JEFF the Brotherhood's strangely typeset, non-acronymic name is part fabrication and part truth. No one in the two-piece is named Jeff, but a brotherhood is at its core.   

 A native Texan, Ruthie Foster’s family tree was ripe with Gospel singers, but she quickly absorbed the Lone Star State’s other musical identities, like Folk, Blues, Country and Rock, to which she added her own soulful spin.   

Motionless in White takes the best parts of what made Metalcore popular in the early 2000s, but adds gothic hints and industrial elements.  

Since his emergence from the San Francisco Jazz scene nearly two decades ago, Charlie Hunter has defined his stylistic direction by resolutely refusing to be tagged as any one thing, preferring to embrace and explore whatever captures his imagination.   

As time trots forward, the number of Rock & Roll dudes who self-identify as monarchs only increases. With King Tuff's arrival, King Diamond, King Krule, King Khan and King Charles welcome another to their regal ranks.   

Sharon Van Etten’s first two albums revealed an emotionally visceral songwriter and performer who wasn’t afraid to explore love gone sour via a voice that’s as moving and expressive as any on the current landscape  

Very few people fit the true definition of prodigy, but Joe Bonamassa could be the poster child for prodigies. By age 7, after three short years of playing guitar, Bonamassa was regurgitating note-perfect renditions of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix.   

Hating on the haters is one of those hobbies musicians will never get sick of. With “Execrator” off its latest album, Apocryphon, Heavy Metal four-piece The Sword climbs into this increasingly packed clubhouse.   

 R. Kelly has taught me a lot of things over the years. On his song, “I Believe I Can Fly,” he taught me “if I can see it, I can do it.” Then on his alleged sex tape, he also taught me that rule only applies to women over the age of 18.   

Unlike the similarly named bands She & Him and The Dutchess and the Duke, the current version of He's My Brother, She's My Sister is not a duo featuring one member from each gender. Instead, it’s a five-piece led by founders/siblings Rachel and Rob Kolar, who initially ran the project as an acoustic twofer.   

The Del McCoury Band is one of the most celebrated Bluegrass acts to date, but to say they are just a Bluegrass band would be doing them a disservice.  

Bluegrass has always been embraced by the Jam community, thanks to Jerry Garcia’s abiding love of old-time music and the unique flavor he brought to his own translations. Native Virginian Larry Keel plays a similar role in the current Jam/Bluegrass scene as a flatpicking acoustic guitarist.    

These days, it’s hard enough for a Punk band to remain a cohesive unit for 26 months, let alone 26 years. But guitarist Chris Hannah and drummer Jord Samolesky have managed to keep Propagandhi active and relevant since launching the band in 1986.   

It was a wintry night three years ago at the Northside Tavern when Passion Pit turned the joint into a Synth Pop sauna; wild-eyed reviews of the show heightened expectations for the Massachusetts sextet’s return.   

Pianist Alejandro Ziegler was only 12 years old when a cerebral hemorrhage ended the brilliant career of fellow Argentine Astor Piazzolla, the originator of Neuve Tango and one of the world’s most revered musical giants.