platinum. Lead singer Natalie Merchant became the band\u2019s focal point, and with the release of two more hit albums \u2013 1989\u2019s Blind Man\u2019s Zoo<\/i> and Our Time in Eden<\/i> from \u201892 \u2013 her presence eclipsed that of her band mates; after the group’s MTV Unplugged<\/i> performance in 1993, she left for a solo career. But singer and violinist Mary Ramsey proved an inspired replacement, and the members of the band proved themselves capable songwriters. Chart success may not have continued, but the band has been consistent in turning out finely-crafted albums and compelling live performances.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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