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We’re teaming up with our pals at WNEW.com for a little “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” goodness. They are pointing their readers in the direction of our best

Since landing in the national spotlight in 2005 with the surprise pop/rock crossover reggae hit King Without A Crown, Matisyahu has been lauded as both a one hit wonder and the savior of reggae music in the same breath. He lost the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Recording to a member of the Marley clan in 2006, instead walking away with Billboard Magazine’s similarly named award. Esquire Magazine touted him as “The most intriguing reggae artist in the world” when they bestowed upon him a 2006 Esky Award for Most Lovable Oddball. Can a brother get a little respect?

Turns out, the simple answer is a resounding yes! With the release of his third studio album, Light, this past week, Matisyahu (born Matthew Paul Miller some thirty years ago) turns yet another corner in his artistic evolution. From the dancehall electronica of Smash Lies to the guitar driven rock of Darkness Into Light, popular music’s only Orthodox Jew is shedding the stereotypes brought on by what he is most passionate about; his faith and his music.

Let’s start with his faith. Matisyahu (Hebrew) is an Hasidic Jew, practicing the ancient, more orthodox lifestyle including observing the Sabbath and not conducting any business after sundown on Fridays. When at home in Brooklyn, N.Y. he walks three times a day to temple to pray. He and his wife are raising their two children to follow the rites and rituals of Hasidim, pardon the obvious, religiously.

READ ON for A.J.’s chat with Matisyahu…

Here’s Radiohead touching on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs classic Maps before launching into Everything In Its Right Place at the Reading Festival… Radiohead – Maps / Everything In Its Right

As if the folks at HeadCount don’t do enough for live music fans, now you can add free download provider to the list of reasons they rule. As part of

Recently, Phish announced pre-order details for one of the most ambitious merch products they’ve ever created – the Joy Box. This monstrous limited edition box set includes the CD plus

Mix Magazine has long been known as the world’s leading magazine for commercial and project studio recording, concert sound, audio for film and video and more; so we’re glad to

Although The Bad Plus (bassist Reid Anderson, drummer David King and pianist Ethan Iverson) have spent most of 2009 touring with vocalist Wendy Lewis in support of their album For All I Care, it was back to basics, if that word can be applied to anything the trio does, for a pair of shows that were part of the Highline Ballroom’s piano series.

Of course, late August is a bad time for a series of anything in NYC, except for buses out of the city perhaps, which led to a full, but hardly packed room for Friday night’s late show. The Highline, a venue that opened with five nights of moe. followed by a series of gigs from the Disco Biscuits, has done plenty to make itself into the only larger jazz club in New York (aside from the relatively conservative Jazz at Lincoln Theater), hosting old masters like Charles Lloyd and McCoy Tyner and luminaries like Josh Redman and Brian Blade – mostly headier, edgier characters who can draw double the capacity of more storied clubs like Birdland and the Village Vanguard. So it was no surprise that the always hip and quirky Bad Plus found themselves featured artists during the weeklong celebration.

They opened the late show with Metal, a tightly syncopated composition seemingly designed to showcase King’s energetic, playful percussion in a series of solos (even if it is a cover). As the song progressed, those solos grew bigger and looser, an early indication of the set’s theme: the show was an exposition of David King and his huge personality and smile.

READ ON for more from Dan on The Bad Plus at Highline…