Blog Posts by Tiffany Lee

Doing chores around the house one late Saturday afternoon, some faint music started trickling through the windows. Not the usual choice of indie dance or house music my neighbor tends to blast at 4 in the morning, but guitars, drums and a powerful bass line-band practice somewhere? It's the first I've heard anyone play live in the neighborhood. Checking up on my Twitter feed, turns out just a couple blocks away on a rooftop by the beach, the long-awaited Red Hot Chili Peppers were jamming out.

It's been five years since their last album, two of which were a total break for the band. Our resident guru Dave DiMartino recently met up with Flea and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers to ask what was up with the long hiatus, new member Josh Klinghoffer--former member of L.A. bands The Bicycle Thief and Warpaint--and what the new album will bring.

Initially, viral video rapper Kreayshawn was approached by the band to direct the music video for their first single "The Adventures of Rain

The MTV Video Music Awards is one of the few award shows where wacky antics are expected and encouraged. This year was no exception. Among the standout moments: Beyonce's baby bump rub, Justin Bieber's appearance with his pet snake and a Lady Gaga-Britney Spears kiss, with Gaga dressed as a man.

To present Spears with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, Lady Gaga dressed as her drag king alter-ego Jo Calderone. When Spears walked on stage, the two shared a polite smooch. A few minutes later, Gaga tried to recreate Spears' infamous 2003 Madonna liplock, but Spears pulled away saying she had already done that. Gaga looked disappointed.

Singer Selena Gomez, who helped host the pre-show, had one of the most anticipated interviews with her own boyfriend, Justin Bieber. As she tried to interview him, Bieber (who sported specs) tried to throw her off by holding a small snake in his hand (which he said is named "Johnson"). After she was done asking questions, he sweetly kissed her on

It's time! OK Go posted the first video for the "Muppets: The Green Album" and it's sure to give you a big wave of nostalgia and some laughs. Featuring the band, Kermit, Miss Piggy, Animal, Swedish Chef--every Muppet you can recall, really--and of course treadmills, the brightly colored video perfectly encompasses both the band's and the show's lovably nonsensical comedic abilities.

Covering the original upbeat, honky-tonk Muppet Show theme song, indie rockers (and Yahoo! alumni) OK Go gave the tune a slovenly funky beat and spacey sound effects for a psychedelic sound to accompany the trippy video. The band members blend seamlessly into the Muppet cast members and show off a bit of comedic chops at the end of the video--I won't spoil it for you! But as a dog lover/owner, I do have to say my biggest laugh was at the very last line. FYI: Bunny is OK Go lead singer Damian Kulash's dog!

"The Green Album," whose title is a play on the Beatles' self-titled "white album," or Jay-Z's "The

Shooting in his New York City bar and music venue, the National Underground in the Lower East Side (which he owns with his brother Joey), Gavin Degraw sat down for a pre-tour interview and performance this past June. It's admittedly a bit strange to see him talking about his new album and summer tour knowing that just a few months later he'll be assaulted, then hit by a taxi in his own neighborhood--but don't worry, he's okay. Degraw will be returning to his tour following recovery. Meanwhile, let's focus on the good: The music!

The perma-behatted pop singer hit mainstream ears when his song "I Don't Want To Be" being chosen as the theme song for popular teen drama TV show "One Tree Hill". A soulful vocalist whose music is driven by piano melodies and narrative lyrics, he's a performer whose undeniably contagious pop sound only gets richer and more rounded with each album. He teamed up with OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder to write his latest single "Not Over You," which moved Degraw past his

Okay, maybe this article's title is a bit to heavy on the alliteration (say it three times fast!), but Asa's smoky voice and velveteen melodies can't help but evoke a gentle joie de vivre--even when she's singing of the trials of love and tribulations in the world. Her sound is a contemporary recipe of indie-pop, soul, reggae, world, '60s rock 'n' roll, and R&B that runs a whole gamut of emotions. I'm tempted to start down the "must categorize" path and try to come up wuth a new term for Asa (pronounced "Asha"), but I'm going to just leave the sweet sounds be. They defy definition.

Born in Paris and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, the singer's unusual name means "Hawk" in Yoruba, the Nigerian language she sings in besides English. She may not seem like a hawk with her easy smile, oversized glasses, and geek-chic style, but Asa's hunt for her art is as fierce as any bird of prey. At an early age, she was a nonstop songbird, poring over her father's records--Fela Kuti, Marvin Gaye, and Bob

Following Amy Winehouse's sudden death, British fashion label Fred Perry has decided to move forward with releasing its "Amy Winehouse for Fred Perry Collection" this fall, with the permission of her family. Winehouse had designed two previous seasons for the brand, infusing her pieces with signature retro and rockabilly style. Winehouse had modeled for her first collection for Fred Perry in fall 2010.

Winehouse's father Mitch said of the remaining collections, "Amy loved working on both collections, and would want them to be made available. All the money we make and the donation that Fred Perry will give will go straight into to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which we are setting up to help children and young people in her name." The brand will also make a seasonal donation to the foundation.

The monochromatic collection consists of houndstooth and gingham prints, spins on Fred Perry's signature polo shirt--a design popular with the original 60's British Mod movement--skirts, dresses,

It's hardly shocking
news that some on the Internet hate Rebecca Black. With her "Friday" video
getting well over a hundred million hits on YouTube, it's no surprise she has a
few in-person haters, too. Unfortunately, among them are some of Black's
schoolmates. Their taunting has finally resulted in Black being pulled from
school.

Black's mother has
decided to home school the 14-year-old from now on, a new decision which also allows
more time to focus on her daughter's career. But the teen seems zen about her
alarming circumstances. The online anti-Rebecca comments became so violent at
one point the FBI became involved when Black started receiving death threats.
But now that the bullying has branched off the internet and into her real life,
Black has been forced to act.

In an interview set to air tonight, Wednesday, on ABC, Black
opens up about the real-life, non-Internet-based criticism she receives. "When I walk
by, they'll start singing 'Friday' in a really nasally voice," she
tells