Lady Gaga: The Fame Monster You have to hand it to Lady Gaga: She wasn’t really a superstar until she started acting (and dressing) like one. Of course, it helped that you couldn’t turn on the radio this year without hearing “Just Dance’’ and “Poker Face’’ every half-hour. She named her first album “The Fame’’ long before she had any, which makes her follow-up all ... (Page G11, 241 words)By: James Reed|Date: Nov 24, 2009

Shakira: She Wolf From the outrageous video, in which she writhes around in a cage in a flesh-colored leotard, it seemed a very blond Shakira had gone deliciously lowbrow. (Page G11, 210 words)By: James Reed|Date: Nov 24, 2009

Is their music as hot as their buzz? This week we find out. Can a first impression be trusted anymore? That was the prevailing question in pop music in 2009, which could very well go down as the year we fabricated superstars out of entertainers who had little to warrant the wave of hype they rode right into our living rooms and into our hearts. (Page G10, 418 words)By: James Reed|Date: Nov 24, 2009

HOLLY COLE Dubbed “A Night Before Christmas,’’ the swellegant Cole and her quartet will make merry with jazzed up hymns and carols and a smattering of her normal repertoire of vocal pop standards. If that’s not Christmasy enough for you, she’s got Holly right there in her name. 8 and 10 p.m. Dec. 4. $25. Scullers. 866-468-7619. www.ticketweb.com (Page N4, 914 words)By: James Reed and Sarah Rodman|Date: Nov 22, 2009

Unwashed phenomenon Early on in the new film “The Family Jams,’’ the camera zooms in on Devendra Banhart’s face, a thick tangle of dark hair, darker eyes, and a beard straight out of the Book of Exodus. The interviewer wants to know what kind of music Banhart makes, trotting out the tired labels that Banhart and his kindred spirits would never use ... (Page G26, 785 words)By: James Reed|Date: Nov 20, 2009

Sound off Amid the clamor for new releases from John Mayer and Norah Jones this week came good news for a pair of old-timers, too. Wanda Jackson, the 1950s firebrand who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, revealed she’ll record her next album with the White Stripes’ Jack White. More surprising, though, was the announcement that ... (Page G27, 222 words)By: James Reed|Date: Nov 20, 2009

iPod Shuffle “You’re lucky,’’ says Sonic Youth guitarist-singer Thurston Moore , “because just a few weeks ago and for a long time, my iPod only consisted of underground black-metal recordings.’’ But he’s since mixed it up to include everything from early punk to seminal jazz. We spoke with Moore this week ahead of Sonic Youth’s shows at the Wilbur Theatre Sunday (which ... (Page G27, 361 words)By: James Reed|Date: Nov 20, 2009

Jones takes a fresh, cool turn As the millennium’s first decade wraps up, the time is ripe to reflect on its influential pop musicians, regardless of whether you like their music. Norah Jones springs to mind as an emblematic artist who divided folks into two camps: “This is the soundtrack of my life!’’ versus “This makes me want to take my own life.’’ (Page G7, 430 words)By: James Reed|Date: Nov 17, 2009

Set lists aside, Bob Dylan’s concerts are rarely carbon copies. What you see and hear on a Friday is probably not what you’ll get the next night. For his latest tour, the only thing you can count on is that Dylan will probably wind down with “All Along the Watchtower.’’ (Page B12, 373 words)By: James Reed|Date: Nov 14, 2009

Raunchy and rapid-fire When Amanda Blank opened for her pal Santigold at the House of Blues back in June, no one knew what to expect. Statuesque with long auburn hair, Blank hadn’t released her debut album yet. When she bound on stage, prancing like a ’60s go-go dancer in what looked like a short black nightgown, she was giddy, almost awkward, and all ... (Page G32, 945 words)By: James Reed|Date: Nov 13, 2009

Cyrus rocks Garden but keeps it in check Miley Cyrus rippled the waters last week when she essentially disowned her current radio hit, a tasty slice of dance pop called “Party in the USA.’’ Asked in a video interview what her favorite Jay-Z song is, because “Party in the USA’’ mentions the radio playing it, Cyrus admitted she didn’t know anything by the hip-hop titan. (Page B16, 424 words)By: James Reed|Date: Nov 10, 2009

The showstopping line, at once classic and familiar, came toward the end of John Prine’s show at the Citi Wang Theatre Friday night: “You know that old trees just grow stronger.’’ (Page G7, 441 words)By: James Reed|Date: Nov 9, 2009

Very private lessons Tony Trischka, a seasoned banjo virtuoso often ranked alongside masters such as Earl Scruggs and Béla Fleck, was checking in on his latest crop of students the other day. Well, it was actually around midnight, and he was nowhere near a classroom with the usual chalkboard and cluster of desks. (Page N1, 777 words)By: James Reed|Date: Nov 8, 2009

Learning to play the banjo from a master - in cyberspace I’ve admired Tony Trischka in the best possible way - from afar. I’ve listened to his albums at home and marveled at how someone learns to play banjo like that, which is to say like a total rock star. I’ve stayed up late and watched him hold his own alongside Béla Fleck and Steve Martin on David Letterman’s show. I’ve ... (Page N7, 576 words)By: James Reed|Date: Nov 8, 2009

Please complete the following sentence: During my lunch hour, I am _________. (A) Out at a restaurant having nachos and a beer. (Page G27, 268 words)By: James Reed|Date: Nov 6, 2009

They call themselves Monsters of Folk, but that’s a tongue-in-cheek handle for a group of guys who couldn’t be more serious about their cosmic approximations of rock, country-blues, and folk so heartfelt it made the Orpheum Theatre feel like a shoebox Tuesday night. (Page B16, 513 words)By: James Reed|Date: Nov 5, 2009

A FINE FRENZY The nom de pop of singer-songwriter Alison Sudol, A Fine Frenzy is a fine example of doing pop music right. The songs on second album “Bomb in a Birdcage’’ have all the right moves: They’re melodic without being cloying, clever without being smug, charming without working too hard. 8 p.m. Nov. 2. $17.50. Paradise. 877-598-8689. www.livenation.com (Page N7, 248 words)By: James Reed and Sarah Rodman|Date: Nov 1, 2009

Sound Off Never the most ardent of fans, I took an interest in Norah Jones early on, a few months before her debut, “Come Away With Me,’’ became 2002’s sleeper hit. I liked her songs’ honesty, her graceful understatement, and her small but expressive voice that made her heartbreak palpable. (Page G29, 242 words)By: James Reed|Date: Oct 30, 2009

They move well together They’re only in their 30s, but already Clare Manchon and her husband, Olivier, have the withering repartee of an old married couple - the kind of folks who obviously adore each other but still tell opposing accounts of how they met and feel comfortable enough to make criticism sound like pillow talk. (Page G28, 931 words)By: James Reed|Date: Oct 23, 2009

Sound Off Call us prude, but we were starting to think the year in pop music was surprisingly light on the smut. Already into October, we haven’t had anything remotely as fierce as Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé’s S&M alter ego from last year; or as divisive as Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction; or as calculated as a liplock between Madonna and Britney Spears (inset). (Page G29, 298 words)By: James Reed|Date: Oct 23, 2009

Baez’s complicated persona fleshed out As sirens wailed in the night and bombs dropped around her in 1972 in Hanoi, North Vietnam, Joan Baez suddenly realized something she had spent most of her early career forgetting: She was a mortal and not just an icon who carried the world’s burdens on her shoulders. (Page G6, 672 words)By: James Reed|Date: Oct 14, 2009

Keeping it together A chat with soul legend Al Green starts like any other interview, but soon enough the good reverend gets excited and suddenly the conversation jumps the tracks. (Page G3, 520 words)By: James Reed|Date: Oct 13, 2009

Like Marvin Gaye and Al Green, the legendary lovermen whose songs set the mood before he took the stage, R. Kelly has a potent sway over women. He inspires them to do all kinds of things, from scribbling their phone numbers on pieces of paper tossed onstage, to dabbing his sweaty brow, to hurling their pink panties in his direction. ... (Page G5, 460 words)By: James Reed|Date: Oct 12, 2009

To daddy, with love As early as 1958, with the Everly Brothers’ “Songs Our Daddy Taught Us,’’ pop and country musicians have had a rich history of paying homage to their parents. Brenda Lee skipped a generation the next year with “Grandma, What Great Songs You Sang!,’’ and Hank Williams Jr. debuted on record in 1964 with “Sings the Songs of Hank Williams,’’ a ... (Page N5, 735 words)By: James Reed and Stuart Munro|Date: Oct 11, 2009

iPod Shuffle Marie Daulne, the larger-than-life mastermind behind the world-fusion band Zap Mama , used to have an iPod - several, in fact. “To tell the truth, I don’t have an iPod now,’’ she says. “I lose them all the time. I said, OK, I need something big and heavy that I won’t lose, like my computer.’’ With that in mind, her ... (Page G29, 203 words)By: James Reed|Date: Oct 9, 2009