music
Music: Ranking Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson's new album is pretty darn good. But where does it rank in the pantheon of pop from previous "American Idol" stars? Herewith, my five best albums from folks who got their start having to sing while staring into Paula Abdul's cleavage:
Music: Catching up with Dan Hicks
The first time I saw Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks was on a PBS television program in the early 1970s. The TV picture was black-and-white, but it seemed like it was in color. Hicks and his all-acoustic band were performing amid a tropical motif with big fake palm trees and a beach scene as a backdrop.
Tuned In: Psapp taps into something new
"THE CAMEL'S BACK," Psapp (Domino)
Of course a playful act like Psapp would prank listeners.
Tuned In: Psapp taps into something new
"THE CAMEL'S BACK," Psapp (Domino)
Of course a playful act like Psapp would prank listeners.
Tuned In: 'Jet Black' soars
"JET BLACK," Gentleman Reg (Arts and Crafts)
Gentleman Reg doesn't look much like a rock star, and he sounds even less like one.
Tuned In: Singer's material rises above his inspiration
"BLACK JOHN," The Soul of John Black (Electro Groove)
John Bigham, lead singer/guitarist of the Soul of John Black, freely admits his act's new "Black John" was inspired by the blaxploitation film "J.D.'s Revenge," but that doesn't negate the artistry of the release.
Grammy performers: Radiohead has rhythm, new Rat Pack 'swaggas'
There were no awards given out for the performances during the Grammy telecast Sunday night, so we thought we would handle that.
Here goes:
Plant, Krauss' collaboration takes top Grammys
When the Grammys passed over Amy Winehouse and Kanye West last year to give the Best Album award to Herbie Hancock's "River: The Joni Letters," a disc made up of jazz versions of old Joni Mitchell songs, the Recording Academy proved that despite the heroic efforts of its marketing department, the actual voting committee was still dominated by the gray-ponytail set.
