Music Blogs

Wow, what a phenomenal week!

First came Sunday night's exciting Grammy Awards show--a rock 'em, sock 'em, no-holds-barred ceremony honoring this year's absolutely greatest musicians! I was enthralled!

Would Adele be able to sing? What would Lady Gaga be wearing? Would Kanye West really rush onstage, grab a microphone, call people on his cellphone and ask if their refrigerator was running? And wasn't it about time for Jay-Z and Beyoncé to have another baby or something? Heck, it could be a great night!

But...when all was said and done, it was a major downer!

Why? No Spin Doctors reunion!

Still, later that night, when Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and I went out for donuts and coffee, the car in front of us lost a hubcab! And you should have heard Gaga howl!

And at Krispy Kreme, Nicki Minaj let us take cuts!

Like I said: what a week!

Amos Lee: As The Crow Flies (Blue Note)  It's always difficult to ascertain what album deserves the treasured lead-off spot here, but I'm suspecting that Mr.

"The Voice" always tries to emphasize the point that this show is ultimately all about, well, the voice, and not about all the other trappings of showbiz--but of course, that's not entirely true. If it were, then we'd end up with four teams of all Susan Boyles and Clay Aikens, the type of awkward everyday folk who'd never otherwise get past security at any record label's main gate. Looks, charisma, and performance skills do unavoidably end up playing big part on "The Voice"--note last year's smoothly handsome Javier Colon and adorably doe-eyed Dia Frampton, for starters. The mentors obviously get to see who they're working with the moment they turn their chairs around during the so-called "Blind Auditions"--and that has to affect not only how aggressively they fight for any particular contestant, but how they pick and choose when they whittle down their teams in the Battle Rounds later on. And of course, the viewers know everything about the contestants--what they look like, what their sob stories are, how well they work a stage or an audience--by the time the public voting starts weeks later.

Chances are, as a country fan, you've heard of the upcoming film Act Of Valor, which features a soundtrack composed of Nashville heavyweights--one of them being Keith Urban, who wrote an emotional ballad, "For You" specifically for the movie.Keith Urban's Valentine to you--a new song!

If you've been wondering how Urban's new tune sounds--well, guess what, you can hear it first, right now! We have the song in its entirety here for you to listen to, a week before the soundtrack hits stores.

Whitney Houston, Brandy Us WeeklyBrandy spent the evening of her 33rd birthday in tears.

Earlier that afternoon, the singer and actress' longtime inspiration and mentor Whitney Houston passed away suddenly at the age of 48. Though Brandy attended Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammys bash, the somber star told Us Weekly she "really wanted to perform" that night, "but I'm in a bad space right now."

PHOTOS: Whitney's dramatic life

On Monday, Brandy decided to publicly pay tribute to the six-time Grammy Award winner. "My heart is destroyed. I lost my idol and dear friend. My prayers go out to Whitney's family and her millions of fans around the world," Brandy told Us in a statement. "Whitney -- the greatest voice of all time -- you are my angel and I will always and forever love you."

VIDEO: Whitney's life in the spotlight

The two women starred in the mega-successful TV remake of  Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella in 1997; it was the No. 1 program of the week, with more than 60 million viewers.

Whitney Houston's unexpected departure from this Earth, and the deafening stream of praise from nearly all quarters of the globe--from fans, fellow musicians, the star-studded attendees of Clive Davis's Grammy Party, held Saturday night in the same hotel in which she died hours earlier--left no doubt. She was deeply loved, and will be deeply missed.

And her career résumé, cut and pasted to nearly every well-meaning obituary because of its vast and impressive bulk, was, without question, eye-opening. And, to be fair, unprecedented.

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Whitney Houston "Like I Never Left" coverI have an ear for picking singles, so I was shocked that "Like I Never Left" from Whitney's 2009 comeback album, "I Look To You," didn't perform better on the charts. I love this song.

The track produced by Akon is a feel good, summertime mid-tempo record that celebrates reviving a damaged relationship.

Living in Southern California, Framed is in tune with our large Mexican-American community, of course, and quite fond of their musical stylings. A few months back, we featured the great narcocorrido band, Los Cuates De Sinaloa, in this space. And this week, we're happy to bring in Los Tucanes De Tijuana and their new song, "Amor Compartido."

And, for you who only speak English, please welcome the Toucans of Tijuana and their new song, "Shared Love."

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Ray J and Whitney Houston at Bernard Hopkins verses Joe Calzaghe fight in 2008. WireImage/Denise Truscello

R&B singer and reality star Ray J, 31, has always denied any romantic link to Whitney Houston, the superstar pop singer who was found dead Saturday in her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. She was 48, 17 years his senior.

There is no denying the two had a special bond.

WATCH Jennifer Hudson's Grammy tribute to Whitney Houston