The Avett Brothers

Brothers Scott and Seth began recording as The Avett Brothers in 2000, roughly at the beginning of the modern roots-revival movement jump started by Oh Brother Where Art Thou?, and in the decade since, with bassist Bob Crawford and cellist Joe Kwon, they’ve emerged as the movement’s most likely crossover stars. The North Carolina ensemble transcended their native folk and bluegrass scene by drawing from pop melodies and rock ’n’ roll rancorparticularly at their rowdy live showsbefore consolidating their critical reputation with the 2007 Emotionalism. Even better was last year’s I and Love and You, a softer, more focused collection produced by Rick Rubin, who polished away the band’s rough edges to better emphasize their song craft.