Cary Brothers, Rachel Yamagata, Joshua Radin, Jonaah Matranga, Tristan Prettyman, Jim Bianco, And Sara Bareilles November 8, 2006

Alternative/Rock/Singer-Songwriter:
Cary Brothers, best known as of 2005 for "Blue Eyes," the gorgeously articulate ballad he contributed to the previous year's Grammy-winning, hip-artist-showcasing Garden State soundtrack, is by most accounts every bit as astute a businessman as he is a wry, thoughtful singer/songwriter. Born in 1974 to a watercolorist mother and surgeon father, the bearded, flowing-haired artist, the youngest of three brothers, eschewed the sounds of his native Nashville as a kid in favor of Brit-pop sensations such as the Cure and the Smiths. After college at Northwestern University in the early '90s, where Brothers met Zach Braff, the writer, director, and star of Garden State, both moved to L.A.; while Braff rounded out his acting résumé, Brothers partnered with a friend to open a small production company that produced the Freddie Prinze, Jr. movie Sparkler and the country music spoof Dill Scallion. By 2002, Brothers, who by then had developed an appreciation for the country-folk he couldn't be bothered with as a youngster in Nashville, began playing around L.A. at such venues as the Hotel Cafe, a local haunt for upcoming singer/songwriters. There he honed the early material that would win over more than 10,000 buyers for his reverb-ringed spring 2005 EP, All the Rage.