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A Girl Like Rihanna
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Watch: "Unfaithful"
With "S.O.S." topping just about every chart on the planet, Rihanna's come a long way from her Barbados, "Pon de Replay" roots. An exclusive interview
with the new Queen of Pop
...more
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Tricky Rick
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Listen: Rick Nielsen Audio Interview
The band that wants you to want them is back with a new album, Rockford. Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen told us all about it -- and cracked a few bad jokes --
in this exclusive interview
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Christina's Amazin' Playlist
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Watch: "Say I (feat. Young Jeezy)"
What does the singer and Be Cool star listen to when she's not dippin' it low? We asked her and she hooked us up with an exclusive playlist
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Regarding Henry
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Listen: Henry Rollins Audio Interview
What the heck is Henry Rollins doing hosting a cable TV talk show? Kicking ass as always, of course. Listen to our exclusive interview with the
punk rock/spoken word legend
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Simon Says
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Watch: Paul Simon on His Writing Process
In this series of intimate video interviews, Paul Simon talks about his new album, his collaborations with Brian Eno, and one of the album's
most powerful tracks, "Wartime Prayers"
...more
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The Closest Thing to Katie
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Watch: "Nine Million Bicycles"
Her latest album has already sold 2.5 million copies and it's not even out in America yet. So what's the story behind Katie Melua's international success?
Ask her for yourself!
...more
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The Anatomy of Psapp
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Watch: "Hi"
Meet the London duo behind the theme music from Grey's Anatomy, and enter a world where mechanical chickens and jars of rocks rub elbows with guitars and keyboards
...more
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The Thriftstore Kid
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Listen: "I Still Believe in Love"
Meet singer-songwriter Jason Whitton, whose new album Thriftstore Cowboy is turning heads with its fearlessly honest songwriting and soulful country-folk sound
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| contests |
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Rob, Jewel, and YOU!
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Win a pair of tickets to see Rob Thomas and Jewel on one of the summer's biggest tours -- at a show in your area...
enter now!
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Win Signed Copies of All Four AFI Album Covers
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AFI's new album Decemberunderground has four different covers, and you can win a copy of each one, signed by each member of the band...
enter now!
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Woah, Nelly! What a Prize Pack!
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Grand prize: a portable DVD player, $200 Five Star Vintage Clothing gift certificate, and CDs from Nelly Furtado, Pitbull, Calle 13 and Jean...
enter now!
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Win Dixie Chicks Tix!
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Take the short way to the Dixie Chicks show nearest you -- score a free pair of tickets from us...
enter now!
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Natasha Wants You Win This One
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No, really, she told us. Grand prize is a Sony Home Theatre System and the latest CDs from Natasha Bedingfield, Los Lonely Boys and more...
enter now!
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Win Julie Roberts' Shoes!
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Wanna step into country star Julie Roberts' shoes? Win this and you can. Grand prize is an autographed pair of high heels just like the ones
featured on the cover of her new album, Men & Mascara...
enter now!
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"Make Damn Sure" You Enter This Contest
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Grand prize includes the new albums from Taking Back Sunday and Angels & Airwaves, plus a 60GB Video iPod (yeah, that's 60 as in six-zero),
Logitech speakers, and $500 in gift cards from ARTISTdirect, iTunes and Best Buy...
enter now!
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Win a PSP From Staind...Then Take a Victory Lap
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To celebrate Staind's performance at this year's Indianapolis 500, we're giving away a Sony PSP, Indy 500 t-shirt, and a Staind Dysfunctional Fanclub membership...
enter now!
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Win a Sony PSP From Rock Kills Kid
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Check out music from buzz band Rock Kills Kid -- including an exclusive acoustic version of their hit "Paralyzed" -- while you enter to win a Sony PSP...
enter now!
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Win a Hard-Rockin' Macbook From Hinder
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Who says high-tech and high times don't mix? Win an Apple Macbook pre-loaded with the top ten essential hard rock albums, as selected by the "Get Stoned" bad boys of Hinder...
enter now!
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Win a Ukelele From David Mead
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Singer-songwriter David Mead has autographed the ukelele he used on his new album, Tangerine, and he's giving it away to one lucky ARTISTdirect user, along with a
t-shirt and autographed CD...
enter now!
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This Contest is a Drag
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Grand prize: an autographed CD from Los Angeles indie rockers Giant Drag, plus an autographed set list from their performance at this year's Coachella...
enter now!
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Win Prince's Cloud Guitar!
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Imagine how badass you'll look doing the "Let's Go Crazy" guitar solo on this baby: a custom white "cloud" guitar from His Purpleness himself...
enter now!
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| new! the ARTISTdirect Widget |
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Wanna take your iTunes experience to the next level? Then download ARTISTdirect's new iTunes Widget, and sync up your playlists with our
vast database of artist bios, album info, free audio and video streams, and much more.
Click here to download now!
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 on the verge: Be Your Own Pet
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Just because you're from Nashville doesn't mean you wear a Stetson and aspire to write Faith Hill's next hit. The four kids in Be Your Own Pet (the oldest, lead singer Jemima, turns 19 this month)
wear homemade silk-screened t-shirts and aspire to open for the MC5. Their first gigs were at a local pizza joint. Two of them graduated high school a year early and one of them dropped out. Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore is a fan.
Clearly, this ain't your typical Nashville band.
Listen: Full Album Stream
Watch: Bicycle Bicycle, You Are My Bicycle
Read: A wacky Q&A with Jonas and Jemima
Check out albums from more On the Verge artists in the ARTISTdirect Store.
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artist picks: Whitestarr
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In case you hadn't heard, classic rock is back. Pearl Jam and Tool are sitting atop the charts, young upstarts like Wolfmother are rockin' the iTunes,
and we even hear that there might be a Guns 'N Roses album later this year.
Riding this return to good old-fashioned, fist-pumping, power-chord RAWK is a Los Angeles five-piece called
Whitestarr, who channel a Stones-meets-Skynyrd sound into some of the rawest, sleaziest stuff you've heard in ages.
And as lead singer Cisco Adler reveals in his list of essential albums, they've got all the right influences to make old-school rock 'n' roll cool again -- plus a few hip-hop and soul inspirations for that
extra dose of attitude.
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Sweet
The Best of Sweet |
"This band is considered the unsung hero of glam-rock. You know 'Ballroom Blitz,' but do you know 'California Nights'? One of my fav. songs right now."
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Steve Miller Band
Greatest Hits |
"This album is probably one of the best albums ever even though it's a greatest hits and it's supposed to be. Hit after hit after hit. 'Jungle Love' is one of the dopest rock n roll songs ever."
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A Tribe Called Quest
Midnight Marauders |
"CLASSIC! This was the last great album by Hip Hop pioneers Fyfe and Q-Tip. I remember this album didn't leave my CD changer for a good three years. 'I learned how to make mics in my workshop class!'"
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The Rolling Stones
Exile on Main Street |
"Without a doubt the best Rolling Stones album and possibly the best album ever made! 'Shine a Light' is my favorite Stones song ever. His lyrics are so good man! And the fact that they recorded it in Jamaica with the Wailers backup singers gives it some dirty old soul."
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The Pharcyde
Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde |
"First of all it has the dopest album artwork ever on a rap album. These guys took rap to where it is now by adding melodic hooks, live instrumentation, and by leaving out the guns and gangsters. FAT LIP????? Need I say more?"
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Badfinger
No Dice |
"This band fronted by manic depressive Pete Ham was the first band signed to the Beatles Apple Label. With his dark Beatles-on-smack melodies and grim point of view on life, Pete Ham penned the hit 'Without You' that The Jackson 5 and Mariah Carey made so huge. The song 'Midnight Caller' is probably one of the best songs Paul McCartney never wrote."
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AC/DC
Back in Black |
"This band is the reason guitar players search for years for that one riff that will rattle your brain over and over again. Somehow they seemed to find all of em. 'You Shook Me All Night Long'!!!! I can hear the crowds at my school dances in Hawaii going crazy!!!! This was always the jam of the night!"
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Al Green
Al Green's Greatest Hits |
"Can a man be so damn cool! These songs are so damn sexy, from his smooth-scratchy voice to the sickest players of all time banging down the grooves that would eventually become the blueprint for hip hop today! 'Let's Stay Together' and 'Tired of Being Alone' are two of the sickest R&B songs ever!"
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The Band
Music From Big Pink |
"The band that backed Bob Dylan with their lazy grooves and sick soul progressions have to have played with everyone great at the time. Levon Helm has a very cool voice and a pocket in his drumming that you can instantly recognize. The Last Waltz is also one of the best concert films ever."
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The Fugees
The Score |
"Easily one of the best hip hop albums ever made. Wyclef's production and songwriting skills combines with Lauryn Hill's bittersweet serenade to change music forever. Too bad we still don't know what Pras added to the group? Don't matter though, because 'Ready or Not' is the murkiest, sickest Rap/R&B song ever!
It's even better than Mary J and Method Man, although that one usually takes the title!"
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Whitestarr's debut album Luv Machine
is available now in the ARTISTdirect Store, as are all of Cisco's picks. Click any of the album covers for more information.
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blog o' the month: Commercial Music
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Wondering what that song is that makes working in a "Cubicle" actually sound kinda cool? Or who the band is behind the guitar-smashing classic rock in
that other new iTunes ad? Look no further than our Commercial Music blog for all the answers.
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