Not to put too fine a point on it, but as someone who was working as a rock critic for the first decade and a half of Journey's existence, I always regarded them as unexplainably popular, an at-best thoroughly mediocre hit-making machine.

A founding member of a group so progressive that the label "prog rock" wasn't even invented when the group formed in 1968, Chris Squire continues to persevere long after others have come and gone.

The vibe at the Sheffield Doc Fest is simply fantastic. The city itself welcomes filmmakers, commissioners, composers and producers from all over the world, and gives back warmth and appreciation for their work.

"I think the culture today is very, very different from what it was in the '60s, and I feel lucky that I grew up at a time when I had these very strong female role models. They were strong women, but their power was very much connected to their creativity and their voice."

This week Incubus reinvents itself, the Cool Kids rewind some classic hip-hop beats, Colbie Caillat reclaims pop music from the teases, and Blake Shelton wants to turn some of that "Voice" attention into country cash.

Pat Metheny's new album is titled What's It All About, which is based off a line from the song "Alfie." Since this is an unusual approach for Pat Metheny, he tracked him down to talk about it.

I explained to my youngest that Downey had dramatically turned his life around, and my kid said, "Well, Dad, you'd have to say he's doing pretty well now, right?" Yes, I'd say he's doing just fine.

R.E.M. will be releasing Live At The Olympia, a 39-song, two CD set containing "working rehearsals" from 2007. I was lent a track that captures the band's energy and insightful views.

The songs on Wilco's self-titled album are laden with fat, beefy hooks although there isn't the usual amount of boundary pushing here.

If you were expecting another All That You Can't Leave Behind or How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - Part II, forget it. U2 is back to experimenting.

The School of Rock All-Stars, who represent the cream of the crop at Paul Green's School of Rock, play everything from Cream and Clapton to Zappa and Zeppelin.