Charlie Watts, the long-time, soft-spoken, gentleman drummer of the Rolling Stones turns 70 today with a video lunch tribute to the band's backbeat backbone. A Charlie Parker devotee and R&B enthusiast, the hall of fame musician is also considered one of the world's best dressed men. True. Watts was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2004 which has since gone into remission. A key member of the band, Watts owns a percentage of the empire and spends his down time in rural England with his wife breeding Arabian horses. Also true. more ›

It was an interesting year for fans of the old guard. As time passes, our beloved dinosaurs are being forced to adapt or die, in an environment in which their only property of value - material recorded a long time ago - can no longer be sold for a profit. They have responded by creating box-set packages large and gaudy enough to appear to be worth something. more ›

Tonight at 8 pm, the Grammy Museum hosts The Drop: Exile on Main Street with producer producer Don Was. He’ll discuss the re-release of the Rolling Stones' album Exile on Main Street--the original recording, previously unreleased tracks and impact of the album. Was will also play tracks and take questions from the audience. Doors at 7:30 pm. Tickets: $12. more ›

It’s said to be the greatest concert film ever made, but the T.A.M.I Show in its finished form has been elusive almost since it was released. The Teen Age Music International Show was filmed at the Santa Monica Civic over two nights in late 1964 for eventual release as a feature film, a way for all the small town kids that couldn’t make it to concerts see what their favorite acts were like on stage. After its first theatrical run, the Beach Boys insisted that their sequence be cut out... more ›

It wasn't until concertgoers arrived at the gates yesterday that they finally learned what classic album Phish would cover in its entirety during their "musical costume" set at Festival 8. Reviving a tradition that began in 1994 when Phish covered The Beatles' The White Album, last night the quartet staged an ambitious cover of the Rolling Stones' 18-song double LP, Exile on Main St. As in years past, the costume choice was a closely-guarded secret until the day of the show, when thousands of "Phishbill" programs (à la Playbill) were distributed, complete with bios of the "cast," which last night included Sharon Jones on vocals and members of the Dap Kings on horns. more ›

While watching the Oscars at home in my bedroom, I got an email informing me that I was invited to Prince's Post-Oscar party. Me? The guy who was sitting in his room watching the Oscars in a sweaty t-shirt and shorts thanks to some much needed time at the gym was now going to be partying with Prince at his ultra-exclusive post-Oscar party. more ›

December is list-making season. And for us music journalists, it is a time to look back on scores of albums, reflect upon the music and recapitulate our favorites. This year we asked some of the staffers what inspired them. The prompt was not limited to albums that came out in 2008. more ›

December is list-making season. And for us music journalists, it is a time to look back on scores of albums, reflect upon the music and recapitulate our favorites. But this year, just like the last, we took this opportunity to flip that tradition upside down, asking the artists that influenced us what influenced them. The prompt was not limited to albums that came out in 2008. more ›

100 years and nine months ago, an American ship called Chesapeake was cannonballed by a British vessel, and not in the Ron Burgundy way. Apparently, the Americans refused to be boarded, the Brits fired and an international incident was born. more ›

Sure, you could always stay in and watch reruns of [insert name of your favorite show here], but why bother when you have these things happening tonight to get you through hump day. more ›

In a couple hours, the Iowa caucuses- or Hawkeye Caucii, if you prefer- will be starting, and that means we're off to the races for a new President. more ›

If you still wondering how the process looks and why it feels different from the primaries that the rest of the country partake in, watch this video after the jump from Why Tuesday to help fill in those missing pieces. more ›

COMEDY: Good for the Jews brings their rock/comedy show to the Knitting Factory tonight. Check out their MySpace page for their hits like “Jews for Jesus,” “JDate” and “They Tried to Kill Us.” more ›

The announcement that Tom Petty will play the halftime show at this year’s biggest football game got me thinking about those of the recent past. It seems like only yesterday that men across America froze their Tivo to catch a glimpse of Janet Jackson’s nipple ring during the Super Bowl XXXVIII performance. This notorious halftime show also featured Kid Rock wearing the American flag as a shirt and P. Diddy and Nelly flanked by scantily... more ›

There are many different ways you could have heard of Tinariwen by now - even if you don't keep up with world music, you could have heard Henry Rollins play them on Indie 103.1, or read that they opened for The Rolling Stones, or heard that Thom Yorke was inspired by one of their guitar riffs while writing 'The Clock' on Eraser. Not your usual buzz band, Tinariwen are part of a nomadic desert... more ›

The Rapture blew everyone away with stage presence that rivals the Rolling Stones. It was all high fives, fist pumps... even crowd surfing and a mosh pit. The Mayan is a cool venue too, with trap doors, secret passages, and tribal decor. It's like watching a concert in the middle of "Indiana Jones and the Temples of Doom". more ›

Bret and the boys from Harrisburg are back. Consider yourself publicly and servicedly announced. more ›

So I heard it first tonight via the hot lips of G4TV's Olivia: the new Guitar Hero III (slated to be released on all "next generation" platforms - that means the Wii, the PS3, and the XBox 360), will include songs by Weezer, Muse, Heart, Tenacious D, The Rolling Stones, and The Smashing Pumpkins. Joystiq confirmed the dirty details, and we will get to RAWK on songs like "Barracuda," "Cherub Rock" and even Living Colour's "Cult of Personality" - sweet! more ›

MAY 7 more ›

Welcome to the latest edition of 'Ask the MACist', the column where I answer your Macintosh and other technology questions. Our question this week comes from Sam, who lives all the way in Portland. He asks: "Even though Apple and EMI are not going to have DRM on their songs, is there any way to have songs from other companies in your iTunes without DRM to? With Apple announcing yesterday that they, along with... more ›

Recommended 13 Tzameti - French movie with an Eastern European sensibility about a young handyman who decides to follow instructions intended for the owner of the house he's repairing. He ends up in a remote house, where he is forced to take part in a brutal game of Russian Roulette in which only one of the 13 participants will survive. Bicycle Thieves - Criterion has released a DVD of Vittorio De Sica's 1947 classic... more ›

When you write and sing songs as good as Whisper Town 2000, you can make any list you want. Here are Morgan Nagler's Best CDs of 2006 1. The Beatles The White Album 2. The Rolling Stones Exile On Main St. 3. Neva Dinova The Hate Yourself Change 4. Elliot Smith Elliot Smith 5. Notorious BIG Ready To Die 6. The Jackson 5 Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 7. Tom Petty Wildflowers 8.... more ›

She Wants Revenge, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Monsters Are Waiting @ Grove of Anaheim more ›

- NO! The nude photos of 41 yr-old Cindy Margolis' fake boobies in Playboy have hit the Interwebs! - Drunken Stepfather - NO! Flava Flav preparing for his Seventh child - People - NO! Angelina is expecting againgelina - Star - NO! Shanna Moakler is getting paid to throw a Divorce Party at the Bellagio on Friday - Perez Hilton - OMG NO! Pete Doherty wears Kate Moss' clothes and shoes - Entertainmentwise -... more ›

Photo used with the permission of: Kikuko Usuyama more ›

by Jeff Baum for Gothamist more ›

Mon 5/8 – The Submarines / Goldspot @ Viper Room ($10) – The Submarines debut album doesn’t come out until 6/20 but you can sample some tracks on their website or on Myspace. The album has call and response boy/girl lyrics about the two singers’ relationship (both the breakup and reunion). The electronic blips call to mind the Stars and some Folk Implosion. Her voice is in the neighborhood of the woman from Mates of State. Goldspot is a big Nic Harcourt band. If you prefer underground rap go see Soul Position at the Echo. more ›

There's a whole wide world out there, and here's the proof: more ›

Stoned is the story of Brian Jones, the founder of the Rolling Stones who was cooler than Keith, got more action than Mick, and flamed out in spectacular rock star fashion: he got kicked out of the band and weeks later was found dead in his pool. Was his death a drugged-out drowning, or was he pushed? Stoned the biopic asks this question and explores the life of Brian Jones in true '60s style. It is, as producer-director Stephen Woolley says, more Performance than Austin Powers. It opens Friday, March 24 at the Nuart, where it plays exclusively for one week. more ›