Record Store Day and its fall counterpart, Back to Black Friday (the Friday after Thanksgiving) are days that labels release limited-quantity vinyl (and sometimes CD) editions of records for customers to place on the non-virtual checkout counter.  In other words, you have to get up and get to a record store to participate.

Fans of the Grateful Dead will continue to seek that special feeling their music brought for 30 years, though the group disbanded eighteen years ago. Bassist Phil Lesh recently announced for all practical purposes that he is retiring from touring, sticking to his Terrapin Crossroads locale with occasional exceptions. Though the other living members of the band will likely continue to tour and perform, their music tends to evolve with them as musicians.

This month, Random Rab takes his brand new live act on the road to hubs in the Midwest and on the east coast. A staple of the west coast, transformational circuit, Rab’s latest album Release has rocketed to the top 5 in the iTunes electronic charts, and opened up the rest of the country to his new sound.

Love Crushed Velvet has released their new EP, Delusions, today! Mixed by Mark Needham (Blondie, Fleetwood Mac, The Killers), the album channels emotional turmoil through muscular, postpunk aggression, showing off exceptional emotional and stylistic range. The album is now available on iTunes, here: bit.ly/1b9OHxq.  You can also check

Elephant Revival will ring in 2014 riding a sleighful of accolades for their new album, THESE CHANGING SKIES, which they’ll celebrate with five special holiday-season appearances. The album, released Sept. 3, debuted at No. 8 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart and reached No. 14 on the Americana Music Association’s airplay chart, and earned them comparisons to genre favorites Alison Krauss and the Punch Brothers.The Colorado-based quintet will perform a Dec. 28 show at Stargazers Theatre in Colorado Springs, followed by Dec. 30 and 31 shows at the State Room in Salt Lake City and Jan.

Hard Working Americans, the new ensemble featuring veteran musicians Todd Snider, Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), Neal Casal (Chris Robinson Brotherhood), Chad Staehly (Great American Taxi) and Duane Trucks (Col. Bruce Hampton), has announced dates for their first-ever tour to hit select cities. Hard Working Americans’ self-titled debut album will be released on January 21 via Melvin Records/Thirty Tigers.

Once again, Dark Star Orchestra kicks off the New Year in the cold reaches of the Upper Midwest, starting Winter Tour 2014 in Minneapolis before winding its way south with stops in Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Charlotte and Atlanta to name a few, until wrapping up with four nights in Florida.

Our final day on the mountain broke with the most gorgeous fall morning – the smell of camp stoves firing up simple breakfasts, the sound of distant birds giddy with the extravagant catch afforded them by the night’s rain, and the sweater-weather wake-up nip of a crisp autumn breeze tousling wet grass and sleepy-head hair all seemed like the sweet morning song of mother nature calling us forward and into the bright world to dance our joy into the soft, wet earth.

Freedom Is, written and recorded by Sophistafunk and produced by Jocko Randall at MoreSound Studios in Syracuse, NY, is driven by contrasting tones and texture, recreating the experience of being at one of the band's electrifying live shows. Instantly pulsing from powerful to smooth, the sound is raw, authentic and groovy. The music reflects the bands deep commitment to vintage keys, analog synth and scorching solos which are anchored by deep-pocket hip hop drums and fat funky bass lines.

Saturday was a wonderful day! It started with sunshine, birds and bluegrass and ended with stars, hippies and bluegrass. The day promised to be a great one just because of the fact it was the last day of the festival. The lineup was just as good as the other days, leaving nobody disappointed. I think the only person who was sad about Saturday was the nearly-legally-blind dude I met this morning who lost his glasses. Bummer.