Cait Black is the ultimate do-it-yourself’er. After spending 5 years in a full pop band as the lead singer, Cait wanted a different outlet for her music. So, naturally, she went out and bought a ukulele and wrote an entire repertoire of new songs that feel like folk songs but with the gentle and natural feeling of an experienced jazz singer. After that, the DIY attitude carried on as Cait recorded these new songs completely on her own in her living room. Everything from playing all the instruments to engineering to mastering to graphic design was all done by the talented Ms. Black. Next came time to get the music out there to the masses. Some people send their records to a hundred labels waiting for a bite, others play around their home base (that would be Philadelphia for Cait) and others decide to grab a long time band mate and cross the country cutting their teeth at open mic nights and pick-up shows. Obviously, Cait falls into that last category.

Celebrating 20 years together as a group and the release of their new CD “Andromeda,” California Guitar Trio has hit the road on a nationwide tour. The California Guitar Trio is Paul Richards of Salt Lake City, Utah; Bert Lams of Affligem, Belgium; and Hideyo Moriya of Chiba, Japan. This unlikely trio of musicians met in 1987 while studying guitar under the great Robert Fripp. Four years later, the three guitar virtuosos met up in Los Angeles and the California Guitar Trio was born. They stopped by the AM 1690 studio on their way through Atlanta to play a combination of original and cover material and chat with Scott Glazer.

Fresh off the release of their full-length Moonlight Revival, Atlanta rockers Ponderosa stopped by the AM 1690 studio to play some tunes talk about the group and their album. Moonlight Revival is the group’s debut album and is out on New West Records, the same label that plays hosts to legendary acts like Steve Earle, John Hiatt and Kris Kristofferson, among others.

In preparation for their final US show at the Variety Playhouse, the Whigs stopped by the AM 1690 studios for a special stripped down in-studio performance and interview. The Whigs give their 2010 year in review which included the release of a new album (In the Dark), opening gigs for Kings of Leon, The Hold Steady, Band of Skulls and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and a forthcoming full-fledged European Tour. This in-studio performance features the songs I Never Wanna Go Home, Like a Vibration and I’m For Real as you’ve never heard them before. These songs feature Parker and Tim on guitars doing reworked versions of these songs sans drums

Not too long ago, Two Man Gentlemen Band was simply a group vying for attention and space in Central Park as they worked as street performers. After deciding that finding space and waking up very early wasn’t really worth it, the two men took the act on the road. Since then, they have brought their unique blend of music from the 1920s and 1930s and humor to crowds that otherwise wouldn’t seek it out. They’ve gone on to open for legends like Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. Through relentless touring, they have managed to put their days on street corners and subway stations to an end. On a recent visit to the AM 1690 studios, the played three songs from their latest album Dos Amigos Una Fiesta: Me I Get High on Reefer, Chocolate Milk and their ode to one of our more tragic Presidents, Franklin Pierce.

Bobby Bare Jr. has been an incredibly busy man in 2010. First, he found himself as the producer of a tribute album to the late Shel Silverstein. While Shel Silverstein is of course known well for writing some of the greatest hits of his father Bobby Bare Sr. like Lullabies Legends and Lies and Marie Laveux, Silverstein was also Bobby Bare Jr.’s mentor when he was a fresh songwriter. Having said that, it should come as no surprise that Bare Jr. spent plenty of time compiling artists are songs for the Shel Silverstein tribute album. Shortly after that was released, Bobby came along with “A Storm – A Tree – My Mother’s Head,” his first studio album in 6 years. We were able to catch up with Bobby while on tour supporting the album. In this session, he plays the songs Sad Smile, One of Us Has to Go (co-written by Bobby Bare, Sr.) and the Atlanta-centric tune Rock n’ Roll Halloween.