Does that sound like the Beatles to you? Author Kristofer Engelhardt delivers an updated version of his exhaustive 1998 guide, detailing the individual Beatles’ musical contributions to other artists’ recordings.

Rock the Bells kicked off its 2009 hip-hop festival tour in Chicago – just two days after Michael Jackson’s sudden death. Chris Catania took in this year’s finest while ruminating on the psychology of a crowd in mourning.

How do you dethrone the “King of Pop”? Let the current king disappear to Bahrain and get sued for $7 million by an Arab sheik; take your kaleidoscopic and playful songs to California’s Westlake Studios where Michael Jackson recorded Thriller; or simply be a boy named Pop. Pop Levi goes 2 of 3 and emerges with Never Never Love, an album shot through with the ghosts of Prince, MJ, and R. Kelly. S D Green and the musical shape-shifter talk the process of Pop.

Chris Catania makes it through a weekend of punk, rock, hip hop, sweat, and garbage cans without having his head mistaken for a hi-hat.

Exclusive (Jive). Review by Cindy Barrymore

Don’t you dare close the book on 2007 yet! Carl F Gauze reviews the Top 19 celebrity deaths of the year that was, and you’re not likely to see these folks in soft-focus pinups in People Magazne.

Juvelen (Hybris). Review by Aaron Shaul.

From the dormroom to the stage, Delaware’s own Omnisoul are preparing to release their first CD. Brittany Sturges reckons you should prepare to make them your favorite band.

Out of Breach (Output). Review by Aaron Shaul.

James Greene Jr. gathers highlights from the most recent trial of the still-very-young century.

Pink Grease,This Is For Real,Mute,Danny Lewis

This Is For Real (Mute). Review by Danny Lewis.

Gail Worley discusses how to deal with intimacy and rainbow-haired mall punks with NYC musician Chris Grace.

Revisited (Pnuma). Review by Gail Worley.

Remixed (Sparrow). Review by Daniel Mitchell.

Joel Dorn has “been there, done that” in jazz for over 40 years. Ben Varkentine finds out about Fathead, Les McCann and… Michael Jackson?

Invincible (Epic). Review by Ryan Scarrow.

Ron Fountenberry’s eclectic, hooky pop music more than lives up to his ostentatious-sounding alias. Julio Diaz talks stage names, fashion, and music biz politics with The Incredible Moses Leroy.

Donny Osmond at The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA on June 15, 2001. Concert review by James Mann. Photos by June Rich.

Yes, it’s true – good shows do come to Melbourne, FL sometimes! Julio Diaz saw “Weird Al” Yankovic and stand-up comedian Flip Schultz at the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts on May 19, 2000. Ian Koss got some great photos, too!