The New Familiars

With their woodsman beards and Prohibition garb, the New Familiars look the part of a throwback act. In a sense, the Charlotte, North Carolina, band is just that: a rootsy, blues and folk-infused quintet that brings to mind quintessential American music makers such as Leadbelly, Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead. But these five Appalachia dwellers weren't born in the '50s, so it's a good bet that acts like Ryan Adams and the Black Crowes have played a role as well. Either way, the group's arsenal of resonator guitar, upright bass, mandolin, banjo and drums sounds remarkably well-suited for songs of all sorts — and just wait till you hear their sublime take on Smokey Robinson's "My Girl.