by James K. Willcox, courtesy of StarPolish Few bands of the past two decades have been as influential on succeeding generations of artists as Sonic Youth, sometimes referred to as the greatest band never to strike it big. Bursting on the scene in 1981, heavily influenced by the experimental music …

It’s interesting to see Adam Sandler tinker with his remarkably successful formula with the care and precision of a medieval theologian, mixing and sorting his ensemble cast of regulars, adjusting his lead character’s admixture of likability, impulse control issues, and inherent appeal to his leading lady. He is a peculiar …

Legendary King Kong actress Fay Wray dies at 96: “I used to resent `King Kong,'” she said in a 1963 interview. “But now I don’t fight it anymore. I realize that it is a classic, and I am pleased to be associated with it.” Wray died quietly in her sleep …

Steven Van Zandt’s crusade on behalf of garage rock – broadly defined – has hit the big time with a huge concert festival and a syndicated radio show. He talked to the NY Times about it: To hear Steven Van Zandt tell it, he had no choice. He had simply …

Shades of “867-5309”: sloe-eyed hottie songstress Alicia Keys has unleashed more phone number madness with her “Diary” song: Fans of Alicia Keys keep calling her number, but only J.D. Turner of Statesboro picks up the phone. Turner had the unfortunate luck of having the same phone number that Keys references …

When I was in California at the end of June, I went by my friend Ken’s new house in Rolling Hills Estates, and among the points of interest was a classic bomb shelter dug into the side of the hill (Rolling HILLS) at the bottom of their property in the …

Our Mac Diva has been digging into the catalogs of the great soul vocal group Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, and the solo career of their lead singer Teddy Pendergrass. Now, joining the landslide of musicians seeking to deny George W. Bush a return engagement in the White House, …

Classic and classy jazz and session guitarist Tony Mottola died at the age of 86: Longtime friend and colleague Bucky Pizzarelli described Mottola as being able to read any piece of music put in front of him. “He could interpret something and it was really Tony Mottola,” Pizzarelli told The …

Mark Saleski is one of our finest and most regular contributors, and his ongoing Friday Morning Listen feature deserves special attention – we will collect them here: For some time now, I’ve had this little ritual. On Friday mornings I attach special significance to the first cd that I play. …

After a vicious spate of depressing art dramas, we veered headlong into high-spirited comedic territory last weekend with School of Rock, the Jack Black star vehicle from director Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, Waking Life, Slacker, Tape). Sometimes the most preposterous set-ups yield emotional truth, and that applies here: Black …