FEATURES:

ONE MAN, ONE BAND
The motivation and genius of musicians who take DIY to the extreme. MATTHEW ALLEN delves into one-man bands like Stevie Wonder, Lenny Kravitz and Raphael Saadiq and their unified approach

…AND FOR THE BEST SCORE
Movies expose audiences to unfamiliar musical genres, often with dramatic and lasting effect. A quick peek at how music and film have skewed our culture

DEPARTMENTS

Letter From a Star: Tapped by Elmore as a rising star exactly one year ago, ukuleleist extraordinaire Jake Shimabukuro reflects on the past 12 months and looks forward to the next 12, in 2012

Opening Act: Snippets, fun, sad news, interviews, reviews. Go meet Elmore at shows and compare notes!

Get to Know: 20 Musicians Shot, Stabbed, or Otherwise Left for Dead

Kickin’ in Your Stall: Earth to Betelgeuse—paging Michael Franti

On The Record: Just when you think you’ve got a handle on Tom Waits, there he goes again, with the surprises—Bad As Me? I doubt it. Duke Robillard is Low Down and Tore Up, Mekons are Ancient & Modern; Buck Owens is Bound For Bakersfield, while Merle Haggard finds himself Working in Tennessee. And Willie Nile? He’s The Innocent One (or maybe not)

Re.Issues: Concord releases every side of Ray Charles—A and B—from 1960 to 1972, Paul Aaronson’s history lesson. Read about an exhaustive collection of Paul Simon’s works, a new improved O Brother, Where Art Thou?, then discover their impact

Pet Sounds: Ali Green praises the grooved side of Kravitz and Floyd, coincidentally this issue’s first and last pages

What’d I Say: Over 40? Jim Hynes notes that the B-side of life sounds just as good as Side One for these vibrant artists

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning: Hardworking, unfunded and underappreciated, Thomas Boddie made magic

Also Appearing: CMJ highlights new artists; Christine Ohlman delivers sultry R&B in a high-wattage DVD; Joe Bonamassa brings up longtime star Paul Rodgers. In the back woods, deer tick season is over, but onstage Deer Tick ramps it up

Collecting: Riding the wave of important rereleases, Arnie Goodman uses his hindsight on Pink Floyd compilations, with special attention to a new The Dark Side of the Moon box set, and the band’s peculiar progenitor

This Month’s Trivia