Bice in season four--stormed the stage with more raw talent. That it translates so well to a solo disc ( Daughtry was recorded with studio musicians; future discs will include a Daughtry-assembled band) proves all he needed was a little prodding, the kind the tube has gotten so good at. Here are a dozen songs that'll flick your rock & roll switch, whether you're a Creed fan, a club kid, or a mambo king: "Used To" and "Over You," a couple of early tracks, ought to arrive bundled with a road map they're so highway sing-along-ready, and "Feels Like Tonight" screws the lid on the premise that Daughtry can deliver a punchy pop-rock song without flinching. Elsewhere, the North Carolina family man lets his inner (and outer, actually) goat...  (less)

in support of The Magic Numbers, and having only just begun to be seen on TV, most notably with recent appearances on Jools Holland's Later and New Year Hootenanny. Yet her soulful voice has already beguiled many of the nation's musical tastemakers and news of its beauty and of the strength of her songs is spreading by word of mouth even as you read these words. Radio One's Jo Whiley chose Duffy's title track and album taster `Rockferry' as her Single of the Week in late November, further adding to the momentum. Now, as the comparisons fly (Dusty Springfield has emerged as the favourite), it's time to discover her for yourself. Duffy was born and spent her childhood years in the north Wales coastal community of Nefyn, a place too remote to be...  (less)

a young siren. Her brassy mix of emotive vocals tinged with 60's girl-group stylings, sly funk, and anguished jazz, sparked the New York Daily News to crown Back To Black a "marvelous debut that would do Etta James proud" while New Yorker Magazine called her "a fierce English performer whose voice combines the smoky depths of a jazz chanteuse with the heated passion of a soul singer," and Spin Magazine affirming "there's never been A British star quite like her." Back To Black smolders with a bristling fusion of old school doo-wop/soul inflected uprisings, (the charismatic singer/songwriter wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on the album) brewing instant classics such as the Shirley Ellis influenced "Rehab," the Supremes tinged title so...  (less)

Dr. Luke & T-Pain on 'Watch You Go' and Harvey Mason Jr. of the Underdogs on 'Don't Let It Go To Your Head'. Jordin also co-wrote several of the tracks on the album, including 'Was I The Only One' and 'Faith'.  (less)

long time. But given Grizzly Bear s hectic touring schedule, including stints with Radiohead, TV On The Radio and Feist as well as several performances during a five-night tribute to Paul Simon at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, a co-headlining show with the L.A. Philharmonic, and the release of Friend, a 10-song EP of re-recorded and re-worked songs, collaborations and covers all this seems reasonable. They ve been busy. But about a year ago, singer/songwriter Ed Droste, drummer Christopher Bear, woodwinds player/bassist Chris Taylor and singer/songwriter/guitarist Daniel Rossen who s other band, Department of Eagles, released the sublime In Ear Park last fall began passing demos around, and working together creatively in different pairs and permutations. A few months l...  (less)

their own brand of Southern Rock with touches of Garage, Punk and Alternative swagger. RCA.  (less)

from the band's own website. Like so many innovations, it already seems funny both that it was such big news and that someone else of similar stature hadn't done it sooner. Some pundits were appalled that it took awhile to download the tracks if you tried to do it at the same time as thousands of other people, while others decried that the group was trying to kill the music industry (or save it). Little of the press seemed to focus on the record itself, which actually made sense because it was so entertaining and inviting, the most low-key album Radiohead has made to date. There's even a very straight-forward, simple, silly little love song, "House of Cards." It might be a bit lethargic, but the simple instrumentation...  (less)

in 2002, an unbridled five-song EP by an unknown band brought noise, sex, passion, and mayhem back to the stage and to the stereo. The band's name evoked the kid who knows that whoever's in charge is full of s**t -- "yeah, yeah, yeah" -- but it also rang with the affirmation of pure rock and roll: F**k yeah! The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' first full-length album, Fever to Tell, was simultaneously filthy, infectious, sloppy, and brilliant. You could dance to it, and you could probably die to it. "Maps" was nominated for a Grammy, and the record went gold in the UK. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs spawned a new breed of power trio. They work together as a single organism, but each member maintains their own personality and contributes their own strengths. Think of them as a ...  (less)

pop. Songs such as 'Ten Out Of Ten' and 'Coming Up Easy' display the gifted tunesmith's ever-growing knack for irrepressible melodies melded with insightful and intimate lyricism, all held together by Paolo's gritty and unpredictable vocal stylings.  (less)

the hopelessly optimistic "One Blue Sky," the combination of Jennifer's powerhouse country-soul voice with Kristian's passionate harmonies and deep-rooted musicality hits home, even if these two road veterans, each with a decade of club experience behind them, hardly ever see theirs. "If we can't go home, we do in our minds," Kristian explains of their songwriting process, which on this record, includes collaborations with country artist Bobby Pinson ("Want To"), Brad Paisley's co-writer Tim Owens ("Settlin'"), old pal Jeff Cohen ("April Showers") and Nashville local Lisa Carver ("One Blue Sky," "Everyday America," "County Line," "These Are The Days"). "There's a sense of nostalgia," Jennifer continues. "You pull fro...  (less)

Like those acts, Sugarland trade on solid and sometimes intricate harmonies and a killer lead vocalist. In this case, the full-tilt Jennifer Nettles plays Natalie Maines to Kristen Hall and Kristian Bush's Emily and Martie. And while it would be lovely to hear another member of the trio out front occasionally, Nettles, a deep-dish Southerner who knows no one-syllable words ("air" is "aye-er"), is a commanding presence. Stylistically, the group mixes it up, from the folk-rock of Hall and Bush's backgrounds to the driving pop that dominates much of contemporary country radio; thematically, the songs largely revolve around restlessness, the need to escape restrictions and find one's self, and the faith that things will work out. "Baby Gir...  (less)

Kelly, and the View. Martina also visited the Today Show multiple times, opened the NBC 4th of July Special and was the subject of a 2 hour primetime special, Six Degrees of Martina McBide, that aired summer 07 an ABC. In addition to her TV appearance, Martina was the 2007 top country female touring act, and in all genres, second only to Gwen Stefani.  (less)