Guardian Music — Five songwriters nominate their favourite living artist in their fieldDiane Warren on Paul McCartney The Beatles were the ultimate songwriters. Some of those songs are almost 50 years old, and they have stood the test of time. I have a few favourite... more info

Topix — The Chronicle 's Austin City Limits Music Festival supplement starts circulating today, will be online by the end of the afternoon, and gets inserted into this Thursday's paper. more info

Guardian Music — I always considered Gilbert O'Sullivan as a fey songwriter more suited to people like Jerry from the Good Life. Then I heard a song that knocked me sideways …In 1973, Gilbert O'Sullivan was a piano-playing superstar on a par with Elton John. Today,... more info

Mjsbigblog — Season 5 Idol winner, Taylor Hicks co-hosted Daytime Alabama from his new restaurant, ORE. Before signing off, Taylor performed a sweet cover of the Randy Newman classic, "Birmingham". How apropos. Check it out after more info

Guardian Music — Versatile singer and songwriter famed for Feel Like Makin' LoveGene McDaniels, the American singer and songwriter, who has died aged 76, began and ended his career as the smoothest of vocal stylists. His hits of the early 1960s, such as A Hundred Pou... more info

Dan Black —                     more info

Songs:Illinois — Dan Israel loves the music of the 60’s and 70’s but he makes music more akin to the mid-western rock circa 1986. While his bio sites Elvis Costello, Randy Newman and Tom Petty, I hear shades of Freddy Johnston, Matthew Sweet and even the Smither... more info

DrownedInSound — As part of our Death Cab for Cutie takeover, we spent 20mins on the phone with Ben Gibbard to find out more about their new album Codes & Keys...Speaking to Ben Gibbard, the band’s prolific principle song-writer and affable front-man, it’s clear ... more info

Totally Fuzzy — I may be a rocker at heart, or as Clapton once phrased it, have "A Rock And Roll Heart", but there are a couple of albums that I always come back to that don't have anything to do with rock at all. This is one of those. Still as beautiful as the ver... more info

Guardian Music — Randy Newman gives an exclusive performance of his song Losing You and talks about the difficult events that inspired itBen KapeAndy GallagherJohn Domokos more info