Van Morrison

Last Night: The Format at Culture Room

SXSW so far (I think): Black Angels, Van Morrison, Roky Erickson, Cut Copy, Tough Alliance

Living Legend Tom Jones to play the Fillmore Miami Beach on April 25

via www.tomjones.comYou'd be hard pressed to find a human being on the planet with more "cool" than Tom Jones. Countless hip hop artists claim to have the lock-down on the swagger, but each of them must bow their heads in reverence to Mr. Jones. There's not a person alive who can be mentioned in th ... More >>

Counting Down

It was only a matter of time before the critics turned on the Crows

Are You An Out Of Work Musician? Want a Gig Just For the Money?

Do you wake up, smoke a bowl, bum a cigarette, drink a beer, eat some corn pops, play guitar, watch Judge Judy, Matlock and Oprah while "brainstorming" your million dollar ideas wearing dirty socks and wishing somebody would just pay your rent so you could concentrate on developing your unrecognize ... More >>

18 Essential Songs of Summer

The definitive sounds of encroaching melanoma.

Simple, Not Stupid

Van Morrison ventures back into the slipstream.

The Music Men

Halfway through Sundance, and still whistling a happy tune

A Southeasterner at SXSW

Highlights and lowlights from the nation's biggest industry extravaganza of new (and old) music.

Natural Mystic

Hip-O's Van Morrison compilation shows the songsmith planted firmly on neutral turf.

Spoon

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge)

Rockin’ with Isotopes

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge)

The Music Men

Halfway through Sundance, and still whistling a happy tune

Iko-Iko

Halfway through Sundance, and still whistling a happy tune

Jukebox Hero

Halfway through Sundance, and still whistling a happy tune

Patti Smith

Horses (Legacy Edition Reissue) (Arista/Columbia/Legacy)

Raul Malo, Pat Flynn, Rob Ickes, and Dave Pomeroy

The Nashville Acoustic Sessions (CMH)

Rotations

The Nashville Acoustic Sessions (CMH)

Genre-Bending Gems

Surprises abound in three new discs released on the cusp of the holiday season

Orlando Cachaito Lopez

Cachaito Nonesuch/World Circuit

Fame and Misfortune

Counting Crows grapple with rock and roll celebrity

Strength in Numbers

Do the Doobies have too much time on their hands?

Best Local Album Of The Past Twelve Months

Pass Out

Mose Better Blues

Jazz poet laureate Mose Allison thrives on the blues

Rotations

Jazz poet laureate Mose Allison thrives on the blues

Song Sung Goo

Jazz poet laureate Mose Allison thrives on the blues

Rotations

Jazz poet laureate Mose Allison thrives on the blues

No Steps Forward, Two Steps Back

Jazz poet laureate Mose Allison thrives on the blues

A Waste of Honey

Jazz poet laureate Mose Allison thrives on the blues

A Sense of Wonder

Jazz poet laureate Mose Allison thrives on the blues

Generation Beck

Jazz poet laureate Mose Allison thrives on the blues

Uncommon One

Jazz poet laureate Mose Allison thrives on the blues

Calendar for the week

Jazz poet laureate Mose Allison thrives on the blues

Rotations

Jazz poet laureate Mose Allison thrives on the blues

Rotations

Jazz poet laureate Mose Allison thrives on the blues

Gloom Service

Jazz poet laureate Mose Allison thrives on the blues

Solid Old: Top 10 Rock Relics of All Time

Jazz poet laureate Mose Allison thrives on the blues

Giveaway: Win A Pair of Free Tickets to See Paolo Nutini at the Culture Room, August 31

photo by Kevin Westerberg​The 22-year-old singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini confounds most expectations, from his name on up. Despite its Mediterranean sound, Nutini hails from Paisley, Scotland (though his father's side of the family is Italian, a few generations back). And despite his early shaggy, ... More >>

Concert Review: Counting Crows at Bayfront Park Amphitheater

Photo by John HoodCounting Crows at Bayfront Park Amphitheater Tuesday night.​Counting Crows, Michael Franti, Spearhead and AugustanaAugust 18, 2009Bayfront Park AmphitheaterBetter Than: Having to drive to AtlantaIn case you missed the last few days, the beautifully-set Bayfront Park Amphitheater ... More >>

Paolo Nutini

Photo by John HoodCounting Crows at Bayfront Park Amphitheater Tuesday night.​Counting Crows, Michael Franti, Spearhead and AugustanaAugust 18, 2009Bayfront Park AmphitheaterBetter Than: Having to drive to AtlantaIn case you missed the last few days, the beautifully-set Bayfront Park Amphitheater ... More >>

Concert Review: Dubfest at Hollywood ArtsPark, September 5

Bunny Wailer​DubFest Featuring Bunny Wailer, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, and othersHollywood ArtsPark at Young CircleSaturday, September 5, 2009
 Better Than: Anything that has come to the ArtsPark in a very long time.The Review:Last Saturday, the rain just wouldn't let up. B ... More >>

Cool St. Patrick's Day Menu at Yard House

Photo by Lee KleinPretend this is corned beef, not pastrami. And grilled. With cheese.​Chef Carlito Jocson of Coral Gables' Yard House will be serving a special St. Patrick's Day menu today and tomorrow. Treats will  include Corned Beef Brisket braised in Irish beer with boiled red potatoes a ... More >>

Van the Man

Photo by Lee KleinPretend this is corned beef, not pastrami. And grilled. With cheese.​Chef Carlito Jocson of Coral Gables' Yard House will be serving a special St. Patrick's Day menu today and tomorrow. Treats will  include Corned Beef Brisket braised in Irish beer with boiled red potatoes a ... More >>

Concert Review: Van Morrison at Hard Rock Live, May 5

Van Morrison kept personal interactions to a minimum at Hard Rock Live Wednesday​Van MorrisonHard Rock Live, Hollywood Wednesday, May 5, 2010 Preceded by a reputation as one of contemporary music's most distinctive voices - as well as one of its most curmudgeonly characters -- Van Morrison's first ... More >>

Once Is Not Enough

The Swell Season brings stirring songs to the Fillmore.

Top 5 Food References In Pop/Rock Music

The Commander's mama is cookin' hammy.​First, let's get to the shocking stuff: Riock and rollers, it seems, never go near food (insert your own drug joke here). Bob Dylan has scribed hundreds of songs, but never mentions sitting down for a meal. Ditto the Rolling Stones, Led Zep, Pink Floyd ("Brow ... More >>

Top 5 Food References In Pop/Rock Music

The Commander's mama is busy cookin' hammy​First let's get to the shocking part of this post: Rock 'n rollers evidently never go near food (insert your own drug joke here). Bob Dylan has scribed hundreds of songs, but never mentions sitting down for a meal. Ditto the Rolling Stones, Led Zep, Pink ... More >>

Magadog's Ska, Soul, and Roots Reggae Mashup

​Magadog Self-titled (Moon Ska Reocrds) myspace.com/magadogtampa It's hard to believe Magadog has been soldiering since 1992. This band (and this album in particular) recall a time in life when going to shows with a group of friends was 100-percent fun. I'm referring to cool Sunday night show ... More >>

Twilight's Robert Pattinson and Five Other Actors Who Never Should've Recorded an Album

This dude sucks.​US Weekly is reporting that Team Edward is stabbing music in the heart and draining its blood. Evidently, PG-13 heartthrob and "accomplished blues guitarist" Robert Pattinson is in the midst of recording his first album. But the Twilight star isn't making a record for his teenag ... More >>

Charles Manson, Slipknot, and Other Rock 'N' Roll Boogeymen That Aren't Actually Scary

Charlie Manson was a rock 'n' roller too.​​After sex and drugs, rock 'n' roll is often paired with scary. Ever since the darkly psychedelic burnout at the end of the '60s (epitomized by Iggy Pop's amphetamine-inspired caterwauling and Lou Reed's doom-y bad trip bummer jamming), there have b ... More >>