If you have breasts and attended a Mötley Crüe concert in the Eighties, odds are you had sex with one of, some of, or all of the band members. But, ahh, wasn’t that the raison d’être for being a rock star during the greatest decade of rock decadence mankind will…

Concert Review: Kelly Clarkson at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace — November 14, 2025: It’s been 22 years since Celine Dion turned the Colosseum at Caesars Palace into the place where female pop stars go to die as publicly as Roman gladiators once did. (But they do this, of course,…

These days most gentiles — that’s non-Jews, folks — think Hanukkah is some sort of Christmas equivalent for God’s chosen people. But the truth is, it’s one of Judaism’s more minor holidays, and was moved to the forefront only since secular pop culture believed the religion was getting the shaft…

Max Bemis, frontman for the New York-based band Say Anything, was diagnosed three years ago as bipolar. This, he says, made absolute sense — it explained his manic episodes. In fact he attributes the lyrics of the band’s 2004 debut, … Is a Real Boy, to the disorder. If that…

Ben Harper’s bandmates from the Innocent Criminals are in the middle of pillaging several newly arrived boxes. The first copies of their CD, Lifeline, have just arrived, and the musicians are grabbing stacks with each hand. Meanwhile, Harper, who has already gotten his share, is shuffling about their rehearsal space…

With Halloween coming up, we asked a few rock stars to share some personal ghost stories. James Valentine, Maroon 5: [We recorded our latest, It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, at Rick Rubin’s allegedly haunted house]. One night, when I was there alone, I saw a figure walking up the…

There is no better way to dismissively sum up a rock band than by labeling it “emo.” This is probably why Fall Out Boy’s bassist and de facto face man, Pete Wentz, insists the term doesn’t apply to the group’s breakout album, Infinity on High, released in February. “I wanted…

Here are two situations you have probably found yourself in if (a) you have a penis and are/were (b) not in a fraternity: #1: While at a friend’s generally lame party — he just played Journey — you meet a girl who looks as bored as you. She’s beautiful, and…

Rob Zombie is a lot less scary in person. For years his grizzled appearance — thick beard, tattoos, and, quite often, dreadlocks — has combined with his love of horror, both in his personal life and his music, to create the persona of a creepy creature of the night. In…

When you think about it, Labor Day is possibly the most American holiday we have, trumping even the Fourth of July. Let’s face it: We pride ourselves on our blue-collar roots more than we do on a silly declaration. Therefore here is a handful of songs about the American working-class…

Buy a ticket to the Projekt Revolution concert, and your purchase will contribute to eliminating an estimated 167 tons of carbon emissions this year — which should make you feel pretty damn good about yourself. In fact give yourself a pat on the back for hitting up a tour that…

A few years back, some uncreative journalists announced a new “Latin explosion” was sweeping the American music scene. That so-called movement turned out to be combustible. But three decades earlier, a true Latin explosion had hit the nation: New York’s salsa renaissance of the Seventies, counting among its leaders the…

Morrissey, England’s most dapper downer, isn’t quite as depressed as he used to be. In fact he seems to be almost enjoying what he does these days, touring the world in support of his latest album, Ringleader of the Tormentors (Sanctuary). Nevertheless the guy is still as press-shy as ever…

Directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez know a thing or two about music and the movies. Tarantino’s soundtracks have become pop culture staples, while Rodriguez scores his own movies. We sat down with them recently to discuss their new double feature, Grindhouse, and how music affects their creative process. New…

Eartha Kitt’s vowels, especially her a’s, drawl a beat, and her r’s roll. Imagine her speaking the word darling. Kitt is, at 79 years old, every bit the sultry cabaret diva she was when Orson Welles called her “the most exciting woman in the world,” every bit the feline seductress…

Mike Skinner is a complete and utter fuckup, according to the Streets’ third full-length, The Hardest Way to Make a Living. Sure, banging on about fame, the perils of celebrity, and the rock-and-roll cliché is self-indulgent. And maybe we normal mortals will never truly empathize with blokes like Skinner who…

Actor Jared Leto (Requiem for a Dream, Fight Club) has been fasting for four days. Except for water, fresh lemon, and cayenne pepper, he plans to consume little else for a few more days. Leto is burning off the staggering 62 pounds he packed on to play John Lennon’s assassin,…

When asked about favorite Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa memories, most people remember the good times. Ask a musician the same question and, instead of poignant tales of seasonal mirth, you hear stories of embarrassment and crime. There’s a lesson about artists wrapped up in there somewhere, but it’s a little…

Attending an Aimee Mann show is no different from flipping a coin. Some nights she’s on — clouds part, angels sing, and souls are saved; while others … well, you’re left scratching your head as to why you didn’t just order Thai take-out instead. Let’s hope the recent release of…