Sidetracked with Alex Benson

ARTIST: Jake Shimabukuro
SONG: While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Nothing has sounded better on the ukulele since IZ remade the Harold Arlen’s “Over the Rainbow.” Jake Shimabukuro has elevated the ukulele to an entire new realm. All of his work has been put on iTunes, but check out his YouTube videos to get a real appreciation of this man’s passion for music and the ukulele. It will give you chills.

Grade: A+

ARTIST: Black Mountain
SONG: Angels

A sluggish song packed with powerful guitar riffs, loud drumbeats and spacey keyboards. Frankly, the five-man Canadian rock band sounds like something fromThe Rolling Stones ‘60s era, but they pull it off with exceptional skill. “Oh come on, lay your halo down.”

Grade: B

ARTIST: Neil Diamond
SONG: Home Before Dark

Wait, Neil Diamond is still making music? That’s right, and his latest song “Home Before Dark” is all the rage, topping the charts and become Diamond’s first number one album on Billboard. If you’re a Neil fan you already know this; if you’re not then you probably won’t care. It’s a sappy song for soccer moms to listen to in the van with a bottle of whiskey and a handgun.

Grade: B

ARTIST: Disturbed
SONG: The Fire

It has all the ingredients for a sweet hard rock song: catchy lyrics, crazy tom tom drum banging and a strong lead guitar riff to head bash to. Disturbed fans will be more than pleased; “Inside The Fire” is easily their best song since “Down With The Sickness.” Disturbed’s newest album, Indestructible, is expected to be released June 3rd.

Grade: B+