Joe Giacoio's writing has been described as "somehow simultaneously quirky and classic," and touches upon topics that range from debating the existence of God to the existence of Elvis. An award-winning guitarist, his "two-handed" style draws from influences such as Michael Hedges and Preston Reed.

Joe hosted the Guitar Styles workshop at the 1995 and 1996 Falcon Ridge Folk Festivals. Joe appears on Fast Folk Musical Magazine (FF#805) and a New Jersey songwriters' compilation, "Exit 135." He has two CDs on Romantic Devil Records, Superman's Midlife Crisis and I Sing the Body Acoustic.

New Middle Class - "The music of New Middle Class is emotionally and intellectually captivating. The songs sparkle with wit, and the melodies are downright addictive."  Follow the menu on the left to find out lots more.

Dan Pelletier is a piano playing singer/songwriter who is fast gaining a reputation as the O. Henry of folk music. His songs often feature a twist ending, or are filled with surprises from beginning to end. His songs seek first to entertain and delight and he fills his performances with wit, humor, passion, and insight.

Dan is one of the winners of the 1996 Towne Crier Open Mike Invitational. He has been featured on two Fast Folk CD compilations ( FF#805 and FF#809), and has two CDs, Mr. Sunshine and Wild Heart Rodeo, on Hudson Valley Records.

A Brief History of SongLand

No one knows the identity of the original inhabitants of SongLand - they mysteriously vanished millions of years ago on a Tuesday afternoon, leaving only the fossilized remnants of crude musical instruments. Current theory holds that they were driven out by the fur-hunting Pelletier clan, who shaved the mammoths and left them to freeze during the Dry Ice Age.

SongLand was re-discovered in the 15th century by Cristobal Giacoio (who had been expelled from his native Bologna for claiming that the world was an oblate spheroid). Unfortunately, both of his ships were lost on the voyage home (they sailed off the edge of the Earth).

Yet somehow SongLand was settled and prospered as a humble agrarian society, until the country was torn by a bloody Revolution, when Boris and Natasha Borok attempted to create a New Middle Class, forcing the populace to sing atonal folk songs and drink only vodka derived from organically grown potatoes.

Today the Shower Curtain has been drawn aside, and a bold new generation of singer/songwriters has emerged, blinking, into the light of the vibrant contemporary acoustic music scene.