Pop Music

POP & ROCK JAMN 94.5 PRESENTS SUMMER JAM 2012 It's the mainstream hip-hop party of the summer starring Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, B.o.B, Tyga, Wale, Big Sean, and more. Think of it as a big barbecue with banging beats. June 2. Comcast Center, Mansfield. 800-745-3000, www.livenation.com PASSION PIT With its highly anticipated sophomore release, "Gossamer," coming out in July, the electro-pop pride and joy of Boston graduates to the big leagues with this outdoor amphitheater show.

POP & ROCK JAMN 94.5 PRESENTS SUMMER JAM 2012 It's the mainstream hip-hop party of the summer starring Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, B.o.B, Tyga, Wale, Big Sean, and more. Think of it as a big barbecue with banging beats. June 2. Comcast Center, Mansfield. 800-745-3000, www.livenation.com PASSION PIT With its highly anticipated sophomore release, "Gossamer," coming out in July, the electro-pop pride and joy of Boston graduates to the big leagues with this outdoor amphitheater show.

POP MUSIC HAVE NOTS Not to be confused with the South Carolina comedy troupe, this Boston group is the hottest ska band in town. Fresh off its opening gig supporting the Mighty Mighty Bosstones at the Hometown Throwdown, the fierce and frantic foursome celebrates the release of its debut CD, "Serf City USA. " Also on the bill: the Allstonians, the New Alibis, and the Glow. 9 p.m. Jan 23. $8. T.T. the Bear's. 866-468-7619, www.ticketweb.com - JOAN ANDERMAN RALPH STANLEY Yes, tickets are $125, but look at it this way: It's bluegrass pioneer Ralph Stanley, no spring chicken at 81, up...

Since pop music is ephemeral by nature, it can be difficult to tell what's going to stick over time. Friday night at a sold-out House of Blues, nearly 20 years removed from their mid-'90s heyday, the Cranberries proved that they have weathered the years nicely. While the Irish quartet — beefed up to six with the addition of two touring musicians — may not have set the world on fire in terms of artfulness, throughout their run they were consistent purveyors of well-crafted, accessible, and shimmery pop with the occasional hint of bite.

NASHVILLE — Bobby Hebb, whose 1966 hit “Sunny’’ about a smiling girl became a pop music classic, has died. He was 72. Family members and a funeral home spokesman said Mr. Hebb died Tuesday morning at Centennial Medical Center. The cause of death was not announced. At the height of “Sunny’’ popularity, Mr. Hebb toured with the Beatles. “Sunny’’ also was recorded by many other singers, including Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett, and Jose Feliciano. Mr. Hebb said in several interviews that he wrote “Sunny’’ in response to the slaying of his brother...

On the Trey McIntyre Project website, company members gambol under spacious skies and through amber waves of grain, as if to suggest that dance is as American as apple pie. Of course, when you establish your troupe in Boise, Idaho, that's pretty much what you are suggesting. McIntyre, who himself was born in Wichita, Kansas, started his project in 2005 as a summer touring company before moving to Boise and performing year-round. This weekend, World Music/CRASHarts has brought TMP to the Institute of Contemporary Art, where it's presenting a trio of Boston premieres: "Blue Until...

In a cynical age where stardom comes fast, cheap, and easy, it almost seems meaningless to call the late John Hammond a star maker. Still, had Dunstan Prial chosen that designation as the title of his winsome new biography, "The Producer," it would have more than sufficed. Few figures had a more profound impact on 20th-century popular music than Hammond. He "discovered" Billie Holiday and helped guitar virtuoso Stevie Ray Vaughan land a major record deal. Hammond signed Aretha Franklin , was an early champion of Bob Dylan , and nurtured the nascent career of the...

AUSTIN, Texas - Claire Boucher shows up for an interview clutching three vinyl records under her arm. The selection is so telling, they almost seem like a prop. She's holding an album of Mariah Carey remixes and two more by Skinny Puppy, who were pioneers of electro-industrial music. She says the LPs were a gift from Canadian TV personality Nardwuar. As Grimes, Boucher makes music that splits the difference between those two artists. Her latest songs are catchy, sticky as toffee and meant to make you dance.

Since pop music is ephemeral by nature, it can be difficult to tell what's going to stick over time. Friday night at a sold-out House of Blues, nearly 20 years removed from their mid-'90s heyday, the Cranberries proved that they have weathered the years nicely. While the Irish quartet — beefed up to six with the addition of two touring musicians — may not have set the world on fire in terms of artfulness, throughout their run they were consistent purveyors of well-crafted, accessible, and shimmery pop with the occasional hint of bite.

AUSTIN, Texas - The first truth about South by Southwest is the hardest one to accept. You cannot see and hear it all. No matter how bloodshot your eyes become, no matter how many shows you cram into a single night, this five-day music conference and festival is designed to overwhelm the senses. You might want to see Fiona Apple at 8 o'clock on a Thursday, but then you'd be missing the Shins playing down by a lake. No amount of breakfast tacos and cold Shiner Bock, the local beer of choice, will make you feel better about that.

We're not the only ones who think it may be time to retire "Sweet Caroline" at Sox games. In the new issue of Rolling Stone magazine, the editors ask several rock 'n' rollers if they think pop music is overplayed at ballparks these days, and if there's any one song they never want to hear again during a game. A few folks, including Steve Earle, Dream Syndicate's Steve Wynn, and Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard say they could do without "God Bless America," and Anthrax's Scott Ian doesn't want to hear Metallica's "Enter Sandman" every time Yankee closer Mariano Rivera steps on the field.

Chances are that even if you've paid scant attention to pop music over the past five years, you've probably found yourself singing a song written or produced by Terius Nash, a.k.a. The-Dream. In fact, The-Dream is arguably the most influential singer-songwriter-producer working in mainstream R&B today. The 25-year-old Atlanta born artist has co-written some of the biggest smashes of recent years including Rihanna's "Umbrella," Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," and Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" and has become one of the most in-demand producers in...

AUSTIN, Texas - Claire Boucher shows up for an interview clutching three vinyl records under her arm. The selection is so telling, they almost seem like a prop. She's holding an album of Mariah Carey remixes and two more by Skinny Puppy, who were pioneers of electro-industrial music. She says the LPs were a gift from Canadian TV personality Nardwuar. As Grimes, Boucher makes music that splits the difference between those two artists. Her latest songs are catchy, sticky as toffee and meant to make you dance.

AUSTIN, Texas - The first truth about South by Southwest is the hardest one to accept. You cannot see and hear it all. No matter how bloodshot your eyes become, no matter how many shows you cram into a single night, this five-day music conference and festival is designed to overwhelm the senses. You might want to see Fiona Apple at 8 o'clock on a Thursday, but then you'd be missing the Shins playing down by a lake. No amount of breakfast tacos and cold Shiner Bock, the local beer of choice, will make you feel better about that.

On the Trey McIntyre Project website, company members gambol under spacious skies and through amber waves of grain, as if to suggest that dance is as American as apple pie. Of course, when you establish your troupe in Boise, Idaho, that's pretty much what you are suggesting. McIntyre, who himself was born in Wichita, Kansas, started his project in 2005 as a summer touring company before moving to Boise and performing year-round. This weekend, World Music/CRASHarts has brought TMP to the Institute of Contemporary Art, where it's presenting a trio of Boston premieres: "Blue Until...

Even the club kids who dance all night have to come down and head back outside when the sun comes up. And it's that inevitable sense of party entropy that constituted the biggest difference between French electronic duo Justice's most recent, second release, "Audio, Video, Disco", and their breakthrough debut, 2007's "{dagger}" (alternatively known as "Cross"). Whereas that first release was all squiggly bass blasts, hyped-up disco beats, and chopped-up soul samples - "straight bangers" as the kids might say - meant to be wilded-out to in the dark recesses of a...

Even the club kids who dance all night have to come down and head back outside when the sun comes up. And it's that inevitable sense of party entropy that constituted the biggest difference between French electronic duo Justice's most recent, second release, "Audio, Video, Disco", and their breakthrough debut, 2007's "{dagger}" (alternatively known as "Cross"). Whereas that first release was all squiggly bass blasts, hyped-up disco beats, and chopped-up soul samples - "straight bangers" as the kids might say - meant to be wilded-out to in the dark recesses of a nightclub, the...

The Magnetic Fields, ‘Love at the Bottom of the Sea' ESSENTIAL "Andrew in Drag" The most joyous 15 seconds you'll hear in pop music this year come on the chorus of "Andrew in Drag. " Repeating the song title, Stephin Merritt (above) seizes that last word, shooting it wide open while his bandmates pile on their own harmonies. Merritt then curls the expression as if twirling a mustache. It's sheer exuberance and the first indication that the Magnetic Fields are in superb form on their new album.

If pressed, Simon Balthazar will politely push back when asked to define in concrete terms the band he fronts as lead singer and guitarist. That's because the Fanfarlo resides in that nebulous world of pop music where there's plenty of room for ornate strings, effusive rock arrangements, plaintive piano, whirring keyboards, even some soulful saxophone wails. Is it indie-rock? Chamber-folk? Synth-pop? All of the above. One reviewer recently suggested "charming" might be the best genre description for the London-based quintet's music.