Hope and turmoil are two very different forces, yet they beautifully co-exist and poignantly intertwine on this stunning collection of songs. Norman, with co-producer/co-writer Jason Ingram, has crafted an album that explores hope and heartache. He sings of peace and comfort on the gorgeous string-laden ballad “I Know Now,” yet he’s not afraid to write […]
In April, DJ Shadow unveiled the first taste of music from “The Outsider,” his first album in four years, and some longtime fans scratched their heads. The track “3 Freaks” found Shadow flanked by hyphy stars Keak Da Sneak and Turf Talk for a banging hip-hop track — far removed from the cinematic instrumentals of […]
Eric Clapton kicked off his North American tour here Saturday night with a blistering set of old and new material.
The 61-year-old Clapton, whose nimble playing inspired “Clapton is God” graffiti in London in the 1960s, showed fiery technique and soulful singing with no signs of any rust after a 5-week layoff since the end of […]
Leading British film and music stars urged the British government Saturday to help end fighting in the violence-wracked Sudanese region of Darfur.
Musicians Elton John and Annie Lennox, musician-campaigner Bob Geldof, and actress Emma Thompson were among those who signed a letter accusing the international community of failing to act.
“We call on our government to move […]
The four original members of R.E.M. gave a rare performance Saturday night as the group was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
The group, which formed in Athens, Ga., in 1980, has won threeGrammys and sold more than 70 million records. It has performed as a quartet only a handful of times since 1997, […]
For all the hype that John’s “Peachtree Road” was a return to his organic roots (it wasn’t), the label should have waited until now. “The Captain and the Kid” could have been recorded 25 years ago, during El and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin’s golden days. Thanks to organic, piano-driven production, stellar storytelling and Sir’s […]
A host of songs on this cross-country concert collection documents Chesney’s nostalgia for days of frat parties and football fields and the classic-rock oldies he heard there. Most of the rest are about drinking on the beach, both excellent themes for crowd sing-alongs, especially when the audible audience members all have female voices. Hits […]
On his fifth full-length album, singer/songwriter Arthur explores a new minimalism that reaches back to David Bowie and the Stones, armed with his distinctive vocal arrangements and just a handful of chords. Released on Arthur’s own label, the set is a collection of sparse, acoustic guitar-based songs about love, death and the lingering pain […]
Like a lot of bands, the Mars Volta does not want its music compartmentalized. But there is no denying that “Amputechture” is a long, woozy prog party where the instruments repeatedly careen into each other in a drunken cacophony. “Day of the Baphomets” is one spot where the revelry gets loud enough to wake […]
Aside from a few catchy club tracks, there is nothing that exciting about Chingy’s third album. As with his previous effort, “Powerballin’,” the St. Louis rapper stays within his stale comfort zone, keeping his lyrics as basic as ever (although he does show off a speedy flow on a couple of songs). The first […]
Pianist Leon Fleisher’s last release, 2004’s “Two Hands,” chronicled his return to full playing after losing use of his right hand for nearly 40 years to the neurological condition called focal dystonia. As with that album, the 78-year-old Fleisher continues to prove what a true master of the keyboard he is, and what audiences […]
At a low point after the misbegotten, misunderstood “Metal Machine Music,” Reed bounced back in 1976 with one of his most tuneful solo albums. “Coney” features a powerful, focused band and a handful (only eight to begin with) of seductive songs. An uncharacteristic burst of happiness surges through the campy opener, “Crazy Feeling” (dig […]
Christina Aguilera’s “Ain’t No Other Man,” in all its incarnations — single release to chart-topping club remixes — was a triple-play triumph of talent reaching its prime, melodic potency and sheer star power. Follow-up ballad “Hurt” dramatically shifts gears from sass to sad, further giving testament to Aguilera’s stupefying gifts as an emotive, mature powerhouse […]
R&B veteran Kelly Price — who could forget 1998’s Grammy Award-nominated No. 1 R&B smash “Friend of Mine?” — returns with the project she was born to record. The forthcoming “This Is Who I Am” pays homage to the slimmed-downed diva’s church roots, but this is far from the cliched black-girl-who-sang-in-the-choir story. Price is the […]
