The Ridges and Young Heirlooms at Alive One May 17

The Ridges are an orchestral folk rock group from the Appalachian college town of Athens, Ohio. A three-piece acoustic act formed out of the collaboration of longtime musical duo Victor Rasgaitis (Guitar, Vocals) and Johnny Barton (Percussion, Glockenspiel, Vocals) with the classical stylings of Talor Smith (Cello, Vocals), the trio regularly feature a rotating cast of up to six guest musicians adding instrumentation ranging from additional cellos and vocals to viola, violin, trumpet, banjo, dulcimer, mandolin and even accordion. Combined with layered, introspective songwriting and passionate, high-energy performances, the ensemble brings to life a theme of dark romanticism emphasized by their name. The band name, taken from the famously haunted local victorian landmark building that was formerly the Athens Asylum, speaks to the group’s fascination with folklore and classical influences as well as their deep rooted connection to the city of Athens. 

Young Heirlooms (http://facebook.com/YoungHeirlooms)

Young Heirlooms is a new take on the evolution of folk music. With a focus on creating cerebral, well-composed music, Young Heirlooms is set out to mix your emotions with a wall of sound. Expect a choir of vocal harmonies similar to that of a Brian Wilson record. With songwriting influenced heavily by todays artists like Grizzly Bear and Fleet Foxes, Young Heirlooms brings a new element of shoegaze with melodic theatrics to their music amounting to something truly new and inspiring.