Tampa-Sarasota

Auto-Tune? You may know it by its previous incarnations as a Vocoder or Talkbox. It's an audio processor developed by Antares Technologies that corrects vocal pitch, but its trademark effect is the robotic sound it can add to singing.

The main perpetrator of the scourge is T-Pain, a hack who sings, near as I can tell, everything through Auto-Tune. He's been highly rewarded for this gimmickry with several hit albums and a bevy of guest vocal appearances on hip-hop singles. In fact, Diddy reportedly paid T-Pain a royalty to work Auto-Tune "magic" on his new recording.

Britney Spears, who has totally regained her hottie status, is back, and playing the St. Pete Times Forum on March 8. Here's the info:

(TAMPA, FL) - Britney Spears will bring her highly anticipated The Circus Starring Britney Spears 2009 Tour to the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, FL on Sunday, March 8.  The 27-city North American trek, her first arena tour in five years, follows hot on the heels of Spears' long-awaited sixth studio album, Circus. Emmy Award-winning choreographer and director, Wade Robson, is helming the incredible tour production, which also features special guests The Pussycat Dolls.

Tickets will go on sale Monday, December 8^th at 10:00am and can be purchased at the McDonald's Box Office at the St. Pete Times Forum box office and all Ticketmaster locations, via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000, Ticketmaster Express at 866-448-7849 (automated only self service line) or online at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets are subject to applicable service charges and event time and date are subject to change.

James McMurtry might not be a name on par with, say, fellow Texans Lyle Lovett or Steve Earle, but the singer/songwriter and bad-ass guitarist is still a revered act in the Americana world. McCurtry's latest album, the outstandingly incendiary, darkly humorous, wonderfully emotive and rustically rocking Just Us Kids, has garnered glowing write-ups in glossies such as Blender, Mojo and Entertainment Weekly, the latter of which showered the disc with superlatives like "brilliant," "hilarious" and "poignant" in giving it an A- grade. Just Us Kids is selling, too. It has reached a very respectable No. 18 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart.

So it's surprising when I'm given McMurtry's mobile phone number and instructed to ring him in the afternoon. Any afternoon. Easy as that, the PR person says. But I'm skeptical. Usually when dealing with an artist of McMurtry's status there's a set time, date and minute count to which, you, the interviewer, are supposed to stick. Twenty minutes is the norm.

I dial the digits and hear a gruff "hello" that could only be James McMurtry's. "Give me a moment to pull over," he says. "I've got a manual transmission." He steers his automobile into a nearby parking lot to grant an interview on a recent Tuesday afternoon. McMurtry has been driving around his hometown of Austin, running the same mundane errands you or I might conduct on an off day. He good-naturedly refers to the interview as just another duty after I apologize for interrupting his daily routine.

The Americana music icon speaks slowly. His voice is deep. His answers are straightforward and marked by an economy of words - and a drawl that reflects both his native Virginia and decades spent in the Lone Star State. You get the sense he's incapable of feeding you bullshit, and it's the same way with his music. Whether recounting the machinations of a crystal meth cooker in the fan favorite "Choctaw Bingo," or telling me how his world-famous father Larry McMurtry's one shortcoming as a novelist/screenwriter is that "he always gets firearms wrong," the younger McMurtry's words smack of integrity.

The twin pianos -- one black, one white -- stationed in the St. Pete Forum conference room should've offered a pretty solid clue. But the rumor at the news conference was that the Forum was unveiling a Britney Spears tour date.

Instead, Tampa Bay Lightning owner Oren Koules stood at the podium just past 11 a.m. and announced that the venue would host Billy Joel and Elton John's Face 2 Face Tour on Thurs., March 5, 7:30 p.m.

The twin pianos -- one black, one white -- stationed in the St. Pete Forum conference room should've offered a pretty solid clue. But the rumor at the news conference was that the Forum was unveiling a Britney Spears tour date.

Instead, Tampa Bay Lightning owner Oren Koules stood at the podium just past 11 a.m. and announced that the venue would host Billy Joel and Elton John's Face 2 Face Tour on Thurs., March 5, 7:30 p.m.

Singer/songwriter extraordinaire Geri X is freezing her ass off in Wisconsin and has decided to return to Tampa Bay-- permanently.

Which makes us very happy.

  The most hyped record in rock history begins with a big noise -- but it's ultimately more of a whimper than a bang. The opening title-track amounting to a Pro Tools mess of guitar processing that pours out of the speakers loud and hard but never rocks, never swings, never grabs you the way, say, the entire first side of Appetite for Destruction did. Axl Rose's voice, though, remains an awesomely sadistic growl, a reminder that, yes, it has truly been missed during the past 15 years.

Chinese Democracy improves with the industrial-informed freak out "Shackler's Revenge" and again with the muscular guitar kiss-off "Better" - because no one delivers bitter quite like Axl. The same theme is explored on the power ballad "Street of Dreams" (previously leaked as "The Blues"). Keyboards, strings, face-melting guitar solos (courtesy of both Buckethead and Robin Finkck), it's Axl, the music mad man genius at his post-modern Wall of Sound best. The only bummer is when the singer dips into his lower register. I can't help but hear Forgetting Sarah Marshall's "Dracula's Lament."

Every note, sound and lyric of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is so indelibly imprinted in people's heads that the thought of performing it live must be a little daunting. If that was the case last night at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Cheap Trick did not let on.

They nailed it.

The band had help. A keyboardist and second guitarist augmented the group. Behind them on a riser, 24 members of the Florida Orchestra filled out the sound, playing the string and horn parts with accuracy and feeling. Just for good measure, an Indian sitarist and tabla player came in from Miami specifically for the George Harrison-penned raga "Within You Without You."

The evening opened with some instrumental versions of Beatles songs by the orchestra, which was followed by a brief set by Donovan. The 62-year old Irishman brandished a kelly green acoustic guitar and performed "Catch the Wind," "Sunshine Superman" and "Lalena," followed by heartfelt turns at the Beatles "Dear Prudence" and "Blackbird."

I thought "Hurdy Gurdy Man" would've been a nice choice; it's Donovan's most psychedelic tune, and he could've employed the orchestra for interesting effect.

After an intermission, Cheap Trick and company took the stage and launched into "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with exuberance and just the right measure of rock ferocity.

Chris Whitley died three years ago yesterday. He was 45. It was unexpected, even to his diehard fans, of which I am one. I remember hearing about it and thinking "OD" -- he was perilously gaunt and rumors of drug abuse swirled around him -- then I was strangely relieved to find out it was lung cancer. He was a heavy smoker.

Whitley was a nomadic, uncompromising singer, songwriter and guitarist who, in my view, was an unheralded genius.

Today is Chris Whitley Tribute Day on Tampa Calling and the new CL Music website. I'm hoping to make some Whitley converts. Check out CLTV for videos of the master on stage. His Dobro playing alone is bound to blow you away.

Whitley's first album, Living With the Law (1991) was his most successful. It had a desert blues feel, built around his acoustic slide work and haunting voice. The track "Kick the Stones" made a visceral imprint on the '91 blockbuster movie Thelma and Louise. "Big Sky Country," "Phone Call From Leavenworth" and other songs heralded a unique new voice that was poised for stardom.

Four years passed before Whitley released a follow-up, not exactly the best strategy for career momentum -- but, as it turns out, that was just Chris being Chris.

In '95, Whitley unleashed Din of Ecstasy, built around a thick sludge of electric guitars spraying feedback and noise. His droning voice was shoved back in the mix; the hooks were laconic, the lyrics bleak and abstract.

It's 10:30 a.m. on a Friday in Toronto, and Broken Social Scene co-founder Brendan Canning has been awake a total of 20 minutes. For the next 20 minutes, he will talk to Creative Loafing, via phone, about his new solo debut album, his role in the long-running indie-rock collective (or, as BSS is often called, an "indie-rock supergroup"), the departure of star Scenester Feist and his unending quest for a good cup of coffee. Oh yeah, Canning also dishes on how pissed he gets when served a "shit meal."

You're resting before embarking on a big tour that takes you to Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg on Nov. 21. What's your typical routine on an off day?

Me and my gal wake up, read the paper, drink some tea or coffee. Pet the dog, make food, hit the gym, play soccer ...

Are you a gym regular?

I try, but no. The tunes are a bummer in the gym. So I can't stay there very long.

IFC recently aired The Rawside Of... Brendan Canning. Were you comfortable watching yourself on television?

I only watched it once. It's a little funny watching myself, but it's not too bad.

On it, you're depicted as a perfectionist. Do you agree with that characterization?

I don't know if I'm a perfectionist. I don't think so. I spend a whole lot of time going over a piece of music in the studio, getting lost in it, but that's only about music. Well, and food, too. If I'm served a shit meal, it puts me in a foul mood. Or coffee. You only get one shot, generally. The first cup of coffee has to be a pleasant experience. That's basically what you get when you're touring. You wake up with a mission: Find a good cup of coffee.

Will Starbucks suffice?

I don't mind Starbucks. It's not the worst. But I'd rather find a nice little mom-and-pop shop.

Judging by the IFC doc, your first solo album -- Something For All of Us... -- caused some serious stressing.

It was definitely stressful. But I don't think they filmed anything particularly stressful. They came in on the last day when we were recording drums. Everyone's girlfriend and dog were there because of the cameras. The whole process of working with new guys is tough. Once the honeymoon period is over, it's like, "Holy fuck, how am I gonna finish a record with these guys?" I was worried.