Two Gallants
January 17th, 2008
The duo of guitarist and singer Adam Stephens and drummer Tyson Vogel formed in San Francisco in 2002, taking their band name from a story out of James Joyce's Dubliners and gaining a local following in the Bay Area for their scruffy, blues-colored rock. A wider national reputation was quick to follow after relentless touring and a handful of self-released efforts. The band signed with Saddle Creek records in 2005, and won UK audiences at both the Reading and Leeds festival that year. Saddle Creek released What the Toll Tells in 2006 and a self-titled LP followed in 2007. - Nate Cavalieri
Peter Malick
Peter Malick is a blues guitarist who spent years playing with the biggest names in the business (Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and James Montgomery are only the beginning), but drug addiction sidelined his career for years. Malick cleaned up and slowly rebuilt his reputation, with breakout fame finally coming when one of his collaborators, Norah Jones, ended up becoming a huge star. Malick's recordings with Jones were compiled on 2003's New York City and became one of the rare blues albums to crossover to the pop charts. A real pro, Malick plays all styles of roots music, and he fits in nicely on FM radio. - Nick Dedina