FEATURES

Have keyboard, will travel
Little Feat’s bandleader BILL PAYNE rips through 2012 via several continents and a few important islands: England, Japan, Jamaica and Manhattan

What’s new in novelty songs?
Not much, unfortunately, and that’s nothing to laugh about. DENNIS McDONOUGH (a/k/a Dennis Mc Do No Ugh) makes a case for humor

DEPARTMENTS

Letter: What’s silly about a novelty song? When they hit the Top Ten, not much. Songwriter Neil Innes laughs all the way to the bank

Opening Act: Snippets, fun, interviews, reviews, festival wrap-up and complaints (well, one complaint)

Kickin’ in Your Stall: New Orleans, and the smell of death. Lyrics by Carl Gustafson, vocals by Bobby Rush

Influences: Strong beliefs in their own paths lead Bruce Hornsby and Ricky Skaggs on winding, intersecting musical journeys

On The Record: Odds are that Aerosmith never would get it back together on Earth, but they’ve done exactly that in Music From Another Dimension. It’s all a game of numbers in lucky 2013: John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension, Jason and the 400 Unit, Ben Folds Five, Ty Segall’s Twins, Saga’s 20/20; finally, Lou Pallo of Les Paul’s Trio with Special Guests sounds like a formula for great music—say “Thank You Les”

Re:Issues: Paul Aaronson recalls the power of Thin Lizzy. Dion’s singles, Clover, and Booker T. & the MGs’ Green Onions. Good enough to eat

What’d I Say: The blues ain’t just blue, it’s all the colors of the rainbow. Jim Hynes points to five artists with different palettes

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning: John Kuroski looks at the sad, short life of Marvin Gaye

Also Appearing: New York’s CMJ Festival (formerly College Music Journal) brought out the indies and indie-lovers; Levon Helm’s bandmates presented “Songs of the Band” at the venerable Keswick Theatre (PA); renowned photographer Danny Clinch showed off his audio chops at the Voodoo Experience in NOLA—along with Jack White, Metallica and others, a witches brew if there ever was one. Grace Potter! Bobby Keys! Elvin Bishop! Live! DVDs too!

Collecting: Arnie Goodman’s collection suffers Mother Nature’s wrath

Get to Know: 20 Larger Than Life Performers

This month’s Trivia