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:

Queens of the Stone Age, The Beatles, Steely Dan

Kristinia DeBarge has spent the past year turning pop music upside down with her undeniable R&B sensibility and a whole lot of soul. From “Goodbye” to “Sabotage,” Kristinia’s got the kind of arsenal of hits that could unseat Lady GaGa and Britney Spears at the top of the heap. Kristinia’s well on her way to supremacy on the charts too…watch out…

In order to accompany that journey to the pop palace, Kristinia’s got quite a stacked playlist—running the gamut from psychedelic rock to dance music. She sat down with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino for this exclusive interview about what’s on her iTunes playlist.

Check out Kristinia DeBarge’s playlist below!

Kristinia DeBarge’s Playlist:

1. Queens of the Stone Age — “Tangled up in Plaid”

The last song I downloaded was “Tangled Up in Plaid” by Queens of the Stone Age.

2. Armin van Buuren

3. Steely Dan

Before that I was downloading Armin Van Buren’s Imagine album and Steely Dan’s Aja.

4. Guns N’ Roses

5. Eric Clapton

I’ve also got a couple Guns N’ Roses and Eric Clapton tracks on my playlist.

6. The Beatles

My mom and step dad just got me this really cool DVD of The Beatles. It’s their anthology, and it has volumes 1-8 with special features. I’m really looking forward to checking it out when I get some down time in the hotel in San Diego and Vegas!

—Rick Florino
10.28.09

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

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:  

The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan

Scott Weiland has very good taste.

The Stone Temple Pilots frontman has always dressed debonaire on stage, but his musical taste is equally refined. In fact, glancing at Scott’s playlist shines a little bit of light on this enigmatic legend’s inimitable presence.

Sitting in the studio between recording takes for Stone Temple Pilots’ next offering, he smiles and says, “Recently, my playlist has literally just been The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Bob Dylan for about the last two weeks. I grew up with those artists. I was even turned on to them by my father—my natural father.”

The Stones, Beatles and Dylan have a secured spot in Weiland’s heart the same way Stone Temple Pilots takes up permanent residency in the souls of millions of fans. After working some more, Weiland opened up his iTunes and gave ARTISTdirect.com an exclusive look at what he’s spinning.

Check out his playlist below and, if you’re in Los Angeles, catch Stone Temple Pilots on July 1st at St. Jude’s Rock N’ Roll Hope Show.

Scott Weiland’s Playlist:

1. The Beatles

2. The Rolling Stones

3. Bob Dylan

4. The Libertines

You always go back to the bands you first heard when you were a kid. There are bands that come around every once in awhile that inspire me like The Libertines. They didn’t last very long—kind of like The Sex Pistols. I think they had that magic element. I wish they could’ve stayed together for a longer period more like The Clash did. They were amazing while they were together.

—Rick Florino
06.18.09

A Taste:

The Beatles, Leonard Bernstein, Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield

RZA knows the hood.

However, he’s always had a philosophical perspective on it. That perspective has made him a bona fide ghetto prophet-poet-warrior. From creating Wu-Tang Clan’s spacey samurai soundscapes to his searing screen portrayal of Life Is Hot In Cracktown’s drug dealer Sammy, RZA always delves deep. In Cracktown he explores life on the edge in an enigmatic fashion, staring at the darkness with poignant understanding. For the multi-platinum, producer, musician and composer, acting is another brush for him to paint with, but there’s always music cranking in the background.

He shared his playlist with us in this exclusive feature, check it out below and catch RZA in Life Is Hot In Cracktown and Funny People this summer. If that’s not enough, he’s also on the Rock the Bells tour, sure to hit a town near you.

RZA’s Playlist:

1. Leonard Bernstein

I’ve studied Leonard Bernstein. When I began scoring films, I started looking up to people like Bernstein and Conti.

2. Ennio Morricone

He’s one of the masters of the masters.

3. The Beatles — “Come Together”

My playlist varies. Right now, we’re rocking “Come Together” by The Beatles. I’m listening to some old greats, while I’m reading the script for The Man with the Iron Fist. I’m going through for it corrections. I’m listening to some good vibes and shit like that.

4. Caravelli — “April Orchestra”

5. Randy Newman

I respect Newman, Zimmer and all of those cats. I love Spider-Man. Those movies keep you enjoying the popcorn, baby [Laughs]. There are a lot of good composers out there.

6. Hans Zimmer

7. Issac Hayes

I had to check out Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield. Their music, in some cases, made the movie! No disrespect to the movies, but one day, if you watch the movie without the music, there ain’t shit happening! [Laughs]

8. Curtis Mayfield

9. Conti

10. Bernard Herrmann

I just watched Taxi Driver no longer than eight days ago. Bernard’s scores for that, Psycho and Vertigo are all classics. At least Herrmann got a chance to knock it off with the last score for Taxi Driver. That’s like how Richard Pryor said his father died having sex. That’s a good way to go. Fuck it; it’s like recycling.

—Rick Florino
06.07.09

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:

The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Arthur Brown, The Tramps

Bigelf make timeless hard rock. Blending a pronounced theatricality with bombastic riffs and balls-to-the-wall vocals, they conjure an ungodly rock n’ roll thunder on their latest album, Cheat the Gallows.

Frontman Damon Fox spoke to us for this exclusive playlist feature. He opened up his iTunes for us, and it’s no surprise that he’s been blaring a whole lot of classic rock! Check out Damon’s playlist below!

Damon Fox’s Playlist:

1. The Clash — “This is Radio Clash”

“I always dig a song with the band name in the title. The Clash proves you can be cool and be political. I remember wearing army jackets in the early ’80s because of them, but then again, camo is always in.”

2. The James Gang — “Funk 49″

“Joe Walsh is completely underrated as a guitarist. Whenever I want to just let it hang loose, James Gang is the only way.”

3. Arthur Brown — “Fire”

“Arthur Brown the originator! No Alice, no Kiss, no shock in rock without him. Having Vincent Crane as your organist doesn’t suck either.”

4. The Beatles — “Hey Jude”

“My trusty iPod always delivers this song. It inspires me to always try to write a better, better, better song. YEAAAAAH! Simply untouchable, best outro EVER!”

5. Ozzy Osbourne — “Suicide Solution”

“I grew up with this album. The ‘Behind The Music’ clip always kills me. ‘Get the gun, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot.’ Yeah right, whatever. Ozzy’s finest solo material about Bon Scott.”

6. The Beatles — “Piggies”

“It’s a Beatlefest on my iPod. When I hear this I want to put more harpsichord in Bigelf songs. Too bad Charles Manson historically attached himself to this little gem. Cool bridge.”

7. The Rolling Stones — “It’s Only Rock & Roll”

“This has got to be one of the greatest lines in rock history! ‘I know it’s only rock and roll, but I like it?????’ I’ll never come up with something so genius. Maybe I need a sailor outfit?”

8. Sweet — “Medussa”

“I always listen to Sweet, another criminally underrated band. They were so original, metal, yet pop and glam as well. ‘Medussa’ is a cool track, and it’s only on the import of Desolation Blvd.”

9. The Tramps — “Disco Inferno”

“Ah yes, disco—so trashed and frowned upon at the time. But I love disco. Amazing production, catchy songs (bad lyrics though, I mean how long can you talk about wanting to boogie?) and something most people forget about… phenomenal musicianship! Something that’s seriously lacking in the modern dance music scene today.”

10. The Move — “Do Ya”

“Bigelf covered this in the mid-90’s. What a chorus!”

11. Queen — “Brighton Rock”

“Queen has had a big impact on me throughout my life. They proved you can take chances and get away with it(well, maybe not “Hot Space”). Freddie Mercury is definitely a special, unique artist, I wish he was still alive. He’s definitely one of my idols.”

—Rick Florino
04.29.09

A Taste:

The Beatles, John Prine, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson

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

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

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

W.R. “Bud” Thornton’s Playlist:

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

2. Kris Kristofferson — “Sunday Mornin’ Coming Down”

“This is quite possibly, in my opinion, the best written song ever in history because it takes you right to the place. You see it, you smell it and you feel it. Kris is the best songwriter I ever knew anything about. It’s a classic song. Johnny Cash’s version of it is amazing, but I love to hear Kristofferson do it.”

3. Kris Kristofferson — “The Pilgrim Chapter 33″

“It’s kind of crappy that I have to do this, but I have to list two Kristofferson songs. In the beginning of this song, it not only mentions a lot of the people that I know and love, but it also talks about the life of all these guys that Kris knew. It’s just about that guy—the artist on that search for happiness or whatever it is and all the trials and tribulations of coming up and going down.”

4. John Prine — “Hello In There”

“This is probably the most melancholy song I’ve ever heard. John told me once it was the first song he wrote and that he just put all the guitar chords that he knew together and wrote a song. This really makes you angry when you’re a songwriter; it makes you want to quit. It’s a song about old people and nobody writes about old people. If you’ve never heard it, it’s a must. Again, he’s one of the greatest songwriters that ever lived. Once you get into talking about Prine, Kristofferson and all these people, you have to start talking about Warren Zevon and Robbie Robertson and one million other people. Unfortunately, the list is not long enough to include everyone.”

5. Webb Pierce — “Sparkling Brown Eyes”

6. The Allman Brothers — “Melissa”

“This song is so lonely and beautiful, and the chord progression is so pretty. I’m a big Allman Brothers fan. I could just pick everything they ever did, but “Melissa” is just a beautiful song, and I love to hear Gregg do it acoustic when they play live.”

7. Johnny Cash — “Ring of Fire”

“I love Johnny Cash and even though he didn’t write this one, his wife did along with Merle Kilgore, I would have to say, ‘I fell into a burning ring of fire’ is just an amazing phrase. Just to hear him sing it, it’s just a classic song and I have no other description for it.”

8. George Jones — “He Stopped Loving Her Today”

“This is maybe the saddest song in history. It has to be the biggest tear jerking country song ever. I’d like to hear it all stripped down without the strings to hear the production of it.”

9. Elvis Presley — “King Creole”

“This is my favorite Elvis song. I just love the way the song moves and his voice is exactly Elvis in it. The movie, which he starred in, was actually a really legitimate movie. It was one of the ones where Elvis actually shined as an actor. My mom had the record when I was a kid, and I used to listen to ‘King Creole’ over and over. It was just rhythmically so amazing, and his voice is completely the guy we loved.”

10. Del Reeves — “Girl On the Billboard”

“I don’t know how Del crams all those words in there! It’s just hysterical. I’m a big Del Reeves fan. For anyone that hasn’t heard Del Reeves, go get his greatest hits, you’ll be very happy, especially with the way all his songs start.”

—Rick Florino
04.21.09

A Taste:

The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones

Arielle Kebbel found inspiration from many different places for her character Alex Rydell in The Uninvited, including the musical world. She has a diverse palette for sonic treats, and she shared musical experiences, her ideas for a soundtrack, and some of her favorite bands with us in this exclusive interview.

If you were to create a soundtrack for the film, what bands would you pick and why?

Good question! It’s funny I am very sensitive to music with all of my characters. I actually spend a lot of time thinking about music ahead of time and what the character would listen to and maybe what Arielle Kebbel would listen to in order to help get me into that character. So for me, Incubus has significant meaning just because that was how I started my day every morning. It was one of the soundtracks that helped transfer me from Arielle to Alex. So now anytime I hear a couple of those songs—which I prefer to keep private—it takes me back to feeling like Alex for a minute [laughs].

Are there any other bands that you really dig?

I love music. I literally, on an average day, will go from listening to country to rock to rap. I’ve got my Florida in me, and I love rap [laughs]. From there, I’ll even go to NPR or classic rock. It really varies from minute to minute. I’m very opinionated. I love working out to hard rock, actually! I like The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. I love The Rolling Stones. Thinking of my iPod, I have EVERYTHING. I also did a music video for Buckcherry.

Which music video?

It was called “Don’t Go Away.” It’s their new single. I really liked the song. It’s funny talking about the emotional ties to music. I didn’t have any connection to it other than that I’d listened to the song before we shot the video. Because the director had me go through the range of emotions from happy to reflecting on a relationship to screaming to crying, I became immersed in it. It was funny because by the time I walked away from shooting that day and walked away from the song, I realized I loved it [laughs]. It’s just because you recognize that there’s so much deep-rooted attachment.

Especially when you meet the musicians.

Oh yeah, that always helps [laughs].

What’s next for you?

I have a comedy for Screen Gems called Mardi Gras coming out. Three college guys head down to Mardi Gras for a weekend trip. I’m the fun-loving, sarcastic, quirky girl that the main character thinks he had in his girlfriend and then realizes he didn’t. We have this fun little fling for the weekend. It’s very cute.

—Rick Florino
01.27.09