List Of The Day
  • We here at List of the Day have decided to take a stand and ram our opinions down your throat. That's right. Drunk with power--and this newly legal absinthe--we have stared long and hard into the abyss and decided to profile artists that no under 60 cares about. Because it's good for you. Because it will make you a better person. Because if we don't do this, who will? Because Shakira would want it this way. Because 17.2 million viewers watched High School Musical 2 and if we can get five of those viewers to change their life we will have made a small and insignificant difference. Because short, fat, moody Irish guys turning 62 today deserve your respect and attention. Because it's Van Morrison's birthday.

    And don't worry, we'll equally celebrate the birthdays of other prominent rockers from David Blue to Judee Sill, Ronnie James Dio (such a short, short man) to Pat Travers, Billy Squier to Robert Smith, Sandy Posey to Ronnie Spector, Bill Wyman to that guy in Uriah Heep. We'll bring

    Read More »from Five Best Van Morrison Albums
  • Considering the wild ways of the music business, it's always amazing--touching, even--when couples perform together. Sometimes they love each other. Sometimes they hate each other. But if the money's right, chances are, they'll tolerate anything. Heck, before the government had them killed, the Ramones for their final decade supposedly didn't talk to one another. Communication is clearly overrated. As the Long Island poet laureate Billy Joel said in a completely different context, "All you need are looks and a whole lot of money."

    Tim McGraw - Faith Hill: We like her because she's tall and we've seen her in commercials. (At this point, you are correct in asking "Rob, who is this 'we' you are referring to?" I have no idea, but it sounds profound). We like him because his father was a baseball player named Tug and he hasn't done anything so egregious as singing about the love of his tractor or snapping up beer for his horses or advised people to ride a cowboy. In fact, these two are so

    Read More »from The Five Best Musical Couples
  • Hilly Kristal, founder of the Bowery bar CBGBs, is dead. Unlike you and me, he was part of history. He almost outlived his famed establishment, which was shutdown last October because it is now illegal to operate a rock 'n' roll club in Manhattan. Rock 'n' roll being the devil's music, this is understandable. However, hundreds of thousands of absolutely terrible bands played his club. Not anything like Good Charlotte, but close. On any given night you could have your ears blown out by a level of volume and incompetence that most people believed you could only get in New Jersey.

    However, there were also several successful bands from the 1970s that went on to great things and came to define the "PUNK ROCK SOUND," which as you'll notice wasn't really a sound back then. And then there were a few others who people speak of respectfully. In any case, narrowing it down to five bands made if difficult. Surely, the Dead Boys and Richard Hell and the Voidoids and Suicide should be on this list.

    Read More »from Five Bands Who Put CBGBs On The Map
  • I just saw on TV that Michael Vick is apologizing for doing something he shouldn't have been doing. Now, I don't know Michael Vick. I'd never even heard of him until the news got out that he didn't like dogs very much. Stupid me, I thought he had something to do with Vicks Vapor Rub, that smelly crap you rub on your chest when you want to smell like an old person. Turns out he plays football. What a world!

    Anyhow, it immediately made me think about songs that could act as an apology, you know, when you yourself don't have the words you want to say, you let a song say it for you. Next time Michael Vick holds a press conference, instead of stammering and trying to figure out what to say, he could break out a boombox and hit "play" on any one of these songs and he would immediately be forgiven. And he wouldn't have to use Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" to do it!

    Nirvana--"All Apologies": The thing I liked about Nirvana was how that Cobain kid would always look so annoyed no matter what

    Read More »from Five “Apology” Songs For Michael Vick To Sing
  • With August winding down, there won't be many chances left to ruthlessly exploit the "hot" themes much longer. As one commentator to this blog rightfully fears, it's only a matter of time before I shamelessly start cataloging those "November" songs and "November Rain" gets it obvious and crass promotional plug. Such are the vagaries of this entertainment business.

    For now, I focus one last time on what would be known as the "Dog Days of August." Being a subliterate chump, a militant anti-intellectual--thinking hurts-- and a generally stupid guy who grew up in New Jersey, I always go for what is easy and obvious. (I chose my college based on the three maxims that can be applied to life: cheap, easy and local.) So, while others greatly ponder human significance and try to answer deep, philosophical questions, I typed DOG into my highly-sophisticated indexing system and came with WAY too may Dog songs. None of which talk about the heat or the Dog Days of August in any respect. I can

    Read More »from Five “Dog” Days Of August Songs
  • Unlike brothers who fight all the time, sisters work together to overcome oppression, unfair and discriminatory labor practices, war, famine and their annoying brothers. Therefore, it should come as little surprise that when sisters get together to work, it is often in harmonious glee. While I'm sure most of my readership will be wondering why the Andrew Sisters didn't make this list, let me just repeat my usual defense: it's all in the mathematical computations. I've got this computer - the ORB 2003-X4-109 - and it does everything for me. Including write this column. Thanks, Orb.

    Now the Five Best Sister Acts:

    Jessica and Ashlee Simpson: These two are so good and so talented that they're not allowed to perform together. There isn't a stage strong enough to hold the two of them  And besides, you can make twice as much money if you perform separately, a fact that isn't lost on them or their dear old dad. What I find absolutely fascinating about these two is how one of them has blonde

    Read More »from The Five Best Sister Acts
  • You know what they say: the family that plays together beats the crap out of each other when the royalty statements come rolling in. Nothing divides a family like artistic and creative differences. And money. Lots of it.  Brothers are a special lot. Because guys are mostly brain-dead to begin with and insensitive jerks most of the time, put two or more of them in the same house and let the wet toilet paper fights begin. Put them in a band together and start filming. It's no coincidence that many brother acts spend most of their time fighting--though, as is my contrary nature, I managed to find two that are loving and warm just to blow the theory.  But here are the five brother acts you should be paying attention to.

    Hanson: Ah, who didn't love these guys when the youngest one was still in diapers? That "MmmBop" song was way too catchy and the only way to rationalize it was to tell people that the kids were too young to know any better. Since then, they've matured and no one cares

    Read More »from The Five Best Brother Acts
  • According to police reports, White Stripes leader Jack White and his model wife Karen Elson have added another kid to their ever-expanding tribe. Henry Lee White will join his sister Scarlett Teresa White in the rock n' roll playpen. The couple tied the knot in June 2005 and, as you see, productivity has been up. They've got a FUZZBOX and they know how to use it.

    Whether or not these kids will grow up to be rockers in their own limelight remains to be seen. Even though it seems as if every son of a rockstar releases his or her own album, from Lisa Marie Presley to Ziggy Marley, there are far more who don't. You just don't think about them. After all, if "all of Chuck's children are out there learning his licks" as Bob Seger once said of Chuck Berry, then where are all the little Berry solo albums? Huh? There will be time here to fantasize about what great solo careers could still be in the making someday, but right now, we'll take a quick look at the five most notable progeny who

    Read More »from The Five Most Important Children Of Rock Stars
  • If all the hype is to be believed, Elvis Presley was once a bigger star than Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance and Shakira combined. Personally, I like to remain skeptical about these things. I like to let history decide who will be the winners. So, I have quite a wait on my hands. These acts have to die and then add thirty years before the real decision is made.

    So, for now, with reservations, I'm willing to say that Elvis Presley sure was popular in his day and people seem to really like the guy. Heck, Paul Simon named an album after the guy's house!

    Sure are a lot of books about him and most of them are big and heavy. But, you have to ask yourself, is the cultural impact anything like what's happening with The Two Coreys?

    However, I'm always touched when other people pay tribute. If you do a websearch looking for Elvis tributes, you'll give yourself a headache. Trust me, I speak from experience. Most people's idea of a tribute is to blather on endlessly and tastelessly until there

    Read More »from The Five Best Elvis Presley Tribute Songs
  • If it's pop music, there has to be a gimmick: something to make you ignore how fundamentally horrible the truth at hand really is and instead focus on how everything is suddenly cool, shiny and NEW. Most "artists" decide to use scantily clad women to get this message across. In some cases, the guys put on make-up and wear frilly clothes. At one time, bands made big, expensive, flashy videos that had nothing to do with the song but made them look tougher and taller than they actually were. Then they'd find an attractive woman and slather oil over her body until she shined. Sometimes they let these women handle power tools, though I'm not sure of the significance. Quite innovative, in some respects.

    Then there are those who understand the importance in a name. I know Shakespeare suggested a rose would smell just as sweet if it were called a colonoscopy but then he lacked the courage to give his plays names that would sell. "Romeo And Juliet" just doesn't have much going for it. And

    Read More »from Five Albums That Capitalized On The August Madness

Pagination

(590 Stories)

News for You

  • Restaurant learns online reviews can make or break

    SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — It was the customer service disaster heard around the Internet.

  • Attorney: Donald Trump lied on stand

    CHICAGO (AP) — The attorney for an 87-year-old woman who accuses Donald Trump of cheating her in a skyscraper condo deal told Chicago jurors on Wednesday that he was personally repulsed by the "Apprentice" star whom he said lied on the witness stand.

  • The new consoles from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony

    NEW YORK (AP) — Microsoft is the last of the three big video game console makers to unveil its latest gaming system. The unveiling comes nearly eight years after the Xbox 360 went on sale. It follows last fall's debut of Nintendo's Wii U and a preview in February of the upcoming PlayStation 4 from Sony.

  • Singer Kellie Pickler named new 'Dancing' champ

    LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kellie Pickler came into the final "Dancing With the Stars" episode in second place but finished in first.

  • Douglas, Damon dramatize a steamy showbiz affair

    NEW YORK (AP) — The idea of Michael Douglas playing Liberace might seem nearly as outrageous as Liberace himself.

  • Singer Kellie Pickler jives to victory on "Dancing With the Stars"

    By Andrea Burzynski NEW YORK (Reuters) - Country singer Kellie Pickler won the 16th season of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" on Tuesday night, winning over judges and TV audiences with her graceful style and high-jumping jives with partner and professional dancer Derek Hough. Pickler, who first grabbed attention as a contestant on "American Idol" in 2006, screeched and jumped up and down when she learned she had won. "This is amazing! Oh, my God!" she exclaimed, before fellow finalist and NFL player Jacoby Jones hoisted her on his shoulders to celebrate. ...

TOP VIDEOS

  1. Can't Hold Us
    1.Macklemore & Ryan … | Warner
  2. 2.P!nk, (f/ Nate Ruess …
  3. 3.Justin Timberlake
  4. 5.Rihanna, (f/ Mikky E …
  5. 6.Selena Gomez
  6. 7.Macklemore & Ryan …
  7. 8.Imagine Dragons
  8. 9.Icona Pop
  9. 10.Florida Georgia Line