STONE TEMPLE PILOTS A big lineup change brings renewed energy to the multiplatinum rockers   “We’ve gotten more done in the past few months than we have in years,” says Stone Temple Pilots bassist Robert DeLeo. He’s talking about the group’s resurrection after booting singer Scott Weiland and replacing him with Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington. Weiland had been on a downward spiral of addiction for nearly 20 years, and the quartet—DeLeo,... 

“American Pie”   DON MCLEAN When Don McLean wrote “American Pie” in 1971, he was thinking far beyond the usual scope of a pop song. “I was conscious of the fact that I was trying to create a rock ’n’ roll dream sequence,” said McLean. “But it was way more than rock ’n’ roll. It was about an America that was coming apart at the seams. I was trying to create this song that connected with parts of America that mattered to me,... 

THE FACES OF CHICAGO WERE UNKNOWN TO MANY when photographer Norman Seeff shot this L.A. session for the band’s 1978 album, Hot Streets. “All their previous covers featured graphic renditions of their logo,” he says. “No one ever saw the band.” When a “mob of guys” arrived at his studio, Seeff feared he had his work cut out for him. “When you have a large group—and a square album cover—one challenge is how to squeeze everyone in,”... 

A REBEL  RETURNS Punk-pop princess Avril Lavigne makes a fresh start with a new romance, new label and new album By Russell Hall rustrated by disputes with her record label over the direction of her last album, 2011’s Goodbye Lullaby, Avril Lavigne found herself at a low point in the wake of its release. “I wasn’t going to make another record unless I could do exactly what I wanted,” she recalls. But suddenly a new path emerged. “I... 

CELINE DION                         Her latest showcases an earthy approach to recording her inimitable vocals    After selling more than 200 million albums and enjoying 25 years of global success, five-time Grammy Award-winning Celine Dion might be inclined to take it easy. But the powerhouse singer refuses to slow down, and while she continues her Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace, she’s recorded a new album that challenges... 

Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby Two master musicians team up for an exhilarating bluegrass project Bluegrass has rules, and although Ricky Skaggs is very good at playing by those rules, he’s furthered his career by breaking them. A child prodigy, the virtuoso mandolinist and vocalist detoured from the genre in the 1980s and early ’90s into mainstream country, scoring nearly a dozen No. 1 hits and a shelf full of Grammys. But it was Skaggs’... 

JULIE ROBERTS Finding that signing with Sun Records was definitely not a bad decision Good things come to those who wait—just ask Julie Roberts. After early success with 2004’s hit “Break Down Here,” the country singer released a couple of albums with a major label, then self-released her last project in 2011. But her latest, Good Wine and Bad Decisions, is a breakout. It’s the first full-length album launched by famed Sun Records—once... 

DREAM THEATER Taking changes in stride, the prog metal icons return in epic form  Four years ago prog metal giants Dream Theater were forced to navigate stormy seas when drummer and founding member Mike Portnoy left the band. Through the period of transition, the remaining members—singer James LaBrie, guitarist John Petrucci, keyboardist Jordan Rudess, bassist John Myung, and new drummer Mike Mangini—emerged stronger. “That whole transformation... 

KORN Back from the brink with a new album and an old friend For years alternative metal band Korn became synonymous with drugs. They wrote about them, were addicted to them, and were ultimately consumed by them. Meth forced Brian “Head” Welch to quit the band in 2005, while the remaining members—singer Jonathan Davis, guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer, bassist Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu and drummer David Silveria (replaced by Ray Luzier... 

THE AVETT BROTHERS Material for the folk favorites’ latest album proved an easy find  “We really overdid it, recording all those songs,” laughs Scott Avett. He’s talking about the band’s new album, Magpie and the Dandelion, which is composed almost entirely of songs recorded during their 2011 sessions with producer Rick Rubin for their last album, The Carpenter. “After we put out The Carpenter, we knew the songs we didn’t use were... 

PANIC! AT THE DISCO The emo-pop rockers expand their studio skills on a new album  The members of Panic! at the Disco haven’t limited their experimentation to their instruments, as evidenced by their fourth album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! (a quote from Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, as well as a nod to their hometown). Produced by Butch Walker, the album allowed frontman Brendon Urie to become more ambitious... 

KEANE    A greatest hits set marks a time of change in the band’s career  “I’ve been itching to do a solo album for a long time,” Keane frontman Tom Chaplin says, prior to a show that could be one of the band’s last—at least for a while. The English rockers have announced they’re “taking a break” after releasing The Best of Keane in November. “It came down to my desire to do something different,” Chaplin says. “To do that... 

LESLIE WEST A legendary guitar god keeps climbing with a blistering new set When Leslie West finished recording “Dyin’ Since the Day I Was Born,” the leadoff track on his new album Still Climbing, he emailed it to fellow guitar monster Slash. “I really respect the guy and wanted his opinion,” says West. “He wrote back and said, ‘You just can’t get any heavier than that, man.’” recording “Dyin’ Since the Day I Was Born,”... 

JOE NICHOLS Recharging his sound with a mix of modern and traditional country  Weighed down by label politics and dwindling record sales, Joe Nichols went through a rough patch following the release of his 2011 album, It’s All Good. But after splitting with his label last year, he felt rejuvenated and refreshed as he embarked upon free agency. “I was completely energized and free to go into the studio at will with my own budget,” he says.... 

LORDE Call her queen bee: The edgy teen with the luxe vocals rules the charts  This past summer, Lorde’s sultry slice of electronic pop, “Royals,” broke the record for weeks that a female artist spent at No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart. (The previous record holder was Alanis Morissette in 1995 with “You Oughta Know.”) It also marked the first time in 17 years that a female artist topped the Alternative chart. By the end... 

BLOOM TWINS HOMETOWN: Kiev, Ukraine INFLUENCES: The Beatles, Muse, Rudimental ALBUM: Bloom Twins, TBA WEBSITE: bloomtwins.com The Bloom Twins—Anna and Sonia Kuprienko—have been sharing a stage together for most of their lives. “Music was and is the language we speak the best,” Anna says. Growing up in a small Ukrainian town outside Kiev, the 17-year-old twins participated in various entertainment competitions and performed at venues throughout... 

LACEY CAROLINE HOMETOWN: Sparta, N.J. INFLUENCES: Brandi Carlile, Sheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen ALBUM: Songbird EP, out now WEBSITE: laceycaroline.com Growing up in a small town in northern New Jersey, country singer-songwriter Lacey Caroline, born Lacey Steinel, spent much of her childhood writing short stories driven by strong female characters. As a teenager, she married her love of words with melodies, teaching herself to play guitar and recording... 

CODY KAREY HOMETOWN: Fort St. James, B.C., Canada INFLUENCES: Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Alan Jackson ALBUM: Cody Karey, out now WEBSITE: codykarey.com Clad in cowboy boots and jeans he’d been given by his grandmother, British Columbia native Cody Karey began performing at age 6. As a teen, he shifted musical styles from country to traditional pop. “I was pretty certain that was the music I wanted to do,” he says, “which was certainly weird... 

BUTCH WALKER One of pop’s hottest producers likes to play rough—when they let him By Michael Gallant Butch Walker’s not only a jack of all musical trades, he’s a master as well. From the producer’s chair, Butch Walker has crafted hit records for everyone from Pink, Fall Out Boy, and Keith Urban to Avril Lavigne, Taylor Swift, and Katy Perry. From the stage and studio, he’s the frontman of Butch Walker and the Black Widows, which has... 

GEORGE BENSON  How the elite guitarist opened his mouth and changed jazz history  By Jeff Tamarkin   By the early 1970s George Benson was quickly gaining recognition as a young hotshot guitarist on the jazz scene. He’d already cut more than a dozen acclaimed instrumental albums and had been tapped by the likes of Miles Davis to lend his six-string chops. But Benson wanted to try his hand at singing, testing the waters with a cover of the...