Warren Haynes Gets in the Christmas Spirit

Warren Haynes knows how to put on a party, and he will continue celebrating his annual Christmas Jam, now in its 23rd year, with another installment of the event, as well as the release of Warren Haynes Presents The Benefit Concert Vol. 4 on December 6, 2011.

Culled from the 2002, show The Benefit Concert Vol. 4 features two-discs and 2.5 hours of music, including guest performances byBob Weir & Friends, Gov't Mule, Jerry Joseph, John Hiatt & The Goners, moe., Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Sons of Ralph, Artimus Pyle, Audley Freed, Dave Schools, DJ Logic, Dr. Dan Matrazzo, Greg Rzab, Jon Smith, Mike Barnes.

This year's event will take place on December 10 and will feature Phil Lesh & Friends, Gov't Mule and more.

Check out Gov't Mule's run-through of "Worried Down with the Blues" from The Benefit Concert Vol. 4 below. 

Learn:

Warren Haynes Christmas Jam

Listen:

Worried Down With the Blues - Gov't Mule (The Benefit Concert Vol 4) by Warrenhaynes 

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Evil Tean Records Store

CD Review: Bloodiest's 'Descent'

Chicago’s Bloodiest have a penchant for gloom and doom that manifests itself through droning, epic compositions. And that isn’t even the best part.

Featuring members of Yakuza, 90 Day Men, Follows, and Atombombpocketknife, the band’s debut, Descent, expresses this exquisitely with six massive compositions, a couple of which clock in at nine-plus minutes. The collective’s trademark is a grinding drone that is engaging at times, colorless at others, but impressive nonetheless due to the sextet’s ability to craft a wailing wall of immense sound. The expansive slow burn of “Fallen,” cavernous “Pastures,” and 11-plus minute, constricting “Dead Inside,” leave little room for air, the band mining metal sludge like it is precious gold.

That is not to say Bloodiest have crafted the perfect album. Their willingness to stretch things out comes at a price, and “Slave Rule” broods more than it wails over the course of nine minutes, and “Coh” is like an apparition that never quite takes form before disappearing into the ether.

Despite the few shortcomings of Descent, Bloodiest excel at creating heavy, heaving metal that is dark, tense, and threatens to combust at any given moment. It would be wise to watch, listen, and wait for the explosion.

Descent is out now on Relapse Records

Learn:

Bloodiest on Myspace

Buy:

Relapse Records Store

Thrice Show Their 'Yellow Belly'

Photo by Jonathan Weiner

It has been two years since Thrice delivered Beggars, an album of anthemic alternative rock that garnered acclaim and, along with extensive touring, brightened the spotlight on the Orange County, California quartet.

Now the band is returning with Major/Minor, and the first single, "Yellow Belly." Check it out below.

You can also pre-order Major/Minor, which will be released on September 20, here.

Learn:
Thrice Online 

Listen

1 - Yellow Belly

Buy:
Thrice Store

The Bottle Rockets turn it down with 'Not So Loud'

The Bottle Rockets will release their first live, acoustic album on Tuesday, August 16, and it's a doozy. 

Not So Loud: An Acoustic Evening With ... captures the band during a sold-out, two-night stand in St. Louis, Missouri, during which take tracks from across their career, and skin them bare. This is one of The Bottle Rockets finest moments, and they give unique life to 10 of their best. 

Check out "Smokin' 100s Alone" from Not So Loud: An Acoustic Evening With ... below.

Learn:
The Bottle Rockets Online

Listen:

1 - Smokin' 100s Alone

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Bloodshot Records

Nikki Lane is Gone, Gone, Gone

Nikki Lane is quickly establishing herself as a singer/songwriter to watch. With the release of the Gone, Gone, Gone EP, as well as a packed tour schedule withe the likes of Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, things are getting brighter by the day for this country maven.

Check out the title track from the EP, which will be released July 19 on IAMSOUND Records.

Learn:

Nikki Lane on Myspace

Listen:

1 - Gone, Gone, Gone

Buy:
IAMSOUND STORE

STS9 Works up a 'Scheme'

Livetronica innovators STS9 will deliver a new five song EP on June 7 via its own 1320 Records. Entitled When the Dust Settles, the EP includes "Scheme," "When The Dust Settles," "The Golden Gate,"  "Scheme Reprise," and "Winter Sun." 

 The band has chosen to offer the lead track, "Scheme," for free download. Check it out below.

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STS9 Online

Listen:

1 - Scheme

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1320 Records

Tom Vek Takes On 'A Chore'

I happened upon Tom Vek's debut, We Have Sound, and I was immediately in love. His loose, experimental pop style reminded me of Beck, but without a filter. It was magical.

Vek disappeared for a bit, but he is back and will release Leisure Seizure on June 6. Check out "The Chore" from Leisure Seizure below.

Learn:
Tom Vek Online

Listen:

A Chore - Tom Vek's RE-EDIT by tomvek

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Tom Vek Store

Grayson Capps Finds His 'Lost Cause Minstrels'

Photo by Adam Smith

Troubadour Grayson Capps has a way of capturing the light and the dark found in the recesses of the South. 

For his fifth studio album, The Lost Cause Minstrels, Capps has embraced a fresh start. He  assembled a new backing band that takes its name from the album title, and moved back to Alabama, where he was born and raised, although he was forced to flee to Nashville when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast.

The new album boasts "Highway 42," a boisterous single rife with ambling energy and the railroad roar of a harmonica. But at the core is Capps' detailed perspective. "Let go of the future/Let go of the past/Put gasoline on the present/And have yourself a blast,' Capps sings, and despite the tension that feeds the track, this songwriter sounds like he is living by his words.

The Lost Cause Minstrels will be released on June 7.

Learn:

Grayson Capps Online

Listen:

1 - Highway 42

Buy:

Grayson Capps at Amazon

The Sea and Cake Capture the Moonlight Butterfly

The Sea and Cake are intent on making 2011 a banner year, with the release of the mini-LP The Moonlight Butterfly, touring, and work on a new long-player slated for late-2011 or early-2012 release.

The six-song The Moonlight Butterfly was recorded at Soma studios in Chicago, Illinois, by drummer John McEntire, and is unmistakably The Sea and Cake with its polished jangle and Sam Prekop's breezy vocals. The first taste of the new material comes in the form of "Up on the North Shore," which you can download below.

The Moonlight Butterfly will be released on May 10 on Thrill Jockey Records.

Learn:

The Sea and Cake Online

Listen:

1 - Up on the North Shore

Buy:

Thrill Jockey Records

My Morning Jacket Gets 'Circuital'

My Morning Jacket will release its much-anticipated new album, Circuital, which will hit on May 31. The band has issued the title track for your consumption. Check it out below.

Look: 

My Morning Jacket Online

Listen:
1 - Circuital

Buy: 
My Morning Jacket Store