Welcome to the 4th podcast/download I’m co-hosting with Ryan Schleicher at 91.7 WMSE.

In the coming weeks you’ll be able to add these to your favorite RSS reader and access it via iTunes. Until then, please hang with us as we dust off the cobwebs and feel free to drop a comment with your thoughts/suggestions, , etc. Thanks for listening.

Muzzle of Bees + 91.7 WMSE Podcast: Volume 4:

Intro: Dent May – “Welcome” / The National + St. Vincent – “Sleep All Summer” (Crooked Fingers cover) / McCarthy Trenching – “Mormon Girl Blues” / Roadside Graves – “My Father Sat Me Down” / Langhorne Slim – “Oh Honey” / The Rural Alberta Advantage – “Edmonton” / An Horse – “Horizons” / Bill Callahan – “Too Many Birds” / The Veils – “The House She Lived In” / Common Loon – “Dinosaur vs. Early Man” / The Broken West – “Eat at Home” (Paul McCartney cover) / Heartless Bastards – “Hold Your Head High” / A Trusty Knife – “A Flash In The Pan” / Montezumas – “Live To Pay” / The Flaming Lips – “Borderline” (Madonna cover)

Download: Muzzle of Bees + 91.7 WMSE Podcast: Volume 4

It’s been some time since we worked up a listening party with our friends at 91.7 WMSE of an upcoming record for you to enjoy amongst friends and spirits. This time around we chose two: St. Vincent’s Actor and Camera Obscura’s My Maudlin Career.

The event, as always, happens free of charge at our favorite Bay View haunt, Burnhearts. I’m not exaggerating when I say we have a ton of CD’s to give away this time around, including several copies of both albums featured at the listening party plus other great stuff.

Where: Burnhearts: 2599 South Logan Avenue, Bay View, Wisc 53207
When: Tuesday, April 28th, 8PM
Price: Free

Myspace: St. Vincent
Myspace: Camera Obscura
MP3: St. Vincent – “The Strangers”
MP3: Camera Obscura – “My Maudlin Career”

I’ve nursed a heavy serving of Ben Harper records through the years. Last month, in Austin, I sat in on taping of a forthcoming Austin City Limits Ben Harper & Relentless 7 appearance. The new material finds Harper backed by a smaller band than on previous records, he’s cut away some of the excess and made a straight up rock and roll record.

Next month Ben Harper + Relentless 7 will release White Lies For Dark Times on May 5th with a full set of tour dates to follow. When we got word of a vinyl giveaway we jumped at the chance to offer it up to you guys.

MoB Vinyl Giveaway: Up for grabs is a 10″ of “Shimmer & Shine” (Side A) and “Spanish Red Wine” (Side B), and a super-rare, promo only, 7″ with “The World Suicide” (Side A) and “Eldorado” (Side B). Drop a comment telling us your favorite Ben Harper album, song, or lyric and we’ll notify two winners by e-mail and send them one of each vinyl above.

The sting of that canceled Drive-By Truckers show in Milwaukee earlier this year still lingers a little bit. I needed that show, but am happy to hear front man Patterson Hood is in good health once again.

Patterson Hood will release Murdering Oscar (and other love songs) on June 23, 2009. Long in the making, this marks Patterson’s second venure into the world of solo recording and this time he’s joined by his old man, David Hood and Centro-Matic/South San Gabriel mastermind, Will Johnson.

You can currently stream two tracks at Patterson’s myspace page, including the piano-studded “Pride of the Yankees,” which provides a little hat tip to the late great Lou Gehrig. Vinyl enthusiasts earn three exclusive bonus tracks with their purchase.

Catch Patterson Hood & the Screwtopians with Will Johnson (Centro-matic/South San Gabriel) at the Metro in Chicago on Saturday, June 20th.

I will definitely be heading to Chicago for this one. Levon Helm’s Dirt Farmer remains in heavy rotation some two years since its release. We recently informed you about his new album, Electric Dirt, arriving June 30th, but it seems the good news continues to roll in.

Levon Helm will perform the Chicago Theatre on Tuesday, June 9th. Tickets range in price from $38.00 – $72.50 and go on sale Saturday, April 18th at noon (central). This show will probably keep me satisfied until I can break away for my road trip up to Levon’s house for one of his legendary Midnight Rambles.

Discuss: Any readers seen Levon Helm in concert? How about any Midnight Ramble attendees? Obviously, I’d be thrilled to hear from anybody that ever saw The Band too. Drop a comment and share your experience.

Muzzle of Bees is thrilled to present Jason Isbell + Justin Townes Earle tonight at the High Noon Saloon in Madison. If you’ve not yet added Isbell and Earle’s new releases to your collection, they both come firmly stamped with the MoB seal of approval. I’m hoping they’ve got ‘em on vinyl at the merch table tonight.

Tickets are only $15 and Justin Townes Earle starts things off at 9pm. See you tonight!

Previously: 5 Questions with Jason Isbell
Previously: Jason Isbell :: Brand New Kind Of Actress
Previously: From The Crowd | Justin Townes Earle “Who Am I To Say”

Myspace: Jason Isbell
Myspace: Justin Townes Earle
MP3: Justin Townes Earle – “Mama’s Eyes”
MP3: Justin Townes Earle – “What I Mean To You”