Nick Krewen is a Recording Academy/GRAMMY.com contributor.
It stands to reason that, in music, the family that plays together stays together, although that’s not always the case. For every Kings of Leon, Haim, Jonas Brothers, Jackson 5, Osmonds, Isley Brothers, Bee Gees or Hanson that stand the test of time, there are other family-based groups where the grueling and interdependent nature of rock stardom has led to…
If there's been a more exuberant ambassador for the city of Toronto than Aubrey "Drake" Graham, you won't find them on this planet. While the ever-prolific Drake continues to churn out rhyme after rhyme, rising to the summit of hip-hop's elite with his signature — and inimitable — sing-rap flow, Drizzy's love of the Six (his affectionate nickname for Toronto) has been…
More than two decades into a career that has evolved from a punk-inspired garage band to Adult Top 40 bastions, the Buffalo, N.Y.-bred Goo Goo Dolls have returned with their latest release, 2013's Magnetic, which is set to debut at No. 8 on the Billboard 200. The preceding single "Rebel Beat" has populated the airwaves and reached No. 27 on…
Few American rock bands have a more illustrious history than Aerosmith.For more than four decades, the four-time GRAMMY-winning lineup of frontman Steven Tyler, lead guitarist Joe Perry, rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford, bass player Tom Hamilton, and drummer Joey Kramer have entrenched themselves into musical immortality with millions of albums sold and timeless hits such as "Dream On," "Sweet Emotion" and…
For nearly 40 years, Toronto-based progressive power trio Rush have been the thinking man's rock band.On the way to refining and defining themselves as peerless musicians, vocalist/bass player Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer/lyricist Neil Peart have stayed true to their artistic vision across 20 studio albums while thrilling live audiences around the world. The trio's legacy and sphere…
Whether you're on the West Coast, East Coast, somewhere in the middle, or somewhere far beyond U.S. borders, the GRAMMYs are listening.More than 80 nominees up for this year's 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards hail from outside U.S. borders, from geographical outposts such as Iceland (Björk) and Singapore (Arun Shenoy), to more frequently sourced locations such as the UK (Mumford &…
When Lady Gaga was forced to cancel the remaining 22 dates of her Born This Way Ball tour in February due to a labral tear in her right hip, her fans weren't the only ones inconvenienced by the decision.The trickle-down effect also directly impacted promoter Live Nation; Gaga's immediate management team; and her band members, dancing troupe, personal traveling entourage…
It's been a consistent steady climb for North Carolina's the Avett Brothers, the folk/bluegrass project formed by brothers Scott Avett and Seth Avett.After breaking through with their 2007 album, Emotionalism, the Avett Brothers garnered the attention of GRAMMY-winning producer Rick Rubin, who signed the band to his American Recordings label. Rubin produced 2009's I And Love And You, which peaked…
When new age/pop artist Jim Brickman wrote his latest single "Thank You," he didn't think of either radio or an album as potential outlets, but rather something less obvious: a greeting card."It was developed as a card way before I even knew what shape it was going to take on the album, or as a single, or anything," says Brickman,…
Even though he's best known as one of the top rock guitarists in the world and has sold millions of albums with Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver and his own solo projects, Slash has just finished producing his first horror film.In the vein of classic '70s horror, Nothing Left To Fear is the first film to be released under the…
At the apex of Styx's popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, many of the Chicago rockers' Top 10 hits came from a single songwriting source. Not only did cofounder Dennis DeYoung pen such Styx hits as "Lady," "Babe," "Come Sail Away," and "Mr. Roboto," but his signature vocals played a considerable role in the band obtaining significant radio exposure and amassing…
Five years ago, Adam Young was posting songs on Myspace that were concocted in his Owatonna, Minn., basement and dreaming of stardom.Today, the artist known as Owl City has one massive Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit under his belt with 2009's "Fireflies," as well as the current Top 10 duet with "Call Me Maybe" sensation Carly Rae Jepsen, "Good…
Whether it's by choice or by accident, some music stars are building a second career that's rather academic.After spending decades recording albums, staging tours and learning the ropes of the music industry, established musicians are taking their experience and applying it to the classroom, obtaining positions as chairs, fellows, professors, instructors, and lecturers at colleges, universities and other academic institutions."I've…
It was once known — and snidely regarded — as "elevator music."But 77 years after it was first introduced, Muzak, and other forms of business-applicable music, is considered to be an integral part of the rising sensory branding industry, which engages consumers to improve their retail experience through their five senses: sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound.As a 1982 study…
On March 11, within hours of hearing about the tragic magnitude 9.0 earthquake and the subsequent devastating tsunami that decimated Tohoku, Japan, Costa Rican composer/singer/producer Jorge Castro knew he had to respond.So he called 14 of his well-known friends — singers Michelle González and Marta Fonseca, Malpaís principal Fidel Gamboa, guitarist Federico Miranda, and Castro's drumming brother Andrés among them…
(To commemorate the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame's 40th Anniversary in 2013, GRAMMY.com has launched GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Inspirations. The ongoing series will feature conversations with various individuals who will identify GRAMMY Hall Of Fame recordings that have influenced them and helped shape their careers.)In 1976 when founding Eagles member Don Henley announced to a roomful of radio programmers during…
(To commemorate the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame's 40th Anniversary in 2013, GRAMMY.com has launched GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Inspirations. The ongoing series will feature conversations with various individuals who will identify GRAMMY Hall Of Fame recordings that have influenced them and helped shape their careers.)Before he became a GRAMMY-winning country artist, Darius Rucker was best known as the singer and…
After the Boston Red Sox clinched the World Series at Fenway Park for the first time since 1918 this past October, all eyes in Major League Baseball seemingly switched to the issue of free agency, and particularly, Robinson Cano.Cano, the New York Yankees' starting second baseman since 2005, requested a 10-year, $310 million contract to remain in pinstripes and then…
When the musical "Kinky Boots" captured six Tony Awards in June, including wins for Best Musical and Best Original Score Written For The Theatre, its composer was a familiar name to pop music fans: Cyndi Lauper.It was the GRAMMY winner's first foray into this new discipline, but she's not the only one to take the Broadway leap. In what seems…
(GRAMMY winner Alanis Morissette is set to release her latest album, Havoc And Bright Lights, on Aug. 28. Ahead of the release, GRAMMY.com conducted an exclusive interview with Morissette, which follows below. At left, view an additional special conversation with Morissette, filmed when GRAMMY.com caught up with her during her induction into Guitar Center's Hollywood Rockwalk on Aug. 21.)Thanks to…
