For many bands, an eight-year wait might cost them a lot of fans. Then there is Anthrax, for which each album is thrust out to their fans like another piece of their pulverized hearts. For Metalheads, that's the kind of music that is worth the wait.   

Not that long ago in an Ohio town called Scottown (or maybe “East Egypt”) there was a farm called Eden Valley. It was decided that on the rolling hills of that farm a stage should be built and upon that stage an endless stream of Bluegrass bands should play. Friends and neighbors were invited to come watch, sing and camp. The bands came, too, and they brought their fans. Soon the farm was filled with both strange and familiar faces. It became one big banjo pickin’, jig dancin’, bonfire buildin’ party. An uprising occurred, an Appalachian uprising, and it was decided that it should happen again next year … and the year after that and the year after that.

The Appalachian Uprising music festival — which claims to be the “fastest growing Bluegrass music festival in North America” — is simply a must-attend event for any serious Bluegrass fan. Make plans now — tickets are already onsale for APPYUP 2012, which runs May 31-June 2. (Click here for details.)  

Ryan Adams is only 37 and he’s already more accomplished than most people are at retirement. During his 12-year career he has released eight official solo albums and five albums with his former backing band, The Cardinals.   

In the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Country music was dominated by male performers. Then, amongst the baritones, a handful of women burst onto the scene. And they had something to say. Among the likes of Kitty Wells and Patsy Cline stood Loretta Lynn.   

 If you’re looking for yet another sign of the reemergence of American Roots music, look no further than Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade. The Brooklyn-based Tess has been around the country  

 Tea Leaf Green plays Rock music, but not the kind you hear on WEBN or the sort that sometimes makes it onto Top 40 playlists. The only new(-ish) artist that even begins to compare to the band  

On any given evening there is a crowd somewhere being forced to sit anxiously through an awful opening act. Then there are nights where concert-goers become wrapped up in the opening act. They become so enthralled that they call out for one more song, not minding that they are delaying the band they paid good money to see and hear.

The Civil Wars' sold-out concert at Madison Theater in Covington on Jan. 14 was one of those rare performances. And The Staves were that kind of opening act.  

Tea Leaf Green plays Rock music, but not the kind you hear on WEBN or the sort that sometimes makes it onto Top 40 playlists. The only new(-ish) artist that even begins to compare to the band is Derek Trucks, and he’s not appearing regularly during the rush hour mix, either.  

If you’re looking for yet another sign of the reemergence of American Roots music, look no further than Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade. The Brooklyn-based Tess has been around the country and back again, performing her version of folkie Jazz and Swing music from sea to shining sea.  

The first time I heard Yo-Yo Ma was on the episode of West Wing when his White House performance triggered Josh Lyman’s PTSD. Obviously, this was a horrible first impression. It tainted my opinion of the cellist for nearly a decade. Recently, though, I’ve become rather fond of Mr. Ma. That fondness only multiplied when his new album, The Goat Rodeo Sessions, found its way into my hands. A “goat rodeo” is a situation where a thousand things must come together and go perfectly in order for it to work. The album, a collection of Americana/Bluegrass works, must have felt like exactly that when Ma sat down and began collaborating with bassist Edgar Meyer, mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile (Punch Brothers, Nickle Creek), and fiddler Stuart Duncan. The album contains only one song with vocals, sung by vocalist Aoife O’Donovan (who sounds a lot like Alison Krauss).

The Goat Rodeo Sessions is available for purchase now, but on Jan. 31, music fans across the country will have the chance to see it performed live.