Music

Singer and musician David Johansen was the lead singer for the 70s pre-punk punk rock band New York Dolls. Later he performed as Buster Poindexter, a pompadour tuxedo wearing lounge lizard swing bandleader of the band Banshees in Blue. Now he has a new roots-music band and a new album of straight blues, David Johansen and the Harry Smiths.

Kathleen Hanna and Johanna Fateman of the band, Le Tigre . Hanna was the lead singer of the 90s band Bikini Kill. Bikini Kill was part of the music/cultural/feminist movement know as Riot Grrl, which focused on the concept of girl power and young womens empowerment. The movement was based primarily in Washington, DC and Olympia, WA, and its members formed bands, wrote fanzines, and held meetings, protests and festivals. Hanna was a leader and spokesperson for the movement. Her first solo project after Bikini Kill was called Julie Ruin. She then formed Le Tigre.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the recordings Live at the Fillmore by the group Cypress Hill, and Restless by the rapper Xzibit.

She made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry in 1959. Since then shes written thousands of songs, including the hits Coat of Many Colors, Jolene, and I Will Always Love You. And shes had hits on both the country and pop charts. Parton wrote her autobiography in 1994, My Life and Other Unfinished Business. Her new all-accoustic CD is Little Sparrow

Rhythm and blues singer, songwriter, and Guitarist Barbara Lynn. The left-handed guitarist was one of the first female practioners of the instrument. Her signature song is the 1962 hit Youll Lose a Good Thing. The Rolling Stones recorded her song Oh Baby (We Got a Good Thing Going) in 1964. After a lengthy hiatus to raise a family, Lynn made a come back in 1986. Her new album is Hot Night Tonight (Antone Records).

Miles remembers Czech musician Milan Hlavsa leader of the band The Plastic People of the Universe. He died on Jan 5th from cancer.

World music critic Milo Miles reviews the new box set by Little Feat: Hotcakes and Outtakes: 30 Years of Little Feat

Ward considers the work of the bluegrass music duo the Stanley Brothers.

Editors Robert Gottlieb and Robert Kimball have collaborated on the new book “Reading Lyrics” (Pantheon Books), an anthology of some of the most important lyricists of the last century, including the lyrics of George M. Cohan, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Ira Gershwin, Lorenz Hart, Dorothy Field, Frank Loesser, Johnny Mercer, and more. The book covers the time period 1900-1975. Robert Gottlieb is the author of “Reading Jazz,” and Robert Kimball is the editor of complete lyrics collections of Cole Porter, Ira Gershwin, and Lorenz Hart.

Critic Milo Miles reviews the new edition of “The Rough Guide to World Music.”