BOOK REVIEW: When you die, what happens? Lots of folks are attempting to make money by demonstrating they have the answer, but there's this teeny-tiny thing called facts getting in their way. Mary Roach finds humor in every bone-chilling moment of her investigation.

The post Dead Uncertain: Book Review of ‘Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife’ by Mary Roach appeared first on MuseWire.

BOOK REVIEW: Peeling back the thick tapestries of privacy shielding the odious Koch brothers, Daniel Schulman's "Sons of Wichita: How the Koch Brothers Became America's Most Powerful and Private Dynasty" (ISBN: 9781455518739) is consistently compelling and a good read. There's a lot here: the Koch's anti-American politics, their disgusting waste of personal wealth, their in-fighting and lawsuits, their dysfunctional family life, and their attitude of total warfare against people in the middle class.

The post Book Review: Anti-Americans Star in ‘Sons of Wichita’ appeared first on MuseWire.

ADSP Chapter 2 -- God of Guitar: A Visceral Reaction to Jeff Beck -- There are 6,189 seats in the Gibson Amphitheater and guitar players are in 5,133 of them. Girlfriends of guitar players are in the rest. The occasion is a rare appearance by Jeff Beck, a somewhat reclusive Englishman whose stunning fret-board work has influenced pop, rock, heavy metal, blues, R&B, and jazz-rock fusion.

The post God of Guitar: A Visceral Reaction to Jeff Beck appeared first on MuseWire.

ARTICLE: There I was, working at an ad agency whose main office was located not too far from Amoeba Records and the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, not to mention a whole bunch of clubs, bars, nightspots, and everything else in that gaudy cesspool known as Tinsel Town. The ad shop was a medium-sized place with only a couple dozen employees but they had some very busy retail accounts like car dealerships and a national chain of pizza restaurants.

The post Night on the Town, or: Untouchable Sex Chain in Tupelo appeared first on MuseWire.

ADSP Chapter 25: God can be found inside many things: The sun, moon, and stars; a child's simple wisdom; a lover's kiss. And at one nightclub on one sultry summer evening in Southern California, god was in the fingers of Derek Trucks.

The post Truckloads of Soul (Aspects of The Blues) appeared first on MuseWire.

ARTICLE: "That's a hit song!" The speaker was Wendie Colter, complimenting fellow artist Fran Lucci on one of her warm numbers. This was just before Colter delivered one of several potential hit songs of her own. And it was near the middle of a set featuring nicely textured work by Denise (lead singer from the indie band Jacar), as well as several crowd-rousing numbers from the supremely strong-voiced Mara.

The post Singers and their Songs – they need tunes and lyrics before they step into the spotlight appeared first on MuseWire.

REVIEW: The Barbarians, The Vikings, The Goths, The Vandals, and The Huns are not just great names for rock groups, they were also terrific periods for artistic creation. Thanks to the 4-part DVD entitled 'The Dark Ages: An Age of Light,' you and your family can see the art they made while touring the world in the company of a very entertaining host.

The post DVD Review: Making the Dark Ages Fun appeared first on MuseWire.

ADSP Chapter 24: The blues will never die. Here's one reason: Audiences have a visceral response to the music, even if it's done merely adequately. And when it's done well, the audience reaction can be amazing. Either way, when somebody is playin' da blooze it means that guys will be drinking and girls will be dancing. In other words, a good time will be had by all.

The post Stone Solid Hooks (Reflections on Da Blooze) appeared first on MuseWire.

ARTICLE: Okay, who's making this incredible racket? Oh wait, it's Rakit, a three-piece group that never saw a volume-boosting device it didn't like. The music they create is dark, mysterious, pounding, tortuous, arduous, twisted, hazardous, risky, treacherous, freaky, and full of danger. In other words, it's great fun.

The post Clubbing: Rakit, Soul Friction, Organik, EYE appeared first on MuseWire.

ARTICLE: Taking a ride on a cosmic wave of positive energy is a joy that special performers offer. Here are some notable examples of artists who provide transcendence within the forms of popular music. Some musicians seem to provide their own light. Larisa Stow is someone whose on-stage persona contains a million watt beacon. While her vocals are quite lovely, the force of her talent can make you think hers is the prettiest voice in the world.

The post Clubbing: Larisa Stow, Chris Pierce, Jillian Speer, Dakota Moon, Shannon Moore appeared first on MuseWire.

ADSP Chapter 20: Life can be a bit of a crapshoot. For example, one never knows when a night on the town will bring you face-to-face with magnificent music. SONIA DADA -- They played for 115 minutes and the crowd was panting for more. That just goes to show you what can happen when a great group sings terrific tunes. This delightful situation went beyond mere sonic pleasure and became almost cosmic because Sonia Dada has tapped into the primal force of life.

The post Awesome Artistry Flies Under the Fame Radar appeared first on MuseWire.

ARTICLE: Musicians of every type, from the deplorable to the divine, hit the stage every night of the week. Amongst the many who are mundane you can sometimes find a superstar that just hasen't yet been thrust into the limelight.

The post Musicians Who Go Above and Beyond appeared first on MuseWire.

ADSP Chapter 22: Blues guitar virtuoso Buddy Guy succeeds on every level from soul to sizzle to showmanship. Sitting in his trailer before taking the stage for a festival performance, Buddy Guy is philosophical about his place in the pantheon of blues guitarists.

The post Oh Buddy: This Guy is Great – Blues guitar virtuoso Buddy Guy succeeds on every level appeared first on MuseWire.