Bedouin Soundclash frontman Jay Malinowski was bummed and little burnt-out. In early 2009 his band had been touring madly for five years and his drummer announced he was walking out. But an unexpected hiatus gave Malinowski time to explore a dormant musical side. And the result is his melancholy debut solo release, 'Bright Lights & Bruises.' ...

It began between the stacks of records at the KRTU radio studio in San Antonio, Texas. Three disc jockeys with a penchant for soul music decided to come together to form a troupe of live soul super power. Together as the Super Soul Shakedown DJs for over two years now, Scuba Gooding Sr. (Steve Balser), Donnie Dee (Dontia Twine), and JJ Lopez ...

The all-in-the-family dynamic has always been an interesting part of music making -- and marketing. It worked for the White Stripes, kept Oasis interesting and made ABBA's pop ballads all the more emotional back when the quartet were two attractive, happily married couples. This almost-scientific appeal is also working for the Balconies, the ...