"Yeezus" continues on the dark and emotive path he set on 2010's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" and "808s & Heartbreak," which was released two years earlier. The production throughout "Yeezus" is exceptional, with Rick Rubin, Daft Punk, No ID, RZA and more helping out. The album flows nicely, with songs including layered vocals and transitions that elevate them to great heights: "On Sight" starts the album with the right energy and West gets an epic and soulful assist from Charlie Wilson on the closing track, "Bound 2." While West has promoted "Yeezus" with performances on "Saturday Night Live" and video projections to match the album's wild sound, he's releasing it without a huge single on radio or on the charts. For the performer with the largest voice in rap — and sometimes in all of music — he deserves praise for not conforming to mainstream and radio rules like other pop stars.

The Miami-based quintet has always genuflected on American musical traditions. The band's genre-bending ventures -- including elements of pop, blues, progressive country and Latin textures -- demonstrate their daring approach to songwriting. Though his brush with fame was fleeting, the Dallas native has continued to plug away at his music career while adopting a darker, more mature image (think John Mayer circa 2011). [...] Cabrera released two new singles in 2012 -- "Home" and "I See Love" -- and is working on a new album. Given his recent forays into reality television ("Rock of Love," "Rock of Love Bus," "Rock My RV"), it can be easy to forget that Michaels still knows how to rock. The famous frontman and perennial heartthrob has released a string of post-Poison solo records, including "Jammin' With Friends," which is slated for a 2013 release. The Maine native emerged from the Boston coffeehouse circuit in the late 1990s and later earned a reputation for nonstop touring and in-concert use of samplers and effects pedals. From `70s-era Doobie Brothers classic, such as "Taking It To The Streets," and solo hits, such as "I Keep Forgettin' " through recent collaborations with indie rock buzz bands Grizzly Bear and Holy Ghost, the five-time Grammy-winner is at once timeless and ever-evolving. Beginning his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan, he became a member of The Doobie Brothers and later, launched a successful and prolific solo career.

Joey Spampinato is sure that the people who come to his shows with the Spampinato Brothers will walk away from the experience enjoying it as much as they did when they saw him perform as part of NRBQ, the band for which he played bass and sang for nearly four decades. When my brother's doing material, it could be NRBQ songs, but it most likely will be songs from the Incredible Casuals, the band he was in before NRBQ with Aaron Spade, who also plays in our band. The reason for NRBQ's hiatus was keyboardist-singer Terry Adams' battle with throat cancer, and the Spampinatos and NRBQ's drummer, the late Tom Ardolino, continued to play together as Baby Macaroni for a few years. Eventually, Joey and Johnny fulfilled a long-held goal by forming their own band and creating their own music together. The Spampinato Brothers' first album, "Pie in the Sky," came out in 2010 and Joey Spampinato said the feedback he was given was very positive.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A chef who worked for Michael Jackson has described the home lives of the children during the final months of the singer's life, including what she said was his daughter's last birthday party. Kai Chase told jurors hearing a lawsuit filed by Jackson's mother against concert promoter AEG Live LLC that Jackson was a hands-on father who often played with his children. Katherine Jackson's lawsuit lists the singer's three children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, as plaintiffs and claims the concert promoter failed to properly investigate the doctor convicted of giving the singer a fatal dose of anesthetic in June 2009. Chase, who testified during Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial, described for civil jurors the routines inside Jackson's rented mansion in the months before his death.

Empire of the Sun's new album opens with the instrumental track "Lux," using drums of epic grandeur to build the anticipation for a record we have waited five years to hear. The title track is dreamy and smooth, as Steele sings: "Let's go running away, we can always be together," and "I'll Be Around" hits you with Fleetwood Mac style.

Jay-Z will give his new album, "Magna Carta Holy Grail," to 1 million users of Samsung's Galaxy mobile phones on July 4, three days before the album's official release date. Jay-Z's Roc Nation agency, which manages musicians including Rihanna, recently expanded into the sports world.

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanian prosecutors said Tuesday they are investigating a popular singer's claim that she was beaten up by her manager-boyfriend after a dispute over money, prompting a rare debate about domestic violence in this conservative East European nation. According to the latest available national police statistics in Romania, 4,800 domestic violence cases were registered in 2010, as well as 99 fatalities. In 2012, the Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative said one of its surveys had found that 800,000 Romanian women acknowledged being victims of domestic violence but that many did not report the cases to authorities due to feelings of shame and fear of the attacker.

Jay-Z's partnership with Samsung for his new album, "Magna Carta Holy Grail," is another sign of how musicians are finding new ways to push, sell and promote their music, and how the multiplatinum performer — who famously rapped "I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man" — continues to leverage his enduring popularity into a successful brand. [...] Jay-Z's partnership is just another way artists are promoting their music at a time when album sales are low and the digital market has taken the lead in the music industry. Jim Donio, president of the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM), said top level acts like Jay-Z and Taylor Swift have the power to launch new albums in spectacular ways with various partners. Jay-Z has launched fashion lines, has a string of 40/40 nightclubs, was also the president of Def Jam and owned part of 1 percent of the Brooklyn Nets. Samsung has chipped away at Apple's share of the mobile market with its Galaxy phones, and companies are relying more on music to lure new customers (Apple last week announced it will debut iTunes Radio, its streaming music service, in the fall). Will the 1 million downloads count toward first-week sales of the album, giving it elite status of debuting with platinum sales, an accomplishment few artists have achieved?

The Lonely Island pull another magic trick out of the fun box — and it's their third studio record, "The Wack Album." The Weird Al Yankoviches of the 21st century tackle sexual etiquette, double standards, general stupidity and wardrobe malfunctions with the help of Solange, Ed Norton, Pharrell, Too $hort, Kristen Wiig and Robyn, among many others. Another standout on the 20-song list is the tongue-in-cheek "Hugs," where the threesome — led by Andy Samberg — lay the rules for a good platonic "upper body grip," while the bouncy "You've Got the Look" reveals an unexpected side of Hugh Jackman, who shows off his pipes and sense of humor.

The top 10 songs and albums on the iTunes Store iTunes' Official Music Charts for the week ending June 17, 2013 Pharrell Williams, Daft Punk Cruise (Remix) feat. "13 (Deluxe Version)," Black Sabbath "Random Access Memories," Daft Punk "Magnetic," The Goo Goo Dolls "The Great Gatsby (Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film)," Various Artists