The Dave Matthews Band Official Fan Association

Animal Liberation Orchestra has had an enormously successful year, which has found them touring with the likes of Jack Johnson and recently signing with Brushfire Records. Their album "Fly Between Falls" suffices when you can't see them live, but the sounds of their laid back optimistic pacifism almost creates a conversation between the dancing fans and musicians. ALO originated in California and has been playing together in various incarnations since college. The band is made up of Zach Gills (keys, accordion, vocals, and ukulele), Dan Lebowitz (guitar, percussion, vocals), Steve Adams (bass, vocals) and David Brogan (drums, vocals). All four members are equally trained in jazz, classics, pop and funk, creating an educated new brand of creative funkiness.

Upon returning from Senegal, said Dave about the trip, "We got to meet Baaba Maal, one of my heroes." In 2004, Dave and Trey Anastasio toured Dakar, performed with Orchestra Baobab, performed on Goree Island and went to a Baaba Maal concert all recorded for posterity by Vh1. Baaba Maal is a pillar of the African music world. For over ten years, he has been creating magical compositions ranging from the purest traditional sounds to exciting, innovative fusion. Using his music as a vehicle to express his concerns and empower his people, Baaba Maal sings and speaks for Africa with unprecedented authority.

Ben Kweller's undeniable knack for melody leaves you singing long after your Walkman batteries are dead. On April 6th, 2004, BK released his highly anticipated second studio album, "On My Way", on ATO/RCA Records. One of the main differences between "On My Way" and Kweller's first album, Sha Sha, is the distinctly live feel of the new record, akin to a mid-sixties rock recording. Through this release it is obvious that BK has progressed musically in every aspect. Yet, in the end, he's managed to keep the songwriting sensibility and diversity for which he is known and loved.

Three years after his last album, the four times platinum 'A New Day At Midnight', David Gray presents 'Life In Slow Motion', recorded between autumn 2003 and spring 2005 and released through ATO/RCA Records. 'Life In Slow Motion' is the deceptively consummate product of two years of near-constant evolution, described by David as "the tip of an iceberg" of new material generated along the way.

Motion Potion (Robert Kowal), called alternately "the Dj for people who hate Dj's" and the "Swiss Army DJ", MoPo seems to have something for everyone. MoPo is a funk impresario, mashup enthusiast, and live collaborator with such bands as Parliament-Funkadelic, the Mutaytor and Galactic. His career has been defined by an attempt to break down genre and scene barriers, playing every conceivable kind of music in the course of a night, a set, or a seven-minute mash-up. His own mix CD's range wider than most label's catalogs; live mixes that range from underground hip hop electronic breaks to world fusion to rare southern rock.

Galactic was born in the early '90s, after two Washington DC punks - guitarist Jeff Raines and bassist Robert Mercurio - relocated to New Orleans and found themselves intoxicated by the sounds of the scene that nurtured The Meters, Professor Longhair, the Neville Brothers and Dr. John. Armed with the rhythmic tradition of its hometown, the six-piece future funk outfit has spent over a decade tearing through venues across the world, leaving hordes of die-hard Galactic junkies in its wake.

For How We Operate, their fifth studio album (2006), Gomez didn't set out to reinvent the wheel. Oh no. The British quintet just wanted to change the blueprint for a different sort of rounded object: Their own records. British music fans have long been hip to Gomez and their retro-pop sound and electronic experiments. However, the group is just now finding itself poised on the brink of mainstream American recognition. To help focus their energies on their first studio release for ATO Records, the band decided to try a wholly new tack, and enlist the help of their first outside producer Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters).

"MR. A-Z" is Mraz's pseudo-self-titled second album. It definitely sounds like a sequel to his first album, "WAITING FOR MY ROCKET TO COME," only this time he used a slightly different octane of rocket fuel and had a greater amount of time to prepare its launch. Though he has collaborated with both his touring band and people whose influences have always affected his musical ear - such as my producer Steve Lillywhite - this album is all Mraz from beginning to end.

True to its title, the John Butler Trio's new album "Sunrise Over Sea" marks the latest chapter in the odyssey of John Butler. Here he emerges as much as a singer and songwriter, arranger and producer, as he is a gifted, rootsy guitarist. The album's lead-off single, the crossover radio hit, "Zebra" already sent the message to Butler’s legion of followers: don't assume that you know what's coming. JBT has captivated fans spanning from Europe to North America as an amazing touring act. The band's music draws on influences of reggae, hip-hop, funk, blues, folk, and country.

Actually comprised of six members, Jurassic 5 is part of the new rap underground of the late 90s. Their last album, Power in Numbers, was released on Interscope Records in 02. Jurassic 5 performed as support act for DMB for several dates during the summer 2005 tour.

Combining the sounds of Bob Marley and Shlomo Carlebach, yet remaining wholly original, Matisyahu's performance is an uplifting, powerful experience for all in his presence. Even the most pessimistic in his audience is inspired by his ability to so honestly convey such a delicate, topic as faith/spirituality. It is his dedication to his belief and openness to others that compels one to respect his artistry and message. It's in that fleeting moment when our skepticism melts and our souls open up, that Matisyahu enters with his booming sound of faith.

The former frontman for Soul Coughing, Mike Doughty has found out even more about what it means to be a songwriter and an artist. His new solo album HAUGHTY MELODIC (ATO Records), features unique songs rendered in fully realized form, fleshed out with the help of a full band—the first the singer has recorded with since Soul Coughing split in 2000.

Unquestionably one of the most important contributors to rock n roll, Neil Young continues to influence musicians with his lyrical poetry and powerful performances. Prairie Wind, his newest recording, was released in early 2006 as a CD/DVD – with video of some of the studio sessions that took place while recording the album.

The island-vibe roots rock sound of O.A.R. first developed in Rockville, Maryland in 1997 in the basement of drummer Chris Culos' childhood home. While still in high school, the band released their first album, The Wanderer, and by the time they had graduated from college, they already had three albums under their belts. Known for their energetic live performances, the band began touring throughout the country upon graduation. In early 2005, the band returned to where it all began, Culos' basement, to find inspiration and begin work on their most recent release with Lava Records, Stories of a Stranger.

Los Angeles' beloved Afro-Latin-and-beyond style-mashers. Ozomatli's latest release, the Grammy winning Street Signs is both a mature testament to the band's nearly decade-long evolution and a fresh, dance floor-rocking reminder of their commitment to creating original music in the face of industry conservatism.

By the summer of 1999, Ray had quit his job in a Maine shoe factory and had put together a ten-song demo tape of his songs, and that demo found its way into the hands of Jamie Ceretta at Chrysalis Music Publishing. The publishing house signed the young songwriter and teamed him with producer Ethan Johns in the studio, resulting in LaMontagne’s highly acclaimed debut album, Trouble, which was picked up by RCA Records and released in the fall of 2004.

Robert Randolph & the Family Band are ready to change your life, just as music changed that of this group's dynamic leader. Raised in a firestorm of faith and danger, dividing his time between battles in the streets and safety in the arms of his music, Robert Randolph found his way up from darkness with help from a most unusual source: the pedal steel guitar. in Randolph's world, which centers on the unique "sacred steel" tradition within the House of God Church, the pedal steel is a different animal, a source of ferocious, passionate sound. And in Randolph's young hands, it's a weapon, used to slash at darkness and rip away the shades that hide sunlight from our lives.

Best known the world over for the group that bears his name, Carlos Santana has been reinventing and reshaping the landscape of the known universe's musical culture for close to four decades. A visionary artist with no regards for genre boundaries, Carlos' fluid sound long ago laid claim to the concept of "world music" before the term ever surfaced on pop culture radar. Visit the site of Santana and check out Dave Matthews' vocals and Carter Beauford on drums on "Love of My Life," an incredible track on Supernatural.

Ocean Beach, CA's Slightly Stoopid, who are already coasting into their second decade of rock n' roll at the ages of 26 - 27 years-old, released their fifth album, Closer to the Sun, in April 2005. Fusing acoustic rock and blues with reggae, hip-hop, and punk, Slightly Stoopid have cemented a signature sound and created a legion of die-hard fans in the process.

Toots is one of the true architects of reggae - so much so that "Do the Reggay," a 1968 single by Toots and his group, the Maytals, is credited with giving the genre its name. Classic songs written and recorded by Toots and the Maytals have been covered by the likes of the Clash and the Specials, and the group was featured in reggae's greatest breakthrough event - "The Harder They Come," the 1972 film that became an international sensation.

"He was a voice during the revolution ... a voice of hope, the Woody Guthrie or Bob Dylan of South Africa and still is."
- Dave Matthews
Vusi's vocal talents can be heard on the Dave Matthews Band "Everyday" album and his debut US release The Voice is out now on ATO Records. Vusi is featured on the
2006 Oscar Award winning motion picture Tsotsi.

Surf/roots artist Xavier Rudd weaves stories of the mistreatment of the indigenous people of his homeland and songs about humanity, spirituality and the environment, compassionate songs encouraging understanding and looking to celebrate life. And running through those songs are all sorts of instruments: guitars, shakers, didgeridoos, Weissenborn slide guitars, Tongue drums, stomp boxes, djembes, harmonica, ankle bells, and slide banjo—and they’re all played by Rudd! Even more impressive, though, Rudd recreates these songs live - playing the guitar, didgeridoo and various percussion parts simultaneously - using a unique stage set-up. It's a sight to behold for sure!

Greg Howard joined DMB on "Before These Crowded Streets" and made live guest appearances on the Summer 98 tour playing his Chapman Stick.

"Drummer, percussionist and composer Robert Jospe is known for his mastery of rhythmic styles incorporating salsa, calypso, samba, swing, funk and African rhythms into his own unique and distinctive style of contemporary jazz."

No longer a working trio, the band is now the writing and recording duo of Houston Ross and Michael Sokolowski. The musical influences of everything from mamba to easy listening to gospel can be heard in SOKO's melodic/rhythmic combinations. SOKO is the former band of LeRoi Moore.

The Hackensaw Boys first began playing their joyful blend of old-time and bluegrass string-band music on the streets of Charlottesville in the autumn of 1999. In the past four years the Hackensaw's have been on two Unlimited Sunshine Tours, two tours with Modest Mouse, backed up Charley Louvin on 18 coast-to-coast dates, opened the 2003 Bonnaroo Festival, performed at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, The High Sierra Music Festival, participated in the Jam Cruise, and put down tracks for a new album.

Learn about the Amazon rainforest, its peoples and how to help them.

RAN joined DMB on their recent summer tour raising awareness and inviting fans to take action to save old growth forests.