The names may not ring as familiar as Lennon/McCartney and Jagger/Richards, but Jason Ringenberg and Warner Hodges rightfully sit among music’s great tandems.

According to band co-founder Josh Lambert, the group hasn’t wasted all that time spent traveling from gig to gig in their 15-passenger Chevy Express van. Rather they’ve used it as an opportunity to find creative inspiration. They listen to a lot of music, with minimalist composers Terry Riley and Steve Reich high in the rotation.

I must admit that I have very little experience with overseas phone calls. So with that said, I’m naively amazed that Wintersleep drummer Loel Campbell sounds like he’s calling me from the next room when he’s actually calling from Berlin.

It would be understatement to say that the past two years have been a whirlwind for The Whigs. Since 2008, the Athens, Ga.-based trio has released two albums, headlined tours, captured prominent opening slots on arena tours and appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman.

Griffin House has just returned home from his latest “one-off” show and now he’s preparing to embark on a tour that will fill his schedule until early November. But instead of running errands and packing, the singer/songwriter has a more ambitious goal before he hits the road—he’s trying to record a full-length album in an extremely short time span.

Sometimes a tragedy can spur inspiration and promote a lasting legacy. In the case of Shane Hulsey, a passionate environmentalist and kayaker, this inspiration is exactly what followed after his untimely death. Losing his life in a boating accident at his beloved Little River Canyon, Hulsey’s family and friends were compelled to honor his memory and continue his environmentally-conscious activities. But what started with a modest goal has resulted into a thriving organization known as the Hulsey Little River Trust (HLRT).

Toubab Krewe is an Asheville, N.C., jam band that blends West African music with American genres, including rock and bluegrass, to create generally upbeat instrumentals. In addition to drums, bass and guitar, the band uses African percussion, as well as the kora and kamelengoni (stringed harps or lutes).

“I’ve been an artist, but I’ve always felt the drive to bring people together. I can’t say I know exactly what that impulse is. But I like doing things for people. I like sharing. I’ve had moments of what might be perceived as success, with music and movies, but I like to create a collective consciousness.

There is a cliché in the music industry that suggests you get your entire life to write songs for your first album and then you get six months to create your second album. But judging by repeated listens to psychedelic rock group Dead Confederate’s second full-length release, Sugar.

Don’t waste your time asking Unknown Hinson about Stuart Daniel Baker because he won’t talk about him. It’s an ironic situation because Hinson—the self-proclaimed “King of Country- Western Troubadours”—is Stuart Daniel Baker. A music teacher and studio musician, Baker modeled his Hinson alter-ego after country music’s nattily attired trailblazers (think of a darker version of Porter Wagoner and you get the idea). Drawing numerous comparisons to comedian Andy Kaufman and his surly character Tony Clifton, Hinson never gets out of character in public.