"This next one is by country legend Robert Schumann," joked the opera singer Andrew Wilkowske as he introduced his arrangement of the Romantic German composer's “Ich grolle nicht.” In the translation by Kelley

The retro soul revival of the last few years, led in large part by the likes of Daptone Records, has produced its fair share of quality music, but even at its best it comes with some persistent philosophical questions that get in the

Judging from Metacritic, critics have formed a predictable consensus on each new Danger Mouse project: Good but not great. Here are the Metacritic scores for three recent Danger Mouse albums: The Good, The Bad & The Queen � S/T: 76 Gnarls Barkley � The Odd Couple: 76 Beck � Modern Guilt: 76 One other 2008 Danger Mouse album, though, topped t...

Gnarls Barkley @ the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard. Summerfest schedules tend to repeat themselves, with the same bands invited back year after year, regardless of how far they descend down the C-list (case in point, Plain White T’s are returning this year, well after their 15 minutes have expired). That makes fresh meat at...

Gnarls Barkley @ Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard, Summerfest, 11 p.m. Summerfest schedules tend to repeat themselves, with the same bands invited back year after year, regardless of how far they descend down the C-list (case in point, Plain White T’s are returning this year, well after their 15 minutes have...

The Violent Femmes have been on a bit of an ominous break lately, refusing to book any more shows while bassist Brian Ritchie takes guitarist Gordon Gano to court over royalties. All the acrimony and bitterness has led to speculation that the band is essentially done, so it's with some surprise that the original trio re-grouped to record (at Gnarls Barkley's request) a cover of the group's hit "Cr...

American society is accustomed to�and quite adept at ignoring�white boys singing of inner pain. Mostly we dismiss their angsty lyrics as hyperbole at best, bad poetry at worst, confident that although a few tortured singers may actually pull the trigger (Kurt Cobain and Elliott Smith), most will live happily ever after. Cee-Lo is a whole other archetype: A tattooed, smiling rapper who, wi...

Thing have been volatile for a long time, but the music industry is now officially in chaos. The ice age has arrived. The sun has zoomed in. Engines have stopped running. The industry is drowning, and now the major labels that snapped up prime real estate by the river are paying the price. The latest casualty of the industry�s prolonged decline is the reliable CD release date. The days wh...