Selfishness. It can be either a friend or foe in the songwriting process and the bigger musical world. For Blues Traveler, selfishness has been a long time coming. It's what drives the band's eighth studio album, ¡Bastardos!: a need for the band members to make themselves-and only themselves-happy while making music. But ¡Bastardos! isn't merely about a bunch of selfish, um, er, bastards making themselves happy or being overly indulgent. Musically, it's about a band growing into itself not for the first, but the second time-remarkably-while simultaneously making sure to have fun and push the envelope creatively. Essential to the bands approach was producer, solo artist and ex-Wilco multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett. Songs on ¡Bastardos! focus on falling in and out of love, and what can happen before and after heartbreak. After spending the last year touring in support of Best of Hootie & the Blowfish: 1993-2003, the South Carolina-based quartet – Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, and Jim “Soni” Sonefeld – released their first studio album in two years on August 9. Recorded at Nashville’s Emerald Studios and produced by Don Gehman, who helmed the band’s hugely successful debut album Cracked Rear View, Looking For Lucky features songwriting collaborations with Matraca Berg, Keith Burns (from Trick Pony), Radney Foster, Hank Futch (from Blue Dogs), Derek George, Walter Salas Humara (from the Silos), Phillip Lammonds (ex-Blue Dog), and Paul Sanchez (from Cowboy Mouth), as well as background vocals from Herb Pedersen. In addition to the latest release by Camper Van Beethoven, NEW ROMAN TIMES, the band has decided to give their fans a little taste of the road from their latest tour with Modest Mouse. You can check out 4 live shows exclusively on Rhapsody. Live from Madison, WI Live from Minneapolis, MN Live from Sioux Falls, SD Live from Fargo, ND A staple of the burgeoning Los Angeles Americana scene known for their energetic live performances, Los Angeles-based roots/rock foursome Shurman makes their Vanguard Records label debut with the release of their long-awaited full-length CD, JUBILEE. With musical influences ranging from Tom Petty to the Clash to Willie Nelson, REM and AC/DC, JUBILEE blurs the rock/country lines offering elements of modern pop/rock coupled with southern classic rock and lyrics that encapsulate the complexities of everyday life. Victor Wooten began his musical career early. At age three, his brother taught him to play bass and by age five he was making his stage debut with his four older brothers in the Wootens. Today, Victor is one of the most celebrated electric bassists of all time. His secret seems to lie in doing his own thing, breaking boundaries and defying categorization along the way. Victor’s performances as a member of the Grammy-award winning Bela Fleck and the Flecktones have gained him the adoration of bass players and music fans worldwide. His new record, SOUL CIRCUS, speaks exactly to his live show experience, truly capturing on record all the energy, diversity, experimentation and mind bending skill that is Victor Wooten.

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