Wylde and his Black Label Society brethren are still serving their house brand of brew-tality: gritty bar rock that squawls like a Harley on an open highway. Cuts like “Faith Is Blind” and “Concrete Jungle” attest to that. But Wylde must have known the flavor was getting a little weak, because he chases the […]
This Scottish singer/songwriter won instant U.K. fame after webcasting a series of home concerts that drew a stadium-size audience. Her debut album luxuriates in the predigital warmth of vintage folk and soul. Signature track “I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)” is a foot-stomping update of Janis Joplin’s “Mercedes Benz,” […]
Motherhood, marriage and maturity have not robbed Chambers of her beauteous childlike vocals, but they may have contributed to more perceptive songwriting and a trip outside her melodic comfort zone. Her fourth album lacks the vulnerability of 1999’s “The Captain” and the rock bravado of 2001’s “Barricades and Brickwalls,” but she still owns one […]
Marisa Monte has one of the most captivating voices in Brazilian music, and she’s put it to good use in the service of samba. “Universo Ao Meu Redor” is the first record she’s entirely devoted to this beautiful music. The artist tapped into the time-honored work of such samba composers as Jaime Silva and […]
Anonymous 4’s road has been long and winding, but never boring. Recording everything from 12th-century liturgical music to spirituals, its music-making continually entrances. And this, the vocal quartet’s second journey into the heart of American music featuring a plethora of folk songs, spirituals, gospel tunes and religious ballads, is no exception. Framed by gentle […]
Lately the once-so-reclusive Bob Dylan has been revealing more of himself — he’s even hosting a weekly radio show — but his nasal growl remains as enigmatic and prophetic as ever. With “Modern Times,” he submits a new album that sounds just like one of those scratched pre-rock records he is now spinning on-air. An […]
Artist/actress Lindsey Haun’s performance in the upcoming movie “Broken Bridges” (starring Toby Keith) is directed toward a country audience, but the teen’s performance of the single “Broken” breaks free of all boundaries. Not only is this potent ballad among the best debuts of the year, but hers is a voice that could command any genre. […]
Fourth time’s a charm, right? As her smash concert tour winds down, Madonna has released “Jump,” the fourth single off “Confessions on a Dance Floor.” Maybe its radio fortunes will be better than her last single, “Get Together.” But realistically, if programmers turned up their collective noses at the super-catchy “Sorry,” then why would they […]
Long-lived, Grammy Award-nominated Gin Blossoms may have delivered their boatload of hits in the 1990s, but don’t write off a band whose new album, “Major Lodge Victory,” sounds like a seamless continuation of the glory days. First single “Learning the Hard Way” is an effortless triumph of melodic perfection, organic production and collaboration. Lead singer […]
Brad Paisley’s “Time Well Wasted,” which picked up album of the year honors at the Academy of Country Music Awards last spring, is one of the best country sets in years. Though much of his career has been built on such clever uptempo hits as “Alcohol” and “Celebrity,” this fourth single demonstrates how compelling Paisley […]
Singapore superstar Sun, who has scored a couple of No. 1 club smashes on the Billboard charts, continues her bid to shine upon the U.S. market with super-fresh dance-floor popover “Gone,” another instantly gratifying melodic jewel. The song is given numerous treatments via A-list remixers Ralphi Rosario, Moto Blanco, Tony Moran and Steve Mac, though […]
Why Clay Aiken chose to draw direct comparison between himself and Mariah Carey is confounding. After all, her 1994 top three cover of Harry Nilsson’s “Without You” was flawless in execution (not to discount the original, also definitive for its day). On its own, however, Aiken does indeed draw upon his greatest strengths: a flair […]
Beyonce plays up both her naughty and nice sides on the follow-up to her multiplatinum solo debut, “Dangerously in Love.” While lead single “Deja Vu” was viewed by many as simply “Crazy in Love” part two, they’ve got another thing coming in terms of the album’s other tracks. It’s a rockier, edgier Beyonce belting […]
After 30-odd years, Iron Maiden’s sound is so ingrained, the deaf can hear it. Charging guitar runs, trilling hooks, burning solos — it’s all about the six string. It’s gotta be since the band juggles three guitarists in its lineup. “A Matter of Life and Death” does get repetitive, although that doesn’t keep it […]
