Posts tagged with "Blake Boldt"
KRISTIN CHENOWETH
KRISTIN CHENOWETH
The effervescent actress and singer does her hometown proud on a new album
On her first live album, Coming Home, Kristin Chenoweth found herself on familiar terrain. The Tony Award-winning actress and singer performed a pair of sold-out shows at the Kristin Chenoweth Theatre in her hometown of Arrow, Okla. “I absolutely wanted to make my hometown a part of the album, so I had my high school choir sing backup on one of the gospel...
LITTLE BIG TOWN
LITTLE BIG TOWN
Success brings a wealth of changes for the resilient country rockers
For more than 15 years Little Big Town has delivered irresistible harmonies, timeless melodies and compelling songs—but the path to success has hardly been a straight line. In the late ’90s they landed a major record contract, but the deal fizzled. In 2002 the group released their debut album on an indie label—but it didn’t fare well. Three years later,...
THE JOHN BUTLER TRIO
THE JOHN BUTLER TRIO
An Australian favorite shrugs off labels and limits
For more than 15 years, Australian roots-rockers the John Butler Trio have consistently reinvented their blend of acoustic folk and alternative rock. Defying definition has allowed the band to sidestep preconceived notions and stay sonically adventurous. “You don’t want to be limited to a certain type of music,” says frontman and guitarist John Butler. “You want to...
BOY GEORGE
BOY GEORGE
The colorful ’80s icon returns with a new perspective
“When you’ve lived a dramatic life, you’ve got a lot to draw from,” Boy George says with a laugh. As the lead singer of Grammy-winning band Culture Club, he’s sold more than 20 million albums powered by megahits like “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.” But after dominating radio in the mid-’80s, the band’s red-hot streak cooled as the decade...
NICKEL CREEK
NICKEL CREEK
The bluegrass trio reunites with a new album that defies categories
Grammy-winning Nickel Creek took an indefinite hiatus in 2007 to pursue solo projects. Now the trio—mandolinist Chris Thile, fiddler Sara Watkins and her brother, guitarist Sean Watkins—has returned with a new album, A Dotted Line, which coincides with their 25th anniversary. Featuring eight originals and two covers—Sam Phillips’ “Where Is Love Now” and...
LEA MICHELE
LEA MICHELE
Glee fans’ favorite leading lady tries on a new role: pop star
For more than four years, millions of Americans watched Lea Michele belt out a broad range of hits on TV’s Glee. On her debut solo album, Louder, she shifts effortlessly between luxurious ballads and uptempo numbers that showcase her vocal and songwriting talent. The Emmy-nominated actress and singer tapped a stable of hit collaborators including Christina Perri,...
JOSH ROUSE
JOSH ROUSE
The pensive singer-songwriter strikes an upbeat tone on his latest effort
For Josh Rouse, family played an important role in the writing and recording of his 10th album, The Happiness Waltz. In 2006, Rouse moved from Nashville to Spain with his wife, and the couple now has a young child. He’s settled happily into fatherhood and married life, but his newfound responsibilities make for a delicate balancing act. “Before I was just...
TRISTAN PRETTYMAN
TRISTAN PRETTYMAN
An intensely personal album deepens her connection with fans
Singer-songwriter Tristan Prettyman shares the difficult aftermath of her breakup with fellow artist Jason Mraz on her recently released third album, Cedar & Gold. At first reluctant to sing about the personal trauma, she eventually embraced the opportunity to connect more deeply with her audience. “I wondered if it was going to be too much information,” Prettyman...
CARRIE RODRIGUEZ
CARRIE RODRIGUEZ
Give Me All You Got
[Ninth Street Opus]
A classically trained violinist, Carrie Rodriguez possesses firm command over another instrument: a sultry, Texas-cured soprano voice. Her engaging vocal style is best served without garish musical adornments or modern studio tricks, and on her fifth album, she smartly plays to her strengths, laying out a generous spread of mostly quiet acoustic songs. The simple restraint exercised by Rodriguez...
ZZ TOP
Dusty Hill, Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard
ZZ TOP
After 40 years of rock and the road, there’s still nothing they’d rather do
For their first full-length album in nearly a decade, veteran rockers ZZ Top decided to work with famed producer Rick Rubin. The Texas trio—frontman and guitarist Billy Gibbons, bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard—recorded
La Futura over a four-year period in Houston and Malibu. Rubin’s intense brand of perfectionism...
BAKER
BAKER
HOMETOWN: New York City
INFLUENCES: David Bowie, Jack White, Kanye West
ALBUM: The Baker EP, out now
WEBSITE: bakermusic.com
Christopher Baker was playing cello by age 5, eventually played Carnegie Hall and graduated from Harvard University. Since transitioning his career path from classical cellist and vocalist to electro-pop singer, he has earned rave reviews with his cover of Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped Box.” Since releasing a seven-track...
HALEY REINHART
HALEY REINHART
HOMETOWN: Wheeling, Ill.
INFLUENCES: The Beatles, Nina Simone, Tony Bennett
ALBUM: Listen Up!, out now
WEBSITE: haleyreinhart.com
American Idol alum Haley Reinhart—who finished third in season 10—recorded her debut album Listen Up! following the show’s international tour. “I wanted to wait till I could put all my focus and energy into the album and be very hands-on with every single aspect,” she says. “It was really important...
SOPHIE B. HAWKINS
SOPHIE B. HAWKINS
The Crossing
[Lightyear]
Sophie B. Hawkins, best known for the 1992 sleeper hit “Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover” and 1995’s adult-contemporary staple “As I Lay Me Down,” has completed her transformation from young spunky performer to cool, assured vet with The Crossing. Hawkins pulls triple duty on her first album in eight years, acting as producer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist while recording entirely in her home studio....