6. Barton Hollow - The Civil Wars
Americana/indie-folk duo The Civil Wars, comprised of vocalist Joy Williams and guitarist/vocalist John Paul White, started when the two met during a song-writing session at a studio in Nashville. The duo describes their style as a representation of "the good, the bad, and the ugly of relationships." Their debut album,
Barton Hollow, was released in February of 2011. The album reached number 12 on the Billboard 200 chart, number 1 on the Billboard Digital Album chart, and number 1 on the iTunes chart for over a week after its release. The album sold 25,000 copies in the first week alone. The band has been recognized by critics such as Los Angeles Times, Paste Magazine, The Guardian, The New York Times, and Rolling Stone Magazine. They also have performed on
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NPR's
All Things Considered, and
A Praire Home Companion, as well as having their music video for "Barton Hollow" featured on
VH1. All of the criticism and appearances were solely recognition for their debut
Barton Hollow album. The Civil Wars won several recognitions as Best New Artist, and received two Grammy nominations for Best Folk Album and Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Here's the 7th (and title) track from their album, "Barton Hollow." http://youtu.be/ODOOo-R6kg8