Fruition, the dynamic five-piece American Roots band from Portland, Oregon, is gearing up for an exciting chapter. With their new album How to Make Mistakes on the horizon, an extensive American tour, and a special appearance at the Musical Sojourn in Buenos Aires—all kicking off in August—the band is poised for a busy and exhilarating stretch ahead. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mimi Naja, the band's co-founder, singer, and songwriter, to discuss the new record and the upcoming tour.

Hailing from Bucks County, PA (not too far from Philadelphia), R.P. Mixon releases his second single, "Shades," a country-infused psychedelic love song with a Jerry Garcia-inspired guitar style and hints of Country & Western twang in his singing voice. The song begins with a groovy guitar riff that sits neatly between early '70s Jerry and Déjà Vu-era CSNY, cascading into an Americana-Southern-Rock vocal that would feel at home on stage supporting Josh Ritter or Jason Isbell at the Troubadour.

Twisted Pine’s new album Love Your Mind is due out this October 2024. Hailing from the Boston bluegrass scene, Twisted Pine has a packed festival schedule all summer long until Twisted Pine rolls into Raliegh, NC on September 24 & 25th for IMBA’s Bluegrass Ramble. 

BERTHA: Grateful Drag, the world's first all-drag Grateful Dead tribute band, recently played their first festival—the 2024 Newport Folk Festival. Grateful Web had the opportunity to learn more about them.

GW: How did you come up with the idea?

From the furthest depths of the galaxy, Chicago-based funk phenomenon Hot Like Mars has been sending shockwaves across the music scene lately. Possessing a refined blend of soul, funk, and high-octane dance music, Hot Like Mars puts on a masterclass of musical patience, excellence, and enthusiasm, carefully curating their sounds into an explosive array of musical prowess.

As we navigate our way through a world filled with increasing moral ambiguity, Australia’s Xavier Rudd's work serves as a constant reminder to act with love in mind. A musician as well as a philosopher, he has been creating art that prompts existential exploration for several decades. Grateful Web got to sit down with Rudd for a few minutes before his performance at this year’s Cali Roots festival to speak with him about a range of topics.

A project that built its name on romanticizing the idiosyncratic, East Coast Alternative outfit Little Stranger has made waves as of late with their slice-of-life lyrics and charismatic presence. With an eclectic pool of influences and a mastery of all things quirky, their work is a much-needed reminder to take a beat and embrace the peculiar nature of the world.

Maine-based outfit Coyote Island has certainly taken off over the last few years with no signs of slowing down. Beginning as the solo project of singer-songwriter Mike O’Hare, it has taken flight as a full band over the years, adding a level of depth through the unique background of every musician they bring into the fold.

Few bands can claim to have had as profound an impact on the development of a genre as the reggae rock outfit Pepper. With a tenured career, the band has played stages together in four separate decades, but still manages to joke around with each other like brothers at every opportunity.

Fresh off their first album release in 15 years, California Hip-Hop supergroup Living Legends brings over a century of experience between their members to the studio and the stage with every song. As they celebrate their latest reunion, Grateful Web got to sit down with the project’s founding members The Grouch and Luckyiam to speak with them about the differences between musical generations, their opinions on AI in music, and the connection they feel between Hip-Hop and Reggae.