Dave Matthews Band finishes recording Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King

Dave Matthews Band has finished recording its new studio album, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, and details are finally starting to trickle out.

An article in the latest Rolling Stone offers up information on several songs:

• "Shake Me Like a Monkey": "deep, atmospheric funk"
  
• "Dive In": "anthemic and life-affirming"
  
• "Spaceman": "bawdy love song"
  
• "Squirm": "ominous, bombastic"
  
• "Timebomb": "Foo Fighters-style rocker"
  

The album opens with an unaccompanied solo by late saxophonist LeRoi Moore before fading into "Shake Me Like a Monkey."

"There's so much LeRoi on this record," Dave Matthews says.

Dave had previously told Rolling Stone about another song, "Lying in the Hands of God," which he described as "kind of like a duet between us." AntsMarching.org has reported two other song titles: "Why I Am" and "Funny the Way It Is."

Ants also points out that Amazon.com will sell the new album as a CD/DVD package and that a "very special" bonus disc is planned for fans who order the album through the official DMB site. That CD is rumored to contain studio versions of some of the new songs DMB has played live over the past two years. Possibilities include "Cornbread," "#27" "The Idea of You" and "Shotgun."

Meanwhile, ATO Records hints that several surprise guest musicians will perform on Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. One name that has been mentioned is banjo player Danny Barnes, who has played live with DMB in the past.

And finally, Dave posted on Twitter that he is "scribbling the cover art" for the album. It's unknown if Dave's art will appear on the album cover, of if he's just coming up with designs to pass along to professional artists.

DMB is expected to debut songs from Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King during its spring tour, which kicks off two weeks from tonight in New York.

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Danny Barnes to play with Dave Matthews Band

Danny Barnes will play with Dave Matthews Band at its Charlottesville, Va. concerts April 17 and 18.

Barnes, a banjo player, has played with DMB a handful of times in 2007 and 2008, and he is rumored to play on the new DMB album, Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King.

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Dave Matthews to honor Pete Seeger at concert

Dave Matthews will perform at a benefit concert for folk legend Pete Seeger's 90th birthday in May.

The event, called "Clearwater: Creating the Next Generation of Environmental Leaders," will also feature Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, John Mellencamp and Seeger himself. The list of dozens of performers also includes several Dave Matthews Band collaborators, including Bela Fleck, Ben Harper, Emmylou Harris, Tom Morello and Warren Haynes.

The concert will take place May 3 at Madison Square Garden in New York, and proceeds will benefit the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, a nonprofit organization for protecting the Hudson River.

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Dave Matthews Band adds Switzerland, Italy dates

Dave Matthews Band has added stops in Switzerland and Italy to its 2009 European tour.

DMB will play the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland on July 4 and the Lucca Summer Festival in Lucca, Italy on July 5, according to the Dave Matthews Band Almanac.

Neither festival, nor DMB itself, has officially announced the news yet.

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Dave Matthews Band at Fenway Park confirmed

Dave Matthews Band will play at Fenway Park for two nights this summer, the band announced today.

Fenway Park will host the DMB concerts May 29 and 30. DMB becomes the first band to headline Fenway Park twice since the historic ballpark began hosting annual concerts in 2003. Willie Nelson and Family will be the opening act for both nights.

The Fenway Park concerts have been rumored since The Boston Globe reported on them last month.

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DMB to play Outside Lands fest in San Francisco?

San Francisco's Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is the likely location for Dave Matthews Band's Aug. 29 concert.

The Outside Lands festival, announced yesterday, will take place Aug. 28-30 at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. DMB has a scheduled tour stop in San Francisco on Aug. 29, but the band has not yet announced a venue.

DMB last played Golden Gate Park in 2004 and released a recording of the concert as Live Trax Vol. 2.

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Tim Reynolds to play DMB after-party in Raleigh

Tim Reynolds is going to be very busy April 22.

After playing with Dave Matthews Band during its show at Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion in Raleigh, N.C., Tim will then play an after-party with his band TR3 at the Pour House Music Hall in Raleigh.

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Dave Matthews Band to play 2 more England shows

Dave Matthews Band will play two additional concerts in England during its European tour this summer.

DMB said this week it will play June 26 at Brixton Academy in London and June 29 at the Wolverhampton Civic Center. The band previously announced concerts June 25 at Brixton Academy and June 28 during the Hard Rock Calling festival in Hyde Park.

The two-week DMB European tour will also take the band to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal.

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Dave Matthews Band official Web site redesigned

The Dave Matthews Band official Web site got a makeover this week.

The new DMB site now has a widget-like design, with square boxes that highlight news, tour dates and more, including Dave Matthews' and Stefan Lessard's Twitter accounts and a video tribute to LeRoi Moore.

The Web site also now clarifies who exactly is in the band. Dave, Stefan, LeRoi, Carter Beauford and Boyd Tinsley are listed as members, while Jeff Coffin, Tim Reynolds and Rashawn Ross are "touring members."

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