Warren Haynes: Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag
With both Gov’t Mule and The Allman Brothers Band on ice for much of the year, veteran guitarist Warren Haynes released a soul-driven album under his own name and hit the road with his new Warren Haynes Band. Haynes experienced changes off the road as well when he and his wife adopted their first child. Executive Editor Dean Budnick sat down with Haynes amid these changes for an in-depth look at the life of one of the jamband scene’s most prominent players.

Woods and Real Estate: A Scene of Their Own
During the past decade, the members of Real Estate and Woods have carved out their own niche somewhere between the indie rock and jamband genres. Without the help of a major label or traditional managers, the intertwined bands forged a uniquely psychedelic D.I.Y. path that manages to balance classic rock values with a more modern approach to grassroots promotion. Executive Editor Mike Greenhaus spent time with the members of both bands while they worked on their new studio albums to find out how these two packs of suburban kids managed to build a scene of their own.

How to Steal a SMiLE
For Beach Boys fanatics and many record collectors, SMiLE is the Holy Grail—Brian Wilson’s great, lost crowning achievement. Scheduled for release in the ‘60s, fans have only heard the pop opus in drips and drabs—through various bootlegs, re-possessed recordings and Wilson’s rerecordings. But, more than 40 years later, The Beach Boys’ version of SMiLE will finally see the light of day as California’s most cherished sons prepare for their 50th anniversary celebration.
Contributing Editor Jesse Jarnow explains how the classic Beach Boys recording finally came to life.

Happy Days
This holiday season, we asked some of our favorite artists to reflect on their favorite gifts, describe their most memorable holiday shows and share their current holiday wishes. From Phish’s Mike Gordon to moe.’s Al Schnier, from Johnny Winter to Umphrey’s McGee’s Ryan Stasik, and from Mickey Hart to JJ Grey, we surveyed a range of artists featured in Relix throughout 2011 and received a festive range of responses.

Plus: Deer Tick, Leftover Salmon, Leslie West, Rich Robinson, Anders Osborne, Wooden Shjips, Dave Stewart, Can and much more!

Want to read more? There are three ways to get the goods:

1) Pick up a copy of the December issue of Relix magazine with Warren Haynes on the cover at a newsstand near you

2) Subscribe to Relix by clicking HERE

3) Buy the December issue by clicking HERE