Now that December is upon us, it’s time to break out the usual accoutrements of the holiday season. Reindeer. Snowmen. Gingerbread houses. Nativity scenes. And, of course, blistering prog-rock solos played on Gibson Flying V guitars while laser light shows … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: The Mystery of Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Being Brazilian musical royalty seems pretty cool. Besides the benefits of being rich, you get to grow up with incredible musicians hanging out with your fam all the time, jet-set around the world, and live off the goodwill of millions. … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Bebel Gilberto -Electro Bossa Nova Is Actually Pretty Great

Here they are, creators of the Avocado’s “Best” “One-Hit Wonder” song. Continue reading Get The Groove In Your Heart — Deee-Lite Artist Spotlight

“It seems to be OK for musicians to act, but it doesn’t seem OK for actors to play music.” — Rob Mailhouse, Dogstar Is Dogstar a celebrity vanity project? Or is it a legitimate musical act, hampered by the celebrity … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Dogstar – Not That Terrible After All

Bill Irwin is a perhaps unique multi-hyphenate in an entertainment field full of people who claim to do multiple things. Sure, plenty of actors have co-written scripts or directed an episode of a TV show, but how many of them … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Bill Irwin – Robot Clown Tony Winner

This dude was a whistler. As in, he whistled. As a job. For money. And he was basically the best at it. You may have heard his whistling before:       That last one is not the original movie … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Muzzy Marcellino

(Check out Part One for 1976-1984: Tumult and Victory and 1985-1993: The MTV Era) 1994-Present: Bearded, Rich, and Cranky In 1994, Tom Petty made a couple of significant changes. First, he broke up with longtime drummer Stan Lynch, who was a solid musician (he wrote … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: The Three Lives of Tom Petty, Pt. 2

Tom Petty, as a solo artist and member of several great rock bands, is a bit of an enigma. Here’s a 44-year-old guy who wins an MTV VMA for a song where he plays a guitar and harmonica country ballad, … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: The Three Lives of Tom Petty, Pt. 1

I first became aware of Brian Setzer when he played Eddie Cochran and covered “Summertime Blues” in the 1987 sleeper hit La Bamba. This was pretty inspired casting – most of the big-name musicians in the movie were played by … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Brian Setzer – Rock ’til You Pop

I’m starting this Spotlight with the best tracks first. If you listen to nothing else today, listen to these two songs. http://www.dailymotion.com/… Those are the first and second tracks off of Supermodified, Amon Tobin’s fourth major studio LP, which came out … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Amon Tobin – Orphan Black, Splinter Cell, and Brazilian Jazz

You might not expect that an optometrist who taught himself modern recording techniques would win a Grammy Trustees Award (i.e., the recording academy’s lifetime achievement honor). But then again, never be surprised by anything you read in an Artist Spotlight. Continue reading Artist Spotlight — Rudy Van Gelder, Jazz’s Most Important Optometrist

I primarily know RJD2 as a DJ/producer who creates R&B/soul-inflected soundscapes from obscure samples, reflecting and refracting their original sources to make music that never existed before simultaneously sound like a reverent homage. But I say “primarily,” because I don’t … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: RJD2 – ’70s Soul, Underground Hip Hop, and Don Draper

Jerry Goldsmith was, in my mind, the quintessential film composer. He might not have been The Best Ever, and feel free to rage about that question in the comments, but he was certainly among the most dependable. His scores often … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Jerry Goldsmith

What the hell is a Mannheim Steamroller? We’ll get to this band’s punny denotative meaning, but I can tell you right now what it connotes. It’s a faceless synthesizer juggernaut that turns Christmas carols into ’80s New Age ear-blasters, and … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Mannheim Steamroller

Vince Guaraldi was a jazz pianist and composer whom you probably never would have heard of were it not for the Coca-Cola company. Thanks to them, Guaraldi wrote music you’ll never forget and helped create the smooth jazz subgenre. But … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Vince Guaraldi

Band Aid was a trendsetting charity supergroup, which created the idea of getting superstar musicians together for a one-off recording to raise funds for a charitable cause. Its first incarnation came in 1984, with the hit song “Do They Know … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: Band Aid