Music Blurbs, Vol. 23

Ben Folds
Combining musical virtuosity with a punk sensibility, Ben Folds emerged on the scene during the ‘90s alternative rock era. Notably lacking a guitarist, Ben Folds Five crafted a “punk rock for sissies” sound that nonetheless had all the energy of guitar rock, with intelligent (and often sardonic) lyrics to match. “Brick” was a deeply emotional ballad, and “The Ballad of Who Could Care Less” and “Kate” were rousing singalong tunes with a strong pop foundation. The trio went inactive (with occasional reunions), paving the way for Folds’ solo career. His solo debut, Rockin’ the Suburbs had the misfortune of being released on September 11, 2001; it contained the sharply humorous title track; an inspired music video was also released. Folds’ brand of intelligent rock with bratty undertones has won him critical acclaim and an ardent following. His acclaimed 2025 release Live with the National Symphony Orchestra was released shortly after his resignation in protest from his position as the artistic advisor to the Kennedy Center’s NSO.

Eric Johnson
Ever since he broke through with his third album (1990’s Ah Via Musicom), Austin, Texas guitarist Eric Johnson has been a prominent musical figure, a widely admired guitar hero. From his start, Johnson wedded dazzling technique to a strong melodic sense, gaining fans along the way. His pre-fame work included a time leading Electromagnets, a fusion outfit compared to John McLAughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra. One his solo career got underway, Guitar World rated his Grammy Award-winning single “Cliffs of Dover” among the top 20 greatest guitar solos of all time. Via solo albums and collaborations with fellow top-rated musicians like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, Johnson made his name as an electric guitarist, but the Texas-born musician is passionate and expressive on acoustic as well. To date he has released two albums featuring acoustic guitar. The seven-time Grammy nominee’s latest release is 2022’s double-album The Book of Making / Yesterday Meets Today and a digital-only companion album, Takeouts. Fronting a power trio, Johnson’s current tour is billed as Texaphonic and features drummer Tal Bergman and Daniel Kimbro on bass.

Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band
In some cynical quarters, Ringo Starr has been held up as an example of how luck is often a factor in an artist earning fame. The last member to join the Beatles is sometimes noted as the group’s least creative. That demeaning perspective overlooks Starr’s role as – if not the greatest drummer in history, then – the greatest Beatles-style drummer in history. With Ringo at the kit, the band made some of the most enduring music of the 20^th century. Only rarely did he write songs, and only slightly more often did he sing with the Beatles. But his place in history would be secure had he done nothing after the group ended in 1969. Happily, Ringo embarked upon a solo career, and continues to record today. And since forming his All-Starr Band in 1989, his primary focus has been in leading the revolving cast of musicians – drawn from acts we’ve known for all these years – for concerts full of fun and nostalgia. The current (and 16^th) lineup features Toto’s Steve Lukather, Colin Hay from Men at Work and more.

The Black Keys
Coming out of Akron, Ohio in the early 2000s, the Black Keys quickly established their place at the front of the garage rock revival. To be sure, there had been rock duos before. But the pairing of Dan Auerbach (guitar and vocals) with drummer Patrick Carney started with a blues-based foundation, drawing from other American forms including soul and classic rock to craft a sound that was distinctive even while being rooted in tradition. As expressed on early releases like 2002’s The Big Come Up and Thickfreakness (2003), the Black Keys’ stripped-down aesthetic emphasized simplicity, with Auerbach’s distorted guitar and rough-hewn vocals, all wrapped in a deep groove. Subsequent releases found the duo widening their sonic approach and making fuller use of studio technology. While earlier albums were critically lauded, by the time of 2010’s Brothers, the duo was enjoying multi-Platinum album sales and worldwide success. The Black Keys landed five Grammy Awards between 2011 and 2013. The duo’s most recent album, Peaches! was released in May 2026; that record immediately charted in 15 countries.

The Human League
In 1977 when The Human League came together in Sheffield, England, there was virtually nothing else like them. Combining the experimental bent of analog synthesis with a pop sensibility, the group fronted by Philip Oakley cut a distinctive figure on the music scene. The band’s first two albums earned some positive notices but sold poorly on initial release. By 1980 the original lineup had fractured, but Oakley and Philip Adrian Wright carried on, recruiting new vocalists Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley to the group. And when The Human League’s third album – 1981’s Dare – was released, it broke through in a big way. Pop culture caught up with the band just in time for the dawn of MTV; the band’s icy-cool demeanor meshed well with the danceable beats and innovative synth textures. 2011’s Credo is the group’s most recent studio release, but The Human League continues as a popular and engaging live act, with Oakley, Catherall and Sulley still on board.