Blog Posts by Wendy Geller

When one hears the words "southern gothic supernatural musical"--it's to be forgiven if the mind is blown somewhat, but there is a project out there that fits that description. And, it gets even better when one hears who spearheaded the idea!

Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a work 13 years in the making, came about originally via a conversation between literary horror mastermind Stephen King and classic rocker John Mellencamp. The story, a complex tale centered around the death of two brothers, spans several decades and has won rave reviews for its rich combination of storytelling and songs.

Lambert and Shelton perform on "The Voice" (Photo: Trae Patton)Native Oklahoman Blake Shelton isn't just giving lip service to the devastation his home state has suffered this week. "The Voice" coach has sprung into action, telling Billboard that he's already organizing a benefit concert for tornado relief.

Shelton, who revealed his plans after Tuesday's "Voice" episode, noted that details are still forthcoming. However, "I'm hoping it will raise a lot of money," he noted. "Obviously it will be televised and will happen really quickly."

Photo: Adam TaylorFirst, she won hearts on "American Idol," but only finished in sixth place. Now, Kellie Pickler has another reality show accolade to her name, and this time she's right on top. Pickler was crowned winner of "Dancing With the Stars" Tuesday, taking home the mirrorball trophy after narrowly beating out Disney Channel star Zendaya Coleman for the honor.

Willy Moon (Photo: NBC)If you’ve found yourself humming the anthemic “yeah yeah, how you like me now” chorus that set a rainbow of colorful iPods a’bouncin’ in Apple’s recent TV spot—you’re not alone. The artist responsible for the foot-stomping tune, Willy Moon, has managed to carve out a name for himself in short time as both an innovative soundmaker and style influencer.

Moon, 23, has engineered his image since leaving his native New Zealand for London at age 18. A self-described “autodidact” who dropped out of school at age 16, Moon traveled Europe and settled for some time in Berlin, where he was inspired by retro pop music and began writing his own material in earnest.

Returning to London, he adopted a sharply groomed, midcentury suit-and-slicked hair look to offset his modern-sounding musical production—a combo that attracted attention right away when he released his first single via MySpace in 2010. He scored a record deal with Island Records, who put out his first EP.

By 2012 he caught the eye of rock

Photo: Christopher PolkThe nation was shaken this week by images of terrible destruction caused by tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma — and one country star in particular is feeling his home state's pain.

Toby Keith, who grew up in Moore and whose name is on the Moore water tower, says that although the damage is terrible, he has faith that his home town will be able to rebuild itself.

"This storm has devastated the community that I grew up in. I rode my bike through those neighborhoods," he observed in a statement issued on Monday. "I have family and friends in Moore. My heart and prayers go to those that have lost so much."

John MoenJohn Moen is a busy artist: In addition to his post with the Decemberists, he's worked with such names as Stephen Malkmus's Jicks, Elliott Smith, and Robert Pollard's Boston Spaceships (as well as quite a few others over the years). He's also got a solo career, performing under the name Perhapst, and is poised to release his second album in this capacity.

Photo: Ethan MillerThe CMT Awards are coming up rapidly, and country music fans will definitely want to tune in when hearing the latest round of artists scheduled to perform at the show.

First of all, the King of Country, George Strait, will be taking the stage. That should be enough for anyone — but to add to the fun, he'll be joined by Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum!

Chely Wright and Lauren Blitzer Wright (Photo: Jason LaVeris)Chely Wright is no doubt feeling a little "blue" this week, as she and wife Lauren Blitzer Wright celebrated the birth of their identical twin sons on Saturday.

The boys are named George Samuel and Everett Joseph — after their great-grandfathers — and, according to a report from People, are doing great despite arriving a bit ahead of schedule. The babies were originally supposed to be born sometime in June.