TIM EASTON Beat the Band timeaston.com In Easton’s America, we’d all resist apathy (“Open Letter”), dream non-mediocre dreams (“What Do You Live For?”), and seek redemption in pop music (“Daily Life”). Whether he’s a purist or a dreamer, he’s got the raspy voice and troubadour soul to make it all seem tenable.  Read More →

THE VEDA RAYS Gamma Rays Galaxy Rays Veda Rays thevedarays.com Brooding and bombastic, Veda Rays jams straddle Echo and the Bunnymen-style ’80s psychedelia and U2 stadium pop. There’s also some modern ennui: a post-Radiohead dread that creeps into both the guitars and Jim Stark’s Red Rocks-ready bellow, giving the disc a seductive, shadowy tinge.  Read More →

ANNIE DRESSNER Strangers Who Knew Each Other’s Names anniedressner.com Now here’s a gal we can root for. A singer of plucky can-do folk-pop tunes—some electric, others acoustic—Dressner loves, loses and wakes up in Brooklyn bars wearing painter’s caps. She takes it all in stride, staying silly and sweet in a sourpuss world.  Read More →

THE PACK A.D. Unpersons thepackafterdeath.com Listening to the fourth album from this Canadian garage-rock duo, an image emerges of singer Becky Black. She’s red-eyed and sneering, hurt and angry, seconds away from either breaking down and bawling or bashing someone in the teeth. Her gnashing guitar riffs suggest the latter, as does Maya Miller’s total-war drumming. Their sound is violent and cathartic, and on “Rid of Me”—a start-stop rager... 

ADAM LEVY The Heart Collector adamlevy.com In Adam Levy’s hands, even murder ballads make for warm, easy listening. On the title track, he describes in suspicious detail a serial killer’s exploits. Levy’s narrator might be the guilty party, or in a metaphorical sense, he might just sympathize with the “cardiophile” and his hunger for human hearts. Either way, it’s a rare moment of darkness from this former Norah Jones guitarist. Levy specializes... 

THE MEKONS Ancient & Modern myspace.com/mekons On their 26th studio album, British post-punk vets and alt-country innovators the Mekons aim to cover 100 years of history, from the eve of World War I to the present. Frontman Jon Langdon’s lyrics touch on war, death, religion, nostalgia and the battle between good and evil, and because these themes are applicable to any era, few songs stand out as fundamentally “ancient” or “modern.”... 

ICEBIRD The Abandoned Lullaby rjselectricalconnections.com Philly’s answer to Gnarls Barkley, Icebird pairs producer and multi-instrumentalist RJD2—known for both his Mad Men theme and string of solo albums—with soul man Aaron Livingston, who’s sung on albums by the Roots, among others. The sound is spaced-out, low-key hip-hop crossed with moody psychedelic soul—a confluence of bumping beats, doo-wop pianos and analog synths. Highlight “Just... 

MR. LEWIS AND THE FUNERAL 5 Delirium Tremendous myspace.com/mrlewisthefuneral5 A pulp novel set to music, the second album by this Austin sextet is overrun with losers, boozers and other lowlifes. They’re all given voice by Gregory Lewis, a scenery-eating thespian of a frontman with Tom Waits’ taste for gallows humor and gutter poetics. Lewis opens the disc by singing, “There’s murder and cheap canned beer all around the highway,” and just... 

JON REGEN Revolution jonregen.com Jon Regen is a man who knows his instrument. The piano isn’t great for rocking out unless you’re Jerry Lee Lewis or Little Richard, but it’s perfect for sophisticated, slightly retro pop songs. Regen writes his with the smart, jazzy feel of Ben Folds or Randy Newman, and on such tunes as “She’s Not You (But Tonight She’ll Have to Do)” and “One Part Broken, Two Parts Blue,” he gets to play his favorite... 

ARRICA ROSE & THE …’S Let Alone Sea arricarose.com In Southern California, Stevie Nicks is a goddess and Depeche Mode are conquering heroes. Arrica Rose isn’t yet on their level, but the San Fernando Valley native is very much of their kind—an enigmatic enchantress adept at blending classic folk-rock songwriting and dark, dreamy atmospherics. She’s got a song called “Summer’s Gonna Burn Me (So Are You),” and that title sums up... 

URSULA 1000 Mondo Beyondo ursula1000.com If Ursula 1000 multi-instrumentalist, DJ and mastermind Alex Gimeno hadn’t invited Fred Schneider to sing on his latest album, the B-52s frontman might have known instinctively to show up anyway. Music this fun demands the kind of kooky enthusiasm Schneider brings to “Hey You!” a Technicolor dance track stuffed full of fuzz guitars, handclaps, whistles and honking car horns. Elsewhere, the Brooklyn-based... 

STEVE BELLO BAND Go Berserk! myspace.com/stevebello It’s no wonder Ibanez tapped Steve Bello to endorse its seven-string guitars. The New Jersey metalhead shreds with rare speed and fluidity, whether soloing or weaving the intricate leads that substitute for lyrics in his instrumental jams. On his fifth album Bello expertly mixes metal subgenres, grounding himself in the classic ’80s sound heard on opener “Surfing to Venus.” The trio flavors... 

CENTRO-MATIC Candidate Waltz centro-matic.com Of the nine tunes on Centro-matic’s latest, only one, “All the Talkers,” really lets listeners in. It’s about an overhyped rock group winning over a roomful of seen-it-all hipsters. “But the band, they were not like the ones before,” sings Will Johnson, still a rock ’n’ roll true believer 15 years after founding Centro-matic in Denton, Texas. Johnson’s faith in guitar groups might stem... 

JOE ELY Satisfied at Last ely.com Satisfaction doesn’t necessarily equal complacency. On this disc’s title track, Joe Ely finds contentedness by pushing forward, living for the moment, feeling his “bandana waving free.” Having toured with everyone from Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore (his partners in supergroup the Flatlanders) to the Clash, the veteran Texas country rocker sings with well-earned wisdom and self-assurance. He knows all... 

TOMMY STINSON One Man Mutiny tommystinson.com Long before his current stint in Guns N’ Roses, bassist Tommy Stinson served his apprenticeship with the Replacements—simultaneously the Beatles and Rolling Stones of the ’80s alt-rock underground. The Minneapolis group could be sharp and melodic, like a punky Fab Four, but also shambolic and self-destructive—particularly onstage, after a few drinks. Fortunately, Stinson seems to have soaked up... 

CHRISTINA PERRI How one unexpected dance catapulted her into a promising career Few young artists can point to one particular time on one particular evening as the precise moment they broke through to a national audience. But for then-unsigned and unknown singer and songwriter Christina Perri, that moment came when her song “Jar of Hearts” was heard by millions accompanying dancers on the hit reality-competition TV show So You Think You Can Dance.... 

LENNY KRAVITZ For this one-man band, no influence is out of bounds—even the Partridge Family “Maybe I’m schizophrenic,” says Lenny Kravitz with a chuckle, contemplating his reputation as one of rock’s most committed multi-instrumentalists. From his 1989 debut Let Love Rule through the new Black and White America, Kravitz has consistently played almost all the instruments on his albums. “When I’m playing various instruments, I take on... 

SARAH JAROSZ Stretching bluegrass boundaries—and shrugging off the ‘child prodigy’ tag Sarah Jarosz is enjoying a moment of rare respite in the midst of an extensive summer tour. “It’s been pretty rigorous, but it’s been good,” says the Texas native with a sigh. The fresh-faced 20-year-old is clearly more than up to the demands of the road—but as evidenced on Follow Me Down, her new sophomore album, Jarosz’s abilities on guitar,... 

KELLY ROWLAND From Destiny’s Child to full-fledged solo star, here she is Although She is inevitably overshadowed by media darling and former bandmate Beyoncé since the breakup of R&B powerhouse Destiny’s Child, Kelly Rowland has been quietly and surely building an estimable career all her own. Worldwide sales of Rowland’s first two solo albums are approaching 4 million total, and her latest, Here I Am, looks primed to continue that success.... 

DEREK TRUCKS & SUSAN TEDESCHI Two guitar aces making beautiful music together—onstage and off “Music is supposed to be medicinal,” says Derek Trucks. “It should be uplifting and it should be a tool for relief. That’s the point of a band like this.” The group he’s talking about is the Tedeschi Trucks Band, the 11-member ensemble (including two drummers, background vocalists and a horn section) he leads with his wife and fellow master... 

LADY ANTEBELLUM A multiplatinum trio keeps it country while reaching for the stars Lady Gaga’s outlandish outfits may have been the talk of the Grammy Awards earlier this year, but she was upstaged that night by another Lady: Lady Antebellum. The country trio walked away with five trophies on the strength of its triple-platinum second album, Need You Now. “It was the first time for us to be recognized at that level,” says guitarist and pianist... 

CHICKENFOOT Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith are on a rock ’n’ roll mission. TORI AMOS Centuries-old classical compositions helped point this piano goddess in a new direction. ALICE COOPER America’s favorite shock-rock legend revisits his most beloved nightmare—with a few twists. VINCE GILL One of country music’s greatest guitarists, singers and songwriters finds a space of his own. LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM The guitar... 

JUSTIN HINES Days to Recall [Decca] If “handicapped” is just a state of mind, then Canadian Justin Hines is as healthy as anyone. Born with Larsen syndrome, a disease that dislocates the joints and confines him to a wheelchair, he consistently exudes optimism on Days to Recall (his American debut and fourth album overall). With a voice that trumpets triumph and tenacity, he literally whoops his way through opening track “Just the Same” and... 

BLUE OCTOBER Fueled by domestic despair, a platinum-selling band goes its own way Blue October leader Justin Furstenfeld doesn’t just wear his heart on his sleeve—on his band’s latest album, Any Man in America, it’s visible on practically every thread of his wardrobe. The anthemic melodies and stream-of-consciousness lyrics document in unflinching detail the unraveling of Furstenfeld’s marriage and his struggle to keep his relationship with... 

BARRY MANILOW The dangers of pop stardom inspire his first new songs in a decade Maybe Barry Manilow’s latest should include a thank-you to Britney Spears. “I was watching her being chased by the paparazzi,” Manilow says. “This young, talented singer just trying to live her life, but being followed everywhere. I thought, ‘Is this the price of fame now?’” The question inspired his first album of all-new material in a decade, penned with... 

DOLLY PARTON After four decades of hits, the queen of country still sparkles “Grindstones and rhinestones, that made up my life/But I’ve shined like a diamond through sacrifice,” sings Dolly Parton on “The Sacrifice,” one of several autobiographical songs on her new album, Better Day. The line neatly sums up an astonishing career. Over the years, Parton’s ambitions have taken her into acting, film production, philanthropy and countless... 

CHICK COREA After five decades, this jazz pioneer forever returns with something new By Jeff Tamarkin A half-century into one of the most storied careers in jazz history, Chick Corea finds himself drawn to the allure of live performance now more than ever. “Rather than pull back and say, ‘Well, I’m getting a little older, I’ll tour less,’ I decided to do the opposite and tour more,” says the keyboard giant, who recently turned 70. The... 

JAY JOYCE Whether it’s country, indie rock or something in between, the vibe is king By Michael Gallant For Jay Joyce, producing isn’t a matter of hitting every right note, tracking with the finest mics or working with the hippest software plug-ins. Nope, it’s all about the vibe. “My job is knowing when and where a beautiful moment is happening, and capturing it,” he says. “Making records is a totally spiritual thing.” Joyce’s approach... 

TOM MORELLO A fearless guitarist channels his righteous rage By Russell Hall “I’ve tried to take off the blinders in regard to what could be done with a guitar,” says Tom Morello. “I’m like the Old McDonald of the instrument, going through a barnyard of sounds. I might not be able to make the guitar ‘moo’ or sound like a hay thrasher, but if you’re aiming for that instead of Chuck Berry riffs you wind up at a place that’s different.” Morello... 

YES For Chris Squire, life in a progressive-rock giant means perpetual change A total of 16 musicians have counted themselves members of the rock powerhouse Yes since the group’s formation in England more than 40 years ago. At the center of this whirlwind of constant inconstancy has been bass player Chris Squire, who has carried the group’s flame through changes in lineup and style, as well as periods of dormancy and uncertainty. “It’s a... 

AMERICA A classic pop group’s 40th anniversary is marked by triumph and tragedy Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell of America are celebrating their fourth decade together with an album of cover versions, Back Pages, which harks back to the group’s formation as high school friends living abroad in England. America immediately scored with megahits like “A Horse With No Name,” “Ventura Highway” and “Sister Golden Hair” before fellow founding... 

JEFF BRIDGES Whether it’s his latest movie or his new album, this is one creative dude Oscar-winning actor, acclaimed photographer, singer and songwriter: Is there anything Jeff Bridges can’t do? “I’m not a very good auto mechanic,” he confesses with a chuckle. Music is another story. While best known for his work in front of the camera, Bridges has been playing and singing for half a century. He picked up the guitar as a kid, influenced... 

THE KOOKS After years of accolades at home, this band opens their ‘Junk’ yard to the U.S. Luke Pritchard, frontman for U.K. rockers the Kooks, has a very set-in-stone way of presenting his songs to his bandmates. Or does he? “I am not like those songwriters you read about who are going to the guys with all the parts and saying, ‘Here’s what you guys do,’” says Pritchard. Then he stops, shakes his head and laughs, realizing that’s... 

THE BANGLES Learning to love the ’80s, with some help from a real-life revolution With lyrics about hating school, liking donuts and striking silly poses, the Bangles’ 1986 hit “Walk Like an Egyptian” would have hardly been pegged as a political anthem at the time. Yet when protestors took to the streets of Cairo earlier this year to demand the ouster of Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak, many there adopted the song (penned by Liam Sternberg)... 

PETER  BALDWIN HOMETOWN: Anchorage, Alaska INFLUENCES: Erykah Badu, James Brown, Michael Jackson ALBUM: Peter Baldwin in Vodville EP, out now WEBSITE: peterbaldwinrocks.com Peter Baldwin grew up singing in the church where his mother served as choir director. As a high schooler he eventually formed his own choir, and learned to play a variety of instruments. After graduation he headed for Orlando, Fla., to study recording at Full Sail University.... 

BREANNE DÜREN HOMETOWN: Minneapolis, Minn. INFLUENCES: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor ALBUM: Sparks EP, out now WEBSITE: breannedurenmusic.com All four of the Düren children were compelled to take piano lessons, but Breanne proved a natural—soon she was playing by ear, teaching herself favorites like Joni Mitchell’s “The River.” By middle school she was writing her own songs, and by high school she was playing local coffeehouses.... 

HOPE WAITS HOMETOWN: Monroe, La. INFLUENCES: Tori Amos, Ani DiFranco, Billie Holiday ALBUM: Introducing Hope Waits, out now WEBSITE: hopewaits.com If the depth in Hope Waits’ soul-drenched voice suggests experience beyond her tender years, it’s no accident. Waits was born one of 12 children in a family plagued by poverty, neglect, her father’s alcoholism and her mother’s manic depression. “Basic needs were rarely met, and the abuse was astounding,”... 

VARIOUS ARTISTS Phil Spector Presents the Philles Album Collection [Phil Spector Records/Legacy] Phil Spector was never about albums. Monaural 7-inch 45s ruled his world, and with them he elevated the pop single to an art form. Give Spector three minutes and he—with the help of his handpicked, world-class songwriters, engineers, vocalists and musicians—could tell a story for the ages. Nonetheless, Spector did release albums on his own Philles... 

GEORGE STRAIT Here for a Good Time [MCA Nashville] George Strait sings “I’m not here for a long time, I’m here for a good time” on the title cut of his 39th studio album, but the fact is that he has been here for a long time. That’s not a knock; Strait has made a towering virtue out of consistency. The big news here is Strait’s continuing late-career development as a songwriter after three decades barely ever picking up a pen: He co-wrote... 

THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS Am I the Enemy [Collective Sounds] Florida’s Red Jumpsuit Apparatus has spent its career splitting the difference between the singsongy vocals of pop-punk and hoarse screaming and frenzied drum bursts of hardcore. The band’s latest further refines the formula on 11 songs that mix the personal and political. Opener “Salvation” tackles the former with an exhortation to persevere through teen angst, while the galloping... 

BUSH The Sea of Memories [Zuma Rock/eOne] By releasing the first album in 10 years under the Bush banner with a lineup that sports only one other returning member (drummer Robin Goodridge), frontman Gavin Rossdale runs the risk of alienating fans who treat ’90s triumphs like Sixteen Stone as gospel. But from the opening machine-gun snare of “The Mirror of the Signs” to the buzz-saw guitar counterpoint throughout, there’s no mistaking you’re... 

SUNNY SWEENEY Concrete [Big Machine] Smart storytelling songs with compelling melodies and rootsy but not anachronistic settings; dashes of wit amid adult settings involving cheaters and leavers and stayers. Singing that’s pitch-true without having been Auto-Tuned into submission. Ah, so it must be Americana, yes? No, Sunny Sweeney’s Concrete is a genuine contemporary country contender, released on a major label and already sporting a Top 10 country... 

THE RAPTURE In the Grace of Your Love [DFA] It’s been mere months since electronica standard-bearer LCD Soundsystem played its final show, but the void left by its absence is wide and deep. New York dance-punk band the Rapture steps boldly into that breach with its first album in five years—released, as it happens, on LCD leader James Murphy’s DFA label. Despite the 2009 departure of bassist Matt Safer, the band hasn’t changed much during... 

VARIOUS ARTISTS Motown Gold From the Ed Sullivan Show [UMe/Sofa] Consider this, if you will: Ed Sullivan belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Although hunched, puffy and decidedly unhip, he did more than any other to bring a generation’s worth of pop, rock and soul into America’s living rooms through his weekly Sunday-night TV variety program—most obviously Elvis and the Beatles, of course, but also a wealth of African-American performers... 

LESLIE WEST Unusual Suspects [Provogue Records] Mountain frontman Leslie West will forever be known for “Mississippi Queen,” a classic-rock staple that continues to inspire countless guitar wannabes with its searing intro and crushing riffs. Nothing on West’s new solo disc rises quite to that level, but his grasp of hard-hitting blues-rock remains as formidable as ever. Accompanied by a who’s who of guitar heroes including Joe Bonamassa, Billy... 

INDIGO GIRLS Beauty Queen Sister [Vanguard] The Indigo Girls’ music has always been marked by two distinct songwriting sensibilities: Amy Ray’s post-punk brashness and Emily Saliers’ more folk-inspired, laid-back vibe. That split-brain approach remains intact on the duo’s 14th studio album, but the tug of Saliers’ quieter style dominates. Soft-lit ballads and outdoorsy acoustic pop abound, nestled in rootsy instrumentation and a production... 

SESAC + 4th Annual Songwriters Bootcamp July 27, 2011 M Music & Musicians sponsored the 4th Annual Songwriters Bootcamp Photography by Jeff Fasano Destenee Destenee Kelly McGrath  Read More →

LIRA Los Angeles, July 11, 2011 Photography by Jeff Fasano  Read More →

JULY/AUGUST 2011 COVER STORY: MARY J. BLIGE FEATURE: SHINE ON – PINK FLOYD MUSICIAN: TOM MORELLO, CHICK COREA PRODUCER: JAY JOYCE Q&A’s: LADY ANTEBELLUM, KELLY ROWLAND, AMERICA, YES, DOLLY PARTON, BARRY MANILOW SPOTLIGHT: THE BANGLES, VANESSA CARLTON, THE KOOKS, JEFF BRIDGES, SARAH JAROSZ, LENNY KRAVITZ, GLEN CAMPBELL WHO’S NEXT: HOPE WAITS, BREANNE DUREN, PETER BALDWIN INDIE SCENE: BLUE OCTOBER BEHIND THE CLASSICS: “Tom... 

Dean Markley CD60 Guitar Amplifier Amped again. For: Classic tube tone. Famed string maker Dean Markley first released the CD60 in the mid-1980s, earning accolades from tone masters like Eric Clapton, Andy Summers, and Alex Lifeson. This newly reissued 60 watt combo clearly demonstrates that a great design can stand the test of time. Powered by a pair of 6L6s, the CD60 features hi and low inputs, a 12” Celestion speaker, and two footswitchable...