Dan Apczynski

792 days ago - Roughly a quarter-century has passed since two childhood friends from Lincoln, Mass. — both named John — decided to form a band called They Might Be Giants.

793 days ago - Roughly a quarter-century has passed since two childhood friends from Lincoln, Mass. — both named John — decided to form a band called They Might Be Giants.

874 days ago - Back from the oblivion of his band’s breakup, Page McConnell, former pianist of the seminal jam band Phish, sings, “Though seasons change and seeds may start, the beauty of a broken heart, cannot be seen but in full view; the colors can come back to you.”

889 days ago - At what point does a musician stop being a musician?

932 days ago - Borrowing from virtually every musical tradition under the sun — ska, rock, jump blues, hip-hop and salsa, to name a few — the Australian band The Cat Empire wields a richly diverse sound that swirls into a frenetic world beat.

946 days ago - “Prog folk” isn’t exactly a familiar genre, but what else do you call rock music packed with “old-time” instrumentation, obscure literary references, brave musical choices and period costuming? Whether or not their music has its own aisle at the store, Portland rockers the Decemberists, who play the Warfield today and Thursday, are pioneering the sound in a big way.

953 days ago - Most bands have a difficult time enduring long enough to make seven albums. That’s not so with New York’s indie Blonde Redhead, which plays Bimbo’s in San Francisco next week. The band’s latest recording, “23,” is strikingly accessible, showing movement away from Sonic Youth-generation noise rock toward a dazzling, if dark, pop sensibility.

975 days ago - Celebrating a professional music career that spans nearly a half-century, Booker T. Jones has been many things to many people. Though he has recorded and performed with Otis Redding, Willie Nelson, Albert King and Barbra Streisand, Jones made history as the bandleader and keyboard player for pioneering Memphis soul band, Booker T. & the MG’s.

This Sunday, Jones performs at the Little Fox Theatre in Redwood City.

“This is the best time of my life right now — this is the best time in my career that I’ve had. So I’m fortunate, I’m enjoying it,” Jones says. “I don’t have to make widgets at a company. I can go downstairs and turn on my keyboard or pick up my guitar, and go play for somebody or talk to somebody about playing. It can’t get any better than that.”

That this is the pinnacle of Jones’ career is a revelation. Formed in 1962, Booker T. & the MG’s made waves in the music industry with a unique take on instrumental soul. In addition to serving up its own hits, the group functioned as the house band for legendary Memphis soul label Stax Records, creating what came to be known as the “Stax sound” on recordings with Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and others.

Even then, says Jones, “We weren’t making widgets. Everybody was happy to be at work.”

987 days ago - Once every so often, a band releases a record that is so radically different from its previous efforts that comparison is unavoidable. “A Weekend in the City,” last month’s sophomore release from London rockers Bloc Party, is unmistakably such a record.