REC ROOM An insider’s guide to creating a home studio that’s right for you    Not so long ago, recording in a studio was a pricey ordeal. A musician or band had to select a studio, ensure it had a quality engineer—and because the meter was running, hope to capture the necessary tracks without breaking the bank. Enter the digital age: Now nearly anyone can set up a quality studio right in his or her home. Sure, there’s gear to acquire,... 

NNXT HOMETOWN: Atlanta INFLUENCES: Peter Gabriel, Imogen Heap, New Kids on the Block ALBUM: Shut Your Trapper Keeper, out now WEBSITE: nnxtmusic.com  From age 4, Jessica Gore was a piano prodigy who spent much of her childhood playing in classical competitions. But her musical direction changed entirely a few years ago, when she got her hands on a four-track digital recorder. “It totally blew my mind that more than one instrument or voice could... 

SUGAR + THE HI-LOWS HOMETOWN: Nashville MEMBERS: Trent Dabbs (guitar, vocals), Amy Stroup (vocals) ALBUM: Sugar + the Hi-Lows, out now WEBSITE: sugarandthehilows.com The old-school sound of Sugar + the Hi-Lows was born three years ago, when Trent Dabbs and Amy Stroup got together to write songs in Nashville. Dabbs brought along a vintage amplifier, which turned the conversation toward their favorite music from the 1950s and ’60s. Before long they’d... 

BEN HOWARD HOMETOWN: Totnes, Devon, England influences: Nick Drake, John Martyn, Van Morrison ALBUM: Every Kingdom, due out in April WEBSITE: benhowardmusic.co.uk Howard picked up his mother’s guitar when he was 8, inspired by his parents’ love for folky singer-songwriters of the 1960s and ’70s. “That’s what we’d listen to in the house and in the car,” he says. His debut album was recorded in cellist India Bourne’s barn in the English... 

MICHAEL WILLIAMS Neither Hendrix nor his heritage keeps this guitar hero from reaching beyond the blues     Michael Williams is well aware that he seems unusually cheery for a man who claims the blues as a birthright. “At first, I just wanted to be a guitar player,” he explains. “I never wanted to be a singer or a songwriter. But I found myself being pigeonholed and strictly defined as a blues player. That wasn’t intriguing to me. I wanted... 

RISA BINDER Paper Heart risabinder.com On “You Made It Rain,” the song that opens her debut album, Risa Binder gets caught between cynicism and belief. As her crush leans in for a kiss, the skies open up—and while she wants to live in a world where such things magically happen, she’s suspicious. “It was so perfect, like the world was a movie set,” the Maryland native sings, perhaps revealing a bit of where she’s been. Before moving to... 

BAD WEATHER CALIFORNIA Sunkissed badweathercalifornia.com Bad Weather California packs several decades’ worth of good vibrations into a compact package. That goes for the sun—the thematic centerpiece of this aptly named album—and for the half-century of sounds these Denver dudes draw from. With its slippery bass and unlikely blend of wah-wah and chicken-scratch guitars, opener “I’ll Reach out My Hand” kicks things off in a funky fog. From... 

AMY RAY Lung of Love amy-ray.com A few songs after “From Haiti,” whose stabbing guitars evoke “London Calling,” Amy Ray makes an even more direct reference to that classic’s creators in the Clash. “There’s a little Joe Strummer in my DNA,” she sings on “Little Revolution,” an organ-driven pop nugget about embracing—and therefore overcoming—pain and suffering. Indeed, the longtime Indigo Girl shares much in common with Strummer—most... 

WALTER ROSE Cast Your Stone walterrosemusic.com As a teenager, this native Hawaiian underwent brain surgeries that left him with partial vision in one eye. Later, after he’d found work teaching special-needs kids, he lost a girlfriend to a motorcycle accident. So he’s entitled to sing songs like “Times Are Hard,” a nervous country-noir number about “dusty dreams.” Of course, if entitlement were enough, the world would be filled with country... 

JIOSA On the Edge dennyjiosa.com Even acclaimed smooth-jazz musicians must stand at the mirror and dream of rocking out. Here, Grammy-nominated guitarist Denny Jiosa gets his chance by positioning himself at the head of a mighty power trio. While the versatile virtuoso breaks up his shredding with ballads and even a Beatles cover, it’s the blustery, bluesy hard-rock tunes—the ones you could most imagine David Lee Roth high-kicking along to—that... 

SUNNY TAYLOR Sunny Taylor sunnytaylormusic.com Just four songs and 20 minutes long, the latest from this Indiana singer-songwriter offers four distinct stories and asks one overarching question: “When do you get to getting over it?” That line comes from “Paper Tiger (Getting Over It),” a song whose narrator really ought to grab a coffee with the protagonist from “Trucker.” That one is about someone who drives all night, pondering regrets... 

LUTHEA SALOM Kick in the Head lutheasalom.com Somewhere between Canada and Spain (the countries in which she grew up) and New York City (where she now lives), Luthea Salom surely experienced some heartbreak. She loved, lost and learned, putting her in the same boat as 99.9 percent of the world’s population. So Kick in the Head, her third album, is the sound of an exceptional songwriter coming to terms with the unexceptional nature of her own “little... 

CORNFLOWER BLUE Run Down the Rails cornflowerbluemusic.com Just as the “country” in country music need not refer only to America, such instruments as mandolins, fiddles and twangy guitars aren’t just for hat-clad, boot-scooting genre purists. That’s the takeaway from Run Down the Rails, the sophomore effort from this Canadian duo. Theresa McInerney and Trevor May know their Hank, Johnny and Willie, but they come at Americana via ’90s R.E.M.... 

KOFFIN KATS Our Way & the Highway koffinkatsrock.com With a few notable exceptions—the grisly murder tale “A Terrible Way” and apocalyptic rager “The Devil Asked” among them—the Koffin Kats spend much of their sixth album singing about boozing and touring. If the songs are autobiographical, the Detroit psychobilly trio hasn’t let its lifestyle become a hindrance. The production is pomade-slick, and the playing is tighter than sopping-wet... 

KIRK WHALUM Romance Language kirkwhalum.com With Romance Language Kirk Whalum and his brother Kevin have created a musical mash note to one of their favorite albums, 1963’s mood-music landmark John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman. Kirk, an acclaimed smooth-jazz saxophonist with nearly two dozen albums to his credit, handles Coltrane’s parts, blowing in his reed as he might his lady’s ear. Kevin, meanwhile, plays lover-man extraordinaire in the... 

WHITTON Rare Bird whittonmusic.com Much in the same way Amy Winehouse played on ’60s soul and girl-group sounds, Jaime Whitton draws on ’40s jazz, positioning herself as a kind of Billie Holiday—minus the tragic undertones of either Winehouse or Holiday—for modern pop audiences. Whitton keeps her retro references subtle, using just enough tinkling piano, warbled phrasing and quacking brass to glance backward without risking whiplash. The... 

ROBERT DEEBLE Heart Like Feathers robertdeeble.com In the six years since his last album, this Seattle singer-songwriter earned a master’s in psychology. That explains lines like, “I feel the guilt, I feel the shame of an existential rush of temporal things.” Deeble is obviously a keen observer of human behavior, but what’s remarkable about Heart Like Feathers is how conversational and easygoing he sounds. This is true even when he’s at... 

THE WEE TRIO Ashes to Ashes theweetrio.com Finally, David Bowie gets the vibraphone-driven free-jazz tribute he deserves. The Wees turn the classic “The Man Who Sold the World” into funky supermarket music and 2002’s “Sunday” into as somber a meditation as three zany jazz brainiacs are likely to come up with.  Read More →

MAC McANALLY Live in Muscle Shoals macmcanally.com Performing live at the University of North Alabama, this enduring country songwriter and Jimmy Buffet sideman shares the stories behind his best tunes. Better yet, he plays them, demonstrating how aw-shucks personality and serious musicianship can make for a swell evening—and an enviable career.  Read More →

AUDREY SPILLMAN Part of Me audreyspillmanmusic.com On the title track, this Nashville newcomer wonders whether the relationship she’s just ended might have been worth saving. It’s heartfelt and complex—and as with the other four country-soul tunes on this EP, she sings it with conviction and elegance.  Read More →

EXDETECTIVES Take My Forever exdetectives.com Faris McReynolds, the young L.A. musician behind ExDetectives, ends this disc by repeating the words “drift forward.” Sure enough, he sounds like a psychedelic ’60s rocker who’s taken a magic carpet ride through time and landed in the alt-rock ’90s—finding nirvana in the age of Nirvana.  Read More →

REBECCA SAYRE Play rebeccasayre.com Best known for jazzy pop, Sayre takes more of a down-home country turn on this four-song EP. Luckily she retains her signature pep, bouncing between pragmatism (“I’m gonna leave it up to love”) and optimism (“Today, I’m basking in my own light”).  Read More →

  PHOTOGRAPHER NORMAN SEEFF WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS SESSION WITH the late Whitney Houston in 1990, at the height of her career. “I viewed her as a towering master of emotional expression, someone whose voice was transcendent,” he says. “I was thrilled about the opportunity.” Seeff rented a large studio for the shoot, replete with clothing and makeup specialists. “We had a substantial team, and she brought her own people,” he says.... 

PRESONUS STUDIO ONE VERSION 2 Putting the fun in functionality PreSonus has carved its niche by consistently releasing smart, reliable, user-friendly hardware for live and studio applications at prices working musicians can afford. Drawing upon their expertise in workflow, PreSonus launched Studio One just over two years ago. Studio One Version 2 builds upon that success and makes its latest offering even better. Available in three flavors—Artist,... 

PRS SWEET 16 Uncompromisingly tasty tube tone  When PRS Guitars namesake Paul Reed Smith crossed paths with amplifier guru Doug Sewell through a chance encounter at the Dallas Vintage Guitar Show a few years ago, a fruitful partnership was forged right away. The ultimate result of Sewell’s entry into the PRS family is the Sweet 16, handcrafted in the U.S. and powered by a pair of 6V6 tubes. Like wine tasters confronting a particularly subtle... 

JBL PRX615M LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM Big sound without the weight With such a crowded marketplace, it’s important to remember the decades of patents and design ingenuity JBL draws upon with new gear they bring to market. The two-way PRX615M Loudspeaker System is designed to stand on its own or be harnessed as a modular component of JBL’s 600 series. The DuraFlex-covered cabinets are constructed out of poplar plywood and use tongue-and-groove joints... 

AUDIO-TECHNICA AT4080  Phantom-powered bidirectional ribbon mic Audio-Technica mics deliver the coveted ribbon mic sound while eliminating fragility and low-output issues. Weighing in at the upper end of the company’s price spectrum, the AT4080 makes for a great addition to any mic vault. This phantom-powered dual ribbon design features plenty of output impedance, making it a great match for your favorite microphone preamp. The figure-eight pattern... 

DEAN GUITARS DAVE MUSTAINE VMNT RUST IN PEACE Full-metal racket Dean Guitars has been amassing a substantial endorsement roster—including Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine, whose VMNT Rust in Peace signature guitar is a shred-fest waiting to happen. The finish is inspired by Ed Repka’s iconic artwork for Megadeth’s classic Rust in Peace album and, true to its inspiration, this guitar unleashes a fury of thrashing rhythms and face-melting solos.... 

DOREMIR SCORECLEANER Score big ScoreCleaner is a time-saving program designed to turn MIDI performances or files into musical notation. From the simplest arrangements to the most complex, this program has a host of features that will enable you to craft tidy scores. For songwriters working with hired musicians, this is an exceptional resource for creating charts, even if you can’t play to a click track. ScoreCleaner is also perfect for music educators... 

RIFFTEK RIFFBANDZ Building finger firepower RiffBANDZ are strength and dexterity training devices for building your technique. Each pack includes three bands, plus a code to unlock the instructional video component of the Rifftek training system. After a couple of minutes of practice, we were impressed with how RiffBANDZ helped maintain good hand position while building strength and agility. These are skills that students at all levels struggle with,... 

RAPCOHORIZON I-JAM 3-N-1 BOX Interfacing solutions in a portable package RapcoHorizon’s i-JAM app is as compact and convenient to use as it is addicting. This battery-powered interface neatly straps to your belt or guitar strap and offers jacks for your guitar, mobile device and headphones. Starting with guitar and headphones, we were rewarded with crystal-clear tones as we rocked the studio. Connecting to an iPhone with the included mini-cable,... 

SQUIER CLASSIC VIBE PRECISION BASS ’60s Vintage grooviness With a punchy bottom end, mids that sit just right and a top end that punctuates fingertip or pick attack, the Fender Precision Bass is sonically sumptuous. Not all of us can afford a vintage instrument, which is why Fender has been releasing a number of its most prized designs under its price-friendlier Squier brand—earning kudos from players and critics alike by delivering classic Fender... 

ESPERANZA SPALDING  A rising jazz star talks pop, popularity and the lure of the radio  The internet was abuzz when the name of last year’s Best New Artist winner was announced at the Grammys: Oregon-born jazz singer and bass player Esperanza Spalding. She triumphed over better-known names like teen idol Justin Bieber, whose fans’ over-the-top outrage extended to online death threats. “I don’t take it personally,” says Spalding, 27.... 

LIONEL RICHIE A country boy from Tuskegee reconnects with his unlikely roots  By Russell Hall Lionel Richie is a giant of soul, R&B and pop music, having scored hit singles and sold albums in the multimillions since the mid-1970s—first with his group the Commodores and, since 1982, as a solo artist. But the music that first caught the ear of this Tuskegee, Ala., native was very different from either the dance-floor funk of the Commodores or... 

THE CRANBERRIES Dolores O’Riordan and company bring the magic back to life  the Cranberries skyrocketed to international fame with their debut, 1993’s quintuple-platinum Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? But by 2003, it was time for the Irish group to take a breather. “I just wanted to not be in the Cranberries and not be famous,” says frontwoman Dolores O’Riordan. After making two solo albums, O’Riordan recently reunited... 

DIERKS BENTLEY A country superstar crisscrosses America to find home     “The last year’s been a blur of  asphalt, recording studios and songwriting,” says Arizona native Dierks Bentley, 36. “It’s hard work, but I love what I do. Every record you make, you have to pour more of yourself into it.” His previous effort, 2009’s Up on the Ridge, found him exploring bluegrass and roots music—but the new Home is a return to the muscular... 

DR. DOG  Fresh faces, familiar places and a newfound urge to have a good time    On their last album, the members of Dr. Dog tried to teach themselves new tricks. They left their familiar Philadelphia practice space and studio, Meth Beach, and enlisted the help of an outside producer. The result was 2010’s Shame, Shame—an album that, for all its groovy nods to the Beatles and Beach Boys, was uncharacteristically somber. “It was sort of a... 

SKYLAR GREY  You know her voice from hip-hop hits—now it’s time to get to know her  Not many artists rack up four Grammy nominations before releasing a debut album, but Skylar Grey’s career has hardly followed a traditional path. After writing hits and singing hooks for acts like Eminem, Dr. Dre and Lupe Fiasco, Grey is preparing to release her own debut album, Invinsible. “Being a songwriter is a great life, but I can’t imagine ever... 

GAVIN DeGRAW  Keeping a positive attitude even while  taking a beating—literally   “It didn’t break my will, but it did break my nose,” cracks Gavin DeGraw about the unwelcome experience of being assaulted last August in Manhattan. The native New Yorker was attacked by three men and then hit by a taxi as he stumbled away. His injuries forced him to cancel tour dates as he readied his new album, Sweeter, but he betrays no bitterness. “I... 

CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS Keeping string-band music history alive while pushing it into the future  Last year had its ups and downs for Carolina Chocolate Drops. The North Carolina string band won a Grammy for 2010’s Genuine Negro Jig album, but experienced the loss of founding member Justin Robinson and the addition of multi-instrumentalist Hubby Jenkins. The combination of heightened expectations and seismic changes in the band was a recipe for... 

KASABIAN  Hitting a new groove after 15 years of   boundary-breaking music  It’s 10 a.m. in Australia, and Kasabian guitarist Sergio Pizzorno can’t quite stifle a yawn—it’s early by rock-star standards, yet late by new-parent requirements. “I’m pretty good on just a few hours’ sleep,” says Pizzorno, who fits both descriptions. He is energized by the positive reaction thus far to Kasabian’s latest album, Velociraptor! “It’s... 

Bonnie Raitt One of music’s most beloved icons slides back into the rock ’n’ roll slipstream. Bonnie Raitt is always listening. “My ear’s always cocked for a possible direction,” she says. “Something that’s inspirational, either a song I want to do or a songwriter I want to investigate further. We’ve got hundreds of CDs in our collection and files on our computer. I take songs with me on my iPhone and listen every day when I go... 

The Roots Questlove talks about making dark, gritty hip-hop in “the happiest place on earth.” Make no mistake, the average modern person has a very full to-do list from day to day. But does yours look anything like Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s? Today he’s driving from his native Philadelphia to New York City, where he’s due to help put on a pair of Jay-Z performances at Carnegie Hall. That’s just a side project, of course—his main... 

U2 A look back at the making of The Joshua Tree on its 25th birthday. In the middle of the 19th century, members of the still-new Mormon religion found themselves under attack from theological opponents. By the time the church’s founder, Joseph Smith, was killed by an angry mob in Illinois in 1844, his followers were already making their way westward in search of more tolerant climes. Their journeys brought them by the mid-1850s to the Mojave Desert,...