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…


The Sweet Smell of Success

The Sweet Smell Of Success October 22, 2009 Recording artists bottle their success GRAMMY.com Nick Krewen Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have not only experienced the sweet smell of success, they’ve bottled it. Country music’s first couple has a couple of new scents on the market — Faith Hill Parfums is her first and Southern Blend is his second — and they are just two of the music celebrities that…


Singers For Hire

ACTS FORGE AHEAD WITH NEW VOCALISTS AND ENJOY NEW SUCCESSES October 08, 2009 — 12:00 am PDT Nick Krewen / GRAMMY.com At the apex of Styx‘s popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, many of the Chicago rockers’ Top 10 hits came from a single songwriting source. Not only did cofounder Dennis DeYoung pen such Styx hits as “Lady,” “Babe,” “Come Sail Away,” and “Mr. Roboto,” but his signature vocals played…


Matthew Good speaks from the heart

Matthew Good isn’t afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve.   SUPPLIED PHOTO West-coast musician and activist Matthew Good, 38, has a reputation for being outspoken about social problems. With ‘Vancouver,’ his eighth album of original material in 14 years, Good is true to form. Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Tue Oct 06 2009 Matthew Good isn’t afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. On Vancouver, in stores…


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…