Producer

Jay-Z: King of the No. 1 album

Judged solely on his string of No. 1 albums, Jay-Z has accomplished the unexpected: he’s become bigger than Elvis.        Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Fri Oct 30 2009 Judged solely on his string of No. 1 albums, Jay-Z has accomplished the unexpected: he’s become bigger than Elvis. With the Sept. 11 arrival of The Blueprint 3, Brooklyn-born rapper Shawn Carter scored his 11th straight chart-topper…


Pearl Jam’s gem

Entertainment / Music Backspacer, the new album out today from Seattle rock icons Pearl Jam, finds the band in a dramatically different headspace.      Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Sun Sep 20 2009  Backspacer, the new album out today from Seattle rock icons Pearl Jam, finds the band in a dramatically different headspace. Oh, the aggressive energy crackling of the speakers from such fist-pumping sonic blasters as “The…


The Return Of Redneck Country

THE RETURN OF REDNECK COUNTRY Nick Krewen GRAMMY.com August 2004   Country music is getting rowdy again. As newcomers Gretchen Wilson and Big & Rich suddenly race up the charts with attitude-brandishing anthems like “Redneck Woman” and “Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)” and outspoken veterans Toby Keith and Montgomery Gentry watch their fan base increase by leaps and bounds, country audiences have returned to embracing the genre’s ornery streak….


Mike Wanchic strums for Mellencamp

NICK KREWEN Hamilton Spectator Thursday, August 18, 1994 Dance Naked, John Mellencamp‘s latest album that contains his hit remake of Van Morrison‘s ‘Wild Night’, didn’t only surprise the public — it also shocked his co-producer. Mike Wanchic, guitarist and co-producer in the Indiana singer and composer’s band since 1978, said he was astonished he received a phone call from his boss to head back into the studio within months of…


Still exotic after all these years

Nick Krewen For The KW Record September 21, 1999   It’s an ode with an oud. The Tea Party has accumulated an interesting collection of exotic instruments over the years, but singer, songwriter and guitarist Jeff Martin admits that their latest addition came out of the blue. A four-stringed instrument called the oud makes its debut on “Samsara,” a cut from the Windsor trio’s latest album Triptych. According to Martin,…