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

Day two of Lollapalooza's 20th anniversary weekend in Chicago's Grant Park needed an A-list headliner that would blow all predecessors out of the water, and there was no one more up for the task than Eminem. The rapper certainly let the anticipation rise before he arrived onstage Saturday. Fans who had gathered at the Music Unlimited Stage started chanting, "Slim Shady!" as early as 8pm, then progressed to "Marshall Mathers!" and finally to "Eminem!" until 8:30pm. That's when the stage finally darkened, and a history of the hip-hop legend was displayed onscreen like movie credits, chronicling Em's mid-2000s hiatus from the music scene and ending with the simple words: "You are all here to witness Eminem's recovery."

And what a recovery! In a recent interview with Time Out Chicago, the rapper confessed that he's "fairly new" to large festival shows (although he mentioned he played some in his "hazier days"), and said, "I stopped jumping in the crowd a few years ago, when I jumped in

Closing out this year's Chorus des Hauts-de-Seine Festival, Seun Kuti, the youngest sonof the legendary Afrobeat musician and human rights activist Fela Kuti,swagged upon the Parisian stage backed by his father's multitudinous band, Egypt 80. Their funky, soulful, rhythm-driven music has proven its timelessness, being as deep and exciting as it was decades ago.

Leadsinger and saxophonist like his father, Kuti has been on stage since childhood,opening for his father as early as nine years-old. After Fela's death in1997, Seun carried on the music at just 14. So it's no surprise that Seun inherited hisfather's talent, while bringing his own exuberant style to the spotlight.

Produced by ambient music's founding father Brian Eno, Seun Kuti's sophomore album with Egypt 80 sits at the front of the Afrobeat revival, bringing it's sound and political fervor to the current generation. Be the first to watch an exclusive clip of Seun Anikulapo Kuti & Egypt 80perform "Slave Masters" off their

If there's anything more American than picnicking while watching Philly soul brothers Hall & Oates perform at the Hollywood Bowl's gigantic 4th of July fireworks extravaganza--with "opening act" the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra playing the "Star-Spangled Banner," "Yankee Doodle Dandy," "America The Beautiful," and "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"--well then, I might as well become a Communist. Because in my opinion, American living doesn't get any finer than this.

Hall & Oates, who've been making classic American music for four decades and are the most successful duo in pop history, have always been great American heroes in my book. But they've enjoyed a renaissance as of late, with the Gym Class Heroes naming one of their treks the "Daryl Hall For President Tour"; Daryl Hall getting artists like KT Tunstall, Chromeo, Diane Birch, and Fitz & The Tantrums to guest on his online music/talk show, "Live From Daryl's House"; their bouncy hit "You Make My Dreams Come True" getting prime