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Air Supply’s Graham Russell (guitarist/singer) & Russell Hitchcock (lead singer) have a longstanding reputation for making hearts swoon all over the world through the power of song.  On Friday night, a sold-out crowd at New York City’s B.B. King Blues Club witnessed an unforgettable performance of what Hitchcock inarguably called “some of the greatest love songs ever written”.  Anyone who has ever heard the Australian duo’s captivating ballads would definitely plead no contest to Hitchcock’s claim.

The deities of soft rock incited a veritable uproar as they opened with “Even the Nights Are Better” (from Now and Forever, 1982).  Air Supply worked their magic with the unfailing charm that has served them so well for almost four decades.  The multigenerational crowd blissfully sang along, & bodies swayed to the romance that filled the room as the band went on to play “Just As I Am” (from Air Supply, 1985), “Every Woman In the World” (from Lost in Love, 1980), & “Here I Am” (from The One That You Love, 1981).

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to celebrate rock & roll,” said Tyler Glenn, lead vocalist of Neon Trees.  He was absolutely right.  On Monday night, the band showed off a bold, well-rounded sound, encompassing a blend of indie rock, new wave, synth pop, & classic rock styles – all in all, modern alternative rock at its finest.

“An Intimate Night with Neon Trees”, the first of two sold out shows at Bowery Ballroom in New York City, marked the eve of the release of Neon Trees’ sophomore album, Picture Show.  The quartet from Provo, Utah (Glenn – vocals/synth, Branden Campbell – bass, Elaine Bradly – drums/vocals, & Chris Allen – guitar) & their touring guitarist, David Charles, played a stadium-worthy set of songs that left fans eager for the album’s midnight release.

Don't you just love it when you discover an album that instantly becomes your go-to "tension-diffuser playlist" against a cruddy day?  If you answered, "YES!", then you're already predisposed to an affinity for Alabama Shakes' debut album Boys & Girls.  Think about it -- no hassle to pluck songs from every crevice of your computer or mobile device, no arranging (then rearranging) tracks to make a perfect mix -- just a ready-made album where all you have to do is press the little triangle "play" symbol.  AHH.  Let the healing begin.

Alabama Shakes bring something special to the table with this album.  If you were fortunate enough to catch the album's first track, "Hold On", as iTunes' free single not too long ago, then you're ahead of the game.  You had somewhat early exposure to the Alabama quartet's soothing "roots rock" sound.  The other tracks on Boys & Girls are no different in quality.  They're all gripping.  It's no wonder Alabama Shakes have caused a media stir since they released their self-titled, four-song EP in September 2011.  It's like they took a swig of Janis Joplin's smashing vocals, a dash of The Black Keys' chops, & a tinge of My Morning Jacket's eccentric Americana, boiled them in a cauldron, & harvested the awesome sound heard in Boys & Girls.

Some Nights is not merely an album – it’s a musical masterpiece that makes getting slapped with tickets for noise ordinance violations (in the name of fun.) well worth it.  The sophomore album of the NYC-based indie rock trio consists of 11 brilliant tracks capable of stirring up euphoric uprisings in any living being’s visceral parts – and that’s putting it mildly.

Venturing from the indie pop genre of their 2009 debut album Aim and Ignite, Nate Ruess (lead vocals), Jack Antonoff (guitar/vocals), & Andrew Dost (keyboard/vocals) employ a hip-hop influence in their sophomore album that jolts the band into genre-bending territory.  In an interview with blogcritics.org, Dost credited Kanye West’s critically-acclaimed My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (from 2010) for inspiring fun.’s stylistic epiphany, which resulted in the band’s enlistment of producer Jeff Bhasker, who had a hand in producing West’s album.  Together, they developed Some Nights, a majestic blend of cool indie pop, laced with hip-hop grandiosity, & presented with outstanding theatrics reminiscent of the glam rock band Queen’s heydays.

Penguin Prison performed an act of wizardry in Brooklyn on Thursday night.  Chris Glover (aka Penguin Prison), former member of Alicia Keys’ gospel choir, cast a spell on the crowd at the Music Hall of Williamsburg with his groovalicious mix of alternative, pop, funk, electronic, dance beats, & sweet, catchy melodies.  The New York native singer/producer opened for The Temper Trap, & wowed the audience with seven songs from his self-titled debut album, released in October 2011.