If you ask him, New York Native Andrew Vladeck will tell you it's all about the words. Yet it's his modern take on old-time instrumentation that first calls attention. A Fender Twin amplifier doesn't come to mind when one thinks of a banjo, but in his quest to escape the folky comfort zone, Andrew has hotwired his way into a truly individual style.

A well-known musician in the alt-folk scene in NYC, Andrew's unique sound is captured on the upcoming End Up Records release "The Wheel." Produced by Kyle Fischer (Rainer Maria) and mixed by Dave Schiffman (Johnny Cash, Mars Volta), with appearances by Caithlin De Marrais and Lara Meyerratken (Ben Lee), the album includes the caustic "The Songs you Inspire," which won 1st Place in the Int'l Songwriting Competition.

A former Urban Park Ranger, Andrew was fascinated by the interplay of nature with Gotham, and the edges where the two meet. Andrew is similarly inclined towards music, striving to blend his affection for the ante-bellum with the contemporary. The result is folk and indie rock reconfigured -- a "new wave" of folk that is distinctly American sounding. Still, Andrew is first and foremost a wordsmith, whose sparkling, sharp-edged approach sets his often dark and hilariously ironic lyrics over sparse and tasteful instrumentation.

Andrew was featured on BBC's The World, and was voted NYC Artist of the Month in The Deli Magazine. He's also a founding member of the upcoming indie folk quintet The Honey Brothers, and is a regular contributor to the NYC-based folk collective, Balthrop, Alabama.

The Wheel is the first full-length release by Vladeck since 2006. He will be touring extensively throughout the summer and fall in support of the new record.