Falling James

Mike Watt is very much a Hyphenated-Man, to borrow the title of his fourth solo album. The bassist-singer-poet-photographer-DJ also is the captain of his own mighty ship — a small white kayak that he plies through the waters near his beloved San Pedro hometown every morning. Dozens of Watt's vibrantly......

You might think you know Natalie Merchant, but you really don't. Whether you're a diehard fan who's been hanging on every syllable uttered by the Jamestown, New York, singer since she was in 10,000 Maniacs in the early '80s or an unrepentant cynic who finds her unique vocal style to......

The phrase "PowerPoint presentation" isn't often used in relation to the Rolling Stones, but band biographer Bill German promises to utilize all of the wonders of modern technology at tonight's program, where he'll tell stories about his former employers and display rare photos that he says capture the English group......

Have You Ever Been Still in Hollywood? Have You Ever Tried Johnette Napolitano's home may no longer be "Still in Hollywood" -- the title of a surging, mid-'80s anthem by her band Concrete Blonde -- but her old hometown still plays a major part in her music and art. Based......

A secret river runs through this city. In stretches, it's disguised as a natural river, with grassy banks, real fish and abundant surrounding vegetation. In most places, though, it's boxed up in concrete channels and sent on its way elsewhere as if it were an embarrassment. And in dry seasons......

Charlene Soraia coos mellow pop songs with gentle acoustic backing and occasional orchestral washes of strings, but there's nothing wimpy about the music on the 23-year-old English singer's debut album, Moonchild. Whether she's tripping about in ethereal spaces with gauzy spells like "Lightyears" and the quietly urgent "Postcards From Io"......

Some things are just meant to be. Ryan Adams may have the soul of a punk rocker, and he certainly has an impressively encyclopedic knowledge of obscure hardcore bands from the early '80s, but he also has the voice of an angel — grievous or otherwise. For all his mainstream......