There's just something about the Detroit music scene that strikes a chord with Neil Nathan.

It's not just one genre or era, either: Nathan, a New York-based singer/guitarist, digs Detroit rock, pop, R&B and soul from various decades. And his list of favorite acts includes legends (The Stooges, Alice Cooper) and contemporary names (Brendan Benson, The Go), plus artists who might not immediately come to mind when thinking about the Motor City’s music scene (such as Glenn Frey and Marshall Crenshaw).

Looking for a little "Midwest working-class grit and purity of soul without pretense," Nathan recorded nearly all of The Distance Calls, his debut album (which follows a series of EPs), at Tempermill in Ferndale, Mich. Joining Nathan at the studio, which is about 12 miles from Detroit, was a cast of Motor City-area musicians recruited by producer Bobby Harlow of The Go.

"When he told me the backing band would consist of Kenny Tudrick and Joey Mazzola from the Detroit Cobras and John Krautner from The Go,” Nathan adds, "I nearly lost my cookies. It was such a treat to play with guys whose work I’ve respected for years — rock fantasy camp all the way.

"I've worked with lots of great New York City musicians, but [doing that] just wasn't right for this record,” he says. "New York is filled with neurotic pretense and attitude; that's what we do here. It's the greatest city in the world — I ain't knocking it — but I was taking a risk on this one and pushing myself to experience something new."

But working with Harlow wasn't a new experience for Nathan. They previously spent a few days together recording the two-song Nathan EP called Motor City Recordings; one of its songs, "Gone (Fly Away)," was featured in the film Descent (released in 2007 and starring his friend Rosario Dawson).

"I thought [Harlow and I] hit it off pretty well that weekend," Nathan says, "and I sent him about 25 demos to check out to see if he might be interested in doing a full record together. He picked 14, and a year later, I was back, this time for 10 days."

Aside from the acoustic cover of Electric Light Orchestra's "Do Ya" that opens the album and the bonus track "To You (A Happy Birthday Song)," the rest of The Distance Calls was recorded with Harlow at Tempermill.

Nathan says he and Harlow had numerous conversations about the vocal approach to the songs on The Distance Calls, which was released Aug. 24.

"That was a lot of fun for me," Nathan says. "As a rock singer, Bobby knew what buttons to push and when to leave me to fish around on my own. On 'Highways' and 'When the Rain Falls,' that freedom worked well. On a tune like 'Never Enough,' I was just not finding it, so we had a loony pow-wow about the largesse of Marlon Brando and the New York cool of Lou Reed. It was hilarious, but it actually jogged something in me, and I found the tone immediately thereafter."

In the end, destiny may have played a role in Nathan recording at Tempermill. On his first day there, Nathan, a longtime Detroit Tigers fan, noticed the studio had two seats from Tiger Stadium, the team's former home.

"One of the seats had number 11 on it — my favorite number," Nathan recalls. "That clinched it. I just knew I was meant to be there. I don't know why. Just call me a new-age hippie-dippie, I guess."

— By Chris M. Junior

Neil Nathan on tour (schedule subject to change):

* Sept. 17: P&G Bar — New York

* Sept. 25: North Star Bar — Philadelphia

* Nov. 9: Kenny's Castaways — New York

Photo by Fabrizio Costantini

"We're the f---ing Stooges," Iggy Pop (above) announced after this evening's first two songs, and his choice of words was noteworthy. No, not due to the gratuitous F-bomb, but because technically this was a performance not by "The Stooges" — the name under which Pop's group released two grimy slabs of proto-punk (1969's self-titled debut and 1970's Fun House) — but instead a concert by "Iggy and the Stooges," as the reshuffled band was billed later.

All that intertwined history might be worthy of an episode of Behind the Music, but it was rendered little more than semantics during the set by these reconstituted Stooges — also featuring founding drummer Scott Asheton (Ron's brother), latter-day bassist Mike Watt and Fun House-era saxophonist Steve Mackay — as they tore through a chaotic, 17-song, roughhouse romp that showcased Raw Power in its entirety. They also revisited select nuggets from Pop's post-Stooges, mid-'70s collaborations with Williamson (such as the epic, slow-burn set closer "Open Up and Bleed") while touching on highlights of the earlier discs ("I Wanna Be Your Dog," "No Fun").

That Raw Power, a punk touchstone, would make up the core of the show was to be expected, and not just because of Williamson's presence: The disc was given the spiffed-up, expanded reissue treatment earlier this year, and ostensibly this is the reason the band has been gigging this summer. From the moment the quintet stormed the stage as soon as the lights went down, and Williamson scratched out the ear-shredding opening notes to the title track, it was made apparent that Raw Power is more than a classic album; the name itself sums up the Stooges' live blueprint. On this night, the "power" was evident in many forms: the opening twosome of "Raw Power" and "Search and Destroy," a dizzying one-two combination that most acts would save for the late-round knockout; the sleazy chug of "Shake Appeal"; the guttural stomp of "I Need Somebody," where Williamson rattled off bluesy licks; and the slinky, psychedelic funk of "Fun House," which found Asheton and Watt locked in an extended groove, Mackay's colorful sax salvos floating over it.

The rhythm section was particularly sturdy, in more ways than one. Asheton, in his eternally upright stance, did not play the drums so much as hover over them with a compact chopping motion, displaying minimal dexterity and even less emotion behind his tinted shades and backward baseball cap. Watt was even more immobile, but with good reason — he was clearly hobbled, sporting a huge brace over his injured left knee, and thus remained stationed at the corner of the drum riser. Williamson was largely understated himself, but showed no signs of having been retired from music for decades as he nailed the trademark fiery fills on "Search and Destroy" and, during the encore, propelled the deep cut "Johanna" with his meaty riffs.

Of course, any band fronted by Pop need not worry about exuding much showmanship or expending excessive energy in the name of working the crowd. Shirtless as usual (he tossed aside his vest with the show all of a minute old) and still unusually chiseled for a man of 63, the tightly wound frontman pranced, whirled, flailed, twisted, skipped, stomped and shadow-boxed his way up, down, across and even off the stage at various points, while rarely missing an opportunity for a well-timed yelp or shriek to ensure that the songs retained their original bite. In this sense, Pop came across as much more than an age-defying, freak of physicality; his stage presence was as much about intensity and endurance as channeling the angst of the disaffected young punk who wrote much of this music some four decades earlier.

Whether with the Stooges or during his lengthy solo career, these qualities have long allowed Pop to connect with audiences, so it was no wonder that late in the show he told the 1,000 or so in the half-empty club, approvingly, "We feel like you are our friends."

And to these friends, no matter how "The Stooges" were billed, they ultimately needed no introduction.

— By George Henn

SETLIST
"Raw Power"
"Search and Destroy"
"Gimme Danger"
"Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell"
"Shake Appeal"
"1970"
"Night Theme"
"Above the Law"
"I Gotta Right"
"I Wanna Be Your Dog"
"I Need Somebody"
"Penetration"
"Death Trip"
"Open Up and Bleed"

ENCORES
"Fun House"
"Johanna"
"No Fun"

Singer/songwriter Joe Firstman has done a lot in his almost 10-year career in music. He's had a much buzzed about major label debut album, 2003's The War of Women. He’s been the opening act for such heavyweight headliners as Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow, and he even had a stint as a late night bandleader for Last Call With Carson Daly.

With a new live-in-the-studio album, Live at the Treehouse, out now and a solo acoustic tour in progress, what does the California-based tunesmith have to say about these and other topics? Firstman checked in from a tour stop in Oxford, Miss., to provide the lowdown.

The new album, which was recorded live in the studio, is almost all acoustic guitar and has none of the piano or full-scale band aspects that you featured on other albums. Was it a conscious decision to make this change?
Firstman: "It wasn't even a decision. It's just what was happening at the time. I was going from one tour onto the next thing and playing most of those tours with acoustic guitar. So when I got into the studio, I tried a few things out on piano. But it felt so right on guitar, and we started creating the songs, which flowed so nicely as acoustic-guitar based. I was just thinking that maybe I'll play more piano on this next one, but it was flowing so great already in this direction, there was no need to jump back in and reinvent anything."

The label you're on now, Rock Ridge, has a solid and interesting roster of like-minded singer/songwriters. How did you land with them?
Firstman: "My friend Tony Lucca is with them, and we've been boys for a long time and after I got off Atlantic [Records]. I was releasing my own music, putting it out there myself, and I just didn't give a damn about the business or talking to label people. I just wanted to go tour and do what I wanted to do and go surfing.

"So this guy called me from Rock Ridge and said, 'Make whatever your want, however you want to make it, and we'll put it out.' And I was just like, 'All right' (laughs). So I make the records how, when and where I want to, and they come up with a game plan on out how to release it, so there's not much to worry about."

It is a nice roster that you're a part of there with Lucca, as you mentioned, and another great artist in Ike Reilly, plus the added bonus of former Yankees centerfielder Bernie Williams. Maybe he'll let you try and strike him out at a company mixer one of these days.
Firstman: "I did play semi-pro baseball in Mexico. Yeah, maybe we'll shag some flies and he can teach me some jazz guitar (laughs)."

Tell me a little bit about the early part of your career. The War of Women came out in 2003, and you were on some big tours. How did those tours prepare you to headline your own shows and put on your own tours. Was there any advice or tips you got from Willie Nelson or Sheryl Crow?
Firstman: "Those tours were just like, you walk in, and it's not hard to get it together in your brain. These people have an incredible work ethic; they have innumerable talent, and it didn't have to be Sheryl Crow coming up to me and saying, 'Here's how you do it, boy.' You just watch the way she does it. She knew her whole staff really well, and she never yells at anyone — just really gracious and supportive of what I was doing.

"And [on] Willie Nelson's tour, I was just trying to watch how those people, who've been doing it there whole lives, put it together and learn some things. So it was totally fluid at the time, and it wasn't nerves because I felt like I was meant to be there. Those tours were rocking; I went out there to conquer the world. But that's how we rolled back then — that’s how hard we played."

From there, you landed the gig as bandleader for Last Call with Carson Daly. How was that experience?
Firstman: "You know, it was a trip. The weird thing was being in town all the time and being young with my buddies all out on tours. They would come back into L.A. and want to sit in with the band to jam, so we made it a cool thing. From a musical standpoint , aside from making a bit of money, I was able to get all my favorite musicians and some friends in there to play on the show. It was awesome playing with guys like Kenny Aronoff and Marc Ford and Steve Gorman from The Black Crowes. These guys were in my band, all playing my songs that I wrote that day, and we're hanging out working on ideas that I might have worked out on piano that day before I came in. I never claim to be a virtuoso on piano or vocals, but I know how to write a song. And I always felt like I was respected, and those guys were excited to work with my material."

Getting back to the new album, a live in studio album, what was the creative process behind putting that together?
Firstman: "I had 40 songs that I had been playing on all those tours, and I just went in and recorded them all. I knew that I had certain songs that were going to work better. I recorded everything; the medium just happened to be guitar because I felt like it was flowing real sweet, and the piano was just overly powerful. The live-ness of it meant you could just set the mikes up and just send it down the river. In listening to the record, I liked things like the little count-off before 'Middle Ground' because it's recorded really live. You can hear the air blowing in the room, it's so live."

You're right, and if we could have more artists working in that style — not just in the studio but in an actual show setting, where it's loose but professional — I think music would be in a better place.
Firstman: "You bring up a good point. Can the artists sit down and play the song cleanly and sing it cleanly enough to be recording? No, only a small percentage can do it. So that's why everyone has to get their stuff separated and things have to be beautifully mixed.

"A lot of guys at my level, this so-called underground level, go into the studio after they've been out their slinging it with their little box guitar, and it sounds like they've spent a $150,000. It should sound like what you're doing on the road, and when you have the money to afford Bruce Springsteen's band, then you hire them. But until you get there, have it sound like you sound live."

So should we expect a lot of rearranging of your other material from the previous albums in you live shows?
Firstman: "Yeah. I rearrange everything. It's been a hindrance for me, but I try to play the song the way I feel at that time, on that night, with those people present. This way, everything is involved, like the microphones, the guitars — everything is put together to make the most spontaneous musical, unmanufactured moment I can.

"I like to take chances. I like jazz musicians and how they have their rugged individualism that allows them with all their practicing and crafting to just chuck it all out the door to make something that has no limitation."

If you were afforded the opportunity to play a song on any artist's tribute album, who would it be, and what song would you choose?
Firstman: "Maybe if some came to me with a Townes Van Zandt tribute record, I'd love to cover 'Two Girls.' I like that kind of stuff."

And who would be playing the Joe Firstman tribute album? Who do you see doing you material justice?
Firstman: "I don't know because I don't keep up with the new guys too much. But I will say this: Whenever I see some kid trying out one of my songs on the Internet or even when I'm having a conversation with other songwriters, I'm totally mind-boggled by people who like my stuff and want to talk music with me. That's a good enough payment for me. I work hard at writing songs, and I feel I've gotten pretty good at it. It's what I've spent most of my life trying to do, so I'm always stoked when guys tell me they heard my stuff or they like what I do."

— Introduction and interview by Mike Madden

Joe Firstman on tour (schedule subject to change):

* Aug. 23: Smith's Olde Bar — Atlanta

* Aug. 24: The Social — Orlando, Fla.

* Aug. 25: Jack Rabbits — Jacksonville, Fla.

* Aug. 26: WorkPlay Theatre — Birmingham, Ala.

* Aug. 27, 28: The Windjammer — Isle of Palms, S.C.

Photo by Rob Shanahan

Unlike the band's own series of understandably self-serving concert videos over the years or, on entirely the other hand, Oliver Stone's utterly cataclysmic 1991 biopic The Doors, Tom DiCillo's When You're Strange: A Film About The Doors (freshly available on DVD and Blu-ray from Eagle Rock Entertainment) perhaps comes closest to finally presenting, as no less an authority as Ray Manzarek has long promised, "the true story of The Doors."

-- Musician/writer Gary Pig Gold is the co-founder of the To M'Lou Music label.

Turning 40 has not mellowed Richard Patrick. The Filter leader comes out swinging on the band's latest album, The Trouble With Angels, which he's proud to say echoes elements of Short Bus, Title of Record and Amalgamut.

Patrick recently checked in to discuss Angels, which is due Aug. 17 on Rocket Science Ventures.

— Introduction and interview by Chris M. Junior

Filter on tour (schedule subject to change):

* Aug. 20: Black Bear Saloon — Hartford, Conn.

* Aug. 21: Bowery Ballroom — New York

* Aug. 24: 115 Bourbon Street — Chicago

Recording music is all about capturing ideas, feelings and moments. And these days, there’s really no need to panic if inspiration strikes outside of the studio.

The members of Great Big Sea, like other artists, have regularly used laptops for demo purposes. But the Canadian roots-rock band recently took things one step further, recording straight to singer/guitarist Alan Doyle's laptop and including those tracks on Great Big Sea's latest album, Safe Upon the Shore.

Convenience, as well as the ability to get ideas "on tape" while they were fresh and exciting, were the chief reasons Great Big Sea made much of the album with a laptop, according to Hallett.

"While our first ideas are not always the best, sometimes they are, and this methodology allowed those moments of inspiration to be captured right away," he adds.

Inspiration struck Great Big Sea in a variety of locations, with dressing rooms, hotel rooms and a basement among the places where the band recorded its new album.

"The back lounge of the [band’s tour] bus was probably the weirdest – [it was] small and noisy," recalls Hallett. "It also is about as close to the heart of rock ’n’ roll as you are going to get."

Not all of Safe Upon the Shore was recorded on the run: The band also used its own studio, as well as The Music Shed in New Orleans.

"The environment of the city definitely helped us. It was good to get away from the domestic pressures of home life and just concentrate on the music," Hallett says.

-- By Chris M. Junior

Great Big Sea on tour (schedule subject to change):

Aug. 12: Big Top Chautauqua – Bayfield, Wis.

Aug. 13-14: Minnesota Irish Festival – St. Paul, Minn.

Aug. 21: Suicide Six Ski Resort – South Pomfret, Vt.

Aug. 22: Wolf Trap Filene Center – Vienna, Va.

Sept. 14: Waterville Opera House – Waterville, Maine

Sept. 15: Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel – Providence, R.I.

Sept. 16: Flynn Center for the Performing Arts – Burlington, Vt.

Sept. 17: The Orpheum – Boston

Sept. 18: Irish 2000 Fest – Ballston Spa, N.Y.

Sept. 19: Infinity Music Hall – Norfolk, Conn.

Sept. 21: The Westcott Theater – Syracuse, N.Y.

Sept. 22: State Theater – State College, Pa.

Sept. 23: Byham Theater – Pittsburgh

Sept. 24: Webster Hall – New York

* Los Lobos -- Tin Can Trust (Shout! Factory)

The final line in "27 Spanishes," the last song on Tin Can Trust (out now), pretty much sums up Los Lobos' approach to their new album: "Now they all hang out together and play guitars for kicks." For its first Shout! Factory release, the band keeps its collection of eclectic instruments on the shelf and focuses on guitars instead. Extended solos highlight two of the best tracks, "All My Bridges Burning" and a cover of the Grateful Dead's "West L.A. Fadeaway." The band really fires on all cylinders during "Do the Murray," a lively, bluesy instrumental.

* Jim Wolf -- Sleeping With Strangers (Self-released)

For his debut album, Sleeping With Strangers (due Aug. 17), Jim Wolf used about seven recording facilities, but there's a sonic and stylistic continuity to the eight-song effort. There are echoes of Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas and Tonic's Emerson Hart in Wolf's work; it's sentimental but not saccharine schlock. "House of Cards," which opens the album, is a standout.

* The Dandy Warhols -- Best of the Capitol Years: 1995-2007 (Capitol)

If Billboard's modern-rock chart is to be used as a measuring stick, then The Dandy Warhols have pretty much flown under the national radar throughout their career. But the Oregon band certainly has recorded its share of songs that deserved a better fate, such as "Boys Better," "Every Day Should Be a Holiday" and "Get Off." Those songs and others, among them the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks entries "Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth" and "Bohemian Like You," can be found on this 15-song collection (due Aug. 24). "This Is the Tide," a chugging rocker that could pass for Stone Temple Pilots, is a new song that’s exclusive to The Capitol Years.

* Jerry Castle -- Don't Even Ask (My World Records)

Like Steve Earle and Rodney Crowell, Nashville, Tenn.-based singer/songwriter/guitarist Jerry Castle artfully blends rock and country in a way that neither genre dominates but both are present. As a songwriter, he's not at their level, but his second album, Don't Even Ask (out now), shows he's on the right track. Noteworthy songs include "Charades" and "Back Side of Down."

-- By Chris M. Junior

Sting’s quest to reinvent himself reached new heights in an invigorating concert July 30 at Bethel Woods. Backed by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, he presented a 24-song set in a relaxed and balmy open-air concert that was both intimate and compelling.

The 45-piece orchestra ("This is the biggest band I’ve ever played with," Sting said during the introductions) was a wise choice: The violins, cellos, flutes and horns gave depth and texture to "Englishman in New York," "Fields of Gold" and "A Thousand Years," among many others. The orchestral arrangements (conducted by Steven Mercurio) were supported (but not underwhelmed) by such Sting regulars as Dominic Miller (on acoustic and electric guitar), who pulled out all the stops on the hard-rocking tunes "Next to You" and "King of Pain." Singer Jo Lawry offered up a stirring duet with Sting on "Whenever I Say Your Name" from 2003's Sacred Love.

Ira Coleman played electric and upright bass and Cerys Green added clarinet solos on "Mad About You" and "Englishman in New York." Rhani Krija and David Cossin played a variety of percussion instruments and were particularly effective during a rousing rendition of "Desert Rose."

The Police classic "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" was enriched by violins and cellos, and another highlight was a slow and lush "Every Breath You Take," which seemed to obfuscate the original possessive/paranoid tone of the song, only to give it a more ominous feel. “Moon Over Bourbon Street” was given a theatrical Halloween night treatment, with Sting relating how a walk in New Orleans and a call from Mel Brooks (asking the singer to appear in a film called Dracula Sucks — "Which was never made," Sting flippantly stated) inspired his tale of a vampire seeking love.

Sting has become a subtle raconteur onstage, delivering humorous anecdotes on his jobs prior to his music career (one in particular was "the worst f***ing job I ever had" — obviously, considering how things worked out) and a poignant tale about his sea-faring ancestry and late father (a milkman), who wanted his son to go to sea, which Sting interpreted as a wanting for him to do "something exciting" with his life.

One of his best stories concerned the country-tinged "I Hung My Head," the origins of which began when Sting was a youngster watching Westerns, especially Bonanza. Sting held up a DVD collection of the popular 1960s TV show, saying how he wanted to be a member of the Cartwright clan ("Ben Cartwright, Hoss Cartwright … Sting Cartwright").

There were other moments when the show was anything but stuffy and serious. At times the violin section locked arms and twirled around in dance and the bassists stood up to do the wave, a sporting-event tradition. Sting danced and swiveled his hips during "She's Too Good for Me" and several other uptempo numbers. The entire atmosphere was light-hearted but not irreverent. "Fragile" (a somber classic that is fittingly remindful of each new world tragedy) was played solo by Sting on acoustic guitar as one of the encores.

"I was born in 1951," Sting recounted prior to the song "Russians." "I'm 58 — don't do the math," he wryly stated, his trim, youthful presence saying otherwise. By constantly challenging himself, one can only surmise that the math will always contradict Sting's passion and drive for originality. The two-plus hours of entertaining and diverse music produced a memorable evening from a consummate performer and his band.

— By Donald Gavron

The drummer stool for Counting Crows has seen its share of players, while second guitarists have come and gone for The Black Crowes.

Sister Sin can relate to that kind of turnover: The Swedish hard-rock act just can't seem to put its "bassist wanted" sign away for very long.

Martensson was officially replaced Benton Wiberg, but he has since left the band, too.

"It was a bit of a surprise," Jagrell says of Wiberg’s departure. "He fit the band well. But he had a job and a [new] baby at home, and he couldn't quit his job [to tour with us]."

With his regular band, Babylon Bombs, having a little bit of downtime, Ricky has temporarily returned to the Sister Sin fold – just in time for U.S. tour dates to support True Sound of the Underground, available now through Victory Records.

Not being able to lock down the bass slot has been draining for Jagrell, guitarist Jimmy Hiltula and drummer Dave Sundberg.

"You lose a little bit of hope each time," Jagrell says. "But me, Jimmy and Dave are so close. We’ve been together for quite a long time, and we feel like we're a family, so we know that we will keep on going until we find the right person who fits our family. We're the core of the band – we just need to find the right bass player."

Their search continues, but meanwhile, the core is committed to playing simple, straight-ahead hard rock/metal. And while Jagrell admits her band has drawn inspiration from what came out of the 1980s, what Sister Sin is doing is nothing like that of full-fledged revivalists Steel Panther.

"I like Steel Panther; I think they're hilarious," admits Jagrell. "They're taking it over the top, so it's not offensive to me. Our music is not like their kind of ’80s-style. I think it's a little more timeless, and we don't do the whole spandex-and-hairspray thing."

Adds Sundberg, "I think it's important to bring back that type of music, but do it with an up-to-date sound and attitude. I think kids need to hear that as an option to everything else that's been going on for the last 10 years."

-- By Chris M. Junior

Sister Sin on tour (schedule subject to change):

* July 31: Fillmore at Irving Plaza -- New York

* Aug. 1: The Crazy Donkey -- Farmingdale, N.Y.

* Aug. 2: Eleanor Rigby's -- Jermyn, Pa.

* Aug. 3: House of Blues -- Cleveland

* Aug. 4: Scatz Nightclub -- Middleton, Wis.

* Aug. 6: Club Vegas -- Salt Lake City

* Aug. 8: Tower Theater -- Fresno, Calif.

* Aug. 11: Studio 7 -- Seattle

* Aug. 12: Dante's -- Portland, Ore.

* Aug. 13: Last Day Saloon -- Santa Rosa, Calif.

* Aug. 14: Pepperbellys -- Fairfield, Calif.

* Aug. 15: The Avalon -- Santa Clara, Calif.

Debauchery, drugs and drinking went hand in hand with hair metal throughout the 1980s. And whether by design or accident, with tremendous pride or with great shame, evidence of the artists’ real or fabricated rock 'n' roll behavior reached the public during those years.

Bon Jovi pretty much avoided having anything of that sort connected to the band's image — until now.

Former Bon Jovi tour manager Rich Bozzett has written a book about the band's early days and its ascent to superstardom called Sex, Drugs and Bon Jovi.

As Bozzett says in his book (which includes some rather racy photos involving singer Jon Bon Jovi), a series of recent, independent Bon Jovi-related events led him to write Sex, Drugs and Bon Jovi, which was released July 26 through Blumberg Corporate Services. The following day, Bozzett checked in with Medleyville.us to talk about his book.

For an album that received such a lukewarm-at-best reception upon its initial release (even the almighty Rolling Stone magazine used the words "overdone blues cliché" whilst making snide comparisons to Tommy James), the lone double-studio album produced by The Rolling Stones has certainly enjoyed a critical reappraisal (and then some) over the ensuing 38 years.

And of course Rolling Stone now places those very same blues clichés near the tip-top of most every Greatest Album of All Time list it regularly publishes.

Now, come 2010, the (in)famous Exile has been fully refurbished, restruck, and reconstituted through and through by a crack crew of audio surgeons headed by honorary Glimmer Twin Don Was, digitally polished to an immaculate sheen, "correcting" the original soupy subterranean mixes (“The cymbals sound like dustbin lids” Jagger again complained as "Tumbling Dice" was first being readied for release) so as not to have the album stand as too sore a sonic thumb alongside Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, I suppose. Personally, I much prefer dustbins to "Just Dance" ... but I digress.

Meanwhile, as part of this gala Exile resurrection comes an accompanying behind-the-scenes documentary film, Stones in Exile, which was released in late June on DVD (and contains an hour-plus of bonus footage not seen in the TV broadcast version). The documentary gathers together all five early '70s Stones within a wealth of vintage studio (meaning the basement of Keith Richards’ villa on the French Riviera, where most of the album’s basic tracks were recorded) and onstage footage (via the post-Exile tour film Ladies and Gentlemen… The Rolling Stones, which itself is due for re-release later this year). Why, even snippets from the beyond-cult 1972 road-film-from-hell Cocksucker Blues are cunningly slipped between shots of various waterskiing and overdubbing Brits-in-, yes, exile.

Not so surprisingly, however, some subjects (such as the rampant drug use which eventually resulted in Richards' total submission to heroin) are only delicately alluded to, whilst other key players in the scenario — houseguest Gram Parsons, most obviously, who schooled Richards especially in nuances of the country blues which permeate the entire Exile album — are ignored altogether. Plus, the Stones in Exile bonus footage could have been much better filled with, say, a complete study of the original, highly innovative Main St. record cover shoot by Cocksucker director Robert Frank, as opposed to rambling heads the likes of Caleb Followill and Sheryl Crow.

Still, the contemporary footage of Jagger and the immaculate-as-ever Charlie Watts wandering around Olympic recording studios and Jagger’s former Stargroves estate – sites of the initial Exile sessions – are both fascinating and entertaining. Of course, Richards appears throughout the proceedings in ghostly, stark black-and-white, the multitude struggles of '72 still etched deep into his face, whilst good ol’ Bill Wyman remains ever the Stone Alone with the most revealing, reproachful, yet detailed reminisces of the bunch (a man still upset, it seems, at not being able to locate a proper brew of British tea in the south of France, for example).

So while I may indeed have my doubts over the, um, validity of a vintage-2010 Exile on Main St. album per se, this Stones in Exile film, far on the other hand, is a perfectly under-polished production that more than succeeds in placing one square down the very depths of Richards’ basement during the festering summer of '71 … yes, with all the horror and gorgeous excess, not to mention utterly magnificent, guttural music such a locale entails.

And somehow, still, continues to inspire.

— Musician/writer Gary Pig Gold is the co-founder of the To M'Lou Music label.

Talk about good timing. Chicago-based AM Taxi's debut album, We Don’t Stand a Chance (Virgin), was released June 8—just a few weeks before the pop-punk quintet joined Motion City Soundtrack, The All-American Rejects and others for the start of this year's Warped Tour.

Singer/guitarist Adam Krier checked in from the road to talk about AM Taxi's origins, recording the band's full-length disc in Texas and his thoughts on the Warped Tour so far.

The first video from We Don't Stand a Chance was "The Mistake." Let's get it out in the open: Which member of the band made the most miscues during the filming of that video? And how about for "Fed Up," the second single?
Krier: "They got us pretty loaded for 'The Mistake' video, so I don't recall. 'Fed Up' was fun, and I'm really happy with the way it turned out. However, I found out while trying to lip-sync that I had changed some of the words between the recording session and the shoot."

What have been some of the highlights so far for you and the band on this year's Warped Tour
Krier: "Not showering rules. And we have a shower in our ride, so that's just sad, I know. Not shaving is also fun.

"Most of the other bands are great, and it's nice to be fed once or twice a day. But the best part is all the music fans everywhere checking out all the bands and having a great time."

-- Introduction and interview by Chris M. Junior

AM Taxi on tour (schedule subject to change):

* July 14: Darien Lake Performing Arts Center -- Darien Center, N.Y.

* July 15: Toyota Pavilion -- Scranton, Pa.

* July 16: Susquehanna Bank Center -- Camden, N.J.

* July 17: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum -- Uniondale, N.Y.

* July 18: Monmouth Park Racetrack -- Oceanport, N.J.

* July 20: Merriweather Post Pavilion -- Columbia, Md.

* July 21: Virginia Beach Amphitheatre -- Virginia Beach, Va.

* July 22: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Charlotte -- Charlotte, N.C.

* July 23: Vinoy Park -- St. Petersburg, Fla.

* July 24: Cruzan Amphitheater -- West Palm Beach, Fla.

* July 25: Firestone Amphitheatre @ The Lot -- Orlando, Fla.

* July 26: Aaron's Amphitheater at Lakewood – Atlanta

* July 28: Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati

* July 29: Marcus Amphitheater – Milwaukee

* July 30: Comerica Park – Detroit

* July 31: First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre -- Tinley Park, Ill.

* Mark Olson -- Many Colored Kite (Rykodisc)

Jayhawks founder Mark Olson is in a mellow mood throughout his latest solo album, Many Colored Kite (due July 27). That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but the stripped-down disc eventually falls into a sleepy rut. Kite does have its standout moments, though, most notably "Little Bird of Freedom" and "Scholastica."

* The Constellations – Southern Gothic (Virgin)

Hats off to Constellations leader Elijah Jones, who not only piloted a cohesive, accessible album featuring myriad styles and influences but managed a small army of musicians in the process. Southern Gothic, the Atlanta collective’s debut, covers a lot of ground: Imagine a broader-sounding Beck album. Cee-Lo makes a guest appearance on "Love Is a Murder."

* The Blue Shadows -- On the Floor of Heaven (Bumstead)

Featuring a vocal blend reminiscent of prime The Everly Brothers, an instrumental approach like that of Foster and Lloyd and songs that either act would proudly call their own, Canada's The Blue Shadows certainly deserved a better fate back in the day. Hopefully the reissued On the Floor of Heaven (out now), a pairing of the Billy Cowsill-co-fronted band's 1993 album and 12 previously unreleased songs also recorded in the '90s, finds a belated audience. Highlights include "Coming on Strong," "The Fool Is the Last One to Know" and "A Thousand Times."

* We Are Scientists -- Barbara (Masterswan Recordings)

Don't let the nerdy, prog-rock-ish name fool you: We Are Scientists actually make crafty, commercial, pop-rock music that’s suitable for the masses (and that’s a compliment, not a dig). Not quite as good as the New York band’s debut album, 2006's With Love and Squalor, but better than the 2008 follow-up, Brain Thrust Mastery, Barbara (out now) features its share of hooky singalongs, particularly the opening one-two punch of "Rules Don't Stop" and "I Don't Bite."

Gwyneth and Monko -- Good Old Horse (self-released)

Yes, Gwyneth and Monko is a male/female act, and yes, there have been plenty of them popping up in recent years. The folky pair's charming five-song EP (due July 20) is sensitive and sparse, with the youthful-sounding Gwyneth Moreland leading the way as both singer and songwriter.

-- All reviews by Chris M. Junior

Babysitting Rex Ryan, meeting Bob Dylan, opening for Joan Rivers: These are just a few of the memories folk singer/songwriter Christine Lavin, best known for her work with the Four Bitchin’ Babes, covers in her new book, Cold Pizza for Breakfast: A Mem-Wha?? (Tell Me).

Lavin recently talked about her approach to writing Cold Pizza, her thoughts on the head coach of the New York Jets and her latest music project.

During the last 30-plus years, guitarist David Rhodes has built himself quite a resume.

He's successfully collaborated with Peter Gabriel, both in the studio and as part of his touring band; helmed a group called Random Hold, which has garnered a cult following; and has worked and recorded with such artists as Paul McCartney, Akira Inoue and Roy Orbison, among others.

Rhodes, who will be touring this summer in support of Bittersweet, recently checked in to talk about his new album, his style and select moments from his career.

"There was no real concept behind the songs as a whole, just a desire to have them out in the open. I’ve always enjoyed singing, but I’ve spent most of my career playing guitar, which I also enjoy a lot. When you play for other people, your role is always one of supporting what they’re doing. Even when they give you great freedom, you’re helping them express themselves. So Bittersweet is a body of work where I am lord and master!"

Peter Gabriel took notice of Random Hold and subsequently asked your group to tour with him. What convinced you to accept Gabriel's invitation to join his band?
Rhodes: "PG, and his management and publishing company, came to see us play at the Rock Garden in London. After seeing that, he asked us to work on some demos for his third album. I was then asked to record with him, which I nervously did.

"I was really very new to guitar playing, having spent a few years studying at art school, and not 'guitaring.' Walking into a room of session musicians and enthusiastic production people -- when I didn't consider myself a real player -- was daunting.

"My main interest was, and still is, sound, not technique. I felt out of place, but Peter was supportive and helped me to get through the sessions [but] not without some hiccups along the way. The backing vocals for the record were great fun to record. They were way easier for me.

"It then followed that we supported Peter, on tours of both the U.K. and the U.S. On the tour of the States, [everyone in the band] became weirder and weirder with each other, and by the end we were all a bit grumpy and out of sorts, barely speaking to one another. When we got home, I decided to leave the band. I then spent a considerable time being down, and on reflection probably depressed, and in a dark frame of mind.

"It was after the recording of PG’s fourth album that I was invited to tour as part of his band. I suppose the factor that convinced me to accept was that I’d watched the previous incumbent playing some of my parts, and I knew I could do it better."

By your own admission, you don’t read music very well and aren't technically savvy, which may come as a surprise to many people. I imagine this provides a sense of freedom to absorb many different possibilities. How has this affected your approach to your music?
Rhodes: "The reading has only been a problem on a couple of occasions. The expedient way around that is to listen to what‘s going on. Limitations in technique can be viewed as a way of focusing and not getting bogged down in stylistic considerations. If you can’t come up with different ways of playing something, you become more absorbed in the sounds you're working with, and how they relate to what’s happening. The sound then leads to the part."

There's an interesting story behind how you came to work on Roy Orbison's Mystery Girl album. Can you talk a bit about that?
Rhodes: "At that time, I was working [co-producing] T-Bone [Burnett]’s Talking Animals. I had been home in England and was due back in L.A. to finish off the record. I went to the airport in London, and when I reached the airline desk, the staff informed me that my ticket was for the following day.

"I was confused. I normally check these things, as anyone does, but I’d convinced myself that I knew the day I was to travel and had only skimmed the ticket information. Fortunately, there was space on the plane and I was able to leave that day.

"I arrived in L.A. and spoke with T-Bone. We met up for a drink that evening, and he said he was in the middle of mixing an Orbison track that Elvis Costello had written, 'The Comedians.' There was a problem in that the orchestral session had gone well, but that they needed some guitar on the track. T-Bone had apparently asked Ry Cooder, who was working in the studio next door, to have a go, but he’d declined, saying there were too many chords in the tune. So he asked me to try something on it. I played the following day. It was fun."

You've composed for film and television and also created the soundtrack for the Italian animated film La Gabbianella E II Gatto. What was the experience of composing for an animated film like?
Rhodes: "It was a wonderful project to work on. It's a very popular and well-loved children's story in Italy. The extended title of the film translates as, 'The Little Seagull and the Cat Who Taught It to Fly.'

"There are two processes involved in working on animated films. In the first place, the songs are written [and] he animation will then follow the song; simple. The other process is the writing of the score, where the music supports the action. However, it’s not like scoring live action film, where you have the moving images to work to.

"With this animation, I had the recorded character voices and a static storyboard to work to. So you have to imagine the action and pace of it, from one static image to the next -- often 30 or more seconds apart -- by listening to the dialogue and reading the action from the script. You then create the music to suit what you think is going on. It was one of my first soundtracks, and really quite naive. Maybe that worked in its favor."

Other than the cuts from Bittersweet, what songs are you performing on the tour?
Rhodes: "When I’ll be supporting Cyndi Lauper [this summer], I’m not sure how long I'll play for, but there will be definitely one new song in the set, 'Waggle Dance.' This is a song loosely based on my research into keeping bees, which I began to do just over a year ago. I spend a lot of my time reading bee books and an online forum on bees. I then spend a lot of time worrying about my hives.

"There are a couple of other songs that I may try – 'Be Mine' and 'Ship of Fools.' These have been written specifically to take advantage of the guitar system that I am using for live performance. This involves making simple loops of what I'm doing as I’m playing."

What type of guitars are you using onstage?
Rhodes: "My stage setup is incredibly pared down. I’ve just completed a small tour of Europe, traveling on my own by train, carrying everything with me. I use a Gibson Les Paul Robot, which has a mechanized tuning system built into it. I wrote the album using some different tunings that would be very time consuming to deal with onstage.

"I run the guitar through a laptop, installed with Guitar Rig 4, which is software that does a pretty good job of simulating amps and contains a lot of effects. This then goes straight to the PA. This is a far cry from the half dozen guitars, big pedal board and big Rivera amps and cabinets that I take on [Gabriel] outings."

Do you have any musical plans after this tour? Another solo album, perhaps? A Random Hold reunion?
Rhodes: "I’ve done a handful of shows of the Bittersweet material, working with bass and drums. I’ve never played in a trio before, and I find it very exciting and great fun. It feels like a very pure form of band music. So maybe that's the way to proceed.

"There are a couple of [Gabriel] shows to play in Australia in November, I think. There is also a soundtrack for an English horror movie to work on, but that will be early next year.

"[Random Hold] will never reunite, as one of our [members], David Ferguson, sadly died last year."

-- Introduction and interview by Donald Gavron

David Rhodes on tour (schedule subject to change):

* June 29: House of Blues -- Cleveland

* June 30: House of Blues -- Chicago

* Aug. 1: House of Blues – Orlando, Fla.

* Aug. 3: Adrienne Arsht Center – Miami

* Aug. 4: Ruth Eckerd Hall – Clearwater, Fla.

* Aug. 6: Chastain Park Amphitheatre – Atlanta

* Aug. 7: Beau Rivage – Biloxi, Miss.

* Aug. 8: House of Blues -- New Orleans

* Aug. 10: Paramount Theatre – Austin, Texas

* Aug. 11: House of Blues – Dallas

* Aug. 12: House of Blues – Houston

* Aug. 14: Route 66 Casino – Albuquerque

* Aug. 15: Anselmo Valencia Amphitheatre – Tucson, Ariz.

* Aug. 17: The Mountain Winery – Saratoga, Calif.

* Aug. 18: Uptown Theatre – Napa, Calif.

* Aug. 20: Peppermill Wendover Casino – Wendover, Nev.

* Aug. 21: House of Blues -- Las Vegas

* Aug. 22: House of Blues -- San Diego

* Aug. 26: Chumash Casino -- Santa Ynez, Calif.

* Aug. 27: Greek Theatre -- Los Angeles

* Aug. 28: Silver Legacy – Reno, Nev.