New Music Reviews - Home of DJ Willis

“Canada’s Nickelback started life as a cover band in Hanna, 215 kilometers northeast of Calgary. Eventually, they tired of playing other people’s songs, and singer/guitarist Chad Kroeger put together a collection of original songs, borrowed money from his stepfather, and went to Vancouver to record the band in a friend’s studio. Based on the results, [...]

“Kenny G has long been the musician many jazz listeners love to hate. A phenomenally successful instrumentalist whose recordings make the pop charts, Kenny G’s sound has been a staple on adult contemporary and smooth jazz radio stations since the mid-’80s, making him a household name. Kenny G is a fine player with an attractive [...]

“New Orleans-based gangsta rapper Juvenile was born Terius Gray. After beginning his performing career while in his teens, he released a 1995 album on Warlock titled Being Myself. He eventually crossed paths with Cash Money label owners Ronald “Suga Slim” and Brian “Baby” Williams, who issued 1996’s Solja Rags; the album became a major underground [...]

“The rap-metal outfit Limp Bizkit was formed in Florida in 1994 by vocalist Fred Durst and his friend, bassist Sam Rivers. Rivers’ cousin John Otto soon joined on drums, and guitarist Wes Borland completed the original foursome (later supplemented by DJ Lethal). After Korn played the Jacksonville area in 1995, bassist Fieldy got several tattoos [...]

“Born in New Zealand, Keith Urban learned to play guitar as a six-year-old in Australia, after a young woman asked to place an ad in his dad’s shop window offering guitar lessons. His parents made a deal with her that they would advertise in return for lessons for their young son. The boy had natural [...]

“It has been said that first impressions last a lifetime. Luckily for Staind, some only last for about 45 minutes. After a volatile disagreement with Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst over some of Staind’s early cover art, it seemed their big break had walked out the door. Fortunately, by the time Durst had witnessed Staind’s intense [...]

“After achieving superstardom throughout Latin America, Colombian-born Shakira became Latin pop’s biggest female crossover artist since Jennifer Lopez broke down the doors to English-language success. Noted for her aggressive, rock-influenced approach, Shakira maintained an extraordinary degree of creative control over her music, especially for a female artist; she wrote or co-wrote nearly all of her [...]

“Highly regarded by both DJ Magazine and ultra-loyal fans, DJ Tiësto, due in part to his legendary six-hour, energetic live sets, has been elevated to mythical status as one of the world’s foremost trance DJs. A native of Breda, Netherlands (born Tijs Verwest on January 17, 1969), Tiësto first starting playing out at a well-known [...]

“The members of alternative metal outfit Finger Eleven grew up in Burlington, Ontario, and came together in high school as a funk-styled band named Rainbow Butt Monkeys. Originally comprised of Scott Anderson (vocals), Sean Anderson (bass), Rob Gommerman (drums), and James Black and Rick Jackett on guitars, they won a rock band search contest on [...]

“OutKast’s blend of gritty Southern soul, fluid raps, and the rolling G-funk of their Organized Noize production crew epitomized the Atlanta wing of hip-hop’s rising force, the Dirty South, during the late ’90s. Along with Goodie Mob, OutKast took Southern hip-hop in bold, innovative new directions: less reliance on aggression, more positivity and melody, thicker [...]

“Hailed as the “new voice of ghetto soul” and acknowledged as the first act signed to NBA great Magic Johnson’s Magic Johnson Music, Cleveland native Avant celebrated the MCA Records release of his debut album, My Thoughts, on May 2, 2000. Around the same time, the 22-year-old singer/songwriter was enjoying a Top Five Billboard R&B/Hip [...]

“After his success with New Edition, producer Maurice Starr decided to replicate the singing group, substituting suburban white kids for the young black teenagers. The result was New Kids on the Block, a pioneering boy band that quickly eclipsed the popularity of Starr’s previous group while laying the groundwork for the teen pop boom of [...]

“Garth Brooks is a pivotal figure in the history of country music, no matter how much some country purists would like to deny it. With his commercially savvy fusion of post-Merle Haggard country, honky tonk, post-folk-rock sensitive singer/songwriter sensibilities, and ’70s arena rock dramatics, Brooks brought country music to a new audience in the ’90s [...]

“Rising from humble beginnings in the small town of Charlemagne, Quebec, Celine Dion became one of the biggest international stars in pop music history, selling more than 100 million albums worldwide. The youngest in Adhemar and Therese Dion’s family of 14 children, Dion grew up in an environment full of the inherent chaos and material [...]

“Hard-house DJ Bad Boy Bill was born and raised in Chicago, and began mixing records at the age of 14. An avid fan of Chicago radio station WBMX’s Hot Mix Five mixing team, Bill landed his big break when none other than Farley Jackmaster Funk gave him his first broadcast gig; he went on to [...]