This week I’ll be sharing songs from what I’m calling “Ones To Watch,” artists who are on the rise that I expect to blow up soon. Who better to kick things off than The Civil Wars, who most recently have been opening up for Adele on her current tour.

The Civil Wars are a duo comprised of Joy Williams and John Paul White, both of whom had somewhat successful solo careers before teaming up at a songwriting workshop to create songs that are simply magical. One of their early tour dates was at my alma mater in front of maybe a few hundred people. After some help from airplay on Grey’s Anatomy and an appearance on Jay Leno, they’re now playing in front of sold-out stadium crowds.

The best part of all this? You can download “Barton Hollow” for FREE over at TheCivilWars.com. Just scroll to the bottom of the page and enter your email address. Even better… They also have a free live album available!

Love him or hate him, Bob Dylan has influenced popular music since he started performing. I for one love his music, and his song “Maggie’s Farm” marked a turning point for him when he went electric.  Here’s the live version from the infamous 1965 Newport Music Festival performance.

Download:
Amazon MP3 | iTunes

If there’s one album I’ve listened to more than any other this year, it’s Mumford & Sons’ Sigh No More. These guys also shared the stage with Bob Dylan and The Avett Brothers on the Grammys earlier this year. Their big hit has been “Little Lion Man,” but here’s another great song of theirs, “The Cave.”

Download:
Amazon MP3 | iTunes

The first time I saw The Avett Brothers in concert was in a college gymnasium with about 150 other people. They played their hearts out. About three years later, not only are they performing on The Grammys, they’re sharing the stage with Bob Dylan.

Here’s “Kick Drum Heart” off their latest album, I And Love And You.

Download:
Amazon MP3 | iTunes