Crooked Creek

Though this seven-piece hails from Chicago, The Giving Tree Band sounds like they should call the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina home. The Giving Tree Band’s brand of Americana stems from the Grateful Dead: If their cover of “Brown-Eyed Women” doesn’t demonstrate this, then the guitar solo in “Silent Man” surely will. Slide guitar, banjo and an organ that blooms underneath unassuming vocals highlight their folksy bluegrass. Other gems include the opener “Cold Cold Rain,” which could easily be found in the Railroad Earth catalog, and “Miss You Now,” reminiscent of Cold Roses era Ryan Adams. And while their inspirations are evident (Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Band), The Giving Tree Band puts a new spin on the old sound of Americana.