What can be considered real rap or hip hop music or just plain business? Many may argue that it's all in the lyrics. In that case, to some extent, we can say that Cousin J is perhaps not really a rapper. Among other things, it may be so or not.What there's absolutely no doubt about is that it is tremendously fun and entertaining, and that can be seen immediately in the first song that starts the album, "Love Me," where we can hear a bit of Kanye West, Wiz and Tinie Tempah Kalifah.

Shannon McNally is stomping her boots on the stage of the Fox Theatre as good as any other night crawler out there as she growls into the microphone like an early rocakbilly queen.

After a backbreaking weekend of live music, I strolled into Shine for a performance by self-professed “quirky folk” band, The Shook Twins. Shine is a glimpse into what Boulder was and in some circumstances still is, and the complete antithesis of the growing corporate model seen along Pearl Street and recently highlighted by the emergence of Wal-Mart.

Is there an average age at which a person can be considered mature enough to be under the lights of a reflector or behind the camera? If it is because they become spoiled, adults entering the scene as such also do the same; if it's because of the level of experience, there are many children and young people who have an equal amount or more than any other adult.

How many members does a band need to create a good sound? Many may say maybe three or four, while those who are more aware of the music scene today could say that a duo is enough. But the fact is that even one single great musician can create what one group of six people are hardly able to do. However, few are those who can go beyond creating great music to creating something truly special.

Over the years we’ve seen rock, pop, and even hard rock slowly erode into over-commercialized, corporate puppet shows providing music that is extremely sing songy, predictable, popish and highly corporate. I hereby call this new breed of music “Poser Rock” and I want to personally thank all the corporate giants for successfully transforming “Sex Drugs & Rock n’ Roll” into “Yoga, Vitamins and Nikelback” Of course millions of musical lemmings don’t know the difference and trust me when I say  not everyone is entertained. Talking to many music fans out there the response is overwhelming.

2013 is alive with the sounds of Foxygen. As the new year began, I found myself hearing the band name everywhere and became eager for their first full length album to be released January 22.

In this overly saturated genera/market with a plethora of artists coming out of the woodwork, armed with nothing more than a PC, Microphone, a guitar and a crappy sounding CD – it’s nice to know there are a few bands that can still rock out. These artists I speak of manage push their music out to the world and much of it do I dare say is substandard to say the least. So what do bands like Tool and Stone Temple Pilots and Korn got that 4 piece Alternative Rock band Inch of Dark don’t?

Sean Johnson is a singer/songwriter who hails from Kentucky. He has been making quite a name for himself regionally and nationally. He has received critical acclaim from many music critics thus far in his musical career and has developed a strong reputation for his impressive songwriting touch.“Fairy Tales for Fools” is his latest release and the result though far from a self-indulgent ego trip, rather a moving and elegiac artistic statement from start to finish.

If you are a sucker for rich vocals, clever lyrics that will make you think and encourage you to keep your life going in a positive direction AND love a great horn section; Charleston, South Carolina’s Sol Driven Train has all that handled.  They have been recognized by the Charleston City Paper as Rock Band of the Year for 2011 and Jam Band of the Year 2012.  It is simpler to peg them as a band that will make you happy after you give them a listen. Along with the vocals, lyrics and horns on Underdog, the band offers listeners a great