Three Legged Fox

New Releases:

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - Soul Time! CD - Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings have developed an international reputation as the #1 group on today's soul scene. Soul Time! is an exploration of the full range of their dynamic sound through twelve songs handpicked by the Daptone Records gang, each one a precious exclusive.

The needle drops on Genuine Pts. 1 & 2, a supercharged funk arrangement that evokes the late Godfather not only with the spirited syncopation of the Dap-Kings rhythms, but also with the raw power of Jones' voice. It is performances such as these that have earned her the moniker "the Female James Brown." Though it has long been one of their best-selling singles, it makes it's album debut here. Longer and Stronger, written for her 50th birthday, is a deep mid-tempo soul celebration of the strength and determination with which Sharon Jones has earned her long overdue success. It is heard here for the first time, but will undoubtedly join other Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings songs in the canon of great soul music. The theme of empowerment pushes on through "He Said I Can", an energetic stomper belted over an arrangement reminiscent of the Isley Brothers early-seventies heyday, and "I'm Not Gonna Cry" brings us back to the raw funk intensity of Genuine with a squealing tenor solo and a fiery vocal. Side one wraps with a scorching studio performance of "When I Come Home", long a highlight of the band's live show but rearing its head on album here for the first time as well.

"What If We All Stopped Paying Taxes?" kicks the second side off with a bang. A strong anti-war message pours over a revolutionary mid-tempo groove, accentuated by the conga work of the legendary Johnny Griggs of JB's fame, while Settling In is a greasy rhythm and blues grinder. And who says Christmas can't be soulful? Jones et al. make it so over their sought after holiday exclusive, "Ain't No Chimneys in the Projects." Next is an energetic romp into Motown intensity with "New Shoes", a walking-out-the door belter that picks up where These Boots Were Made For Walking left off. Without A Trace shows yet another dimension of the band, stretching a dreamy mid-tempo groove down the road to Memphis and back. The record winds up with a deep laid back cover of Shuggie Otis' psychedelic soul jam "Inspiration Information." From the first note to the last, Soul Time! confirms this band's place at the head of the table as the world's greatest funk and soul showband. Whether you're a lifetime fan, or just getting turned on, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings' have yet again made a record that will blow your mind. Get ready world, because It's Soul Time!

Coming Soon:

Cornmeal - Live in Chicago Vol 2 CD

Last Week:

The Heavy Pets - Swim Out Past the Sun CD - The Heavy Pets (THP) are an American rock band whose contagious vibe blends rhythm and blues, jazz-funk and reggae fusion with rock and roll. Called “a living, breathing, force of nature” by Relix, THP are known for powerhouse live performances, and their self-titled album was dubbed a “Top 10 Album of 2010” by The Huffington Post. On Swim Out Past the Sun (2011), THP's guitar duo set aside their electric axes for a more organic approach, including three song sit-in by David Grisman.

Dumpstaphunk - Everybody Want Sum CD - Quick. Think of the worst smelling spot in New Orleans. Funkier than that one unfortunate spot of land at The Fly right behind the elephant patch at the Audubon Zoo. Think the intersection of Bourbon and Conti during Mardi Gras, and then think of the receptacles those trash heaps get thrown into.

Dumpstaphunk is that funky.

Right off the bat, the verses in the opener “Sheez Music” trigger memories of Brothers Johnson’s “Ain’t We Funkin’ Now” with the involuntary leg motions to match. Most folks by now know the sheer power of Dumpstaphunk’s live show, but this track and others here sound huge coming out of the Maple Leaf’s house speakers between sets at their Sunday crawfish boils.

Some might take the Neville bait and compare Everybody Want Sum to the Meters’ later Warner Brothers albums, New Directions and Trick Bag, but a better comparison would be with the city’s other seminal ’70s funk outfit, Chocolate Milk. Like that great group, I thought I liked it most when the band sits back and slinks along in the pocket, as in the third song, “Do Ya.” The tempo lends itself to drummer Raymond Weber’s backbeats and the punchy horns that accent the bridges. But my preference might just be correlation. Ivan Neville’s clavinet and keyboard playing make the track a standout, and it makes you stand up at attention when they burst from that into “Gasman Chronicles” at a velocity faster than the vibrations of one of Nick Daniels’ bouncing bass strings. Raymond Weber plays drums on this workout like a funk robot programmed with Swiss precision to play 150 bpm breakbeats. If you make it through all five-plus minutes you’ll be doing that James Brown grunt, too.

If the album were a Dumpstaphunk concert at Tip’s, the song “Oughta Know Better” is when you would walk to one of the bars and replace your beer. But much of that feeling is impatience to get to the Zigaboo Modeliste-penned “Standin’ in Your Stuff,” and especially to its ascending-to-descending harmonies in the chorus. The guest horn section is a welcome addition on this one, lending those choruses, breaks, bridges and transitions even more muscle, like a sixth 400-pounder on an offensive line.

Bottom line—this is a party album. It’ll sound great when someone plays it on St. Charles before a Mardi Gras parade. The feelings of party records often get separated into those that are straightforward/earnest versus others that are ironic/removed, and it seems obvious where Everybody Want Sum stands. But how about this detail: the Producer credit went to Morgus the Magnificent. - OffBeat Magazine

Also available: Dumpstaphunk - Listen Hear CD

Upcoming Events:

* Dec 29 - Jan 2 - Bond-Fire Arts & Music Festival - Groveland, FL

*Look for the Home Grown Music Booth at this event!

Video of the Week:

Assembly of Dust - Second Song (live acoustic)

Thanks for reading! Treat yourself to some good music this week.
Lee Crumpton

New Releases:

Three Legged Fox - Always Anyway CD - Named as one of The Pier's "Most Anticipated Albums of 2011" this self-produced album will unveil 12 brand new tracks, and is two years in the making, showcasing the band's unique brand of reggae mixed with alternative rock sounds.

The band shares, "We knew from the word 'go' that we wanted to go really big on this one. We wanted big sounds, accessible songs, and an overall modern approach. We felt as though we had already done the raw, stripped down thing twice; and we had done the whole reggae horns, arrangement type of thing with the last album. It was within us to understand that we're not a traditional American reggae band; we're an alternative rock, reggae band. Ultimately, realizing what we are, and what we aren't made it much easier and a lot of fun making this new album."

With over 350 shows played nationally under their belts, Three Legged Fox has shared the stage with notable artists such as Rebelution, SOJA, The Black Seeds, Barrington Levy, and The Wailers, to name a few. Following the album release, Three Legged Fox plans on touring to promote the album in major cities nationwide.

Cope - See CD - Cope started as a family band with two brothers and a cousin from a musical family out of Akron, Ohio. More than a decade later the Stadelman brothers along with multi-instrumentalist Juanjamon and Virginia raised drummer and vocalist Dave Gerulat have evolved into a family full of friends, fans, dancers and music-heads across the U.S., joined together by fun loving good times and some serious psychedelic southern-fried funk-rockin jazz-reggae electro-grass music.

Gaining notoriety as the "Undisputed Jam Kings of Tampa Bay" (Mark Warren - Skipper's Smokehouse Talent Agency), great bands all over the country are signing up to open for the jam-quartet at the famous Skipper's Smokehouse in their home base of Tampa, FL. With the release of their latest CD titled "See", Cope has been spreading and reaching outward from the far south to perform with and for many bands and fans in an attempt to reach musical nirvana and promote the fellowship of musicians and music enthusiasts everywhere.

"Check out that little cutie with a nice behind you better shake it girl, shake it good, cause Cope's comin to ya neighborhood." -Shake Anything (from "See" CD)

Theivery Corporation - Live at the 9:30 Club DVD - In January of 2010, Thievery Corporation thrilled fans when they sold out 5 consecutive nights at local DC venue, 9:30 Club. The shows were filmed with vintage anamorphic lenses that created flaws and subtle characteristics (including creating flares as the light hits the lens), and have an otherworldly and abstract visual quality. The result is an intimate account of the band and a dazzling recording of one of the world's most unique musical stage-shows.

With over 1.2 million albums sold in the U.S. across 15 years of making music, Thievery Corporation released their sixth studio album titled Culture of Fear earlier this summer. The album has been perched at #1 on the CMJ Electronic Music Charts for the past two months. The Washington Post called the album "solid," while Paste Magazine said Culture of Fear was a "true cultural melting pot of sounds." Thievery Corporation continues to blend musical styles in their trademark fashion; space-rock jams lead to hip-hop inspired grooves, airy down-temp trances and dub-reggae infused vibes throughout the journey.

Over the years, Thievery Corporation has become known for the carnival-esque atmosphere of their live shows, during which they bring out a 15-member live band of musicians and vocalists. The group has sold out shows at such famed venues as the Hollywood Bowl, London's 02 Shepherds Bush Empire, and the Theatro Vrahon Melina Merkouri in Athens, Greece, among many others.

JAZZ FEST LIVE 2011 CDs!

All professionally recorded at the 2011 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Anders Osborne, John Fohl, and Johnny Sansone - Live at Jazz Fest 2011 CD

Arlo Guthrie - Live at Jazz Fest 2011 (2 CDs)- A very special performance from folk legend, Arlo Guthrie. Of course, his witty remarks and amusing anecdotes remain in tact on this two-disc show. This set was mixed by Arlo's son (and keyboardist for the band), Abe Guthrie.

Allen Toussaint - Live at Jazz Fest 2011 CD

Alvin Youngblood Hart's Muscle Theory - Live at Jazz Fest 2011 CD

Bonerama - Live at Jazz Fest 2011 CD

John Boutte - Live at Jazz Fest 2011 CD

Big Sam's Funky Nation - Live at Jazz Fest 2011 CD

Cowboy Mouth - Live at Jazz Fest 2011 CD

Kristin Diable - Live at Jazz Fest 2011 CD

Coming Soon:

Lotus - Lotus CD - Lotus' new self-titled album moves in a decidedly more electronic direction than their last two releases (2008's Hammerstrike, 2009's Oil on Glass/Feather on Wood). Analog synthesizers, manipulated sounds, dub effects and heavy bass are balanced by horns and string arrangements in addition to Lotus's standard guitar/bass/drums instrumentation. Grooves range from slinky funk and gritty hall-time on the first half of the album to the beautiful and expansive closing track Orchids. Although hits and pieces of vocals are used throughout, the only song to feature singing is The Surf. And while it may he the closest thing to a pop song the band has ever released, the melodic guitar hooks and ecstatic synth are pure Lotus.

Similar to their music, the recording process for the album looked in multiple directions at once. It began using traditional recording methods tracking live to analog tape, but shifted to modern techniques for editing and mixing to expand into a musical space filled with uniquely crafted sounds. The band road tested and tweaked these tracks for the better part of two years. The result is an album worthy of the self-titled status - the band's singular sound and spirit runs through every track.

Primus - Green Naugahyde CD - Influential alternative rock icons Primus are back with their first album of brand new music since 1999's Antipap. The new album is entitled Green Naugahyde. Primus will be hitting the road in support of the new album - headlining their own shows, festivals (Hangout, Bonnaroo, All Good Festival) and playing legendary venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheatre on August 3rd with old friends The Flaming Lips.

Primus formed in the late '80s in Northern California, releasing their first album, Suck On This, in 1989. They Signed to Caroline Records and released the now-classic Frizzle Fry in 1990. As part of the alternative rock explosion of the '90s, the band signed to Interscope and gave the world some of the biggest records of the decade, including Sailing The Seas Of Cheese, Pork Soda, Tales From The Punchbowl and The Brown Album, had several Billboard top 10 debuts, garnered a Grammy nomination and wrote the internationally loved and enduring theme song for 'South Park'.

Umphrey's McGee - Death By Stereo CD - Chicago-based Umphrey's McGee returns this fall with a new studio album, Death By Stereo, available on 9/13 via ATO Records. Over the past 13 years, the group has built a rabid fan base through endless touring and more than 120 shows a year. They have released 11 albums, nearly every live show for 6+ years and sold more than 1.5 million digital tracks. Death By Stereo is the much-anticipated followup album to their critically-acclaimed 2009 studio release Mantis, which was praised in top outlets like Rolling Stone, The New York Times and The Washington Post. Mantis included a groundbreaking pre-order campaign, which sold over 8000 units in the first week and debuted at #62 on the Billboard chart.

Death By Stereo is a hybrid of what makes Umphrey's McGee so appealing to a wide spectrum of music fans. Filled with a healthy combination of focused, hard-hitting rock songs & head bobbing, groove-driven tracks, the record has something for everybody. The new album features a smattering of road-tested fan favorites as well as some of the slickest, unreleased compositions the band has released to date.

Umphrey's McGee's constantly evolving sound channels a wide spectrum of influences while still preselVing their distinct voice through crafty songwriting. With a massive repertoire of originals and note-perlect covers, their live shows are like flipping through the presets on your radio dial. Their A.DD. approach to ''progressive improvisation'' utilizes a set of Zappa-inspired hand signals allowing them to orchestrate their melodic creations on the fly.

Mofro - Brighter Days CD/DVD - Brighter Days is Grey's first-ever live CD/DVD. The two-disc set includes a full-length movie and a long-awaited live album. Directed by filmmaker/musician Spookie Daly (whose work has been aired on MTV Networks, Much Music and Fuse), the film intersperses riveting concert footage with the stunning beauty of Grey's north Florida home, the inspiration for so much of his music. The film also follows Grey and company into the studio and features band interviews along with insightful commentary from Grey and others, recalling the format of classic "rockumentaries." 78-minutes of stellar performances from the film are captured on the accompanying CD.

Shot on January 22, 2011 at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, Georgia in stunning HD and boasting 5.1 surround sound, Brighter Days finds JJ (vocals, guitar and harmonica) and his band -- Andrew Trube on lap steel and electric guitar, Anthony Farrell on organ and piano, Art Edmaiston on saxophone, Dennis Marion on trumpet, Todd Smallie on bass and Anthony Cole on drums -- giving everything they have. Singing and telling stories with preacher-like conviction, JJ breaks down the wall between the audience and the performer.

Trombone Shorty - For True CD - 2011 album from the Grammy nominee Troy Andrews AKA Trombone Shorty. Produced by Galactic's Ben ElIman, For True, features Andrews' band, Orleans Avenue, as well as a string of legendary performers with whom he recently shared the stage, including Jeff Beck, Kid Rock, Lenny Kravitz, Ledisi, Warren Haynes, Ivan and Cyril Neville, The Rebirth Brass Band and more. Troy wrote or co-wrote all 14 tracks on the new album including co-writes with Ledisi, Kid Rock, the legendary Lamont Dozier and others.

More JazzFest Live 2011 CDs!

Last Week:

10ft Ganja Plant - Shake Up the Place CD - 10 Ft. Ganja Plant comes back with a vengeance. Two years after releasing their critically acclaimed album "Bush Rock" and a year removed from dropping "10 Deadly Shots", the 'Plant is back stronger and with their deep in the pocket roots sound in full effect. The 'Plant were thrilled to collaborate with reggae legends Prince Jazzbo & Sylford Walker, each dropping two vocal gems, while Meditations great Winston Watson kindly provided additional harmonies throughout. Pulling out all the stops, "Shake Up The Place" was flown first class to the UK and mastered by Blood & Fire veteran mastering engineer Kevin Metcalfe. The sound is 70's exquisite.

Beatlejam - Live at the Webster Theatre (2CD) - The third volume in the series is a two CD set, packaged in a fold out Digipak.

BeatleJam are Matt Abts from Govt Mule, Vince Welnick from The Grateful Dead, Slick Aguilar from Jefferson Starship, Johnny Neel and Barry Oakley Jr from The Allman Brothers

This show was recorded in 2002.

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey - Race Riot Suite CD - The Race Riot Suite was written by Chris Combs for the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey quartet (Brian Haas piano, Chris Combs lap steel, Josh Raymer drums, Jeff Harshbarger bass) plus horn quintet.

In January 2011 the band recorded the piece at Tulsa's hallowed Church Studio with guest horn players Jeff Coffin (Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Dave Matthews Band), Steven Bernstein (Sex Mob, Levon Helm), Peter Apfelbaum (Hieroglyphics, Don Cherry), Mark Southerland (Snuff Jazz), & Matt Leland (a founding JFJO member).

In 1921, Tulsa, Oklahoma was home to the most powerful and affluent African-American community in the country. In one of the largest racial conflicts and cover-ups in America's history "Black Wall Street" was burned to the ground. The Race Riot Suite is a long form musical work that tells the story of the evolution & destruction of one of America's greatest cultural epicenters in one of the least understood atrocities of the Jim Crow era. The Suite serves as vehicle for insight & reflection on the event itself, as well as a tool for understanding the ways in which these issues continue to pervade our modern day culture and society.

Upcoming Events:

Sept 8-11 CultureFest - Pipestem, WV

Sept 8-11 Werk Out Festival - Bellefontaine, OH

Sept 15-18 Pink Moon Festival - Rock Camp, WV

Sept 23-25 H Blast! - Reidsville NC

*Sept 22-24 Blackwater - Live Oak, FL

Oct 6-9 Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival - Pittsboro, NC

* Oct 20-23 Magnolia Festival - Live Oak, FL

*Look for the Home Grown Music Booth at this event!

Video of the Week:

Three Legged Fox - Let You Down official video

Thanks for reading! Treat yourself to some good music this week.
Lee Crumpton

New Additions:

Boogie Husters - Boogie Hustlers CD - On their third album, the Boogie Hustlers have once again found a way to seamlessly merge various genres of music into a sound that is uniquely their own. Strikingly different from the band's previous album True Colors, their newest self-titled release Boogie Hustlers is a bare bones, back to basics, beautiful blend of classic soul and rock n' roll teamingwith emotional, heartfelt songs about love and life. From the driving road anthem "9 Deep" to the mellow masterpiece "Down the Line", this eclectic album proves to be their best yet. $12

Shpongle - Live from the Roadhouse 2008 DVD - As an artist, it's always good to challenge yourself... and the thought of translating all the complex layers in a shpongle album into a live show with a band gave me a panic attack... and still does! Pretty early on I realized the secret would be to bring in musicians far better than ourselves... and lots of them! Two weeks before the show the band had never even met each other, even though I had recorded some of them individually in my studio for previous Shpongle albums. We all rehearsed in a darkened room, with no air or daylight, getting to know each other by smell alone... and perhaps sound. Reams of manuscript paper littered the floor, everyone wore ear plugs, and all I could think was "What the hell am I doing?" . We didn't know if we would ever repeat the performance, so recorded it for posterity... Surely only an idiot would actually release their first ever gig though, right? We hope you like it... it was made with love, sweat and laughter.... Welcome to Shpongleland! $16.98

Buckethead & Friend - Enter the Chicken (re-release) - The ever mysterious and amazingly talented guitarist and theme park manager Buckethead has opened the doors to his famed Bucketheadland once again, and this time he has asked his friends to help him provide the thrills and chills to his guests. Complete with brand new bonus track Shen Chi, Enter the Chicken is ready to take listeners on another sonic loop. Also on board are the vocal performances from many of today's brightest musical talents including Saul Williams, Efrem Schulz (Death By Stereo), Maura Davis, Azam Ali (300 Soundtrack) and Serj Tankian himself. These artists as well as the others that are featured on the album were hand picked by Tankian and Buckethead to ensure that each song takes the listener on a unique musical voyage. The 12-track adventure is filled with sonic twists and turns that will leave listener's ears delighted and their mouths overflowing with enthusiastic comments. $11.98

Coming Soon:

January 12 - Vampire Weekend - Contra CD
Charlie Hunter - Gentlemen, I Neglected To Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid CD

January 19 - Danny Barnes - Pizza Box CD
South Memphis String Band - Home Sweet Home CD

Last Week:

Blakroc - Blakroc CD - The brainchild of The Black Keys and Damon Dash. Produced by and featuring The Black Keys, BlakRoc also hosts a star-studded line up including Mos Def, Q-Tip, RZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, Ludacris, Pharoahe Monch, Jim Jones, NOE, Nicole Wray and Billy Danze. Of the album, The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach said 'no samples were used on the record, it's all live instruments and live vocals. $14.98

Live from Bonnaroo 2008 DVD - Designed to reflect the breadth and diversity of the Bonnaroo experience, the DVD features exclusive performances and backstage footage of artists such as Metallica, Pearl Jam, Jack Johnson, The Raconteurs, Tegan and Sarah, Against Me!, My Morning Jacket, Les Claypool, Broken Social Scene, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, among many others. Sam Erickson (My Morning Jacket, Dave Matthews) and 44 Pictures directed the program, which features exclusive packaging and artwork . The audio was engineered from Bonnaroo's pristine master soundboard recordings and remixed in stereo and 5.1 surround sound. $17.98

Bootsy Collins - Christmas is 4 Ever CD - Funk legend Bootsy Collins spices up Christmas time with his first holiday album, Christmas Is 4 Ever, boasting nine "Bootsyized" yuletide classics along with four brand-new holiday songs. Bootsy is joined by Snoop Dogg, who raps on the new song "Happy Holidaze," and Charlie Daniels, who provides fiddle and background vocals for the holiday standard "Sleigh Ride" (which also features vocals by Ohio Players lead singer Sugarfoot). Other guests include Bobby Womack, the late Roger Troutman (Zapp), and former James Brown collaborators Fred Wesley, Bobby Byrd, and MC Danny Ray, as well as former Parliament/Funkadelic members Blackbyrd McKnight and Bernie Worrell. $7.98

Bootsy Collins - Be With You DVD - A tribute to Mr James Brown, Mr Bobby Byrd and Roger Troutman. Now Glory Be Come Funk with Me.

DVD contains holiday music video of "Be With You".

Purchase with Bootsy's "Christmas is Forever" CD and get both for only $10! To take advantage of this offer, add the DVD to your cart, but not the CD - the special offer will appear during checkout. $4.98

Upcoming Events:

April 15-17, 2010 - Wanee Music Festival - Live Oak, FL

April 22-25, 2010 - Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival - Pittsboro, NC

Video of the Week:

Buzz Universe - The Wait to Return

The 9th Annual HGMN Year End Awards (and staff picks)

STUDIO ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Zach Deputy - Sunshine Read our interview with Zach where he discusses the making of Sunshine. For those not familiar, Deputy's truck and all his musical gear were stolen the day before he was to go in the studio to record this CD!

LIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR: The Station - Speed of Sound - Live at Marley's offers two plus hours of ambitious, genre-bending rock and roll. The songs are characterized by incredibly strong guitar work, energetic, effusive lyrics, and a stark mixture of musical styles ranging from progressive rock and horn-driven funk, to spacey jams that remain sharp and on point. Read our full review.

DVD OF THE YEAR: SOJA - Live in Hawaii - In January of 2008, SOJA returned to Hawai'i for their third tour of the islands, accompanied by award winning filmmaker Marc Carlini, and a five man camera crew. Carlini captured performances in Honolulu, Kona, Maui, & Kaua'i; as well as behind the scenes footage featuring the beautiful landscape of Hawai'i, its lifestyle, culture, and experience through the eyes of SOJA. View trailer.

CUSTOMER'S CHOICE: Retail: New Monsoon - Live Customer's orders spoke and they bought the most of this double live CD from the hard working road warriors New Monsoon.
Wholesale: Derek Trucks Band - Live at Georgia Theatre - Stores most often puchased this amazing double live CD set from DTB. This one would be on my deserted island CD list for sure.

NEW HGMN BAND OF THE YEAR: Three Legged Fox The young PA quartet made the biggest impression with our staffers in 2009.

ROAD WARRIOR OF THE YEAR: Zach Deputy - Zach performed well over 200 shows in 2009. While not included in the offical count we personally know that he performed over 20 sets at Bonnaroo alone!

HGMN HALL OF FAME: STS9 joins The Motet, Umphrey's McGee, The Recipe, Deep Banana Blackout, The Big Wu, Acoustic Syndicate, The Disco Biscuits & Keller Williams in this select list of bands that have helped define HGMN over the years.

HG REPS OF THE YEAR: Traci Tuttle (Freemont, NH) & Cassandra Chalkley (Marlbrough, NH)

HGMN VENUE OF THE YEAR: Nelson Ledges Quarry Park - Garrettsville, OH
Runner Up: Livewire Music Hall - Savannah, GA

HGMN JAMcaster OF THE YEAR: Endless Boundaries on WBZC, DJ=Jaybird

Congrats to all the winners and thanks for making 2009 a year to remember!

HGMN Staff's Favorites of 2009:

LEE:
Favorite shows: Phish - Charlottesville 12/5/2009
The Mantras - 9/4/2009 Get Down Music Festival

Albums: Scythian - Live CD
The Motet - Dig Deep CD
The New Mastersounds - Ten Years On CD
Max Allen Band - Ending Sun CD  Max Allen Band - Ending Sun CD
Jeff Bujak - Alive Like the Spine CD

ROBIE:
Favorite shows: Galactic - 11/14/09  Bear Creek Music Festival
Cut Copy - 3/24/09 Cat's Cradle

Albums: Memory Tapes - Seek Magic
Pretty Lights - Passing By Behind Your Eyes
The New Mastersounds - Ten Years On
Signal Path - Clash
Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue

SHERRY:
Favorite shows: Derek Trucks Band - 10/30/2009 Carolina Theatre, Durham NC
Lotus  - 11/11/2009 Cat's Cradle, Carrboro NC

Albums: Lotus - Hammerstrike CD
The New Mastersounds - Ten Years On CD
Derek Trucks Band - Already Free CD
Widespread Panic - Montreal 1997
Steppin' Razor - Gold In Rule CD

TREVOR:
Favorite shows: -Perpetual Groove - Camp Barefoot 2009
Donna the Buffalo - Spring Shakori Hills (Sunday Night Set)

Albums: The New Mastersounds - Ten Years On CD
Laura Reed and Deep Pocket - Live at Tree Sound Studios CD/DVD
Lotus - Hammerstrike CD 
Widespread Panic - Montreal Sept 8, 1997 (3 CDs)
Rodrigo y Gabriella - 11:11 CD

J. Evan Wade:
Favorite shows: Scythian at the Blind Tiger 2/11/09
Josh Philips Folk Festival at the Blind Tiger 9/10/09

Albums: Toubab Krewe - Live at the Orange Peel
Bassnectar - Cozza Frenzy
Cadillac Jones - Rhythm Method
TR3 - Radiance
Three Legged Fox - Not as Far

Thanks for reading, and have a great week!
Lee Crumpton

New Additions:

Leftover Salmon - Years in Your Ears DVD - The floodgates have opened and up swims this entertaining and honest film from inside the LoS fambly. Witness one of America's most enduring live music acts of this and the last century... Leftover Salmon! Featuring a cast of thousands and interviews from the likes of Yonder Mountain String Band, String Cheese Incident, Sam Bush, Cracker, Hot Rize, Peter Rowan, Bela Fleck, Leftover Salmon and many others. If you were there, you'll need help remembering. If you weren't... sorry you missed it. Either way, this DVD is for you. A majority of the electricity used in the production of this project was generated by solar panels or offset using wind power credits. Conservation First...Green Power Next! $19.98

High Times Greatest Hits: On DVD - Roll a joint, pack a bong, fire up the vaporizer and then get comfortable on the couch because HIGH TIMES Greatest Hits: On DVD compiles all of the best excerpts from HIGH TIMES original DVDs and "potcasts" into one danktastic package that will keep you laughing and learning, smoking and smiling, for many herb-filled years to come. Features: Snoop Dogg, Tommy Chong, Dave Chappelle, Chef Ra, Jorge Cervantes, Miss High Times & other stoned celebs! $12.98

Little Feat - Skin it Back - Live in Germany 1977 DVD - This DVD continues our series of releases from the archives of legendary German TV series Rockpalast. Filmed at the Grugahalle in Essen in 1977, just a few days before the recording of their legendary live album "Waiting For Columbus", this DVD captures the classic seventies Little Feat line-up led by the late Lowell George at the very peak of their powers. Also featured, as a bonus is almost 30 minutes of never before seen alternative rehearsal versions including material that didn't make it into the final show. $16.98

Coming Soon:

September 29 - The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You CD
The Emmit/Nershi Band - New Country Blues CD
Breakestra - Dusk Till Dawn CD

October 6 - Lotus - Oil on Glass/Feather on Wood CD
Widespread Panic - Montreal 9.8.97 (3 CDs)
Mike Doughty - Sad Man Happy Man CD

Call 800 653 3929 to pre-order any upcoming releases

Last Week's Additions:

Ryan Montbleau - Stages Vol 2 CD - Ryan made some very special recordings of some very special solo-acoustic shows in March of this year. The best of the best of these performances made it onto Stages: Volume II. If you weren't there, or if you were and regret leaving, you'll probably want a copy. (Proceeds from Stages: Volume II go toward the making of the next Ryan Montbleau Band studio record, due out in 2010.) $12

Karl Denson's Tiny Universe - Brother's Keeper CD - Karl Denson has blazed and acclaimed trail bridging the worlds of jazz, funk, and rock, first as featured saxophonist with Lenny Kravitz, then as leader of acid-jazz funksters The Greyboy Allstars, and finally leading his own group, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, which has been a favorite of the jam-band circuit.

Brother's Keeper delivers the classic Karl Denson's Tiny Universe amalgam of funk, rock and jazz on a sterling set of brand new compositions featuring Karl's soulful vocals and impressive saxophone solos. $17.98

Kyle Hollingsworth - Then There's Now CD - On Then There s Now, the second album from Kyle Hollingsworth of The String Cheese Incident, the renowned keyboardist extends his reach into areas that will excite longtime admirers yet inspire countless new ones. With his signature grooves and deep musicianship intact, Hollingsworth delivers a breakthrough album, with songs that are purposefully lyric-driven, and filled with emotion and catchy hooks. With Then There s Now, Kyle Hollingsworth unveils his new musical soul, and marks his true emergence as a solo artist. $15.98

Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers - Levitate CD - Following a critically acclaimed box-set, a duet recording with Ricky Scaggs and a jazz trio album w/ Christian McBride & Jack DeJohnette, the beloved songwriter/pianist/vocalist returns to the format that has brought his greatest commercial success. Accompanied by his seasoned touring band the Noisemakers, Hornsby's stellar new songs are presented in dynamic arrangements with his signature blend of rock, country, pop & jazz and featuring some of the finest vocal performances of Bruce's illustrious career The title track is the end theme for Spike Lee's documentary Kobe at Work about the NBA superstar Kobe Bryant. Bruce also wrote the score (his first) Hornsby has a featured role (as himself) in the film World's Greatest Dad opening August 21st starring Robin Williams directed by Bobcat Goldthwait and featuring several Hornsby songs including the Levitate track "Invisible". $13.98

The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker - Burn it Down CD - Soul music is here to stay, and it's still evolving. The Dynamites Featuring Charles Walker are living proof. Lead singer Charles Walker doesn't imitate, emulate or try to resuscitate a bygone nostalgic era. He is soul, the real deal, still carrying the flaming torch of funk and soul lit back in the late 60's at the Apollo Theater where he opened up for icons like James Brown and Wilson Pickett. An essential authenticity comes across in The Dynamites music and message. Without a doubt, Burn it Down acknowledges that not all is right in the world, but it doesn't get stuck there. Times might be rough and people might be grumbling about doomsday, but Charles Walker and The Dynamites are here to remind us that "it's a sunny day." Sure we could bitch and moan. But we could just as well get down to some funky assed grooves and burn that negativity down. $12.98

Upcoming Events:

September 18-19 - Let it Roll - Ghent, NY

October 8-11 - Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival - Pittsboro, NC

October 10-11 - 4th Annual Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival - Joshua Tree, CA

November 13-15 - *Bear Creek Music & Art Festival - Live Oak, FL

* Look for the HGMN booth at this event

Video of the Week:

Three Legged Fox - Not As Far CD promo

Always remember - for smokin' music - it's got to be Home Grown!
- Lee Crumpton