Roots

Additions: John Prine, Jenny Lewis, Michelle Shocked, Tift Merritt, Jonatha Brooke, Dala, Gregory Alan Isakov, Joe Craven

Comment: Prine puts a long-time folkie favorite at the top of the bill, joining  previously announced hit movie spinoff The Swell Season and indie singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco as headliners. Shocked is notable since she plays relatively few festivals, while Merritt, Brooke, and Dala add luster. Singer-songwriter Isakov is an emerging Planet Bluegrass favorite.

Visit FP's Rocky Mountain Folks Festival page for artist details and the festival website for complete info and tickets.

Bookers at Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival had to act quickly when headline act The Neville Brothers pulled out unexpectedly. It isn't easy coming up with an equivalent draw this late in the booking season. Their solution, announced today, is country-rock outfit Little Feat, which will be appearing for the first time at the 15-year-old festival.  The band is also headlining this year at MerleFest and the Waterfront Blues Festival.

Little Feat joins indie folk icon Ani Di Franco and folk-rocker Steve Earle at the top of an appealing lineup that also features David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, Robert Earl Keen, Charlie Musselwhite, The Waifs, Greg Brown and lots more.

Also newly named to the Kate Wolf lineup are West coast jamgrass favorites Hot Buttered Rum, fiddling country songbird Carrie Rodriguez and story-telling Canadian folkie David Francey. A few more acts remain to be added.

MerleFest filled in its conspicuous Friday night TBA, announcing that country star Dierks Bentley will bring his just-announced Up On the Ridge bluegrass-oriented show to the festival on May 30, with backing from The Travelin' McCourys.

The performance is the only announced festival stop on the 24-date tour, which will introduce Bentley's new bluegrass concept album Up On the Ridge, due to be released this summer. Appearing on the album with Bentley are The Del McCoury Band and the Punch Brothers with Chris Thile, along with guest appearances by Alison Krauss, Miranda Lambert, Tim O'Brien and Sam Bush.

The Hangout has had two additional lineup rounds since its auspicious kickoff last month, and it just keeps getting better. A number of the adds are top-of-the-bill acts at other festivals. Here, only Phish frontman Trey Anastasio playing with his side project TAB cracks the top three.

Other big names that have been recently named include Ben Harper and Relentless7, The Flaming Lips and former Wallflower Jakob Dylan with his new configuration Three Legs featuring stars in their own right Neko Case and Kelly Hogan.

Add to that Yonder Mountain leader Jeff Austin & Friends, blues rocker Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, southern rock brother act North Mississippi All-Stars, New Orleans soul standbys The Funky Meters, and indie singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne, and you have a pretty impressive second-day story.

Remember, the first round included names like Alison Krauss, Zac Brown, John Legend, Michael Franti, Keller Williams, Govt Mule, The Black Crowes and a lot more.

Canada's oldest folk festival remains one of North America's best all-around roots music festivals, judging by the just released 2010 lineup.

Some of the notable international stars on the bill include John Hiatt & The Combo, The Levon Helm Band, The Avett Brothers, Emmylou Harris and Hot Tuna. But the festival is known for its eclectic mix of singer-songwriter, world, blues, indie, string-band, Celtic, and other styles.

Other acts to look forward to include Andrew Bird, The Cat Empire, The Swell Season, Sarah Harmer, Greg Brown, Sonny Landreth, Geoff Muldaur, Alvin Youngblood Hart, The Wilders and Works Progress Administration. Hip-hop stars Arrested Development will make a much anticipated debut.

Winnipeg maintains its connection with the early days of the folk genre by presenting third-generation representatives of folk legends Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger with Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion and Tao Rodriguez Seeger. Also, nonagenarian Oscar Brand, a native of Winnipeg who played the very first festival in 1974 will get a honored appearance.

Earthdance Northern California announced its 2010 festival running Sept. 17-19 will be its last year at Black Oak Ranch in Laytonville CA, after which it will move to a larger venue. Early bird ticketing opened for an allocation of 500 tickets at the discount price of $140. The festival plans a "grand farewell" to the grounds that have hosted the event for eight seasons.

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