One of the hottest new contemporary folk bands out of New York City is a band of former buskers called the Felice Brothers. In case you haven't yet heard of this hooligan crew of roots players, check out my profile of the Felice Brothers.

The Felice Brothers—Ian, James, and Simone—are three of seven sons of a carpenter from upstate New York. They grew up making music together and entertaining family and friends. Later, they teamed up with "runaway dice thrower" Christmas and washboard player/fiddler Farley. (full profile)

image © Loose Records

Kerrville Folk Festival will be invading Central Texas this weekend, and setting up shop for the next two weeks in one of the largest, longest, most fun folk festivals in the country. I know there are festivals before Kerrville, but it always feels like this two-week folk fest kicks off the season.

There are some killer artists gracing the Kerrville stage this year, and a lot of very impressive newbies competing on the New Folk Finalist stage. If you're off to Texas this weekend (or next, or the one after that), here's my quick guide to what to expect at Kerrville, and what artists you don't want to miss.

photo: Kim Ruehl/About.com