Doug Collette

Gov’t Mule: By A Thread

Gov't Mule's By A Thread might be the closest thing we ever get to a modern day Warren Haynes solo effort (unless rumors of such a project from the last few months turn out to be true.) Every individual element of style favored by the guitarist/vocalist/songwriter is covered within the album's hour-plus running time, which might make for a splintered sound except that his connection to Gov't Mule as a group is absolutely unyielding. And vice-versa.

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The Black Crowes: Before The Frost….Until The Freeze

Appearing for four nights at Levon' Helm's Barn in Woodstock, New York this past winter, the Black Crowes played sets of mostly brand-new original material which forms the basis for  two distinct  new albums that nevertheless display an unmistakable continuity.

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Phish: Joy

Phish's new album is appropriately titled for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that Joy finds the band relishing the challenge of recording their new songs.

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The Duke & The King: Nothing Gold Can Stay

It would demean The Duke and The King to say it's an offshoot of The Felice Brothers, but Nothing Gold Can Stay does radiate the same rustic (thought slightly ominous) charm of the Catskill Mountain clan’s music.

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Yim Yames: Tribute To

Yim Yames’ (nee Jim James’) homage to the late George Harrison, Tribute to, is truly a labor of love. Recorded in 2001 in a moment of inspired grieving upon hearing of the man’s passing, the titular leader of My Morning Jacket channels the spirit of The Beatles’ lead guitarist as he plays an unusual cross-section of his music.

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The Black Crowes: Warpaint Live

Though it is totally without frills or DVD bonuses, Warpaint Live represents a fine document of the Black Crowes’ progression since their reformation in 2005. Like its double CD counterpart, the DVD version includes all the material on Warpaint, their first studio effort in seven years as well as cover material that accurately reflect their roots.

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Medeski, Martin & Wood : Radiolarians III

Never let it be said that Medeski Martin and Wood repeat themselves but the trio's Radiolarians Series, in its ingenious concept of writing touring then recording all new material in quick succession, represents a willful effort to avoid the predictable.

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Ian Hunter: Man Overboard

It may be no coincidence Ian Hunter’s newest solo album precedes a reunion of Mott the Hoople in autumn of 2009. The prospect of revisiting the most-high profile work of his career appears to have elevated him as a songwriter and performer on Man Overboard.

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Grateful Dead: Road Trips Vol. 2 No. 3 – Wall of Sound

There's been a palpable flow to a couple of the Grateful Dead Road Trips releases, but nothing so tangible as that which distinguishes the latest issue from the summer tour with the legendary “Wall of Sound.” It's no illusion each CD of the triple set segues to the next on the way to a rousing finish.

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