Fresh LINKS
Drama is unfolding behind the scenes of Crazy Heart in a battle over the estate of the songwriter Stephen Bruton, who co-produced the soundtrack and tutored Jeff Bridges on guitar for his role as an aging country singer seeking love and redemption. More at The New York Times
The eccentric musician, arranger and songwriter who has collaborated with the Beach Boys, the Byrds, Ry Cooder and many more is returning to the road to tour for the first time in 25 years. More at The San Francisco Chronicle
Singer Sade Adu returns after a ten year hiatus with the release of her new album, Solder of Love, this Tuesday. More at The Wall Street Journal
Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America, a 90-minute VH1 Rock Docs film celebrating the 40th anniversary of the culturally influential music show premieres Saturday on VH1. More at USA Today
Past Print
Young and restless England, stirred up by rough sounds from gramophone and fairground loudspeaker, was waiting breathlessly for Bill Haley to come and take their forlorn, stooped, war-weary country by storm...
MoreShelf Life
Los Angeles is for all intents and purposes the center of the rock & roll universe. And for those who know anything about the history of the city's great love affair with those who like to rock, they know that Laurel Canyon has a gravitational pull.
MoreBentley's Bandstand
Gospel music will always shine. A centerpiece of American sounds, it carries the ability to inspire all those within its sweep. Even for listeners beyond the beliefs at gospel's rousing center, the songs rarely fail to raise the roof everywhere they are performed.
MoreALBUM OF THE WEEK
Ain't No Grave is a funeral for fans of Johnny Cash. It's not the kind of service in which a minister prays for salvation, mentioning the high points of a life along the way.
MoreBoomerangst
Maybe it was the three orders of buffalo chicken wings, or the Lay's sour cream and onion chips and matching dip. Perhaps it was the glut of commercials from corporate America, knowing the country is on the edge of economic chaos.
MoreON THE CORNER
The Fall of 1974. I am meeting friends at the Bottom Line for a Waylon Jennings show. Yes, for a New York City boy, I was Country before Country was cool.
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