Stereogum — Back when people actually watched American Idol, one of the classic mistakes a contestant could make was covering Whitney Houston. The judges would always caution singers, tell them that there was no way their versions could stack up to the original.... more info

Time — While his voice is far and away one of the purest and most refined in recent memory, Smith never exerts himself to showcase it more info

Stereogum — Sam Smith’s whole life is essentially a whirlwind press tour these days, but it’s especially so this week in conjunction with the North American release of his debut album In The Lonely Hour. Wednesday, the night after he wowed the Apollo with Ma... more info

Stereogum — Harlem’s Apollo Theater is maybe the most famously intimidating venue on the face of the earth, and even if a visiting foreign next-big-thing doesn’t have to worry about the Sandman’s hook coming to get him, it sure helps if he’s got some New... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — Jack White at Bonnaroo 2014 (photo by Brian Mansfield) Bonnaroo went down over this past weekend with sets from Ice Cube, Kanye West, Sam Smith and so much more. As always, legacy acts enjoyed a good showing at the festival.... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — by Andrew Sacher Sam Smith at Bonnaroo 2014 (photo by Amber North) While soccer fans watched the World Cup play out on a jumbotron at the Kalliope stage, [Sam Smith] attracted Bonnaroo's youngest, hippest, style-conscious attendees at The Other Tent.... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — The National at Sasquatch 2014 (more by Chris & Rae Graham) You can browse our full NYC show calendar for all of tonight's shows, but here are some highlights... The National, Phosphorescent @ Prospect Park Bandshell The National have a... more info

Time — Two soulful Brit crooners on the rise more info

Brooklyn Vegan — by Andrew Sacher UK pop singer Sam Smith is less than a week away from releasing his debut album, In The Lonely Hour (due 6/17 via Capitol), but you can now stream it in full at NPR. Its funky first... more info

Stereogum — The young British singer Sam Smith got his start by singing on Disclosure’s “Latch,” and “Money On My Mind,” his first solo hit, is a lithe dance-pop track. But In The Lonely Hour, Smith’s new debut album, is a different story; it’s a h... more info