SIGNATURE SOUNDS 20TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL PERFORMANCES SET FOR AMERICANA MUSIC ASSOCIATION FESTIVAL SEPT 17

Signature Sounds – one of the leading folk and Americana labels that is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2015 – will be feted during the Americana Music festivals this year. The showcase lineup shows the diversity of an impressive roster from indie rock to string band music and from western Americana to the northeast songwriters of the label’s origins. Stream 'Signature Sounds 20th Anniversary Collection: Favorite and Rarities from the Second Decade’ at Billboard: http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6487399/signature-sounds-20th-anniversary-collection-exclusive-rarities

Thursday, September 17 – Americana Music Festival – City Winery - Nashville, TN

8:00 PM - Pine Hill Project (Featuring Richard Shindell & Lucy Kaplansky) : https://pinehillproject.bandcamp.com/album/tomorrow-youre-going

"A joy from start to finish...They bring revelatory grace to the late David Carter’s ‘Farewell to Saint Dolores,’ possibly the best performance on an album filled with masterful singing and playing from all involved." - Pop Matters

9:00 PM - Eilen Jewell: https://eilenjewell.bandcamp.com/album/sundown-over-ghost-town

"Packed with vivid lyrics, steel guitars, and hot licks, Jewell’s Americana-driven brand of country music sounds tailor-made for sweltering, stagnant summer nights." – Eric Renner Brown, Entertainment Weekly

10:00 PM - Dustbowl Revival: https://soundcloud.com/signaturesounds-1/sets/dustbowl-revival-with-a/s-aXNUM

"In a city like Los Angeles, home to musical stars in nearly every known genre, handing out the Best Live Band title is not easy. But the free-thinking local collective Dustbowl Revival's upbeat, old-school, All-American sonic safaris exemplify everything shows should be: hot, spontaneous, engaging and, best of all, a pleasure to hear. " - LA Weekly

11:00 PM - Miss Tess & The Talkbacks: https://misstesssongs.bandcamp.com

"I don’t know of anyone else right now touring in the Americana scene that has such an eclectic, jazzy, old school and interesting vibe. There’s an authenticity present in Miss Tess’ music. She is real. And she is rare." - No Depression

12:00 AM - Jeffrey Foucault: https://jeffreyfoucault.bandcamp.com

“One of our most truly poetic songwriters… Foucault’s singing is almost nakedly human in that he invariably reaches for the most open honesty of his feeling… The inherent warmth of his throaty delivery tempers the occasional strangeness of his poetic lyric, and invites you into its possibilities…” - No Depression

SIGNATURE SOUNDS 20TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL PERFORMANCES SET FOR FOUR FESTS, INCLUDING AMERICANA MUSIC ASSOCIATION FESTIVAL, GREEN RIVER FESTIVAL

Signature Sounds – one of the leading folk and Americana labels that is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2015 – will be feted during four special events at festivals this year, each with multiple artists from the imprint. The Signature Sounds artists playing at Green River, Amourasaurus, Rhythm & Roots, and Americana Music festivals show the diversity of an impressive roster from indie rock to string band music and from western Americana to the northeast songwriters of the label’s origins. Stream 'Signature Sounds 20th Anniversary Collection: Favorite and Rarities from the Second Decade’ at Billboard: http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6487399/signature-sounds-20th-anniversary-collection-exclusive-rarities

+ Friday July 10 - Green River Festival – Greenfield, MA

Produced by Signature Sounds and celebrating 29 years, this festival has recently been featured in Rolling Stone, USA Today, and NY Times and runs July 10-12 and also features Steve Earle, the Punch Brothers, Antibalas, TuNe-YaRds, J. Mascis, and Langhorne Slim.

* Eilen Jewell: https://eilenjewell.bandcamp.com/album/sundown-over-ghost-town

"Packed with vivid lyrics, steel guitars, and hot licks, Jewell’s Americana-driven brand of country music sounds tailor-made for sweltering, stagnant summer nights." – Eric Renner Brown, Entertainment Weekly

* Heather Maloney: https://heathermaloneymusic.bandcamp.com

 “Utterly gorgeous, visceral… if I’d closed my eyes it could have been Joni Mitchell.”
- Val Haller, The New York Times

* The Pine Hill Project (Richard Shindell & Lucy Kaplansky): https://pinehillproject.bandcamp.com/album/tomorrow-youre-going

"A joy from start to finish...They bring revelatory grace to the late David Carter’s ‘Farewell to Saint Dolores,’ possibly the best performance on an album filled with masterful singing and playing from all involved." - Pop Matters

+ Friday August 31 – Amourasaurus Festival - Look Park – Northampton, MA

The inaugural edition of this festival produced by Signature Sounds, features breakout artists Lake Street Dive, three stellar Signature Sounds bands, as well as special guest JD McPherson.
* Lake Street Dive: https://lakestreetdivemusic.bandcamp.com/album/bad-self-portraits

“Bad Self Portraits, is a fresh, knowing collection of tunes that split the difference between Motown soul, Sixties pop zip, and British Invasion swagger. With award-winning jazz vocalist Rachael Price as their secret ingredient, LSD boasts an unflagging collective charisma and sense of humor that will take them far." – Rolling Stone

* Winterpills: http://www.winterpills.com/music-1/#music

"Winterpills gradually builds elegant arrangements… While the gathered instruments offer some solace, the songs stay haunted.” - New York Times

* Parsonsfield: https://parsonsfieldmusic.bandcamp.com

"A mix of infectious Appalachian anthems and rustic, handcrafted ballads. It is a pop-ish bluegrass fury of well-worn guitars, danceable drums, and traded vocals balanced evenly with the haunting sounds of three-part harmonies... ultimately, it is the precision and polish of musicianship well beyond their years that pulls the audience fully in." - Pop Matters

* And The Kids: https://andthekidsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/turn-to-each-other

"Guitarist Hannah Mohan's striking vocals rival the vibrato and boldness of Siouxsie Sioux... [And The Kids] make music that's both fearless and entertaining." - NPR Music

* Dustbowl Revival: https://soundcloud.com/signaturesounds-1/sets/dustbowl-revival-with-a/s-aXNUM

"In a city like Los Angeles, home to musical stars in nearly every known genre, handing out the Best Live Band title is not easy. But the free-thinking local collective Dustbowl Revival's upbeat, old-school, All-American sonic safaris exemplify everything shows should be: hot, spontaneous, engaging and, best of all, a pleasure to hear. " - LA Weekly

Friday September 4th - Rhythm & Roots Festival - Charlestown, RI

*Lake Street Dive

*Eilen Jewell

*Dustbowl Revival

*Parsonsfield

*Miss Tess & The Talkbacks: https://misstesssongs.bandcamp.com

"I don’t know of anyone else right now touring in the Americana scene that has such an eclectic, jazzy, old school and interesting vibe. There’s an authenticity present in Miss Tess’ music. She is real. And she is rare." - No Depression

Thursday, September 18 – Americana Music Festival – City Winery - Nashville, TN

* Pine Hill Project (featuring Richard Shindell & Lucy Kaplansky)

* Eilen Jewell

* Jeffrey Foucault: https://jeffreyfoucault.bandcamp.com

“One of our most truly poetic songwriters… Foucault’s singing is almost nakedly human in that he invariably reaches for the most open honesty of his feeling… The inherent warmth of his throaty delivery tempers the occasional strangeness of his poetic lyric, and invites you into its possibilities…” - No Depression

* Dustbowl Revival

* Miss Tess & The Talkbacks

NY TIMES, ROLLING STONE, USA TODAY SPOTLIGHT GREEN RIVER FESTIVAL JULY 10-12 IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS

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DETAILED SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED INCLUDING SIGNATURE SOUNDS 20^TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

The Green River Festival has earned early buzz from the New York Times, Rolling Stone, and USA Today ahead of its July 10-12 dates in Greenfield, MA.

NY Times said, “The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Annual Festival may have pool parties and palm trees, and South by Southwest may offer an on-site tattoo artist for V.I.P. denizens, but only Green River Festival delivers hot-air balloons. The jazz, folk and country-heavy event, which celebrates its 29th season this year, evolved from an annual balloon festival on the same grounds, and it still launches several in tribute each year. This summer’s roster veers toward folk and experimental-rock direction with sets by Tune-Yards, Punch Brothers, and J Mascis, as well as a heavy roots and jazz contingent in Steve Earle and the Dukes, Valerie June and Marco Benevento.”

Rolling Stone said, “Bring a blanket,” calling the fest “relaxed.”

Green River Festival 2015 teaser video.

Here’s a Spotify playlist of artists performing at the 2015 Green River Festival.

Elmore Magazine called it “one of the summer’s most exciting festivals.”

The previously announced lineup includes Steve Earle & The Dukes, Punch Brothers, tUnE-yArDs, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Milk Carton Kids, J. Mascis, Booker T. Jones, Langhorne Slim, and more. A detailed schedule is here.

STEVE EARLE, THE PUNCH BROTHERS, TUNE-YARDS, PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND, MILK CARTON KIDS & MORE TO PERFORM AT 29TH ANNUAL GREEN RIVER FESTIVAL JULY 10-12

MUSIC & HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL EXPANDS TO THREE DAYS FOLLOWING 2014 SELL-OUT

The Green River Festival will expand to three days for its 2015 annual installment—held July 10-12 in Greenfield, MA—with a star-studded and
eclectic lineup featuring Steve Earle & The Dukes, Punch Brothers, tUnE-yArDs, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Milk Carton kids, J. Mascis,
and more. Bringing together elder statesmen like Booker T. Jones and Tony Joe White on a bill with acclaimed rising acts like Valerie June,
Langhorne Slim & The Law, and Joe Pug among others, the festival is establishing itself as one of Massachusetts' premiere events. Early
bird single day and weekend tickets go on sale today here.

Green River Fest, which sold out in 2014, will kick off with a special Friday night concert celebrating the 20th anniversary of acclaimed New
England-based record label Signature Sounds. The label, which has served as home to everyone from Josh Ritter and Lake Street Dive to
Crooked Still and Chris Smither, released a special 20th anniversary collection last month, and will present rising acts with new 2015
albums, including Eilen Jewell and Heather Maloney.

In addition to the stellar music lineup and in keeping with its origins, the festival will also feature an incredible array of hot air
balloons launching Saturday evening and Sunday morning. The public can watch the early morning launch free of charge or purchase tickets for
a ride originating at the Greenfield Community College grounds. A special Balloon Glow, featured illuminated balloons in the night sky,
will be held Saturday night. For more information on the balloons or to make reservations for a ride, please go here.

Stay tuned for full schedule to be announced.

GREEN RIVER FESTIVAL 2015 LINEUP

Steve Earle & The Dukes
Punch Brothers
tUnE-yArDs
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
J. Mascis
Milk Carton Kids
Booker T. Jones
Valerie June
The Wood Brothers
Rubblebucket
Antibalas
Langhorne Slim & The Law
Tony Joe White
Eilen Jewell
Elephant Revival
Polaris
Parker Millsap
Red Baraat
Lydia Loveless
Pine Hill Project
Straybirds
Joe Pug
The Revelers
Heather Maloney
Sean Rowe
MAKU Sound System
Chuchito Valdes
Suitcase Junket
Arc Iris
Charlie Parr
Marco Benevento
Jose Gonzalez and Criollo Clasico
Bella's Bartok
The Lonesome Brothers
Twisted Pine

AMERICANA MUSIC ASSOCIATION’S JED HILLY ON SIGNATURE SOUNDS’ 20TH ANNIVERSARY: “THE KIND OF STUFF THAT WILL LAST FOR GENERATIONS”

COLLABORATIONS YIELD UNEXPECTED FRIEND FOR SIGNATURE SOUNDS FAMILY AS NEW RARITIES DISC COMES OUT NEXT MONTH

"This is the kind of stuff that will last for generations,” said Americana Music Association head Jed Hilly said of Signature Sounds, introducing a set from the 20th anniversary concerts in person in November.

'Signature Sounds 20th Anniversary Collection: Favorite and Rarities from the Second Decade’ is out March 3 and it hangs together as an album and a 19-track survey of the best of recent Americana music. One of the unique aspects of this label is in its collaborations between label-mates and between Signature Sounds artists and their peers—and a willingness on Jim Olsen’s part to follow his artists’ muses in whatever direction that might lead. Signature Sounds is a tight community.

Sweet & Lowdown is a Brooklyn-based collaboration between Rachael Price of Lake Street Dive, the band that led 2014 to be Signature Sounds’ most successful year to date, and Miss Tess & The Talkbacks. Together, they sing soulful versions of country, rockabilly, rhythm & blues, and western swing standards. Even while Lake Street Dive entered the Billboard top 20, Sweet & Lowdown has continued to gig in NYC. “Violent Love” from ‘Favorite and Rarities’ is a swinging rhythm & blues performance and fun example of two powerhouse vocalists in cahoots.

The Sacred Shakers offer the standard “Samson & Delilah.” Take Eilen Jewell and her band, add four members to double the size, and insert a repertoire of gospel songs and you have the Shake Shakers.

Meanwhile, Shelburne Falls, MA couple and Signature Sounds label-mates Kris Delmhorst and Jeffrey Foucault offer the previously unreleased track “If This Ain't Heaven.” Diffuser.FM premiered it, saying, “Delmhorst’s gorgeous vocals are backed with Foucault’s soothing guitar work, espousing the sentiments we wish we could feel all the time."

Heather Maloney recorded an EP with fellow Massachusetts musicians in the band Darlingside on the hypnotic music set to handclaps and Maloney’s drop-dead stunning vocals and songwriting. Murmurs were heard in the lobby of the 20th anniversary shows that Maloney may be a future star.

One Signature Sounds band actually grew out of the staff itself, as Winterpills is partly made up of Signature Sound employees Flora Reed and Philip Price. The Wild Honey Pie debuted a previously unreleased track by the band, saying, “'A Tree In The Lung’ is a soothing whisper of harmonies paired with a fresh upbeat-tempo, and the ebb and flow falls nothing short of hypnotizing and charming. The verses beautifully echo themselves but never feel like lyrical fillers."

Chris Smither "Drive You Home Again" embeddable track

From 'Signature Sounds 20th Anniversary Collection: Favorite and Rarities from the Second Decade’

SIGNATURE SOUNDS EXPANDS THE CIRCLE FROM A LABEL TO INCLUDE A LISTENING ROOM MUSIC VENUE AND SUMMER FESTIVAL

‘SIGNATURE SOUNDS 20TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION: RARITIES FROM THE SECOND DECADE’ OUT MARCH 3

As Signature Sounds celebrates 20 years in 2014-2015, it has been embraced as a pillar of the Americana and folk music communities. In 2012, it opened the Parlor Room, a venue in downtown Northampton, MA. Signature Sounds’ Jim Olsen explains, “In an age where the role of a record label seems to be diminishing, the Parlor Room gives us a whole different way to share music with our fans. It allows us to present Signature artists and other artists that we admire in way that is flattering to everyone involved.” It also gives music fans of western Massachusetts a way to interact with the label, which was founded in part as a showcase for the local scene before expanding to a national scope.

Actually, Signature Sounds’ concerts pre-dated the venue. Jim says, “We felt the need for an intimate, informal venue that would be conducive to a listening room atmosphere. Because we're not a bar or a restaurant, our venue is all about the music.” (The Parlor Room is 60-capacity and BYOB.) The original plan was to produce a few shows per month but it became apparent quickly to Jim that there was demand for a lot more than that. He adds, “We currently produce between ten and twenty shows each month.” It also gives the label and opportunity to engage with artists beyond its roster. In addition to the presented shows, the Parlor Sessions, an intermittent winter Sunday jam session that features hot soup, invites musicians of all levels. The Parlor Room even hosted Makers Market during the Christmas season, extending an invitation to Pioneer Valley artisans.

On an even bigger scale, Signature Sounds took on production of the Green River Festival, which will be held July 10-12, 2015. Last year’s festival sold out. Green River has featured Josh Ritter, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Mavis Staples, Arlo Guthrie, Steve Earle, The Avett Brothers, Neko Case, Calexico, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Old Crow Medicine Show, Dr. John, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Taj Mahal, and Gillian Welch & David Rawlings since its founding in 1986. Coming full circle, the festival has introduced audiences to Signature Sounds acts. In addition to great music, it also features hot air ballooning, showcasing the Pioneer Valley’s natural beauty. Here’s a video recap of 2014’s fest.

Liner Notes: Signature Sounds 20th Anniversary Collection: Rarities From the Second Decade

If you’d been prescient enough, 20 years ago, to suggest that in 2014 Signature Sounds Recordings would have a catalog of more than 100 releases, a Top 20 album, and a three-day celebration of the label’s artists, the most astute of scene-followers in Western Massachusetts would’ve told you to dream on. Even Signature Sounds president Jim Olsen, who co-founded the label and runs it with Mark Thayer, would’ve thought you were crazy. “We started the label as a glorified hobby, with no grand ambitions,” Jim reflects. “And Signature Sounds has grown slowly and organically.”

Organically, for sure. The Signature Sounds moniker is first seen on a pair of CD compilations released in conjunction with radio station WRSI in 1992 and 1993 as benefit projects to help fight hunger in Western Mass. But Signature Sounds isn’t incorporated until September 1994 and its first official release, Boneyard, by former Van Morrison sideman John Sheldon and his band Blue Streak, innocuously bearing the catalog number SSRC 1227, appears in January 1995. Including a duet with James Taylor, the CD hints at big things to come.

Jim, already known back then as the host of The Back Porch, the popular Sunday morning radio show featuring an array of Americana, bluegrass, country, and alt-country music, slowly begins building a catalog and roster of artists for the label. In 1997, Signature Sounds becomes his full-time job. By the time the label celebrates its 10th anniversary, it’s been home to dozens of acclaimed releases, including ones by Josh Ritter, Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer, Lori McKenna, Mary Gauthier, Salamander Crossing, Mark Erelli, and Richard Shindell.

And that’s only the first chapter in the Signature Sounds story. During the next few years, in an environment where record labels are constantly becoming more and more generic and the trend toward downloading makes physical CDs less essential for some music fans, the independent Signature Sounds continues to buck the system and thrive. For proof, you need look no further than the CD you hold in your hands. Signature Sounds 20th Anniversary Collection: Rarities From the Second Decade not only showcases the artistry as well as many of the artists who’ve populated the label in its second decade, but it’s a treasure trove of hard-to-find and previously unreleased gems that help define the Signature Sounds sound.

“We had some great material that hadn't been heard, and it was fun to round it all up,” Jim explains. “We didn’t want any demos, home recordings, or live stuff. We wanted everything to be intended for a release.” So there’s a Lake Street Dive track that was released as a vinyl 45 for Record Store Day 2014;  rare tracks by Crooked Still and Jeffrey Foucault; a bonus LP track from Winterpills; a newly recorded track by Chris Smither; EP tracks including one by Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers; previously unreleased cuts by Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem, Peter Mulvey, and others; and much more from the vaults, including a celebratory hidden track by the Signature Sounds artists who hold the distinction of bursting onto the Billboard top-selling 200 albums chart at a lofty Number 18.

So what’s been a key ingredient in the success and the durability of the Signature Sounds label… especially at a time when most record labels no longer have a true identity? “I think there is a continuity in what we do,” Jim explains. “We’ve only added one or two new artists a year, and worked with many of artists for a long time. Our artists tend to be friends and tour partners, which lends a real sense of community to the label.”

Back in the day, a small handful of record labels had personalities of their own. If you were a jazz fan, for instance, chances are you could trust a label such as Impulse Records to put out music worth seeking out, even if you were unfamiliar with a particular artist. For Jim, Reprise Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. was just such an inspiration back in the 1960s and ’70s: “They signed amazing but non-commercial artists like Randy Newman and Ry Cooder. And they stuck with their artists even when their records didn't sell. In time it has become clear that they were a visionary label.”

Just like Signature Sounds.

And just like the selections spanning this 20th Anniversary Collection, music from Signature Sounds—yesterday, today, and tomorrow—is always worth listening to. After all, good taste is timeless.

—David Sokol, Hadley MA, November 2014

David Sokol was music editor for the Advocate Newspapers from 1977 to 1993, going on to edit New Country magazine, which featured early Signature Sounds tracks on its monthly samplers, and Disney Magazine.

SIGNATURE SOUNDS SCORES FOUR IN THE AMERICANA RADIO CHART TOP 100 FOR 2014, WITH LAKE STREET DIVE AT #7

LAKE STREET DIVE SHARES VIDEO FROM ‘SIGNATURE SOUNDS 20TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION: RARITIES FROM THE SECOND DECADE’

The Americana Music Association’s top one hundred airplay chart for 2014 has four Signature Sounds albums on it. Lake Street Dive’s ‘Bad Self Portraits’ came in at number seven. The others were Peter Mulvey’s ‘Silver Ladder,’ Zoe Muth’s ‘World Of Strangers,’ and Chris Smither’s ‘Still On The Levee.’

Signature Sounds is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this winter with a concert series, a tour, and celebration at next year’s Green River Festival. On March 3, the storied label will release ‘Signature Sounds 20th Anniversary Collection: Rarities From The Second Decade’ featuring thirteen unreleased tracks, eighteen tracks in total from the likes of Lake Street Dive, Crooked Still, Eilen Jewell, Chris Smither, and others.

Lake Street Dive has shared its in-the-studio video of “What I’m Doing Here,” from the ‘Signature Sounds 20th Anniversary Collection: Rarities From The Second Decade’:

Signature Sounds 20th anniversary press clips

Boston Globe feature (November 26, 2014)

Valley Advocate (MA) (November 29, 2014)

Wall Street Journal track preview (Feb 24, 2015)

The Wild Honey Pie Winterpills track premiere (Feb 17, 2015)

Rolling Stone festival premiere (April 24, 2015)

Billboard album stream (February 27, 2015)

‘SIGNATURE SOUNDS 20TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION: RARITIES FROM THE SECOND DECADE’ (MARCH 3) SEES LABEL CELEBRATING AFTER ITS MOST SUCCESSFUL YEAR TO DATE

COLLECTION OFFERS LAKE STREET DIVE, EILEN JEWELL, CHRIS SMITHER, CROOKED STILL, AND MORE; TWELVE UNRELEASED SONGS, COVERS OF RANDY NEWMAN, ERNEST TUBB, AND MORE; AND 18 TRACKS OVERALL

Signature Sounds – the Americana and folk label that launched the careers of Josh Ritter and Lake Street Dive and sustained that of Chris Smither – will release ‘Signature Sounds 20th Anniversary Collection: Rarities From The Second Decade’ featuring twelve unreleased tracks, eighteen tracks in total from the likes of Lake Street Dive, Crooked Still, Eilen Jewell, Chris Smither, and others. The label is coming off of the most successful year of its existence, which saw Lake Street Dive catapult to Billboard’s top 20 and become "this year's best new band," according to Rolling Stone.

Entertainment Weekly said last month, “Folk music’s having a moment right now–maybe its biggest in decades” and Signature Sounds has helped fuel that trend. Tracks on the ‘20th Anniversary Collection’ draw on the rich strains of Americana music, country music, and folk music that have marked Signature Sounds’ entire oeuvre. Van Dyke Parks joins Jeffrey Foucault on “Real Love”; Parsonsfield’s version of the traditional song “Moonshiner” was recorded at Sam Kassirer’s Great Northern Sound Society (which has also been covered by Bob Dylan and Uncle Tupelo); Peter Mulvey covers Randy Newman’s “Lonely At The Top” while Eilen Jewell tackles “Why I’m Walkin’” (which was a #6 Billboard Country charting hit for Ernest Tubb in 1960 and which Elvis Costello and Loretta Lynn also recorded) and Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers interpret Dock Boggs’ “Country Blues,” which originally appeared on the Gold-certified, GRAMMY-winning Anthology of American Folk Music. (Boggs is discussed in Greil Marcus’ book Invisible Republic: Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes.) Eilen Jewell’s barn-burning gospel band Sacred Shakers takes “Samson & Delilah” for a spin, which has also been performed by the Grateful Dead. These tracks are accompanied by strong originals by Lake Street Dive, indie folk band Winterpills, Chris Smither (who is celebrating his 50th anniversary in music this year), Kris Delmhorst (with Foucault backing her) and a hidden, bonus track by Lake Street Dive.

Since its founding in Whately, MA in 1994, Signature Sounds has released over 150 albums; moved to Northampton, MA; established its own venue the Parlor Room; landed songs in Six Feet Under, True Blood Weeds, Grey's Anatomy, Sons Of Anarchy, Nashville, Modern Family and in a T-Mobile ad campaign. Originally launched as a label to spotlight the burgeoning western Massachusetts folk scene, it has gained national prominence behind acts such as Mary Gauthier, Erin McKeown, Crooked Still (from which Aoife O’Donovan has emerged), Patty Larkin, Lori McKenna, and Eilen Jewell.

Signature Sounds will also host a 20th anniversary celebration the weekend of November 28-30, as a thank you to its fans, featuring 19 different artists over four concerts in Northampton, MA. Here is a Signature Sounds 20th Anniversary Playlist of artists playing the November shows.

The celebration will continue July 10-12 at the Green River Festival, which is produced by Signature Sounds in Greenfield, MA.

‘Signature Sounds 20th Anniversary Collection: Rarities From The Second Decade’ Track List

1.      Lovesick Redstick Blues - Crooked Still
2.      Real Love - Jeffrey Foucault*
3.      Be Back Home - Sweetback Sisters
4.      Moonshiner - Parsonsfield*
5.      What I'm Doing Here - Lake Street Dive
6.      A Tree In The Lung - Winterpills*
7.      Such Great Heights - Joy Kills Sorrow
8.      No Shortcuts - Heather Maloney & Darlingside
9.      It's Lonely At The Top - Peter Mulvey*
10.     That's Why I'm Walkin - Eilen Jewell*
11.     Carey - Barnstar!*
12.     Here In California - Caroline Herring*
13.     Drive You Home Again - Chris Smither*
14.     Country Blues - Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers
15.     Violent Love - Sweet & Lowdown (Miss Tess and Rachael Price of Lake Street Dive)*
16.     Samson & Delilah - Sacred Shakers*
17.     If This Ain't Heaven - Kris Delmhorst & Jeffrey Foucault*
18.     I’m Satisfied - Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem*

* Previously unreleased.

SIGNATURE SOUNDS RECORDINGS CELEBRATES 20 YEARS WITH CONCERT SERIES, NEW COMPILATION, AND CELEBRATION AT 2015 GREEN RIVER FESTIVAL

Signature Sounds Recordings – the Northampton, MA-based Americana and folk music label home to Chris Smither, Lake Street Dive, Eilen Jewell, and others – will celebrate 20 years with a series of events:

+ Thanksgiving weekend, November 28, 29, and 30, four concerts will take place at the Academy of Music (274 Main St.) and at Signature’s home venue The Parlor Room (32 Masonic St.) in Northampton, MA, featuring label best-seller Lake Street Dive, subject of a new tribute album and Smither, noir starlet Eilen Jewell, the reunited Crooked Still, and 13 other acts. Smither is celebrating fifty years in music.

Spotify playlist on the artists at the concert series.

+ March 3 sees the release of ‘The Signature Sounds 20th Anniversary Collection,’ featuring favorites and rarities from the label’s over 150 releases, featuring Lake Street Dive, Smither, Crooked Still, Jewell, Josh Ritter, and fourteen more artists and bands.

+ A spring tour featuring artists from the ‘Signature Sounds 20th Anniversary Collection.’ Dates and artists to be announced.

+ A celebration of the label will be held at the Green River Festival July 10-12, 2015 in Greenfield, MA. Here’s a look back at 2014’s sold out festival, which featured over thirty bands on three stages, including Ritter, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Trampled By Turtles, Lucius, Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin & The Guilty Ones, Hurray For The Riff Raff, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

2014 has proven to be a watershed year for the label. In February, Signature released Lake Street Dive’s ‘Bad Self Portraits’ album, which entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #18 and has become the best selling album in label history. Rolling Stone exclaimed, "Lake Street Dive: This year's best new band." Lake Street Dive has made appearances on numerous network TV shows including The Colbert Report, Late Show With David Letterman, CONAN, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and CBS Saturday Morning.

From the beginning, Signature has been involved in presenting live music, initially programming the popular Green River Festival and later presenting shows at clubs and theaters around the Pioneer Valley. In 2012, the label moved into its current headquarters in downtown Northampton and opened The Parlor Room. The intimate venue quickly proved popular and has hosted over 100 performances.

Signature Sounds was formed in 1994 by Jim Olsen and Mark Thayer to promote the burgeoning roots music scene in the Pioneer Valley. Signature has played a part in launching the careers of such notable artists as Ritter, Lake Street Dive, Erin McKeown, Mary Gauthier, Crooked Still, Jewell and others while also working with long-respected singer-songwriters like Chris Smither, Patty Larkin and Richard Shindell.

Signature Sounds' 20th anniversary artwork

SIGNATURE SOUNDS CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY WITH SPECIAL SERIES OF CONCERTS

THREE DAYS OF CELEBRATION WITH CHRIS SMITHER, LAKE STREET DIVE, CROOKED STILL AND MORE IN NORTHAMPTON, MA

NOVEMBER 28, 29, 30

Northampton based record label Signature Sounds Recordings will celebrate it’s 20^th Anniversary with a series of special concerts at The Academy Of Music Theater (274 Main St.) and The Parlor Room (32 Masonic St.) in Northampton on Thanksgiving weekend November 28^th- 30^th. These concerts will feature performances by 18 artists who have recorded for the label in the past two decades.

Signature Sounds was formed in 1994 by Jim Olsen and Mark Thayer to promote the burgeoning roots music scene in the Pioneer Valley. Prior to the formation of the label the partners worked on a number of commercial and fund raising projects at Thayer’s home-based studio in Palmer, MA.The label was originally housed in Olsen’s Whately home. From the beginning, the label focused on new and developing artists. Signature has released over 150 albums to date and has played a part in launching the careers of such notable artists as Josh Ritter, Lake Street Dive, Erin McKeown, Mary Gauthier, Crooked Still, Eilen Jewell and others while also working with established singer-songwriters like Chris Smither, Patty Larkin and Richard Shindell. 

“The music industry has changed so much since we started the label” says Signature president Jim Olsen.“We launched several years before there was any on-line music retail. Our early albums were released on cassette as well as CD. These days over half the music we sell is by download. The Internet has also allowed the label’s artists to gain an international audience for their music." 

2014 has proven to be a watershed year for the label. In February, Signature released Lake Street Dive’s Bad Self Portraits album, which entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #18 and has become the best selling album in label history. The band has made appearances on numerous network TV shows includingThe Colbert Report, Late Show With David Letterman, CONAN, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and CBS Saturday Morning.

From the beginning Signature has been involved in presenting live music, initially programming the popular Green River Festival and later presenting shows at clubs and theaters around the Pioneer Valley. In 2012, the label moved into it’s current headquarters in downtown Northampton and opened The Parlor Room. The intimate venue quickly proved popular and has hosted over 100 performances.

In January of this year, Signature Sounds acquired ownership of the Green River Festival from the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. The 2014 festival featured sell out attendance both days of the festival, which was a first for the festival. “We were thrilled with the response to this year’s festival” says Olsen, “We’re so excited to continue to grow and improve the event. We hope to make Green River Festival the ultimate live music event in the region."

While Signature Sounds is planning a year of special events in celebration of it’s 20^th Anniversary, the Thanksgiving Weekend shows at the Academy Of Music are the focal point of the celebration. At least 18 of the label’s artists will be performing, with many special collaborations expected.  

The celebration kicks off on Friday night November 28^th with a 70^th birthday show for blues-folk icon Chris Smither who is also marking his 50^th year as an artist. Smither will be joined by his band The Motivators, plus special guests Mark Erelli, Jeffrey Foucualt, Kris Delmhorst and Peter Mulvey. This yearSignature has released two special albums featuring the music of Chris Smither- a two-disc career retrospective called Still On The Levee and an all-star tribute album Link Of Chain – A Songwriters Tribute To Chris Smither with contributions from Bonnie Raitt, Dave Alvin, Josh Ritter and many others. Proceeding the show there will be an in depth interview Chris Smither and Jim Olsen at the Parlor Room.  

{{ TICKETS FOR THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC SHOWS. }}

On Saturday afternoon, Tracy Grammer and special guests will present a tribute to songwriter Dave Carter at the Parlor Room. Carter and Grammer released a series of critically acclaimed albums on Signature Sounds before his untimely death in 2003. Tickets for the Parlor Room shows will be available at www.parlorroommusic.com.

The Saturday evening concert at the Academy Of Music will feature an eclectic program with Eilen Jewell and her band, Winterpills, Heather Maloney, Barnstar!, The Sweetback Sisters, and Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers. 

Then on Sunday afternoon, the highly anticipated reunion of non-traditional bluegrass string band, Crooked Still will take place. After a decade of constant activity, the members of Crooked Still decided to take a break from touring in 2012 in order to pursue other projects and recharge creatively. Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem and Eilen Jewell's Gospel side project, The Sacred Shakers round out the show.

The weekend ends with Lake Street Dive closing out the Academy shows, along with Miss Tess & The Talkbacks and And the Kids who will release their label debut on Signature Sounds early next year.