• All-gal bluegrass/folk outfit RAMBLIN' RED will release their debut disc next week at Mayo Street Arts on January 15. They're calling it The Acorn EP, and it features most of the stringed instruments, played by ANNA MARIA TOCCI, SORCHA CRIBBEN-MERRILL (who's released a couple of solo discs locally), PATIA MAULE, and THERESE WORKMAN. Word is high-school bluegrass trio FEN open. Kids don't have their licenses yet, but they can pick.
• STONE MOUNTAIN ARTS honcho and songstress CAROL NOONAN has released a new disc called Waltzings for Dreamers that's meant to support the "Waltzings for Dreamers New Music for FREE Series at Stone Mountain Arts Center," and features fiddler-cello duo ALASDAIR FRASER and NATALIE HAAS, HEATHER MASSE (Mainer, but now in New York and making a name), JAY BELLEROSE (RAY LAMONTAGNE's drummer), LEIGH GIBSON (of the GIBSON BROTHERS), and JON CARROLL (MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER BAND/STARLAND VOCAL BAND), plus Noonan's normal kick-ass band featuring guitarist DUKE LEVINE. She celebrates the album with a show January 20. The next free show is January 21, with Session Americana. Also, check out the upcoming line-up at Stone Mountain, which includes DAN TYMINSKI, the WIYOS, LORI MCKENNA, and SOMETIMES WHY (which features RUTH UNGAR of the MAMMALS, AOIFE O'DONOVAN of CROOKED STILL, and KRISTIN ANDREASSEN of UNCLE EARL). Dang.
