While most singer/songwriters are content to warble out a few semi-clever turns of phrase, Pug's scorching poetry and soulful, 'every phrase could be my last' voice will stop you cold. If you want to read the actual endorsement, touch the braille stretching up my arms. Twenty years from now, lazy journalists will compare every halfway decent songwriter to Joe Pug. Mark my words. ---Jason Killingsworth, Deputy Editor, Paste Magazine--Paste MagazineThe 2009 Newport Folk Festival was full of legends, modern day stars, heartfelt bands, and accomplished pickers, but for my money Joe Pug blew them all away. Taking the waterside stage at 2pm, Pug took the stage armed with only his guitar and harmonicas. This alone would draw Dylan comparisons, which is only further fueled by Pug s age (23) and lyrical prowess. And to an extent, it is a fine comparison. Pug writes incredible lyrics accompanied by his at times fairly rudimentary acoustic guitar and evocative harmonica playing. However, what is lost in this comparison is Pug s personality, his fierce slamming of the guitar strings, his intensely personal lyrics, and command over an audience. As Pug moved through each of the songs from his ridiculously good debut EP, Nation of Heat, the audience sat in rapt silence interrupted only by a healthy applause as each song came to a close. --Twang NationI cannot get this song or this artist out of my head. Joe Pug is a young man from Chicago, with a mop of curly hair and songwriting that injects fire and ache into my veins. His whole name is only six letters, pops off the tongue quickly. This 24-year-old carpenter crafts folk songs steeped in stories that stop me in my tracks, and laden with lyrics that feel weightier than your standard fare: The more I buy the more Im bought, and the more Im bought, the less I cost.  Pug cites a love of stark authors like Whitman and Steinbeck, and that rugged depth cracks out of his music as well. I want to listen to his Nation Of Heat EP over and over, because I keep getting something new out of it each time I listen. --I Am Fuel You Are Friends