When fans of established bands discover that their favorite front man has gone solo, it's generally a moment of extreme trepidation. Many would agree that The Stones, Genesis, and The Police were far greater than Mick Jagger, Peter Gabriel, and Sting on their own. But then you have artists like Neil Young, Michael Jackson, and Justin Timberlake, who really matured as artists once they struck out on their own. As much as I adore 311, I also love Nick Hexum's new project, Nick Hexum Quintet, which finds the singer, backed by a stellar group of musicians, including his guitar/sax/keyboard-playing brother, Zack Hexum (Fitz & the Tantrums, Michael Buble).

A mellow blend of jazzy pop and funky classic rock and featuring some of Hexum's best songwriting to date, the vocalist's self-released debut album "My Shadow Pages," which dropped Oct. 1, is the perfect antidote to the "All Mixed Up" world of today and will surely tide you over till 311's next release. The band that's sold 10 million copies in the U.S. alone and achieved nine top 10 hits, including "Down," "All Mixed Up," "Amber," "Love Song," "Come Original," "Beautiful Disaster," "Don't Tread On Me," "Hey You," and "Sunset In July" is gearing up for the release of their next album drop and already planning their always-anticipated, annual 311 Day for next spring.

Nick Hexum puts a spell (or hex) on you with My Shadow Pages.

(Credit: BWR-PR) <... [Read more]