Missy Raines & the New Hip

A former member of bluegrass outfits the Claire Lynch Band and the duo Jim Hurst and Missy Raines, Missy Raines now fronts her own damn band, dubbed the New Hip. Her new album, New Frontier, doesn't entirely fit the bluegrass mold, however, and puts the emphasis on her hushed vocals, making it sound a bit like Norah Jones. Perfectly capable of jazz and pop, the New Hip mixes it up from song to song and expertly backs Raines on her rootsy songs. (Niesel)