One of the defining and most popular acts in live electronic music, Lotus has never fit neatly in a simple categorization. The 5-piece continues to push boundaries with the September 10th release of Monks, a hip-hop album featuring Lyrics Born, Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), Mr. Lif, Doodlebug (Digable Planets) and more. Using the band’s own studio work as a sample source, the music will have a familiar feel to Lotus fans but recontextualized as classic hip-hop.

Friday, August 16^th, 2013, at White River State Park in Indianapolis was perhaps my favorite night of the STUMS9 tour so far.  Maybe I love it so much it’s because it is in my hometown, but White River State Park is a great place to see a show. It was a beautiful summer night, not too hot, like it was last year, and there were wispy clouds in the sky.  The stage is set in downtown Indianapolis off of the canal that runs through the city.

The word “supergroup” has lost meaning in the music world. It’s been replaced by words such as “side project” or “collaboration” or “a bunch of friends.” Without trying to sound too curmudgeonly, they just don’t make supergroups like the Traveling Wilburys anymore. The closest thing we’ve gotten in the last few years was Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne. No doubt it was huge, but we all knew it was a one-time thing. While Kanye and Jay-Z are friends, both of them promote their own brand above all else.

There is nothing sneaky but plenty that is sly about the talents of the Henhouse Prowlers.  With the new album, Breaking Ground, the Henhouse Prowlers are musical examples of the expression, “old soul”.  They would fit right in barnstorming with Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys, playing the Grand Ole Opry with Flatt and Scruggs…suit and ties and all…or sharing a festival stage with Old and in the Way.  Combine that ability with their youthful, high energy live performances and you get a band that is bound to cover much mo

Bruce Hornsby is an American treasure who continues to be more than obliging when it comes to giving the people what they want.  From 1980’s pop star to worrying some folks at a nearby outdoor venue in 2013 regarding this show drawing “too many Hippies”, his career achievements stretch far and wide.  The collaborations over 30 years are truly impressive, varied and extensive with prime examples being Don Henley,

First City Festival is taking place this weekend in Monterey with the well-known likes of Modest Mouse, Passion Pit, Neko Case, and MGMT heading an impressive inaugural lineup. Don’t let yourself get completely caught up in the big names though—you might miss something incredible.

The year-end Hot Tuna shows at the Fur Peace Ranch have been sold out for months, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait for 2014 to see them again. A new set of dates have just been announced.

Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers’ self-titled sophomore album doesn’t drop until next week, but if the crowd at her sold out album release show on Tuesday night is any indication, Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers is already a smash. The San Francisco-based band took the stage at the Lodge at the Regency to hearty cheers that began when guitarist Tim Bluhm (husband to Nicki and co-founder of The Mother Hips) stepped out to fine-tune his guitar.

Grateful Dead music continues to inspire and muse generations of contemporary musicians. When the band played, their music fostered an experience each night that transformed the ordinary bounds of everyday life beyond possibility. A trip into the transcendental. Even if the words and melodies were familiar to followers, something about their approach of spontaneity and improvisation combined with an overarching reworking of Americana made the music familiar and new simultaneously.

The team at Catskill Chill Music Festival has released the schedule for the fourth annual 3-day camping event taking place September 6^th - 8^th in Hancock, NY. The schedule unveils a packed line-up of live music on five stages including the expanded Acoustic Junction and the new Redbull Campsite DJ Truck.