There was this expectation of a long, detailed saga on how singer and songwriter Jay Mickens found his way into music and has reached the point where he finds himself now. However, a carefree attitude seemed to reveal a past that with a simple decision, allowed for a journey…

The quest for the party that never ends… sex and romance, infidelity, gossip, and gentrification in the city where anything can happen at any time. The song is “Where Are The Freaks,” and the band is Spanking Charlene, a New York City based group that recently won Steven Van…

I guess it’s only fitting that the New York Giants and New England Patriots get to battle it out for supremacy yet again. Super Bowl XLII in 2008 was pretty damn epic and their game in November went down to the last few seconds. But in both…

January wastes no time. It’s 2012, the Republican Primary season is underway, The Obamas by New York Times correspondent Jodi Kantor is on the book shelves and ready for pirating on the Internet, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s purported plans post Presidential election are finally being taken seriously…

In the popular poker game Texas Hold ‘Em, the concept of going all in is when you put all your cards on the table and offer up your life—win or lose—to the fates. This is exactly what super-duper guitarist Ned Evett did with the Adrian Belew-produced Treehouse. He left…

The media in the New York City area tends to blow things out of proportion more often than they should in the sports world. It seems like every time a team loses a game or two, the coach gets heavily scrutinized, talks emerge about whether he’s actually the right man…

Joyful Noise

Warner Brothers

Rated PG-13 for profanity and a sexual reference.

Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton Co-Star in Gospel-Driven Musical Drama

When choir director Bernard Sparrow (Kris Kristofferson) passes away unexpectedly, Pastor Dale (Courtney B. Vance) finds himself on the horns of a dilemma. Should he promote the…

LITTLE DEVIL—Warren, NJ
I was recently on ReverbNation, scouting out the talent in North Jersey, when I found a great little rock band out of Warren called Little Devil. Now, there’s an easy, commercial name that’s never been used before! Anyway, while I was on their page, reverbnation.com/littledevilband, I…

1960s folkie Phil Ochs tried, and failed, to change the world with song

American Masters

Monday, 7:30 p.m., (PBS)

   Phil Ochs was a singer and guitarist at the heart of the 1960s protest-folk movement. “Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune” on American Masters explores his passionate commitment to…

There are few metal bands these days that aren’t looking up at Lamb Of God. The Richmond, VA-based band that long branded their style as “Pure American Metal” hasn’t lost a step in an increasingly competitive scene; they remain on top thanks to a stream of great albums and…