The eighth annual California Roots Music and Arts Festival will take place at the Monterey County Fair and Event Center from May 26-28, 2017, which is the same historic location that the legendary Monterey International Pop Festival happened 50 years earlier. Running with the spirit of Bay Area counter culture and activism of that time, the festival worked with Slogan Design to consciously embody the movement visually through artwork, posters, and merchandise.
 

New York native, Bill Scorzari independently releases his sophomore album, Through These Waves, Today, March 10, 2017. Produced by Jonah Tolchin (Yep Roc) and engineered, mixed, and mastered by Billy Bennett, the album of all original material was recorded over twelve days at the famed Bomb Shelter in East Nashville through the studio’s 1970’s MCI console and mixed to tape.

Octave Cat started unintentionally. Jesse Miller (bassist for Lotus) and Eli Winderman (keyboardist for Dopapod) met up to play some of Jesse's modular and vintage synthesizers. They recorded parts of the session which evolved into the tracks “Limber Up” and “Spar.” They brought in Charlie Patierno to play drums on these two tracks, and Octave Cat was born.

Grassfed is a quick pickin’ five-piece string band. Pivoting on the foundation of bluegrass, Grassfed entwines tradition with an eclectic array of influences. Forged by songwriters and driven by instrumental conversation, the band brings a punching sound all its own. Grassfed's debut 18-track album is available online April 1, 2017.

To kick off the new year, the Sheen Center for Thought & Culture is kicking off a new music series; Convergences – Indie Artists Series. The goal of this collection of shows is to spotlight indie artists and performers whose work straddles the line between music and other forms of art in new and exciting ways.

Cornflower announces the release of his new single “Monks on Main Street” on Tuesday, March 21st, available globally on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon Music as well as on Cornflower’s website. “Monks on Main Street” was recorded using Cornflower's all-vocal arrangements by producer Bret Levick (Gifthorse, LEFT). This song is intended as a call-to-action for the times we live in, with the lyrics inspired by the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi and Eckhart Tolle.

The Grand Ole Opry^® in partnership with Huka Entertainment and Tortuga Music Festival are set to take the Opry’s popular Circle Throwdown series to Fort Lauderdale Beach Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida April 7 – 9.

BACKUP PLANET--the Nashville-based quartet who write arena-size anthems echoing with progressive intricacy, funk swagger, and even a little metallic edge--today (3/9) have announced their sophomore full-length album, REACTIONS, will be released Friday, March 31.

MerleFest, presented by Window World, is going international for its 30^th celebration by hosting the The Transatlantic Sessions Tour live at this year’s festival. MerleFest 2017 is scheduled for April 27-30 at Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, N.C.