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:

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:

Foo Fighters, Jeff Buckley, Incubus, Bruce Springsteen

Thomas Ian Nicholas lives quite the life.

From starring in blockbuster films such as the American Pie series to releasing records as a solo artist, Thomas’ talents extend to music and movies. He’s also quite adept at both too. Right now, he’s gearing up to release Without Warning Acoustic, his latest batch of soulful alterna-pop. However, he found some time in between everything to give us an exclusive peek at the tunes that rock his world at home, on tour and on set.

Thomas shared his playlist with us in this exclusive feature. Check out what he’s spinning below and be sure to crank Without Warning Acoustic when it drops May 5th.

Thomas Ian Nicholas’ Playlist:

1. Bruce Springsteen — Magic

“Bruce! Magic, in my opinion, is a combination of all of his styles over the years with a modern flare. The only thing better than listening to the album is seeing him live. If you haven’t seen him live, you haven’t experienced his music.”

2. John Mayer — Continuum

“I’ve dug all of Mayer’s albums. I already knew he was an amazing songwriter and lyricist, but this album showcases his guitar ability. To hold your own with Pino Palladino is something that I can only dream about.”

3. Switchfoot — The Beautiful Letdown

“Switchfoot has been the biggest influence on my sound and style. If you A-and-B all of their albums to mine starting in 1997, you’d realize that I’m almost a Switchfoot tribute band [Laughs].”

4. Foo Fighters — There is Nothing Left to Lose

“Do I really have to justify the FooFighters, no, but why this album? It’s been in my truck since the day I bought it. I pop it in the CD player anytime and I am instantly in a good mood. It’s also a must-have for road trips, especially with the band.”

5. Led Zeppelin — Houses of the Holy

” Led Zeppelin is one of my all time favorite bands since I was 10-years-old, and this was the album that I listened to until the cassette tape wore out. As an adult, I listened to this album until my iPod crashed.”

6. Weezer — Weezer (Red Album)

“Weezer has been writing amazing songs since I was in junior high school. I cover “Say It Ain’t So” in my acoustic concerts sometimes. Their latest album proves that the hits just keep on coming. Now, I cover “Troublemaker” on Rock Band [Laughs].”

7. Chris Cornell — Euphoria Morning

“I’ve tried to write songs like Chris Cornell. I think ‘Without Warning’ is the closest I’ve come, but even that doesn’t hold a candle to his tunes. C’mon, Soundgarden, Audioslave. The common denominator is Cornell, so that’s why I like this album the most.”

8. Jeff Buckley — Grace

“My cousin introduced me to Jeff Buckley’s music one late night in Las Vegas. The sun was just starting to pierce the dark sky, and as the lyric, ‘Love, let me sleep tonight on your couch’ rang out and I was hooked.”

9. Ben Harper — Live from Mars

“I knew Ben Harper’s hits but this was the double disc live album that made me listen. I was working in Vancouver in 2001 when I bought it and I’ve basically carried these discs from car to car since then.”

10. Incubus — Light Grenades

“My friend Kenny Morrison shot an album for Incubus back in the day. Since then I have followed their musical road and this latest album sounds fresh and reminds me of when and why I first dug their tunes.”

—Rick Florino
04.27.09

A Taste:

Kings of Leon, Iron & Wine, Bruce Springsteen

On their debut, Life, Love & Lies, Canadian rockers State of Shock wield a combination of big choruses and massive melodies. Frontman Cam Melnyk opened up his iTunes for us and gave us an exclusive gander at what he’s spinning. Some of his selections are quite surprising!

Discover what Cam is listening to below and check out State of Shock’s Life, Love & Lies.

1. Kings of Leon

2. Iron & Wine

3. Ray LaMontagne – Gossip In the Grain

4. Nickelback – Dark Horse

5. Bruce Springsteen – Working On a Dream

—Rick Florino
03.25.09