Keith Richards has returned to the United States after being treated for a head injury in New Zealand, his publicist said Monday.
“He is feeling great, happy to be home and looking forward to getting back on the road with the Rolling Stones next month,” according to a statement from LD Communications in London.
The 62-year-old guitarist […]
Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell steps forward as a solo artist with a bold new album targeting the Christian market. This gorgeous single, however, is well-suited to either Christian or mainstream formats with its positive lyric and engaging melody. It celebrates pursuing your dreams and reveling in the knowledge that love will always welcome you home. […]
As Hoobastank continues to gain ground with striking ballad “If I Were You” at adult top 40, modern rock and top 40, Island preps the band’s upcoming third album “Every Man for Himself,” streeting May 16, with a reminder of its hard rock roots via the more aggressive “Inside of You.” The band’s breakthrough mainstream […]
This talented Texas band makes its national bow with an impressive single that provides a perfect showcase for lead Danny Rivera’s earthy, heartfelt vocals that beautifully convey the emotional angst in this well-written ballad. The song looks at an impending breakup from the point of view of the guy in the relationship. He knows what’s […]
Before getting his record deal, Jeff Bates had more than his share of personal turmoil, having dealt with drug addiction and time spent in jail for theft and possession. Perhaps that is why he connects so powerfully with this lyric about a man looking for a second chance. The first verse describes an ex-con trying […]
Just as D.H.T.’s 2005 high-energy cover of Roxette’s “Listen to Your Heart” went exactly where you expected it to — refashioning a beloved downtempo retro hit into an anthemic thumper — established dance artist Kim Sozzi’s remake of Heart’s “Alone” works the 1987 No. 1 power ballad into a frenzied workout mantra. It’s hard to […]
Sad-sack storyteller Five for Fighting — the larger-than-life persona of singer/songwriter John Ondrasik — returns with “The Riddle,” refreshingly more uptempo and optimistic than previous “Superman” and “100 Years,” albeit still probing for the meaning of life. This time around, after discussions with a wise man and his kid, Ondrasik concludes, “I guess we’re big […]
If there was ever a song to bring country back to the pop forefront, it’s “What Hurts the Most.” Rascal Flatts has already taken the song to No. 1 at its country home, and a new “Hot Mix,” which sweeps away the steel guitar and slightly pops up the arrangement, makes it an ideal candidate […]
Sweeping and epic are two words generally not associated with Blink-182, but Tom DeLonge has stepped out of the shadows of his former band with Angels & Airwaves. The lyrics and tone here are as positive and serious as Blink’s were juvenile, and “Joshua Tree”-era U2 is an obvious sonic blueprint. It works best […]
Since the mid-’50s, the Country Gentlemen have been justly renowned stalwarts of bluegrass. With the death of the foursome’s last remaining founding member, Charlie Waller in 2003, son Randy Waller, who already played a featured role in the band, assembled new musicians fully worthy of carrying on the group’s venerated name. Each is absolutely stunning […]
There’s a lot more happening in North Carolina than basketball and lacrosse scandals, and here’s a CD that bears that out. Mighty Lester is an eight-piece blues powerhouse from the Raleigh-Durham area that will air out your head. Its semi-self-titled indie release offers a dozen songs, including 10 first-rate originals. Fronted by the soul-sanctified […]
Jean is sometimes referred to as Luis Fonsi’s younger brother. But clearly that pedigree isn’t what got him the record deal. Like his brother, Jean has a soulful, eloquent voice that he applies not only to pop ballads but to decidedly urban material, ranging from the R&B-leaning “Duele” to the hip-hop beats of the […]
Dr. John’s homage to Johnny Mercer is as much the triumph of an eminent song stylist as a celebration of one of America’s finest lyricist/songwriters. “Mercernary” teems with gut, gristle and grace as the doc puts his New Orleans-fired stamp on Mercer classics like “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby,” “Moon River” and “Lazy […]
More than 20 years before Rick Rubin resurrected his career with the sparse American Recordings series, Johnny Cash was recording dozens of similar songs in his own studio. Later found in boxes marked “Personal File,” the tracks are remarkable in their breadth and depth, and include hoary ballads (”Galway Bay,” “Drink to Me Only […]
