concert test

Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren's best-known songs -- the Carole King pastiche "I Saw the Light," the ballads "Hello, It's Me" and "Can We Still Be Friends," and the goofy novelty "Bang on the Drum All Day" -- suggest that he is a talented pop craftsman, but nothing more than that....

Scorpions
The Scorpions from England -- not to be confused with the 1970's-era German band of the same name -- were formed in 1963 in Birmingham, and made their career playing the west midlands. Their name was one of the more memorable of their attributes, at least at home, where they never enjoyed any chart success with their music -- they did reportedly release a recording of "Greensleeves", however, that became a hit in northern Europe....

Robert Cray Band
The torchbearer for gritty, Southern-style blues Robert Cray has "a gorgeously soulful voice and biting guitar style" says Entertainment Weekly. The winner of five Grammy Awards, Cray is often compared to Ray Charles for his ably to cross blues, soul and pop barriers....

Donavon Frankenreiter
Before launching a solo career as the protégé of Jack Johnson, Donavon Frankenreiter began his professional life as a surfer. Born in Southern California on December 10, 1972, he landed a sponsorship with Billabong as a young teenager and moved to Hawaii when he was 14....

Kaiser Chiefs
When Tears for Fears sang "Kick out the Style/Bring back the Jam" in "Sowing the Seeds of Love," one can imagine the lads in Kaiser Chiefs raising their mugs of ale in agreement. Comprised of vocalist Ricky Wilson, guitarist Andrew White, bassist Simon Rix, keyboardist Nick Baines, and drummer Nick Hodgson, Kaiser Chiefs resurrected the mod spirit of the Jam in "I Predict a Riot," supercharged class-of-1977 power pop that quickly electrified the British press when it was released in 2004....

Daughtry
Bo Bice proved that American Idol could have a rocker as a finalist, but Chris Daughtry proved that the show could generate a successful rocker outside the context of the show. Of course, it helped that he was the polar opposite of Bice, a shaggy retro-rocker soaked in the South....

Nipsey Hussle
Nipsey Hussle, name adapted from the odd source of Nipsey Russell, iconic comic and actor of many decades, may have a pun-happy name. However, while the Slauson, California, MC born Ermias Ashgedom may drop hazy humor into his rhymestyle a la Snoop Dogg, his flow owes more to the unflinching gangland narratives of early hip-hop kingpin Ice-T....

Nero
Featuring producers Dan Stephens and Joe Ray along with vocalist Alana Watson, London's Nero were born a straight drum'n'bass act, but they steadily evolved into a more layered affair, mixing dubstep beats with classic house music melodies and vocals....

LMFAO
An electro-rap duo from Los Angeles, CA, LMFAO made their major-label debut in 2008. Comprised of producers, DJs, and clothing designers Redfoo and SkyBlu (the son and grandson, respectively, of Motown impresario Berry Gordy), LMFAO worked the club circuit for years before making their major-label debut in 2008 with the single "I'm in Miami Bitch," a song inspired by their first experience at the Winter Music Conference....

Sleigh Bells
Songwriter/producer Derek Miller and vocalist Alexis Krauss comprise Sleigh Bells, an experimental pop duo that began earning its first fans after a breakout performance at the 2009 CMJ Festival....