It doesn’t matter if you’re into blues, funk, folk, rock, or country, or whether you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing cover band or a singer/songwriter known for deep, personal confessionals. This week's special issue of the Northern Express - sister publication of The Ticker - has your guide to all things local music.

In "The Local Musicians You Must Hear Now," writer Craig Manning profiles 10 musicians with deep ties to the northern Michigan community, from veritable jukebox band Broom Closet Boys to future county music superstars Drew Hale Band to sonic trailblazers Avid Kain (pictured) to activist musician Seth Bernard. This week's issue also asks area performers to share the recordings and artists who have most impacted their own careers, and profiles some of the region's most esteemed luthiers: musician woodworkers building guitars. You'll also get an overview of musical trends hitting northern Michigan - from rising ukulele sales to the resurgence of vintage beats and '80s-era heavy rock - to the efforts of Manistee nonprofit Salt City Rock and Blues to bring an amphitheater to town.

Find all this and more in this week's special Local Music Issue of the Northern Express, available to read online and on newsstands at nearly 700 spots in 14 counties across northern Michigan.