Northern Magnolia, Sarah Holtschlag & The Crosscuts, Northland Ghost

Northern Magnolia
Northern Magnolia comes to you from the concrete canyons of Chicago, IL. The band, formed like a happy accident, as brothers Dave and Tony Piscotti's previous band was winding to a halt. Taking its helm, Rory Miller responded to the Piscotti's call for an original and unique songwriter. Rory had just returned to her native Chicago after honing her new sound in the Florida music scene. Getting back to her roots, Rory recruited her first bass player and longtime friend, Jerry Rinard. The four fell into place like the pieces of a puzzle. These four veterans of Chicago's fertile music scene planted Magnolia in the soil of their creative synergy. Rory belts out powerful confident vocals over the driving rhythm of her seasoned percussive guitar. While Tony weaves melodic, tuneful, and twangy tapestries on his telecaster, Dave adds dynamic snap behind the kit. The quartet is rounded out by Jerry Rinard with his in-the-pocket bass groove and complimentary backing vocals. The group plays with a spontaneous maturity while Rory keeps listeners wondering what turn her melodies will take next. Northern Magnolia's growing audience is drawn to the band's exploration of musical territory staked out by Whiskeytown, Neko Case, Patty Griffin, Buddy and Judy Miller, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. The band is paying their dues by playing extensively around Chicago while recording their debut album, due sometime early 2012.

Sarah Holtschlag & The Crosscuts
Sarah Holtschlag's songs are an uppercut as much as a french kiss. From fightin and truckin songs to woebegone lullabies about forget-you-not low-flying birds, her sounds charm as well as haunt, tilt as well as persuade. In the growing up times, Sarah lived in the foothills of factory towers in mid-Michigan. There she learnt to play the singing saw (a 26" stainless steel blade from ace hardware). Band members Brian Tillman, Scott Schaafsma, Quinn Tsan, Thom Des Enfants lend their hardware. -Ferris Dayton, Chicago music critic

Northland Ghost
Northland Ghost is a new band out of Chicago playing a blend of original folk rock americana tunes. The band consists of Brian on vocals and guitars, Jeff on drums, and Joshua on bass. The band formed in fall of 2011 to start playing out the songs Brian had written and recorded over the previous year or so. They are currently playing Chicago in support of their new EP "The Trees Are Burning."