When Dave Lamb and MorganEve Swain formed Brown Bird, they effectively tangled blues and folk. Since 2003, the duo has allured with haunting lyrics and suggestively gypsy chords. After performing at last year's Newport Folk Festival, Brown Bird released Salt for Salt, a trove of sinister-woods spirituals. During "Bilgewater," Lamb testifies "every day is like a war" over Swain's trudging bass, plunging like a dirty baptism. With Phil Cook & His Feat. —Ashleigh Phillips