New York singer-songwriter Jeff Litman gave up his classical guitar PhD studies to pursue rock 'n' roll; it was a smart choice. His second album, Outside (released this week), is a ridiculously addictive collection of slick power-pop tunes anchored by...

"Usually it was just the other bands in the audience." By 1994, the band's quirky, Beatles-esque pop contagions had earned it a minor-label record deal. Its debut album, Cotton Is King, fit the rubric of contemporaries like Matthew Sweet and the...

Other Room, Three Sisters), who also staged the Berkeley Rep run, will stage the 9:30 PM concert. Featured are original cast member Curt Hansen and Ryder Bach (Next to Normal). Julie Wolf will musical direct. Here's how Girlfriend is billed: "Romance...

Let Go is a stand-alone defining moment in their career – from the opening chords of “Blizzard of ‘77″ we began to hear what separated Nada Surf from their pop rock leaning mid-level brethren (Semisonic, Matthew Sweet, Gin Blossoms, Lemonheads). So...

Its cover was a gorgeous picture of then-young actress Tuesday Weld gazing into a camera, a vision of beauty that nonetheless appeared too perfect to last. Indeed, both the cassette and the relationship wore out eventually, as I played its 15-song...

Festival brings together more than 125 musicians for more than 250 performances in venues ranging from intimate listening rooms to spacious outdoor amphitheaters this weekend. Headliners for the three-day music festival include the Bangles, Amy Ray (of...