CD of the Week: Jack Johnson's "To the Sea"

Baltimore has suffered through a major heatwave recently, and Jack Johnson's breezy brand of island jam pop is the perfect antidote. Johnson's fifth studio album, To The Sea, is his most accessible record yet, with layers of jangling guitars and simple melodies. The video for the first single, "You and Your Heart" perfectly encapsulates Johnson's surfer sensibility. 


Jack Johnson and his labelmates, friends, backing band ALO perform a sold out show at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Saturday, July 17th. Don't forget the sunblock.

Kenny Liner on Stuck in the Jam

Tune in at 9 p.m. Wednesday as Bug counts down to the All Good Music Festival in Masontown, WV, with an encore broadcast of The Bridge co-founder Kenny Liner's Stuck in the Jam takeover. Liner showcases some of his influences with tracks from Townes Van Zandt, My Morning Jacket, The Avett Brothers and Larry Williams.

Plus, in the second hour, Bug's Phresh Phish segment features selections from Phish's second night at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Sunday, June 27th. 

The Bridge kicks off the first full day of All Good at 1 p.m. Friday on the Dragon Stage. 

ALO--and Jenny O'Grady--on Morning Sessions

Tune into Morning Sessions at 9 a.m. Friday as WTMD listener Jenny O'Grady interviews Animal Liberation Orchestra backstage at the 8 x 10. (She won the right to kick Erik out of the host chair during last year's Holiday Helper Auction.)

The band's latest album, Man of the World, was produced by longtime friend, collaborator and Brushfire Records label owner Jack Johnson, who essentially became the fifth member of the band. ALO spent two weeks recording live in Johnson's home studio in Oahu, Hawaii. Johnson's approach to recording was a radical departure for the band, who were used to building a song from the ground up.

Although Johnson is known for his laid-back lifestyle, he was all business in the studio. "He was a musical mediator," said drummer Dave Brogan.

"He kept us on our best behavior," adds guitarist Dan Lebowitz. "We only went to the beach a couple times."

You can hear Johnson's influence on the final product. Man of the World is extremely accessible, balancing pop hooks with their jam-band roots.

ALO and Jack Johnson perform at Merriweather Post Pavilion on July 17.