A Taste:

Lou Reed, Television, Patti Smith, Eagles of Death Metal

Michael Imperioli is a man of many talents.

Not only is he an engaging and thought provoking screen presence, but he’s also a bona fide rock n’ roller. Fronting New York City rock group, La Dolce Vita, Imperioli cranks out his own brand of rock n’ roll. So in addition to talents in front of the camera and behind the mic, he’s also branched out further into filmmaking with The Hungry Ghosts.

He wrote and directed this drama about five New Yorkers whose lives crisscross in crisis during a 36-hour period. Plus, he also is currently lighting up the screen in Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones.

Michael Imperioli sat down with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino in this exclusive interview to talk about what’s on his playlist and more. Check out his playlist below and don’t miss The Lovely Bones!

Michael Imperioli’s Playlist:

1. Lou Reed

2. Television

3. Patti Smith

I like a lot of New York music from the ’70s, the CBGB scene and stuff like that—Lou Reed, Television and Patti Smith. That’s my favorite period of rock music.

4. The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs

I like The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs a lot.

5. Franz Ferdinand

6. Eagles of Death Metal

7. Brian Eno

I love Brian Eno’s stuff. I’m actually a big fan. I thought he did a great job on the score. It’s really cool.

—Rick Florino
01.12.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

A Taste:

Bon Iver, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris

In The Lovely Bones, Rose McIver gets to cycle through a whole spectrum of emotions in order to play the grief-stricken Lindsey Salmon. She explores and each and every character nuance masterfully with a distinct and direct acting rhythm.

Given that rhythm on-screen, we were very curious about what Rose has on her iPod. She sat down with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino about what’s on her playlist.

Check out Rose McIver’s playlist below and don’t miss her in The Lovely Bones.

Rose McIver’s Playlist:

1. Bon Iver

2. Joni Mitchell

My taste is very diverse! I’m into Bon Iver and Joni Mitchell.

3. Emmylou Harris

I’ve been enjoying some country stuff like Emmylou Harris. I really like her!

—Rick Florino
01.11.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

A Taste:

Wolfmother

“What am I listening to right now?” laughs Slash with a big grin.

Given how open-minded the legendary Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver axe-slinger is, it could be anything. However, right now Slash has sights set on a couple current records that he’s been cranking. Slash shared his playlist at the moment with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino in this exclusive feature

Check out Slash’s playlist below and be on the lookout for his solo record due out this Spring!

Slash’s Playlist:

1. Wolfmother — Cosmic Egg

As of today I just got Wolfmother’s new record, so I’m listening to that! It’s really great! At this second, as we speak, that’s what I’m listening to [Laughs]

2. Slash

I’m listening to mixes of my record too [Laughs].

—Rick Florino
01.11.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

A Taste:

Beethoven, Bob Schneider, Al Green

What do ghosts listen to?

Chances are it’s a combination of Slayer and Elvis…since we can’t know for sure what the paranormal are cranking, we figured we’d chat with “the haunted” themselves about music. It was a lot easier than having a séance to find out a playlist, and technology just hasn’t reached that point, unfortunately. Hopefully someday though…

Paranormal Activity’s Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat were both excited to share their respective playlists with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino in this exclusive feature.

Check out Micah and Katie’s playlists below and don’t miss Paranormal Activity out on DVD everywhere now!

Micah Sloat’s Playlist

1. Beethoven

Honestly, this is really funny. Last night, I turned on NPR and I heard Beethoven’s “8th Symphony.” I thought, “Damn, if that’s not an awesome piece of music….”

2. Revell

3. Brams

4. Mozart

Recently, I’ve been getting back into the classical era and listening to a lot of old school stuff—Revell, Brams and Mozart. That wasn’t the answer you were expecting [Laughs]

Acting and music are both performance arts, so there’s a lot of crossover with what you’re doing. I’ll just say that whatever I’ve learned in music, I find myself taking with me on set, and whatever I use in acting classes, I always find that helps me out when I’m on stage. There’s a huge crossover. What really connects them ultimately is the sense of sharing. When you’re really sharing your experience with the audience, no matter what movie you’re communicating in, that’s going to be good work. No matter what I’m doing creatively in my life, I knew as long as I was relating to people I’d be happy. It’s a real blessing and a real opportunity to do this on such a high level. I want to say thank you to everyone all of the fans that have been so awesome and allowed all of us to share our work. If anyone out there is a struggling artist, stick with it because it does happen.

Katie Featherston’s Playlist:

1. Bob Schneider

My favorite artist is Bob Schneider. He’s a Texas musician based out of Austin, but he plays everywhere. He does everything from Texas rockabilly country to trip hop, real sweet love songs to real raunchy get-the-party-going kinds of songs. He’s got everything. He’s amazing!

2. Matt Nathanson

3. Jason Mraz

I listen to a lot of Texas country—Matt Nathanson and Jason Mraz too.

4. Al Green

Al Green is very cool [Laughs].

—Rick Florino
01.11.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

A Taste:

Sade, Willie Hutch, Linkin Park

Three 6 Mafia are always ready to attack.

However, lately they’ve been gearing up for the latest assault on hip hop—Laws of Power, set to hit stores this March. In the midst of that though, they cranked out a sick guest appearance on “Demons” with Tech N9ne that’s definitely some of the darkest fire they’ve dropped. Three 6 Mafia’s forthcoming album promises to be just as fiery as Last 2 Walk but with even more genre-mashing—stirring in a little more rock n’ roll and electro this time around. It’s no surprise that Juicy J’s musical taste runs a wide gamut.

His iPod is all over the map, and he sat down with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino to discuss what’s rockin’ his world right now in this exclusive feature.

Check out Juicy J’s playlist below and be on the look out for Three 6 Mafia’s next rap epic….

Juicy J’s Playlist:

1. Sade

I’m listening to Sade. She’s hot. I saw her perform live and she ripped the show up. She did a great performance. She’s been around for years, and she still gigs! I actually grew up on her music.

2. Willie Hutch

I listen to all kinds of music. I dig Willie Hutch!

3. Linkin Park

I’m into rock n’ roll too. I listen to Linkin Park.

4. Johnny Cash

I’m into pretty much everything, man [Laughs].

—Rick Florino
01.05.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

A Taste:

The Beatles, Bob Marley, Leadbelly, Howlin’ Wolf

So what makes someone country?

Just ask acclaimed artist Ryan Bingham—”It’s not the hat and the boots. It’s about your story and where you come from.”

Crazy Heart is quite the story. Jeff Bridges gives the performance of a lifetime as hard drinkin’ down-n-out country singer Bad Blake. Bingham pops up in his backing band adding some real country cred to the flick. The real life country artist definitely had quite the experience with Crazy Heart.

Ryan Bingham sat down in this exclusive interview with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino about what’s on his playlist. Check out Ryan’s playlist below and don’t miss Crazy Heart.

Ryan Bingham’s Playlist:

1. The Beatles

2. Bob Marley

3. Leadbelly

4. Howlin’ Wolf

5. The Rolling Stones

6. Kris Kristofferson

I listen to a lot of old blues—Lead Belly, Howlin Wolf—as well as The Rolling Stones, Kris Kristofferson. I mix it up quite a bit.

—Rick Florino
01.04.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

A Taste:

Gillian Welch, Iris Dement, Arcade Fire, Bruce Springsteen

“I’ve always liked country music,” says Maggie Gyllenhaal with a big smile.

Maggie’s love for the genre definitely comes through in her performance in Crazy Heart. In order to play small-town reporter, Jean Craddock, Maggie drew upon that natural love for country. By channeling her own tastes, she was able to create a character that’s both passionately believable and honest.

About Jean, she continues, “She’s a feeler…She’s the most vulnerable emotional personal I’ve ever played.”

Maggie plays her quite well too…Maggie sat down with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino to discuss Crazy Heart and what’s on her playlist. She definitely loves her country, but there’s a whole lot more on there as well…

Check out Maggie’s playlist below and don’t miss her in Crazy Heart out now!

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Playlist:

1. Gillian Welch

2. Iris Dement

I do listen to country music. I really love Gillian Welch. I always listen to her and Iris Dement. They’re both country!

3. The Dirty Projectors

I’m kind of into The Dirty Projectors. I don’t know them that well, I’m just starting to get into them.

4. Arcade Fire

I love Arcade Fire!

5. Bruce Springsteen

I’ve been into Bruce Springsteen since I saw him play at this Obama Benefit a while ago. He just totally blew my mind again.

6. Patti Smith

I was listening to this Patti Smith album the whole time I was making SherryBaby.

7. Waylon Jennings

8. Hank Williams

When I was making Crazy Heart, I was listening to Iris Dement and Dixie Chicks kind of girls. Waylon Jennings. I was really into Hank Williams.

—Rick Florino
01.04.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

A Taste:

Greg Brown, John Hammond, Michael McDonald

Jeff Bridges went country for Crazy Heart.

It wasn’t that hard for the ever-amazing actor though and playing Crazy Heart’s Bad Blake shows just how good Bridges really is. The hard-drinking redemption-seeking country star stands out—an unforgettable and thought-provoking character that’ll summon audiences back along his tattered road again and again.

Jeff spends a lot of time listening to his favorite music, and he sat down with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino in this exclusive interview to discuss what’s on his playlist.

Check out Jeff Bridges’ playlist below and don’t miss him in Crazy Heart!

Jeff Bridges’ Playlist:

1. Hank Williams

Hank Williams’ traditional country is right in the pocket. You can’t get much more country than Hank. Outside of that bullseye, you get strings and more lush things. It’s all music basically.

2. Greg Brown

I’m digging Greg Brown a lot! He wrote a song for our movie.

3. John Hammond

One of my favorite albums from a couple years ago was Wicked Grin, a John Hammond album of all Tom Waits tunes. Tom produced the album. I love that record.

4. Michael McDonald

Michael McDonald produced an album of mine called Be Here Soon. I’m a big fan of Michael’s. He’s nailing that Motown stuff. Gosh!

—Rick Florino
12.17.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

A Taste:

Merle Haggard, Hank Williams

Robert Duvall knows what truly makes a person “country.”

“It’s something in the blood,” the legendary actor says with a smile. “It usually comes from the rural areas, although people in the city can do it. Hank Snow was one of the great country singers, and he’s from Nova Scotia [Laughs].”

It doesn’t really matter where you’re from, but rather what you’ve got inside you. That’s the message of Crazy Heart. In the film, Jeff Bridges plays Bad Blake a country performer reaching the end of his career’s road. From battling alcoholism to finding love, the film examines Bad’s redemption in a poignant and powerful fashion—Duvall plays Bad’s bartendin’ best buddy like only he can.

Since music is such a crucial part of the film, and Duvall knows country, he shared some favorites with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino in this exclusive interview.

Check them out below and don’t miss Crazy Heart! It’s one of the year’s best films!

Robert Duvall’s Playlist:

1. Charley Pride

2. Johnny Rodriguez

3. Freddy Fender

4. Hank Williams

“Country is white man’s soul music [Laughs]. But you have guys like Charley Pride and a few other African American guys that sing country music. Johnny Rodriguez is Latin—Freddy Fender as well. Hank Williams used to sing years ago on the street corners in Alabama with a black guy singing country music. There’s a kinship there too—a little fusion.”

5. Merle Haggard

“Merle Haggard’s inspired me a lot. Merle was very much influenced by Lefty Frizzell who was great! There are some very good singers! I like the old guys.”

—Rick Florino
12.17.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

A Taste:

Daniel Johnston, Tina Turner, Creedence Clearwater Revival

Juliette Lewis is like a more badass Madonna.

If the material girl had a rock n’ roll edge and an undeniable spark for life, she’d be Miss Lewis. Juliette isn’t afraid to think outside the box—especially with her music. On her latest album, Terra Incognita, she sonically ventures into the deepest regions of space and the psyche to create a theatrical and infectious rock n’ roll record—one of the year’s best and most adventurous.

So what’s Juliette cranking these days?

Juliette Lewis sat down with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino for this exclusive interview about what’s on her playlist. Check out Juliette’s playlist below and be sure to pick up Terra Incognita now! Don’t miss Juliette on tour either!

Juliette Lewis’s Playlist:

1. Daniel Johnston — “True Love Will Find You in the End”

2. Tina Turner

3. Creedence Clearwater Revival

4. Solid Gold

That’s funny because I just made a mix CD. It’s in my car. Daniel Johnston is on there. Tina Turner’s on there and a little Creedence—that cover of “I Put A Spell On You.” My new band that I love is electronic music. It’s called Solid Gold. This song “Who You Gonna Run to” is so meditative and it all hinges on this bass line and the synths. It puts you in this fuzzy lust zone. I’m all over the map!

—Rick Florino
12.14.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

A Taste:

The Beach Boys, Arctic Monkeys, Julian Casablancas

Every sly fox needs a fully loaded iPod.

That’s just a fact of forest life. So what was The Fantastic Mr. Fox star Jason Schwartzman listening to in order to get into the character of Ash the fox?

“The first thing that I ever do when I get to work on a character is make his playlist. It helps me a lot to know what my character would listen to. I’ll only listen to that music the whole time I’m working. For Ash, I was listening to The Beach Boys,” says Schwartzman with a big smile.

There’s definitely a classic vibe to the film balancing humor and whimsy perfectly. So The Beach Boys definitely serves as the perfect soundtrack!

Schwartzman continues, “I’d compare this movie to Smile by The Beach Boys because it’s a combination of beauty and a little bit of spookiness.”

Jason’s musical palette extends beyond The Beach Boys as well. He sat down with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino for this exclusive interview about what’s on his personal playlist. Check out Jason’s playlist below and don’t miss The Fantastic Mr. Fox in theaters everywhere November 25, 2009!

Jason Schwartzman’s Playlist:

1. The Beach Boys — Smile

2. Arctic Monkeys — Humbug

3. Julian Casablancas — Phrazes for the Young

4. Animal Collective

5. The Dirty Projectors

6. Roxy Music

I’m listening to the new Arctic Monkeys album, the new Julian Casablancas album, Animal Collective, Dirty Projectors and then like Roxy Music [Laughs]. I’ve always dreamt of being part of a kids movie. It just makes me excited. I hope kids go to see this movie and remember it. I remember a movie I saw when I was a kid more in detail than a movie that I saw two weeks ago [Laughs]. It’s exciting to me that we made something that could make an impression on a young person and maybe make them happy.

—Rick Florino
11.24.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

A Taste:

Wu-Tang Clan, Rain

“He makes a good ninja,” James McTeigue exclaims about Ninja Assassin star Rain.

Rain became the film’s titular character fully. His performance is killer in more ways than one—becoming a full on action god in most scenes. Rain also put himself through hell to prepare for and play through those bombastic action sequences. “It was hard,” he laughs with a smile.

It was worth all it though, as Ninja Assassin is one of the year’s best action flicks. There’s a distinctly kinetic musical style fueling the bloodlust. Rain showed ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino what he was listening to on set to get ready in this exclusive feature.

Check out the playlist below and don’t miss Ninja Assassin in theaters this Wednesday November 25!

Rain’s Playlist:

1. Wu-Tang Clan

Gangsta rap is the best music to chop someone up to. Before I was fighting, I heard Wu-Tang Clan—just everything [Laughs].

2. Rain

I’m also listening to my own music.

—Rick Florino
11.23.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

A Taste:

Nick Cave, MC Rock Star

James McTeigue knows what it takes to be a good ninja.

About maintaining the kinetic energy on the set of his phenomenal new action flick Ninja Assassin, the director explains, “Obviously doing complicated martial arts takes a lot of time and a lot of energy. I think if the people at the core are really into it and want to do great martial arts, they keep the energy up. It was great in this case!”

Ninja Assassin is everything that a ninja movie should be—artful, nonstop and brilliantly bloody. There’s also an underlying sense of perpetual rhythm that fuels each and every action sequence. The film flows more like a record than a movie with each choptastic moment screeching like a guitar.

McTeigue laughs, “If Ninja Assassin were an album it would be some sort of rap crossed with Nevermind the Bollocks by The Sex Pistols—that kind of crazy energy [Laughs].”

In order to go deeper into the musical nature of the film, McTeigue sat down with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino for this exclusive interview about the music in Ninja Assassin and what he’s listening to.

Check out the playlist below and don’t miss Ninja Assassin in theaters this Wednesday November 25!

Ninja Assassin Director James McTeigue’s Playlist:

1. MC Rockstar

We were listening to a bit of Asian rap that starts the film. There’s a cool thing by MC Rockstar at the beginning.

2. Raekwon, Murs & Xzibit — “Legacy”

There’s a good viral out there of Raekwon, Murs and Xzibit that gets the feel of the film.

3. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis — The Assassination of Jesse James Soundtrack

I’ve been listening to a bit of soundtrack stuff lately—The Assassination of Jesse James is a pretty cool one. Nick Cave’s great.

—Rick Florino
11.23.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

A Taste:

Black Sabbath, Whitesnake, Journey

“I’m never going to stop rocking,” laughs Mike White.

The Gentlemen Broncos star has no reason to ever stop, especially now that he’s played the film’s wild-maned Dusty. With long flowing locks and a skill with oversized spitball straws, Dusty is quite “rock n’ roll.” He’s the kind of guy you’d see outside of an Iron Maiden show double-fisting two Pabst Blue Ribbons and throwing up the horns, yet Mike imbues a strange calm into the character. It’s that zen which allows for the biggest laughs.

However, Mike wasn’t the only rocker on set. Filmmaker Jared Hess [Napoleon Dynamite] also has a soft spot for some good ole fashion distortion. Mike and Jared sat down with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino for this exclusive interview about what’s on their playlists. It gets you closer to Gentlemen Broncos, and it gets loud!

Check out their playlists below and in the video, and don’t miss Gentlemen Broncos in theaters now!

Mike White’s Playlist:

1. Genesis

Mike White: The ’80s hair band music that Jared has peppered throughout this soundtrack has now become my iPod playlist. I’m having a Genesis season [Laughs].

2. Journey

3. Whitesnake

Mike White: There are so many good ones! I was in L.A. during the ’80s, and it was never better than that. That was the heyday on the sunset strip.Jared Hess’s Playlist:

1. Scorpions

2. Black Sabbath

3. Ozzy Osbourne

Jared Hess: I like old stuff—Scorpions, Black Sabbath, and all the goodies. You’ve got to get a little Ozzy in there, man. The film is an eclectic hot mess of lots of stuff. The characters are so different it warrants a lot of different genres of music.

Watch video here!

—Rick Florino
10.30.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

A Taste:

Coldplay, KISS, Citizen Cope, Van Morrison

Saw VI plays out like a symphony of destruction.

It’s the most twisted entry into the franchise yet and, as with all of the previous installments, there’s a malevolently musical undercurrent to the film’s madness.
B However, the stars themselves have quite different iPod selections. Though Satanic death metal and dark industrial would fit the film’s vibe best, you’re more likely to find Tobin Bell [Jigsaw] cranking some Coldplay than Slipknot.

I’ve always thought Chris Martin was way more evil than Corey Taylor anyway, so it’s all good…

Saw VI stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor and Tanedra Howard sat down with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino for this exclusive interview about what’s on their playlists!

Tobin Bell’s Playlist:

1. Coldplay

2. Van Morrison

3. Eric Clapton

I’ve been listening to Coldplay a lot lately. I listen to Van Morrison. I really like Eric Clapton.

4. Bob Dylan

I’ve always been a big Bob Dylan fan!

5. Hydrovibe

I really recommend Hydrovibe; they’re amazing. I think Jigsaw’s probably a classical music guy—maybe some jazz too. I’m not altogether sure that he wouldn’t have a marching band—maybe John Philip Sousa—or something like that going on during a wild night in the lair [Laughs].

Tanedra Howard’s Playlist:

1. Barbra Streisand

2. The Three Tenors

3. The Backyardigans

4. Citizen Cope

You’re going to laugh at me! I listen to a lot of stuff. I have R&B and hip hop. I listen to classical. I have the Three Tenors on my iPod. I’ve got Barbra Streisand. I have The Backyardigans. That’s a cartoon, and I’m not ashamed [Laughs]. If it makes me snap my fingers, I’m going to listen to it!

5. Evanescence

I did play a few songs to get myself in the horror mood and get me amped up. One was by Evanescence. Even though it wasn’t a bad song, it was “My Immortal.” It put me in the state.

Costas Mandylor’s Playlist:

1. Thin Lizzy

2. Muse

I put my head phones on once in awhile to keep my energy up on set. I’m still listening to Thin Lizzy. They’re one of my favorite bands of all time. Someone gave me one of those iPod Nanos, and I’ve been listening to Muse. I like stuff that’s heavy. I’m a bit of a rock n’ roll guy.

3. Led Zeppelin

I love all the classics like Led Zeppelin.

4. KISS

I was part of the KISS army for years. Anything that’s good and heavy I’ll take.

—Rick Florino
10.26.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

A Taste:

Empire of the Sun, Tom Petty, Jay-Z

Leighton Meester wants to make you sweat, and that’s just what her music is going to do.

“Somebody to Love,” the first single from her forthcoming debut album, is a bona fide club anthem that’ll be lighting up dance floors for a long time to come. It’s sexy and sassy just like the young starlet. Even though Leighton definitely loves her fair share of dance music, she’s got quite an eclectic playlist overall. The fact that she’s all-over-the-map makes her tunes that much more interesting.

Leighton’s in the studio finishing up the album right now, but she found the time to sit down with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino for this exclusive playlist feature.

Check out Leighton’s playlist below and be sure to keep an eye out for her debut album!

Leighton Meester’s Playlist:

1. Empire of the Sun

I’ve been listening to Empire of the Sun a lot. They’re amazing! They have a lot of really good songs, but “Walking on a Dream” is one of the most-played on my iTunes. They’re very electro. It’s beautiful music, but it’s a little disco-sounding too. This song holds a lot of memories for me. I started listening to it about a year ago, and it reminds me of dancing all night in my hotel room in Paris drunk on champagne [Laughs].

2. Tom Petty

I love Tom Petty. I’m a huge Tom Petty fan. I really like a lot of his songs. I think “Refugee” is a really good song. I feel like the song has got so much soul and personality. I really like singing it. If I ever do karaoke, that’s my song!

3. Jay-Z

Lately, I’ve been listening to “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z. A collaboration between Jay-Z and Empire of the Sun would be amazing. I love this song though; it’s gorgeous. It’s an instant classic, and it’s like an anthem. I live in New York so I really love the song.

4. Lykke Li

I really like “Little Bit” by Lykke Li. Her voice is so beautiful. It’s very honest and simple, and it captures the feeling of young love.

5. Peter, Bjorn and John

I really like Peter, Bjorn and John. I love that song “Paris 2004.” It’s such a happy song. It reminds me of a sunny day.

6. Jori Hulkkonen

I really like this song called “Lo Fiction” by Jori Hulkkonen. A friend of mine introduced that song to me over two years ago, and I’m still not tired of it. It’s the kind of music that I love to make. There’s a good electronic beat, but the vocals are melodic and the lyrics are very personal but simple. It reminds me a little bit of “Somebody to Love” because it feels like a nighttime song.

7. Neil Young

8. Leighton Meester

I’ll say my own song, since it’s out now [Laughs].

9. Outkast

10. Gnarls Barkley

I love Gnarls Barkley. I have such a huge variety because good music is good music!

—Rick Florino
10.22.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

A Taste:

Miley Cyrus, The Four Tops, Aretha Franklin, The Postal Service

Kristen Bell is a classy girl.

By glancing at the Astro Boy star’s playlist, a cornucopia of MoTown favorites, it’s easy to recognize that she’s got really good taste in music. However, there is a dark side to her iPod—a VERY dark side.

“I will turn up some Miley Cyrus if it’s on in the car,” she laughs with a stunning smile. “I’m not ashamed of that either; I’m really not [Laughs].”

Cranking a little Miley Cyrus is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, little miss Montana even encouraged Eli Roth to go apeshit for Inglourious Basterds. Even though Bell’s Astro Boy character, Cora, doesn’t bash in Nazi brains with a baseball bat, she’s still a touch cookie.

Bell continues, “I like that Cora is a little bit mysterious. She acts like a tough girl, but she has all of these young maternal instincts to keep this group of runaways together. She’s kind of like their Peter Pan!”

Bell’s a big part of Astro Boy’s modern fairy tale. In order to get into the mood to voice act, she spent a lot of time listening to some of her favorite artists—even beyond Motown and Miley.

Kristen Bell shared her playlist with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino for this exclusive feature. Check out what she’s spinning below and in the video, and don’t miss Astro Boy in theaters everywhere this Friday October 23.

Kristen Bell’s Playlist:

1. Clarence Carter

2. The Spinners

3. The Four Tops

4. Frankie Valli

5. Aretha Franklin

I grew up in MoTown, so I listen to a lot of Clarence Carter, The Spinners, The Four Tops, Frankie Valle or Aretha Franklin.

6. The Postal Service

I really like the Postal Service!

7. Miley Cyrus

She’s got a lot of power over us. She’s got to be respected [Laughs].

8. Jason Mraz

Most of the music I listen to is older, but I also like Jason Mraz and a lot of the easy Jack Johnson beats and coffee house music.

9. Jamiroquai

The Postal Service is good to cruise outer space to because they’ve got that intergalactic beat mixed in. However, I’m going to go High School for you—Jamiroquai. Go with the original Jamiroquia CD because that will rock you!

—Rick Florino
10.20.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

A Taste:

Django Reinhardt, Louie Armstrong, The Smiths

What’s the best way to get really wild?

Well, you can always start by kicking out your favorite jams and going from there!

The cast of Where the Wild Things Are is extremely eclectic and unique, but their respective playlists may be just as wild as they are! Forest Whitaker and Lauren Ambrose both have a devout appreciation for classic jazz, while Catherine O’Hara spends her time enjoying Indian music and Catherine Keener is jamming Karen O. The biggest sonic surprise though comes from the film’s 12-year-old star, Max Records—he loves The Smiths! Well, there’s really no one wilder than Morrissey so it all somewhat makes sense!

Forest, Lauren, Catherine, Max and Catherine talked to ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino about their playlists for this exclusive feature. Check out what they’re all spinning below and don’t miss Where the Wild Things Are this weekend!

Video is also available below! Get wild!

Forest Whitaker’s Playlist:

1. Louis Armstrong

Forest Whitaker: I’ve been listening to some old school jazz from the ’30s—a lot of Louie Armstrong!

Catherine O’Hara’s Playlist:

1. U2

Catherine O’Hara: I’m listening to U2 and Indian music.

Lauren Ambrose’s Playlist:

1. Django Reinhardt

Lauren Ambrose: I’ve been listening to a lot of jazz like Django Reinhardt. That’s what I’m really into. Forest and I should put together a jazz band [Laughs].

Catherine Keener’s Playlist:

1. Karen O — Where the Wild Things Are Soundtrack

Catherine Keener: Karen O is on my playlist! The music for this film is just so appropriate and beautiful.

Max Records’ Playlist:

1. The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs

2. The White Stripes

Max Records: I mostly listen to The Yeah Yeah, Yeah’s and the White Stripes.

Catherine Keener: Weren’t you into The Smiths for a long time?

Max Records: Yup, I was!

Catherine Keener: When I met him, he was a Smiths aficionado!

—Rick Florino
10.16.09

A Taste:

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens

Vince Vaughn knows good tunes.

In fact, he’s a veritable music encyclopedia, spouting off the historical origins of everyone from Led Zeppelin to Merle Haggard at the drop of a hat. Vaughn’s love for music manifests in a different fashion in Couples Retreat though.

In one key scene, he lays it all on the line during an incendiary Guitar Hero showdown during Billy Squier’s “Lonely is the Night.” There’s nothing more epic, or hilarious, than that.

Vaughn shared some playlist selections with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino in this exclusive feature.

Check out Vince’s playlist below and don’t miss Couples Retreat in theaters everywhere now!

Vince Vaughn’s Playlist:

1. Led Zeppelin

2. The Rolling Stones

I think a lot of people’s musical history starts with Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones.

3. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

What I liked about the tour that Robert Plant did with Alison Krauss was Plant really went out of his way to talk about American Roots music. They were trying to sound like the old Appalachian singers and a lot of the blues singers. That’s really who their idols are. That show was wonderful because they played a lot of those Led Zeppelin songs Appalachian-style. It was really, really beautiful.

4. Merle Haggard

5. Buck Owens

I can’t listen to a lot of modern stuff because I’m so in love with the older storytellers. I’ve always said that I think music is the highest art form. Music can take you the farthest the fastest emotionally. There’s sculpture, painting and acting, but sound and song are something else. You can be driving your car and that song comes on, and you’re in tears depending on what it is. Buck Owens and Johnny Cash really had some difficult life experiences, and they were telling the stories of their lives through music. There was no endgame necessarily. It’s like the murals in Belfast. They were based on conflicts. Buck was from Sherman Texas. Like in The Grapes of Wrath, he migrated for work, and he ended up in Bakersfield. Merle Haggard is the only person in the Country Music Hall of Fame who was born in California—Bakersfield. I heard a rumor George Jones asked Merle to move next to him. That’d be interesting. I love George, he’s great. Their songs came out of their life experiences. There’s such depth to them. It’s unbelievable.

—Rick Florino
10.13.09

A Taste:

Led Zeppelin, Kings of Leon, Metallica

“I play kazoo! It’s a really great rock instrument,” laughs Malin Akerman.

Malin has quite the musical sensibility, and it’s one of the reasons that she steals the show more than a few times in Couples Retreat. Her sense of rhythm makes for some impeccable comedic moments. That style probably has something to do with her other gig, fronting The Petalstones. Despite a deep love for music, she doesn’t always have her iPod blaring on set though.

“I don’t really listen to music to get into character,” she continues. “The only time I did was during Watchmen before fight scenes. All I listened to was heavy metal like Primus and the hardest stuff you can think of.”

Typically, Malin dabbles in almost every genre though. She shared her playlist with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino in this exclusive feature. Check it out below and don’t miss her in Couples Retreat in theaters everywhere now!

Malin Akerman’s Playlist:

1. The Rolling Stones

2. Led Zeppelin

3. Metallica

“I’m listening to everything, really. I’m a big fan of old rock n’ roll. I love The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Metallica.

4. Rilo Kiley

“I love Rilo Kiley right now; I’m hooked on them.”

5. Kings of Leon

“I have to say I’m insanely in love with Kings of Leon. I think women can agree! The singer has got a sexy voice [Laughs]. They’re just sexy!”

—Rick Florino
10.12.09

A Taste:

Slipknot, Pantera, Slayer, Deftones

Paranormal Activity is the scariest film of the past decade and one of the year’s best movies.

Like a demon, it takes up residency inside your conscience and rips and tears at every last shard of sanity—until you’re thoroughly, completely and utterly terrified beyond belief. Since it’s the best movie about possession to ever come out, ARTISTdirect.com editor Rick Florino compiled the perfect playlist for the film.

This is the ideal soundtrack for Paranormal Activity, featuring the best anthems of the devil, drugs and bad dreams ever recorded. The only thing scarier would be the licensing cost for all of these KILLER songs…

Check out Rick Florino’s Paranormal Activity playlist below and demand the film NOW! After one-million demands it will infect theaters everywhere, and you too won’t be able to sleep.

Also, speaking of scary, check out Rick Florino’s first illustrated horror novel Dolor: Lila now!

Rick Florino’s Paranormal Activity Playlist:

1. Slipknot — “Purity”

A “love song” about a dead girl in a box…only Slipknot could write a song this entrancing and hypnotic about a subject so sickening and evil. Corey Taylor’s voice engages during the chorus, while ripping a hole right through your soul during the bridge. The paranoia, sense of lost love and connection to good ole Lucifer make this best song for Paranormal Activity’s most emotionally charged freak-out scenes.

2. Deftones — “Rikets”

Chino Moreno questions sanity, himself and basically everything else over a twisted and gnashing guttural riff. As he screams in demonic fashion over a wall of distortion, any apparition would smirk at his unbridled pain. It fits the film’s scenes where characters end up running from the unknown.

3. Korn — “Helmet In the Bush”

As James “Munky” Shaffer cuts through a woozy detuned riff, Jonathan Davis pleads to God for the chance to sleep this one night away without more torment. That’s half the premise of Paranormal Activity right there!

4. Metallica — “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)”

The song’s slow build-up into a thrash massacre mirror’s Paranormal Activity’s catatonic to chaotic flow all too perfectly. Plus, this is just one of the greatest metal songs—EVER.

5. Slayer — “Bloodline”

It’s Slayer. It talks about killing people and dreams. Need I say more. Again, it’s Slayer…all you need to know…

6. Pantera — “By Demons Be Driven”

Phil Anselmo never sounded more possessed as he tears through a refrain given to him by Satan and fueled by Dimebag Darrell’s inimitable fretwork.

7. Acid Bath — “Venus Blue”

Dax Riggs asks, “How much more must we bleed her?” As Paranormal Activity’s Katie Featherstone inches further away from sanity, the question resounds like a demon’s voice in the wind.

—Rick Florino
10.08.09

For more on this incredible film visit the below sites…

Twitter – “Tweet Your Scream”

Facebook

Official Site

Also, be sure to DEMAND the film now to ensure nightmares!

A Taste:

U2

You need a good soundtrack to kill Zombies.

Zombieland is fueled by the perfect mix of heavy metal and classic tunes, making it the most rock n’ roll zombie flick to ever conquer cineplexes. In the film, Woody Harrelson’s Tallahassee is the perfect badass.

He caps zombies first, and doesn’t even bother to ask questions. Every detail of Tallahassee was crucial to Harrelson. He specifically chose for the character to brandish the sawed-off rifle that Steve McQueen had in The Rifleman, and the health conscious Harrelson even managed to play Tallahassee’s Twinkie fixation like a pro.

However, the music proved most important. Harrelson shared his pump-up playlist with ARTISTdirect.com editor Rick Florino for this exclusive feature.

Check out Woody Harrelson’s playlist below and catch Zombieland, in theaters now.

Woody Harrelson’s Playlist:

1. U2 — Pop

To get fired up for something, I think there’s no better album than U2’s Pop, which is probably their least popular album but, to me, it’s their best album and their most underrated. Man, it just rocks! That’s a good one!

—Rick Florino
10.02.09

A Taste:

Metallica, Korn, Alice In Chains, Krishna Das

Johann Urb just wants to rock!

The Eastwick and 2012 star has his fair share of heavy metal on his playlist, and it’s been quite a big part of his life since growing up in Finland. There’s something about hard rock that’s always spoken to Johann, and he talked to ARTISTdirect.com editor Rick Florino about its importance in this exclusive playlist feature.

Check out Johann’s playlist below and don’t miss him on Eastwick on ABC every Wednesday at 10pm!

Johann Urb’s Playlist:

1. Metallica

Growing up in Finland, it was always dark and cold so heavy music spoke to me as a teenager. I still listen to Metallica—they’re possibly my favorite band of all time. They’re fucking brilliant. I love Death Magnetic. I always felt like, even in the early days, they spoke about important issues. For me, nature and taking care of this planet are crucial so we don’t destroy it. In “Blackened,” James Hetfield touches on that lyrically. Even though they’re a metal band, they talk about how fucked up the government is and they address real issues. When they played Russia for the first time, it was incredible. They were connected to it because they were writing about the man. They’re a metal band with a message and deeper meaning. I love that, and it always moves me and rocks me out! As a kid, I would bang my head to the point of neck injury, and there’s no better band to do that to than Metallica. I still listen to them when I want to get fired up, work out or punch somebody—or get sentimental and howl at the moon.

2. Korn

I think nobody does heavy metal better than Korn does. Mixing the DJ factor in and tuning their instruments down, their music is so rad! They can do wrong. It’s great Krav Maga music too!

3. Krishna Das

I’ve got Krishna Das on my playlist. It’s spiritual chanting music, and I love that as well as heavy metal. I could listen to that all day long. When I was living in New York, I went to a lot of Kirtan. It’s awesome. Krishna is mindblowing! The man has made my heart open with his chants. I’ve seen him live more than any other artist. If I had one artist’s music to take to a deserted island with me, this would be it. I would be chanting and chanting until I die.

4. Tool

I love Tool. Those guys are just true artists! Every time I listen to Tool, I find new nuances. Their videos are amazing. They dare to be different and brutally honest. They sing songs that are really morose and crazy, but a lot of the time, I feel the same way they do. Every song is a journey. It’s artistic and meaningful metal that’s innovative, interesting and moving.

5. Wah!

It’s amazing melodies, chants, dance and vocals! I could listen to them all day long. It makes me smile, and it makes me happy.

6. The Black Eyed Peas

They make me want to move and groove. It’s innovative, positive and fun!

7. The Matrix — Soundtrack

The Matrix soundtrack with Deftones and Rage Against the Machine is so badass.

8. Slipknot

When I listen to some of their songs like “Duality,” I just get crazy chills. I like the Stone Sour records too.

9. Alice In Chains

They’re one of my favorite bands ever. Their dark and moody metal is classic and eternal, but rocks your socks off.

10. Breaking Benjamin

11. Disturbed

12. Faith No More

They’re amazing!

13. Godsmack

14. Helmet

15. Ministry

16. Pantera

I’ve got a lot of Pantera on my playlist.

18. Queens of the Stone Age

I love Queens of the Stone Age. I feel like everything’s been done, but they’re still original. Every song is different and cool. I’m so thankful for those guys. Songs for the Deaf is awesome.

19. Prong

20. Sepultura

“Refuse-Resist!”

21. Sevendust

22. Stone Temple Pilots

23. Reket

My cousin’s Estonian rap is super awesome, especially if you can understand Estonian. I dare you to learn it—double, triple dare [Laughs]!

24. Brothers Urb

The songs by my dad and uncle are always touching and close to the heart. My favorite is “Ipanema Speaking.”

—Rick Florino
10.02.09

A Taste:

White Zombie, Slayer, Slipknot, Pantera, Alice In Chains, Devildriver

Surviving Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights is not going to be easy this year.

Chucky’s crazy ass will be on the loose, Michael Myers will be only a few steps behind you and Jigsaw will be behind the curtain manipulating every little detail in an attempt to inflict pure punishment on you. Universal has put together what’s bound to be their scariest and most fright-tastic Halloween Horror Nights yet, and it all kicks off tomorrow, October 2, after their Chiller Eyegore awards!

ARTISTdirect.com editor Rick Florino compiled the perfect playlist of songs for you to listen to in order to get pumped up to out run these iconic screen demons. Crank these tunes and you’re guaranteed to have enough adrenaline to escape…as long as Jigsaw doesn’t plant anything in your car, that is.

Go to Halloween Horror Nights this month!

Halloween Horror Nights Survival Music Mix:

1. White Zombie — “More Human than Human”

This is the best song for any narrow escape! It’s been in more horror movie trailers than we can count including, My Bloody Valentine 3-D, which also has a maze dedicated to it at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. Plus, Mr. Rob Zombie will be present at the Eyegore awards earlier in the evening.

2. Alice In Chains — “Check My Brain”

You’re going to need to check your brain to make sure it’s still there after Michael Myers swings his butcher knife at you! Spin this incredible new Alice In Chains tune at full blast while Michael is coming after you. Jerry Cantrell’s guitar is almost as evil as Myers!

3. Slayer — “At Dawn They Sleep”

It’s Slayer. It’s about vampires. It sounds straight up evil. Need I say more?

4. Pantera — “Living Through Me (Hell’s Wrath)”

Wait until the breakdown where Phil Anselmo starts talking—it’s the most Satanic interlude you’ve ever heard, and that riff will get you running from Michael Myers too!

5. Slipknot — “The Heretic Anthem”

Slipknot crafted the ultimate anti-everything anthem. The double bass, guitar and vocal assault is so deadly it may just help you get off the Terror Tram trip alive if you play it loud enough. Keeping chanting it over and over again, “If you’re 555, then I’m 666…if you’re 555, then I’m 6-6-6…”

6. Devildriver — “Pray for Villains”

With demons all over Universal, you’d better be praying. Devildriver gives the perfect sermon.

7. Ministry — “Psalm 69″

Uncle Al feeds us the gospel of industrial metal, and it’s oh so filling.

8. KoRn — “Sean Olsen”

This eerie early KoRn gem gets really evil, really fast. It’s slow, brooding and sick. It’s also the perfect soundtrack for trying to weave through Jigsaw’s clutches.

9. Deftones — “Headup”

This song has one of the most bludgeoning riffs of all time. Vocalist Chino Moreno also bleeds all over the hook alongside Max Cavalera. Their back-and-forth makes for one of the best metal collaborations ever. It’s great for dodging the scare zones in Universal as well.

10. Nine Inch Nails — “March of the Pigs”

What would any horror playlist be without the prince of pain himself, Trent Reznor? Jigsaw definitely listens to The Downward Spiral.

11. Type O Negative — “Love You to Death”

The ultimate in vampire love ditties…

12. Five Finger Death Punch — “The Bleeding”

You’ll be bleeding inside and out from the Saw maze. Five Finger Death Punch has made the best song to bleed too.

13. Lady GaGa — “Just Dance”

The undead like to get down…Home girl will prob have her own maze one year too…

—Rick Florino
10.01.09

A Taste:

Queen, The Beatles, Flo Rida

V Factory’s Asher Book is about to become quite the pop culture presence.

From starring in Fame to singing on V Factory’s highly anticipated Warner Bros. debut, Asher does it all. He also listens to it all as well!

“I’ve got a very eclectic iPod,” he exclaims. “It’s got a lot of ’80s rock and random stuff. I try to pull from as many different places as possible.”

Asher opened up his iTunes and showed us his playlist for this exclusive feature. Check it out below and don’t miss him in Fame, in theaters today, September 25.

Asher Book’s Playlist:

1. Queen — “Bohemian Rhapsody”

2. The Beatles

3. Flo Rida

4. New Boyz

—Rick Florino
09.25.09

A Taste:

Brian Eno, E.L.O., Human League

“I don’t have anything cool or hip that I listen to,” laughs Phil Lord, co-director of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

Along with filmmaking partner Chris Miller, Phil gave Cloudy a whimsical and warm ’80s feel. Part of that definitely comes from their musical sensibility—which definitely gives New Wave its due.

Phil shared his playlist with ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature. Check it out below and be sure to see Cloudy, in theaters now!

Phil Lord’s Playlist:

1. E.L.O.

2. Human League

3. Brian Eno

4. Escape from New York — Soundtrack

Because of this movie, I got really into ’80s electro pop. I’ve been listening to tons of E.L.O., Human League and John Carpenter soundtracks, like Escape from New York. I’ve got a lot of Brian Eno on my playlist. I think it comes from working with [composer] Mark Mothersbaugh on the film and having such an affinity for his stuff.

—Rick Florino
09.25.09

A Taste:

The Doors, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Lady GaGa

“I think playing music does help with acting,” says Dennis Quaid with a smile. “It actually helps me on talk shows too [Laughs]. They’re both basically getting up in front of a live audience and winging it!”

Quaid’s so good at what he does that it never seems like he’s just winging it though. He can tear up a stage live with his band, The Sharks, and he also manages to tear up the screen in the sci-fi horror epic, Pandorum. In the film, he wakes from a deep hyper sleep to find that he’s definitely not alone in the middle of the galaxy. What follows is truly terrifying.

However, there’s nothing to be scared of on Dennis’s playlist—other than maybe Lady GaGa.

Quaid laughs, “I really like Lady GaGa to tell you the truth—my guilty pleasure!”

Dennis shared his playlist with ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature. Check it out below and don’t miss him in Pandorum, in theaters today, Friday September 25.

Dennis Quaid’s Playlist:

1. The Doors

2. The Beatles

3. The Rolling Stones

4. Aerosmith

“I’m an old school dude!”

5. Lady GaGa

“I’m a junkyard of music actually. I’m a true fan. I definitely dig the classics and Lady Gaga [Laughs].”

—Rick Florino
09.25.09

A Taste:

Jeremih, Drake, Jay-Z, John Mayer

On Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory, Chris “Drama” Pfaff spends a lot of time making mischief with his cousin Rob, but he devotes even more of his time to making music.

Drama has logged time in the studio with Snoop Dogg, The Game, Chris Brown and Keri Hilson, becoming quite the production force in his own right.

However, if causing trouble were an Olympic sport he and his cousin would definitely be gold medalists.

When he’s not on some crazy suburban Los Angeles mission or in the studio, Drama is cranking his favorite tunes. He opened up his iTunes for ARTISTdirect.com and gave us an exclusive look at what he’s spinning. Check out Drama’s playlist below and catch him on Fantasy Factory on Thursdays at 9pm!

Chris “Drama” Pfaff’s Playlist:

1. Jeremih — Jeremih

Right now, I just hit “pause” on the new Jeremih album. He’s the guy who’s famous for “Birthday Sex,” which was actually charting before he had a deal. That’s why they signed him and knocked his shit out right away. I’m actually pretty impressed with the whole record. It’s really growing on me. His follow-up single, “I’m a Star,” is a banger. I’m backing it!

2. 50 Cent — “Baby By Me (Feat. Ne-Yo)

I’m all over the map, man. I just downloaded the new 50 Cent and Ne-Yo song—”Baby By Me.” I feel like 50 might have another hit with this one. I think that Ne-Yo-mainstream power might’ve done it for him. I like it! I’m looking forward to hearing the whole record.

3. Jay-Z — The Blueprint 3

I’m a fan of the new Jay-Z album. It’s really good!

4. Drake — “Forever”

The new Drake song, “Forever,” has been on heavy “repeat” for me. Drake was able to have hit singles, be in videos and establish a name before he even had a deal, which is absolutely insane. To get as far as he did without a label is crazy! My entire existence revolves around having new music to listen to. If I can’t find any new music, I’m bored out of my mind. Everywhere I go I hear the same things. I’ll get three or four new songs and listen to those for like a week straight until I can get three or four more new tracks. I repeat that cycle over and over [Laughs].

5. Trey Songz —Ready

I just bought the new Trey Songz. I’m not mad at it. I feel like that one has to grow on me. You have to listen to it in the right circumstances—with a girl and a bottle of wine or something [Laughs]. It’s pretty serious and love-inspired [Laughs]. It’s good! I’m a Trey fan for sure.

6. John Mayer

7. Jack Johnson

Every morning when I’m driving down to the Fantasy Factory and I’m annoyed at life waiting for my coffee to kick in, I’ll put on either John Mayer or Jack Johnson. I can’t start my day out with Jeremih’s “I’m a Star.” I have to relate to how I’m feeling at the time.

8. Young Jeezy

There are always the Young Jeezy days too!

9. Jay-Z — Kingdom Come

This is kind of random, but my favorite Jay-Z album is Kingdom Come. I was having a debate with Rob about it the other day. To be completely honest, when it comes down to Jay-Z as a whole, I’m not an extreme Jay-Z fan. I don’t go back and listen to old Jay-Z albums because they’re slightly before my time. For some reason, I love the entire Kingdom Come album. It’s so strange. It might be because he went with Dr. Dre on a lot of the songs. There’s an edge to it that I really like. I said that to Rob, and he said, “Man, he doesn’t even have an album called Kingdom Come!” I was like, “Yes, he does!” He responded, “No he doesn’t. You’re completely mistaken!” It just snuck through though. It has “Lost Ones.” The production on the Swizz Beatz song is crazy. Usually his stuff is that sample-heavy Kanye production, but Kingdom Come is all Dre and Swizz Beatz, newer younger producers. It’s just a different sound.

10. Kid Cudi

I’m really curious about the Kid Cudi record. I like stuff that’s left-of-center.

11. Ini Kamoze — “Here Comes the Hot Stepper”

I’ve been DJing lately, and I’ve been going back to old songs that were funny at the time like Ini Kamoze’s “Here Comes the Hot Stepper.” I remember having that in my tape player on a vacation to Myrtle Beach [Laughs].

12. Skee-Lo — “I Wish”

I love that song by Skee-Lo “I Wish.”

13. John Mayer & Rob Dyrdek — “Rob’s Mom”

We did a song for the show with John Mayer that’s going to be on this Thursday’s episode. It came out really funny, as you can imagine. It’s called “Rob’s Mom.” It’s a song apologizing to Rob’s mom. Rob and John were on TMZ about a month ago because there were a bunch of Paparazzi outside of a club. Rob and John decided it’d be funny for Rob to act like he was passed out drunk and for John to carry him out of the club. John is just brilliant at that stuff! John was inside the club Twittering that Rob was wasted and he bit into a glowstick [Laughs]. The paparazzi read his Twitter to see what’s going on, so they all gathered outside of the club. Rob acted like he couldn’t even walk, so it was all over the news and TMZ. It made it all the way back to the Dayton Ohio news—where Rob’s mom lives. It said, “Local celebrity almost dies from drinking too much.” It was all a complete joke though! Needless to say, his mom got upset. She’s real diehard no drinking and no cursing. Rob and John called her, and she yelled at the both of them. So they decided the best way to make up for it was to write a song [Laughs]. It’s pretty ridiculous. John is so crazy musically! We were just in there joking around. John can say whatever he wants, and it sounds amazing. From working with him, I saw him do delays and fade outs on his own with his voice not with Pro Tools. He just really understands how it works all the way through. Working with John taught me a lot.

—Rick Florino
09.15.09

A Taste:

Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Master and Commander Soundtrack

In order to keep a rhythm, Whiteout creator Greg Rucka spends a lot of time listening to music when putting pen to paper.

“I’m working on a novel right now, and I’ve been listening to the Master and Commander soundtrack over and over again,” Greg says smiling. “I’m in love with that soundtrack! I’ve seen the movie three times. The first time, I didn’t like it. The second time, I loved it and, the third time, I loved it even more [Laughs].”

What was he listening to during the creation of Whiteout though?

He laughs, “Vangelis has an album called Antarctica, and I had that on infinite repeat when I was writing Whiteout.”

Warner Brothers’ big screen adaptation of Greg’s icy masterpiece hits theaters on September 11, and it’s the perfect frost-bitten thrill ride. In order to get us closer to his creative process, Greg shared his playlist with ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature.

Check out Greg’s playlist below and be sure to catch Whiteout in theaters!

Greg Rucka’s Playlist:

1. Master and Commander — Soundtrack

2. Vangelis — Antarctica

3. Warren Zevon

When I was younger and wilder, I used to be able to write to Warren Zevon really well, but I can’t do that anymore [Laughs].

4. Miles Davis

5. Stan Getz

6. Charlie Parker

7. Lester Boone

I tend to do jazz. I like my standards—Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Stan Getz and when I’m feeling more adventures Lester Boone and guys like that. I actually find that the older I get the less I can work to lyrics. I have to work to music.

—Rick Florino
09.11.09

A Taste:

The Beatles, Janis Joplin, David Bowie

For Whiteout, Kate Beckinsale got cold—really cold.

Delving into her icy heroine Marshall Carrie Stetko, Kate smiles and says, “The ice is a metaphor for Carrie’s emotional wall. I thought she made a really interesting journey in the movie. There was a lot going on—snow, ice, etc—but I wanted to make sure her situation was really rooted and that she didn’t come across as someone who could definitely handle that situation that came up. I needed to make sure she was vulnerable.”

Kate definitely gives the character a sense of vulnerability as she attempts to solve a grisly murder at the South Pole. Even though the actress had to go to some deep and dark places to make Carrie so complex, it was all worth it.

Whiteout is one of the most faithful and intriguing graphic novel adaptations to come out in the past decade, and it’s because Kate and Co. preserve the darkness inherent in the original work.

“I really did like the fact that she started the movie fairly depressed and bored,” says Kate. “She’s really in retreat, and she’s not a typical hero. She’s more interesting. Having to solve a murder is an awful way to fix your life situation, but I think it makes her get herself together. She’s taken a timeout in her life, and she’s about to get back in it.”

In order to get into characters, Kate typically listens to music. She continues, “I’m extremely sensitive to music. The more I work, the less I listen to certain things recreationally because I know that they can zip me into a certain mood.”

Kate shared her current playlist with ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature, and she’s got quite classy tastes!

Check out Kate’s playlist below and in the video and be sure to see Whiteout on September 11 when it hits theaters everywhere!

Kate Beckinsale’s Playlist:

1. The Beatles

2. James Taylor

3. Janis Joplin

4. David Bowie

“What’s on my playlist? [Laughs] I’m really kind of an old fart about this. Basically, I like anything that happened around Woodstock. I have got a daughter who’s nine now, so I know who Lady GaGa is and I know who Kanye West is [Laughs]. I can identify them. I’m all retro though. I love The Beatles, James Taylor and Janis Joplin. I’m really an old lady like that. David Bowie is another big one for me.”

—Rick Florino
09.08.09

A Taste:

The Black Keys, Dan Auerbach, Sigur Ros

What’s the best way to beat the cold—especially in the South Pole?

By listening to your favorite bands of course…

Alex O’Loughlin and Gabriel Macht had the chance to get chilly with Kate Beckinsale for Whiteout [Warner Bros.]—the pulse-pounding adaptation of Greg Rucka’s highly acclaimed graphic novel. While building this dark mystery, Alex and Gabriel both spent some time with their iPod’s blasting.

So what are they listening to now?

“Right now, I’m actually listening to an audio book, so I’m totally not answering you,” laughs Gabriel.

Alex follows, “He’s the worst! I’m loving The Black Keys‘ Attack and Release at the moment. It’s just crazy. I love Dan Auerbach’s solo stuff too. The guy’s amazing. I saw them play in Sydney last Christmas, and it was incredible.”

Alex and Gabriel both shared playlist selections with ARTISTdirect.com for this exclusive feature. Check them out below and in the video!

Be sure to catch Whiteout in theaters on September 11.

Alex O’Laughlin’s Playlist:

1. The Black Keys

2. Dan Auerbach

3. Kings of Leon

4. TV On the Radio

Alex: “I just missed Kings of Leon because I had to work on my new show Three Rivers you should watch it. Antithetically to Gabriel, I have music running all the time in my life [Laughs]. I feel excited by it.”

Gabriel Macht’s Playlist:

1. Sigur Ros

Alex: What are you listening to besides audio books?

Gabriel: Sigur Ros is who I’m listening to

Alex: Sigur Ros are great!

—Rick Florino
09.07.09

A Taste:

Santogold, Devil Doll, Kings of Leon, Muse

How do you join Sorority Row’s exclusive club?

“Initiation was—Can you salsa dance?” laughs Jamie Chung.

Audrina Patridge adds, “The first night I got there we all went salsa dancing, and we bonded right away. We were very lucky to have such a great cast. It was a great balance with the humor and horror. It was an incredible experience! They made it look like I was actually stabbed. They made this incision that look so real, and I was walking around with this huge hole in my chest with blood everywhere [Laughs].”

Sorority Row has it all. It’s got its fair share of scares and laughs, and Audrina and Jamie had a hand in both. However, they weren’t just listening to salsa music on set. Audrina and Jamie shared their playlists with ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature.

Check out their playlists below and in this exclusive video and catch Sorority Row in theaters on September 11!

Jamie Chung’s Playlist:

1. Santogold

2. Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs

Jamie: I’m kind of obsessed with Santogold and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Audrina Patridge’s Playlist:

1. Santogold

2. Devil Doll

3. Muse

4. Kings of Leon

Audrina: I love Santogold. Devil Doll is actually really good. It’s very jazzy and burlesque, yet rock n’ roll. Muse’s new album comes out soon, and I’m excited about that. I like Kings of Leon too!

Jamie: They’re just so hot [Laughs].

Audrina: I’ve actually seen them a couple of times!

—Rick Florino
09.07.09

A Taste:

Kings of Leon, Shwayze, Radiohead, The Beatles

Extracurricular activities are a staple of the college experience.

Intramural volleyball, community service, debate team and, of course sorority and fraternity life, remain integral to a “well-rounded” education—as any college counselor will tell you.

However, in Sorority Row, Rumer Willis, Leah Pipes, Briana Evigan and Jamie Chung redefine “extracurricular,” by adding “murder” to that list.

After a raucous house party, they accidentally kill their friend Megan [Audrina Patridge] in a prank gone awry.

That most likely wasn’t in their college’s brochure, but Greek life is all about starting new traditions…

In this smokin’ hot slasher flick, the girls try to cover up what happened but someone knows and is hell-bent on making them pay. High-octane horror ensues…

The actresses coped with all of that gore through cranking their favorite bands on set. Briana Evigan, Rumer Willis, shared their blood-splattered playlists for this exclusive feature.

Check out their playlists below and in the video and don’t miss Sorority Row when it hits theaters on September 11!

Briana Evigan’s Playlist:

1. Shwayze

2. Radiohead

3. Coldplay

4. Kings of Leon

5. After Midnight Project

Briana: I’m a dancer, so I have a lot of hip hop albums, but I like listening to totally opposite music—Radiohead, Coldplay, Kings of Leon and After Midnight Project.

6. Cat Stevens

7. The Beatles

Briana: Cat Stevens and The Beatles are some of my favorites. The new stuff’s only fun when you go out, and then you get sick of it really quickly. Not hating on them though…[Laughs]

Leah Pipes’ Playlist:

1. Shwayze

2. Creedence Clearwater Rival

Leah: For my birthday, a friend of mind gave me some Creedence Clearwater Revival CDs, and I never really gave them a chance before. I knew their songs, but now I’m like, “Sold!”

Rumer: “Run Through The Jungle” is like top 5!

Rumer Willis’s Playlist:

1. Shwayze

2. Woodstock

Rumer: For me, I’m all about Woodstock or anything old school and classic rock.

—Rick Florino
09.07.09

A Taste:

The Beatles, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, The Flaming Lips

Elijah Wood is no stranger to a good old fashioned quest.

From the Lord of the Rings series to the animated masterpiece 9, Elijah is used to embarking on emotional, enigmatic epics.

9’s unique art style instantly entranced the actor. “I just fell in love with it immediately,” he says with a smile. “The aesthetic was something I’d never seen before, and the vistas were almost like paintings.”

The end-of-the-world fable comes to life vibrantly, following Elijah’s titular character on an unforgettable quest through the wasteland.

When he’s not saving humanity on screen, Elijah spends a lot of time listening to his favorite bands. “My playlist changes a lot,” he laughs.

Elijah shared his playlist with ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature.

Check out Elijah’s playlist below and in the video. Be sure to catch 9 when it hits theaters on 9/9/09.

Elijah Wood’s Playlist:

1. The Flaming Lips

Lately, I’ve been listening to The Flaming Lips. They’ve got a new record coming out so I’ve been listening to some of their new songs. I’m a huge fan!

2. Kitty, Daisy & Lewis

I’ve been listening to this band called Kitty, Daisy & Lewis from the UK. They do old roots music—all analog recording. It’s amazing.

3. The Beatles

I’ve been listening to The Beatles a lot. Their re-issues are coming up and all the albums are being re-mastered, so I’m on that kick of being totally amazed by that band again.

—Rick Florino
09.07.09

A Taste:

Paul Weller, Arctic Monkeys, Nick Cave

9 is quite beautiful for a tale about the end of the world.

“The film really looks like a painting,” says 9 star Jennifer Connelly. “The use of light is extraordinary. It’s simply stunning.”

The movie remains visually breathtaking, and there’s a certain pronounced rhythm to the narrative. Given that cinematic musicality, we talked to Jennifer about what’s on her playlist right now.

Check out Jennifer’s playlist below and in the video! Don’t miss 9 when it hits theaters September 9, 2009 either!

Jennifer Connelly’s Playlist:

1. Arctic Monkeys

2. Paul Weller

3. John Lennon

4. Nick Cave

“It’s a pretty eccentric list! My kids are kind of obsessed with Arctic Monkeys and Paul Weller. So there’s a lot of Arctic Monkeys, Paul Weller, John Lennon and Nick Cave on my playlist. I’m all over the place!”

—Rick Florino
09.07.09

A Taste:

Autechre, Aphex Twin, Amon Tobin

“I didn’t really set out to change the world of animation,” says 9 director Shane Acker.

However, he just may with his brand new animated epic. In 9, Shane creates a unique and hypnotic world that beckons viewers back. Music definitely plays a big part in his vision, and the filmmaker even utilizes “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” to chilling effect during on sequence.

About the scene, he tells, “That’s a moment of catharsis. We always had the characters playing with the record player, but we didn’t initially know what the music would be. ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ just seemed so right. There’s something really haunting about that single voice singing this melancholy story about longing for a new beginning. It’s such a beautiful scene.”

So what does Shane listen to? He shared his playlist with ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature.

Check out Shane’s playlist below and in the video! Don’t miss 9 when it hits theaters on September 9th, 2009.

Shane Acker’s Playlist:

1. Aphex Twin

2. Björk

3. Autechre

4. Amon Tobin

5. Speedy J

I have really eclectic tastes. I’m a big fan of glitch pop and electronica, so I listen to anything from Aphex Twin to Bjork. I also love Autechre, Amon Tobin and Speedy J. The list goes on! I listen to music all the time. It just stimulates my mind in new ways and allows these creative ideas to flow through me. This electronica non-vocal music somehow inspires worlds for me.

—Rick Florino
09.07.09

A Taste:

Louie Vega, Santogold, Major Lazer

In order to become Gamer’s baddest villain, Terry Crews turned to his iPod.

“I was spinning all kinds of dark music while I was working out in order to go to that place,” says Terry.

While spending extra time in the gym, he kept bumping N.W.A., Marilyn Manson, Lil Jon, Ice Cube and The Cure. It worked—because Hackman is one of the most sinister and psychotic villains to tear up screens in a long time. Anyone that can go toe-to-toe with Gerard Butler deserves props…

Terry’s musical tastes are quite diverse though, and he shared his playlist with ARTISTdirect.com editor Rick Florino in this exclusive feature.

Check out Terry’s playlist below and don’t miss him in Gamer in theaters now!

Terry Crews’ Playlist:

1. Santogold

I’m into Santogold. She’s amazing!

2. Louie Vega

3. Mr. V

4. Juan Atkins

5. Derek Saunders

Because I came up in the Midwest, I’m a big house music fan. I love Louie Vega. He’s my number one DJ. Mr V is just awesome too. I come from the Juan Atkins- and Derek Saunders-era back in Detroit. That was the birth of techno.

6. Biz Markie

There was a time when hip hop, techno and house were all the same—they were all one thing. A lot of people don’t remember it, but I do. Biz Markie actually made one of the baddest house beats ever. It’s a song called “Follow Me,” and it was a big house jam.

7. Dimlight

I get these real crazy remixes on a web site called Tracksource. It’s really good eclectic house. There’s another guy named Dimlight who’s just insane. He reminds me of Diplo—it’s really sampled-up super music. Right now, I’m on Dimlight. It’s so insane and creative. There are crazy beats and weird sounds.

8. Flying Lotus

9. Major Lazer

Major Lazer’s hot!

10. The O’Jay’s

Then I go into the oldies. I love The O’Jay’s. I’m very eclectic with my music. As an actor, you have to be.

11. Nirvana

Kurt Cobain and all of that stuff is just as powerful as Cube is. Pain comes from the same place. That’s it.

—Rick Florino
09.05.09

A Taste:

Cat Stevens, Elvis, Nas

“I’m moving around a lot musically,” laughs Quentin Tarantino as he shuffles through Amoeba Music—Hollywood’s most famous record store.

Tarantino shifts and bends genres better than anyone—not just on screen either. His soundtracks perfectly bridge the gap between artists and styles that may seem a mile apart. For his chop-em-up action epic Kill Bill, he enlisted RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan for original compositions, while Pulp Fiction paired Dick Dale and Ricky Nelson on the same CD. Tarantino has created some seemingly strange but utterly memorable cinematic musical moments, and Inglourious Basterds is no exception at all.

Deploying David Bowie’s “Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)” on the soundtrack for his WWII masterpiece Basterds is the perfect example of Tarantino’s talent for always giving viewers and listeners something delightfully surprising and ultimately unforgettable.

So what does he listen to?

Of course, Tarantino’s playlist is enigmatic to say the least.

While walking around Amoeba, Tarantino shared his current playlist with ARTISTdirect.com for this exclusive feature. Check it out below, pick up the Inglourious Basterds soundtrack now and catch the film in theaters Friday August 21st!

Quentin Tarantino’s Playlist:

1. Cat Stevens — Harold and Maude

Right now, I just got the Cat Stevens’ Harold and Maude soundtrack which had never been made before. I just came out recently, and I find myself listening to that a lot.

2. Nas — “Hate Me Now”

In particularly, I like Nas’s “Hate Me Now.”

3. Elvis

4. Soundtrack — Inglourious Basterds

—Rick Florino
08.20.09

A Taste:

AC/DC, The Cars, The Police

Robert Rodriguez never has to go too far for inspiration.

The director laughs, “My son actually came to me with the initial idea for Shorts. We wanted to make shorts with a bunch of kids, and it worked out because I love doing short stories!”

Rodriguez is also really good at making them too. Shorts is the best family adventure all year because of Rodriguez’s penchant for innovative storytelling and fast-paced action. In fact, some of the more high-octane sequences could stand alongside his best action work like Desperado—minus all of the bullets, blood and four-letter words.

Rodriguez’s kids definitely inspire him, but he’s always turning them on to good music. He continues, “I grew up listening to classic rock. I play my kids the stuff I listened to as a kid. They think The Police is really cool! That was the first album I got. My kids have got Rock Band, and they’re playing all of those songs. It’s hilarious to see that they’re into stuff that I was into when I was their age.”

Right now, he’s just cranking movie tunes. “I play a whole mix of stuff—a lot of soundtracks. I’m really just listening to different scores. They’re all jumbled together.”

Check out some of the bands Robert has turned his kids on to below, make sure to watch our cast interviews and don’t miss Shorts when it hits theaters this Friday. It’s a blast!

Robert Rodriguez’s Playlist:

1. AC/DC

2. The Cars

My kids are into the early ’80s stuff I grew up with like AC/DC and The Cars.

3. The Police

—Rick Florino

08.17.09

Check out other Shorts cast playlists!

Jimmy Bennett & Jolie Vanier

Jon Cryer

A Taste:

Ozzy Osbourne, Guns N’ Roses, Paramore

Jimmy Bennett and Jolie Vanier had a blast making Shorts.

“The entire filming process was so much fun, especially when I was shoving Jimmy in a trash can,” laughs Vanier with a big smile.

For Vanier, fun wasn’t simply relegated to shoving her co-star in the garbage though. She got to play slightly evil as Helvetica Black, and she had the chance to participate in some of the movie’s most imaginative action sequences—including a high speed bicycle chase.

What more could a kid ask for?

Luckily, Jimmy didn’t spend too much time in a trashcan for the film. He had his fair share of adventures as well—wielding a wishing rock that makes all of his character’s wildest dreams come true and squaring off against a bevy of mythical creatures including The Booger Monster.

“Every boy in the entire United States is going to love the Booger Monster,” he exclaims confidently. There’s no doubt about that. It’s a pretty awesome monster.

Both of the kids spent some time listening to music on set in order to get pumped up for the big scenes. They shared their playlists with ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature. Check them out below and catch Shorts this Friday!

Jimmy Bennett’s Playlist:

1. Ozzy Osbourne — No More Tears

I like to listen to Ozzy Osbourne. Personally, I like No More Tears. That has to be my all-time, number one favorite album. I love “Mr. Tinkertrain.” I just did an independent movie with Zakk Wylde called Bones!

2. Black Sabbath

3. Guns N’ Roses

I like Black Sabbath, Guns N’ Roses and stuff like that but I don’t like to listen to all the songs that are overplayed, I like to go back into all of the old stuff that not every kid listens to. When we had to do the crazy ending scene, I tried to pump myself up with some cool music like that.

Jolie Vanier’s Playlist:

1. Paramore

I like Paramore. I think they’re a really cool band. I definitely have one favorite song— “Decode.”

—Rick Florino
08.18.09

A Taste:

Radiohead, Weezer

“I loved playing Dad Thompson because I didn’t even have a first name [Laughs]. That’s the way it should be,” laughs Jon Cryer about his part in Shorts. “It’s great to make a kid’s movie because you just have fun shooting it. You don’t have to take yourself seriously, and as an actor you can just be silly.”

Cryer definitely got into the paternal role because it was so much fun. However, the film’s intriguing narrative structure pulled him in even deeper. He continues, “It’s like the same structure as Pulp Fiction, but it’s a kid movie. I remember thinking, ‘I don’t think anyone is going to get shot in the face!’”

Luckily no one does! Cryer shared his playlist with ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature. Check it out in the video below and catch him in Shorts this Friday!

Jon Cryer’s Playlist:

1. Radiohead

2. Weezer

On my playlist is everything from piano orchestral music to Radiohead to Weezer. Mine goes all over the place. Generally when I’m in my trailer all I do is work on my lines because I’m terrible at remembering my lines [Laughs].

—Rick Florino
08.18.09

A Taste:

David Bowie, Damien Rice, Arcade Fire, Britney Spears

“There are so many emotions in Inglourious Basterds,” says Melanie Laurent. “[It’s] so funny, violent, cruel and dramatic!”

There’s also a lot of great music in the film, and it definitely helped set the mood for the actors. In addition to being one of the most action-packed WWII films in recent memory, Basterds is an emotional rollercoaster. The character that undergoes the biggest personal evolution is Laurent’s Shosanna Dreyfus. After losing her family at the hands of Nazi Col. Hans Landa, she gets an unexpected opportunity for revenge against the Third Reich in one of the most ways possible. You’ll have to see it though…

Certain tunes prepared Laurent for her character’s violent apotheosis—some of those selections are quite surprising.

Check out Melanie Laurent’s playlist in the video below and don’t miss her in Inglourious Basterds in theaters this Friday August 21.

Melanie Laurent’s Playlist:

1. David Bowie — “Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)”

The music in the movie, like this Bowie song, is amazing. It was just really cool!

2. Arcade Fire

3. Damien Rice

4. Craig Armstrong

5. Jack Bell

6. Britney Spears

I listened to her in Cannes when I had to motivate myself [Laughs].

—Rick Florino
08.17.09

A Taste:

The Misfits, Iron Maiden, Guns N’ Roses, Hannah Montana

Being from Boston, Eli Roth is naturally pretty good with a baseball bat. That’s why his Basterd, Sgt. Donny Donowitz, brandishes one in Quentin Tarantino’s WWII masterpiece Inglourious Basterds. Instead of cracking homeruns out of Fenway Park, Donowitz cracks skulls behind enemy lines.

The bat was Roth’s touch for the character too. Smiling, he laughs, “Everybody in Boston has a bat in the car for traffic confrontations. In that city, you really feel like you’re going to get your ass kicked every five minutes [Laughs].”

That’s why Roth’s Beantown basher in Basterds is constantly ready for war and pursuing this goal of complete violent apotheosis—in the most classical yet bloody fashion. Roth continues, “Donny was always there to become this hero. He wants fight on behalf of those that can’t fight. He just wants to kill them but he knows he’s the strongest one. Brad [Pitt] and I were in character all the time. We never broke it. The movie gave us permission to act like that all the time.”

One thing that he didn’t have to add to the character was the Boston accent though. “It drives me crazy when there are bad Boston accents in movies,” the auteur and actor laughs “To be a Jewish badass from Boston, I was like, ‘This is my chance!’ I went back there, hung out at Revere Beach, lifted weights and put on 40lbs of muscle for the part. I went crazy. I put everything I had into it.”

He also cranked a lot of music to prepare for the role, and his playlist might surprise you. Check out Roth’s playlist below in this video and don’t miss Inglourious Basterds this Friday August 21.

Eli Roth’s Playlist:

1. The Misfits

2. Iron Maiden

3. Guns N’ Roses

4. Danzig

There are different things that psych me up. I was listening to The Misfits, Iron Maiden and Guns N’ Roses—all of the ’80s heavy metal parking lot music that I grew up with.

5. Hannah Montana

Then my girlfriend put Hannah Montana on my iPod. I was like, “What is this?” I went crazy! I just started going nuts [Laughs]. Whenever I wanted to go to my psycho place, I’d put on Hannah Montana and go insane. So don’t ever let me loose at a Hannah Montana concert with a bat [Laughs].

—Rick Florino
08.16.09

A Taste:

David Bowie, Nina Simone, Coldplay, Bach

Diane Kruger gives one of the most intriguing screen performances of this year. In Inglourious Basterds, she breathes life into actress-turned-double-agent Bridget Von Hammersmark. In a character turn that’d make Hitchcock’s head spin, Kruger is playing an actress playing a spy. The stunning Kruger manages to pull it all off flawlessly too—giving every aspect of Bridget equal attention.

“It’s fun to play that kind of actress,” she explains. “The ’40s were such a fabulous time for women. When you watch movies from the ’40s, acting was different back then. Bridget’s a commanding presence. The most fun part was getting down and dirty with the boys. You get to see the real Bridget and you get to see her unravel.”

Kruger’s got quite an eclectic musical palette too.

She gave ARTISTdirect.com an exclusive look at her playlist in this feature. Check out Diane’s playlist in the video below and don’t miss her in Inglourious Basterds this Friday August 21st.

Diane Kruger’s Playlist:

1. David Bowie — “Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)”

That David Bowie song from Basterds is on my playlist. It’s fantastic. It stays with you.

2. Nina Simone

I love Nina Simone.

3. Coldplay

I really like Coldplay. I’m a big music fan. Other than heavy metal, I can deal with everything [Laughs].

4. Bach

I use classical music every time I have to do an emotional scene. There’s a sonata by Bach that I really like. It always makes me cry.

—Rick Florino
08.16.09

A Taste:

David Bowie, Grindhouse Soundtrack, LCD Soundsystem

“Hunting Nazis is a good job if you can get it,” says B.J. Novak with a big smile.

Novak had the pleasure of popping off rounds at those Nazi scumbags in Quentin Tarantino’s WWII epic Inglourious Basterds. In the film, he’s a member of the eponymous unit charged with scalping the enemy and going right for the head honcho himself, Hitler. As PFC Utivich, The Office star definitely got the rhythm of scalping and murdering Nazis down to a science.

However, he had a solid selection of music on his iPod to help him get in to the “scalpin’ mood.”

“I actually have stolen a lot of songs from Quentin Tarantino,” he says. “I got into the Grindhouse soundtrack a lot when we were filming this movie. I also really listened to some of the songs that I knew were going to be in this movie like the David Bowie song ‘Cat People (Putting Out the Fire.’ I put that on my iPod.”

Novak opened up his playlist for ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature. It’s definitely influenced by Mr. Tarantino! Check out Novak’s playlist in the video below and don’t miss him in Inglourious Basterds, Friday August 21.

B.J. Novak’s Playlist:

1. Soundtrack — Grindhouse

2. David Bowie — “Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)”

3. LCD Soundsystem

I’ve been really into LCD Soundsytem recently!

—Rick Florino
08.16.09

A Taste:

Strauss, Möller, Mozart

Classical music can be pretty evil.

Some of those symphonies and sonatas are so epic that they’re scary.

For Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, actor and classical music aficionado Christoph Waltz became one of the most sinister screen villains of the past decade, Nazi Col. Hans Landa. Nicknamed “The Jew Hunter,” the character’s entire life revolves around hunting his prey with no remorse, regret or regard. Waltz gives Landa a wicked sense of humor that makes him instantly unforgettable.

“I listen to music all the time,” says Waltz. “Rhythm is not just in music. It’s life. How we communicate is basically rhythm—how we throw back and forth and tune into each other’s intentions. I don’t apply specific pieces of music to specific moments in preparing a role, but maybe I should try that [Laughs].”

Christoph shared some his favorite composers with ARTISTdirect.com for this exclusive feature. Check it out below in the video and don’t miss him in Inglourious Basterds this Friday August 21!

Christoph Waltz’s Playlist:

1. Strauss

2. Mahler

3. Mozart

—Rick Florino
08.16.09

A Taste:

Montell Jordan, Boyz II Men, The Beatles, Jay-Z

Jeremy Piven gave ARTISTdirect.com a big treat.

In celebration of The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard, his fantastically funny new Paramount comedy, Piven got us close to his character, Don Ready—real close. In fact, Piven runs down “Don Ready’s Pump-up Playlist” in this highly exclusive video. He shows us what the best songs to get psyched up for a crazy day of selling used cars are. You’re not going to believe the selections either.

You’re going to have to watch it to find out the best way to get pumped for a long day of slinging used metal…

The video is utterly uproarious! Check it out here and below!

Don’t miss The Goods when it hits theaters this Friday!

—Rick Florino
08.11.09

A Taste:

Mildred, Michelle Gonyay

In It Might Get Loud, Jack White discusses his deep blues background while getting the chance to volley licks and riffs back and forth with Jimmy Page and The Edge.

However, when it comes to actually listening to music, The White Stripes main man can only listen to artists that he’s working with. White shared his playlist with ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature. Check it out below and catch It Might Get Loud in theaters this Friday!

Jack White’s Playlist:

1. Mildred

“I’ve been recording a lot lately. I just opened this institution in Nashville, and I’ve been producing records and listening to a lot of artists that I’m producing. There’s this goth punk named Mildred and a girl Michelle Gonyay, who’s an accordion player. I’ve been playing drums behind her. I can only listen to music I’m working on. I can’t listen to anything else because I don’t want to copy it.”

2. Michelle Gonyay

—Rick Florino
08.10.09

A Taste:

Rage Against the Machine, Common, Arctic Monkeys, Ben Harper

Once you get Barbara Streisand’s stamp of approval, you’ve officially made it.

Not that anyone is actively seeking it, or should be for that matter, but it’s quite an accolade nonetheless. Jeremy Piven got it because of his uproariously funny performance as Don Ready in The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard [Paramount] alongside Babs’ hubby James Brolin.

“The movie was as funny as I’d thought it be,” Piven laughs with a big smile. “Barbara Streisand liked it. I don’t know if she thought it was going to work, but guess what it worked! It worked, Babs [Laughs]!”

It works because Piven has got rhythm. He continues, “I’ve played the drums and I have my whole life. Maybe having some sort of rhythm helps with timing.” That makes it easy from him to slyly slip into Don Ready’s car salesman skin, and his performance has made for one of the funniest films of the whole year.

Music definitely helps him on set too. “Music can be so powerful for me,” continues Piven. “I remember when I was doing Smokin’ Aces, the director Joe Carnahan would actually play music. It can always get you to a place you want to get to. The Goods has more of a Sam & Dave kind of soundtrack. That’s the part where you put Sam and Dave under this entire interview [Laughs].”

Piven just plain rocks, and he spends a lot of time cranking his favorite bands. He shared his playlist with ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature.

Check out Jeremy Piven’s playlist below and don’t miss him in The Goods this Friday!

Jeremy Piven’s Playlist:

1. Ben Harper — White Lies for Dark Times

Right now I’m listening to the new Ben Harper. I like that.

2. Arctic Monkeys

The new Artic Monkeys is good too.

3. Rage Against the Machine

I listen to a lot of Rage Against the Machine. I like almost every single Rage record. They’re pretty great! I like them live—they’re really great live.

4. Common

I’m also cranking some world beat stuff and a little Common. The last Common record [Universal Mind Control] was good.

5. Afrika Bambaataa

6. The Goods

The Goods should come out with a soundtrack because the music’s pretty cool in it. I like the retro stuff like the “Fox On The Run” song that plays on the trailer. I’m not going to tell you what to do, but you will be doing it [Laughs].

—Rick Florino
08.10.09

A Taste:

Brigitte Bardot, Pete Tex, Man Man, Whitney Houston

In Paper Heart, Charlyne Yi and true-life beau Michael Cera dissect everyone’s favorite L-word—love.

Through an innovative structure and a heartwarming story, Yi explores what love is. She’s not “Trippin’ On a Hole in a Paper Heart” as legendary Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland would say. Instead, she interviews people from all facets of life and social strata—from ministers to children—to find meaning. Yi leaves no stone unturned in her quest, and it makes for poignant and powerful cinematic experience.

In this exclusive feature, Yi opened up her iTunes and shared her playlist with ARTISTdirect.com. Check out her playlist below and see Paper Heart on August 7th!

Charlyne Yi’s Playlist:

1. Brigitte Bardot – “Laiappareil a Sous”

It makes me happy.

2. Pete Tex — “Unchained Melody” (Lounge Masters: Crazy Saxophones)

Saxophones are funny because they make things sound sexy-ish. I also happen to really love this song.

3. Santo & Johnny — “Sleepwalk”

Heartbreaking song. “Ritchiieeeee!!!”

4. Man Man — “Doo Right”

I like doo-wop. And most contemporary doo-wop is so/so. But this song is great.

5. Whitney Houston — “How Will I Know?”

I used to dance to this when I was a kid.

6. Biz Markie — “Just Friends”

I totally relate to this song; it’s like the story of my life.

7. Drakkar Sauna — “Very Much Alone (Pt. 2: The Coke Binge)”

I saw them perform over 3 years ago and never forgot them.

8. Marty Friedman — “Thunder March”

Makes me feel heroic and want to fight bad guys. It’s great.

9. Pyotr llyich Tchaikovsky — “Nutcracker: Act 2: Pas De Deux”

It’s wonderful. It tells a story without any words.

10. Beirut — “Nantes”

Beautiful music. And amazing energy live.

—Rick Florino
08.05.09

A Taste:

Black Eyed Peas, Linkin Park, Adele

In order to tackle Cobra in G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra, Channing Tatum had to find the right tunes.

Music can be crucial on set, so Channing cranked DMX and Kanye West to get primed for his big action sequences. Watching the pulse-pounding final product, he definitely made the right choice. His Duke is always ready to kick some serious ass, and the music certainly helped.

Channing shared his playlist with ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature. Check it out below and catch G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra in theaters Friday!

Channing Tatum’s Playlist:

1. Black Eyed Peas — “I Gotta Feeling”

I’ve been listening to a lot of Black Eyed Peas lately. For some reason, I can’t stop playing the song “I Gotta Feeling” [Laughs]. Every time I hear it, I just feel good immediately. I think Black Eyed Peas are doing it really, really well.

2. Adele

I love Adele’s stuff! She always soothes me and calms me down.

3. IZ

I’m really into this Haiwaiian artist named IZ.

4. Lynyrd Skynyrd — “Sweet Home Alabama”

I listen to a lot of old stuff like country music. I love Lynyrd Skynrd—”Sweet Home Alabama” and stuff like that. Skynyrd is always a good go-to!

5. DMX

To get pumped up I’ll listen to DMX or Kanye West.

6. Kanye West

7. Linkin Park

I love Linkin Park as well!

—Rick Florino
08.04.09

A Taste:

Transformers Soundtrack, Black Hawk Down Soundtrack, Johnny Clegg

What’s the best way to unwind after a long day of running from the law and fighting hostile aliens?

Crank some tunes!

That’s exactly what District 9’s star Sharlto Copley did after filming some of the more intense action sequences in Neill Blomkamp’s new sci-fi epic. However, what he was spinning is a bit surprising.

“I was listening to the Transformers soundtrack a lot,” laughs Copley. “I don’t listen to music to get into character, but I do listen to it to zone out of things when I’m on the way to the set or sitting in my trailer—during the few brief moments that could happen [Laughs].”

Sharlto truly immersed himself in this world, becoming his character Wikus. He continues, “As a character actor in improvisation mode, you are the character or you’re not. There’s no in-between. There’s no thought involved in it. You really just switch it on or switch it off.”

Sharlto shared his playlist with ARTISTdirect.com for this exclusive feature. Check it out below and don’t miss District 9 when it hits theaters on August 14!

Sharlto Copley’s Playlist:

1. Transformers — Soundtrack

I listen to a lot of movie soundtracks. I really enjoy them. As it happens, there was quite a lot of music from Transformers going on for me during District 9.

2. Black Hawk Down — Soundtrack

I listened the Black Hawk Down soundtrack as well. I love it! That’s a great one.

3. Johnny Clegg

I listen to some South African musicians too—guys like Johnny Clegg that have got very defined South African sounds.

—Rick Florino
07.30.09

A Taste:

Radiohead, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson

In The Ugly Truth, Bree Turner’s Joy gets big laughs alongside Katherine Heigl’s neurotic news show producer Abby. Joy grounds Abby, while providing some hilarious perspectives on dating, sex and love. It’s a performance that shows just how talented Turner is.

Coming from the dance world, Turner’s got a very rhythmic acting style. So we sat down with her and talked about some of her favorite music. In this feature, Bree gave us a tour of her playlist.

Check it out below and catch Bree in The Ugly Truth in theaters now!

Bree Turner’s Playlist:

1. Radiohead

I was so into being “indie” about music when I was younger. I would always reject the mainstream [Laughs]. In the mid 90s, Radiohead was it for me. I saw them in a coffee shop in San Francisco in front of 100 people right before The Bends came out. This is what I was doing with my time then—searching out the coolest musical shit. Now, I find myself really wanting to listen to Kelly Clarkson and Pink [Laughs]. I’m not even afraid to admit it. I love pop now. It’s so happy and fun.

2. Kelly Clarkson

She just makes happy, feel-good songs.

3. Pink

4. Ray LaMontagne

I love Ray LaMontagne. When you see him person, he doesn’t look how you think he’s going to look. His performances are so authentic. I’m going to listen to whatever’s authentic.

5. Katy Perry

I jam to that Katy Perry song “Hot N Cold!”

6. Lady GaGa

7. Pearl Jam

Pearl jam is so good. I loved that Into the Wild soundtrack that Eddie Vedder did too.

8. Ryan Saliman

He’s my brother-in-law. It’s the perfect album. I love albums that are all the same vibe. It’s super chill sounds like vintage Tom Petty.

—Rick Florino
07.24.09

A Taste:

Taylor Swift, Kimya Dawson, Ozzy Osbourne

Orphan will give you nightmares.

Those come courtesy of Esther played by the phenomenal Isabelle Fuhrman. The Coleman family has just adopted the bright young Russian girl, but they soon realize she’s different—very different. Bad things begin happening, and true horror follows.

In Esther, Isabelle conjures pure evil, constantly shifting from nice to nefarious. It’s a performance that sticks with audiences and will no doubt establish the twelve-year-old as a true screen presence.

However, Isabelle really just wants to rock.

She shared her playlist with ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature, and it was quite surprising. She explains, “I listen to tons of different music. I don’t have a specific genre that I like. I listen to Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato. Then I’ll listen to Kimya Dawson from the Juno soundtrack or Ozzy Osbourne [Laughs].”

After seeing Orphan, Ozzy will make perfect sense. Be sure to catch it in theaters this Friday!

Isabelle Fuhrman’s Playlist:

1. Taylor Swift

2. Demi Lovato

3. Kimya Dawson

4. The Juno Soundtrack

5. Ozzy Osbourne

—Rick Florino
07.22.09

A Taste:

Bob Dylan, The Fugees, Dave Matthews Band

Hope Olaide Wilson has got the new Black Eyed Peas song, “Boom Boom Pow,” stuck in her head at the moment.

She laughs, “I can’t tell if I hate it or I love it, but I’m always singing it!”

Fergie and Co. tend to have that effect. Hope is the star of Tyler Perry’s forthcoming fall comedy, I Can Do Bad All By Myself [Lions Gate], and she happens to have quite a diverse musical palette. In this exclusive feature for ARTISTdirect.com, Hope opened up her iTunes and shared what she’s spinning.

Check out Hope’s playlist below and catch her in I Can Do Bad All By Myself this fall!

Hope Olaide Wilson’s Playlist:

1. Bob Dylan — “Ain’t Talkin’”

I’ve been listening to a lot of Bob Dylan. One song I really love is about nine minutes long, and it’s called “Ain’t Talkin’.” It’s this weird story about walking alone through this mystic garden, and then he gets attacked. It’s really cool; it’s like a weird fairy tale mystery. It’s one of my favorites. The lyrics are amazing, and he’s such a great storyteller. It’s literally like you’re reading a thriller [Laughs].

2. Dave Matthews Band — “Busted Stuff”

Dave has a song called “Busted Stuff” that I love. I play that one over and over again all the time.

3. The Fugees — “Ready or Not”

I’ve been listening to “Ready or Not” a lot. It reminds me of when I first moved to America for some reason. It was played all the time around then.

4. Nick Drake — “Time Has Told Me”

I love everything he’s done. I was introduced to his music on accident, and I was so excited when I heard it. I really wanted to see him in concert, but I found out that he died really young. His music is amazing. My favorite song is called “Time Has Told Me.” All of his songs are really haunting and beautiful. He’s really talented but not really people know about him, and his music gets passed on by word of mouth. He didn’t quite to get to taste his success or how big he’d be. After he died, he sort of became an icon.

5. Tracy Chapman — “The Promise”

I love “The Promise.” It’s really pretty and simple. I love songs that tell stories but are beautiful in their simplicity. They can take you somewhere without all of these crazy hooks and beats.

6. Imogen Heap — “Hide and Seek”

7. Black Eyed Peas — “Boom Boom Pow”

I can’t get this song out of my head! It’s constantly playing, and I listen to it at the gym a lot. I can’t stop singing it [Laughs].

8. Metric — “White Gold”

They’re this weird retro pop rock band. They’ve got a song called “White Gold” that I really like.

9. The Beatles — “Yet to Stay”

I listen to them again and again!

10. Coldplay — “Swallowed in the Sea”

Their songs are beautiful. I think I’m going through a weird haunting music phase or something, but I love listening to them [Laughs]. They have this song called “Swallowed In the Sea,” and it’s just really pretty. I love to sing it all the time.

11. Counting Crows — “Color Blind”

It’s so beautiful! I love this song!

—Rick Florino
07.21.09

A Taste:

Bob Dylan, Arctic Monkeys, The French Kicks

Adam Brody’s feeling quite inspired lately.

Maybe it’s the fact that he’s in one of the most intriguing dramas of the year, Death In Love. Or maybe it’s because he’s got the dark and sexy Jennifer’s Body with Megan Fox on the horizon for September. Most likely though, his state of inspiration is because he’s going through a series re-education musically.

“Music is a big part of my life so I try to take it with me in whatever I do. I’ve been on a real classic rock kick lately though,” laughs Brody.

That “classic rock” kick has inspired him to check out all kinds of stuff that was under his nose for years but he never delved into until now. Brody turned his iPod and gave ARTISTdirect.com an exclusive look at what’s rocking his world right now.

Check out his playlist below and don’t miss his incendiary performance in Death In Love out now.

Adam Brody’s Playlist:

1. Bob Dylan

Right now, I’m all about Bob Dylan. My brother has seen him a bunch of times and is a huge fan. Obviously I’ve listened to some stuff over the years. However, it’s taken me this long to get very into him. Now that I’m into him, I feel like an idiot for taking 20 million years to do it! He’s the coolest guy who ever lived [Laughs]. I really like all of his albums from the ’70s. If you’re a Bob Dylan fan, you’d know these albums. However, I didn’t. I really like John Wesley Harding. I love Blood on the Tracks. I like Self-Portrait. He’s got such a huge catalog, and that’s what I love about him the most. What a wordsmith, man! Especially on top of good beats and music…I’m not a lyric guy first. I listen to the tune and the lyrics typically grab me after. His lyrics are so amazing that you can’t help but be sucked in anyway. He was so young when he was writing about what he was writing about. He’s so cool and manly. Poetry about being a hobo—love it.

2. The French Kicks

I love them. I can never get sick of The French Kicks! Their latest album is great.

3. Arctic Monkeys

Arctic Monkeys released an EP the other day. I totally like the new song they put out. They’re as cool as it gets too. They played Saturday Night Live on their first album, and it was so awesome. They played a five-minute song with a huge musical intro and outro. They were so confident and cocky. They just did their thing and rocked so hard! They get really heavy. Interpol is also one of my favorite bands, and I see some similarities between them and Arctic Monkeys. They have these big instrumental buildups and breakdowns but they’re all very precise. Even when they trade guitar licks, they’ll use two guitars and make one constant sound. I don’t how to describe it. I like Arctic Monkeys’ song structure among other things. I like that, like Interpol, their stuff gets so heavy and loud but they don’t really have to move a lot. They’re not playing with a lot of energy. Their music does it all.

4. Interpol

Their first album is still the best to me. I love that they haven’t put out too much—just three albums and a couple EPs. I like prolific songwriters too. They’re the opposite of Bob Dylan. I appreciate his vast song book, but I’m also a fan of economy and believe that sometimes less is more. I appreciate just a solid album a couple of years. I like whittling it down—a small compact collection. I think the same could be said about their music.

5. Neil Young

I’ve been doing Neil Young a lot, especially On the Beach.

6. Janis Joplin

I downloaded some Janis Joplin the other day, and it’s blowing my mind it’s so good. I’d never got into her before now though.

7. Wilco

The new Wilco is pretty cool.

8. My Morning Jacket

9. The Fleetwoods

I’ve been listening to a lot of Doo Wop—soda pop stuff like this band The Fleetwoods. They’re from the ’40s, and they’re amazing. I think they sang “Lollipop” but they have many more songs that are famous. I’ve been running the whole gamut musically, but I’ve been going older more recently. If a new band comes out now that I know I like, I’ll get it but I’ve given up trying to keep up with new bands. I don’t care about being a “new band guy” anymore. If it’s good enough, it’ll stand the test of time.

—Rick Florino
07.17.09

A Taste:

Ralph Stanley, Mark Johnson, Tony Trischka

Steve Martin can shred on the banjo.

Given his impeccable comedic timing, it makes sense that the legendary comedian has got rhythm. He’s been plucking the strings for a long time, and it certainly shows on his brand new banjo record The Crow [Rounder]. Martin doesn’t simply play though. He’s immersed himself in the instrument and the bluegrass culture.

Right now, he’s spinning lots of talented banjo masters. He shared his playlist with us in the exclusive feature, giving us a few suggestions for entering the bluegrass world. Check out his playlist below.

Steve Martin’s Playlist:

1. Ralph Stanley

2. Mark Johnson

I’m listening to a lot of banjo. There are a lot of new guys that I love listening to.

3. Peter Wernick

4. Tony Trischka

5. John Mceuen

6. Mike Schneider

He’s a great banjo player. I’m meeting new people by playing banjo. It’s a great community. Everyone that I’ve met is friendly, loves music and is very smart.

—Rick Florino
07.13.09

A Taste:

Avenged Sevenfold, Escape the Fate, Shiny Toy Guns, Flyleaf

“I tend to like newer bands more than older bands,” says Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider.

That’s a surprising statement from a genre mainstay like Snider. He was a big catalyst in pushing metal into massive popularity in the ’80s, and he remains a fixture in pop culture due to his radio shows, film projects and much more. However, the man loves new music!

In fact, his daughter is his biggest influence. He laughs, “She is always filling my iPod up with a new shit—a lot of screamo! I listen to it while I’m working out!”

One project that Snider is particularly psyched about is the sequel to the first film he wrote and starred in, the cult classic Strangeland. He tells, “We start principal photography in October. It’s called Strangeland: Disciple. Robert Englund is coming back reprising his role. Of course, I’m back. We’re looking at 2010 for release. Strangeland was my first movie. I’m happy with it. I launched the torture genre of movie with Strangeland. The makers of Saw and Hostel are all Strangeland fans. This movie is very intense, and I’m going to take back the sick motherfucker crown [Laughs].”

In between vying for his crown and releasing the fantastic reissue of Twisted Sister’s Stay Hungry [Rhino], Dee opened up his iTunes and gave ARTISTdirect.com an exclusive look at his playlist. Check it out below.

Dee Snider’s Playlist:

1. Escape the Fate

I tend to discover things a little bit later because music isn’t my focus anymore. My kids turn me on to shit. I love Escape the Fate! I like that they get the ’80s without imitating the ’80s. They bring it into what they do but they have a very modern sound. I went to see them in New York, and they’ve sold a couple hundred thousand units but the place was sold out. People were out of their fucking minds! Young bands have got to stay on the road because that’s where they make their money. It’s a different world out there now.

2. Death Before Dishonor

I also like Death Before Dishonor. They’re a real sledgehammer of a hardcore band—just fucking brutal.

3. Dethklok

I like Dethklok a lot.

4. Shiny Toy Guns

One band I dig is Shiny Toy Guns. They’re fucking great!

5. Flyleaf

Flyleaf is great. They’re not screamo, but they definitely have their moments. There are so many factions within heavy music. Sometimes I’ll say a band is hardcore, and my kids will go, “They’re not hardcore! That’s screamo!” Okay, what the fuck? I just like it [Laughs]. Even back in the day, I really fought that notion of so many sub-genres. I’ve been around since heavy metal was born. I did my part to destroy the Woodstock Nation because it sucked. Even back in the ’80s, people would ask, “What’s real metal?” There was pop metal, hair metal, thrash metal, fake metal, etc. I always felt like we were only hurting the genre by subdividing and not supporting each other. Maybe you’re not a fan of some types of metal, but at least be supportive for the genre as a whole. Now that metal’s more popular again, the sub-genres exist. That’s basically the deal with that shit. The style hasn’t died though. Rock Band and Guitar Hero turn kids onto the music and break it down so they get why it was cool. They look at the song parts and say, “That’s fucking badass.” I can appreciate that. A lot of the newer bands do a lot more screaming than singing. Back in the day people thought what I did was screaming [Laughs].

I remember a conversation with the president of my record label. They were getting to introduce Twisted Sister and they wanted to introduce a more commercially oriented producer and video director. They wanted to bring these elements in but we were a metal band. I was arguing with these guys to death. I was like, “We’ve got to protect the fans!” He said, “How many fans do you think you have?” This was in ‘82 or ‘83. I said, “I don’t know, about 100,000.” He responded, “What do you want—the 100,000 fans you’ve got or the 900,000 who are going to make your album platinum?” Now, the correct answer is “both,” but I was kind of thrown off by the statement. You’ve got to get the masses involved. If you don’t crossover, you’re band is going to die. No record company is going to keep you around for 100,000 units. Back in the day, the majors would dump you for that. Throw all of your children in the ocean and keep the ones that don’t drown. What’s the logic there? A lot of good bands get lost because they weren’t able to hit the road hard on their own. From day one, Twisted Sister never really got any support. We had to make our own scene. We were fighting disco music, which was a nightmare. We thought, “What can we do to get people’s attention and make them remember us as opposed to other joe-blow bands that were there?” For awhile, it was putting on women’s clothing and makeup. I was buying my clothing at women’s shops. You’ve got to be remembered. So I was the scary Muppet guy [Laughs].

6. Avenged Sevenfold

I love Avenged Sevenfold. Their last album should’ve gotten a lot more appreciation than it did. It’s a sign of the times. People just move on to a new flavor too quickly.

7. Coheed & Cambria

Coheed and Cambria definitely deserves recognition.

8. Devil Wears Prada

Devil Wears Prada is on my iPod too.

9. Bullet for My Valentine

I’m enjoying Bullet for My Valentine’s shit too. My daughter’s 13 and she loads this shit up for me.

10. Drop Dead Gorgeous

I like Drop Dead Gorgeous too.

11. I Am Ghost

I Am Ghost is very cool. There are a lot of great new bands out there!

—Rick Florino
07.10.09

A Taste:

Michael Jackson, Crookers, Justice, Chromeo

Taboo of The Black Eyed Peas isn’t afraid to step outside the box.

On The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies), he helps elevate The Black Eyed Peas’ signature sound to a whole new stratosphere. On the album, B.E.P. has incorporated flourishes of European electro and dance music into their unique hip hop, and it’s a sonic concoction that’s undeniable.

Taboo also pops up in Streetfighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, busting different kinds of moves than he’s used to rocking on stage.

In this exclusive feature, he opened up his iTunes and shared his playlist with ARTISTdirect.com. Check it out below!

Taboo’s Playlist:

1. Michael Jackson

I’m listening to Michael Jackson, dude. I know it’s cliché, but right now I’m all about Mike. Mike has been one of the biggest inspirations to our group. The fact that Will.i.am got to work with him and produce some of the songs on his hopefully his upcoming record is incredible. God forbid, those songs never get to see the light of day. They’re amazing. Will played them for us, and we were blown away by the chemistry that they had on the record. Hands down, Michael Jackson was one of our biggest inspirations as far as performing and musical genius.

2. The Crookers

3. Justice

I’m listening to a lot of electro right now; we’re in this electro mode!

4. The Presets

5. Kraftwerk

6. Chromeo

7. MGMT

8. David Guetta

—Rick Florino
07.06.09

A Taste:

Outkast, The Rolling Stones, Billy Joel, A Tribe Called Quest

Jonathan Chase can do it all.

In fact, on September 4th, you can catch the young actor in two very different fall flicks. Not only is he in the epic sci-fi Hellride Gamer, but he’s also in Sandra Bullock’s latest romantic comedy All About Steve.

About Gamer, he laughs, “It’s definitely a guys’ movie! It’s just crazy! The script reads like a great movie and a video game mixed. You can’t tell if you’re playing or if you’re watching it. I remember picking it up and being like, ‘Holy shit, I want to be a part of this!’”

Chase’s musical taste is just as eclectic as his performance style, and that’s clear from one glance at his playlist. He continues, “I just pressed ’shuffle,’ and this is where I landed. There are some surprises. I might blush a little bit [Laughs].”

In this exclusive feature for ARTISTdirect.com, he shared his playlist. Check it out below!

Jonathan Chase’s Playlist:

1. The Rolling Stones — “Paint It Black”

You cannot go wrong with this! I grew up in Flushing, Queens, and my father always played the Stones and Jethro Tull. “Paint It Black” was my favorite song. It just puts you in a dark mood. It gets you pumped. The intro riff pulls you right in. These guys grew up in a totally different era. How many of us wish we could’ve grown up in that era and experienced things that those guys did? The Stones still perform with a zest for life. I still haven’t seen them yet though.

2. Led Zeppelin — “The Misty Mountain Hop”

The first couple eight counts get right in your head, just like “Paint It Black.” It paints a picture for you.

3. Outkast — “Atliens”

I’m a huge fan of Andre 3000 and Big Boi. They take every single musical style and combine them. I know every word to this rap, but I won’t go through it [Laughs]. This song brings me back to high school. I was a white Jewish kid from suburbia going, “This makes me feel tougher!” [Laughs] I love Outkast. I saw their movie. I have every single album and every compilation they’ve ever done. I saw them live at the University of Florida. Andre’s style is out of control. He was wearing big, baggy flared multi-colored clown pants with a shoulder strap on. They come from a different world! Nothing is like Outkast. They’re my favorite rap group of all-time. They’re unbelievable. Andre’s a good actor too!

4. The Drifters — “Saturday Night At the Movies”

I’m a huge fan of MoTown, and this is maybe where it gets a little embarrassing for me. I like a lot of lyrics that get me to move or make me laugh. “Under the Boardwalk” is one of my favorite songs from The Drifters, but “Saturday Night At the Movies” is great. The Drifters are an unbelievable MoTown group. I love when people can harmonize—when all artists can come together and sound like one. It’s amazing when they can create something from nothing. It’s like a movie where thousands of people come together for one purpose. The Drifters only have a handful of songs, but what they did make was fun.

5. Louis Prima — “Banana Splits for My Baby”

I love Louie Prima! He and Keely Smith were hilarious together. Some of the stuff that they did was so sweet. Louie makes references to the food at the end, “Separate checks it must be, charge the split to her and the water to me.” [Laughs] He’s just laughing. A lot of it has the army trumpets and the sounds of the military. “Hey Boy, Hey Girl” is a great back-and-forth between them too. Louie Prima’s music is so rich! His voice is distinct, and it makes you smile.

6. Simon & Garfunkel — “The Sound of Silence”

Paul Simon is an amazing writer! I saw Simon & Garfunkel live in South Florida, and they were unbelievable still. “Sound of Silence” puts you in a really peaceful mood.

7. Jurassic 5 — “Improvise”

I’m a huge fan of Jurassic 5! I caught a show in L.A. years ago. They pass the mic around like The Beastie Boys. Their lyric “We take five MCs and make them sound like one.” They go back and forth and pass the mic around so much. It’s not about them; it’s about the music. They’re a smooth group.

8. Billy Joel — “Lullaby”

I love every song he’s ever done, “Lullaby” is one of my favorites because I lost someone years ago and that song embodies who they were. It’s one of those songs that can bring me to tears in five seconds. That song is unbelievable. I always wanted to know who he was singing to. I imagine it’s his daughter or his son. It’s amazing.

9. A Tribe Called Quest — “Bonita Apple Bomb”

I had to throw this on there. I love Tribe. This song is about the hot chick you just can’t get [Laughs]. They were an amazing group! They split, and each member still has a great career.

—Rick Florino
07.06.09

A Taste:

Ozzy Osbourne, Stevie Wonder, Perry Como, John Lennon

With his new documentary Branson, director Brent Meeske goes deep. He digs into the lives of local performers in Branson, Missouri. The drama that Meekse delves into rivals that of any Hollywood tale. It’s poignant and powerful in a tangible manner. Meeske constructs a humorous and heartwarming analysis of the American dream where it’s really being pursued—in the heart of the country.

Meeske and the film’s primary subject Jackson Cash sat down with ARTISTdirect.com to share their playlists. Their selections are just as dynamic as they are!

Check out their playlists below and don’t miss Branson.

Brent Meeske’s Playlist:

1. Curtis Mayfield — “Move On Up”

This is the number one song I’ll pick because I put it on every single playlist that I ever make. I think it’s the greatest song ever, and it just puts me in a happy mood. If I’m in a great mood, I listen to it. If I’m in a bad mood, I listen to it. This one gets your blood pumping and gets you ready to go.

2. Sly & the Family Stone — “If You Want Me to Stay”

I think of music in terms of movies, and this was a song that I used in a short film that I made years ago. I don’t know if I can put it into words, but it just rocks. It’s a great song for movies because it drives forward and has natural edit points. I’d love to use it in a film some day.

3. Stevie Wonder — “Always”

This is just an uplifting song. Stevie is one of my favorite performers of all time. He plays every instrument and sings every vocal track, which is astounding. I think the ultimate documentary would be if they could’ve filmed him making this album. “Always” is so multi-layered that I wish I could’ve seen a film about the process. For me an ultimate goal in filmmaking would be to film the creative process. The hard thing is, you never know when it’s going to happen. It’s such a spontaneous occurrence.

4. Ozzy Osbourne — “Revelation Mother Earth”

I’m a huge Ozzy fan. Back in the day, before we knew him as the new “Ozzy 2.0″ with the reality show, he had this image of being the “Prince of Darkness.” However, if you listened to his music, he was such a loving and warm guy. He was the opposite of that persona. If you listen to Tribute, he says, “I Love You” to the audience about a hundred times in between songs. “Revelation Mother Earth” is a very sweet song, and he shows such a tender side of himself. I love this song because it shows how complex he can really be. It illustrates that the “prince of darkness” thing was just an image and he really was just a sweet guy at his core. I love Ozzy’s honesty. He was never afraid to show who he was. He never lied in interviews. He was always completely honest about his problems with drugs and the crazy things that he did in his life. That’s the reason I’m so attracted to him as an artist.

5. David Ralicke — “Mad Finder”

It’s one of these tiny albums. If I didn’t know him, I don’t know if I would’ve been able to get my hands on it. It’s this great, uplifting up-tempo track that’s so fun to dance to. He’s a wonderful artist. He’s played with Beck, and he plays the trumpet and all of these other brass instruments. He wrote and played some of the tracks on the Branson score.

6. Jackson Cash — “Levenworth”

I’m a big fan of the guy sitting across from me. Before he became a Johnny Cash impersonator [Laughs], he was a great songwriter and had a lot of success in the ’80s. He had a bunch of albums. He wrote a song called “Levenworth” that’s in the spirit of Johnny Cash. It’s a prison song. Go to his site. I’d encourage anyone who’s interested in Jackson’s songs in the movie to check out the original songs that he’s written. We have three of them in the movie. I hope the movie will give him a chance to get back to his songwriting and go beyond the Johnny Cash persona.

7. John Gold — “Ghetto”

He did the score for Branson. For a white guy, he’s got incredible soul [Laughs]. He’s wonderful. I’m very impressed with multi-instrumentalists. I’m not a musician and I don’t really understand it, so to me, someone who has all of those things going on in his head and puts them together. It’s a mystery. It’s amazing when that happens.

8. Fela Kuti — “Water Got No Enemies”

I’ve got to go out with this song! To me, this is the pinnacle of Fela. It’s just the ultimate in afro-beat. It’s a great track. Fela’s amazing! He’s the opposite of a multi-instrumentalist with his 40-piece band on stage. I love afrobeat!

Jackson Cash’s Playlist:

1. Perry Como — “Little Drummer Boy”

Every time I hear this song, I ball like a baby. It’s a lullaby on an album that he put out that I can’t even find called Saturday Night With Mr. C. It’s a lullaby that my adopted father would rock me to sleep and sing to me when I was a little baby. It’s so beautiful. I love Perry Como. He’s so underrated. I used to play this album to go to sleep because it calmed me down so much. It was so wonderful to listen to. It was my meditation album even when I was in my teens doing drugs during the hippie Woodstock days. If I was having a bad trip on acid, I’d put that on, and it’d help me come down. It put me in the right place.

2. John Lennon — “Imagine”

I believe in a lot of that philosophy, and I think that’s a really good attitude.

3. Billy Whitesides — “Friendship”

He’s a friend of mine, and this song sounds like something The Eagles would’ve done. It’s just a beautiful song. He does these harmonies. Everybody that hears it loves it, and it’s all about friendship. I think it’s a hit. I always have. It’s never been released or cut, but we used to play it when we were young. I love the song.

4. Johnny Cash — “Hurt”

I love Johnny Cash’s version of Nine Inch Nails‘ “Hurt.” I sing that song. I relate to it all the way from the beginning to the end. I can empathize with that song. Cash can empathize with it too.

5. Jackson Cash — “Dear Mom”

What the Hell, I might as well put one of my own songs on this list! [Laughs]. I wrote a song called “Dear Mom.” This song has been a process of growth for me. It’s actually a letter and a message to my biological mother who put me up for adoption at birth. At first, I felt abandoned and I was confused. It took a long time for those walls of resentment, fear and confusion to come tumbling down. Thanks to a lot of step work, help from others and time and healing that I was able to understand. I finally wrote the song 13 years ago and it’s a love song to my mother begging for her to come find me and saying I forgive her saying please let’s meet and let’s get through this thing. Two weeks after I wrote the song, I met her in Las Vegas Nevada. Music has a lot of power. It has the power to move mountains, brother. I mention my birth mother in that song and explain to my mother that no one’s going to ever take her place. She gave me love and my biological mother gave me life. It says it all. More than anything, it helped me. People would ask me to sing this song. To this day, whenever I play it, there’s always at least one if not several adoptees or birth parents of adopted children in the crowd. When I sing this song the tears start flowing and the walls of resentment come tumbling down from the children who always thought they didn’t want to meet their biological parents. We’ve actually had reunions as a result of that song. There was one 90-year-old woman in a nursing home who said that she never wanted to meet the daughter she put up for adoption at 16. I played that song, she cried and she met her daughter before she died.

6. Elvis Presley — “Don’t Be Cruel”

That pretty much explains itself. I loved Elvis. He was my main inspiration in music. I’m an Elvis baby.

7. James Taylor — “You’ve Got a Friend”

This gave me a new perspective on the rules of writing music. There ain’t none!

—Rick Florino
07.06.09

A Taste:

Air Supply, The Rolling Stones, Dan Fogelberg

Everybody loves Manny.

Ray Romano’s mammoth is back in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, and this time he’s three-dimensional. In what’s bound to be one of the summer’s “coolest” family films, Romano once again brings the pre-historic creature back from extinction in hilarious fashion. It’s hard not to love a giant mammoth, and Romano makes him even more lovable.

In this exclusive feature, Romano opened up his iTunes and shared his playlist with us. He laughed, “You want to embarrass me? You want to fight first? [Laughs]”

Check out Ray’s playlist below and catch him in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs on July 1st.

Ray Romano’s Playlist:

1. Air Supply

I listen to a lot of ’70s classic rock, but then I listen to pop too. I love Air Supply. You know who that is?

2. Chicago

I grew up in the ’70s, and I was big fan of early Chicago—especially, the Chicago II album and stuff like that.

3. Neil Sedaka

4. The Beatles

Of course!

5. The Rolling Stones

6. Dan Fogelberg

That’s it [Laughs].

—Rick Florino
06.29.09

A Taste:

Hector Lavoe, James Brown, Gap Band

Ramon Rodriguez was listening to jazz when he got the call. Yes, that call—the “you’re in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen call!”

However, his usual playlist is all over the map. He exclaims, “I had some jazz music playing up in my loft when I got the call, but I like listening to all kinds of stuff, salsa, hip hop, R&B, soul, funk, Latin jazz, rock, classic rock and ’80s. There’s not much I don’t like to be honest. I listen to everything.”

Ramon opened up his iTunes and gave ARTISTdirect.com an exclusive look at what he’s spinning. Check out his playlist below and don’t miss Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen!

Ramon Rodriguez’s Playlist:

1. Hector Lavoe

I always listen to Hector Lavoe; he’s one of my favorites.

2. James Brown

I go into different modes. Lately, I went into this club mode, listening to whatever was hot in the club. Then I went into a soul funk mode where I was listening to James Brown. I love the old school stuff. I’ve been mixing it up.

3. The Gap Band

We had a dinner at my manager’s place on Saturday and we were mixing all kinds of good stuff—including Gap Band.

4. Joy Division

For awhile, I got into Joy Division for a little bit after that movie Control. I got heavy into that.

—Rick Florino
06.27.09

A Taste:

Abba, Journey, Marvin Gaye

Music is crucial to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Linkin Park and Green Day pipe through some of the film’s most bombastic action sequences, and each note elevates the action on screen.

Director Michael Bay understands the importance of music in film. He even sometimes cranks tunes on set to get the vibe right. Bay explains, “Sometimes we do play music on the set. As for the trailer, I don’t know what they listen to [Laughs].”

So, we found out what’s spinning in some trailers! Check it out below and catch Transformers this Wednesday!

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Playlist:

What do you listen to in your trailer?

Josh Duhamel: Mostly ABBA

Kevin Dunn: Journey

Ramon Rodriguez: The Carpenters

Tyrese Gibson: Marvin Gaye

—Rick Florino
06.22.09

A Taste:

Journey, India.Arie, Missy Elliott, Styx

“Lyrics grab me first and foremost,” says Stephanie J. Block with a smile.

Listening to Stephanie’s brand new album, This Place I Know, there’s the perfect balance between lyrical depth and epic vocal delivery. Stephanie’s a Broadway veteran having starred in productions ranging from The Boy from Oz and Wicked to 9 to 5: The Musical. The “show” element also remains important to her on Place. She elaborates, “I want people to stop and have a cinematic visual of what the song is saying.”

Stephanie’s playlist is quite surprising. She’s more likely to be cranking Journey than Cats, and that’s part of what makes her such a vibrant performer.

She laughs, “My playlist is so wild. Very rarely will I listen to musical theater, there are a few soundtracks that really touch me, but my playlist is kind of crazy.”

Check out Stephanie’s playlist below and pick up This Place I Know.

Stephanie J. Block’s Playlist:

1. Journey

I love Journey! I think they’re genius. Steve Perry’s voice knocks me out. Every time I listen to their albums, I notice something new—whether it’s the bass line or a really cool guitar solo. It all goes back to Journey for me. As a kid, I had a babysitter named Michelle and I thought she was the ultimate in cool. She had tight jeans and long-feathered hair. She was awesome! She wore white lightning nail polish, and I will never forget her. She always would play Journey. When you’re that age, I thought I was being babysat by the coolest girl in the world. She couldn’t be more glamorous popular and hip, so that music she listened to always sticks with me. It was always Journey and Styx. 25 years later, it’s still the greatest music!

2. Styx

Certain music takes me to a real place in my past. Bands like Styx were my gateway into music and I have some of the coolest memories are attached to those bands.

3. Annie — Soundtrack

When I turned 11, I really discovered musical theater and I picked up every album I could—from Annie to The Sound of Music and The King and I. That really resonated with me. As a musical theater artist, I very rarely will put on a Sondheim or Gershwin album. I think a lot of musical theater people tend to go for that. I love to perform and live that music, but when it comes time for me to listen to something else. I really go to different genres.

4. James Taylor

5. India.Arie

I dig India.Arie. I think she’s really wonderful. She draws from her family, personal experiences and what she’s been through. Her music truly takes me to a place where I’m like, “I can do that!” It’s genius, but it’s accessible. That’s something I could really do—sit on the subway transit, notice people and jot things down. I realize I could create a great song just by being aware of what’s going on around me. India Arie does that. She’s really special. I feel like society could learn so much from what this woman has to say and I wish she could be on every radio station and playing everywhere.

6. Missy Elliott

If it’s time to get up, my playlist immediately goes to Missy Elliott or something that’s going to get the blood pumping and flowing and get me rallying for the day.

7. Pink

She’s a great storyteller. All of her music is very personal; she’s trying to tell the listener something and I really respect her for that. I’m all over the board when it comes to music!

—Rick Florino
06.21.09

A Taste:

Marvin Gaye, The Whispers, R. Kelly

Tyrese Gibson has got style and soul.

Musically, he’s able to blend together the best elements of hip hop and R&B, while on screen he can play the action hero with a conscience and real depth. That’s exactly what he does in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Tyrese takes his character Epps to another level, adding tangible emotion amidst all of the bombastic explosions.

Tyrese is always listening to music too. So he decided to share his playlist with ARTISTdirect.com in this exclusive feature. Check it out below and don’t miss Tyrese in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in theaters everywhere on Wednesday June 24, 2009.

Tyrese Gibson’s Playlist:

1. Marvin Gaye

2. The Whispers

3. Stevie Wonder

4. R. Kelly

I’m an oldies but goodies guy. I stay with Marvin Gaye, The Whispers, Stevie Wonder and R. Kelly. I still listen to classic music because I feel that’s where the soul and foundation of music was built.

—Rick Florino
06.21.09

A Taste:

Soul Coughing, White Zombie, Dean Martin

“I want to warn you about my playlist first,” laughs Irene In Time star Tanna Frederick. “I’m like ‘Miss-obscure-song-mixer.’ I’m a runner and a surfer, so I love putting two hours worth of songs on a playlist then going on a super-long run. I love giving those mixes to my friends too. I have these really great playlists that reflect my tastes. Some people do yoga to relax, but I make iMixes [Laughs]. ”

Tanna’s got quite a unique way of relaxing, but from her poignant and passionate performance in Irene In Time, audiences shouldn’t expect anything run-of-the-mill from such a vibrant talent. In Irene In Time, her presence is simply riveting, conveying a whole bevy of emotions. It’s no surprise that her musical taste is just as diverse as that performance style.

She shared her playlist with us in this exclusive feature. Check it out below and don’t miss Tanna in Irene In Time!

Tanna Frederick’s Playlist:

1. Soul Coughing — “Super Bon Bon”

I love all of the mixes from The Sopranos. You can go on iTunes, look under the iMixes and see that people have made Sopranos mixes from the shows. All of the songs have been featured on the show at one point or another. Soul Coughing has this song called “Super Bon Bon” on there. It’s a lot of bass. Since Tony Soprano spends a lot of time in strip clubs, it’s all that stripper stuff [Laughs]. David Chase picked all the music, and it’s great—particularly “Super Bon Bon.”

2. Dean Martin

I’m also a big fan of Dean Martin. I think they might’ve used “Volare” on The Sopranos. I absolutely adore Dean Martin. He’s one of the sexiest crooners because of his ironic wit and subdued character. He’s just fantastic. You can’t beat his voice or his sense of humor. He and Jerry Lewis were just incredible together.

3. Paul Simon

I grew up in Iowa listening to Simon & Garfunkel with my parents. I’m more of a fan of Paul Simon’s Graceland album though. I love the song “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.” I love all of the songs on that record. He went to Africa and used some indigenous tribe to do all of the back-up singing. It’s absolutely incredible.

4. White Zombie — “More Human Than Human”

The surfing and tae kwon doe part of me kind of goes crazy for White Zombie [Laughs]. I can play “More Human Than Human” twelve times in a row and not get tired of it and then blast it out for twelve more times! I love rocking out to White Zombie. It’s the best music to work out to; it gets the adrenaline pumping. A reunion would be great! Let’s start a Facebook group saying, “Come back, White Zombie!” [Laughs] We can be co-presidents of it.

5. Tom Buckley — “Chase the Blues Away”

I pick out certain songs from the indie scene, and he has a beautiful song called “Chase the Blues Away.” It’s really full of melancholy and longing.

6. Christopher Cross — “Sailing”

I love his “Sailing” song! I listened to that while I was on set for Irene In Time. When I was a kid, my dad and I actually sailed a lot on this lake in Iowa. You know when you have that pristine response to a song where you hear it and it reminds you of your childhood? Your whole body just relaxes and you can smell the water and the air and feel the sun setting. That’s one of my favorites.

7. Latryx — “Lady Don’t Take No”

They’re so good! Once you start listening to their music, it’s just addictive.

8. Beast — “Mr. Hurricane”

It’s very heavy with a lot of bass. It’s like White Zombie somehow mixed with R&B and rap. I don’t know how to describe it. “Mr. Hurricane” is my favorite song by them.

9. Lonely Island — “I’m On a Boat”

Their videos are hilarious! I love them. Some their stuff is just pee-your-pants great.

10. Mickey Avalon — “Jane Fonda”

It’s pretty catchy!

11. Leonard Cohen — “Boogie Street”

I love this song! His voice is totally hypnotic. It’s lower than low. He has the lowest voice I’ve ever heard. It sounds like he’s not even putting any effort into it [Laughs]. He knows how to do it without pushing it.

12. Bobby McFerrin

He did “Don’t Worry Be Happy.” He does the music with just his voice and he mixes it with 12 a capella tracks of his own voice and one of them he has Yo-Yo Ma. The stuff he does vocally is absolutely breathtaking. It’s just gorgeous.

13. Chet Baker

I love Chet Baker—”My Funny Valentine,” “Not For Me” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.” He was so mournful, melancholy and haunting. Listening to Chet Baker and unwinding is incredible.

14. Phoenix

I just downloaded them last week. I really love them. They sound borderline pop mainstream, but their lyrics are powerful without being hit-you-over-the-head powerful.

15. Lex Land

She is incredible! She sounds like a more sultry and seductive Mazzy Star. She does this one song “Habanera” from the musical Carmen. Her stuff is absolutely gorgeous. I was a huge Mazzy Star in high school. She’s got a Mazzy Star thing going on that’s different but still intoxicating!

—Rick Florino
06.17.09

A Taste:

Marvin Gaye, Rachmanov

Denzel Washington commands any scene he’s in.

He’s got an unbridled intensity and true fire that’ll never be extinguished—even when he’s stepping back and playing a “normal dude.” Just watch him in The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 for proof of his power. However when he’s kicking back, he’s most likely to be cranking Marvin Gaye.

“Why not,” laughs the Academy Award Winner with a smile.

For him, music is an integral source of inspiration, even if what he personally likes didn’t necessarily inform the Pelham performance. He continues, “Music does inform my performances, but the music I was playing was not in this movie. Obviously, that’s the director’s decision. Tony [Scott, director] did give me some music on Man On Fire. We talked about Nine Inch Nails for that one. He didn’t do that on this film though [Laughs]. Sometimes a song will follow me or I’ll follow it through a whole movie, but that wasn’t the case here.”

Nevertheless, Denzel shared his playlist with us in this exclusive feature. Check it out below and catch The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 in theaters on June 12, 2009.

Denzel Washington’s Playlist:

1. Marvin Gaye

2. Rachmanov

—Rick Florino
06.10.09

A Taste:

James Taylor, Stephen Sondheim, Metallica, John Lennon & Paul McCartney

“Nothing hits me harder than a great song,” says Imagine That director Karey Kirkpatrick.

Watching Imagine That, with its eclectic sonic backdrop, that’s definitely apparent.

Karey’s a genuine music fan, and his love for music comes through in the film’s rhythmic sensibility. In fact, Imagine That is just chock full of great tunes!

About his personal playlist, Karey explains, “Nothing can take me back to a particular time or place like a song can. It’s hard to pick just a few because there are so many I love. For my playlist, I’ve gone with ones that have inspired or impacted my life in one way or another. I’m sure I’ll read this list next week and hate it—or want to change it. But here goes.”

Karey shared his playlist with us in this exclusive feature. Check it out below and be sure to catch Imagine That in theaters this Friday, June 12.

Karey Kirkpatrick’s Playlist:

1. John Lennon & Paul McCartney — “Yesterday”

It’s the perfect song—perfect melody, beautifully simple idea and great rhyme scheme. I just love it every time I hear it. I love how it opens on a major chord, then right after “Yesterday” goes minor, letting you know yesterday was good but now—not so much. Like I said, it’s the perfect song.

2. Stephen Sondheim — “Finishing the Hat”

It’s hard for me to pick one Sondheim song that inspired me, because pretty much all of them do. However, this song, from Sunday in the Park With George, so perfectly encapsulates the creative process and what it does to your personal life and the demands placed on those who must endure those of us who are in the creative arts. It’s sung by the character George Seurat about how he watches the rest of the world through a window while he obsesses over finishing a hat in his painting. “How the kind of woman willing to wait is not the kind that you want to find waiting.” Wow. Now that’s a lyric.

3. Stephen Sondheim — “Move On”

Also from Sunday in the Park With George, I listen to this song when I’m feeling stuck in my life or when I’m feeling down about something that has happened to me. There are so many great lyrics. “Move on, stop worrying where you’re going. Move on, if you can know where you’re going, you’ve gone—you have to move on. I chose and my world was shaken, so what. The choice may have been mistaking, the choosing was not. You have to move on.” It is the go-to song for me about pulling yourself up and just pressing on. I love it.

4. George and Ira Gershwin — “They Can’t Take That Away From Me”

Ah, George and Ira. The masters. I don’t know why, but I just marvel at this song. It’s the perfect blend of music and lyrics, the way it captures those little things you love about someone. “The way you wear your hat, the way you sip your tea, the memory of all that (great rhyme there) No, no they can’t take that away from me.”

5. James Taylor — “The Secret of Life”

Again, it’s hard for me to pick one James Taylor song. I learned to play guitar when I was 12 listening to James Taylor records. I love so many of them (”Sweet Baby James”, “Fire and Rain”) but in this one, I love the chords, the finger picking pattern and that lyric “try not to try to hard, it’s just a lovely ride.” I try to live by that one.

6. Led Zeppelin — “Rock and Roll”

The quintessential rock song about rock from the greatest rock band ever. This song inspires me to pick up an electric guitar because it is so damn fun to play.

7. Queen — “Killer”

The first time I heard this song, it blew me away. I was 9, I think. 1974. I had never heard anything like it; the harmonies, the chord changes, that Brian May sound and those completely unique lyrics. Freddy was way ahead of his time.

8. Fleetwood Mac — “Dreams”

The whole Rumors album had huge impact on me as a kid. I love all of it, but I marvel at this one because the whole song is comprised of two chords. Two chords! Amazing!

9. Metallica — “Enter Sandman”

Come one, I’ve got to have ONE heavy metal song. Believe it or not, the first time I heard this song was on Guitar Hero. And after mastering it all the way to expert level on that format, I just had to learn how to play it on real guitar. And there is something so primal and gut rumbling-ly (is that a word) satisfying about playing it at extremely high volumes.

10. Joni Mitchell — “Real Good for Free”

Joni is so great in so many ways, but I don’t think there is any better songwriter at capturing little moments and with simple and beautiful lyrics. “Across the street he stood and he played real good on his clarinet for free.” I can just close my eyes and picture the scene. That’s what a great song does.

11. Tom Petty — “Free Fallin’”

I always liked Tom Petty growing up. Then I saw the Bogdonavich documentary Runnin’ Down a Dream and now I LOVE Tom Petty. He’s a true artist who has never changed what he does over the years. I think I love this song, not only for the vibe and the cool lyrics (”She loves Jesus and America, too”) but also because of the way it’s featured in one of my favorite films, Jerry Maguire.

—Rick Florino
06.09.09

A Taste:

Paula Cole, Colin Hay, Sweet Talk Radio, Joni Mitchell

As her directorial debut, You is a milestone for Melora Hardin. It’s also the start of something very beautiful.

The film remains poignant, powerful and passionate, exploring love and loss through searing drama and some flourishes of heartfelt comedy. You tells the story of a widower who continues to keep his wife’s memory alive in his imagination while raising his daughter alone. It’s a truly enigmatic piece of cinema that illuminates Melora’s talents on and behind the camera.

Music is an extremely important part of You, so Melora decided to give us a tour of the soundtrack and some personal playlist selections.

Check out her playlist below and visit Youthefilm.com to purchase Melora’s first masterpiece!

Melora Hardin’s Playlist:

1. Paula Cole — “You (Once Tomorrow, Now Yesterday)”

Paula is one of my best friends, and she wrote “You” as the title track for the film. It’s a beautiful song. As of right now, the only way to hear it is to purchase You from our web site, or download it from iTunes or Amazon. However, you don’t get all the DVD extras from iTunes and Amazon, which includes “the making of documentary” and a bit with and about Paula. If you’re a fan you might want the full DVD!

2. Sweet Talk Radio — “My Hallelujah”

This song is featured prominently in You. Tim Burlingame scored You and, his wife, Kathrin Schorr’s beautiful voice is all over the soundtrack. They make beautiful music together and you really should visit their web site to hear more!

3. Colin Hay — “Waiting for My Real Life to Begin”

Colin has been a friend of mine for a very long time, and he graced us with his distinctive and beautiful voice on a cover of “What a Wonderful World” for our film soundtrack. I love his songs, and he is an amazing live performer too! Colin has had a really great solo career! He was in Men At Work. I have to recommend some of his solo stuff. I love “Waiting for My Real Life to Begin.”

4. Dan MacKenzie — “Rocking Chair”

Dan and I have known each other since college, and he’s always been an amazing songwriter. I was so happy we could use his wonderful song for the montage sequence in You. He has songs on Joss Stone’s new release and is emerging as one of our great songwriters!

5. Melora Hardin — “A Boy and His Cat”

It may be obnoxious to include myself on a playlist, but this song always makes me laugh and that can’t be all bad, right?! I’m in the process of making a new live record right now so more to come soon! When I say live, that means we’re going into the studio and recording the songs all together with all of the instruments at the same time with me singing. We just recorded 15 songs, and I’d say most of them were completely full takes with no fixes. Maybe there were two with overdubs—so that was pretty amazing. I did Les Miserables at the Hollywood Bowl last summer. I did Chicago on Broadway. I have a big voice. I can sing belt-y but I also have a high soprano if I want to. My instrument is really my voice. I was never that inspired to practice enough to really get good at an instrument.

6. The Beatles

When I was about 8-years-old, I discovered The Beatles, and I thought they were pretty amazing. I also discovered The Bay City Rollers at that time [Laughs]. They were pretty great too.

7. Fleetwood Mac

I was obsessed with Fleetwood Mac as a kid. I know all of their songs! Paula took me to a gig that they did at The Wiltern Theater, and I got to meet Stevie Nicks, which was really cool. She used to take ballet with me when the Rumors album came out. She was taking ballet where I was taking ballet. I mentioned it to her! I was like nine at the time. I still listen to Stevie Nicks.

8. Led Zeppelin

I was sort of slow catching up! Everyone was into Led Zeppelin when I was in high school, but I didn’t really get them until I went to college.

9. Joni Mitchell

She’s always on my playlist.

10. Styx — Return to Paradise

My first concert was Styx. I found Return to Paradise and pulled it out recently. It’s such a great record!

11. KT Tunstall

I really like her. Her music is something I always go to.

12. Billy Ray Cyrus — “Back to Tennessee”

I love “Back to Tennessee.” It’s the song the song that Billy Ray Cyrus wrote for Hannah Montana: The Movie. It’s a really good song.

13. Rascal Flatts

I discovered them while on Hannah Montana, and they’re awesome. They have great voices.

—Rick Florino
06.08.09

A Taste:

Radiohead, Cesaria Evora, Kings of Convenience

“I have a very wide-ranging taste in music,” says Heather Graham with a smile. “Sometimes you see a movie that you worked on that could’ve been good, but it’s got the worst music and you’re cringing the whole time. The Hangover has really great music!”

Heather’s musical palette runs the gamut from alt rock to world folk, showing just how eclectic and vibrant her personality is. With that luminous spark, Heather’s got the ability to take over some truly interesting characters. In The Hangover, she plays Jade who as she puts it is “a stripper-mom-escort.”

‘Nuff said—the girl’s got diversity down to science!

Heather shared her playlist with us in this exclusive feature. Check it out below, and don’t miss The Hangover on June 5th!

Heather Graham’s Playlist:

1. Radiohead

I really like Radiohead. I’m kind of obsessed with them [Laughs].

2. Cesaria Evora

I enjoy different kinds of music from all over the world. Do you know this artist Cesaria Evora? She’s amazing!

3. Kings of Convenience

I just got a few of their albums, and I’m really into them!

—Rick Florino
06.04.09

A Taste:

Eminem, Danzig, Neil Young

Director Todd Phillips is the man.

There’s really no other way to say it. This is the guy that gave us Old School and Road Trip. He’s a defining voice in 21st century comedy and a true maverick. His latest comic masterpiece, The Hangover, kicks everything up a notch. Set in Sin City, the jokes are raunchier, the situations are crazier and the dialogue is sharper than anything else in the multiplex at the moment.

Phillips laughs, “This movie was about as much as fun as I’ve ever had on a movie set. I don’t know if they can ever shoot another movie in Vegas quite honestly [Laughs]. I think The Hangover is the last word on Vegas.”

That last word comes with some great tunes. Phillips’ soundtrack choices—including Danzig—fit the film’s vibe perfectly. For the director, music is crucial. He continues, “I have a very eclectic taste in music, but it doesn’t necessarily get reflected in my movies. I take music super seriously, and I think, outside of casting, it’s one of the biggest brushes you have to paint with as a director. It sets up tone easier than 15 pages of a screenplay can.”

Phillips shared his playlist with us in this exclusive feature. Check it out below and catch The Hangover this Friday!

1. Eminem — Relapse

Honestly, I’ve been listening to the new Emimen stuff that’s been coming out on the Internet. He consistently blows my mind!

2. Neil Young

I also listen to Neil Young. I go all over the map.

3. Danzig

We put Glen Danzig’s “Thirteen” on the opening scene. You see those shots of Vegas with that song playing, and it tells you right away it’s going to be a fucked up Vegas movie. It’s not your typical bachelor party movie. It’s not what you think it is. It’s a little bit dark, and it’s not going to be as sentimental as some of the male comedies of the past few years. Danzig’s got the best voice in music. Just listen to “Mother” and “Thirteen.”

—Rick Florino
06.03.09

A Taste:

Notorious B.I.G., Animal Collective, Faust, Beatles, Of Montreal

The Honey Brothers make pop with a purpose.

They coat soaring sugary hooks with just the right amount of attitude. The Honey Brothers’ new EP, Demonstration (due out on 6/16), infuses true lyrical poetry into massive melodies. Oh yeah, upping the cool factor, Adrian Grenier of Entourage plays drums and lays down some vocals. In between cruising L.A. with Turtle, E, Johnny Drama and Ari Gold, Adrian found the time to make quite the record with his “brothers.”

In order to get closer to Demonstration, Adrian and guitarist/vocalist D.S. Posner wanted to give us a look at what makes The Honey Brothers tick musically. So they opened up their respective iTunes playlists and gave us an exclusive peek at what they’re spinning.

Check out their D.S. and Adrian’s playlists below and don’t forget to pick up Demonstration on June 16th!

Adrien Grenier’s Playlist:

1. Notorious B.I.G.

Adrian: My ever-continuing, never-ending playlist always has a little Notorious B.I.G.

D.S.: Oh come on!

Adrian: What? I’m not allowed to listen to “Big Poppa?” [Laughs]

2. Faust

Adrian: There’s always a little bit of Faust on my playlist.

3. Fischerspooner

Adrian: I’m actually going to see Fischerspooner tonight!

4. Of Montreal

Adrian: I do like Of Montreal! They won me over with some really great songs.

5. The Ting Tings

6. Black Kids

Adrian: I’ve been getting into dance stuff—music to make you move your body. I saw Black Kids the other day, and they were amazing.

7. Mates of State

Adrian: I think Mates of State has come a long way. They’ve always written really catchy and classically indie rock songs, but I think they’re becoming more poppy and dancey as well.

8. Funkadelic

Adrian: I was a big Funkadelic fan as a kid, besides the obvious Beatles and Zeppelin combination. I got really into funk and soul.

9. Led Zeppelin

10. Beatles

D.S. Posner’s Playlist:

1. Dirty Projectors

D.S.: I’m very excited to hear their new record. I’ve been following them recently, and I find them very inspiring.

2. Animal Collective

3. Deerhunter

4. Girl Talk

D.S.: I think we’re playing one of the festivals with Girl Talk, and that’s always a fun phenomenon.

Adrian: We’re playing with Roy Ayers too. Did you see that?

D.S.: Who is that?

Adrian: You don’t know who Roy Ayers is? C’mon, man [Laughs]. “My life, my life, my life…everybody loves the sunshine! We live in Brooklyn baby.”

D.S.: I’m going to have to admit that I don’t.

Adrian: You’re going to have to be lashed for this.

D.S.: I’ll take my lashing.

5. Grizzly Bear

D.S.: I love Grizzly Bear. I think they’re new records going to be dope, but I haven’t really heard it just yet.

—Rick Florino
06.03.09

A Taste:

Phoenix, Hilary Duff, TV on the Radio

“Vegas is a place where a lot of people decide to get raw,” exclaims Zach Galifianakis with a wide-eyed grin.

The comedian and his Hangover cast mates—Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms—definitely got “raw” in the city of sin. In fact, these three tear up the strip like never before. Their exploits are so outrageous and utterly awesome that The Hangover is bound to be remembered as the Vegas comedy of the Facebook generation.

However, over the course of their misadventures, these three cranked a lot of good tunes. The movie’s main men shared their playlists with us in this exclusive feature. You probably won’t be surprised that their tastes are “eclectic” to say the least.

Check out their playlists below and catch The Hangover when it hits theaters this Friday.

Zach Galifianakis’ Playlist:

1. Phoenix

Zach: “I really like this band Phoenix. On set we were listening to the theme from Sanford and Son a lot though.”

2. Hilary Duff

Zach: “I’m also listening to old Hilary Duff.”

Bradley: “I just listen to pretty much whatever Zach burns for me.”

Zach: “Hilary Duff.”

Bradley Cooper’s Playlist:

1. TV On the Radio

Bradley: “I do like TV On the Radio!”

Ed Helms’ Playlist:

1. Punch Brothers

2. Infamous String Dusters

Ed: “I exclusively listen to bluegrass music.”

—Rick Florino
06.02.09

A Taste:

Q-Tip, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan

“Vegas is the best way to ruin your life with your friends,” laughs Justin Bartha.

After filming The Hangover in Sin City, Bartha would know best. In the film, which happens to be the funniest comedy so far this year, Bartha’s Doug goes to Vegas with the boys for one last hurrah two nights before his wedding. However, after a legendary night of debauchery, he’s missing and his three best pals have no clue what happened. That’s when the real fun begins.

Each actor in the film, Bartha, Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis has his own style of comedy, but the blend is beyond tasty when they come together.

Bartha continues, “We all hit it off right away. It’s like Stanivlovsky up in this piece [Laughs]. Everyone’s doing his own thing, and the mix is just perfect.”

Bartha opened up his iTunes and gave us an exclusive look at what he’s spinning. Check out his playlist below and make sure to catch The Hangover in theaters everywhere on June 5!

Justin Bartha’s Playlist:

1. Q-Tip — The Renaissance

I like the new Q-Tip album. It’s a good one!

2. Phoenix — Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

The new Phoenix record is really good too.

3. Bob Dylan

I’m always listening to Bob Dylan.

4. Bob Marley

I like anyone named Bob [Laughs]. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to sing a song in the movie. Mike Tyson, Ed and Zach all sing songs [Laughs].

—Rick Florino
06.01.09

A Taste:

Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello

In Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Hank Azaria kicks it old school, real old school, as vengeful Egyptian despot Kahmunrah. He wages a full blown war with Ben Stiller inside the Smithsonian, and the results are a bombastic summer adventure through those hallowed halls.

Keeping with tradition, Hank’s playlist also draws from the past. Granted, there’s no Pharoah music. However, there are some very classic songwriters inhabiting Hank’s iPod.

“My playlist is kind of short,” he laughs. “I mostly listen to Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen. They dominate my playlist.”

We caught up with Hank while he was playing in Brad Garrett’s “All-In for All Good” Celebrity Poker Tournament benefiting Maximum Hope Foundation and Dream Foundation. He was happy to share his playlist in between hands, check it out below.

Hank Azaria’s Playlist:

1. Elvis Costello

“I grew up with Costello and Springsteen. When I was coming of age, they were really the guys, and I guess I haven’t matured out of that [Laughs].”

2. Bruce Springsteen

“This music still has the same meaning for me. I really am old school [Laughs].”

—Rick Florino
05.31.09

A Taste:

Michael Jackson, DeBarge, Kool & The Gang, One Way

Paul Ben-Victor is always down to dance. The In Plain Sight star laughs, “I’m a big funk and disco dude! I’ve been throwing parties for years at my house!’

However, the partying extends beyond the homestead for the actor. Paul cultivated his love for funk and dance music in some of the hottest night spots. “I worked at clubs and discos around the world in the ’80s doing wild face painting. It was a whole crazy life. That’s another interview [Laughs]. We designed a kit called ‘Art Eyes,’ and it was Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s everywhere. I loved to dance—especially in those days. It’s in my blood somewhere.”

Paul opened up his iTunes once again for us in this exclusive feature. He shared his favorite dance, funk, R&B and jazz tunes. Check out his list below!

Also, be sure to catch Paul’s standout episode on In Plain Sight, entitled “One Night Stan.” It sheds a whole lot of light on Paul’s character, and it’s an edge-of-your-seat nailbiter of an episode. Be sure to watch it on USA May 31st 2009.

Paul Ben-Victor’s Playlist:

1. Central Line — “Walking Into Sunshine”

“It’s a great late ’70s, early ’80s dance tune.”

2. Johnny Blas — “Mas Azucar”

“This has a Latin groove played with a standup bass. I’m really into Latin music too.”

3. Michael Jackson — “In the Closet (Club Edit)”

“This is a rare tune that not many people have heard. It’s a great club edit of the song. It’s clearly not a big hit, but DJs know it. I put it on my list because I just love it!”

4. One Way — “You Can Do It”

“This is one of the best party dance songs. If you ever have a dance party at your house, put ‘In the Closet’ and this song together. When you hear it, you’ve just got to get up and groove to it!”

5. Evelyn “Champagne” King — “Love Come Down”

“This is one of the greatest!”

6. Carrie Lucas — “Show Me Where You’re Coming From”

“It’s got a slap bass lick to it. It’s just fuckin’ orgasmic old groove disco [Laughs].”

7. Kool and the Gang — “Love Festival”

“I love Kool and the Gang, and I had to pick one of their songs. This is a really festive tune.”

8. DeBarge — “Stop! Don’t Tease Me”

“They’re one of my favorites! It’s another great song.”

9. Shalamar — “A Night to Remember”

“When my friends and I hear this shit, it brings us back to those days when we were in clubs until three in the morning dancing with one of our first girlfriends. There was nothing better party-wise than this music. There was a time there, and there was innocence to the disco days with the mirror ball. Hip hop is great. Eminem is the bomb. He’s a genius. I’d love to see what he would do with a percussion piece because rhythmically he fucks with any other hip hop artist! His stories are incredible. I just watched a little piece of 8 Mile. No other rapper can come close rhythmically. He’s on another planet, and he invents rhythms. In some ways, I love dancing to hip hop more than anything.”

10. Angelique Kidjo — “Goddess of the Sea”

“This song is just awesome. She’s an African singer. There are all of these great instruments and drums. She’s got a serious groove, and you can dance to the music.”

11. George Michael — “I Want Your Sex 1 & 2″

“Fuckin’ George Michael, ‘I Want Your Sex’ [Laughs]. These are some of the best two tunes to play!”

12. Eddie Harris — “Freedom Jazz Dance”

“It’s a really great song.”

13. Prince — “D.M.S.R.”

“I had to throw a Prince song in. I didn’t want to put down ‘Kiss’ because everyone knows that song. This is one of my favorites! I just saw him last month. He did three live shows at three different venues in one day. He went from Club Nokia to The Conga Room to the Nokia Theater. He did a show at seven, nine and midnight. Totally different band and totally different set list each one! He puts on one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen. Genius!

—Rick Florino
05.30.09

See Paul’s earlier playlist here!

A Taste:

Regina Spektor, Bon Iver, Erykah Badu, Delta Spirit

Olivia Thirlby could very well be a tastemaker.

She burst into pop culture’s collective consciousness as Ellen Page’s “cool” friend in Juno, and now she’s adding edge, wit and sass to What Goes Up and The Answer Man. However, at the moment, she’s scanning her iPod for some solid playlist suggestions. Scrolling through a smorgasbord of tunes, she laughs, “I’m going to show you some really good stuff!”

She knows “good” too, and her selections are all over the map.

Nevertheless, she sees each and every song as a tool for her own art. Olivia explains, “Music is part of the essence of being alive. There’s no doubt that it can affect or alter your mood or atmosphere. If I have an audition for a character that’s a stretch for me, I’ll go out of my way to play music before the audition that I feel will get me into the right headspace.”

Check out Olivia’s playlist below and be sure to catch her in What Goes Up!

Olivia Thirlby’s Playlist:

1. Regina Spektor — 11:11

I’ve been obsessively listening to Regina Spektor’s 11:11. It’s not new by any means, but I can’t stop listening to it because I’m completely obsessed with her. She inspires me every single day, and I love absolutely everything that she puts out. I saw her this summer, and that was pretty life changing. She played McCarren Pool in Williamsburg.

2. The Cave Singers

I’ve been listening to The Cave Singers a lot. I actually saw them live a month or two ago. Seeing them changed my whole appreciation of their music because they’re such a tight little band. There are only three people, and the singer’s voice is so super-unique.

3. Bon Iver

Bon Iver’s music is just beautiful! It’s the perfect music to listen to in the morning. I’m always trying to match my music with times of the day. This is really good morning music [Laughs].

4. A.A. Bondy

You’ve got to get into A.A. Bondy! I find his voice to be sort of haunting, and his lyrics are unsettlingly beautiful too. I appreciate what he’s singing about, and he really resonates with me.

5. Modest Mouse

There’s so much on my iPod. As always, I’m listening to Modest Mouse. I just rediscovered their album, Everywhere and His Nasty Parlor Tricks. I love that album, and I always listen to tons of Modest Mouse.

6. Broken Social Scene

Along the same lines, I’m always listening to Broken Social Scene a lot.

7. Chet Baker

I love to listen to jazz, and I’ve been listening to tons of Chet Baker lately.

8. Jerry Mulligan

9. Dave Brubeck

10. Delta Spirit

I love those guys! I’ve been spinning them a lot lately too. You can see I’m going through a folk rock phase!

11. The Beatles

I grew up on The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Billy Joel and show tunes. That’s the music my dad was always playing. Then I went through a period in my teens where I was really into current pop music. Then I was like, “Wait a second, this shit sucks!” [Laughs] Then I got really into jazz, R&B and hip hop. I think jazz, R&B, soul and blues will always be in my heart as my favorite my kind of music.

12. Jill Scott

Lately, I’m on a major indie rock kick. However, there’s always a healthy smattering of Jill Scott, Erykah Badu and all of those ladies.

13. The Books

I’m into some electronic stuff. I love the Books.

14. Prefuse 73

The electronic artists are like the outliers on my iPod.

15. CocoRosie

16. The Black Keys

I also saw them at McCarren Pool, and that was probably one of the best concerts that I’ve ever been to. They’re so good live. I saw a lot of good concerts last summer! I also saw DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist together at McCarren Pool. It’s pretty much the best concert venue that exists and of course they’re closing it now. They’re turning it into a pool again which I think is bullshit. I went to some good concerts there though. It’s a really old pool, and it’s enormous. It’s a hole in the ground with no steps, but there’s a slant. There’s a stage on one lip of the pool and, because you’re in a hollowed out cement hole, the acoustics are incredible. It’s outside, which is also nice. I don’t know about it turning back into a pool though [Laughs].

—Rick Florino
05.29.09

A Taste:

Course of Nature, Breaking Benjamin, The Jungle Book Soundtrack

From explaining it all as Clarissa to teenage witchery as Sabrina, Melissa Joan Hart has seemingly done everything.

With her current endeavor, she really has! Melissa recently opened up Sweetharts, her Sherman Oaks sweets emporium. The actress has stocked this sugary palace with a wide assortment of candy, baked goods and frozen yogurt. It’s been a lifelong passion, and she’s super excited about it’s grand opening celebration on May 30th.

In between sorting out sweets, Melissa opened up her iTunes and gave us an exclusive look at what she’s spinning. Check out her playlist below.

1. Course of Nature — “The Window”

2. Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack — “Jai Ho”

“This one keeps me going in the gym!”

3. Breaking Benjamin — “Forget It”

4. Juno Soundtrack — “Anyone Else But You”

5. Three Days Grace — “Riot”

6. The Offspring — “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid”

7. The Jungle Book Soundtrack — “Bear Necessities”

“This song is awesome!”

8. The Allman Brothers Band — “Whipping Post”

9. Sponge — “Plowed”

10. A Tribe Called Quest — “Check the Rhime”

—Rick Florino
05.26.09

A Taste:

The Kills, The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs

In Dance Flick, Shoshanna Bush gets to bust a few movies alongside the Wayans family. However, in her spare time she’s more likely to be cranking indie rock than the latest club jams.

She laughs, “I’m definitely into the more indie, alternative stuff!”

Shoshanna shared her playlist with us in this exclusive feature. Check it out below and be sure to catch Dance Flick out now!

Also peep the video interview here!

Shoshanna Bush’s Playlist:

1. The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs

2. The Kills

—Rick Florino
05.26.09

A Taste:

Jay-Z, Kanye West, Drake, Kings of Leon

Some families have a secret recipe that they hand down for generations.

Sometimes it’s for cookies or lasagna, however, it’s different for every clan. For the Wayans family, it’s a potent comedy concoction—the perfect mixture of slapstick and sarcasm. With Dance Flick, director Damien Wayans carries on his family’s time-honored tradition of parodying Hollywood trends. In fact, Dance Flick stands proudly alongside the Wayans’ funniest fare, striking the same irreverent comedy gold.

Damien shared his playlist with us in this exclusive feature. Check out what he’s spinning below! Dance Flick is out now!

Damien Dante Wayans’ Playlist:

1. Jay-Z

2. Kanye West

3. Drake

4. Lil Wayne

5. Kings of Leon

6. MGMT

Check out the video interview here here!

—Rick Florino
05.22.09

A Taste:

Drake

Dance Flick teaches some valuable lessons like, “Don’t wear a pink shirt top a drive-by.”

That may be common sense, but it’s a good point to reiterate. The recipient of that tidbit is the film’s protagonist Thomas, a hilarious Damon Wayans Jr. Young Damon keeps the Wayans’ comedy tradition alive through an outrageous and clever performance in the film.

He’s also got an interesting taste in music, and he shared his playlist selection with us in this exclusive feature.

Damon Wayans Jr.’s Playlist:

1. Drake

“I actually just got into Drake. He was on Degrassi. I used to think he was credible—like kind of thugged out. Then I was like, ‘Wait, you’re on Degrassi.’” [Laughs]

—Rick Florino
05.21.09

A Taste:

Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Barbara Streisand, Frank Sinatra

In Dance Flick, Shawn and Marlon Wayans bring all jokes right to the dance floor. The film pulls the right moves to make audiences laugh out loud. Shawn had a hand in the script, and he’s also hilarious as “Baby Daddy.” Check out the scene where he goes to “pick up his son.” Dance Flick has the kind of infectious irreverence that audiences have come to expect from the Wayans Brothers.

Shawn’s comedy has a rhythm to it, so in order to get us closer to that flow, he shared his playlist with us in this exclusive feature. Marlon added some commentary on Shawn’s selections too…

Peep Shawn’s playlist below and be sure to catch Dance Flick on May 22nd in theaters.

Shawn Wayans’ Playlist:

1. Jay-Z

2. 50-Cent

Shawn: “I’ve got Jay-Z and 50-Cent on my playlist.”

Marlon: “That brother’s lying! He’s got Barbara Streisand, Julio Iglesias…”

Shawn: “I don’t have no Julio Iglesias! I do have Barbara Streisand.”

3. Barbara Streisand

Marlon: “Shawn has the most eclectic iPod ever.”

Shawn: “Music is for different times of your day and your life.”

Marlon: “Shawn, you play Christmas music in July, dude!”

Shawn: “I’m getting ready for Christmas.”

Marlon: “At least play hip hop if you’re going to do that.”

4. Stevie Wonder

5. Frank Sinatra

6. Maxwell

Shawn: “I like Maxwell; he’s got a new song coming.”

Marlon: “But he doesn’t have the afro anymore.”

Shawn: “What do you care? I just want to hear the music.”

Marlon: “It might not be the same without the afro.”

Shawn: “What dude sits around going, ‘Man, he ain’t sexy anymore?’” [Laughs]

Check out Marlon’s playlist here!

—Rick Florino
05.20.09

A Taste:

Nirvana, Dr. Dre

Marlon Wayans never misses an opportunity for a joke. In Dance Flick, his psychotic teacher, Mr. Moody, provides some of the film’s most outrageous lines and antics Moody also has a pretty sweet argyle sweater and big glasses. Marlon keeps the humor coming, and his unbridled comedy always makes for memorable moments.

The actor and writer opened up his iTunes and gave us an exclusive look at what he’s spinning. Shawn Wayans also chimed in with some feedback on what rocks Marlon’s world.

Peep Marlon’s playlist below and be sure to catch Dance Flick on May 22nd in theaters.

Marlon Wayans’ Playlist:

1. Nirvana

Marlon: “I just started getting into rock music.”

Shawn: “Oh, that’s not weird.”

2. Dr. Dre

Marlon: “I like Nirvana, but I still love hip Hop. I’ve got Dre on my iPod. I can workout and have sex on the same playlist [Laughs].”

—Rick Florino
05.20.09

A Taste:

The Gutter Twins, The Clash, Mark Lanegan & Isobel Campbell

Denis Leary has got a lot on his mind at any given time. Between his Rescue Me duties (writing, producing and acting) and bringing comedy to the masses across America on his headlining tours, the legendary comic/actor/writer has got his hands full. However, he still manages to immerse himself in as much music as he possibly can.

Right now, his playlist is completely devoted to Rescue Me. “Of course we’ve got some great music on the new episodes,” laughs Leary with a big grin. “One of my favorite things about doing Rescue Me is finding the music. Most of my playlist is stuff that we’re using or considering for the show. I listen to it when we’re choosing shots or while I’m driving.”

He shared his playlist with us in this exclusive feature. Check out what Denis Leary is spinning below and don’t miss him in Rescue Me and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (July 4th).

Denis Leary’s Playlist:

1. Greg Dulli

“We’ve been through so many incarnations of Greg Dulli on the show. We’ve used Afghan Whigs’ old stuff, Dulli’s solo material, songs from the Twilight Singers.”

2. The Afghan Whigs

3. The Twilight Singers

4. The Gutter Twins

“Dulli and Mark Lanegan formed a group called The Gutter Twins. We’re ending our opening episode with a song from them.”

5. Tricky — Knowle Boy West

“We’re using a track from Tricky’s newest album, Knowle Boy West.”

6. The Clash — “The Guns of Brixton”

“We’re also using one of my favorite songs of all time, ‘The Guns of Brixton’ by The Clash. I’m a huge Clash fan. It’s not a song a lot of Clash fans like because it’s written by the bass player and sung by him. We were looking at a scene, and we knew we had to break out ‘Guns of Brixton’ for it though.”

7. Mark Lanegan & Isobel Campbell

“We’re thinking of using a track from Mark Lanegan’s record with Isobel Campbell for the finale, because it’s really good.”

—Rick Florino
05.17.09

A Taste:

A taste: Berlin, Celine Dion, Enrique Iglesias

MANAGEMENT is a romantic comedy that chronicles a chance meeting between Mike Cranshaw (Steve Zahn) and Sue Claussen (Jennifer Aniston). When Suechecks into the roadside motel owned by Mike’s parents in Arizona, whatstarts with a bottle of wine “compliments of MANAGEMENT” soon evolves into amulti-layered, cross-country journey of two people looking for a sense ofpurpose.

MANAGEMENT and comes out in theaterstoday, May 15. Check out the official MANAGEMENT website www.managementfilm.com for more details onthe film.

We had the chance to find out exactly what songs could create such a sense of hopelessly hopeless romanticism:

1. “Every Breath You Take” – The Police

2. “In Your Eyes” – Peter Gabriel

3. “Escape” – Enrique Iglesias

4. “Infatuation” – Rod Stewart

5. “One Way or Another” – Blondie

6. “My Heart Will Go On” – Celine Dion

7. “I Want You To Want Me” – Cheap Trick

8. “Invisible” – Clay Aiken

9. “I Drove All Night” – Celine Dion

10. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” – Simple Minds

11. “Take My Breath Away” – Berlin

12. “Feel like Making Love” – Bad Company

—Rick Florino
05.15.09

A Taste:

Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Zach Brown Band, The Soul of John Black

Clifton Collins Jr. has got rhythm—for a Romulan.

In Star Trek, Clifton gives his character Ayel an entrancing darkness through a calculated and tense portrayal. In some ways, Clifton’s musical sensibility comes through in the rhythmic nature of the performance. Watching him onscreen, it’s no surprise that Clifton is also an accomplished music video director and true tune aficionado.

Clifton’s got a lot on the horizon—Extract, Brothers, The Perfect Game, Boondock Saints 2—but he’s always down to talk music. The Capote and Trek star sat down with us and opened up his playlist in this exclusive feature.

Check out Clifton’s playlist below and don’t miss Star Trek!

Clifton Collins Jr.’s Playlist:

1. Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix is a staple of my playlist! My production company is even called “Stone Free.” I’ve played so many different roles, and I pride myself on the diversity of the different things I do. Even though Hollywood tries to get you to do something over and over again, Jimi says, “A woman here, a woman there—if I stay too long with people they try to hold me down.” That means if I keep doing the same role people will try to hold me in that position. I think it’s a perfect model. I’m always in awe of Hendrix!

2. The Zach Brown Band

I listen to The Zach Brown Band a lot. I just got nominated for two CMT awards for directing their video for “Chicken Fried.” Zach is an incredibly talented artist, and we’ve collaborated in so many different ways. This band’s honesty really resonates with me. They’re rock stars, but they’re so humble. Zach started playing guitar when he was six, and he started playing classical guitar when he was eight. He grew up with a lot of the demons that great artists have, and that makes this music really honest and special.

3. The Soul of John Black

This is always on my playlist. He’s a left-handed blues guy, much like Hendrix was. Miles Davis mentored him, and he even wrote a couple songs for Miles. He’s played for Fishbone, and he plays for Nikka Costa. This guy is just really passionate about his music. I’m wrapping a new video for him. It’s dope when you get you get your finger on the pulse before everybody hears about something. I hate being the last guy to get an album after everyone’s had it for a year [Laughs]. It’s so easy to get lost in the stories on a great album. It’s like when you watch a movie for the second or third time and you pick up different details. It’s not something you simply listen to; you feel it. It’s like Star Trek. You get lost in the excitement and the fun of it.

4. Jason Mraz

I just started to listen to Jason Mraz. There’s something really cool about his melodies, harmonies and acoustics. His songs are like those songs you used to hear when you were a kid that you want to hear over and over again. It’s funny to be my age now, and say, “You know what? I want to hear this again” [Laughs].

5. Hank Williams Sr.

He’s also a good staple. I like him for the same reasons I like Hendrix. He was like the original rock star. He died of an overdose at 29 in 1953 in the backseat of a Cadillac with Minnie Pearl in the passenger seat on New Year’s Day. It doesn’t get more rock star than that. He took the corniness out of country music and started coming with something so real. It was so foreign to everybody that it was something new and precious. I think that’s why people felt it. I studied him when I was doing Capote because my character Perry Smith lived in that era. He sang songs that Hank sang. There were three songs from the book, In Cold Blood. When I found those three songs, I wanted to listen to more in order to have the attitude, emotion and idea behind those times. That was something I listened to all the time up until the day they hung me in the movie.

6. Hank Williams III

I like III for the same reasons I like his grandfather. III exudes those same rebel qualities. I don’t mean in terms of going against the system; I mean rebel qualities in terms of singing and writing songs to the beat of your own drum and not being affected by record labels and having them control your content and what you put out. The guy knows how to write a hook! I love it. He’s got an insanely good band too.

7. Van Morrison

8. Janis Joplin

I love the sacred three J’s—Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin. They all died at 27. I constantly listen to them.

9. Crosby, Still and Nash

10. Creedence Clearwater Revival

I love those cats! This is music you can just put on and feel. It’s like being in a forest and hearing the silence of the wind blowing through the leaves. I love “Fortunate Son.” You can’t get any better than CCR!

11. The Rolling Stones

Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of early Rolling Stones. A lot of these songs I hear over and over, and it’s like I’m hearing them from the first time. You hear the influence everywhere. I don’t think any great art comes out of conformity. I think all of the great artists know what they did to get where they’re at. At some point, they make a choice to either sell out or not sell out. So many great artists aren’t acknowledged until years after they’ve died, whether it’s Van Gogh or Jimi Hendrix. Great artists will always be great in my opinion.

—Rick Florino
05.14.09

A Taste:

The Beatles, Joss Stone, Sheryl Crow

In Angels & Demons, Ayelet Zurer’s super savvy scientist Vittoria Vetra divides her time between conducting nuclear fission in her lab and chasing murderous Illuminati through church catacombs alongside Tom Hanks‘ Professor Robert Langdon.

However, in real life, Ayelet just wants to kick back and crank some tunes. She laughs, “I always like to go back in time with music. I love so many artists from the ’60s and ’70s. It’s a bit strange because I didn’t grow up on that music but it still resonates with me, especially bands like Jefferson Airplane. I also love listening to the early Beatles CDs—the real rock n’ roll stuff!”

Sometimes Ayelet’s iPod even helps her get ready for a role. She continues, “I’ve definitely used music to get into character before. While we were doing Adam Resurrected, [Director] Paul Schrader gave me his iPod, and that was the form of communication between us. On Angels & Demons, everyone was highly verbal though [Laughs].”

That doesn’t mean that Ayelet wasn’t drifting off to her favorite tunes while in Rome for Angels & Demons. In fact, she shared her playlist with us in this exclusive feature.

Check out what she’s spinning below and don’t miss her in Angels & Demons on May 15th.

Ayelet Zurer’s Playlist:

1. Joss Stone

“I’ve got a lot of Joss Stone on my playlist right now.”

2. Sheryl Crow

“I recently discovered Sheryl Crow, and I’ve been listening to her.”

3. Jefferson Airplane

4. The Beatles

—Rick Florino
05.13.09

A Taste:

Van Morrison, Tower of Power, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, The Band

“How do you pick your favorite song if you’re a song lover,” asks Paul Ben-Victor with a smile. “I have 19,000 favorite songs [Laughs]!”

Nevertheless, the star of In Plain Sight managed to whittle that 19,000 down for this exclusive playlist feature.

Paul’s created some very memorable characters on everything from Entourage and The Wire to The Invisible Man and John From Cincinnati. He comes alive on screen with undeniable presence and a sharp sense of humor. His role as In Plain Sight’s WITSEC chief Stan McQueen is one of his most vibrant though.

So in between running witness protection on In Plain Sight, Paul found the time to open up his iTunes and gave us exclusive look inside. Check out his playlist below.

Paul Ben-Victor’s Playlist:

1. Van Morrison — “I’ve Been Working”

“‘I’ve Been Working’ is a great song. It’s got a real bad R&B riff! I’m seeing Van Morrison this week at The Orpheum fourth row center. To me, he’s one of the gods. I spent my last paycheck on these tickets [Laughs]. It’s insane what these things cost! Even though tickets to see legends like Van Morrison may cost an arm and a leg, they’re priceless in a sense. It’s like a painting by Van Gogh or Picasso. If the artists dies, you still live with the painting forever. You have these guys’ recordings, but you have to see them live and you’ve got to see it up close too! A great live performance feeds my soul. There’s nothing like it.”

2. John Martin — “May You Never”

“This is a beautiful song. He was an obscure folk singer from England, but you’ll dig this!”

3. Bruce Hornsby & Ricky Skaggs — “Come On Out”

“Hornsby and Skaggs did a country album together. Check out this song, ‘Come On Out.’ It’s a real badass, cowboy song. The track basically says, ‘Come on out motherfucker, I’m going to kill your ass’ [Laughs].”

4. Angelique Kidjo — “Babaloa”

“She’s an African singer, and her stuff is fucking awesome. This is a real festive, celebratory song.”

5. Average White Band — “Cut the Cake”

“They’re my boys! ‘Cut the Cake’ is one of my favorite songs.”

6. Stevie Wonder — “Did I Hear You Say You Love Me”

“I had to put a Stevie Wonder song on here. My favorite album was Hotter Than July. The first track, ‘Did I Hear You Say You Love Me,’ was big for us in the ’80s. It’s got this ramp-up in the beginning that’s amazing. It’s really fun to kickoff a party with.”

7. The Band — “Unfaithful Servant”

“There are tons of amazing songs by The Band, but this is one of my favorites. It’s a beautiful bluesy ballad.”

8. Bob Dylan — “Tangled Up In Blue”

“Anytime I head out on a road trip to go skiing or snowboarding, I pop in Blood On the Tracks. ‘Tangled Up In Blue’ is the first track, and it’s fucking amazing. It’s a classic road track. Dylan was in my house early on. I knew those songs and records as a little kid. I grew up with Van Morrison, The Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and the Rolling Stones.”

9. Bruce Springsteen — “Thunder Road”

“This is another great road song!”

10. James Taylor — “You Can Close Your Eyes”

“I’m a huge James Taylor fan. I grew up listening to him.”

11. Paul McCartney — “Mother Nature’s Son”

“I had to pick a Beatles song, but I’m particularly a fan of Paul McCartney. I feel like he’s singing about me in some way. It’s about youth and coming of age. There’s a beautiful melody to it.”

12. Marc Cohn — “The Things We’ve Handed Down”

“He did ‘Walkin In Memphis.’ I got really into a couple of his albums. There’s one song called ‘The Things We’ve Handed Down.’ It’s a beautiful song if you ever have a kid. It’s about the generations, and he’s talking about this unborn child. It’s so heartfelt.”

13. The Rolling Stones — “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’”

“I had to pick one Stones song. I saw The Stones do this a few years ago, and Ron Wood was wasted [Laughs]. I was there with a friend of mine who is a concierge at the hotel where he was staying. That’s where we got the tickets. During the show, Wood was all over the place smoking and kicking Mick in the ass! My friend goes, ‘Oh my God, you’re not going to believe this. I sent a crate of vodka up to his room this morning, and from what I heard, he drank most of it!’ I got it from the horse’s mouth that he was completely fucked up because she sent the booze up there [Laughs]. However, Ron played that solo incredibly. He stuck a cigarette in the head stock of the guitar, and it was inspired. It was even better than the album. I was impressed.”

14. Jimi Hendrix — “The Wind Cries Mary”

“I had to throw in a Hendrix song, and this is my favorite. Where did that come from? It’s incredible.”

15. Led Zeppelin — “Black Country Woman”

“I was a drummer as a kid, and now I’ve got a cool Roland electric kit. Bonham played a fucking great syncopated kick drum on this song. It’s so good! I had to put a Zeppelin song on there! Page was in the moment and inventive.”

16. Nick Drake — “Know”

“His music has come around more lately, but he committed suicide in his 20s. He was a buddy of John Martin’s. Nick Drake is more distant and melancholy though. Like Joni Mitchell, he created voicings and chords. They’re using him in commercials.”

17. Thunderclap Newman — “Wild Country”

“I knew these guys because my brother brought their music into the house when I was nine. This song is really raw rock. They had a great drummer.”

18. The Tower of Power — “(To Say the Least) You’re the Most”

“They’re my favorite band of all-time. They’re the bomb!”

19. Jackson Browne — “Under the Falling Sky”

20. Joni Mitchell — “Coyote”

21. Frank Sinatra

“The man’s got soul. I love early Frank Sinatra. He’s always good; he’s just the man.”

—Rick Florino
05.11.09

Photo By: Fernando Escovar

A Taste:

Montrose, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, Budgie

What do Slash, Lars Ulrich, Scott Ian and Lemmy Kilmister have in common?

They’re all Anvil fans!

They announce their allegiance the Canadian thrash in the fantastic new documentary, Anvil! The Story of Anvil.

Drummer Robb Reiner breaks it down simply. “We’re Anvil! We’ve been fuckin’ kickin’ ass for years, man,” he bellows with a hearty laugh. The simplicity of the drummer’s statement resounds louder than a Black Sabbath riff. Anvil have rewritten the thrash book on kicking ass, and they’re never going to stop as evinced in the documentary.

Robb continues, “Even if the movie didn’t come about we’d still be rocking. The movie has changed things in a big way, but we’ve worked damn hard. We’re dedicated to one thing only: the music. It’s fantastic people are discovering it through the movie. I love it.”

You’ll love Robb and singer Steve “Lips” Ludlow’s playlist selections below. Check them out!

Robb Reiner’s Playlist:

1. Montrose — Montrose

“This is the almighty blueprint for hard rock power metal. The production is unbelievable.”

2. Cactus — One Way…Or Another

“Carmine Appice’s best drumming was in Cactus, and this album proves it.”

3. Grandfunk Railroad — E Pluribus Funk

“This is probably the most raw and heavy album Grand Funk ever made, and that’s why I love it.”

4. Black Sabbath — Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

“I love all of the Black Sabbath albums, but Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is hard to top. It inspired all metal, and the riffs stay with you forever.”

5. Deep Purple — Burn

“These are all great hard rock records than any rocker should rock out to [Laughs]. I love Burn because Ritchie Blackmore came to play finally. He felt like he was saving himself on the previous albums, but this one rips. Ian Paice plays drums like the motherfucker he always has been here. It’s a smoking album.”

6. Cream — Disraeli Gears

“This album has some of my favorite songs on it—‘Sunshine of Your Love’ included. It was right in the middle of the psychedelic period.”

7. Captain Beyond — Captain Beyond

“It’s an amazing progressive hard rock album.”

8. Foghat — Energized

“They’re probably my favorite boogie rock n’ roll band on the planet.”

9. Budgie — In for the Kill!

10. Thundermug

“Of course, you haven’t heard of them [Laughs]. They’re a Canadian band, and they’re fucking awesome.”

11. A Foot In Cold Water

“They’re another amazing obscure band. Their first album was mindblowing.”

12. Troyka

“They’re totally hardcore underground psychedelic metal. They were like a really really bad Led Zeppelin [Laughs].”

Steve “Lips” Ludlow’s Playlist:

1. Black Sabbath — Master of Reality

“‘Into the Void’ is probably the heaviest song ever! There are particular parts that are amazing like the beginning of ‘After Forever.’ I remember the first time I smoked a joint and listened to that—it was like walking through walls of tissue paper [Laughs]. The backwards symbols really freaked me out. I loved how bizarre how it was. Of course I can’t forget the opening of ‘Sweet Leaf.’ The coughing is great. I can really relate to what that song’s about [Laughs].”

“I was 15-years-old when I saw Black Sabbath for the first time in 1970. Nothing has ever surpassed that. There were certain moments that happened during that concert I’ll never forget. It was called The Beggar’s Banquet. They were opening for Three Dog Night. The lineup was Humble Pie, Black Sabbath and then Three Dog Night. When Three Dog Night came out, people were throwing tomatoes and watermelon at them. In those days, it was like five bucks to get in and they gave free fruit and vegetables to eat. After the crowd heard ‘Iron Man’ and ‘Wicked World,’ Three Dog did ‘Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog’ and they were covered in tomatoes. It’s as if every moment was tape-recorded in my mind—really unbelievable. Sabbath played for just about an hour, but it was probably the most incredible hour of my life.”

2. Montrose — Montrose

“This album was very influential. It was Van Halen years before Van Halen. You can even hear the similarities to The Doobie Brothers because of Ted Templeman’s production. It’s a very interesting sound particularly on the beginning of ‘Space Station #5.”

3. Grand Funk Railroad — Grand Funk

“This is one of my all-time favorite albums. I love ‘Paranoid’ and ‘Inside Looking Out.’ They’re such amazing songs. ‘Winter & My Soul’ is probably my favorite song on this album. The chords and the bass guitar are extraordinarily influential on everything that came after.”

4. Cactus — Restrictions

“This album has ‘Evil’ on it, and that’s one of my favorite songs on the record. It’s actually a blues cover song, but it’s really heavy. I was so influenced by the song that I wrote a track called ‘Safe Sex’ that used some of the same ideas.”

5. Deep Purple — Deep Purple In Rock

“This is my favorite Deep Purple album. There isn’t one lame song on this record. It is completely crushing and killer heavy from ‘Speed King’ at the beginning to ‘Hard Lovin’ Man’ at the end. ‘Child In Time’ is obviously the almighty classic. I love ‘Bloodsucker.’ Every song on this record is crushing. It’s probably one of my favorites of all-time.”

6. Cream — Fresh Cream

“My favorite song is ‘Toad.’ Ginger Baker’s drum solo is amazing. It doesn’t get any better.”

7. Captain Beyond — Captain Beyond

“My favorite song is either ‘Dancing Madly Backwards (On a Sea of Air)’ or ‘Raging River of Fear.’ They’re really heavy. The guitar playing is absolutely stellar. It was very ahead of its time in a lot of ways. It captured a lot of Hendrix’s overtones in a much more controlled and melodic fashion.”

8. Budgie — In for the Kill

“I love the song ‘In for the Kill.’”

9. Jethro Tull — Thick As a Brick

“I can’t listen to this enough. You can’t pick a song because it’s all one song.”

10. Uriah Heep — Very ‘eavy… Very ‘umble…

“‘Gypsy’ is great. This was the first horror or high screaming I heard on a record. Bands like Mercyful Fate and King Diamond were completely inspired by this. They were the originators. Uriah Heep was like a hybrid of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. You can’t help but love that. They’re amazing guys too.”

11. Jimi Hendrix

“Before Black Sabbath and Grand Funk, there was Hendrix.”

—Rick Florino
05.06.09

A Taste:

INXS, Powderfinger, Stephen Cummings

Eric Bana gives one of his most incendiary performances yet as the vengeful and nefarious Nero in Star Trek. In fact, Bana gives the character an unbridled, hypnotic fire. He’s played many heroes, but playing bad truly illuminates Bana’s talents.

In order to unwind after a hard day of intergalactic war, the actor often cranks some of his favorite bands. He laughs, “Listening to music helps after shooting! You can chill and recover for the next day’s scenes.”

In this exclusive feature, Bana shared his playlist with us. Check it out below!

Eric Bana’s Playlist

1. Powderfinger

“I actually listen to a lot of music on set. It’s different on every film and for every character. The music I listen to in the trailer is usually the same. It’s always a bunch of Australian rock—Powderfinger, Stephen Cummings, INXS and a lot of other old Australian stuff.”

2. Stephen Cummings

3. INXS

—Rick Florino
05.03.09

A Taste:

Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, The Boneshakers, Gregg Lee Henry

Bruce Greenwood’s got passion to spare. Not only does he give poignant and powerful performances in every role he takes on—from The Sweet Hereafter to Star Trek—but he also possesses a real ardor for music. He’s been playing guitar for years, and he recently produced a record by Gregg Lee Henry called Heavy Lifting. Bruce also has an encyclopedic musical knowledge that could rival that of any tastemaker critic or indie record store clerk.

He may be going to space as Captain Pike in Star Trek, but he also took us on a tour through his record collection. Bruce opened up his iTunes for us in this exclusive feature and shared some incredible music. He’s a blues guy at heart, but he also knows how to rock.

Check out Bruce Greenwood’s playlist below and be sure to catch him in star Trek on May 8th. He gives us an education below…

Bruce Greenwood’s Playlist:

1. Eric Lewis

“At the moment, I’m listening to this really cool jazz guy named Eric Lewis. His improvisational jazz really turns me on. It’s hard to tell how structured he is. He’s probably very structured, but the music has the appearance of being a gift from God [Laughs].”

2. The Boneshakers — “Let’s Straighten It Out”

“They’re extremely funky and blues-based. It’s incredibly soulful music. Check out an album called Book of Spells. The singer is so great, and the whole record is fantastic. They play in L.A. a lot, and they do an amazing version of ‘Cold Sweat’ that’s much more swing-y. I love these guys!”

3. Buddahead

“They’re also very blues-based. A guy named B.B. Chung King is the singer and guitar player. He’s a great guitarist, and he’s got a fantastic voice.”

4. The Subdudes

“I listen to The Subdudes a lot. Some of the guys are from New Orleans, and some are from L.A. You’re in for a treat if you haven’t heard them! The singer’s voice is so great. When they play, their drummer sits down front. He’s got a snare that looks like a big tambourine. He hits the snare with his hand, and he’s got a kick with one thom. It’s a whole different setup. The drummer is sitting up front, and the singer is unbelievable. The harmonies and grooves are incredible—there’s even a five-stack harmony in one song. With virtually every tune they have, you go, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to put my guitar down and stop singing.’ [Laughs] This cat has one of my favorite voices ever!”

5. Paul Rodgers

“I grew up listening to Paul Rodgers. He’s my favorite singer. As a teenager, when I first heard his voice, I said, ‘That’s me! That’s how I feel!’”

6. Lenny Williams

“I’m really into Lenny Williams from The Tower of Power.”

7. Tabu Ley Rochereau

“It’s really raw, and it’s very cool.”

8. Susan Tedeschi

“I always go back to Susan Tedeschi, Bonnie Raitt and The Neville Brothers.”

9. Bonnie Raitt

10. The Neville Brothers

11. Little Milton

“I really got into Little Milton last year. I don’t know how I stumbled across him, but then I started getting into everything that he did. He’s such a great singer. One song, ‘Too Hurt to Cry,’ has a basic B.B. King-style behind the beat minor pentatonic lick, and then Little Milton sings and you’re blown away. He’s got so much soul!”

12. Stevie Ray Vaughan

“I’m a huge Stevie Ray Vaughan fan! He’s the man! I have just about every song that he’s ever recorded, every live album and every DVD. I’ve even got DVDs of other guys teaching me how to play like him!”

13. Kelly Joe Phelps

“I’ve always got him on my playlist somewhere. He recorded his first album in a bedroom in Seattle. It’s him and one guitar. You know how incredibly inventive Kaki King is with a guitar? Well, Kelly doesn’t do the tapping thing that she does, but he’s incredibly inventive. He’s a wonderful singer and a great guitar player. On the album you can hear him tapping his foot, you can hear him breathing and you can even hear a door closing in the background. It’s fantastic.”

14. John Mayer

“I’ve always got John Mayer and Stevie Ray Vaughan on. Mayer’s a monster! A buddy of mine and I went to one of John’s shows, and I got to meet John very briefly. We sat with the monitor mixer on stage and watched the show. John was on fire! I’d be thrilled to hear a record that’s just him and a guitar. He is a God.”

15. Joe Bonamassa

“I also listen to him. He’s a little heavier. For Bonamassa, I’ve got to be in a pretty nasty mood.”

16. Gregg Lee Henry

“I listen to Gregg Lee Henry a lot. I produced his new album, and it will be available on iTunes soon. He wrote a tune called ‘The Back of Your Hand’ a few years ago while I was doing this movie with Dwight Yoakam. I produced the tune one night and gave it to Dwight the next day. He ended up using it as a single, and it went to number one on CMT. Gregg and I are good buddies, and we’ve been working together for a long time. I just finished doing the new album with him. He’s a piano player and singer/songwriter. He’s like Lyle Lovett meets Randy Newman. Gregg is also fantastic lyricist! I played some guitar on the record. This is our first attempt at fully producing a record with bass, guitar and drums. Usually, it’s on him on piano and me doing noodle-y guitar in the background and singing some harmony parts. We decided to get a little more involved this time. I back Gregg up all the time when we play together around town. Occasionally, I’ll sing a couple of songs on my own. I’m going to have to release a record of my own at some point!”

17. The Boom Boo