[Wayne Kramer, MC5, Detroit and Metal is a post in From the Vault - The Wolfgang's Vault blog.]

The Robinson brothers, Chris and Rich are brilliant together, and individually as well.   Chris is on tour with the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, while Rich is touring in support of his own record: Through A Crooked Sun.

“The sun was a fitting metaphor to examine my life, because in many ways what was going on both nourished me and blinded me at the same time,” says Rich. “I was living this life that was askew. My relationships with the people that were supposed to be my closest seemed damaged. My marriage was not a good fit for either of us and we weren’t facing up to that. Though I love my brother, the fact that my working environment can be challenging has been well chronicled. Nothing was working like it should have been, but by many people’s standards, it was a dream come true.”

Check out more of Rich’s music on his FB page.

Meanwhile – CRB – Chris Robinson Brotherhood is on tour with their own distinctive sound.  Check out this Otis Redding cover.

[The Black Crowes – the Robinson Brothers is a post in From the Vault - The Wolfgang's Vault blog.]

Michelle Kath Sinclair’s documentary “In Search of Terry”  is being funded via KickStarter, a funding platform for artists to be able to develop creative projects without a major corporate entity. Find out more here.

Searching For Terry

We wish her and the producers much success with this project and look forward to the film she is creating.

[Chicago’s Terry Kath is a post in From the Vault - The Wolfgang's Vault blog.]

[Tom Waits is a post in From the Vault - The Wolfgang's Vault blog.]

And our friend Bess Rogers has a new release as well.   Here are some samples of what you might enjoy.

Marketa Irglova:  she is best known for her part in the Swell Season and in the film Once, now the Academy Award winning singer and songwriter celebrates her first solo release: Anar.

Joe Henry is a critically acclaimed songwriter and producer, a Grammy-winner, in fact whose 12th release is available today.

Vault Sessions alumna Bess Rogers has a new independent release entitled Out of the Ocean, featuring the single Anchor- and she offers a free download of that song for a limited time at BessRogers.com

[New Releases: Marketa Irglova, Joe Henry, Bess Rogers is a post in From the Vault - The Wolfgang's Vault blog.]

This week, Will Hoge releases his seventh record, the aptly titled “Number Seven,” via Rykodisc. The new single from the disc is actually the last track, titled “When I Get My Wings.” It weaves together an emotionally poignant story from the vantage of an old man laying his beloved wife to rest after a long and happy life together. The video debuted just last week online, view it below.

YouTube Embed: “When I Get My Wings”

Will Hoge shared with us his musical influences, read about it on the Will Hoge Playlist here, or enjoy a clip of Will discussing the story behind “When I Get My Wings” in more detail:

Will also just kicked off his “When I Get My Wings 2011 Tour” in support of Number Seven. For more information on the dates, go to his website: http://willhoge.com/wired/tour.

And to purchase Willl’s new album Number Seven online,  go here: http://bit.ly/WHitunesEW

Get to know this great musician on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/willhoge

[Will Hoge is a post in From the Vault - The Wolfgang's Vault blog.]

Our own favorite U2 era is in the very early days, when the band was just breaking, as seen here.

Click the photo above to watch U2 live concert video from May 1981

And of course, both bands share a lot of fans, but, just for fun, if forced to choose – which film would you be more interested in seeing?

Word is that a Pearl Jam 20 soundtrack 2-cd set with previously unreleased tracks is available for pre-order now.

While you’re pondering the profundity of that question :)  check out some of the great memorabilia for both these bands here: and let us know your memories of either U2 or Pearl Jam live shows in the comments below.  Where and when, if ever, did you see them live?  What do you remember about it?

[U2 vs Pearl Jam at Toronto is a post in From the Vault - The Wolfgang's Vault blog.]

Fred McDowell played Newport Jazz on July 27, 1968.   Here is a track from that show:

It is our pleasure at Wolfgang’s Vault to keep alive the important musical performances of Fred McDowell all these years later.  Read more about this great bluesman, and enjoy the whole Mississippi Fred McDowell performance at Newport Jazz 1968 right here.

[Mississippi Fred McDowell is a post in From the Vault - The Wolfgang's Vault blog.]

Tinariwen is an ever-evolving guitar-driven project that brings together musicians: Touareg (nomadic Saharan people from multiple countries including Libya), with western musicians including members of Wilco and TV On The Radio. Take a look.

Wolfgang’s Vault is proudly filled with the history of previous musical expressions of the people of Africa reaching for their ideals. In 1980, Peter Gabriel started WOMAD, the annual music and arts festival that meant to bring World Music to the world. In 1986 U2, Gabriel and other supporters of Amnesty International created the Conspiracy of Hope tour with Bill Graham to raise awareness of the plight of the Prisoners of Conscience around the World. In 1984 and 1985 Bob Geldof championed the starvation of Ethiopia as a solvable crisis with the attention of the world in the Band Aid, and then Live Aid projects. Just last week, Bono – fresh off the worldwide U2 360 tour took to CNN to bring attention to the current starvation crisis in Somalia. It was even via music in 1984 that enough pressure was mounted in the South African effort to abolish Apartheid and Free Nelson Mandela, that the campaign succeeded.

With the August 30 release of Tinariwen’s record Tassili, the band seeks only to connect musically. The political backdrop maybe dramatic, but the Tinariwen music is a beautiful and harmonious melt of culture. And so we invite you to lend your ears to Tinariwen.  Purchase Tassili here.

[Introducing Tinariwen is a post in From the Vault - The Wolfgang's Vault blog.]

In his career with America, and later solo, Peek contributed to so many hit songs that are indelible in the minds of millions of music fans worldwide, even if we haven’t heard those songs in a while. We take this moment to send our condolences to the Peek family, and to remember the great music he helped create, including “Ventura Highway,” “Horse With No Name,” “Sister Golden Hair Surprise,” “Tin Man,” “I Need You,” and “Lonely People.”  

A medley of performances by Peek of some of America’s hits follows:

Dan Peek’s former bandmates, Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley, who continued America since Peek left the band in 1977, wrote a tribute to Peek on their site VenturaHighway.com.    Peek’s own site, DanPeek.com simply and movingly reads: “Dan went to Heaven on July 24 2011″

You can listen to four different post-Peek America concerts at http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/america/.

Please share your memories of these songs and this great band in the comments.

[Remembering Dan Peek of the band America is a post in From the Vault - The Wolfgang's Vault blog.]