There's a curious jolt in hearing a title like "Us Against The World" from an act called The Cockney Cowboy. The name itself is a glorious contradiction, a pairing of gritty East London reality with the wide-open romance of Nashville. You half expect a joke, but what Justin Vella delivers is a dead-serious, straight-shooting country ballad that smells less of hay bales and more...

Brendan Lane is a rising star in the music business. His love of rock 'n' roll has brought him on tours across all three continents, and he continues to pursue his enthusiasm for the genre. Lane's relationship with music goes deep, and his most recent CD, "One Life," highlights his abilities as a composer and performer. Lane's father was a jazz pianist, and he grew...