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Don Henley discusses touring, recording, and walking in Walden Woods
The last time we saw Don Henley he was holding down the beat for the Eagles, as the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers hit the road with their first album in over 25 years, 2007’s multiplatinum “Long Road Out of Eden.’’ The singer-songwriter was back in the area last weekend attending a board meeting at Walden Woods in Concord ...
Roger Daltrey gives the Who their due
That Roger Daltrey is calling his current solo outing the “Use It Or Lose It’’ tour - in reference to his voice - naturally invites concern over whether he’s lost it.
Lyle Lovett and his Large Band stir the Orpheum Theatre audience
Lyle Lovett closed his splendid sold-out show at the Orpheum Theatre Friday night with the raucous country gospel outburst “Church.’’ But the long, tall Texan’s entire 2 1/2-hour performance felt like the best kind of soul-stirring church service, full of joy, solemnity, reverence, and contemplation.
Lofgren keeps it fun and simple
In the early ’90s, E Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren participated in a “rock and roll fantasy camp’’ sponsored by VH1 and discovered he really enjoyed teaching. Since he often finds himself on the road, Lofgren decided he would start offering lessons the new-fashioned way, via the Internet. For $20 a pop, wannabe ax masters can download Lofgren’s lessons, which ...
Sarah Rodman gets guitar help from Nils Lofgren - in person and online
“That sounds pretty good, actually.’’ The words rang in my head and made me a little shakier than I was already feeling. Nils Lofgren was saying that my attempt at a rudimentary chord was tolerable.
Brian McKnight steps out for benefit
Brian McKnight is happy to lend a helping hand to the 22d edition of the “Steppin’ Out’’ benefit show tonight, noting he hasn’t been to Boston for a while.
Train frontman Pat Monahan’s iPod Shuffle
He was battling a respiratory infection and had literally just finished a show, but that didn’t stop Train frontman Pat Monahan from phoning in from Minneapolis last week at 1 a.m. to share the contents of his iPod. The group behind pop radio anthems like “Drops of Jupiter’’ and “Calling All Angels’’ just released its fifth album, “Save Me, San ...
Sean Kingston performs 32 minutes of affable hip-hop
After the initial shock wore off, it was hard to decide whether brevity was a virtue or an embarrassment when it came to the Sean Kingston show at Natick High School on Sunday.
Frankie Valli and the boys enjoy renewed success
He may be the second most famous singer named Frank to come out of New Jersey, but even Sinatra couldn’t boast of a successful Broadway musical based on his life story.
Sean Kingston makes the most of momentum
When Sean Kingston takes the stage at Healy Auditorium at Natick High School on Sunday, the feeling will be familiar.
Guster revisits their first hit
Ten years ago three guys who formed a pop-rock band at Tufts University released their major label debut album, “Lost and Gone Forever.’’ This Saturday night Guster parties like it’s 1999 - and joins a growing trend - when it celebrates the album’s anniversary by playing it in its entirety at a sold-out Orpheum Theatre. Drummer Brian Rosenworcel, on the ...
A colorful night of David Gray songs
David Gray picked the right city to kick off the tour for his latest album, “Draw the Line.’’
Cartoon Network’s Dethklok thrashes off the screen
Death metal doesn’t come any more fatal or metallic than Dethklok. As a unit, vocalist Nathan Explosion, guitarists Skwisgaar Skwigelf and Toki Wartooth, bassist William Murderface, and drummer Pickles are interested only in brutality and speed. The music is so assaultive that fans are required to sign pain waivers before entering the quintet’s performances. Besides the skull-crushing greatness of the ...
Critic's picks - pop music
FIVE FOR FIGHTING Billed as “an acoustic evening,’’ the show with FFF principal John Ondrasik will likely feature tunes from the new album “Slice’’ as well as older, sensitive piano pop faves like “Superman (It’s Not Easy)’’ and “100 Years.’’ 8 p.m. Oct. 26. $25. Paradise. 877-598-8689. www.livenation.com
David Foster still has love for music biz
David Foster gets by with a little help from his friends. And by “gets by’’ we mean has made a fortune. The 15-time Grammy-winning composer-producer’s friends over the years have included Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Madonna, and Michael Bublé, to name a handful of hundreds. The Canadian multi-instrumentalist has played with all four Beatles and starred on questionable ...
David Foster’s turn in the spotlight
David Foster gets by with a little help from his friends. And by “gets by’’ we mean has made a fortune. The 15-time Grammy-winning composer-producer’s friends over the years have included Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Madonna, and Michael Buble, to name a handful of hundreds. The Canadian multi-instrumentalist has played with all four Beatles and starred on questionable ...
Another awesome moment for Paramore
Josh Farro, lead guitarist and songwriter for the band Paramore, swears he has not started making a voodoo doll of Barbra Streisand.
Critic's picks - pop music
POP MUSIC AVETT BROTHERS The purveyors of one of the finest albums of the year, the shaking, quaking, heartbreaking rootsy rocker “I and Love and You,’’ bring their rip-roaring live show to bear on the new tunes. Simpatico rocker Nicole Atkins handles warmup duties. 8 p.m. Oct. 18. $25-$35. House of Blues. 800-745-3000. www.ticketmaster.com
Lenny Kravitz’s iPod shuffle
Lenny Kravitz plays Wednesday at the Orpheum Theatre, celebrating the 20th anniversary of his debut album, “Let Love Rule.’’ His iPod was also clearly in a nostalgic mood when we caught up with the New York native in the midst of a run of hometown shows, as a ton of ’70s gems popped up. A very chipper Kravitz marveled at ...
Sound Off: The ‘new’ Michael Jackson single, ‘This Is It’
It’s a demo and it sounds like a demo. And that rough-hewn charm may be what makes the “new’’ single “This Is It,’’ the latest strand in the web of posthumous Michael Jackson products so interesting. (After its unveiling this week, it came to light that Jackson originally co-wrote the song with Paul Anka more than 25 years ago under ...
Them Crooked Vultures get into a jam
Led Zeppelin may not be embarking on a reunion tour, but it’s not because John Paul Jones isn’t ready.
Colbie Caillat is at home in her own space
Colbie Caillat went from MySpace to everybody’s space in record time when her frothy 2007 hit “Bubbly’’ dominated the airwaves and propelled her debut album, “Coco,’’ to multiplatinum success. The 24-year-old singer was prodded into learning guitar and songwriting by her producer/sound engineer father, Ken, who worked on mega-albums like Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors.’’ Now he’s one of her producers and ...
7 Worlds Collide album benefits Oxfam
What do you get when you coop up an eclectic group of musicians - including members of Radiohead, Wilco, Crowded House, the Smiths, and KT Tunstall - for three weeks over the Christmas holiday on the New Zealand coast? You get “The Sun Came Out,’’ a terrific benefit album of all original material featuring the above rock critic dream team ...
The Backstreet Boys still have pop
Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Britan Littrell, and A.J. McLean - a.k.a. the Backstreet Boys - release their seventh album, “This Is Us,’’ today. Filled with dance floor and bubble pop confections courtesy of hitmakers like RedOne, T-Pain, and old Swedish friend Max Martin, it’s the boy band’s best effort since its boffo ’90s heyday. On the eve of the album ...
Joe Perry’s side project is not the same old song and dance
DUXBURY - Being in a band for nearly 40 years is not something you plan, says Joe Perry.
Self-indulging, Pink is at top of her form
During her raucous and spectacle-laden, carnival-themed performance last night at the TD Garden, Pink danced in front of a series of funhouse mirrors. While the reflections may have made the pixie-cute, steel-toed tough pop star look drawn out or squeezed small, that was certainly never the reality of the nearly two-hour performance.
What pops up when you put someone's music on random
Howard Jones is playing four shows at the intimate Scullers jazz club next Wednesday and Thursday, but don’t expect the pioneering electro-popster to scale it back or bust out the Coltrane. On the phone from England, the ’80s hitmaker jokes that his trio will be playing all of his famous tunes - like “No One Is to Blame’’ and “What ...
Making music on her own terms
Meshell Ndegeocello lets out a low chuckle when asked if she's worried her fans might think she's been hitting the bottle based on some of the boozy characters on her new album, "Devil's Halo."
Paul Stanley and Kiss still made for lovin’ you
They’ve been extolling the virtues of all-night rocking and daily partying for 35 years, and they’re not done yet. Next Tuesday, the day after filling the TD Garden with its spectacle, Kiss releases its first album in 11 years, “Sonic Boom.’’ Last week, the makeup-loving quartet learned that, 10 years after their initial eligibility, they made the nomination ballot for ...
Bruce Hornsby discusses why his music is constantly changing
Musicians often talk about their eclectic tastes, but few have walked the walk like singer-songwriter-pianist Bruce Hornsby. Following his breakout in the ’80s with bright pop hits like “The Way It Is’’ and “Mandolin Rain,’’ Hornsby’s winding path has included serving time as an adjunct member of the Grateful Dead and as a promiscuous collaborator in the rock, jazz, and ...
Sound off
A sad anniversary has produced some positive news for those who loved the music of the late, great Boston rock band Morphine. It has been 10 years since the trio’s inimitable frontman Mark Sandman passed away while touring Italy with the band. Fans wanting to honor his memory have two excellent options.
Sound Off
The music industry may be in a painful transitional stage as the big companies scramble to figure out how to retain market share and artists experiment with the joys and frustrations of having more power over their individual destinies than ever. But a few elements of pursuing success as a musician are evergreen. One of those is networking. The opportunity ...
Monsters of Folk play on common ground
As far as monsters go, the Monsters of Folk are a pretty tame bunch. There’s no roaring or mayhem on the group’s superb and spooky self-titled debut, out Sept. 22. Instead there is a lot of finely crafted singer-songwriter fare from three of indie rock’s most vaunted troubadours - M. Ward, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst of ...