On heavy iPod rotation these days are three ladies whose overlapping musical roots are a little bit country and a whole lot of blues -- we think they make up the perfect early-summer soundtrack.

Susan Tedeschi: She may have grown up in Massachusetts, but her sound is pure Southern rib shack. Her latest album, "Hope and Desire," was nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the recent Grammys.
Download These (iTunes):
Tired of My Tears
Alone
Angel From Montgomery

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals: The 23-year-old Potter and her band regularly sell out gigs in and around their native Vermont with their '70s-infused bluesy funk. Their debut major label album, "Nothing but the Water," is available now.
Download These (iTunes):
Treat Me Right
Toothbrush and My Table
Nothing but the Water II

Toby Lightman: Lightman just released "Bird on a Wire," a disc of radio-friendly countrified tracks that seem to pick up where Sheryl Crow left off.
Download These (iTunes):
Alone
Don't Wake Me
My Sweet Song