Old Crow Medicine Show, Spring Creek , and Julianne Hough round out my list of artists to keep an eye on in 2009!

Old Crow Medicine Show may be old news to the internet savvy and independantly aware, but mainstream country music is going to get a wake up call by these guys in 2009. With a stream of late-night network televesion appearances and name-dropping country music star recommendations, Old Crow can certainly count on Tennesse Pusher pushing them to the headlines of country music news in the next year. You can catch OCMS on Conan O’BrienTuesday Dec 23rd, or on 3 special appearances in the Dave Matthews Band tour this coming spring.

Spring Creek is currently in a Denver studio recording their third album, to be released on Rebel Records in spring of 2009. Their obvious bluegrass roots combined with their highly energetic contemporary sound gives them a sharp edge that helps them stand out against a crowd. While it’s questionable whether this is enough to pull them into mainstream news ahead of acts like Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney, it certainly adds a fresh touch of true country bluegrass sound that has been missing from radio for far too long.

Julianne Hough was already turning heads as a leading personality on Dancing With The Stars, but the next year will have Julianne fans turning up thevolume as she prepares her follow-up to “That Song In My Head”. Julianne Hough will also spend much of the year on the road appearing in concerts and festivals such as January’s Sound & Speed as well as opening on  George Strait’s concert tour over summer.