The increasingly difficult to categorize Hoots & Hellmouth kick off 2012 with a busy schedule… and a profound shift in focus. The Philly-based foursome, led by Sean Hoots, spent the majority of last year building a huge repertoire of live performances, from booming festival stages to intimate small club affairs. Rigorous, unrelenting touring is their M.O. Of Course, they still managed to find time to record a game-changing full-length, the eclectic Salt (available April 10, 2012 on sonaBLAST!). Their latest is a type of work that showcases a band at a crossroads. Throughout, Hoots & Hellmouth retain shades of their earthy, bucolic-tinged rapid-fire folk while profoundly exploring the sonic experimentation of inventive indie rock and the malleable, tuneful accessibility of classic American songwriting.

For those of you unfamiliar with Hoots & Hellmouth, the four-piece have spent their musical career exploring the dirges of North America and excelling at the DIY attitude appreciated by punks and new grassers alike. They’ve shared the bills with the likes of Grace Potter, Dr. Dog, and Ha Ha Tonka and graced the stages of Wakarusa, Philadelphia Folk Festival, and DelFest.

2011 was full of new and exciting opportunities for the Rooster boys. We logged a ton of miles in shooting travels and were lucky enough to add to our camera gear family with two new Nikon d7000 bodies, allowing us to shoot higher quality images in low lighting. We go to meet some great new friends and see lots of beautiful new places. While we shot our fair share of live music, freezing cold football games and morning landscapes we also branched out and did our first commercial photography for East Tennessee State University. The work that we did for ETSU landed us our first ADDY advertising award. Check out our coverage of the state on the Rooster map below. After that, see some of what we saw from behind the lens in 2011 by viewing the string of photos. Thanks for all the support you have provided this year, we wouldn’t be here without you and wish you all the best in 2012!

The sun rises over the Brooklyn Bridge in mid December 2011.

Holy Ghost Tent Revival performs at the relocated Blind Tiger, in Greensboro, NC.

A rainbow appears over the Inner Costal Waterway at Wrightsville Beach following a heavy downpour.

The New Familiars backstage prior to a show at the Blind Tiger in Greensboro.

The sea recedes at Johnnie Mercer's pier on the coast of Wrightsville Beach, NC.

Andrew Marlin of Mandolin Orange plays at their CD release party at the Cat's Cradle.

Carolina Panters Wide Reveiver Steve Smith explodes from the tunnel at the start of the Panthers vs Steelers pre-season football game.

A rocker shows off his blue Mohawk backstage at Floydfest in July 2011.

A bottle cap portrait of Marilyn Monroe consisting of over 2400 bottle caps.

The Doobie Brothers light up the crowd at Merlefest in Wilkesboro, NC.

Volunteers assist medically fragile and at risk youth and adults experience surfing at Carolina Beach. To learn more, visit oceancureinc.com

Sun beats down on drivers at the annual demolition derby near Uwharrie National Forest in Troy, NC.

Against Me! packs the Cat's Cradle for a performance.

A surfer heads for the waves in the early morning off the coast of North Carolina in March 2011.

Holy Ghost Tent Revival showing off their trademark energetic persona.

Bombadil backstage at the Cat's Cradle for their CD release party. (film photo by Kim Newmoney)

The Bynum Bridge at sunrise.

Across-The-Way Productions will once again host Floydfest on the amazing Blue Ridge Parkway in Floyd, Virginia July 26-29th 2012. The Lover’s Rock themed festival will bring Bruce Hornsby

& the Noisemakers, Matisyahu, Toubab Krewe, Steep Canyon Rangers and many more to the stage. For a complete list of the lineup, visit FloydFest.com 

As always, there is camping on site provided with your 2-4 day ticket purchase. More information regarding Line-up, Volunteering and much more as it becomes available. Stay tuned. In the mean time check out some of these photos from the fun last year… Floydfest 2011.

Ticket sales for MerleFest 25, presented by Lowe’s and slated for April 26 – 29, 2012 have begun. Ticket purchases can be made on the web at www.merlefest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857. The four-day festival will once again take place on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest is an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans, gathering to celebrate the memory of musician Eddy Merle Watson, beloved son of American music icon Doc Watson.

A complete list of the initial lineup for MerleFest 25 is available at www.merlefest.org. Additionally, up-to-the-minute lineup additions for the festival can be obtained through the festival’s e-newsletter and various social media. For instance, this past weekend, it was first announced through Facebook and Twitter that the Waybacks have been confirmed for MerleFest 25, ensuring that the popular festival feature “Hillside Album Hour” will take place once again this year.

With nearly 90 artists performing on 14 stages during the course of the event, MerleFest 25 is an entertainment value. An early bird ticket discount is available through March 12, 2012.

MerleFest, considered one of the premiere music festivals in the country, is held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson and is a celebration of “traditional plus” music. The annual festival has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Endowment Corporation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs.