With music that ranges from the retro to the intensely personal, these hardworking performers are ready to break out in May.

With summer just around the corner and the outdoor concert season kicking into high gear, here are some hardworking musicians and musical groups that appear ready to make their mark in the month of May: Continue Reading »

Among the thousands of musicians who offer samples of their work on the Internet, here are five who caught my ear.

Like online journalists and politicians, musicians tend to breed like rabbits, but even with a cornucopia of musical talent showing their talents online, there are a few voices that do stand out in this ever-growing crowd:

Charlotte Gainsbourg: With her sweet, almost breathless voice and plainspoken delivery, Gainsbourg’s songs convey an underlying cynicism and pain. In “The Songs That We Sing,” for instance, she asks “The songs that we sing, do they mean anything to the people we are singing to?” Continue Reading »

Amy Winehouse, Morrissey and Nelly Furtado are among the artists who have produced some of the essential album downloads.

From the smooth stylings of Frank Sinatra to the 1980s rhythms of “Frankie Goes to Hollywood,” you can download just about any album or track these days, but make sure you have these six essential albums among your digital collection: Continue Reading »

Looking for some new music that hasn’t yet smashed through the brick wall of the transmundane constructed atop the weak shoulders of Justin Timberlake and the latest flavor-of-the-month from one of those “Idol” shows? Here are a few bands that you may or may not have heard of, but that you definitely haven’t heard enough of.

The Rakes

Not exactly an unknown band, but The Rakes deserve to be the most well-known band in the world. Listening to The Rakes is like stepping back in time the glory days of those amazing bands from Leeds and Manchester in the late ’70s and early ’80s. How long has it been since you listened to a song that was made by people who actually knew how to play their own instruments and write clever and timely lyrics? And by the way, “Suspicious Eyes” may well be the greatest song released this decade. Make some progress in your musical life by getting to know The Rakes. Right now! Continue Reading »