The Mickey Hart Band

Mickey Hart is best known for his nearly three decades as an integral part of an extraordinary expedition into the soul and spirit of music, disguised as the rock and roll band the Grateful Dead. As half of the percussion tandem known as the Rhythm Devils, Mickey and Bill Kreutzmann transcended the conventions of rock drumming. Their extended polyrhythmic excursions were highlights of Grateful Dead shows, introducing the band's audience to an ever-growing arsenal of percussion instruments from around the world. Exposure to these exotic sounds fueled Mickey's desire to learn about the various cultures that produced them.

His tireless study of the world's music led Mickey to many great teachers and collaborators, including his partners in Planet Drum. Planet Drum's self-titled album not only hit #1 on the Billboard World Music Chart, remaining there for 26 weeks, it also received the Grammy for Best World Music Album in 1991-- the first Grammy ever awarded in this category. Planet Drum is one of twenty-nine recordings released on Mickey's the WORLD series on Rykodisc. The WORLD offers a wide variety of music from virtually every corner of the globe with releases like Voices of the Rainforest from Papua New Guinea and Living Art, Sounding Spirit: The Bali Sessions. In 2002, Mickey established The Endangered Music Fund to return royalty payments from many of these recordings to the indigenous people that produced them, and to further the preservation of sounds and music from around the globe.

Mickey's experiences have paved the way for unique opportunities beyond the music industry. He composed a major drum production performed by an assembly of 100 percussionists for the opening ceremony of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Additionally, Mickey has composed scores, soundtracks and themes for movies and television including Apocalypse Now, Gang Related, Hearts of Darkness, The Twilight Zone, the 1987 score to The AmericaÍs Cup: The Walter Cronkite Report, Vietnam: A Television History, and The Next Step. In 1994 Mickey was inducted with The Grateful Dead into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Mickey has written four books documenting his lifelong fascination with the history and mythology of music. These include Drumming at the Edge of Magic, Planet Drum, Spirit into Sound: The Magic of Music, and Songcatchers: In Search of the World Ís Music.

Long a social activist, Mickey appeared in August, 1991 before the U.S. Senate Committee on Aging, speaking on the healing value of drumming and rhythm on afflictions associated with aging. Since joining the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function at Beth Abraham Hospital in 2000, Mickey is continuing his investigation into the connection between healing and rhythm, and the neural bases of rhythm.

In 1999, Mickey was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress where he heads the sub-committee on the digitization and preservation of the Center's vast collections. In October of 2000, the Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center conferred an honorary doctorate of humane letters upon Mickey for his work in advancing the preservation of aural archives

Buckethead

Well every once in a while people ask me about Buckethead. Why does he wear a mask and bucket. What happened to his parents. Is he part robot, will he hurt us, is he really Colonel Sanders son, on and on and on. Well I can't tell you everything about Bucket but I can tell you something. First of all you gotta understand Buckethead grew up real lonely on that farm. He figured no one understood him. The only thing they understood about him was how to treat him bad. To this very day, believe it or not, Buckethead does not like to be shocked with a cattle prod. It wasn't all bad, though, on the farm. As soon as he moved into the chicken coop he started to make new friends. The chickens took real good care of him, and they liked him so much they scratched his face off. Now he could wear a mask every day, just like Halloween! He was the luckiest boy he knew. He didn't know many other boys though, except those kids who lit him on fire that time.

One good way to forget the smell of burning cartilage was watching movies. Down the hill from the coop, and through a knothole in the fence, was the drive-in theater. Every night at dusk the boy could watch great movies like GIANT ROBOT or THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE. The speakers wouldn't reach to the coop though so he didn't even know what the movies sounded like. All he heard was chickens when Leatherface would slam the big metal door shut.

So when he got to be about THIS tall Buckethead started playing his little guitar. He would sit and watch the movies and his fingers couldn't stop moving and now all the sudden there was music. And Giant Robot would shoot rockets out of his fingers and who knows what would happen. Buckethead practiced so much he started to get real good. But the people on the farm still made fun of him and smashed his family's eggs. One night, after he got to be this tall, somebody threw a bucket of fried chicken into the coop. Try as he might, Buckethead couldn't put the chicken back together again. So he put the bucket on his head, picked up his guitar and ran to the cemetery.

Buckethead was real sad but it seemed like he played guitar better than ever. All the grey people and angels in the cemetery listened to the music and it was so beautiful they just stood still and speechless. He figured the spirits of all the fried chickens he ever knew were channeling into him through the bucket, and he played until he collapsed.

Well it prob'ly won't surprise you to hear that eventually the sun came up and the rooster crowed. And some folks say Buckethead had chicken grease and barbecue sauce smeared around the mouth hole on his mask. Whatever happened that night, the bucket stayed on his head, and in the morning it was filled full of chicken bones.

When they found him curled up in a grave like that the people on the farm felt real bad, so they tried to be kinda nice to him for a while. They brought him water in the morning and let him have their scraps. For Christmas he even got an old shovel so he could look for more friends in the cemetery. But the best thing of all was when the farmhand showed him how to sneak into Disneyland disguised as a Pirate of the Carribean or a Haunted Mansion ghost.

For the first time in his life, Buckethead knew what he had to do. Disneyland was the greatest city he'd ever been to. Everybody was nice, they talked to him and sang songs, and they moved more realistically than his friends in the cemetery. So he burned down his coop and headed for Main Street where he started playing his guitar for E-Tickets. He learned all the songs and movements but every time he tried to get a job as an animatronic, they pulled him through a trapdoor.

Well if he couldn't live in Disneyland he had to live somewhere. He knew that if he built a park like Mr. Disney did, people all around the world would come visit him. Or even if they didn't, the park would be full of his audio-animatronic friends. He'd allow chickens inside, and he'd build a huge cemetery in the middle with the statues and tombstones specially lined up to create the best acoustics.

When Bucketheadland opened quietly in 1989 most people couldn't even tell it was a park. Its humble rides were made mostly out of rusty tractor parts and a bunch of sticks and animal bones tied together with spider silk. Buckethead knew he had to start working for money if he wanted to maintain the park, and they didn't make E-Tickets anymore anyway. He started cutting meat in a delicatessen, where he met Maximum Bob and formed his first band, Deli Creeps.

For the next 13 years, Buckethead travelled around the world playing guitar, recording records, making friends, and learning the secrets of embalming, theme park engineering and martial arts. He recorded many albums with himself or his friends or in bands like Praxis, Giant Robot, Giant Robot 2, El Stew, Thanatopsis, and Cobrastrike. He felt bad that he didn't have time to play music for the drive-in, so he recorded some film scores with Michael Kamen, George S. Clinton and John Carpenter. All of these adventures strengthened Buckethead's imagination and helped the Bucketheadland park grow into the world of dreams and nightmares that we all love.

Nowa days you can still see Buckethead wandering around the park at night, or peeking through a crack on the other side of a wall you don't remember being there before. Don't be afraid, he's a nice kid, and he wants to be your friend. In Bucketheadland he never gets lonely.

But if you see him on stage somewhere or playing with his dolls, for crying out loud don't make fun of the boy. He's had a tough life and he's worked hard getting where he is. So what if he looks confused up there. You would too if you'd been through all that. He just wants us to accept him. Don't stare at him or overcompensate and be too nice. Come on people lets use some common sense here, we don't want to set him off. Thanks.

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BoomBox

BoomBox is Producer/Engineer/DJ/Drummer Russ Randolph and Producer/DJ/Vocalist/Guitarist Zion Rock Godchaux. This pair of dynamic artists uses their rich musical history and their vision of music and popular culture to deliver a style of music distinctly different from anything heard or seen in music today. This signature sound and show brings live music to a new, elevated level. BoomBox evolved through the common visualization of two forward-thinking artists from diverse musical backgrounds. Raised by supportive and musically inclined parents, both Godchaux and Randolph had an obsession with music at very young ages. Godchaux, who grew up with deeply embedded rock and roll roots, began playing drums at the age of two, and played guitar and wrote his own songs as a teen. During the 90s, Godchaux was a well-received touring DJ based out of the San Francisco area. Randolph began as a young drummer, but it’s what was happening behind the scenes that attracted him most. As much producers as they are musicians, it is Randolph’s knack for engineering, Godchaux's understanding of soundscapes and the duo's rich ability to improvise live that keeps BoomBox resonating at higher levels.

Randolph, previously known for his production credits (Rex Foundation, Saliva, Sugarland, Los Lobos, Chuck Berry) crossed paths with Godchaux, while they were recording the Heart of Gold Band album, At The Table, with Godchaux's mother, Donna Jean, formerly of the Grateful Dead. Godchaux had a heavy hand in creating the album through writing and singing as well as playing multiple instruments, while Randolph guided and engineered the album's development. The rest, they say, is history, and together, Randolph and Godchaux's talents tear apart previous notions of music and sound as experienced through their debut album Visions of Backbeat.

BoomBox originates from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, which is recognized openly by the music industry as one of the few areas that remains famous for contributions to popular music. Muscle Shoals is credited with producing some of the most revolutionary styles and creative artists in the history of Rock and Roll. The community holds a vibe that stimulates the development of an unofficially trademarked sound. BoomBox incorporates this rich history into their music, allowing for the grand entrance of a greater style and fusion of Rock and Roll, Vintage Psychedelic and House.

BoomBox's high-energy show remains the essence of the group. Night after night the group draws people of various ages, musical interests and backgrounds, guiding them on a journey into sound and revelation. The union of Randolph and Godchaux combines a producer/DJ with a vocalist/guitarist in a real-time live format creating a genuine and fulfilling performance for the mind, body and soul.

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Rubblebucket

With its unique, afro-beat inspired sound, some exciting recent achievements - including being named Best New Band of 2008 (Seven Days Vermont, a title previously held by Phish and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals) and winning Relix Magazine's Jam-Off Competition - and comparisons having been drawn to Talking Heads, Bjork and Fela Kuti, Rubblebucket is clearly poised for big things with their new self-titled album and national tour in support of it going through 2010 and beyond.

Led by Alex Toth on trumpet and the inspiring vocals of Kalmia Traver, the nine-piece band produces a sound that defies classification. Its one-of-a-kind style contains hints of dance, rock and funk, resulting in catchy rhythms and soulful melodies that are certain to appeal to fans of countless varied genres of music.

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Zach Deputy

On his upcoming release Another Day (Eusonia Records, 2011), Zach Deputy demonstrates his extraordinary ability to perform and record in multiple contexts. He conveys the sensibilities of a mature singer/songwriter and demonstrates that he is not merely a “looper” with crazy chops, serious pipes and colorful outfits. Another Day offers another look at Zach Deputy and seeks to help him cross over into other audiences. Rich with ballads and mid-tempo songs, the music on this recording is best described as soulful rhythm and blues, with flavors of Al Green, Taj Mahal and Stevie Wonder emerging in the swells, changes and modulations of the music, in the voice and even in the lyrical content. The record will appeal to fans of contemporary artists like Jack Johnson and Amos Lee, but the origins of the style and feel remain classic.

Recorded over 5 days in August, 2009 at Mission Sound Recording in Brooklyn, NY, Another Day emerged as a warm, mellow album, one that is perfect for after hour soirees and sunsets. It is possible that the only benefit to recording with a limited budget in a small window of time is that the raw essence of the session is not stripped away by weeks or months of second guessing and revision. The instincts and experience of the players is critical in sessions like this, and producer Scott Jacoby chose the right guys to fill out the sound and vibe of the record.

To handle the ever-present Latin, Caribbean and African elements in Zach Deputy’s backbeat and place them in the contemporary soul / pop format of the songs, Jacoby tapped Graham Hawthorne (Aretha Franklin, Harry Belafonte, Joan Osborne, Paul Simon, David Byrne) for the drum kit. Bassist Al Carty came into the studio and explained to Deputy’s manager that he was feeling a little scattered, as he had played four church gigs that day. Despite the list of artists he has recorded or toured with (Lou Reed, Rob Thomas, Alicia Keys, De La Soul, Carrie Underwood, Gavin DeGraw, Me'shell Ndegeocello, Ashanti and more), the church gigs alone proved that Jacoby was on the mark with this choice for the low end. Zach Deputy is, after all, a soul singer whose music is underpinned by Gospel as much as by any other musical idiom. Equally at home in the Gospel tradition, pianist / organist Will Buthod (Jay-Z, Fat Joe, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Mashonda, The Harlem Gospel Choir) rounded out the studio trio that filled out Deputy’s vision for the recording, a vision made real by Jacoby’s pitch perfect choice of accompanists. These four accomplished professionals met for the first time on the first day of recording and worked as if they were old friends with a shared history and a common purpose.

In contrast to the music and feel of Another Day, Zach Deputy has made his mark thus far as a touring powerhouse. As a boy, the music of Zach Deputy’s Puerto Rican, Cruzan and Irish heritage was cooked up in the South Carolina heat. The Calypso rhythms and folk songs of St. Croix competed with the R&B / soul of pioneers like James Brown and Ray Charles for space on the family stereo. As Deputy honed his craft, a unique hybrid of these influences emerged, ultimately creating the signature Zach Deputy sound. To bring this sound to the stage, the big, impossibly upbeat South Carolinian with the infectious smile puts on a solo show-- enhanced by looping technology-- that is essentially a one man dance party offering up what he calls "Island-infused, Drum 'n' Bass, Gospel-Ninja-Soul" to the enthusiastic crowds of dancers who flock to clubs from coast-to-coast. It is these late night dance parties—more than 250 per year-- that have made Zach Deputy one of the hottest up-and-coming performers on the camping festival circuit and “jam band” scene.

Of course, artists are seldom content to stay in one place artistically, and Zach was looking to collaborate with somebody on a more “produced”, even somewhat “urban” sounding record. When Zach’s manager first turned Grammy Award winning producer Scott Jacoby on to some of Zach’s more funky, upbeat live performances, Jacoby simply didn’t hear it. The one-man-band live looping show features a more simplified version of Deputy’s music, and Jacoby was looking for songs, structure, changes, hooks, choruses… stuff that is nearly impossible to do by one’s self on stage with a nylon string Godin acoustic guitar, a handful of mics and a bunch of looping technology. Zach simply showed up at Jacoby’s studio with his acoustic guitar and sang a few songs and Jacoby was inspired—the urban-oriented dance album they had discussed was going to have to wait: he and Zach were now going to make what they called a “Ray Lamontagne” kind of record and the result is Another Day.

For Zach, most days begin in a hotel room and end a couple of hours after walking off stage, leaving a packed house of sweaty dancers calling for more. The constant touring and the compelling live show may be the key to Zach’s success on the road, but it is an unlikely inspiration for Another Day, as there is little similarity between what fans have come to expect from Zach and what is offered up in this new record. Thus, Another Day is an appropriately titled album, and it is truly an album in the classic sense—a collection of songs that come from the same time and place, inspired by the same muse. Reflective and introspective, it provides a glimpse at the soul of an artist and the depth of a songwriter. Full of hope and anticipation of the promise of another day, a new day, it is a pivotal point in the career of a touring musician. Whereas it is a departure for Zach Deputy, it is one that he feels confident his fans can relate to, but it isn’t the end in itself. Deputy’s multi-faceted diamond gets one side polished in this offering, and it is a side that will shine brightly for a new audience.

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Hot Buttered Rum

Hot Buttered Rum's story is one of evolution. The "high altitude bluegrass" era captured on their first studio album, In These Parts, found the band enjoying success at such diverse stages as the Newport Folk Festival, Bonnaroo, Grey Fox, High Sierra, Wakarusa, and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Along the way, the group shared the stage with some of today's most accomplished artists, including Phil Lesh, Bela Fleck, Ben Harper, and Nickel Creek's Chris Thile. In 2006, acoustic pioneer Mike Marshall produced Hot Buttered Rum's second studio album, Well-Oiled Machine, and captured the sound of a hard-touring band charting its course along the highways and byways of American music.

The continued expansion of Hot Buttered Rum's sound and writing found a home in Live in the Northeast. More electric pickups made their way to the stage, along with an increased focus on songwriting. As the band developed a heavier sound, fans and press began to describe them as a rock band with acoustic instruments. It therefore came as no surprise when, following the departure of mandolinist Zac Matthews, the other founding members Aaron Redner (fiddle and mandolin), Bryan Horne (upright bass), Nat Keefe (guitar), and Erik Yates (banjo, guitar, woodwinds, and resophonic guitar) joined forces with Everyone Orchestra conductor and drummer Matt Butler.

The new lineup has recently emerged from San Francisco's Mission Bells Studios, where they recorded Limbs Akimbo under the watchful eye of producer Tim Bluhm (The Mother Hips). Featuring guest appearances by Jackie Greene (Skinny Singers, Phil Lesh and Friends) and Zach Gill (ALO, Jack Johnson), the album marks the beginning of a new creative phase. Limbs Akimbo now signals the arrival of a highly matured, impressively listenable, stirringly rocking, and pleasantly poppy sound. Proving himself a forceful producer, Bluhm has struck an impressive balance between highlighting the multi-instrumental, cross-genre elements of the band's sound while avoiding the contemporary trappings of music that is complex and different merely for the sake of complexity and difference. The result is beautifully paradoxical: a tremendous, minimalist pop album full of hints, teases, and cameos of the band's complex musical personality. In "Something New," Keefe recites the familiar wedding adage "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." And right there, in a nutshell, is Limbs Akimbo: an album that is both an elegy and reincarnation of Hot Buttered Rum's past sound, that borrows heavily from the rock pantheon while sprinkling in just a little of everything else. Limbs Akimbo is an album that evidences the acoustic string band of yesteryear while unapologetically propelling into the scene a mature left-coast, drum-driven, pop-rock band.

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Emancipator

To some,it must seem like this young electronic producer came out of nowhere this year, but those in the know have been following Emancipator since he self--�]released his first album, �gSoon It Will Be Cold Enough,�h at the age of 19 in 2006. His agile melodies layered over headnodic, immaculately--�]produced beats captivated fans across the internet and across the world. �gSoon It Will Be Cold Enough�h was picked up by Japanese super--�]producer Nujabes, pressed in Japan and sold 5,000 copies in the first six months. Emancipator landed a Puma sponsorship, gave an interview to Rolling Stone Japan, and even had his song �gMaps�h played at the Bejing Olympics.

His latest album “Safe In The Steep Cliffs” blends new instrumentation and organic samples with the signature Emancipator style of clean production, silky melodies and addictive drums. Dense layers of choirs, horns, American folk instruments such as the banjo and mandolin, violin and some distinct Asian influences make for a playful but refined album built out of intricate tracks listeners can enjoy on as many levels as they want. Dance to it, chill out to it, immerse your mind in it.

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Papadosio

Formed in Athens, OH, Papadosio has been creating a home at the forefront of live electronica for five years. With a sound defined by unexpected combinations, this quintet has wowed crowds at clubs, theaters, and festivals across the country. The bands songwriting showcases improvisational interludes and refreshing vocal harmonies with an amplified message of transcendence, unity, and universal understanding. Now hailing from Asheville, NC, Papadosio's mission is clear: to combine eclectic musical traditions with modern electronica to stir the heart and fuel the mind.

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Heyoka

Heyoka AKA Andrei Olenev is another cosmic auditory scientist found in the Bay Area noosphere, who recently delighted us with his auditory manipulations. Muti Music first released Heyoka’s “Space Case EP” in 2008 and included him on their growing roster of talented artists.

Heyoka is fast becoming one of San Francisco’s hottest new producer / performers on the scene. His early influences in Downtempo, Dub and IDM combined with more recent midtempo dancefloor genres from the likes of Bassnectar, Glitch Mob and An-ten-nae have helped create a very unique sound that combines relentless basslines, hip hop and dub rhythms with a lot of musicality and melody. Heyokas’ earlier works were identifiable by their crushing basslines and ‘spacey’ blips and glitches, ‘Pineal Dub’ shows progression from Heyoka as a producer with greater use of negative space and ethereal melodies that can only be heard as melancholy or wickedly cheerful. The response to his emergence so far has been overwhelming with Heyoka opening nights for Tipper, Benga & Skream amongst others.

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Wes n Worrell

This dynamic duo joins forces with a touring drummer to provide the funkiest three piece outfit you could hope to hear. Featuring RnR Hall of Fame keyboard player, Bernie Worrell (original P-Funk, Talking Heads, Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, SociaLybrium, Method of Defiance and newly found funk phenom, Wes Santo -- WesNWorrell light it up!

At age 13, Wes Santo picked up a bass for the first time. His influences include Les Claypool, Victor Wooten, Flea, James Jamerson and Jaco Pastorius. Although he considers himself a bass player first, his musical talent extends to being well versed at drums, guitar, vocals and song writing.

Bernie Worrell's talents are legendary, whether penning the funkiest songs of all time (Flashlight comes to mind) or as a member of the most important and influential bands ever, or teaming up with newly minted bands and continuing to take it to young audiences. This man is a national treasure. This new outfit provides an tight and mobile unit, able to come and play clubs, colleges, festivals or any other event needing a strong injection of the F U N K!

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Zion I

This trio of genre-bender pride has made a name for itself on the Bay Area scene by successfully mixing spiritualism and hip-hop. Oakland's MC Zion and DJ/producer Amp Live blend hip-hop and trip-hop beats with lyrics focused on a message of unity, hope, and spiritual awareness. After a couple of indie hits, the trio slowly made inroads while opening for rap royalty like De La Soul, Rakim, and Run-D.M.C. Their debut album, Mind Over Matter, was released in May of 2000 and features collaborations with fellow Bay Area rappers Rasco, Planet Asia, and the Grouch. Although Zion I operates out of Berkeley, the group was originally formed in Atlanta, making their music difficult to classify as strictly West Coast hip-hop. Their musical style makes them even harder to define. With a style that borrows from hip-hop, trance, drum'n'bass, and reggae, Zion I's style is equally mystical and mystifying.

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Turtle Soup

"Unique songwriting and explosive arrangements are two key ingredients that complement the style of New Jersey based quintet Turtle Soup. Combining the technical prowess of jazz with the energy of rock and funk, they effortlessly add to their passionate, exhilarating jams with 3-part vocal harmonies and blazing dance grooves. " - Relix Magazine, July 2010

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Donna Jean Godchaux Band

Donna Jean Godchaux

Born in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Donna Jean was a vocalist at both Muscle Shoals Sound Studios and Fame Studios, home of the legendary “Muscle Shoals Sound,” on records like Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds,” Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman,” and Boz Scagg’s eponymous first solo album. She moved to San Francisco, married Keith Godchaux, and spent the 1970s as a vocalist in the Grateful Dead as well as the Jerry Garcia Band. After life with the Dead, she and Keith created the Heart of Gold Band with drummer Greg Anton and guitarist Steve Kimock.

Following various side trips, she resumed serious focus on her singing in the ‘90s, recording a new Heart of Gold Band album, At the Table, and singing with Phil & Friends and her own Donna Jean Band.

Jeff Mattson

Jeff came to prominence as the lead guitarist, primary vocalist, and leader of Long Island’s legendary Grateful Dead-influenced jam band, the Zen Tricksters and is currently the lead guitarist of the critically acclaimed Dark Star Orchestra. Over the course of thirty years, his supple, elegant playing reflected a fusion of rock, blues, bluegrass, country, jazz and folk stylings, along with a healthy dose of psychedelia. His songwriting credits include the exquisitely mournful “Shelter” (co-written with Donna Jean), as well as “Travelin’ Light,” (co-written with Melissa Marston), “He Said/She Said,” (with Donna Jean), and “A Prisoner Says His Piece,” all for Donna Jean and the Tricksters. He also contributed “Leave Me Out of This” to Phil Lesh and Friends’ There and Back Again. He played with Phil Lesh and Friends in 1999.

David MacKay

David hails from Marin County, California. As part of the emerging Bay Area music scene of the 70's, he was a founding member of the popular band the "Tasmanian Devils" and recorded and toured with Michael Nesmith, playing bass on the first Grammy-winning video, "Elephant Parts." He was a member of both the original and reformed "Heart of Gold Band." Most recently, he has played bass with the Muscle Shoals-based group "The Fiddleworms."

Joe Chirco

Joe Chirco knew he was born to be a drummer from the Christmas Day, aged five, that he received his first drum set. What makes him positively unique among drummers has been his need to play in many different genres. As most working musicians do, he’s a member of a number of different bands – but few could list bands that have Jazz, Latin, Reggae, and Rock as their main styles. This subtle versatility, along with the soulful power that every rock band needs, has brought him to the DJGBwJM.

Freeman White

Freeman came from a musical family, and began his musical journeys at the age of 4, with private instruction that lasted well into aduldthood. He started playing professionally at the age of 15. His years of playing have taken him around the world, and have given him the opportunity to share the stage with some of his musical idols. His love of vintage equipment makes for an authentic, warm addition to the band's sound. Vocally, he adds the "top" end to any arranagement, or "drives the bus" with powerful, heartfelt leads.

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Tom Constanten

Tom Constanten (TC) was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his time as a band member of The Grateful Dead from 1967 - 1970. He has toured nationally and internationally on solo concerts and with countless bands including a recent world tour with Jefferson Starship. Constanten also studied classical piano and composition with composers such as Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen. He has taught as Professor of Music at New York Sate University in Buffalo, San Francisco Art Institute, and lectured and performed as Visiting Artist at Harvard University. He was named Maestro of the Year by the California Arts Council and was invited to participate in the Smithsonian Institute’s celebration of the 300th Anniversary of the Piano.

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Roots of Creation

Bolstered by a sense of it's own colorful history and urged onward by the promise of a fruitful future, Roots of Creation approaches it's 6th year of full-time touring having evolved into a musical force of nature. With a hard-working ethic and an arsenal of upbeat, substantial songs, Roots of Creation have ascended to the top of their profession by putting their fans first and doing business with focus and respect. Writers, DJs, venue owners, and booking agents alike have joined ROC's steadily growing army of fans in heaping praise upon the New Hampshire quartet, and not just for the music - the band has forged a unique connection with their listeners that provides concert attendees with a highly personal experience. They also walk the walk when it comes to social and environmental activism. Having raised money for many causes.

Southern New Hampshire’s, Roots of Creation, and Harmonized Records are proud to announce the release of the eagerly awaited, RoC Live, Vol. #2. Released on October 26th 2010, the album captures the band in their element, the live setting.

The selections featured on this widely anticipated album were chosen from the band’s best performances of 2009 and 2010, including songs recorded during their very popular sets at the Wormtown and Nateva Music Festivals, The Paradise Rock Club in Boston and more. Live Vol #2, features the hit single ‘Policy’ and stylistic covers of classics by the Talking Heads and Tom Petty. Other highlights include the epic instrumentals ‘Mammoth’ and ‘Dubby Conqueror.’

The album was mixed but longtime engineer, Pete Peloquin (Pixies, Dave Mathews, OAR, Govt Mule, Bad Company) and co-mixed by the groups live sound engineer, Cooper Leafe at studio.metronome in Brookline, NH.

Roots of Creation create their sound from a plethora of styles. Starting with a strong base in reggae and roots- rock, they tastefully add elements of dub, electronica and dance to guitar-heavy progressions. Brett Wilson’s (Lead singer and guitarist) introspective and consciousness-laden lyrics round out Roots of Creations intoxicating, genre blending sound. The band is raising the bar at every show with the intent of delivering a true rock show cleverly disguised as a reggae dance throwdown.

The band is comprised of original members Wilson, keyboard player Tal Pearson, and drummer Mike Chadinha and is currently touring with bassist, Brandon Downs, and second guitarist, Jay McGuinness. Formed in 2000 while attending Franklin Pierce College, they began touring heavily in 2004 and have continuously progressed.

Roots of Creation’s album Live Vol. #1 was released in 2008, and was followed by two national tours that year and a third in 2009. The band executed extensive regional tours and festival performances through 2010, which totaled over 300 shows. Since the release and positive reviews of Vol. #1, the group has looked forward towards creating Vol. #2. A writer from the Reggae, Hip-Hop, Rock Source Thepier.org said about the band, “Needs to be heard to be believed. . . It makes me smile inside that this release is labeled Volume #1, hopefully a sign there is many more to come.”

Their live albums attempt to capture what is so intoxicating and unique about a Roots of Creation performance. One writer from New Indie CDs wrote, “This band has perfected a Jam-Reggae sound…rhythmic jams dusted with an electronica avor and boosted by funk-rock riffs. When just four guys can go to this many funky and interesting places, you want to go with them. This is de nitely a band to catch- as the title suggests- live.”

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Dopapod

Thumping up from basement parties in Boston, to bumping the sounds systems of major venues all across the east coast, Dopapod has been steadily growing as a musical tour-de-force for 3 years. Dopapod’s debut album, “Radar” has received critical acclaim from national publications such as Performer Magazine, calling Dopapod’s members “incredibly talented musicians”, and that the band has “set the bar respectfully high for their first full length recording”. Dopapod has shared the stage with many great bands and musicians such as Sam Kininger (Soulive, Lettuce), Lotus, Brothers Past, Biodeisel (Johnny Rabb) Dave Grippo (Phish, Trey Anastasio) Timo Shanko (G-Love n Special Sauce) Dana Colley (Morphine) Mr. Rourke (Club D’elf) and more. The summer of 2010 has had several festival appearances including Camp Bisco 9, Strange Creek, Liberate, The Big Up, Muddy River Jam Fest, Tweed River Music Festival, Mountain Jam, Weekend Off, and Headyfest. Dopapod has big plans for 2010, including a new album, and more east coast tours in the works. They are also in the process of moving to Brooklyn! As of now, Dopapod is preparing lots of new music in ‘The Fort’, somewhere in Pennsylvania.

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The Alchemystics

Intricate wordplay, soulful roots, memorable hooks, old-school vocal harmonies, and intense passion are but a few of the elements which combine to form the powerful and unmistakable sound of the Alchemystics. Fueled by the belief that music could expand beyond the boundaries of style and categories, the Alchemystics first formed as a trio in 2003. They worked to create a sound that reflected their love of heavy rhythms, reggae, hip hop, soul and dub, while also infusing earthy vocal harmonies to create truly original music.

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Jeff Bujak

Jeff Bujak is a Northampton, MA based keyboardist/producer/composer who has fathered a new style of Intelligent Dance Music (IDM) that dives deep in the waters of complex live electronica. Following no rules or boundaries with his songwriting, tied with his fathomless talent of live improvisation, Bujak is carving a new path in the music scene one live performance at a time. Bujak's newest full-length release on Harmonized Records, "Alive Like the Spine" tests and pushes the walls of what's being done in the electronica community and crosses into classical, progressive rock and jazz territories to create something truly fresh, smart and original. Finally, something different.

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Caravan of Thieves

Gypsy Swinging Serenading Firebreathing Circus Freaks!

For the past three years, this Caravan of Thieves has roamed the North American continent recruiting a family of avid thrill seekers at their high energy shows. Driving gypsy jazz rhythms, acoustic guitars, upright bass and violin lay the foundation for mesmerizing vocal harmonies and fantastic stories. It’s theatrical and humorous. It’s musical and intense. It entertains, dazzles and defies classification while welcoming the spectator to join the band throughout the performance in momentary fits of claps, snaps and sing-alongs. If Django Reinhardt, the cast of Stomp and the Beatles all had a party at Tim Burton’s house, Caravan of Thieves would be the band they hired.

In the spring of 2008, vocal harmonizing, acoustic guitar spanking husband and wife songwriting duo Fuzz and Carrie Sangiovanni extended their family to include fiery violinist Ben Dean and double bass madman, Brian Anderson completing their colorful vision. Since then, the four of them ran away from home and never looked back.

Within that first year, the Caravan of Thieves began to win immediate praise for their unique blend of gypsy swing and popular music, inspiring them to record and release the debut full length album “Bouquet” (2009). To accompany this collection of dramatic and satirical tales, they built an interactive stage set of percussive junk and the ragtag quartet took their newly animated show on the road, sharing stages with world renowned artists such as Dan Hicks, Decembrists, Ricky Skaggs, Tom Tom Club, Iron and Wine, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Tony Trischka, John Hammond, John Jorgenson and many others. The Caravan successfully connected with audiences on each of these diverse bills, proving their act to be understood and appreciated by folk, pop, rock and jazz audiences of all ages.

For Caravan of Thieves’ next release, “Mischief Night” (2010), the band felt their sophomore effort would best be suited as a live recording due to their continuously evolving show and the response and energy they had been receiving from audiences far and wide. Captured from one sold out show in Fairfield, CT on May 1, 2010, Mischief Night highlights the first two years of their most outrageous and engaging on-stage antics, original composition favorites and a few selections from their list of unexpected cover song reconstructions.

In between their 2011 spring tour legs and stockpiling an ever growing collection of sonic scrap metal, Fuzz, Carrie, Ben and Brian have been residing in the highly innovative and sought after Tarquin Recording Studios (The Swell Season, Interpol, The National). Set for release later this year, the latest Caravan of Thieves full length album project is sure to break new ground for the band while continuing to satisfy the core family of “Freaks” they have been cultivating for the past three years.

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Psylab

Holding down the sounds of the Boston underground since 2004, Psylab has been touring the Northeast, performing at clubs, lofts, raves, festivals, and regional BurningMan events for thousands of fans, friends and freaks.

Reaching as far west as the Sierra Nevada's (Northern CA's Symbiosis Gathering '06); and as far south as South Beach, FL (WMC's Miambient), Psylab's music has set the soundtrack for many magical events.

Solely through word of mouth and Internet promotions, Psylab has defied standard music business practices and built a loyal following by creating authentic, organic, live electronic dance music for the sake of the moment. Drawing from a range of influences including psytrance, minimal tech, progressive house, dnb, jungle, ambient, downtempo and dubstep, Psylab creates music spontaneously, according to the vibe of the event and the mood of the room.

Whether its a chill-out set in the CoSM art gallery, or an early morning psy-trance set at an open-air beach party, Psylab transforms and adapts to its surroundings for a unique experience each and every time -- no two sets are ever alike.

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Adam Ezra Group

Adam Ezra considers himself an experientialist as much as a musician or songwriter. Whether it's living out of a van, farming in Canada, relief work in Kosovo, student in South Africa, kitchen hand or carpenter, teacher, lacrosse coach, or traveler, Adam manages to cram it all into the music, always challenging our perspective and often teetering somewhere between the ballsy rocker and sensitive poet. Currently, he resides in a poorly insulated basement in Somerville Massachusetts, and incessantly writes songs.

Live, the group is engaging and thought provoking. Adam will sweat on you. You'll dance while learning about senate processes and pondering the absurdities of war. He'll play the harmonica. Plus, there is a guy named Turtle that'll make you shake your butt. There is a definite "feel good vibe" to the show.

"Holy ****!" Adam exclaimed enthusiastically when asked how it was going in the studio. The New CD is due out in the spring. The definition of a prolific songwriter, Adam is constantly bringing new tunes to the table. Hooky songs with lilting melodies and catchy choruses. Acoustic, roots based soul pop music. If it were possible, the new CD would have 107 tracks.

The group, nominated multiple times for Boston Music Awards, has made appearances with the Goo Goo Dolls, Guster, Aerosmith, Modest Mouse, Jason Mraz, DeSol, Blackalicious, Spearhead, The Donnas, Josh Kelley, Carbon Leaf, The Wailers, The Samples, Pete Seeger, Braddigan (from Dispatch), Edwin Mccain, The Pat McGee Band, and many more. As of yet, they haven’t actually won one of these awards are currently scheming up subtle ways to bribe the judges.

They’ve toured the country, headlined sold out shows in Boston and routinely play benefit shows to raise money for causes such as cancer research, hurricane relief, children at risk, and many more.

Their music has been featured on MTV and VH1, and although they never considered themselves to be a favorite of the NASCAR circuit, their music is featured on Dale Earnhardt Jr’s latest DVD.

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goosepimp Orchestra

Driving elements from all over the musical spectrum into an unrelenting cosmic force, Goosepimp's electric live performances have garnered them a reputation for stirring crowds into a dancing frenzy. Fueled by their trademark ability to morph themselves through the boundless realms of the sonic stratosphere, the group's first release, aptly titled Hit It & Quit It, offers glimpses inside the brain work of the entrancing spiritual experience that has been sweeping audiences off their feet.

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Start Making Sense

If David Byrne is one of the geniuses of modern times, then Start Making Sense is a tribute to genius. The musicians in this 7-piece Talking Heads cover have come from psychedelia-funk, NYC underground spoof bands, worldbeat jam, head-banging punk and from onstage with Frank Zappa's band members to bring to stage a "once in a lifetime" experience. A rockin', funkin', danceable celebration of the new-wave punk we loved from the 80's with frontman Jon Braun as a spot-on David Byrne.

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Rev Tor & Friends

The Reverend Tor Band was formed in western Massachusetts by front man Tor Krautter in 1996. Since it’s conception, the band has evolved into a power house on the east coast club and festival circuit, performing in venues from Maine to Key West Florida. In their native New England, the band keeps a heavy touring schedule enthusiastically supported by a large following of dedicated fans.

The groups members are an eclectic crew of experienced professionals. Members of RTB have worked with the likes of The Band, Little Feat, Bill Monroe, Pete Seager and Arlo Guthrie. Together they have shared the stage with members of The Grateful Dead, Phish, The Allman Brothers, and New Riders Of The Purple Sage. They have performed at festivals and concerts with The Jerry Garcia Band, Los Lobos, The Funky Meters, Leftover Salmon, String Cheese Incident, Max Creek, Derrick Trucks Band and tour regularly with Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten. They where even asked to back up legendary blues man and Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, Johnny Johnson for a few shows on his 1999 tour.

RTB’s large original repertoire feature funky, bass oriented rhythms and foot stomping percussion. Bouncy guitar lines pull the whole groove together and creates an entrancing state that makes ones body want to move. Soulful melodies are immediately memorable. Even the bands cover tunes have a distinctly “Torricized” feel and include B-side tunes from The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers and others.

The Band has 5 CD’s on Smelly Dog Records, “In Search Of Ecstasy”, “Whatever It Takes”, “2000 Lives”, The highly acclaimed “Jamazon” (witch features guest appearances by: Max Creek’s Mark Mercier, Grateful Dead’s Tom Constanten, Banjo Master Gordon Stone & NRPS steel guitarist Buddy Cage) and the brand new Live CD “Live & Off The Beat-n-Track”. All are excellent examples of their dedication and meticulous approach to the quality of their music. On stage the band’s energy is intense. These boys are not afraid to break a sweat and rarely have a problem getting the crowd on their feet. One club owner called them the hardest working band he’d ever met.

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Exter VS Kimcok

Trevor Exter and John Kimock have a unique chemistry as musicians, wringing the depth of drums and cello.

Sounding at once modern and tribal, they take no prisoners with a driving groove and passionate lyrics. People often say that it sounds like a full band, even though there are just two of them. They don't use loops, but sometimes they do. Mostly they just floor it.

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Fear Nuttin Band

On a mission to “Unify The Music, Unify The People”

Some bands have coined themselves as revolutionary, but Fear Nuttin Band is evolutionary. With their musical roots fusing the intensity of metal, the rhythm of Jamaican dance hall and the social consciousness of hip-hop, this band is defining a genre.

The FNB sound is as diverse as the cultures the band members represent. The hot West Indian sun incubated the talents of front men Roosta (Vox), Prowla (Vox), while instrumentalists Christafari Regan (Gtr), Jay Chung (Gtr & Vox), Brian Daigle (Bass) and Mike Fuchs (Drums) represent New England’s finest. FNB has shared many miles on tour with legendary artists including Toots & the Maytals, Steel Pulse, and toured with reggae rock breakout artists SOJA, Rebelution, Tribal Seeds and many more. The band has been featured on several years of the Van's Warped Tour; and played countless reggae & rock events.

Fear Nuttin Band was featured on FuseTV's "Bodog's Battle of the Bands" Reality TV show to millions of viewers in Canada & the USA and quickly became a household name. The band was awarded a major recording deal and began work on their first full-length album “YARDCORE” with legendary producer Terry Date – (Pantera, Deftones, Korn, Fishbone, etc.).

Following up on 2008's acclaimed album “YARDCORE”, and after disparaging news that the Bodog Records (that was also home to artists: DMX, Fall From Grace, and The Wu-Tang Clan), closed its doors with little notice… amidst a major national tour no less, the band self-produced & released its second major album “MOVE POSITIVE” on April 5, 2011 on its own upstart indie record label imprint, BoomBlaze Records. The album immediately charted top5 on iTunes Bestselling Reggae & #2 on Amazon Bestselling Reggae Albums (USA, Cuba & Caribbean) on its first day. The album's first single “REBEL” was co-written by good personal friend and breakout artist, Jacob Hemphill of SOJA, as was another power song STANDING BY THE WALL. Also on the album are two songs (Informer, and People Living Together) that feature vocals by legendary reggae artist Bushman.

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HiGHER ORGANiX

HiGHER ORGANiX is a power trio hailing from The Shire (Berkshire County, MA). Formed in late 2005, the three boys were a product of the musical community that thrives in the Berkshires, but is hard pressed to find a local outlet. Due to the lack of legitimate venues in their area, Higher Organix began to throw their own shows, never over-looking key elements of production. These shows included Shirefest 2007, OTT in the Shire (St. Patties '09), Lost Night in Shangri-La, Let it Roll, and The Big Up festival. Higher Organix does not plan their sets. They completely improvise, sometimes retouching on old themes, or quoting some of their favorite songs in a Dj esque manner. There are no songs, there is no set-list. It will be different every time. The interaction with the crowd and setting, and how that steers the sound of the set is the key ingredient of a Higher Organix show that maintains the mystique that surrounds the band. They play an undefinable style that mixes dance rhythms, and electronic experimentation with a psychedelic jam-rock sensibility, and a willingness to take it to new places every time.

Higher Organix' repertoire includes anything from house, dub, funk, rock, breaks, DnB, ambient, and everywhere in between, No matter what, you have to see it to believe it. Having already shared the stage with OTT, Big Gigantic, Sub Swara, Brothers Past, Emancipator, ESKMO, Bluetech, Pnuma Trio, Kung Fu, Psylab and more…. They might be twisting your mind in the near future.

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Technicolor Lenses

The Technicolor Lenses trifecta is the sonic creation of Jackson T. Whalan, Sam Eckstein and Brandon Lewis... combining original hip-hop and MC-ing, electronic/dub-step, psychedelic rock, jam, funk, and spoken word, providing conscious social commentary on the current state of human existence. The live performance of Technicolor Lenses cultivates the high energy of a hip-hop or electronic set with a unique instrumental element.

This young, new, Brooklyn-based band is emerging and sharing far and wide, with the intention is to raise vibrations and consciousness by creating a space of fun, togetherness, and celebration, driven by the vehicle called music.

"Life is a train of moods like a string of beads; and as we pass through them they prove to be many colored lenses, which paint the world their own hue, and each shows us only what lies in its own focus."- Ralf Waldo Emerson

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Wobblesauce

Based out of Boston, Wobblesauce brings us a unique mix of live electronic funk, rock, and dance music. Made up of three diversely styled musicians from across the country, Wobblesauce combines sick-nasty synth lines and a rhythm section that never ceases making people get down on the dance floor. Rocking out Boston venues such as Harper’s Ferry, Brighton Music Hall, and The Middle East, they also currently hold a weekly residency at the Wonder Bar in Allston MA.

Wobblesauce has gained recognition outside of Boston as well, melting minds at Tammany Hall (Worcester), Thumpty Manor (Cornell University), Crash Mansion (NYC), The M Room (Philly), The Delancy (NYC) and festivals such as Desiderata (NY), The Big Up (NY), Muddy River Jamfest (NJ), and CMJ (NYC)! At these memorable events, Wobblesauce has shared the stage with other artists such as Emancipator, Vibesquad, Eskmo, Encanti, Beats Antique, Future Rock, Perpetual Groove, Dopapod, and Pnuma Trio. After a little over one year as a fully formed band, Wobblesauce has accomplished more than most bands strive to do in their first five; with this sort of momentum behind them, it is safe to say Wobblesauce can be called one of the most up and coming live electronic music act in New England.

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Lespecial

Luke Bemand was born in New York City in 1988 and since then has never been able to sit still. After living in NYC for a few years, he and his parents moved to England, where Luke's father is from. Having a father that grew up in England during the 60's and 70's had a profound effect on him. His father would talk glowingly about the unexpected and radical combination of the punk rock scene and the reggae scene in England in the 70's. Growing up listening to reggae and trying to understand this blending of cultures was pivotal in creating what Luke aims to do with his music. After living in England for several years, Luke moved to Scotland until he was 11, when he and his family came back to the U.S.

It was around the age of 12 when Luke saw a group of students play a small concert for the students at his grammar school in Connecticut. It changed his life and he went home that night and begged his mom for a guitar. As the ever-supportive woman that she is, she completely stood behind Luke on his musical endeavors. Falling in love with the guitar Luke quickly joined the band that had made him want to play music. He soon gravitated toward the bass and began to develop ambitions higher than just starting a band and playing occasional parties and gigs with them. He decided to dedicate his life to it.

The drummer of that band Luke saw when he was 12, Rory Dolan, continues to play with Luke today, 10 years later, in their increasingly popular band, lespecial. They play shows throughout the northeast, at festivals as well as headlining their own shows. lespecial is a trio comprised of three musicians who have dedicated their lives to studying, and teaching music. They all teach drums to kids and adults of all ages and study the importance of drumming to other cultures.

In 2009 Luke developed a drum circle program at a camp in CT, Club Getaway. It was a program designed to develop teamwork and communication and to act as a creative outlet for the pent up energy that most kids have naturally. The program rapidly developed to one of the most popular activities at the camp. It instilled in Luke a desire to continue to teach drums to children. It is a necessary outlet that helped him so much in his childhood, and he believes he can help change people's lives with.

Now Luke is looking to expand his drum circle program to schools and camps in Manhattan and Long Island. He wants to continue to develop the program and give inner city school kids an outlet to be creative and loud in a constructive way. He continues to play with lespecial and their goals are linked to Luke's upbringing in many ways. His aim with lespecial is to bridge the gaps between cultures- to combine elements from different cultures, take what is most important and spread it to the masses. He continues to study world percussion at Berklee College of Music, and teach what he learns to his drumming students.

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The full list of musical acts and artists will be coming soon!!