The music began early on the final day of the Skull and Roses Festival in Ventura. A hot offshore wind heated up the day by the time the drum circle started at 10 am. Overhead waves from a late spring storm exploded across Ventura point buffeted by the strong sideshow winds sending long plumes of salt spray high int the air. The strong winds stirred up a cloud of dust that helped turn the sunny day into an eerie orange haze.

The sun came out bathing the Ventura fairgrounds in a beautiful orange glow as sleepy festival goers woke from a long night of music and partying. The noontime drum circle was the wake-up call for many. But it wasn’t until about 3 PM, when Northern California’s premiere Grateful Dead cover band, the China Cats took the stage, that most people finally gathered together for a dance jam. The group formed in 2008 in Santa Cruz California and has garnered a loyal following since.

Today Pepper drops a tasty dubby new single “Warning” Ft. Stick Figure with tastemaker imprint LAW Records. The new song is due to premiere today with SIRIUS XM’s The Joint and is available everywhere you stream music.

Our friends at Shakedown Gallery are celebrating the anniversary of Dr. Albert Hofmann's magical 1943 bicycle ride by releasing a series of beautiful and unique blotter art prints. 

Many of the artists will be no strangers to the Grateful Dead community. 

After a decade of touring and three studio albums with legendary jam band Leftover Salmon, banjoist Andy Thorn is releasing his first solo recording in eight years, Frontiers Like These, on June 21 at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. To make this album, Thorn called in his oldest friends, who now happen to be in meteoric acoustic bands, including members of Mandolin Orange, Town Mountain, Jon Stickley Trio, and Big Fat Gap.

Genre-defying funk-jazz-soul-hip-hop-psychedelic-jam-art-rock-experimental-avant-garde music titans Lettuce have officially revealed the details for their sixth studio album, Elevate, set for release on Friday, June 14th (Regime Music Group).

Well-known guitarist, singer and songwriter Bobby Lee Rodgers, a founding member and creative force behind The Codetalkers with Col. Bruce Hampton, is set to release his newest solo effort Sled. Filled with New Orleans style Funk mixed with a sprinkling of smooth soulful sounds, the 9-song album will be available for download Tuesday April 23rd on most popular sites.

The Allman Betts Band have signed a new global recording agreement with BMG to release their forthcoming debut album Down To The River. Led by Devon Allman, son of founding Allman Brothers Band keyboardist and singer, Gregg Allman, and Duane Betts, son of founding Allman Brothers Band guitarist and singer, Dickey Betts, the album was recorded at the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studios with producer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, John Prine and Elvis Presley). Down To The River is slated for re

The conference, which will take place in Oregon State’s Memorial Union, will include more than 50 presentations from researchers from more than 20 states and Canada. Presentation titles include: “Phish’s Improvisation in Light of Talmudic Scholastic Practice,” “‘This Your First Show?’: White Racism and Subcultural Capital in the Phish Community” and “The Neuroscience of the Jam: A research paradigm to study brain inactivity underlying improvisation in Phish.”

For the first time, newly discovered lyrics by John Denver will see the light of day on Earth Day, April 22nd, thanks to the esteemed Americana band Railroad Earth. The celebrated band wrote music to the unseen lyrics, unearthed by the late artist’s estate. The tracks will be available on a special 7 inch vinyl being sold at music retailers as well as digitally.