The James Logan Courier

By Greg Kot
Chicago Tribune (MCT)



On the Jonas Brothers' fourth album, "Lines, Vines and Trying Times," the latest Disney teen-pop juggernaut dons the trappings of adulthood: bigger orchestrations, soul-dipped vocals, lyrics that speak in metaphors instead of puppy-love pronouncements. But the rush to maturity is, well, premature for Kevin (age 21), Joe (19) and Nick (16).

The bros did a decent job punching out peppy, new-wave-lite anthems on the 2008 million-seller "A Little Bit Longer." But the strings and horns on "Lines, Vines and Trying Times" only bog things down. The soul voicings, a new direction suggested by their unfortunate pairing with Stevie Wonder last February on the Grammy Awards telecast, are strained, evoking a cruise-ship version of Hall and Oates.

From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Edward Wyllis Scripps (June 18, 1854 – March 12, 1926), was an American newspaper publisher and founder of The E.W. Scripps Company, a diversified media conglomerate, and United Press International news syndicate. The E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University is named for him.

Early life
E. W. Scripps was born and raised in Rushville, Illinois, to James Mogg Scripps from London, and Julia A. Osborne from New York. He had five brothers and sisters.

Newspaper career
Both E. W. and his half-sister Ellen worked with his older half-brother, James when he founded The Detroit News in 1873. E. W. started as an office boy at the paper. In 1878, with loans from his half-brothers, E. W. went on to found The Penny Press (later the Cleveland Press) in Cleveland. With financial support from sister Ellen, he went on to begin or acquire some 25 newspapers. This was the beginning of a media empire that is now the E.W. Scripps Company.

Learn more about Scripps and his company's role in journalism history at the website of the E.W. Scripps Company.