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Heaven Forbid is a country band from DC. Featuring the sensational sounds of Tennessee Dave's pedal steel guitar and a rowdy rhythm section built from the ashes of lounge-punk favorites Baby Bry Bry & The Apologists, these high-falutin' rootin' tootin' sons of guns from Washington are anti-fascist cowboy crooners for urban commuters. They're known around town as the hosts of ALL HAT NO CATTLE, a monthly-ish night of "country music for city people" that attracts lifelong fans and newcomers to the genre in equal measure and recently released their self-titled debut.
Based in Central Virginia and with family roots in South Texas, Ramona and the Holy Smokes represent a new generation of honky tonk music. With powerful female vocals that cover an emotional range from determined to comic to vulnerable, and a talented backing band steeped in classic country and western styles of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the band’s repertoire includes lush emotional ballads, quintessential two-step dance numbers, gritty country-rockers, and a unique blend of honky tonk and traditional Mexican styles that the group describes as “Mexi-tonk.” Drawing on the Mexican-American heritage of lead singer and songwriter Ramona Martinez, recognized by Wide Open Country as one of the "15 Latino Artists Shaping Country Music," Ramona and the Holy Smokes are simultaneously rooted in the traditional sounds of country music but unafraid of pushing boundaries and highlighting the connections across border cultures. Their self-titled debut LP offers the group the opportunity to explore this diversity of sounds, leaning into an authenticity and resiliency in songs that chart life’s ups and downs from the perspective of a female voice seeking to maintain a sensitivity and sense of wonder in a twenty-first century world filled with emotional highs and lows.
Rebecca Porter & The Rhinestone Roses
Born in Guam and raised in the Shenandoah Valley, Rebecca Porter blends soulful melodies and fearless lyrics with her honey-smooth voice to create her own brand of Appalachian honky tonk. Her 2023 EP, Queen of the Local, earned national acclaim and led to recognition in Rissi Palmer's Color Me Country Class of 2024, features on Ed Helms' Good Country, and a debut on NPR's Mountain Stage. Known for electrifying live performances, Porter captivates audiences with her emotional intensity and grit. Porter's personal and raw storytelling continues to push boundaries, projecting a cinematic soundscape that balances traditional country’s rugged spirit with an unapologetic journey of perseverance.