features

61 BEASTIE BOYS

If there’s one truth in the realm of the Beastie Boys, it’s that they’re gonna do whatever they feel like doing whenever they feel like doing it. Such was the case with their new, all-instrumental record The Mix-Up, which was born out of jam sessions at the group’s studio in New York. The disc spawned a new look for rap’s most famous white boyz, and it just may spawn the group’s first ever collaborations album. Ch-Ch-Ch-Check it out!

48 SHARON JONES AND THE DAP KINGS

Over the years, Brooklyn’s Sharon Jones was told she was too old, too fat and too black to be a successful soul singer. Yet none of that ever derailed her dream, which is inching closer to reality thanks in part to her band lending a hand on Amy Winehouse’s breakthrough record.

53 THE BEATLES

The Beatles’ former Apple Records U.S. label head reveals what was really going on under those mop tops in a behind-the-scenes account of the Fab Four from their 1965 visit to the U.S. to right before it all unraveled on a rooftop in London.

departments

12 DEAR RELIX

Letters to the Editor

14 MY PAGE

JJ Boogie of Arrested Development

16 SOAPBOX

Lonn Friend gets saved by an, um, friend

18 SCENE AND HEARD

Mindful music from aroundthe globe: The Beat and Soundcheck

32 ON THE VERGE

Five artists you should know about

34 THE CORE

Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi

36 SPOTLIGHT

The Avett Brothers

38 REARVIEW MIRROR

Ian Anderson

40 REELTIME

In the studio with Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey

43 INTERVIEW

Steve Earle

46 EXPOSED

The photography of Janette Beckman

70 DEADICATED

Sirius launches new Grateful Dead channel

72 THE LIST

Ten memorable dual guitar solos

75 REVIEWS

Albums, DVDs, books, Plundering the Vaults, Indiefind and more

90 PARKING LOT

Free classifieds from around the globe

94 PARTING SHOTS

Merle Haggard