Presenting the Candidates:

One thing Dominic Lalli (Motet saxophonist/producer) is not afraid of is trying new things. Big Gigantic is Lalli’s latest project that showcases an array of gripping composition combining elements of a DJ and a live band setup. Lalli and drummer Jeremy Salken, mix thoughtful melodic ideas, with pulsating dance tunes, sure to energize the dance floor.

A FLOWMOTION show is a swooping ride through the fingers of rock -- their sets ebb and flow "from balls-out chargers to quite tender ballads, different sections showing Southern rock, Pink Floyd and other classic radio influences ... This is primo melodic rock grounded in rhythms that draw from Latin rock and juke joint blues to create expansive, dexterous groove music with hair on its chest and a quick step," writes Dennis Cook (JamBase.com).

DubConscious is a unique reggae/dub band hailing from the fertile music scene in Athens Georgia. Fusing the One Drop rhythm of the islands with psychadelic improvisations and a modern American influence, the band has crafted a signature sound and message that translates the the concepts of Celebration, One Love and Unity to any audience. January 20th, 2009 (Obama's Inauguration Day) marked the release of "NonViolent", a fourteen song journey recorded by Grammy winner Robert Hannon, on STS9's 1320 Record Label.

Currently running on all cylinders, The Heavy Pets have spent 2009 delivering their original flavors live and direct. This year alone they have performed at Wakarusa, Jazzfest, Summercamp, Bonnaroo and are scheduled for moe.down X. Residing in Ft Lauderdale, FL, The Heavy Pets are all great swimmers and enjoy maritime activities.

Josh Phillips Folk Festival has been gaining a veritable army of fans that range from the youngest musical listeners, to seasoned long time traditional music fans. With the release of their first studio album, " Wicker", Phillips has truly provided a strong testament to his ability to effortlessly capture generations worth of musical evolution, and traverse years of cultural dilution, bringing the listener back to the very source of roots, folk, soul, r & b, rock and reggae.

The inventor and namesake of its own brand of funky dance music, coined 'disco-bebop,' The Macpodz pay homage to kinky musical concoctions like the groovy, unstructured big band instrumental works of the late, great Frank Zappa with psychadelic tinges of sunglasses-and-afro era Miles Davis.

Nate Wilson Group represents a point of arrival and reinvention for the Boston based singer/songwriter who is most familiar to fans as the former keyboardist for Percy Hill and Assembly of Dust. Gathering much of their inspiration from riff-heavy psychedelic rock of the 60's and 70's, NWG has drawn comparisons to classic rock luminaries like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, as well as neo-classic and stoner-rock contemporaries like The Black Keys and Wolfmother. In the words of Dennis Cook of JamBase, "The Nate Wilson Group...give the Raconteurs and Rose Hill Drive a major run for their money in terms of power, invention, funky sexiness and sheer melodic grace."

Massachusetts' Ryan Montbleau Band has been living in a van for five years on the road, averaging 190 gigs a year all over the U.S. The tunes are a cross of roots/ragtime Americana with soul/70's R&B and a whole bunch in between. This is a tight unit of of top-flight hungry musicians built around a poet, and must be experienced to be understood.

Trampled By Turtles, call it alt-bluegrass, nontraditional string, indie-folk, rock-grass, punk-grass or anything else, they don't care what name you put on it, just show up with an open mind and it won't be long until you fall under their spell. SF Bay Guardian had this to say about the TBTs' unique take on acoustic roots music: "Shooting sparks in the face of folk traditionalism, the quintet approaches the banjo and mandolin with a level of brash recklessness hardly heard since the now-mythical reign of Uncle Tupelo. Bill Monroe and Joe Strummer would both be proud". When was the last time you saw crowd surfing brought on by an acoustic string band without any drums?

It's evident that UO's roots are firmly planted in Rock and Roll, but their sound extends far beyond any one particular genre. With a full sound fusing genres around the globe, you are sure to be impressed by this bands instrumental exploration into the unknown of funk, jazz, and prog rock. Fall of 2009 will begin with Underground Orchestra in the studio with Dweezil Zappa, who has jumped on board to produce and collaborate with the band for their upcoming release.