If you’ll forgive (yet) another gross oversimplification of the way things are, the job of every songwriter is to create an alternative world for their audience to visit. This is what people need music for. They can visit it wholeheartedly, as an escape, while shutting their eyes to...

British rockers take on My Chemical Romance after pounding the White Stripes.By James Montgomery Muse Photo: Warner/Getty Images/MTV News Who: Champions of the Midwest region in MTV’s Musical March Madness tournament, Muse roll into the Final Four with a whole lot of momentum at...

‘This is totally amateur and I don’t care,’ Courtney Love said from the stage at the South by Southwest festival.By James Montgomery Patrick Stump performs at SXSW in Austin on Friday Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Redferns AUSTIN, Texas — “Hi. I’m...

‘This is totally amateur and I don’t care,’ Courtney Love said from the stage at the South by Southwest festival.By James Montgomery Patrick Stump performs at SXSW in Austin on Friday Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Redferns AUSTIN, Texas — “Hi. I’m...

Muse are a band that like things on a massive scale, igniting big sounds on the biggest stages, with the kind of big visual effects known only to the likes of Pink Floyd and Daft Punk. That’s the Muse comfort zone, but the British trio’s special appearance Friday on a much smaller...