Stereogum — “Don’t chase the money,” Aloe Blacc intones, in a Sam Cooke croon over a Stevie Wonder romp, about halfway through his new album Lift Your Spirit. “You can’t chase the money,” he pleads. What exactly has Blacc been doing these past few ye... more info

Destination Out — At eMusic, SCW connects Halvorson’s new Illusionary Sea to Deefhoof and Sam Cooke, inter alia. more info

Impose Magazine — Oakland's Twin Steps are out to capture that same special feeling we get during the introduction of Black Star's "Definition" (hello everybody, recording live from somewhere...) on their latest, "Son of Sam". That feeling also tends to be syn... more info

The Good, The Bad and The Unknown — This six-piece neo-soul, blues, grunge x band out of Seattle falls somewhere between the rowdiness of the Black Keys and the intimate storm of the Cold War Kids while Robert Flack and Sam Cooke are blowing cool kisses from the corner of the room.  F... more info

Topix — Before his shooting death in 1964, Sam Cooke wrote 150 songs over the course of a 13-year career. more info

USA Today Music — Sam Cooke's iconic tune will receive the Songwriters Hall of Fame Towering Award. more info

Guardian Music — In our countdown of our critics' favourite albums of the year, we've already run through numbers 40-21 and 20-11, and now it's the top 10. Each day for the next two weeks, we'll be revealing the next album on the list, starting today with Bobby Womac... more info

Guardian Music — 'I was on stage with Cyndi Lauper and my trousers split. It seemed like she was going to sing for ever'Bobby Womack, 68, was born in Cleveland, Ohio. At nine he formed a gospel group with his four brothers. They were spotted by Sam Cooke and signed ... more info

Guardian Music — Forum, LondonYou wait years for a Bobby Womack show, and two turn up at once. Unfortunately, that is not as good as it sounds. The 68-year-old soul giant's comeback album, The Bravest Man in the Universe, is one of his best, but it sounds very little... more info

Guardian Music — The soul singer and guitarist reflects on a turbulent career, Janis Joplin's final hours and making his comeback with the help of Damon AlbarnBobby Womack's career began in his teens in Cleveland, Ohio, when Sam Cooke mentored his family band, the Va... more info