Recently in Music Category

I had the chance to see "This is It" in Los Angeles this week. And I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about it.

It seems like just a little while ago that I was watching news stories of Michael Jackson's passing and watching videos that he'd made long ago. His death had been sudden and shocking, followed by a remembrance process that was celebrative and winsome. But seeing a new film, with new images, about a man who's passed away, is very, very confusing on the emotions.

I can't tell whether this was "Instant Nostalgia" or "Delayed Mourning." "Blessed are those who mourn," says the scripture. It also says, "There's a time to mourn." Watching "This Is It," I found myself trying to get emotionally connected to whether that time had come and gone, or was still with us, or was starting anew.

That said, "This Is It" is a celebration of a man in the prime of his desire, though not of his career--someone committed to repainting himself publically according to his gifts, talents and passions rather than the controversy and confusion that had so marked his more recent decade.

As movie stories go, "This Is It" really doesn't have one. It is documentary-ish, which actually makes it all the more powerful, as the sheer force of Michael Jackson's presence--and our knowledge of his impending death--provides the dramatic tension, the plot, the conflict, the constant knowledge of the fatal flaw and the denouement.

Kanye West has found God.

Okay, that's not entirely accurate. Kanye West is searching for God. Or some inner peace. News broke last week that the 32-year old VMA stage crasher was heading to India to spend a month in a Hindu ashram. Presumably, West will have a chance to properly grieve the 2007 death of his mother, reflect on his own life, and get his head screwed on straight. I wish him luck. The dude is too talented and big-hearted to fall down a rat hole of narcissism and self-destruction.

West is standing at the same crossroads so many other musicians have stood. Artists whose lives of fame and chaos reached a breaking point which could only be repaired by faith in something bigger. Musicians who turn to God or spirituality are a different breed than the scores of award winners who give the obligatory thanks to God after picking up a Grammy.

Musicians who find God often lose Him on the next concert tour. Still, for a few brief moments, the clouds part, the light shines in, and inner peace is restored. Here are some artists who, like Kanye, have searched for meaning beyond fame.

See you when you get back, Kanye. Enjoy the peace and quiet.

[Videos: Check out clips from all of the musicians on Getback.com.]

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan was born Robert Allen Zimmerman into a Jewish family (he had his bar mitzvah in 1954). Publicly, though, religion and spirituality played virtually no role in Dylan's life until the late '70s when he became a born-again Christian. Dylan took bible study classes, made two Christian albums (1979's "Slow Train Coming" and '80s "Saved"), and began preaching from stage. The conversion was short-lived - at least publicly. Nowadays, Dylan's religious beliefs are as confounding as his lyrical messages. He's been seen at Jewish temples and just released a Christmas record.

As if having one of the more creative titles wasn't enough to fuel a ton of marketing, Dave Matthews and his "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King" tunes have been showing up everywhere around me. And I'm lovin' it.

Dave headlined the "Austin City Limits" Music Festival earlier this month. He and his band were on display for the second time this month on "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien." And on my last Delta flight, the whole "GrooGrux" CD was featured.

Sometimes a new CD by an established star is so well-marketed that the actual music and inspiration gets lost. Not so with this CD, as "GrooGrux" is a great ride.

"Why I Am" is a rockin' song in which he honors departed band member LeRoi Moore, the saxophonist and band co-founder who died just over a year ago from injuries sustained in an ATV accident.

"I grew from monkey into man," Matthews sings in tribute, graduating to "I grew drunk on water turned into wine." He then confesses "I was slave and master at the same ...time."

One of my favorite movies of the last few years has to be the indie music/romantic comedy
"Once." One of the best things to come out of the movie is The Swell Season - a.k.a. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the duo that starred in the movie. While promoting the movie "Once" through a series of concerts, the duo decided to come up with the name The Swell Season and start a recording career. Their follow up to the movie soundtrack, which included their hit song "Falling Slowly," is entitled "Strict Joy." While "Strict Joy" is not available for sale just yet, it is available for streaming in an exclusive feature over at NPR. Reminding me once again why this is the best year for indie music in a long time, "Strict Joy" has fantastic acoustic melodies and mesmerizing vocals and is unabashedly romantic without being sappy or angst-filled.

Last week, on "Glee," we learned that Puck - the Mohawked, hot-mom-loving jock who is the father-to-be of Quinn's baby - is Jewish. It happened with a single word/punchline: "Shalom." Puck's Jewish heritage could have receded into the background, but this week, the football star continues to assert/exploit his Jewish identity by singing a musical number that he calls his "personal tribute to a musical Jewish icon."

Knowing only that piece of information, who do you think will it be? Barbra Streisand? Bob Dylan? Matisyahu? Guess who?

If you're not afraid of spoilers, watch the clip. But if you hate spoilers, maybe pass on it until after "Glee" airs tonight at 9pm on FOX: we think you'll agree that there's more going on in the scene than just a musical tribute:

This special sneak preview clip brought to you via the wonder of the internet and the folks at JewishTweets.