RUFUS WAINWRIGHT It was the best of times, it was the worst of times—now let’s dance      After spending a few years exploring esoteric pursuits like composing the opera Prima Donna and staging a Judy Garland tribute at Carnegie Hall, Rufus Wainwright was ready to aim for the mainstream. “My listeners have been very patient with my little dalliances,” he says. “So I wanted to give them the kind of record you can bring to a party and... 

WHO’S NEXT: DANIEL MERRIWEATHER Daniel Merriweather HOMETOWN: Melbourne, Australia INFLUENCES: D’Angelo, Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder ALBUM: Love & War, out Feb. 23 WEBSITE: danielmerriweather.com DANIEL MERRIWEATHER WAS FIRST DRAWN TO MUSIC at age 4, when he discovered his mother’s violin. Soon he was playing Vivaldi and Bach concertos, but at 10 he was nudged toward R&B music by his discovery of Boyz II Men’s Cooleyhighharmony....