features

62 BEN HARPER

With his most personal album yet, Ben Harper has begun to pull back the curtain and let the world in—not that he doesn’t fight with himself about it on a regular basis. In this month’s cover story, Harper gives us a peak into his past, while also dishing on his thoughts on religion, life as a Hollywood husband and father and why his new record is unlike any he’s previously released.

57 GALACTIC

With the exit of longtime singer Houseman, and after Katrina forced them out of town, the members of New Orleans’ Galactic has regrouped with a block party of an album, a hard-funk fete featuring some of the top names in underground hip-hop.

51 ALO

Almost two decades after theybegan jamming together injunior high school, the members of ALO have finally found a national fanbase thanks to the band’s road warrior endurance, catchy song writing and a good friend named “Jack.” During its recent visit to the High Sierra music festival, the band gave staff editor Mike Greenhaus the scoop on how they finally woke up and smelled the Roses & Clover.

departments 

14DEAR RELIX

Letters to the Editor

16 MY PAGE

Xavier Rudd

18 SCENE AND HEARD

Mindful music from around the globe: The Beat and Soundcheck

32 ON THE VERGE

Five artists you should know about

34 THE CORE

George Porter Jr.

36 SPOTLIGHT

Heartless Bastards

38 REARVIEW MIRROR

Roky Erickson

40REELTIME

Widespread Panic in the studio

43INTERVIEW

Stephen Stills

46 EXPOSED

The immortal work of photographer William “PoPsie” Randolph

72 DEADICATED

Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay’s union with The Zen Tricksters

75 REVIEWS

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

91 THE LIST

Songs that caused a stir

94 PARKING LOT

Free classifieds from around the globe

98 PARTING SHOTS

Little Steven Van Zandt