Folk-rock à la Gram Parsons and Neil Young. Dawes are part of a renaissance in L.A.’s legendary Laurel Canyon scene, having participated in neighborhood jam sessions with local VIPs like Jenny Lewis and the Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson.

Not many new artists get this chance: to record in LA and Nashville with Grammy-winning producers, backed by members of acclaimed bands like The Raconteurs, My Morning Jacket, and Band of Horses, and positioned by expert marketing forces to hit the ground running… hell, for that matter, to run before the race has even started. And seem as that may be for Cory Chisel — whose name is surely new to most everyone reading this review and whose forthcoming album was produced by Joe Chiccarelli (The Shins, The White Stripes, Beck) and recorded with folks like “Little Jack” Lawrence, Carl Broemel, Blake Mills, and Brendan Benson Chisel grew up the son of a Baptist minister and the nephew of a blues musician, though apparently all of his uncles are guitar players. Gospel and blues became his musical mainstays, though it wasn’t long until Cory Chisel formed a band and recorded an album of original songs

or the last 15 years, LA-based drummer Jason Boesel has been planted firmly behind the kit, keeping time for the likes of Rilo Kiley, Bright Eyes, The Elected, and more recently, Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band. Boesel was inspired to pick up the guitar and write his own record after his friends raved about the first song he ever wrote. Team Love Records