Chris Willman
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Review: Staind Is Pained to Defend Itself on Metallic Comeback
After a head-scratching detour into a solo country career, growling frontman Aaron Lewis is all too eager to remind us he’s a tough guy
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Review: Kristin Chenoweth Is Too Much of a Good Witch on Her Country Debut
When she’s camping it up, the Broadway diva is a natural in her theater-to-twang transition, but a plethora of soppy message songs undercut the fun
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Review: Lady Antebellum Gets Too Lady-Like on Ballad-Thick 3rd Album
The country-pop trio try to repeat the romantic formula that produced “Need You Now,” with less miraculous results
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Charts: Lil Wayne Falls Just a Lil’ Shy of a Million; MTV Awards Boost Adele’s Ballad to No. 1
“The Carter IV” is almost on par with Lil Wayne’s past sales glory, with 964,000 sold, while Adele’s bravura awards-show turn actually pushed an old-school ballad into the top spot on the digital songs chart
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Review: Lindsey Buckingham Goes His Own Way, Again, With ‘Seeds We Sow’
One of rock’s great mad geniuses uses his dexterous hands to beckon us back inside his troubled head. Just don’t look for its claustrophobia to satisfy any pop-craving Mac attack
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Review: Latest Buddy Holly Tribute Could Use More Creative Spark
Holly’s music is ripe for rediscovery, but younger rockers aren’t likely to connect with a boomer-friendly tribute that wastes everyone from Brian Wilson to Zooey Deschanel
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Review: George Strait’s ‘Good Time’ Could Use More Heartbreak
The country superstar co-wrote most of his own material for the first time on his 39th album, which suffers for shutting out the great tunesmiths Strait’s leaned on in the past
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Review: Hugh Laurie Delivers Enjoyable — If Limited — Debut Album
The “House” actor is hardly a Dr. John or Irma Thomas, as a jazzy-blues singer — but bringing them on for prominent guest spots ups the good will on an enjoyable vanity project
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Telluride Loves Tilda Swinton, But Needs to Talk About ‘Kevin’
As the festival drew to a close, Swinton, Michael Fassbender, and Glenn Close all soared in dark fare it may be hard to get the public (or Academy) to see
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From Clooney’s ‘Descendants’ to Pixar’s ‘La Luna’: 10 Buzziest Films at Telluride
Telluride may have peaked with its very first premiere, of “The Descendants,” but Glenn Close’s gender-bending performance has also drawn heat
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George Clooney’s ‘Descendants’ Sucks Up All the Air at Telluride Fest
Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants” started the festival on a Rocky Mountain high, while Glenn Close in drag and Martin Scorsese’s tribute to a Beatle drew more muted praise
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Charts: Streisand, The Game Are Both Off Their Sales Game
Game was off his game with a still-charttopping 98,000 in album sales, while Streisand’s Bergman-esque tribute sold 66,000 to bow at No. 4
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Review: Lil Wayne Still Crazy After All These Jail Sentences on ‘Tha Carter IV’
On what’s expected to be the year’s biggest hip-hop blockbuster, the self-admittedly crazed rapper threatens women, other rappers and, um, ibuprofen
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Review: Red Hot Chili Peppers Leave Hot New Guitarist Stewing in ‘I’m With You’
New guitarist Josh Klinghoffer has no problem fitting in, but isn’t featured nearly enough in the band’s 10th album
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Review: Glen Campbell’s ‘Ghost’ a Moving — But Not Entirely Satisfying — Farewell
The Alzheimer’s-diagnosed star remembers the arrangements that made “Wichita Lineman” soar but falls a bit short lyrically