Guardian Music — From Ricky Martin on Broadway to Ashlee Simpson and Melissa Etheridge, many pop stars struggle in the theatre. Maybe it's time they steered clearRicky Martin has jaunty hair, shockingly white teeth, flexible limbs, shakeable hips, and a voice as smoo... more info

Spinner.com — Filed under: News Today, Oh Boy! AP Photo/Joel Ryan John Mayer covers Lana Del Rey's "Video Games," and there's not much to hate about it. Honest. [Listen Below] Skrillex, Ellie Goulding and Swedish House Mafia are recording a song together, un... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — His people report: "TOM WAITS is heading to NYC this month to perform on late night television. It remains a mystery as to what gems the iconoclast will chose to perform on those stages...but he will be talking with... more info

Guardian Music — Alan Lomax would be proud, but the authentic, bluesy, harsh sounds of two new young songwriters are also providing modern twists on old classicsCold Specks and Willis Earl Beal have a lot in common. They're both in their mid-to-late 20s – the forme... more info

Totally Fuzzy — Today's Live Performance comes courtesy of ARTE TV once again and features Liz Green, according to some the female Tom Waits, minus the alcohol, but plus the British irony. It was filmed and recorded at the Maison de la Radio on 19/03/2012. Liz... more info

Aquarium Drunkard — Twelve or so years ago Birdman Records released More Oar, a 17 track tribute to the music of Alexander ‘Skip’ Spence. Outside of his work with Jefferson Airplane and Moby Grape the compilation was my introduction to Spence’s solo work. Among ot... more info

Guardian Music — A song that portrays the heart as a truck in need of service and repair – why didn't Bruce Springsteen think of this?Rickie Lee Jones was a girl with a boy's name who knew about cars – and proved it with her aching song of yearning, roads, and di... more info

DrownedInSound — Drowned in Sound's editor talks to one of the artists of 2011 about one of the albums of 2011... Read the full story on DrownedinSound.com more info

Aquarium Drunkard — The atmospheric baritone. Next to Nick Cave and Tom Waits, Mark Lanegan possesses one of the few contemporary voices capable of a kind of subliminal storytelling that exists outside the realm of pure vocabulary. It’s a vocal delivery that carries w... more info

Guardian Music — There's a whole lotta shakin' goin' on in JD McPherson's world. Not surprising given he refuses to let anything created since 1958 impinge on itHometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma.The lineup: JD McPherson (lead and backing vocals, guitar), Jimmy Sutton (bass),... more info