It Is Time...

"It is time for a revolution" we are told on the title track on the new album from super hot rocker Lenny Kravitz, It Is Time For A Love Revolution. As a new amatuar player of Guitar Hero, I appreciate great guitar work more than ever before. Many critics don't let Kravitz off the hook for his obvious respect of master Hendrix but the first six tracks of this CD are so good that they are difficult to get past--I've had them on repeat for several days on the iPod. These songs span the style and celebration that is the music of Lenny Kravitz. If you've not seen a live show of Lenny's yet, do add it to your list. He is an old fashioned rock star, complete with groupies throwing bras, underwear, and roses at him. He rocks. I agree it is time for a revolution. Somehow I think we'll be hearing this song on the campaign trail soon.

Detours.

"It's about being forced to wake up" is how Sheryl Crow describes her latest collection, Detours. Working with the Tuesday Night Music Club production team for the first time since the multi-million selling, multi-Grammy winning album of the same name. Sheryl has lots to write about, including breast cancer, a very public breakup with friend-of-W's Lance Armstrong, the adoption of her a baby boy, the Karl Rove incident, among other things. Like Lenny Kravitz and Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl remains an under-celebrated artist mostly because she is (too) smart and (too) sexy and is not afraid of being smart and sexy. Her song, still one of her best, My Favorite Mistake, is about her apparent one night stand with God, who we all know is Eric Clapton. Songs like that and others she has written about abortion and politics, are what get your albums banned at the largest music retailer in the US, Wal-Mart. Yet that does not stop her from writing about the war and becoming a new mom all at the same time. I don't know if she's ever been as vulnerable as she is on the title track, Detours. I feel like I've been on a bit of a detour myself and this song spoke to me and I'm grateful for it as it's forced me to wake up myself. Another standout track is Shine Over Babylon, a look at the world through Sheryl's eyes. If you've liked Sheryl before, this album will not disappoint you as filled with hope and maturity and introspection and even a lullaby.

Mika: Live

My buddy Paul was in Seattle for work and he and I shared the utter joy of a live show by Euro-Pop sensation Mika on the evening of Valentine's Day. The show opened with the piano riff from Dolly Parton's "9 to 5," which is sampled in the track "Love Today" off Mika's debut album. Mika and band went on all evening showering love and energy on his audience. 2007's Life in Cartoon Motion is one of the best pop albums to come across the pond in many years and Mika played each track along with a few new songs. His song "Grace Kelly" is now the second best selling single in the history of the British charts, after "Candle in the Wind (For Diana)." I always love when the artist connects with his audience by telling stories about life on the road and about the origin of a song. My personal favorite was the story he told of his record company not wanting to include the wonderfully funny and sadly true "Billy Brown" on the US release of his album because American audiences would not get it. Listen to the song and you'll realize that many of us in America get it, especially GOP elected officials. One minute Mika is Freddie Mercury, the next he's Elton John-- I'm hopeful the love and joy and playfulness of Mika's music comes through once again on his next album. He has a tough act to follow after such a memorable debut.

Shelby Lynne's (more than) Just A Little Lovin'

I have been in love with the music and style of Shelby Lynne since the release in 2000 of the wonderfully confident I am Shelby Lynne. Even though she was a semi-established artist on the country music scene, she won the Grammy for best “new” artist in 2001 for this CD. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but Shelby is so not a country artist, she’s a classic pop, borderline R&B singer who was put into the country category because some knucklehead at her record company thought her story was a country music song. Get this: in front of Shelby, her father shot her mother and then shot himself. Of course, after this experience she became an artist with an uncanny ability to express emotion. She's now on the very cool, very with-it Lost Highway label.

Like the CD that won her the Grammy, this set is self-assured and gentle. This time, Shelby is here to worship Dusty Springfield’s work from what is easily one of the most important albums in my collection, Dusty in Memphis. With uber-producer-don’t-write-him-off-yet Phil Ramone at the dials, this is a great all-around album with standout tracks including I Don’t Want to Hear It Anymore, How Can I Be Sure, I Only Want to be With You and the classic The Look of Love. Perfect background music for your next dinner party or to listen to while you admire what happens when the planets of producer, performer, writer, and vibe align.

The National.

Another 2007 release that I’m just discovering is the latest album from The National, titled Boxer. Paste Magazine just featured them in a cover story. By the way, Paste Magazine is what Rolling Stone Magazine used to be before it had to put Cameron Diaz on the cover just to sell magazines. Paste comes out once a month and includes a CD of the artists featured in the issue. I look forward to its arrival each month and have discovered so much amazing new music thanks to the ultra-hip staff at Paste. The National, hailing from the birthplace of my Mom and Dad-- Brooklyn, is what indie-rock is all about: moody and dark and beautiful and full of hooks that keep you interested. Together with a tender, baritone-voiced lead singer and sparse arrangements, this collection is a winner. Think Joy Division, Elliott Smith, early New Order and the latest from Iron and Wine. The songs Fake Empire, Start a War, and Mistaken for Strangers are standouts. I’d read about The National in the past, mistook them for strangers and never gave them a listen—please don’t make the same mistake.