Music
The Casualties unleash a political 'Attack'
By SCOTT MERVIS
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
As the Warped Tour gets up there in years, it's gotten harder to find those reckless hardcore bands with the mile-high mohawks who just get up there and thrash away like it's 1981.
Good thing for The Casualties.
The veteran New York band is doing its part to keep that street-punk spirit alive, taking its cues from the likes of The Exploited, Black Flag and GBH.
"I don't think there are a lot of bands playing the kind of hardcore punk we're playing," says guitarist Jake Casualty.
'Idol' washout: Studdard doesn't return a winner
By CHUCK CAMPBELL
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
"THE RETURN," Ruben Studdard (J Records)
On the title track/opening cut of "The Return," a self-aggrandizing Ruben Studdard announces that "the Velvet Teddy Bear" _ i.e.
McLachlan delivers cozy reflection on holiday
By CHUCK CAMPBELL
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
"WINTERSONG," Sarah McLachlan (Arista)
Sarah McLachlan takes Christmas seriously.
Her new "Wintersong" isn't a festive collection of holiday tunes.
Taylor Swift is a veteran at 16
By RONNA RUBIN
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
While most girls her age are cruising the mall to try on the latest from stores like Abercrombie & Fitch, rising country newcomer Taylor Swift is starring in an ad campaign for the trendy retailer.
The busy 16-year-old will release "Taylor Swift" this week (Oct.
Beck, Godrich finally get it right
By CHUCK CAMPBELL
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
"The Information," Beck (Interscope)
For some of us, red flags were flying and alarms were going off at word that Nigel Godrich was producing the new Beck release.
Gretchen Wilson and her redneck revolution
By RONNA RUBIN
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Gretchen Wilson pretty much single-handedly created a redneck revolution when she blasted onto the scene in 2004 with "Redneck Woman," her debut single.
New Web site puts artists and listeners together
By ARTHUR KIMBALL STANLEY
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Tucked behind College Hill and hidden in a small apartment amid the rows of student and family housing, a small group of recent Brown University graduates has created a Web site called Amie Street that it hopes will change the way musicians connect with their audiences and the way downloaded music is priced.
Southern rock band picks up speed on road to success
By WAYNE BLEDSOE
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
There is no generation gap when it comes to the music of the Drive-By Truckers. The band is just as likely to appeal to 16-year-olds drawn by the act's in-your-face raucousness as 50-year-olds attracted to the group's classic-rock edge.
Patterson Hood, the most prolific of the three singer-songwriter-guitarists in the quintet, is incredulous that his group's wide appeal is lost on the music industry.
"The music industry is so inept that they view that aspect as a negative," says Hood from his home in Athens, Ga., where the band is now based.
Vince Gill puts a lifetime into a four CD set
By RONNA RUBIN
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Vince Gill has fans in high places and he credits one such fan as the impetus behind "These Days," a 4-CD, 43-song collection of original compositions written or co-written by him.
"I got an invitation from Eric Clapton to come and play at his Crossroads Guitar Festival (a one-time gathering of master guitarists) a few years back.
Janet Jackson regains control, bounces out of slump
By CHUCK CAMPBELL
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
"20 Y.O.," Janet Jackson (Virgin)
Janet Jackson announces at the beginning of her new "20 Y.O.," "I want to keep it light, I don't want to be serious."
Brilliant call, and she follows through, which makes the release _ a celebration of the 20th anniversary of her "Control" breakthrough _ sound every bit the party album.
Three men have key roles in the 40-year-old singer's resurrection: Her longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis continue to work the magic that specifically suits Jackson's delicate delivery while her producer boyfriend Jermaine Dupri likewise jumps on board.
