UPDATED: May 14, 2012

Mark Lanegan brings his thrilling, terrifying vision to Boston

In MUSIC: Mark Lanegan brought his low, menacing rumble to the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, working his show slowly into one terrifying, destructive moment. STORY

REVIEWS

Jack White blazes his own trail on 'Blunderbuss'
Away from the cover of his many bands, including the White Stripes, Jack White lets it rip in a weird, restless way that could only be him. Nick Tavares has the review
STORY

For better or worse, Mercer runs the Shins on 'Port of Morrow'
Five years after Wincing the Night Away, James Mercer has reconstituted the Shins and rolled out a record. So how does the new band and album compare?
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Bruce channels the 99 percent on 'Wrecking Ball'
Looking to one of the more prominent populist movements America has seen in the past century, Bruce Springsteen pulls together his best album since 2002's 'The Rising.'
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Mark Lanegan recasts soul on 'Blues Funeral'
Whether he's working within blues, soul or just rock 'n' roll, Mark Lanegan threads everything on his latest record, Blues Funeral, with his gutteral, haunting voice.
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Neil Young announces the likely return of Crazy Horse
Neil Young has, most likely, declared a return to his longtime backing band Crazy Horse with a long, lumbering 37-minute jam set to a winding, human-free video. Of course he did.
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CONCERT REPORTS

Wild Flag owns the stage, through sore throats and beer bottles
Wild Flag came to Boston for the third time in less than a year, and the command and fury present on the stage were tremendous. Nick Tavares has the review.
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The Black Keys work their tunes in an arena setting
So, how did the Black Keys adjust to playing in a place like TD Garden? They stripped down, bulked up and let the guitars roar; yes, they adjusted just fine.
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Thurston Moore works out old ghosts with acoustics and noise
Thurston Moore, touring in support of Demolished Thoughts, brought gentle acoustics, moments of punishing sound and plenty of reflection to the Somerville Theatre.
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Ryan Adams works his magic in a rough setting
Ryan Adams, stripped down to his voice and a guitar, was in fantastic voice in Boston's Orpheum Theatre. Unfortunately, so was the crowd, according to Nick Tavares.
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THE BEST OF 2011

The Black Keys, once again, own the year with 'El Camino'
The Black Keys, again, topped Nick Tavares' list for the best of 2011, but there was more to the year than the Akron duo, including amazing debuts, great releases from veteran artists and an epic film score.
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VOICES

Remembering Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch, MCA
Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys has passed away after a three-year battle with cancer, but he lived as full a life as could be hoped. Nick Tavares remembers MCA.
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To Levon Helm, goodbye and thanks
While Levon Helm was in ill health, Nick Tavares took a moment to say goodbye to a man whose music meant so much.
He will be missed.
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The Black Keys grow up without selling out
The Black Keys have ascended to the ranks of arena rockers by way of a slow, natural evolution, something all too rare among bands looking to go big time.
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Tracing the path of Neil Young's 'Helpless'
Nick Tavares takes a look at Neil Young's "Helpless," and how the song has remained a constant in Young's rollercoaster career and the writer's own life.
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