Florence + the Machine gets all acoustic on her "MTV Unplugged" thing on this CD collection and also a DVD of Miss Welch doing 14 songs, all on Universal Republic. You know, I waited until I heard "Ceremonials," (her last studio album) and I even saw her on SNL the other night before I listened to this one, and I still don't get it. She sings too loud on songs that aren't that good to begin with.

As usual, in music, being dead isn't half the dodge it is for the rest of us mortals - after all, even though they entered the past tense long ago, Jimi and Elvis are still making albums, so too is Amy Winehouse. This one is "Lioness: Hidden Treasures" and it's on Universal Republic. First, let me say what a waste - Winehouse was a real talent as she breezes through a bunch of oldies. Don't like them all - but, damn - Winehouse could really sing. I like the oldies, "Our Day Will Come" and her cover of the Shirelles' biggie, "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow." And Lioness? Indeed - Winehouse could have the Lion King eager to drink swamp water and sleep in a hollow log and go on a blind date with a hyena just for the chance to her her purr, "Beat, it sucker." Everyone will still love Winehouse tomorrow and the day after that...

First up is the latest from my new favorite band, King Tuff - the album is self-titled and it's on mighty, mighty Sub Pop. Who is this guy? Who knows? The band bio is about as vague as Mitt Romney discussing anything, yet he's got that raucous and raunchy '60s garage band rock sound figured out. He's channeling the Castaways, the Seeds and the Count Five, so when more people realize that the '60 are back, he'll be like a god, or at least, a King. I like "Stranger"' and all those fuzzed out guitars - just another great Sub Pop band, a label that seriously knows what's what.

And finally, it's album number three from Cuddle Magic - the clever title is "Nympho Info,"

can't find a label. They're a self-described band and songwriting collective from Brooklyn and Philly. All I can say is they better collect some better songwriters as these people are flat annoying. All three times I've tried to listen to this one, I found myself hitting "fast forward" then soon enough, "stop" if not "eject." Once I was driving through a beautiful, idyllic two lane stretch of Hwy. 41 in NorCal near Yosemite heading for Mariposa to shoot some rednecks at a Civil War re-enactment and this band still sucked and "Baby Girl" is one of the best reasons I've ever heard for retroactive birth control.

Channeling his inner Watts Stax persona, retro rocker Nick Waterhouse will dress to impress and sing those songs that remain the same (only different) when he croons for those fellow time travelers whose collective watch stopped around 1960. It's all happening Sunday night at SOhO in Santa Barbara.

Inside too many youngsters, the history gene is nowhere to be found because nothing happened that mattered before they were born. Exception: Waterhouse, a guy in a suit singing old-school R&B songs that could've been a part of one of those Dick Clark Caravan of Stars tours way back when sundowns were in black and white. He's got the inclination, the vibe and, most important, the voice and the sax player to make it all work. Read more »