Blog Posts by Dave DiMartino

One of the highlights of this year's recent South By Southwest conference was the appearance of a gifted performer who's currently garnering raves for her uncanny ability to blend the folk and art traditions into highly listenable, highly moving work that may otherwise defy comparison.

That performer was Vermont-based singer-songwriter Anais Mitchell--whose latest album, Young Man In America, is an ambitious set that depicts an artist growing by leaps and bound. Her lyrics, her memorable vocal approach, the sophisticated musical arrangements all demonstrate a maturity that's startling at first listen, and highly unique at the very least.

Y! Music was fortunate enough to speak with Mitchell and capture two superlative performances at our private "studio" at SXSW. The performances were memorable, the singer herself was warm and very friendly, and it was one of the better things we witnessed there this year, to say the least. See for yourself--we think you'll like what you see.

You know, I'd like to pretend I'm extraordinarily interested in the current state of pop music-who's big, who's not, who wins awards, who doesn't, etc.--but there are times, I must admit, when I'd really rather be watching the season premieres of Game Of Thrones and The Killing than some dopey televised awards show!

And so it is that I missed last night's Academy of Country Music Awards!

But fear not! I already know the highlights, and so should you! Taylor Swift won something or other, country pioneers Kiss--who along with Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings rewrote all the genre's rules so many decades ago--finally acceded to popular demand and showed up, and other people won things, too! And apparently there were commercials!

Most jarring? The joint appearance of Mickey Mouse and Leopold Stokowski! And doesn't that just figure?

Still, without Kanye...what's the point?

Rascal Flatts: Changed (Big Machine) Certainly one of the biggest bands in country music, Rascal Flatts continue to amaze with their commercial appeal, their good-hearted, folksy nature, and their always superlative wardrobe! So perhaps it's no surprise that their latest effort, Changed, depicts the band in an entirely new set of clothes! They're nothing if not

There is a certain warmth and sense of reassurance that comes with writing about musicians with whom you are deeply familiar!

This week I'll be writing about new releases from Madonna and Lionel Richie, two superstar artists with distinguished careers behind them--and it's a near certainty I'll sound authoritative as I write about their works, merely because I've been doing so, sort of, for years!

Still, there are few doubters out there--"haters," if you will--who have occasionally commented that it often seems the reviews I carefully craft are completely fictional and have no bearing whatsoever on reality!

Silly doubters! I've only "carefully crafted" about six of them in five years! The rest give me something to do on Monday nights!

Madonna: MDNA (Live Nation/Interscope) The volume of writing about Madonna that has anything whatsoever to do with her actual music as opposed to her image, the controversies that arise in her wake, and her admirable musculature is, in a manner of speaking, a very

Apologies for posting this a day later than usual, but I just spent the last eight days in Austin, Texas, at the South by Southwest Music Conference, a popular confab this year highlighted by appearances by rising stars Bruce Springsteen, Jay-Z, Eminem,  50 Cent and other lesser-known, unimportant clods!

It was great!

Sadly, upon my return, I dutifully drove to the office early Monday morning with every intention of penning this world-acclaimed blog later that night--but, when day was done, instead found myself sleeping for a full 13 hours!

To return the favor to you, dear readers, I've decided to write this blog tonight, in hopes that you too might sleep for 13 hours as well! It's easy and fun!

The Shins: Port Of Morrow (Aural Apothecary) A new album by the Shins is always welcome, as the robust pop group has an uncanny knack for memorable melodies, respectable songcraft, and a wonderfully anatomical name! The new disc, named after a unique cut of

We're excited about some updates to Yahoo! Music, and wanted to share the news with you.

First, we updated the look of the Y! Music homepage. Our old design served us well, and in fact did so for several years, but times have changed, music has changed, and Y! Music has changed--and this new design frees us up considerably and will offer us the sort of new flexibility that we've all long been hankering for. We think you'll find it easier to navigate throughout the site, and our ability to guide you toward that content of which are most proud, that we think you'll most enjoy, has especially been enhanced.

We also teamed up with a music video platform leader, VEVO, to deliver a deeper catalog of artists and a top-notch video player that will significantly up the look and feel of music videos on our site.  We think you'll instantly notice the upgrade in video quality and we'd love to get your feedback in this regard.

Finally, we'd like to point out that all of this is a work in progress.

Hello and greetings from Austin, Texas--that marvelous city which once a year hosts the exciting South By Southwest Multi-Media Something-Or-Other Conference, where I am currently ensconced, preparing for a week of marvelous music, marvelous interviews and exclusive performances, and marvelous opportunities to toss a few down in the spirit of our marvelous music industry!

Incidentally, have I told you I own the rights to the word "marvelous"?

But before it all begins, before I solemnly walk the streets in search of the latest superstar-to-be from Chile, New Zealand, or Punta Gorda, Florida, I thought I'd examine this week's hottest new releases and help set the stage for what may be the most exciting 2012 in music history!

Perhaps I'll list a few interesting new releases and say a few words about each of them!

And with any luck, those words will be related to the albums themselves!

One Direction: Up All Night (Columbia)  Rightly referred to as "the biggest UK breakout group of 2011," One Direction are a fascinating bunch indeed! Consisting of five charismatic youths all of whom are enormously tall--word has it

It's a serviceable week of new record releases!

Glitter and glam? How about that Bruce Springsteen? Sex, guts and glory? Check out the new Blues Traveler compilation! Ardent pacifism? You can't go wrong with Good Old War! Conspiracy theories? New releases by Andrew Bird and I See Hawks in L.A.!

Humans fully capable of growing wings and flying around the country spreading love and happiness via pixie dust?

Sure, that too!

Birth control an issue? Hey, you can put these albums between your knees and it won't be that costly!

Things are looking up all over!

Bruce Springsteen: Wrecking Ball (Columbia)  Bruce Springsteen's physical transformation from a scraggly upstart to everyone's favorite Uncle Charlie from

One week you're on top of the world--completely plugged into the pop culture scene via exciting performances during the marvelous Super Bowl and Grammy Awards telecasts--and the next, you're wondering why you haven't seen a single movie that was nominated for an Academy Award!

And that same week, you wake up, try to put on your shoes, and realize that suddenly, strangely...they're somehow loose! It's as if you've actually physically shrunken! And when you find yourself adjusting your car seat only minutes later--a car seat in which you've been perfectly comfortable for the past three years--it strikes you again! Something has changed!

And then it hits you: Looking at your reflection, you realize you're wearing a wonderful new shirt! And my, you look good!

Who knows, you say to yourself--maybe this will be the week I listen to all the new albums before I review them!

But the man in the mirror laughs! And you find it pretty funny yourself! Later you buy gas!

Lyle Lovett: Release Me (Lost Highway)  Though he tends to drift in and out of the public sphere, performer Lyle Lovett has never been less than an extraordinarily tasteful