Andy Frasco & The U.N.

With curly tufts of a recognizable Jewfro peeking out from his omnipresent knit cap, Andy Frasco is a cross between John Belushi’s “Joliet” Jake Blues and Jimmy Buffett. He’s a band-fronting, songwriting party animal who turns into a swirling rock ‘n’ roll Tasmanian Devil onstage leading his U.N., not unlike Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band. From switching instruments mid-song to Frasco stagediving into the crowd or kibitzing with them, an Andy Frasco & The U.N. show is a celebration of inclusivity and tolerance where “You do You” and “let us do us.”

The band has grown from playing bars to touring more than 250 days a year all over the country, with Frasco describing that 15-year journey on Growing Pains, the group’s landmark 10th studio album and first full-length effort since 2023’s L’Optimist, showcasing Andy’s growth as a tunesmith in his own right.

Produced by Frasco himself for the first time, the collection’s centerpiece is the anthemic “Try Not to Die,” a glass half-full anthem to seizing the day that combines country twang with an easy island breeze in its affirmative message.

“Life is Easy,” featuring bluegrass superstar Billy Strings, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country and co-writer/frequent collaborators Steve Poltz (Rugburns, Jewel) and Chris Gelbuda (Meghan Trainor), is a folk protest anthem. “Swinging for the Fences,” featuring cameos by G. Love and Eric Krasno (Lettuce, Tedeschi Trucks Band Soulive), is a Motown-flavored paean to dating someone out of your league. The playful “They Call Me Hollywood (But I’m from LA),” co-written with frequent partner Kenny Carkeet, features rapper ProbCause, while the title track is a sing-song, hip-hop-influenced rhyme about embracing change and taking it day-to-day.

Frasco wrote most of Growing Pains in Nashville with his longtime guitarist Shawn Eckels and frequent songwriting partners Chris Gelbuda, Steve Poltz, and Andrew Cooney.

“I came into this life wanting to write songs,” said Frasco. “It took 15 years, but I feel I’m starting to get credit for it. My cup is full. I’m really starting to see my dreams come true.”

For Taylor Scott, nothing is black and white. He operates in the grey areas between genres, creating his own colorful hybrid of roots-rock, funk, soul, and troubadour-style Americana. It's a sound that's as diverse as its creator, whipped into sharp shape by a musician who's equal parts guitar hero and singer/songwriter craftsman. He embraces the full range of those roles with The Hang, the third album from the Taylor Scott Band.