Those lucky enough to score a "miracle" ticket to the Fare Thee Well concerts this summer were treated to some potent psychedelic jams during the shows’ intermissions. The mysterious group behind those freewheeling tunes was Circles Around the Sun, a band convened by guitarist Neal Casal specifically for the project.

When you see The Chris Robinson Brotherhood in your town, which they’ll no doubt be visiting sooner than later, the former Black Crowes vocalist will likely be the most recognizable. That’s not what this band is about, however, as this is no patchwork group assembled to orbit a central star. This is a band in the truest sense, with five members sharing the stage and songs that have come together as an evolving unit over four-plus years.

It’s hard to use the term super-group without a couple of obvious stigmas surfacing. It usually constitutes musicians who were sensationalized with other bands coming together to benefit off of the novelty of their collaboration with other already successful players. Often the results are under-inspired, a lucrative opportunity to make a quick buck off of an established name. Not every band assembled of already established players constitutes super group.

Happy Spring y'all in these strange times. If we may change the subject to something a bit more positive for just a moment, then what better time than the eve of Record Store Day 2013. The great American institution—the record store—has had a rough go over the last decade. Yet despite those struggles, there are still a ton of amazing record shops out all around the world. This Saturday, 4/20, we celebrate them...

Neal Casal has announced the release of a limited edition 7-inch single for Record Store Day 2013 featuring his rendition of The Grateful Dead's "Mountains of the Moon." The B-side is an instrumental acoustic guitar-based piece entitled "Grimes' Surf Story." Casal is accompanied on both tracks by his band-mate in the Chris Robinson Brotherhood and current Black Crowes' keyboardist <