The Brand New Heavies, “Get Used To It” (Delicious Vinyl)
As figureheads of the early ’90s acid jazz movement, The Brand New Heavies’ signature fusion of sunny disco and sultry funk runs the risk of sounding painfully dated in today’s crunk and pop-punk music scene. “Get Used To It” however — the Heavies’ latest release — […]
Ja Rule’s old record label won’t be getting any help from the highest court in the land.
The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to hear the ongoing case between indie label TVT Records and Universal Music Group’s Island Def Jam, which originally was ordered to shell out millions in damages to TVT over a […]
Having lost 35 pounds following shoulder surgery, James Levine wants to lose 15 more as he tries to focus on his health with the same energy he devotes to music.
Levine, music director of the Metropolitan Opera and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, tore his right rotator cuff when he fell leaving the stage at […]
Axl Rose was arrested early Tuesday after allegedly biting a security guard in the leg at his hotel, police said.
The Guns N’ Roses frontman was ordered held in jail by prosecutors on suspicion of attacking and threatening the guard, as well as causing damage to the Berns Hotel where the alleged scuffle took place, said […]
Several new online services have emerged with their own takes on digital music discovery.
These services take the form of social networking sites, music blogs, search engines and more. They are largely a response to the perceived lack of quality recommendation tools on the larger digital music services such as iTunes, Yahoo and AOL.
“The iTunes store […]
British consumers are set to be the first in the world able to buy songs instantly as they listen to them on digital radio, using a download service announced on Monday by UBC Media.
The London-based radio programming producer said it would begin testing the technology on Chrysalis Group’s Heart station, with plans for a full […]
During its formative years, Atlantic Records was known as the “house that Ruth built” — an acknowledgement of the formidable hit-making reign of R&B singer Ruth Brown during the ’50s. Fortifying the label’s soul foundation between the mid-’60s and ’70s were a host of talented male and female singers, many of whom appear on […]
Mr. Lif enjoys status as the architect of some of the rap world’s most visceral polemics, both as a solo artist and with his Perceptionists. Strange then that “Mo’ Mega” uses all its political juice in its first half, turning midway through to more generalized Everyman stories and, disappointingly, fairly standard sophomore album tales […]
On its fifth studio release, Boston dorm darling Guster brings the noise. The formerly acoustic band cranks up the guitars while sticking to catchy melodies that feel as safe as a cuddly college sweatshirt. After starting with a softly entrancing track, “Ganging Up on the Sun” quickly becomes Guster’s loudest and most ambitious effort […]
Keita’s 2002 album, “Mouffou,” was an all-acoustic sensation that found him revisiting his West African roots. “M’Bemba” is very much of the same spirit, as Keita digs into his Malian background and devises a musical tribute to his ancestor Soundiata Keita, founder of the 12th century Mandingo Empire. With masterful assistance from Mama Sissoko […]
This stunning hymns collection demonstrates there’s no instrument more compelling than the human voice — especially when you’ve got the voices of Mel Tunney, Bonnie Keen and Marty McCall. Longtime Christian music fans will rejoice when they hear this project, which reunites the three original First Call members. Here they open with “Doxology” and proceed […]
Sounds like Chris Carrabba took notes when his band opened for U2 last fall. On “Dusk and Summer,” Dashboard Confessional’s first full-band studio effort in three years, the specter of Bono hovers over his impassioned pleadings, which move from shivery falsetto to operatic sweep. And while U2 producer Daniel Lanois collaborated on only a […]
Honest and personal are two adjectives frequently associated with India.Arie’s music. This follow-up to her 2002 Grammy Award-winning “Voyage to India” is no exception. But here the singer/songwriter displays a broader profile of who she is musically while dissecting the stages of a failed romance from heartbreak to acceptance to transcendence. To help impart […]
Hip-hop has become a Bermuda Triangle for its mistresses. The sexpot formula doesn’t work by itself anymore. A woman can be a mix-tape monster, but her verses can’t be too rough or she’s considered manly. What’s a girl to do? Shawnna answers this question with “Block Music.” Her recent hit “Gettin’ Some” worked the […]
