With lock-tight rhythmic assistance from local greats James Wallace and Jeff Crawford, Chapel Hill duo Mandolin Orange has also undergone a transformation. Their spare folk has been made over into equally comforting country on the new full-band disc, Haste Make, with wistful harmonies playing just as well over gentle honky-tonk stomps as over simple guitar and fiddle. But if Mandolin Orange wins this contest, it's on the strength of their opener. As Phil Cook and His Feat, the Megafaun piano and banjo player instills old-time instrumentals with a modern enthusiasm and melodic ear that should tempt even the most skeptical fans. With the Stickley Brothers. —Jordan Lawrence