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“[Stereo Rodeo] is filled with all the different styles you’ve come to expect from Rusted Root, definitely having all the elements you want. From the energetic dance euphoria that Dance in the Middle evokes to the powerful epic sound of Weary Bones,” writes Evan Levy (CBS Radio), of the long awaited eleven-song collection. “We are getting a lot of positive feedback from fans,” says vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter, Michael Glabicki, “We are definitely heading in a lot of different directions with this new CD.”

Patrick Norman says about the invigorating energetic track that leads off the album, “Dance in the Middle is one of those tracks that once we first started working on, we knew we had something.” The title track, Stereo Rodeo brings a cinematic, wide-open and intimate style to the album that is captivating. The one cover on the album, Suspicious Minds, made famous by Elvis Presley in 1969, is reworked with new and vitalizing Latin rhythms and has become a powerful favorite at the band’s incendiary live shows. Glabicki states that the political track on the album, Bad Son, “is about George Bush’s accomplishments, {as his fellow band members laugh} talking about his childhood insecurities that you can see were prevalent in how he ran the country.” Filling out the album, the last track Crucible Glow was an obvious conclusion, as it’s about change and the uncertainty of the future, adding horns and a heavy groove to the polyrhythmic flow of the album.

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After being celebrated for more than a decade for its consistently riveting live show, Rusted Root is releasing its first live album, a two-disc set featuring the new songs “Jack Kerouac”, “Ecstatic Drums” and a cover of Neil Young’s “Powderfinger.”

Rusted Root Live, released on the band’s Touchy Pegg/DKE Records, features 22 songs that span the group’s more than 12-year-old career, ranging from such early faves-turned live staples as “Cruel Sun,” “Ecstasy”, “Martyr”, Cat Turned Blue” and the hit single “Send Me On My Way” (all from 1992’s Cruel Sun) to the pretty “Blue Diamonds” and the rousing title track from the band’s last studio effort, 2002’s Welcome To My Party.

Veering, like each Rusted Root album, into Eastern and African directions, the electrifying and powerfully rhythmic Rusted Root Live features the Pittsburgh-born band’s original line-up: Michael Glabicki (lead vocals, guitar), Jenn Wertz (vocals, guitars, percussion), Liz Berlin (vocals, guitars, percussion), Jim Donovan (drums, percussion, vocals), Patrick Norman (bass, guitar, baritone vocals, percussion) and John Buynak (electric guitar, percussion, flute).

The band’s sixth album, Rusted Root Live is the second album on its Touchy Pegg label, following the re-release of Cruel Sun in 2003, after a long tenure with Mercury/Island Def Jam

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Produced by Bill Bottrell (Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow and Rusted's platinum When I Woke), Welcome… features eight compositions from Glabicki, one each from vocalists Liz Berlin and recent reenlistment Jenn Wertz, and opens with the funky, percolating “Union 7,” the first ever 50-50 collab between Wertz and Glabicki. These songs capture the essence of a band that is truly a single, thriving organism.

And what is that essence? After a long pause, Glabicki says, “For me, it really comes down to the songs. At this stage of the game, I knew some faults we had in the past. It was a conscious decision to make sure the songs were kept in the forefront and that the band could still do what they do in and around those songs at the right moment.”

Rusted Root has songs. It was evident from the beginning with When I Woke's smash single “Send Me On My Way,” and is stunningly clear with Welcome…. From the title track, a pinnacle of pop balladry, to Berlin's sunny, reggae-inflected “Too Much;” the shimmering Saturday afternoon vibe of “Hands Are Law;” Wertz's sexy, sinewy rave-up, “Weave;” and the supple Glabicki-Wertz duet “Blue Diamonds,” Rusted Root has created a true representation of their every facet.  Welcome…differs from other Rusted records in that it lacks a drum instrumental. Instead, there is “People Of My Village,” a thumping, techno-tinged track that nevertheless showcases drummer Jim Donovan's talents (he being a renowned drum clinician and solo artist), including newly acquired computer skills. “I had just started to use my computer as a brand new instrument and it opened me up to a zillion rhythmic possibilities I could have never played on my own. The song is tremendous. It relates to everything we've done in the past but sounds new. That's why I love playing with this band. It's always about pushing boundaries and not putting ourselves in a box.”  To that end, Rusted Root approached production differently. Bottrell came in after a four-month preproduction period and spent the first week observing. Says Glabicki, “We had developed our own recording skills and methods, so he just sat in and watched how we worked, which I thought showed his wisdom and enthusiasm. He was willing to feed our process and we brought out things in each other that I think we are all thankful for.”

“Root's studio skills have sharpened considerably since I last produced them,” says Bottrell. “What has remained unchanged is their live show. Now they're unstoppable.”

Welcome to My Party comes after a year off, which the band members used to explore other creative vectors. “We'd reached a point in our creativity where it was just time to examine other musical avenues,” reveals Glabicki. “It was a little scary at first; kind of intriguing. We had never done it.”

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Rusted Root (Nov., 1998), their self-titled 1998 release, features infectious, intensely danceable music from a variety of influences. Its driving, tribal rhythms interweave African and Middle Eastern elements, while the guitar and mandolin are by turns traditionally American, incorporating blues and old time riffs, and reminiscent of the Afro-pop styles of Ju-Ju and High Life.

Recorded in Pittsburgh with producer/engineer Susan Rogers (Prince, David Byrne, Barenaked Ladies), and producer/engineer Pat Moran (Edie Brickell, Rush),Rusted Root is a textured, richly exhuberant experience for the listener. Members of Hot Tuna, who shared support duties on 1998’s Further Festival with Rusted Root (headlined by The Other Ones), play on several tracks, adding piano, accordion and even washboard to the mix. The result is a multi-layered, passionate musical and spiritual experience.

Rusted Root’s twelve tracks include the rousing “She Roll Me Up”, “Live A Long Time:” (rap included!), “Agbadza” (one of Root’s signature drum pieces), and the ethereal “Moon” (featuring a lead vocal by Liz Berlin, who wrote the song, with assistance from the band ) . Also included is a version of the Stones’ classic, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” with Hot Tuna.

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Remember, released in 1996. This darker, more electrified album was Rusted Root’s second release on Mercury Records. It helped to bring Rusted Root a still wider audience while continuing to offer what their fans love most... the hypnotic percussion, layers of vocal harmonies, and sinewy power that pulls in its listeners. Remember showcases Rusted Root's energized, percussion-driven grooves and combines elements of world music, bluegrass, polyrhythm, and multi-instrumentalism which gives Rusted Root a sound all their own. Produced by Jerry Harrison, it reached the Top 40 in its first week of release. The lineup includes Jim Donovan, Jim DiSpirito, Michael Glabicki, Patrick Norman, John Buynak and Liz Berlin

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Having caught the attention of Record Executives at Mercury by self releasing their album, Cruel Sun, and selling more than 100,000 copies, Rusted Root released their major label debut, When I Woke, in 1994. The album was recorded live in six weeks in the inspirational Toad Hall in Pasadena, California, with all the members playing together and doing as few takes as possible. When I Woke has newly recorded versions of songs off Cruel Sun like “Cat Turned Blue” and “Back to the Earth.” With support from college radio and a good buzz from the band's entrancing live show, When I Woke became quite successful in alternative circles during 1995-1996, especially with singles such as "Send Me On My Way" and "Ecstasy.” When I Woke, produced by Bill Bottrell (Tom Petty and Sheryl Crow), has gone on to sell over two million copies.

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Cruel Sun, released in 1992. Cruel Sun is the self released debut album from Rusted Root re-released in 2003.  Cruel Sun attracted the attention of Mercury Records who signed the band to their first major record deal. Cruel Sun features the original line up of Liz Berlin on Vocals, Percussion & Hand drums; John Buynak on Wind instruments, Percussion, hand drums and vocals; Jim Donovan on Drums, Percussion and hand drums; Michael Glabicki on Lead Vocals and Guitar; Patrick Norman on Bass, Vocals, Percussion and sitar; and Jenn Wertz on Vocals and Percussion.  It was recorded and Mixed at Audiomation in Pittsburgh, PA in 1992.