The adage “truth is stranger than fiction” is proven in “The Lost Wife,” by Alyson Richman. She has succeeded in blending both for an unforgettable reading experience.

They brought folk back to mainstream radio long before The Lumineers and Of Monsters And Men hit it big, with blissful, down-home tunes popping up in jaunty car commercials and adorable father-daughter YouTube covers. This weekend, you can find the 10-piece Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros at the McDowell Mountain Music Festival in Phoenix, where they’ll be rubbing shoulders with the likes of The Shins, Dr. Dog and The Roots.

Many ions ago, as some will recall, a duet from England called Chad and Jeremy recorded a song called “Yesterday’s Gone.” A section of the lyrics went like this; “that was yesterday, and yesterday’s gone…” It was about a lost love between two young people but the words brought to mind something that happens a lot with software and in particular, protective software.

A former board member and longtime volunteer, Jim Colletti returns to this year’s Sedona International Film Festival in an entirely new role: first-time filmmaker. Originally from New York, Colletti moved to the East Valley nearly 20 years ago – buying his first home in Chandler and opening a business in Gilbert before relocating to Mesa. He has been living in central Phoenix for about 2 years now, where he runs his graphic art/advertising agency Element Design along with his artist management/record label OEO Entertainment.

The four members of the band Fat Tree, Sam Bischof, 27, and the Jacobs brothers — Eric, 31, Kyle, 28, and Samuel, 25 — are East Valley residents who have been performing together since high school.

The hit Broadway musical, “Avenue Q,” is considered an adult version and parody of the popular television series “Sesame Street.” Many of the characters and puppets are spoofs of the children’s TV show and utilize adult situations, themes and language.

Ahwatukee Foothills resident Beth Lawrence has performed and written music around the world, including on Broadway, and has 12 award-winning CDs to her credit, but she said her real claim to fame is making a difference in people’s lives through music.

Don’t hate me — but this new Ke$ha album is good. Kind of really good.

“The Spirit of Christmas” show at Chandler Center for the Arts is as much fun for the performers as it is for the audience.

Seeking gift ideas for that music lover this holiday season, check out the following box set reviews from The Associated Press:

Folkloric legends truly are the guardians of childhood. From the perspective of a child, the world can be an enchanting place full of infinite wonder and possibilities. The belief in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and others fuels such innocence. Once their existence is questioned though, kids begin to slide down an unstoppable downhill slope that will inevitably result in adulthood. Most grown-ups likely envy children for their ability to believe in such mythical beings. How we all long to replace our adult cynicism and practicality with the magic and mystery of youth.

Local rock band Lost Frequency is missing a member.

The challenge for Carly Rae Jepsen following the monster success of “Call Me Maybe” — arguably 2012’s biggest pop culture moment — was to steer clear of one-hit wonder status. She did that with another pop smash, the anthem “Good Time,” and Jepsen shows she has even more hits on her second album, “Kiss.”

Listening to Pink’s new album, “The Truth About Love” (RCA Records), is like watching a reality show about the ups and downs of her relationship with her husband, motorcycle racer Carey Hart: She’s over him at times, under him at others. There are fights, and makeups, and then more breakups. There are “I hate yous” and “I love yous.” And all of it makes for good listening.

Diarra Hamilton, known as aVoicE, prefers the title “Urban Christian” rather than rapper.

Dance Studio 111 performers proved themselves on a national level recently, taking home championships in three different categories at a recent competition.

A.W. Tozer once said, “Next to the Holy Scriptures, the greatest aid to the life of faith may be Christian biographies.” I agree. While I love reading about the lives of heroes of the faith from the Bible, I can often relate better to someone’s story who lives in a more modern time.

Pop-country band Firefly is comprised of three Gilbert sisters from a musically inclined family of nine.

Miranda Lambert was just 19 when the Lindale, Texas, native was introduced to country-music fans on the debut season of the USA Network’s “Nashville Star” nine years ago. She finished third behind Buddy Jewell and John Arthur Martinez, but there is no doubt who has made the most from exposure on the show.

Broadway star Christopher Sieber dons a wig, heels and corset as the main attraction of a drag club in the revival of the musical “La Cage Aux Folles.”

Broadway star Christopher Sieber dons a wig, heels and corset as the main attraction of a drag club in the revival of the musical “La Cage Aux Folles.”

The Phoenix Symphony will be offering a number of performances to get your summer started on a high note.

Camp Amazing at Family of Christ Learning Center

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Kenny Chesney has relentlessly churned out hit after hit, won accolade after accolade and sold more concert tickets than most performers regardless of genre. Still, few things have affected him like "You and Tequila," his artful and unlikely duet with Grace Potter that he considers "a gift from God."

You may be a bigger fan of jazz than you think. This weekend’s Chandler Jazz Festival could expose you to the genre and get you to embrace your previously unknown fondness for it.