SUGARLAND The country duo turns over another new leaf with its new album’s arena-rocking sound If Sugarland’s new album, The Incredible Machine, sounds grand and full of ambition, that’s because its inspiration was, too. “We had gotten a call about writing a song for a 2010 Winter Olympics soundtrack,” says guitarist Kristian Bush. “So we started thinking, ‘If I were writing a song for a skier or snowboarder to play on their iPod before... 

TRICKY Mixing things up with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and commitment Fame swept over trip-hop star Tricky so quickly in the mid-1990s that he was barely able to catch his breath. He sat out much of the ’00s to do just that. “It was a way of catching up with myself,” says Tricky of his self-imposed hiatus, during which he became a self-described fitness nut. “I’m more comfortable now. I realized I’ve got a great job. I’m lucky to... 

PHIL COLLINS A rock giant’s R&B labor of love might just be the last album he ever makes Phil Collins has sold more than 250 million albums over four decades as both a solo star and as the singer and drummer for rock supergroup Genesis. He has earned seven Grammy awards, an Oscar, two Golden Globes and membership in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now Collins claims that he is well and truly finished. He swears that Going Back, a new 18-track... 

SARA HICKMAN In music and in business, Texas’ Official State Musician has it covered Sara Hickman doesn’t waste a moment. An adept multitasker, she is devoted to both her family (she lists her role as wife and mother prominently in her résumé) and a far-flung 22-year career that’s brought her success as a singer, songwriter, producer and entrepreneur. These days the tireless Texan is busier than ever with a long list of projects. They include... 

NICK CAVE An alt-rock icon explores sex, death, violence and love with Grinderman When Grinderman debuted in 2007 with its self-titled album, some might have surmised that the project—which featured four core members of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds—was little more than a particularly inspired vacation from the parent group. The release of Grinderman 2 puts any such notion to rest. For Cave, guitarist Warren Ellis, bass player Martyn Casey and... 

HEART Nancy Wilson discusses the inner workings of rock’s best-loved sister act Nancy Wilson has rocked audiences for more than three decades as the iconic guitarist for Heart, cranking classics like “Barracuda” and “Crazy on You” up to 10. But over the last several years, she found herself yearning for a new title: “lead autoharpist.” “I’ve been looking for a place for an autoharp,” she says with a chuckle. “For a half-decade... 

DEREK TRUCKS He learned from the masters how to make his guitar sing By Russell Hall Derek Trucks was born to make music. The nephew of Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks, he was named after Eric Clapton’s early-1970s outfit Derek and the Dominos. So it was only natural when Trucks took up slide guitar at 9, formed the Derek Trucks Band at 14 and sat in with the likes of Bob Dylan, John Lee Hooker and Buddy Guy while still in his teens.... 

LARRY KLEIN This innovative producer is more than just a ladies’ man By Jeff Tamarkin What do Joni Mitchell, Madeleine Peyroux, Julia Fordham, Melody Gardot, Shawn Colvin, Mary Black, Luciana Souza and Tracy Chapman have in common? Sure, they’re all highly acclaimed female singers. But they also have the distinction of having collaborated with producer Larry Klein. (Two have also been married to him—Mitchell from 1982 to 1994 and Souza since... 

CARLOS SANTANA An iconic guitarist wholeheartedly embraces a past he helped to create By Jeff Tamarkin A few months ago, Carlos Santana walked on stage at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in New York—a modern venue built on the site of 1969’s fabled Woodstock festival—and wasted no time delivering his audience a chill-inducing moment. He opened the concert with “Soul Sacrifice,” the same combustible jam that launched him into the rock... 

ROBERT PLANT From Nashville to North Africa, his ears are always open On Dec. 10, 2007, the mighty Led Zeppelin roared. The group’s first full concert since its breakup in 1980, featuring late drummer John Bonham’s son Jason filling his father’s shoes, was billed as a one-night-only tribute to the late Atlantic Records founder and president Ahmet Ertegun. But the show’s enormous success naturally stirred rumors that the band was preparing... 

MAVIS STAPLES An R&B legend finds a new sound, with help from Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy Mavis Staples’ new album, You Are Not Alone, finds the 71-year-old soul icon in peak form. It was produced by Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and recorded at the Wilco Loft, the group’s rehearsal and recording space in Chicago. On the album, Staples takes on songs written by her late father, Roebuck “Pops” Staples—who founded their legendary family band,... 

SARA BAREILLES Finding the keys to confidence and beating the sophomore jinx Sara Bareilles doesn’t like being told what to do—but it does seem to inspire some of her best work. The singer-songwriter’s 2007 breakthrough hit, “Love Song,” from her Grammy-nominated debut album, Little Voice, is a clever rebuke to a record exec’s alleged appeal for a more marketable hit. “King of Anything,” the first single from her second album, Kaleidoscope... 

JEFF BECK A restless explorer is still finding new territory to conquer Since the moment he replaced Eric Clapton as lead guitarist for the Yardbirds in March 1965, Jeff Beck has never stopped innovating, pushing ever outward the boundaries of what can be expressed through an electric guitar. His career over the last 45 years has found him exploring jazz fusion, rockabilly, blues and practically any other style you can name. On his latest, Emotion... 

JAMEY JOHNSON A next-generation outlaw, shaking up country music with just a guitar Jamey Johnson’s new double album, The Guitar Song, is separated into conceptual halves. The first disc, dubbed “Black,” reverberates with the damage caused by broken relationships and broken promises, then the “White” disc moves past loneliness and loss towards feelings of redemption and forgiveness. But ask the soft-spoken singer and songwriter about the... 

OF MONTREAL Getting away from home for a while, thanks to a serious case of the funk flu Of Montreal mastermind Kevin Barnes recorded the group’s previous albums at his home studio in Georgia. But for the act’s new effort, False Priest, he elected to work with producer Jon Brion (Rufus Wainwright, Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple) in a professional studio. “It was really just a desire to do something different, because I’d been doing it this way... 

NELLIE McKAY Sharing ideas and changing hearts and minds, one vegan restaurant at a time If you ever find yourself in a vegan restaurant and you see a young blond woman at a table that’s groaning from the weight of the food on it, don’t be alarmed—it might just be Nellie McKay writing songs. She describes her ideal creative space thus: “In a vegan restaurant, eating a dairy-free caesar salad, a milkshake that tastes like a Butterfinger bar,... 

MAROON 5 From Switzerland to Nashville, finding the way forward on a make-or-break album On their 2007 album, It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, Maroon 5 enlisted a team of producers to help shape the material. For their latest disc, Hands All Over, the pop rockers turned to one—Robert John “Mutt” Lange, famed for his cinematic productions of AC/DC, Def Leppard and others. “The producers on the last album did a great job, but it was hard to... 

JENNY AND JOHNNY An indie-rock couple’s unplanned burst of inspiration turns into a full-time gig On I’m Having Fun Now, their debut effort as Jenny and Johnny, indie-rock “it” couple Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice take on God, economics and Michael Jackson’s chimpanzee, addressing these and other topics with wit and wisdom. The two began writing the album in late 2009—“a bastard of a year,” as Rice sings on the standout “My Pet... 

RAUL MALO Keeping music alive by getting out of his comfort zone For the creation of Raul Malo’s sonically diverse new album, Sinners & Saints, the crooner opted to forgo the assistance of just about everyone who had aided him in assembling his previous releases. Malo recorded much of the album at his home studio in Nashville, producing and playing most of the instruments himself. He then decamped to Bismeaux Studio in Austin, where he added... 

LITTLE BIG TOWN There’s a reason why this tenacious country group refuses to go back to the house When Little Big Town’s self-titled debut was released in 2002, its poppy, overproduced sound was met by critical scorn and commercial indifference. The band has been on a mission ever since. “The first record we made was just crucified, so we had something to prove,” says Kimberly Schlapman, who shares vocal duties equally with bandmates Karen... 

BELINDA CARLISLE From the heights of pop stardom to the depths of drug abuse—and back “I always knew I had a good book in me,” says Belinda Carlisle. With a career that spans the heady days of L.A.’s early punk scene to pop superstardom, the Go-Go’s lead singer and solo pop star has plenty of rock ’n’ roll dirt to dish. But it was her recovery from cocaine addiction that prompted Carlisle to finally write her new memoir, Lips Unsealed.... 

JOEY KRAMER Aerosmith’s hard-hitting drummer sounds off about recovery and rock As recently as a few months ago, it appeared the 40-year story of Aerosmith could be coming to an end. Lead singer Steven Tyler was out of touch with the band and focused on solo projects, and guitarist Joe Perry announced that he and his fellow members were looking for a replacement. Uncertainty and speculation reigned for months before the group surprised the world... 

JIMMIE VAUGHAN The Texas guitar master still considers himself a student of the blues By Eric R. Danton Texas-born guitar slinger Jimmie Vaughan grew up listening to songs by the likes of Jimmy Reed, Johnny Ace and Lonnie Brooks—the kind of old rock ’n’ roll, vintage blues and country that once filled up jukeboxes and crackled from transistor radios. Stations at the time regularly played songs that blurred genre lines, and young Jimmie didn’t... 

BRYAN-MICHAEL COX He can make a hit record for you—but he’d like a conversation first By Dan Daley For Bryan-Michael Cox, it’s all about the conversation. That’s the first point of contact between the 32-year-old producer and the artists with whom he works. The conversation builds a groundwork of trust and mutual understanding. Then he’ll write a song about something meaningful that comes out of that conversation—like Usher’s 2004... 

THE BLACK CROWES Chris Robinson looks back on two decades of keeping it weird By Chris Neal In January 2002, the Black Crowes announced plans for an indefinite hiatus. Relations among the members had reached an all-time low, particularly the famously tempestuous bond between lead singer Chris Robinson and guitarist brother Rich. They all needed a break from each other. “There was a lot of negativity surrounding all of our feelings,” recalls... 

INDIGO GIRLS Staring down the challenge of a live album together When the Indigo Girls began compiling Staring Down the Brilliant Dream, their first live album since 1995’s 1200 Curfews, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers were pretty sure they knew what wouldn’t be included: their signature hit, 1989’s “Closer to Fine.” They were looking for lesser-known gems and newer songs. But then they stumbled on a performance of the song featuring guests Michelle... 

CROWDED HOUSE Neil Finn and company return with some very intriguing new music Upon its reunion in 2006 after a decade of inaction, Crowded House and its fans alike took some time getting used to a reality without original drummer Paul Hester, who passed away the previous year. But the new Intriguer album, recorded in the group’s native New Zealand and producer Jim Scott’s home base of Los Angeles, is very much the work of an act whose now-stable... 

TOM JONES An unrepentant sex bomb showing his spiritual side? It’s not unusual Tom Jones’ record label asked if he’d consider recording an album of gospel hymns—something nice and pretty that the company could sell around Christmastime. What he gave them was something very different. Praise & Blame is indeed an album built on spiritual themes, but its gutbucket blues-based rock sound is hardly holiday easy-listening fare. Jones and producer... 

ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO Finding himself again in songs about the mysteries of love After releasing two intensely personal concept albums—2006’s The Boxing Mirror, about a near-fatal bout with hepatitis C, and 2008’s Real Animal, a detail-rich rock ’n’ roll memoir—Alejandro Escovedo needed a change. He and collaborator Chuck Prophet began writing what would become Street Songs of Love, Escovedo’s 10th solo album. What emerged was a record... 

TIM O’BRIEN A bluegrass master in competition only with himself When selecting a title for his new album, bluegrass icon Tim O’Brien found inspiration when his neighbor’s chickens wandered into his photo shoot. He had a moment of realization later during a lunch of hardboiled eggs: “You don’t know what came first,” he says, “and it doesn’t matter.” Such is O’Brien’s approach to folk and bluegrass music on Chicken & Egg.... 

TEGAN AND SARA Ready to mix things up, in the studio and on stage After more than a dozen years of recording and performing, Canadian indie-pop duo Tegan and Sara know their fan base. Now they’re finding creative ways to expand it. That was the idea behind Alligator, a 17-track iTunes exclusive of remixes (and one demo) of the title song, a bouncy piano-based pop number that appeared on Tegan and Sara’s 2009 album Sainthood. For the remixes,... 

GOO GOO DOLLS Seeking inspiration from without as well as within Past Goo Goo Dolls hits—“Name,” “Slide” and “Let Love In,” to name a few—have been deeply introspective. For the band’s latest album, Something for the Rest of Us, frontman and principal songwriter Johnny Rzeznik wanted to look outside himself. A beautiful ballad, “Notbroken,” paved the way. “That song was based on conversations I had with a woman whose husband... 

FEFE DOBSON Making the most of an unexpected second chance at stardom Toronto native Fefe Dobson appeared poised for a major breakthrough in 2003—her song “Take Me Away” was climbing the charts, she scored endorsement deals with Tommy Hilfiger and the Got Milk? ad campaign and was picked as the opening act for Justin Timberlake’s world tour. Nonetheless, Dobson was dumped from her major label right before the release of her second album,... 

SQUEEZE Painstakingly recreating the past while looking to the future Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook knows a thing or two about the pressure of expectations. In the late ’70s, when the London-based band first came onto the scene, he and songwriting partner Chris Difford were lauded as “the new Lennon and McCartney.” “That was a tremendous compliment,” Tilbrook says. “But as a result, our writing got more mannered, more stylized and more... 

NIKKI & RICH A California girl and New York guy make beautiful music together As far as mea culpas go, “Next Best Thing,” the debut single by pop duo Nikki & Rich, isn’t particularly remorseful. Over malt-shop piano and doo-wop backing vocals, singer Nikki Leonti tells a heartbroken ex it was boredom that led her to stray. “It’s my fault, I’m the one to blame,” she coos, callous and cavalier. “Shame on me and my man-eating... 

MICHAEL FRANTI A sonic innovator with a sunny disposition—even in the hospital Michael Franti has long been acclaimed by critics and a devoted cult of fans for his fusion of hip-hop with blues, reggae and soul. But last year Franti and his backing group, Spearhead, were surprised to find a mass audience with the breakout hit “Say Hey (I Love You),” a charming nugget of reggae-pop. “We’ve gone from traveling in vans and playing in the street... 

SOLOMON BURKE Still rocking, still rolling, still ruling Solomon Burke was dubbed “The King of Rock and Soul” in the 1960s—and five decades later he is still ruling from the trademark throne he occupies on stage. Burke didn’t find crossover pop success as a young man, but in the 2000s a string of genre-busting albums earned him new respect and new listeners. Now 70, the father of 21 and grandfather of 90 struggles with health problems but... 

TIFT MERRITT After years of traveling, a singer-songwriter finds home Things could have turned out very differently for Tift Merritt. Five years, two albums, and one record company ago, she sat in the Staples Center in Los Angeles, hanging on five words: “And the Grammy goes to …” Her 2004 sophomore effort, Tambourine, had been nominated for Best Country Album. For a second, the Texas-born, North Carolina-reared singer-songwriter stood on... 

ROBERT RANDOLPH Taking the pedal steel guitar on a journey into the past By Chris Neal As a kid, Robert Randolph’s life revolved around the House of God church in Orange, N.J. And as a member of a strongly religious family, he was forbidden to listen to secular music. “The thing is, I did listen to secular music,” he says with a chuckle. “I grew up in church, but we lived in the inner city. We’d play our church music, but we would sneak... 

TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT Still soaring after all these years, with the Eagles and without Timothy B. Schmit is the first to admit he’s a lucky man. In 1977, after several years with the country-rock band Poco, the singer-bassist was invited to join superstar group the Eagles. Soon after he joined the band, founders Glenn Frey and Don Henley took one of Schmit’s work-in-progress tunes—“I Can’t Tell You Why”—and helped their new recruit turn... 

3OH!3 A duo that parties hard and works harder Good times play a big role in 3OH!3’s songs, but beneath the electro-rap duo’s hard-partying exterior lies a well-honed work ethic that has already helped the crew from Boulder, Colo. (area code 303), land three Top 10 hits. Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte—who met while attending the University of Colorado—locked themselves away in the Rockies to write songs for Streets of Gold, their third... 

OZZY OSBOURNE Rock ’n’ roll’s “Prince of Darkness” counts his blessings When Ozzy Osbourne got sober about seven years ago, he had to rethink the way he did a lot of things—including recording. In the old days he would start work on an album by going into rehearsals with his band, and one thing would lead to another. “I was ready to party,” he says. “Take away the band and the alcohol and the drugs, and you’ve just got me thinking,... 

JEWEL Learning to let both sides of her personality shine through “I’m a Gemini,” says Jewel, by way of explaining the title and theme of her latest album, and second country effort, Sweet and Wild. “I’m introspective and write poetry, but I also like to smoke a good cigar every once in a while and shoot guns.” Her multifaceted personality might also explain why the singer-songwriter’s 15-year career has spanned genres from folk... 

TONIC An extended break quickly gives way to a long-awaited renewal Alt-rock band Tonic didn’t intend to wait eight years between albums, but side projects and growing families helped put some distance between the Los Angeles band’s 2002 album Head on Straight and its new self-titled effort. “There was no definitive moment when someone said, ‘Hey, let’s take a break,’ at least not on purpose,” says guitarist Jeff Russo. “It was more... 

PUNCH BROTHERS Chris Thile’s boundary-breaking crew shakes itself to see what’s inside If bands were in the habit of adopting stretches of highway, Punch Brothers would probably choose one that was all left turns. The hot-picking bluegrass-classical-jazz ensemble’s sophomore album, Antifogmatic, is full of melodic and rhythmic twists that defy convention at every chance. “Musical expression is by nature abstract,” explains mandolin player... 

HANSON Shouting out loud their love of classic R&B and rock ’n’ roll Hanson’s last album, 2007’s The Walk, was comprised of weighty songs about facing conflicts and overcoming obstacles. For the new Shout It Out, the Tulsa, Okla.-based band was determined to rediscover its sense of joy. “We wanted to make a summer record,” says drummer Zac Hanson, who co-founded the trio 18 years ago with brothers Taylor and Isaac. “Hopefully,... 

AGAINST ME! Drawing inspiration from Florida, fatherhood and a cross-country journey Driving across the country allows plenty of time for contemplation, which is how Against Me! singer Tom Gabel spent the trip last year on his way from his native Florida to Los Angeles to start recording sessions for the band’s new album, White Crosses. Gabel converted those thoughtful hours on the road into song lyrics, resulting in a batch of vivid punk tunes... 

GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS Casting aside comparisons and coming Grace Potter & the Nocturnals had always worn their 1960s and ’70s influences on their sleeves, as their charismatic frontwoman drew comparisons to greats ranging from Bonnie Raitt to Janis Joplin. But with the release of their self-titled third album, Potter and company have truly come into their own. “This time around there’s more of an identity,” says Potter. “We’ve... 

DIERKS BENTLEY A country star rediscovers a teenage love affair with bluegrass Dierks Bentley was a 19-year-old from Phoenix, Ariz., aiming for a career as a country singer when he walked into Nashville’s Station Inn nightclub, famous as the stomping ground to many of the city’s finest bluegrass pickers. What he heard there changed his life. “Up to that point I always thought of bluegrass music as being an older generation’s genre,” he... 

DEVO De-evolution is real and the future is now Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh used to be frustrated that the band was so frequently misunderstood. Today, many of the concepts the group put forth 30 years ago are all too familiar. “We talked about de-evolution, and people thought we were crazy,” Mothersbaugh says. “We predicted one day there would be something called Music Television, and our record companies and our managers said, ‘Why are...