Feature

John Michael Osbourne, known to the world as Ozzy Osbourne, takes you deep inside his mind in nearly the 400-page I Am Ozzy. Those familiar with Osbourne will know what that means: lots of f-bombs and lots of anectdotes that trace his life from his beginnings, through the formation of Black Sabbath, being fired from Black Sabbath, forging his solo career with equally controversial wife Sharon at his side, reuniting with Black Sabbath with Ozzfest, the MTV series The Osbournes, and then ending with his sobriety. Even highlighting those events in life doesn't cover nearly half of the gory details…

Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse took his own life on March 6, 2010. He was forty-seven. The loss of a musician is a strangely potent thing. We connect with our favorite bands and singers in a way that’s sometimes impossible to do with other people: they let us immediately and entirely into their souls, into the hidden parts of themselves that we’re only lucky to share or even glimpse in our friends and loves. I’ve had friends for nearly a decade who have never said anything so intimate or striking to me as “Please don’t take my sunshine away” or “Someday…

Here are some more quick picks for you, the loyal reader:MUSIC: Robert Pollard / Elephant Jokes – Best known as the frontman and songwriter of Guided By Voices, Robert “Bob” Pollard is as prolific as rock & roll musicians come. However, Pollard also rarely opts to promote his releases. As a result, after recently discovering his July 2009 Elephant Jokes album, I also learned that he has since released an album with Boston Spaceships and another solo release titled We All Got Out Of The Army. In any case, Elephant Jokes brings more of the Who-inspired guitar-rock that GBV fans…

Here are some more quick picks for you, the loyal reader: MUSIC: Screaming Females – Hailing from New Brunswick, New Jersey, Screaming Females are a rock trio making waves nationwide less than 5 years after forming. Recently seen as a headliner of the Don Giovanni Records showcase at the Bowery Ballroom, the Females have come a long way since their basement scene origins. The latest release of the Marissa Paternoster-fronted group, Power Move, is their third full-length collection of punk-influenced indie-rock. Check out the video of first single, “Bell,” on YouTube. (screamingfemales.com) BOOK: Ozzy Osbourne with Chris Ayres / I Am…

Here are some more quick picks for you, the loyal reader:BOOK: Charlie Murphy with Chris Millis / The Making Of A Stand-Up Guy – As Charlie Murphy was best known as “Eddie Murphy’s brother” up until a few years ago, not everyone realizes his successes as a screenwriter, director, producer, actor, and musician. Stand-up comedy was something he began performing after his success on Chappelle’s Show, and this book largely focuses Murphy’s journey into the stand-up world. Along the way, readers are treated to tales from Murphy’s Long Island childhood, time in prison, and military service, in addition to some…

Here are another 5 quick picks for you, the loyal reader: MUSIC: Cheap Trick / Sgt. Pepper Live – Original lineup still intact, Cheap Trick remains as revered and legendary as ever. In addition to releasing recent studio album The Latest, the quartet took on a Las Vegas Hilton residency in which they performed The Beatles’ classic Sgt. Peppers’ Lonely Hearts Club Band. As the title of this release would imply, this is a live recording of that entire classic album, giving listeners exactly what they would expect. (cheaptrick.com)   BOOK: Michael J. Kitson & Bob Calandra / How To…

Here are another 5 quick picks for you, the loyal reader:MUSIC: Big Star / Keep An Eye On The Sky – Big Star has led an interesting existence in being one of the most famous hit-less bands of all-time. Or perhaps as the least successful famous bands of all-time. Either way you choose to look at them, you probably know tracks like “In The Street” (theme of That 70’s Show), “Thirteen” (covered by everyone from Elliot Smith to Garbage), and “September Gurls” (covered by everyone from The Bangles to Superdrag). Keep An Eye On The Sky is a long-awaited four-disc…

Popular Dutch jazz/cabaret singer/chansonnière Wende Snijders recently released her new album called No. 9. Very unlike her previous albums, No. 9 doesn’t contain a single French chanson. Recently I had the chance to talk to her. (The interview is translated from Dutch.)Your new album has nothing to do with chansons, yet a lot of people still call you a chansonnière. That must be very frustrating.Well, I have released three CDs in the chanson genre and I have been performing a lot. I decided to do something completely different. It’s not just a change of style; it’s a change of language…

[Editor's note: Cover images of albums previously reviewed on the DV have been linked to the review.]In the '90s, we saw hair metal and boy bands destroyed by grunge and alternative rock, only to have boy bands resurface stronger than ever at the end of the decade. At the beginning of this decade, we saw boy bands be destroyed once again, but by what was up for debate. Thanks to file sharing, MySpace and Internet radio, musical tastes became more and more divergent. As a result, there was no galvanizing movement like grunge or superstar like Michael Jackson to steer…

Here are another 5 quick picks for you, the loyal reader: MUSIC: Nirvana / Live At Reading – It almost goes without saying that a new Nirvana release is big news. In this case, Live At Reading is both a CD and DVD –- although available for purchase in either only formats -- spotlighting the band in concert at their arguable prime in 1992. Fans of drummer Dave Grohl also ought to be aware of the debut self-titled album of Them Crooked Vultures, a supergroup trio also featuring Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones and Queens Of The Stone Age…