moe.: A new album, and a concert tonight.

In an interview last week, moe. percussionist Jim Loughlin admitted to the band's distaste for the "jam band" moniker. He's right that the term is increasingly less useful for labeling an increasingly diverse group of improvisational bands. But the "jam-band" curse still holds true during the studio break between tours: The band tries to use the studio to add more to their sound-only they usually come out with less.

On the new Dither, moe. fall into the jam-band trap again. Songwriting isn't what makes moe., no matter how much they try. To its credit, Dither's production is crisp and better than past efforts. Embracing the modest pop tunes buried under the guitar dynamics of moe.'s live show, Dither smooths the band's rough edges but tarnishes their luster. No point on the album reaches anywhere near the funky heights and deep guitar rallies of a live rendition of a song like "Rebubula." Dither's compactness is not entirely a bad thing, but new or casual listeners won't be won over, and die-hards won't be satisfied.

However, while Dither is merely competent and unobjectionable pop-rock, moe.'s live act is one of the best around. Guitar rock has become a sort of fallen angel in the modern music, but moe. build it a sacred cathedral with their six-string acrobatics and complex, tight rhythm section. With Phish on hiatus, moe. is certainly one of the best "jam" bands around, especially if your tastes run closer to Jimi and Zeppelin than Steve Earle. Unfortunately, they've changed their stay in the area from two nights at the Cradle to just one at the Ritz. But it's tonight, and it's moe., so grab your piece and don the cargo shorts and experience the band the way they should be.