The Ravenna Colt John Quaid may be familiar to some My Morning Jacket fans – he is a founding member of the band who appeared on the first three albums before splitting amicably in 2004. This side project has just released its debut, Slight Spell, and fans of MMJ will probably pleased with this offering. The Evening Muse (Jeff Hahne)

Todd Snider East Nashville's Todd Snider has been an acclaimed songwriter so long it may as well be added to his name. Always a friend to (and sometimes an enabler to) his musical characters in need, he's also not afraid to take on himself (or a version of himself) in his lyrics. To these ears, the seminal Snider document is East Nashville Skyline (it has none), a humorous, yet sometimes starkly poignant record that Randy Newman or Patterson Hood (with whom he sometimes duets with) might be proud of. His most recent release, The Excitement Plan, while starker musically, is also well-worth searching out. With Paleface. Visulite Theatre (Timothy C. Davis)