Nick Jonas On the Record



On the Record is a video series where rock stars gush about their favorite records -- in exactly 45 seconds. In this special edition, we asked Nick Jonas to talk about the album he thinks everyone should be listening to this Valentine's Day.


ARTIST:
Nick Jonas & the Administration

RECORD:
It's Time


More videos you might like:.




Nick Jonas vs. the Box

nickjonasboxfinal.jpg

Nick Jonas was nice enough to take a moment from his busy touring schedule with his new band Nick Jonas and the Administration to answer a few of your questions for Rhapsody's newest video series,"The Box." Does Nick believe in Aliens? Watch and find out, and be sure to check out our last episode of "The Box" featuring LADY GAGA.

super_bowl_575x225_1.jpg

The Blues Brothers, Shania Twain and every other band listed in this article are yours to rock out to whenever and however you want with your Rhapsody subscription. Click here to sign up for a free trial and see what we’re all about.

Superbowl Sunday is the most American of unofficial holidays -- almost nobody misses the game -- and as such, it's a day that's rife with traditions, from the requisite overeating of seven-layer dip to the explosion of violence that punctuates so many fourth quarters/Brett Favre game-ending picks.

The tradition of the halftime show, however, trumps them all. An orgy of corporate-sponsored "enchantment" whose historical high-water marks include both accidentally-on-purpose nudity and George Burns and Mickey Rooney (take that, Oscars), the halftime show is as American as a supersized apple pie ordered from behind the wheel of a gas-guzzling Hummer. And so, what follows is a list of the halftime show's "best" moments through the years.
Paul_butterfield_blues_band_575x225.jpg The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Mike Bloomfield and nearly every other band listed in this article are yours to rock out to whenever and however you want with your Rhapsody subscription. Click here to sign up for a free trial and see what we’re all about.

There are those who actually believe young’ns no longer appreciate the rock. Well, the Classic Rock Crate Digger is here to tell you that's all hogwash. My generation -- as well as those following us -- know more about the history of bell-bottomed boogie, first-wave classic rock, heady prog and vintage psych-jams than the original dirties who created the sweaty stuff. Over the last 10 years just about every obscure stoner-nug recorded between 1968 and '73 has been reissued -- multiple times in many instances. What's more, my generation’s desire to rediscover these lost jammers extends well beyond the Occidental world. What we’ve come to learn through our tireless excavation is that longhairs with guitars thrived in just about every country dotting great Gaia herself.

Lady Day.jpg Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday and every other musician listed in this article are yours to rock out to whenever and however you want with your Rhapsody subscription. Click here to sign up for a free trial and see what we’re all about.

Welcome back to Frank's World, where I get to bore complete strangers by waxing rhapsodic about the vast Sinatra universe.

Frank Sinatra never hid his admiration for Lady Day. He once even went so far to say, "It is Billie Holiday, whom I first heard in 52nd Street clubs in the1930s , who was, and still remains, the greatest single musical influence.”

On the surface, Holiday sounds much closer to Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith then Sinatra does to her. But, its not at the surface where her influence lies. After all, Frank studied many artists, came up with his own sound and then kept developing and refining his style over the next few decades.

Much like Louis Armstrong, Holiday intertwined music, melody and language in a such a natural way that they become indistinguishable from each other. It's easy to see why Armstrong is the father of not just jazz, but of popular music in general.

Armstrong made sure to put on a great, entertaining show and dazzle listeners with his amazing musical abilities. With Holiday, people forgot they were at a performance -- they thought they were hearing her emotions, directly from her heart. Listeners still think they are hearing her life distilled into song.


spoon.jpg Spoon had a pretty incredible '00s (seriously, four great albums). So for their first release in a new decade -- also their first self-produced effort -- Transference is just what the title promises: a transferring of all that the band has learned and defined into a sound that is as familiar as it is fresh. Slight piano bumps, soft hi-hat hits, lo-fi guitar, the occasional echo, and the rare fuzz effect ebb and flow with the same patience and ease as Britt Daniel's coos. This is Spoon as you know and love them: minimalist, smart, catchy, always playing it cool.

Since we've been digging Transference, we've decided to put it on sale in our MP3 store for just $5.99 this week. That's like the cost of a, um, serving spoon?

Play! BUY IT HERE FOR $5.99.

Christian Music in the Mainstream

xtian_mainstream_575x225.jpg
Bob Dylan, U2 and every other band listed in this article are yours to rock out to whenever and however you want with your Rhapsody subscription. Click here to sign up for a free trial and see what we’re all about.

In the early ‘70s, rebellious Christian rocker Larry Norman posed the question “Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?” The track caused a bit of a stir in what was then a fledgling Christian music industry as Norman professed a love for rock music and Jesus.

Today, the debate is less about the sound and more about what a song says. What makes a song or an artist “Christian”? If you’re on a Christian label, are you limited to only singing about God, and if you’re on a mainstream label are you allowed to venture into hallowed territory?

While there are currently a number of Christian music labels releasing a steady stream of rock, punk, pop, country and more, plenty of spiritually charged songs originate from mainstream sources, too. What follows are just a few of those favorites created outside the confines of the Christian labels.


harmonbanner.jpg

The 52nd annual Grammy Awards took place on Sunday, Jan. 31, in Los Angeles, and Rhapsody was there to mix it up with a few of the nominees, including Weird Al, David Guetta, Sean Paul, Mick Fleetwood and more. Check out Weird Al Yankovic talking about his Grammy experience.

CONTINUE WATCHING Rhapsody's GRAMMY coverage PT. 2

The Grammy's Greatest Misses

grammy_misses_575x225.jpg Nirvana, the Beach Boys and every other band listed in this article are yours to rock out to whenever and however you want with your Rhapsody subscription. Click here to sign up for a free trial and see what we’re all about.

The Grammys sometimes present some weird nominations, ranging from the dinosaurish (someone on the nominating committee has a serious Steely Dan fixation) to the simply flabbergasting (James Taylor, Paul McCartney, and Ben Harper all got pop nominations. Last year). And though the awards usually manage to come through and pick a winner most people can agree on, there are those winners that make some fans -- or, you know, the whole country -- collectively go, "Whaaaa?" In honor of the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards coming up this Sunday, we're cataloging some of the biggest misses by the awards show whose job it is to pick the hits.

Almost Christian Artists

xtian_goes_secular_575x225.jpg Jessica, Nick and every other Christian or former Christian artist listed in this article are yours to rock out to whenever and however you want with your Rhapsody subscription. Click here to take a free trial and see what we’re all about.

Everyone has to start somewhere. Britney and Justin were Mouseketeers, LeAnn Rimes battled it out on Star Search and Paula Abdul first practiced her moves courtside as a Laker Girl. Meanwhile, other young artists took a detour of another sort on their way to superstardom: through the world of contemporary Christian music.

corinnebaileyrae.bmp
Corinne Bailey Rae's new single, "I'd Do It All Again," has been up on Rhapsody for a few weeks now, and it's a real keeper.

The song starts out quiet and acoustic but slowly builds in intensity, with flashes of swirling psychedelic soul.  The lyrics seem to address her confusion and mixed emotions surrounding her late husband's very avoidable demise.

Rae's 2006 debut was a critical and commercial success, and shifted a couple million units in America (which is rare for an artist who sings with a noticeable English accent). Such elders as Al Green -- whose laid-back, slowly building style is an obvious influence -- and Herbie Hancock were impressed and immediately recorded with her.

Her new CD, The Sea, is more sonically varied than her debut was, but it still shines with her patented mix of neo-soul and traditional singer-songwriter pop (which can position her closer to acoustic-guitar-toting males like Bill Withers, Amos Lee and Ben Harper than to flashier talents such as Alicia Keys or Leona Lewis). It was Led Zep that originally inspired CBR to pick up the guitar, and she's covered them, John Lennon, Joni Mitchell and Marvin Gaye.

Before digging into The Sea, take this Rhapsody tour of Rae's earlier recordings. She's done a number of interesting collaborations, cover versions and guest appearances in a very short period of time.
 
pop_gets_serious575x225.jpg
Justin, Nick and every other band listed in this article are yours to rock out to whenever and however you want with your Rhapsody subscription. Click here to take a free trial and see what we’re all about.


Though it's hard (well, hard for grown-ups, anyway) to think of them as separate entities, the Jonas Brothers were once just the siblings of Nick Jonas, whose burgeoning solo career turned into the family trio we all know and love. Thus, the "talented one" taking off on his own with new side project Nick Jonas and the Administration seems inevitable, if somewhat heartbreaking to tweens the world over. His rock-band move on the new Who I Am is also part of a longstanding tradition of seemingly frivolous pop stars suddenly presenting themselves in a more serious light. Herewith, a history of some who've trod this oft-dangerous path before -- both successfully, and not so much.
The Monkees, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. (1967) and Head (1968): The Prefab Four take control of their destiny and explore your psychedelic mind. Hey hey they're the Monkees, and people say they're Moogin' around.
The Osmonds, "Crazy Horses" and "Hold Her Tight" (1972): Donny and his brothers invent Mormon metal, inspiring bands from Aerosmith to KMFDM for years to come. You want Big Love? Well, this is as big as it got.
Bob Geldof, "This Is the World Calling" (1986): From singing about Hitler's girlfriend in partially pajama-clad New Wave goof-punk band the Boomtown Rats to a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in three easy steps. You think it's easy? Try it sometime.
George Michael, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990): Okay, so he'd already put waking-you-up-before-you-go-go Wham!dom long behind him, and 1987's Faith earned him some well-deserved respect. But here's where he started to get really pretentious.
Poison and Cinderella and Warrant, various vaguely grungey albums (early '90s): Those mascara days were different times, and now hair-metal bands were ready to dress like real men, play the blues and move far fewer units than back when they actually used to have fun. Then they lost their hair. And went country.
Alanis Morrissette, Jagged Little Pill (1995): Ha ha, you keep forgetting she made those two teenage Canadian dance-pop albums before she started wailing about performing questionable acts in theaters, right? Well, we remember. Even though we're still pretty sure Canadians can't dance.
Vanilla Ice, Hard to Swallow (1998): Yup yup -- stupid people never appreciated the awesome artistry of "Ice Ice Baby," so what do you do, Robbie Van Winkle? Turn into the next Fred Durst, that's what! People will take you seriously for sure now!
Justin Timberlake, Justified (2002): 'NSYNC had Justin like the Jackson 5 had Michael, so it only made sense when the curly-headed cutie went solo. More than just a means of capitalizing on his boy-band fame, J.T. used his solo career (and Timbaland's help) to take off in bolder, more mature directions, and inch ever closer to M.J.'s brand of pop royalty.
Gwen Stefani, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004): To many, Gwen's breakaway from No Doubt simply completed the picture of the band sketched in "Don't Speak": hot female lead singer hogs spotlight. But her solo career has also served to justify that attention, which she gets because she's captivating performing anything from mall-punk ska to show-tune hip-hop.
Jonas, Timberlake and Stefani writeups by Rachel Devitt.
Haiti Donate.jpg Since a catastrophic earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, people around the world have mobilized, searching for ways to help this tiny nation in its time of need.

The good news is, you can help. Right now, the biggest need is money -- money to get supplies to people, fly in doctors, set up clinics, clear the rubble, re-establish some basic services. In time, as Haiti rebuilds, there will be a need for goods and services. But right now, money will grease the wheels to keep this massive relief effort going.

The following organizations will evenly split the proceeds from Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief, which will air Friday, January 22 at 8 p.m. on major television networks and websites, including this one. You can donate during the event, or reach out this minute and give directly to the organizations, using the links below.

Hope for Haiti Now Charities
The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
Oxfam America
Partners In Health
American Red Cross
UNICEF
United Nations World Food Programme
Yele Haiti Foundation

David Bowie.jpg
David Bowie and every other artist listed here are yours to rock out to whenever and however you want with your Rhapsody subscription. Take a free trial and see what we’re all about.

For a long time, the Classic Rock Crate Digger totally loathed David Bowie, particularly his golden period, 1970 to ’77. On so many of his so-called classic albums (Ziggy, Diamond Dogs, Heroes, et al.), he sounds like a glam-rock/New Wave charlatan constantly nicking tricks from far superior artists, including a few personal heroes: Scott Walker, Brian Eno and the perennially overlooked Peter Hammill. If that wasn’t enough, too many of his fans seem to possess a blind devotion that is more than a little annoying. I swear, at least 75% of the fanatics that I’ve met regard the guy as some kind of post-modern genius, the be-all and end-all of everything that's avant garde. Meanwhile, so few of these same people have ever even heard, say, Hammill’s Chameleon in the Shadow of Night or Walker’s Scott 4.

Then something happened. I watched the incredible documentary Scott Walker: 30 Century Man, and it changed my mind. Sort of.

Bowie, in addition to serving as executive producer, is one of the primary interviewees, and the guy really shines. First off, he doesn’t take himself seriously at all (no post-modern baloney dripping from his trap). What we've learned from Velvet Goldmine notwithstanding, he’s a rock 'n' roll fan boy, just like you and me and the little snot down the street snorting crushed Ritalin and cranking the White Stripes. That’s cool. More importantly, Bowie acknowledges the debt he owes the artists who have inspired him through the years. He wants his fans to track down all the cool underground stuff he digs.

Now, I still find his music dull as river rock, and I’ll explain why: in order to sell his art-rock vision to the mainstream, he had to cleanse his influences of their most volatile, and interesting, idiosyncrasies -- not pop enough for the masses, apparently. Yet those are the things I’m most into -- the weird stuff. Oh well. The important thing is that I no longer hate David Bowie. In fact, having a cocktail with him and talking jams sounds like it would be a total blast. Maybe Geraldo can come, too.

A lot of the artists Bowie has championed over the years (Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, T. Rex) are very nearly as famous as he is, nowadays. Nevertheless, I thought it would be cool to give a brief rundown of some of the musicians and records that inspired the, uh, Thin White Duke (always hated that phrase).


Hope for Haiti Now

hope_for_haiti_now_575x85_v2.jpg
Rhapsody is proud to join major television networks and websites in broadcasting Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief. The telethon will feature performances by a superstar lineup that includes Bruce Springsteen, Mary J. Blige, Taylor Swift, Shakira, Sting, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder and many more. It will be hosted by Wyclef Jean, George Clooney and CNN's Anderson Cooper, and all proceeds from the event will benefit Haitian earthquake relief efforts. See video streaming of excerpts from the concert, and click here to purchase MP3s of the performances for $.99 per song, with proceeds benefiting Haiti relief funds managed by Hope for Haiti Now charities. Enjoy the spectacle, but more importantly, open your wallet and give generously -- lives are at stake.



The Haitian story is more than just about this tragic event. From rara to kompa, the country has a rich musical heritage that has been been influential in the development of Caribbean music and has been largely overlooked by American audiences. We've scoured our extensive musical catalog to provide you an overview of the country's rich artistic legacy. We invite you to look below and dig deeper to explore its people's vibrant music and culture,


Haitian Love Song


Love Song: A
Brief History of Haitian Music
Play!
Donate to Haiti


Donate: Find out how you can help Haiti
Play!
Classic Haitian Music


Discover: Classic Haitian Music
Play!
Gaga Radio


Listen: Haiti Newest Music and Biggest Hits
Play!
Haiti and Beyond


World Picks: The Biggest Hits from Haiti and Beyond
Play!
Gay Pop


Explore: The Music of the Caribbean
Play!

Best of the Decade

Recent Comments

  • Gery: How do you imagine yourself in your second life? read more
  • Chynna Ang: For Nick Jonas. If you had a chance to go read more
  • Leuchtreklame: Thanks for the great info about metal, we are making read more
  • Leuchtreklame: Thanks for the great info about metal, we are making read more
  • marco : what you would you do if you are not a read more
  • melody : hey nick iam a huge fan hope you guys have read more
  • Anastasia: What do you look for in a girl ? read more
  • Sydney: Question for Nick Jonas: What is the most AWESOME thing read more
  • Lauu De Nikki: Heyy Nickk I love you pleasee come to come to read more
  • Nick Dedina: Keep checking back, Jonathan... I'll write about Miles and Sinatra read more

Categories

Monthly Archives

Electronics

Check out the latest Rhapsody compatible
home audio systems and portable players.

Software

Download Rhapsody Software to manage all your digital music.
AMG - Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2008 All Media Guide, LLC.
© 2001-2008 Listen.com, a subsidiary of RealNetworks