Billy Bob Thornton of The Boxmasters

The Boxmasters’ Billy Bob Thornton opens up his iTunes and gives us an exclusive peek at what he’s spinning…

A Taste:

The Beatles, John Prine, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson

The Boxmasters know how to rock. However, they do it with some serious country soul thrown in the sonic crock-pot for good measure. Blending the best and brightest elements of The Animals, The Stones, Willie Nelson and Hank Williams, The Boxmasters forge their own brand of infectious and countrified outlaw rock on their latest opus, MODBILLY.

In order to bring us closer to the music, Boxmasters main man, Billy Bob Thornton (W.R. “Bud” Thornton), shared his playlist with us in this exclusive feature.

Check out what Thornton is spinning below and pick up MODBILLY, out now!

W.R. “Bud” Thornton’s Playlist:

1. The Beatles — “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”
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Ron Perlman

Ron Perlman of Mutant Chronicles and Hellboy shares his playlist with us in this exclusive feature…

A Taste:

Frank Sinatra, Tom Waits, Aretha Franklin

Music pumps through Ron Perlman’s veins, and it often influences his intense performance style.

“Music has always been a really big part of my life,” says the Mutant Chronicles star in between drags of fresh cigar. “My dad was a musician. My brother was a musician. There was music constantly playing in my house when I was a kid. If I had been a little more disciplined and a little less self-indulgent, I could’ve gone into music too. I wouldn’t practice an instrument with that kind of dedication though. I had to find a way to express myself that required no training, no practice and no real investment of time and energy [Laughs]. That happened to be acting.”

It was a good choice since Perlman’s heroes are some of the most memorable to grace the screen in recent memory. His Hellboy remains an iconic badass, and his stint on Beauty and the Beast still brandishes a heroic edge. Ron’s latest knight in shining armor, Mutant Chronicles‘ Brother Samuel, is equally meaningful for him.
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Devildriver (Jeff Kendrick)

Devildriver’s axeman offers up his playlist to us and talks a little bit about his band’s next album…

A Taste:

Muse, Alice In Chains, Deftones, Pantera

Devildriver conjure a catchy cacophony of guttural grooves, double bass dementia and searing solos. It’s a heavy metal formula that’s impenetrable and strangely infectious. Right now, the band is finishing their hotly anticipated fourth epic, Pray for Villains, due out summer 2009 on Roadrunner Records.

However, while at Fangoria Weekend of Horrors, guitarist Jeff Kendrick talked to us about what he’s currently spinning for our playlist feature. He delved into some other inspirations too!

“Heat is one of my favorite movies ever, and I’ll always go back to that. However, my musical taste is all over the place, and that shows in my playing,” said Jeff. “We’re a band that a lot of people who don’t necessarily love metal can listen to. We’re catchy and we write songs that display technical proficiency at the same time. Our fans know we’re not going to let them down. We’ve stuck around.”

There’s no doubt they’ll be around for a long time to come too. Check out Jeff’s playlist below and get ready for Villains this summer.

Jeff Kendrick’s Playlist:
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Nick Principe of ‘Laid to Rest’

The slasher villain opens up his iTunes for us in this playlisted feature…

A Taste:

Pig Destroyer, Eyehategod, Born of Osiris

“I have a tendency to take things too far,” laughs Nick Principe sinisterly. “There’s a part in Laid to Rest where I’m sawing a chick’s head off!”

However, that’s totally cool given the circumstances. Nick plays Laid to Rest’s maniacal murderer Chrome Skull. In the film, an independent slash-tastic monster of a movie, he terrorizes his victims in a sleek skull mask that could even make Jason Voorhees envious.

He continues, “Chrome Skull knows how to party, man—he really know how to fucking party!” So does Nick. In fact, in order to get into Chrome Skull’s head space, he spent a lot of time blaring some really heavy metal. He shared his playlist with us in this feature.

Check out Laid to Rest on DVD this Tuesday April 21 and see what Nick was spinning on set to get into character below!

Nick Principe’s Playlist:

1. Pig Destroyer

“I don’t know if anyone out there is really into grind core,” he said to the Fango Con crowd. “That was all I was listening to on set though [Laughs].”

2. Eyehategod
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Isis

Isis singer Aaron Turner shares his playlist with us in this exclusive piece…

A Taste:

Wu-Tang Clan, Kevin Drumm

“I listen to a lot of different stuff,” says Isis mainman Aaron Turner. After cranking Isis’ latest tapestry of progressive psychedelic metal, Wavering Radiant, it’s no surprise to hear that Aaron’s musical tastes are a bit “out of the ordinary.” Even though Isis is known for crushing polyrhythmic riffs and multi-textured instrumental passages, Aaron finds inspiration in classic Wu-Tang Clan. Who said prog can’t get gangsta?

In this exclusive feature, Aaron opened up his iTunes and gave us a look inside. Check out what Aaron is spinning below.

Aaron Turner’s Playlist:

1. Kevin Drumm — Malaise

2. Kevin Drumm — Snow

“I don’t even know how to describe Kevin Drumm’s music. He does a lot of composition using software, but a lot of the music is processed from the original source material—guitar. When you hear the end result, there’s nothing like it. I’ve been listening to those two albums a lot, and they’re pretty interesting. Snow is a little more classic and serene. I guess that’s something I’ve needed lately [Laughs]. Malaise is a lot harsher, and I guess that’s another need that I’ve had as of late. I feel like whatever I listen to sort of parallels whatever I’ve got going on in my head at the time. It’s like a counterbalance.”
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Efren Ramirez

The Crank and Napoleon Dynamite star shares his playlist with us…

A Taste:

Nirvana, The Doors, DJ Irene, Cee-Lo

“Everything is on my playlist,” chuckles a smirking Efren Ramirez. “Everything” may even be an understatement. The eclectic actor’s musical palette is just as diverse as he is. From his show-stealing turn as Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite to his role as Venus in Crank: High Voltage, Efren remains an engaging and enigmatic screen presence.

However, he’s popping out of the frame more than ever these days. Efren explains, “Anything that has to do with the arts changes. If you think you’re old tricks are going to work, forget it. You have to be three steps ahead of everyone else.”

Efren sat down with us and opened up his iTunes. He shared his personal playlist and his playlist for Crank’s Venus with us. He continues, “I always create a soundtrack for each character, and for Venus that soundtrack was crucial.”

Check out Venus’ and Efren’s playlists below and be sure to see Crank : High Voltage in theaters on April 17!
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