Born the youngest child of two blind parents, William Fitzsimmons was raised in the outskirts of the steel city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Reared more on sound than sight, Fitzsimmons was immersed in a musically saturated home teeming with a myriad of instruments, classical and folk records, talking parrots, and a pipe organ his father constructed with his own hands.

Brooklyn-based Ari Hest is among the most prolific, talented, and innovative songwriters and performers today. Having recently parted ways with Columbia Records, which released his albums Someone To Tell in 2004 and The Break-In in 2007, Ari launched an ambitious project through his website in January 2008 called “52,” in which he is independently releasing 52 new, original songs in 52 weeks in a DIY subscription model that is the first of its kind.

I’ve been a drunk, a lover, occasional liar, sweetheart, asshole, unemployed troublemaker, raconteur, bon vivant, and a wannabe Bob Dylan.” Austin singer/songwriter Rex Moroux delivers songs with beautiful, simple lyrics that can be described as comfortably Americana, colored with pop-rock flourishes. “If a song can make you cry or laugh, that’s a measure of how it touches your soul,” Rex explains. There’s no question that Moroux’s songs have the ability to do both and you can hear it clearly on his second album “Royal Street Inn.

Some say that k.s. Rhoads is the most exciting new artist to come out of Nashville since Josh Rouse. He writes dark, romantic pop songs of love and sadness. His songs often border on vaudevillian with big string sections and sweeping crescendos. Basically, he's Rufus Wainwright but darker, straighter and with less of a Judy Garland fixation. His music carries a heavy and brooding masculinity, despite sounding more like the music of a 1930's German cabaret than a modern-day Nashville club.

When singer/songwriter Michael Flynn and multi-instrumentalist Josh Kaler started creating music together after college in 2003 they decided to form the band Slow Runner. Flynn's deepest songwriting yet is revealed in their newest album, Mermaids, which completes their third studio album. With the slow soft sound of electronica and Flynn's distinct vocals, you'll find yourself singing along to their catchy and poppy hooks.

When it came time to name their band, south Louisiana brothers Joe and David Stark went back to their roots - literally. Because their father, Bill, was responsible for their earliest musical education, they chose to call themselves Sons of William. The band's sound is "steeped in traditional rock n' roll songwriting and simplicity" and their electrifying live shows are not to be missed. They continue to tour relentlessly and will more than likely be in a city near you sometime soon.

The Spring Standards are an energetic force of 3-part harmony circling over a rock n' roll sound with an old country aftertaste. From small towns to big cities, they explode on stage with spirit, spontaneity, and a style all their own. MTV's John Norris says "They willingly embrace dissonance, and their execution is impeccable, from their tight, CSN-worthy vocal harmonies to their wickedly intense percussive power." The Spring Standards are currently touring the east coast and finishing recording their debut EP.

Brick Wall manages two talented producers in Marshall Altman and Justin Tocket.

Marshall has worked with such diverse acts as Marc Broussard, Warren Barfield, and Zebrahead, Kate Voegele--to name a few. As for Justin, he has produced records for Marc Broussard, Sons of William, Rex Moroux. For a full list of production credits, be sure to check out their websites.