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Wu's Iron Chef returned in 2009 with a sequal to his classic 1995 album, Only Built for Cuban Linx. Despite the naysayers and haters, the Chef did not dissapoint, giving us a slew of gritty tales of the crack game told over dusty soul loops. Rhapsody recently caught up with Rae and spoke with him about his new album as well as his upcoming collaboration with Method Man and Ghostface.

When all is said and done, "Weird Al" Yankovic may well go down in history as the most insightful popular music critic of the past two or three decades. He certainly had the most honest reaction to Nirvana if nothing else, and Kurt Cobain himself considered him a genius for it ("What is this song all about/ Can't figure any lyrics out ... We're so loud and incoherent/ Boy this oughtta bug your parents.") And now, a newly compiled double-disc retrospective called The Essential "Weird Al" Yankovic is making a definitive case for the legacy of his satires. Rhapsody recently talked with Al about the compilation, pop and rock in the '00s, how the music biz neglects nerds, and why R. Kelly is more parody-worthy than Radiohead.

She's been "Like a Bird," Folklore-ic and a "Promiscuous" girl to Timbaland's promiscuous beats. Yes, Nelly Furtado sure likes to keep us guessing. With album No. 4, she's upped the experimental ante, expanding her already-significant advances into the Latin world with the entirely Spanish-language Mi Plan, out today. The divine Ms. F is almost as famous for her diverse collaborations and influences as she is for her own musical promiscuity -- or, perhaps more accurately, the two are overlapping for this gregarious artist/music-lover. In other words, she has great taste. So we're super-excited that she put together a fabulous playlist of her current favorite songs, many of them by artists she duets with on Mi Plan. While in New York doing press for the release of the album, she sat down with Rhapsody to discuss what it was like to work with everyone from Latin alt-rocker Julieta Venegas to bachata king Juan Luis Guerra, as well as Mi Plan and her future plans (hint: you'll never guess who she wants to work with next!).

When your peers have last names like Cyrus and Jonas, pulling ahead of the pack might seem frustrating, if not impossible. But Demi Lovato seems poised to do just that. The young star scored quite an introduction with last year's Camp Rock and hasn't slowed her roll yet, following that mega-hit with more movies, her own Disney show (Sonny with a Chance) and a Jonas-helmed debut album. For her second album, Lovato upped the ante, working with idol John Mayer to create a record that really shows off her wide range and mature pop-rock vocals -- but still appeals to her young fans. Serious, driven and with just a hint of bad girl (or at least passionate artist) about her, the star discusses future plans (hint: Camp Rock 2!!!), musical goals and, of course, a few of her famous friends. Check out an exclusive playlist at the end of the interview that features Lovato, the Jonas Brothers, Mayer and more, and click here to join Rhapsody and have unlimited access to high-quality versions of the newest tracks from all today’s top pop stars.

To discuss their latest effort Grey Britain, we caught up with Laurent Barnard and Lee Barratt, the noble guitarist and drummer of the U.K.'s fiery hardcore/ punk exports Gallows.

Alexisonfire’s latest release Old Crows, Young Cardinals, is a hardcore fan’s wet dream. The songwriting demonstrates exactly what this Canadian quintet has to bring to the table and is Alexisonfire’s most thought out and impressive release to date. Featuring 43 minutes of non-stop, explosive, rock ecstasy, Old Crows may very well be the all-around best release to come out of the hardcore genre this year. Combined with string-bending hammer-ons, backed by raucous drum fills, Dallas Green and George Pettit’s mixture of angelic and demonic vocal styles create an almost perfect collection of tracks that when performed live, will assuredly be fueling circle-pits around the globe. Alexisonfire might possibly be the best band you’ve never heard of. With four full-length releases behind them, two of which went Platinum in Canada, one of which went Gold and Old Crows, Young Cardinals, which peaked at #2 on the Canadian charts, it’s a mystery as to what has kept them from climbing to the top of US rock charts, until now. The guys recently sat down with Rhapsody to discuss the death of punk rock, how Nickelback has influenced their band and exactly what has kept them from exploding onto US rock radio.

Right before they departed for Wacken, we caught up with Italian goth metal outfit Lacuna Coil's leading lady Cristina Scabbia to find out what she listens to when she's not controlling crowds or giving advice in her Revolver magazine column. Says Scabbia, "It's definitely a question I'm sure every musician hates -- if you love music, just 10 songs are nothing!" But she happily obliged us nonetheless, and goes on to express her love of Faith No More, Muse, Alter Bridge and more. Check it out right here.

From left: Nathaniel Motte, Sean Foreman

Colorado krunk superstars 3OH!3 have been on a collision course for success since an unforgettable performance on the Denver stop of 2007’s Vans Warped Tour inked them a spot playing every date of the tour in 2008. The same year, they signed to Photo Finish Records and released their debut album, Want. In the past two months, they’ve headlined the entire Warped Tour, and most recently, their debut single, "Don’t Trust Me," has gone platinum, becoming the No. 1 single in the U.S. Behind the aggression of heavy bass drops and Lil’ John-influenced beats, 3OH!3 bring humor to the rap game with line after line of infectious, tongue-in-cheek rhymes that have people hooked from coast to coast. The band took a break from the chaos that is Warped Tour and sat down with Rhapsody to discuss rumors about touring with Barack Obama and what it is like to have a No. 1 single.

Moving from the center of the deathcore scene through the history of American death metal, Job for a Cowboy have embarked on an expansive journey in their so-far short career. With their top-100-charting 2007 debut, Genesis, and a celebrated, self-released 2005 EP in tow, they got the metal underground's attention. Now with their sophomore effort, Ruination, featuring new guitarist Al Glassman and new drummer Jon Rice, as well as the band's coveted slot in this year's Mayhem Festival, J.F.A.C. are expanding on their sturdy foundation and conquering new territory. We caught up with guitarist Bobby Thompson to find out more about their transition into death metal.

The sound of L.A. group Sa-Ra Creative Partners is hard to pin down. Their brand of psych urban music straddles the line between funk, soul and hip-hop. It references Funkadelic, Prince, Sly & the Family Stone and J Dilla, but ultimately the music manages to sound like nothing you've ever heard. It's jerky electro, ethereal hip-hop and secular gospel. It's beautiful music that is, at times, difficult to listen to. Consisting of (from left, in photo at left) Om'Mas Keith, Taz Arnold, and Shafiq Husayn, the group became darlings of the underground in 2005 with a series of 12-inches and remixes. They released their debut album, The Hollywood Recordings, in 2007, and followed up this year with Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love. In that time, an entire echo-system of psychedelic soul acts sprang up, but Sa-Ra remain at the forefront. Even if you haven't heard of the group, it's likely that your favorite artist has. The trio has worked with Erykah Badu, Kanye West, Dr. Dre and John Legend, among many others. In fact, Keith is currently serving as Diddy's musical director.

We recently caught up with Om'Mas Keith. By chance, we spoke with him on the afternoon of June 25, just when the news of Michael Jackson's death was reported. We discussed Jackson's influence on the group, as well as a wide range of subjects including Thelonious Monk's funeral, Keith's father, the group's future, and the influence of Sly and the Family Stone.

Not too many 27-year-old DJs can boast a career as long and influential as A-Track. The Montreal-based turntablist first rose to prominence in 1997 when he captured the DMC championship (the Super Bowl for DJs) at the age of 15. He spent the rest of that decade wracking up titles and accolades. When turntabalism begin to fade in the first half of this decade, he switched gears, experimenting with everything from ITalo disco to Baltimore Club Music. Somewhere along the way, he also became the tour DJ for one Kanye West. Many site him as a primary influence on West, who would soon began adopting a more electronic-friendly sound. Recently, A-Track formed the Fool’s Gold label along with NY scenester Nick Catchdubs, and has continued to play to sold out crowds around the globe. In this exclusive Rhapsody interview, A-Track discussed the Fool's Gold philosophy, his approach to live performance and his latest mixtape, Infinity +1.

Part II of the interview after the jump.

Jordin Sparks is, in many ways, the epitome of the American Idol dream. In the two short years since winning, she's released a successful debut that spawned two Top 10 hits (including "No Air," her smash duet with Chris Brown), toured with big-name acts like Alicia Keys and the Jonas Brothers (with whom she's currently on the road) and even performed for two presidents! Now she's releasing her sophomore album, Battlefield, which premiered on Rhapsody last Tuesday and drops everywhere else next week. When she recently sat down with us to talk about how far she's come, we discovered that, despite her success, Sparks is still very much the sweet Arizona girl she was before she became a household name.

We're pretty sweet on Deer Tick's new album around the Rhapsody compound, which Justin Farrar recently shared some thoughts on. Additionally, we caught up with lead singer John Joseph McMcauley III back in March at the South By Southwest music festival down in Austin. He gave us some insight on how Deer Tick came to be and talked about a few songs from the band's debut War Elephant. Then he told us what kind of beer he enjoys. Give it a viewing right here, then mosey on over to Born on Flag Day and give those ears of yours a treat.

From left: Tim Sult, Dan Maines, Neil Fallon and Jean-Paul Gaster

Nearly 20 years since their inception, roots rockin' stoner metal outfit Clutch may have grown, but they have never wavered. Beginning in 1991 with groove-oriented funk 'n' roll, fast-forwarding to 2009's blues-based ninth album Strange Cousins from the West, Neil Fallon and co. have run the gamut between rock and metal, but have always done exactly what they wanted to do. Explains Fallon, "This is a band that ... made music for music's sake and wasn't interested in anything else other than improving itself and being sincere while doing it." As a further testament to that, Clutch have even formed their own label imprint as a vehicle for exercising their creativity, which -- in addition to Clutch's most recent releases -- has also spawned an instrumental project called the Bakerton Group. To learn about Fallon's philosophical take on his musical output and humble fascination with rock history, plus the inner workings of Clutch's latest record, stay tuned right here.

Dan Palmer (left), Efrem Schulz

For California skate punk outfit Death by Stereo, it's been a tough journey through the darkness, but they've found their way back. Formed in 1997, D.B.S. took hardcore mentality, punk ethics and metallic tones; injected their outspoken swagger; and made a name for themselves with incredible live shows all across the country. As they gained momentum and their sound turned more aggressive, the band found themselves stricken by tragedy and at the center of some unwanted controversy in 2003 when a fan was killed at one of their shows -- a memory that frontman Efrem Schulz recalls as "one of the most awful things I will probably ever see in my lifetime."

Bouncing back from the misfortune was not easy, but Death By Stereo persevered and continued writing and releasing music. Then, after parting ways with Epitaph Records, Schulz explains, "the planets were aligned to end our band." But in trying to do it on their own, D.B.S. found an ally in System of a Down's Serj Tankian, who took the band in under his Serjical Strike imprint to release their Jason Freese-produced fifth album, Death Is My Only Friend. To learn more about the new record and how far Death by Stereo have come since 2005's Death for Life, read what else Schulz had to say in our interview (click below).

From left to right: Jeremy DePoyster, Andy Trick, Mike Hrancia, James Baney, Chris Rubey, Daniel Williams

The Devil Wears Prada are not your average scene band. Sure they have their merch in Hot Topics all over the country, and yeah, their fans average around the age of 16, but  in their three-album, five-year-and-counting career, these young Ohio natives have accomplished a lot more than any band with "street cred" (though they have that in their own right, if you want to get technical). Debuting at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 with their latest effort, With Roots Above and Branches Below (see: the same debut Mastodon had with Crack the Skye not two months prior), it's like guitarist/backup vocalist Jeremy DePoyster puts it: "Obviously we're young guys and we're small guys and we wear tight pants, but we can make some really heavy music." So with that "don't judge a book by its cover'" admonishment out on the table, find out what else DePoyster had to say about these young guns' thoughts on their "scene," their success and their goals as a Christian metal band. Forget what you may have heard, and please meet the Devil Wears Prada.

If you've yet to hear the Heartless Bastards' last album, The Mountain, then stop reading this, log into your Rhapsody account and have at it, man. Or simply jam this little doohickey right here, then click on over for our Q&A with Erika Wennerstrom.
 

Left to right: Mike D'Antonio, Justin Foley, Adam Dutkiewicz, Howard Jones, Joel Stroetzel

Boasting over a decade of producing melodic metalcore, esteemed quintet Killswitch Engage set out to change things up on their fifth full-length by enlisting Brendan O'Brien to help out on production duties. Explains bassist/artistic director Mike D'Antonio, "It was time to try something different and get out of that comfort zone." With O'Brien holding down half the fort in Atlanta while guitarist (and prolific producer in his own right) Adam D. handled the rest of the work at his Massachusetts-based Zing Studios, the resulting team effort, Killswitch Engage, consists of 11 melody-driven powerhouse tracks further showcasing KsE's front-running talents. Adds drummer Justin Foley, "We just wanted to make something we were really stoked on." Find out what else this dynamic duo had to say about their new album as they share some laughs taking us from where they started to where they are now, talking about some of their best accomplishments as eternal road warriors, and revealing their humble hopes of what's next as they unleash their second self-titled record on the world.

This is it! The final installment of our interview with Rob Thomas, in celebration of the Rhapsody premiere of Rob Thomas cradlesong.

With scant days left of the Rhapsody premiere of Rob Thomas’ cradlesong we bring you part two of our interview.

You know there's a band out there that you'd put a stop to if you could, but for Black Tide guitarist Zakk Sandler, he'd rather exorcise his hatred of labelmates Tokio Hotel by making a playlist of cringe-worthy tracks that he deems better than anything by the pop-punk outfit. Explains Sandler, "I thought of half of them [ahead of time] and figured I can wing it on the rest, because I can pretty much say anything and it will be better than them." So what's with the hostility when it comes to these German pop stars? "I hate everything that they represent," Sandler says. "They don't care about the music that they're making; I think it's stupid. They're only in it for the fame, not for the art, and they f*cking suck." Those may be fighting words, but Zakk's list is sure to elicit a chuckle or two. Check out his picks after the jump.

Rhapsody’s exclusive two-week premiere of Rob Thomas’ second solo LP, cradlesong is only a week longer, then we have to share the record with the rest of the world. We caught up with Rob in LA while he was filming a commercial for Rhapsody to talk about the record.

Rhapsody has an exclusive two-week premiere of Rob Thomas’ second solo LP, cradlesong. We caught up with Rob in LA while he was filming a commercial for Rhapsody. Stay tuned to Rhasody’s coverage of Rob Thomas for the rest of the interview, where he ruminates on life and his new record.

We caught up with Diplo backstage at SXSW where he gave us the dirt on jail time with Switch, ex-girlfriends, his career as a teacher and Major Lazer's debut album. Gunz Dont Kill People, Lazers Do was released on June 16th.

They may have covered Katy Perry's ubiquitous "I Kissed a Girl," but the Ohio synth-core band is not just another pop culture-fueled blur in the metal/post-hardcore scene. Attack Attack mix heavy guitars and technical drums with electronics and Auto-Tune into an unorthodox clashing of styles that works so well it's being heralded as the next big thing in Warped Tour circles. Check out what drummer Andrew Wetzel cites as "stuff I've listened to that's changed the way I've played from middle school up until now." That "stuff" includes heavy bands Necrophagist and Job for a Cowboy, along with rock acts like Muse and Saosin.

Sure, touring is a vigorous part of being in a band, but for unconventional metal gods Iron Maiden, it's their livelihood. So when they realized commercial airlines couldn't accommodate their world-tour schedule, they went out and customized their own jet to fit the band, the crew and their stage production, then called on famed metal documentarians Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen (Metal: A Headbanger's Journey) to film the historical Somewhere Back in Time world tour. The result is Flight 666, where we watch Maiden playing greatest hits from their first seven albums (see: every fan's dream set list) while continent-hopping between Europe, Australia, Asia, North America and South America, for a total of 23 shows in 45 days aboard Ed Force One. And if that's not enough to make your head explode, how about the fact that the plane was flown by none other than effervescent frontman Bruce Dickinson? To learn more about this astonishing moment in music history, we caught up with drummer Nicko McBrain to hear about the groundbreaking experience from his perspective, and to see what's next in store for these 30-year-running metal vets.

With a new record and a national tour ahead of them, Philadelphia experimental rockers mewithoutYou are geared up to take the college indie scene by storm this summer. Their fourth release, It’s All Crazy! It’s All False! It’s All a Dream! It’s Alright, showcases lyricist Aaron Weiss’ softer side. The choral chants and Dylan-esque acoustic rhythms present an ideal backdrop for Weiss to channel God’s messages through his lyrics. Weiss stepped away from prepping the band’s eco-friendly tour bus and shared some words with me regarding his deep connection to God and what exactly defines his deeply spiritual lifestyle.

Rhapsody recently sat down with Tori Amos to discuss her new album, Abnormally Attracted to Sin. The conversation quickly turned into a candid reveal of the singer's family: the highs and lows of working with her husband (key quote: "You usually want to have an affair with your engineer anyway!") and parenting an 8-year-old daughter who finds embarrassing YouTube clips of her mother. Amos also discusses her discontent with the music biz and her evolution as an artist before the chat comes back full circle to the impetus behind the new album -- what she believes to be the greatest sin of all.

We also convinced Amos to participate in our burgeoning On the Record program, in which artists speak about records they love in exactly 45 seconds. Click the link to hear her pick and see plenty of others.

Parts 2 & 3 after the jump.

It's not easy to follow in Dad's footsteps when Dad is considered one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. But Vieux Farka Toure, son of Malian desert blues pioneer Ali Farka Toure, isn't one to shy away from a challenge. Actually, scratch that: he absolutely is. The elder Toure wanted his son to join the army, and Vieux briefly complied (unwillingly). But he nurtured a secret love affair with music, first learning percussion and then finally picking up the guitar, his father's instrument. Once he started on the guitar, it was all over. Vieux went against his father's wishes, giving up the military for music and forging a mentor relationship with close family friend (and master kora player) Toumani Diabate.

His father finally came around -- with intervention from Diabate -- and played on a few tracks on Vieux Farka Toure's self-titled 2007 debut, just before Ali's death. Though the younger Toure is still finding his feet as a performer and singer, he's grown increasingly comfortable in the spotlight -- and it helps that he really has the musical goods to warrant the recognition he's getting. Even Diabate was surprised by the beauty of Toure's playing on the demos for his debut album -- and he's been championing the kid for years.

Toure's second album, Fondo, was released earlier this week on Six Degrees Records, and it's remarkable: neither a carbon copy of his father's style nor an over-eager attempt to improve on tradition -- just a thoughtful, beautifully played, adventurous release. The guitarist generously took some time out of his touring schedule to answer our questions over e-mail. Not every musician can express himself well in words, but I was bowled over by Toure's friendly, openhearted responses -- and the thoughtfulness that runs through both the album and this interview. Meet desert blues' next great ambassador!

Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson -- the grim, oft-hooded duo serving as the core of experimental metal outfit Sunn 0))) (simply pronounced "sun") -- are celebrating 10 years of ominous tones and fuzzy textures with their seventh album. Monoliths & Dimensions, a composition Anderson calls "the strongest stuff that we've done together," features longtime collaborators Attila Csihar (vocals, from Mayhem, Keep of Kalessin, etc.) and guitarist Oren Ambarchi, but the addition of brass, string and woodwind instrumentation under composer Eyvind Kang shows profound new Dimensions for the pair. On a fittingly rainy day in New York City, we sat down with Sunn 0)))'s permanent bassist and Southern Lord Records CEO Greg Anderson to talk about the new album and to learn about his journey as a musician, the statement he's making with his art, and the tricky balance of being your own label. See what he had to say after the jump.

French band Phoenix are Rhapsody's Ones to Watch artist for the month of May. With their brisk, breezy and oh-so-chic electro-pop, they've grabbed not only our attention, but also the producers of SNL, where they caught more than a few American eyes a few weeks back. The thing is, though, the Parisian quartet have been perfecting their sound since the release of debut album, United, in 2000. Their new album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, is one of their best and most cohesive to date, and one of the reasons we were so pumped to chat with guitarist Lauren "Branco" Brancowitz. The affable Frenchman gave us his thoughts on Mozart, SNL, the Smiths, playing with those two dudes from a little group called Daft Punk, the exoticism of American food and the "bad bands" Phoenix have influenced.

Rhapsody: Let's talk about your new album -- the writing process, inspiration, etc.
(Laurent) Brancowitz: The writing process is a very complicated one. There’s no leader in Phoenix. What we do is stay in the same room forever and after a certain amount of time, something good comes out of it. After a lot of frustration, we have a little moment of grace when the song is finished. So, basically we are just waiting for this moment to happen. This time we did it in Paris and it took like 18 months. So a long time, a lot of pain and small moments of intense pleasure.

Rhapsody: Why did you guys choose to name the album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix?
Brancowitz: Actually, we were looking for something that was unforgettable and this name was a gift from above and we just accepted the gift. It is very beautiful but very stupid at the same time. We like the fact that it has a lot of power and that it would create a shock for everyone, including our fans. We didn’t want to play it safe and take a very cool elegant name. We wanted something that would challenge people. I love this title.

Rhapsody: I like it too. Are you guys fans of Mozart at all?
Brancowitz: Yeah we love Mozart, but it’s really not about Mozart, it’s about taking the biggest cultural icon ever. It’s like painting a mustache over a beautiful painting. It’s like a pop act of vandalism.

This man (on the silver mountain) has arguably some of the best and most recognizable pipes in metal. He has lent his powerful vocal prowess to Rainbow, Elf, of course Dio and even Black Sabbath (now Heaven and Hell). We got the chance to sit down with the masterful Ronnie James, who gave us a playlist of some of his favorite songs. "All of these things that I've chosen were because I like the song, not because there was any sort of inside meaning for me," says a relaxed, matter-of-fact Dio. "I just think [they are] great songs." Check out Dio's unusual picks, featuring artists like Jimi Hendrix, Soundgarden and even Ozzy-era Sabbath.

Even if New Found Glory didn’t invent pop punk, they certainly have spent the past 11 years perfecting its formulas.  We caught up with singer Jordan Pundik, guitarist Steven Klein and drummer Cyrus Bolooki in Orlando, Florida; the first home-state stop on the Not Without A Fight Tour to discuss everything from working with Mark Hoppus on the new record (out now on Epitaph) to “bro-ing down” on tour. Here's a little sample:

Rhapsody: I think you guys can be considered one of the forerunners of pop-punk. You’ve defined a genre in the nearly decade in which you’ve been a band. What is it like to tour with band like Set Your Goals, or to listen to bands like Fireworks! who take an obvious influence directly from what you guys have done. What is it like to hang out and tour with these bands?
Pundik: It’s cool. It’s flattering.
Klein: I don’t really hear the influence. Because for us, we are influenced by the same bands they are influenced by. It’s not like we are influenced by ourselves you know? I think they are influenced by hardcore music and melodic music.
Pundik: Hardcore music.
Klein: Yeah. Hardcore music. That’s what we are too so I think that why people make that comparison sometimes. But for us, I don’t really hear anybody whose voice comes close to Jordan's and sounds like New Found Glory. And when people say "Oh, that sounds like New Found Glory." It’s usually someone with a really whiny voice like "Eeeeeeh."

Founding Black Sabbath member and current Heaven and Hell bassist Geezer Butler has been an institution in metal music for nearly four decades. With his down-tuned bass and lyrical prowess, he helped change rock 'n' roll. So we were honored to talk music with him and were rendered nearly speechless by his diverse taste. Butler shares some of his favorites on this playlist, which features artists from Buddy Holly and Coldplay to The Sword, Kaiser Chiefs and Alison Krauss and Robert Plant.

From left to right: Joshua Winstead, Emily Haines, Joules Scott Key, James Shaw

After spending time apart focusing on other projects (Broken Social Scene, Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton), Metric unite for their first album in nearly four years with new release Fantasies. We got a chance to talk to guitarist Jimmy Shaw about the band's time apart, their writing process, how songs pass the "road test" and the Beatles vs. the Stones. Plus we got to pick his brain about such topics as fantasies, Fleetwood Mac moments, soaring pterodactyls and underground roller-coasters. Yeah, it's not all shop talk here.

 

Rhapsody: So, how do you guys celebrate a new release?
Shaw: Actually, last night it was a combination of champagne, a drink that we made up on tour called the Ginger-E (a mottled ginger, lime and tequila) and a chocolate fondue. I'm not going to lie to you.

 

Rhapsody: Did you practice some of the new songs at live shows to see how the audience would respond to them?
Shaw: It's funny the way we did it. We booked a tour and we did a lot of writing in 2007 ... By the end of that year we felt like we were really close to having a finished record. So, we booked a U.S. tour and played 30 days all across the U.S., and it was totally awesome. And we had a great time. By the end of it, we looked at each other and said, "I don't think this is good enough." We put it through the road test and most of it didn't pass … We virtually went back to the drawing board and started again. That's when Emily [Haines] went down to Buenos Aires and everybody sort of disbanded for a minute. I went into the studio and wrote some tracks. At that point it was more like knowing what you want to do by process of elimination. And that's how most of the songs on this record were actually written.

 

Mastodon release their fifth full-length Crack the Skye with a new lease on life. Weathering the long recovery of singer/guitarist Brent Hinds' serious head injury (after an altercation at the 2007 VMA's, Hinds was hospitalized for brain hemorrhaging, a broken nose, and a fractured skull), and tapping into more emotional subject matter (the album title refers in part to drummer Brann Dailor's dearly departed sister Skye Dailor), the Atlanta quartet channels their journey into one serious allegory -- even for them! This time around we follow an astral-traveling paraplegic boy through his misadventures through outer space, which include wormholes and an interstellar tussle with Russian mystic Rasputin. To help make sense of it all, we caught up with bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders to discuss what he calls the band's "purest and best work to date."

Tell us about Crack the Skye.
Sanders: It's terrible, it's the worst thing ever. (laughs) Well, I know we're all very excited for it to actually come out. The anticipation of it actually being officially released, because we recorded it nine months ago, turned it in 6 months ago, and then for it to be officially released and see the light of day, we can kinda exhale and be like "Ok, now it's finally out." It took so much time and energy; it's nice to have it see the light of day.

I think a lot of people across the boards are excited for it to come out...
Sanders: Ya know, we've never created anything in general to please others or to please the masses, that's just the way we felt nine years ago when we got together and decided to create music with each other. But if anyone is ever interested in what we're doing, and when people pull a positive feeling and [are] immersed in our music and feel good about it, that's just the most excellent compliment that can come back to us. The first handful of shows we did, if there [were] seven people there and four of them liked it, then it's like "Wow, what a refreshing energy we get returned to us." Basically, if anyone's into it, we're beyond stoked that they are.

For the past 16 months, Flo Rida has owned the airwaves and the Internet. Beginning with "Low," his collaboration with T-Pain, and continuing with "Elevator," which paired the Miami emcee with the always hot Timbaland, Flo Rida set a new standard for the hip-hop club banger. His 2008 song "Right Round," the lead-off single for his sophomore album, R.O.O.T.S., makes it three hits straight. But things haven't always been so rosy for Flo Rida. He started off at the bottom, scribbling rhymes while navigating Miami's rough Carol City 'hood. In this exclusive Rhapsody interview, the emcee talks of his struggles and the secrets of his success.

Rhapsody: How does it feel to sell more digital singles out of the gate than any artist in music history?
Flo Rida: It gives me goose bumps. It lets me know that my time I put in the music was worthwhile. It motivates me to stay in the studio and make more music. Being No. 1, winning the People's Choice Award. I recall not having a record deal, and to sustain something of this magnitude is crazy. It's like I'm dreaming. The fans love me. If I have to travel internationally, I'll do so. I love going to Japan, going to Africa.

Rhapsody: What was Africa like? Where did you go?
Flo Rida: I went to Abuja, Nigeria. That was the first time they had the MTV Video Awards there. I handed out an award. I received an award. I opened the show and closed it. It was real big for me. It was around the time Obama was elected. That was real big for me. I'd read about Africa in books about the struggles they went through. With my album, R.O.O.T.S., I gained a lot of inspiration and respect for the people who go through their struggles. Here, I had a vehicle that I get around to get to my destinations, but, over there, they walk 20 or 30 miles to get to wherever they gotta go.

Baroness' enigmatic frontman is not just a purveyor of organic guitar sounds and free-form stoner riffs, he's also the metal underground's most in-demand visual artist. Designing covers by hand since his own band's inception (and for every one of their albums thus far), John Baizley has lent his procured craft and put his blood, sweat and tears into the visual stimuli of bands like Torche, Darkest Hour, Pig Destroyer, Skeletonwitch, Magrudergrind, Cursed and Kylesa, just to name a few. So how does he do it? We asked the man himself for some insight on choosing projects and balancing his art with his music.

That Metal Show hosts Jim Florentine, Eddie Trunk and Don Jamieson.

"It's impossible to narrow down favorite songs if you're big music fans like we are," explains That Metal Show host Eddie Trunk. "It's too hard," co-host Jim Florentine adds. "There's too many. We could have done a hundred 'top fives' and still not even scratched the surface." But as Trunk, Florentine and Don Jamieson -- the knowledgeable trio at the helm of VH1's newest show about metal -- discuss their five favorite songs, they not only approve of each other's picks, they demonstrate an appreciation of genre that blurs lines and spans decades.

"We're talking about legends that we all love," Trunk says matter-of-factly. "What it comes down to [with] all three of our lists is that there's nothing any of us would have a problem listening to and loving." "Unless Eddie picked Clay Aiken," jabs Jamieson. "Which he was probably gonna. Then we would have a problem with it." As if on cue, Florentine chimes in, "Well he did wear Ruben Studdard's jacket the first season." As they all laugh, the co-hosts kick off a lively conversation about their all-time favorite metal songs.

*Catch That Metal Show every Saturday at 11pm/ 10C on VH1 Classic*

With these garage-rocking, organ-playing, Seattle-based punks back together and touring once again, we tapped guitarist Nate Manny to talk about his favorite past stints on the road with some of his favorite bands.

And while we got funny, crazy (occasionally totally illegal) accounts of the Devils' various treks across the country with accomplices like Modest Mouse, Pearl Jam, Cypress Hill, At the Drive-In and many more, we also got a playlist of Manny's favorite tracks by the bands he mentions.

Check out the full stories here, and be sure to listen to the accompanying playlist while flipping through Manny's tour stories.

Cardinals vs. Steelers may not be the most blockbuster Super Bowl ever, but that didn't stop some of metal's die-hard football fans from sharing their predictions with Rhapsody. If you think these dark dudes are brutal on their instruments, just wait till you hear them slam the opposing team.

Brit neo-soul singer Adele blindsided everyone, including herself, when she picked up four Grammy nominations in 2008 in such illustrious categories as Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best New Artist. We caught up with the singer after a sound check in St. Paul, Minn., to chat about some of her favorite music, Sarah Palin and life on the road. [Hate the written word with a tireless vengeance? Hear the audio of this interview here.]

Rhapsody: You recently were on Saturday Night Live with Sarah Palin; did you get to meet her?
Adele: I didn't want to really. I felt like a traitor. I had a big Obama badge on my shirt and she kinda came up to my boob and saw the photo and I felt really bad. She was really nice afterward. She came up and said hello. Her daughters bought her my album a couple months before. She seemed really nice, but I'm an Obama fan to the day I die.

Rhapsody: You've toured as a supporting act with a number of great artists, but this time around you're headlining. Tell me about choosing someone to play with you?
Adele: I picked a British singer named James Morrison, who I love. I love his voice so much. He's supporting me on all the dates. He didn't do the first three because he just had a baby who is like 14 weeks old, so he joined us yesterday in Chicago. I think his voice is absolutely amazing.

We asked some of our favorite musicians to tell us about some of their favorite artists, songs and moments from 2008. Here's what Swedish metalheads In Flames had to say about the year in music.

Favorite album:
Who the hell released albums this year?  [Laughs] I think, this is not a metal band but it’s a band called Glasvegas, from Scotland.  That is an amazing album.  I mean it’s kind of depressing in a way, but to me it’s in an uplifting way.  A lot of darkness and sadness in the songs and everything, but to me I find beauty in these things as well.  A lot of my friends were like “how can you listen to this stuff?”  I love when things go in a new, darker and more depressed stage.

We asked some of our favorite musicians to tell us about some of their favorite artists, songs and moments from 2008. Here's what auto-tuned R&B sensation T-Pain had to say about the year in music.

Why Your Album Deserves To Be In Year End Best Lists
I really don’t know. A lot of good albums came out this year. You get me. Everybody hearing all the hits I’m making for everyone. The hooks that I’m doing and the concepts I’m coming up with. It’s an album of that.