It seems most emerging music leans either toward an overall annoyingly giddy feel, or an overly-dark, I-snort-cocaine-to-feel-something broodiness. Bart Budwig seems to have found the perfect balance. He continues to produce dopamine-stimulating , thought-provoking tracks without the pervasive use of Auto-Tune or opiates (which arguably have been a factor in the making of some pretty fantastic music). His six-track, blues-folk-rock solo album (A Coke and a Smile, 2009) captivated critics with upbeat acoustic picking juxtaposed with emotionally-heavy lyrics typical in blues, but not always so well delivered. His work has a refreshingly unmanufactured sound that purveys the uncommon, raw edge consistent in all passion-inspired art.

Budwig’s recent project-band release (The Budwiggers, Happy Bones, 2010), expands his already-impressive portfolio of songwriting capabilties, complimenting old and new content alike with the musical talents of a rotating cavalcade of band members from Moscow, Idaho, Budwig’s hometown. Budwig convincingly adds an Alt-country touch to the album, while holding on to the underlying hints of deep-South blues and folk familiar in his music.