Iggy Pop Movie

By Zachary Swickey

Few venues have the legendary status of the now-defunct CBGB – the NYC club where a who’s who of rock and punk superstars got their start throughout the '70s and '80s.

An upcoming film will document the iconic venue’s story and some intriguing actor choices have been revealed. Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins is set to play Stooges’ frontman Iggy Pop (he does have the bod for it), Johnny Galecki from “The Big Bang Theory” will play music manager Terry Ork and actress Mickey Sumner will delve into the role of Patti Smith.

The film, dubbed simply “CBGB,” will focus on the punk rock music scene for which the club was the epicenter. Bands from the Ramones to the Talking Heads to Blondie all got their start and shaped their sound at the legendary venue. The club was forcibly closed in 2007 with owner Hilly Kristal, who will be played in the film by Alan Rickman, unfortunately passing away just a year later.

Malin Ackerman, Joel David Moore and "Harry Potter" star Rupert Grint have also snagged roles in the ensemble drama. Director Randall Miller – best known for the star-studded 2008 indie hit "Bottle Shock" – co-wrote the effort with Jody Savin.

Production is expected to begin on June 25 in Savannah, Georgia, before heading to New York.

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Foo Fighters

Blame it on our post-VMA hangover (Jay-Z was in the mood to celebrate!) but despite it premiering on Monday, we're just getting around to marveling at the Foo Fighters' brand-new "Hot Buns" video today.

And, wow. Just ... wow. In theory, it's an announcement for the band's upcoming fall tour, but in actuality, it's so much more: a steamy, soapy, frequently NSFW shower scene that features the Foos as road-weary truckers who relax with some good-natured man-on-man action in a rest-stop bathroom. As the title implies, there are most definitely some buns on display (a whole lot of them), not to mention a few "drop the soap" jokes and even a pixilated shot of someone's junk. And, as pop-culture site After Elton puts it, it's "one of the most overtly homoerotic (and just plain weird) things we've ever seen."

Of course, it's not all that shocking to us. Because, really, the Foo Fighters have had something like this in them for years. In fact, their back catalog is loaded with songs that rank pretty high on the old homoerotic scale. For proof (and as a way of scrubbing the image of the band's pasty backsides from your memory,) we've thrown together a little list of other Foo songs that could've gotten the "Hot Buns" treatment. Read More...

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By Zachary Swickey

The classic rock sounds of The Eagles and Steely Dan are what I grew up on. Other than the occasional Enya or Kenny G album (help me!), my dad was constantly playing me songs from his youth. I recall him putting on “Be True to Your School” by the Beach Boys and commenting that his parents must’ve loved that. I even argued that Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett’s solo in “Fade to Black” was the greatest of all time … until my father proved me wrong by playing Eric Clapton’s guest guitar-work on the Stephen Stills solo tune “Come Back Home,” which remains my favorite solo to this day.

This had me wondering, in 40 year’s time what music from today will be considered classic rock? Here are five rock acts that I think won’t be leaving the radio anytime soon.

Red Hot Chili Peppers
There are few rock outfits that people have as much admiration for as the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Their spastic funk jams are the perfect happy-go-lucky music for road trips. (Do you think we’ll still have those in the future?) The band dates back to the ‘80s yet remains as relevant as ever today. Songs like “Scar Tissue” and “Under the Bridge” have become automatic sing-a-longs, and even less popular hits like “Zephyr Song” have a great timelessness to them. I anticipate my future children knowing every word to “Can’t Stop” like I do.

Kings of Leon
If the Kings of Leon don’t disband and keep churning out the radio hits we love, then you can count on them still being on the airwaves in 40 years. With the exception of their recent tour cancellation, the guys are masters of the road. If they aren’t in the studio, then they are usually on tour somewhere in the world, which helps them stay in the spotlight. My prediction is “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody” will be sung at karaoke bars and danced to by strippers for many more years to come. (Personally, I’d dance to “Crawl.”)

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Katy Perry

One shoots whipped cream out of her boobs and changes outfits seven times in one song. Another writhes on a giant guitar and closes her show by donning giant angel wings. Whether you're a Katy Perry fan or a Britney booster, the fact is these divas are leading a parade of major stars hitting stages this summer, and since we told you who our experts predict will rule the road during bikini season, now we want you to tell us who you've invested your cash in.

Will you plunk down your hard-earned cash to see Taylor Swift's country cutie act (once she gets over that nasty case of bronchitis, that is), will it be U2's gargantuan 360 Tour that will drain your bank account, or is your money on Perry and Spears?

If you're more of a hip-head, Lil Wayne is a lock to be somewhere near your neck of the woods this summer and Wiz Khalifa will surely burn one down within driving distance. If high-energy pop-punk is the thing, the Blink-182/My Chemical Romance double-bill aims to please, unless you prefer your rock more uncut, in which case Foo Fighters, My Morning Jacket and Kings of Leon may be the right choice.

And, for the first time, glowstick-loving dance fans are not being left out in the cold thanks to the first-ever touring electronica festival, IDentity, which will hit amphitheaters in major markets with a host of big beat stars like Skrillex, Afrojack and Kaskade.

Then again, maybe we left someone off the list and there's some other tour your totally jacked about. We've done our homework, now it's your turn. Vote in our summer tours poll below. Read More...

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It's the best and worst moment of every U.S. festivalgoer's life: schedule day. On the one hand, you can't wait to see when your favorite bands are playing and then start planning your long weekend. On the other, you dread the sight of two of your absolute faves playing on opposite sides of the mile-long field at EXACTLY THE SAME TIME!

In which case Tuesday (June 7) morning was either a huge relief or a major bummer if you're planning on trekking to Chicago on August 5 for Lollapalooza. First, the good news: With the exception of a few headliner conflicts, the schedule is actually one of the most fan-friendly rundown in years.

Yes, Muse and Coldplay are playing at the same time on Friday night, which will probably cause major headaches for thousands of fans of falsetto-driven, pomp and circumstance English rock. (To say nothing of the fact that party hardy DJ Girl Talk and excellent post rockers Ratatat are also playing at the same time as the headliners, which may pull some Lollers in yet more directions.)

But the rest of the day has a pretty open schedule that allows for some decent stage hopping. If you start the day off with some solid indie rock courtesy of Wye Oak, it's just a hop, skip and jump to latest English lad rock sensations the Vaccines, with perhaps a stop-off for some psychedelic bits from the Delta Spirit, a touch of hippie-pop from Grace Potter & the Nocturnals and new-wave reminiscing with Foster the People, at which point things pile up a bit.

Awesome Smiths-inspired rock from the Smith Westerns, or English rap from Tinie Tempah? Brainy rock from the Mountain Goats or the latest from Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz's new band, Black Cards? Noise avalanche from Sleigh Bells or arty stomp from a Perfect Circle?
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John McCainJohn McCain had better be planning on using instrumental music from the 19th century for his next Senate seat run. After a lawsuit he filed against singer/songwriter Jackson Browne in the U.S. District Court in California this week, he'll probably alienate any musicians who haven't already asked him to stop using their songs during his failed presidential bid.

You may recall that back in August, Browne filed suit against McCain's campaign for using his song, "Running on Empty," in a campaign ad, citing copyright infringement and false endorsement. The laid-back California rocker was among a group of musicians — which also included Heart, the Foo Fighters and Van Halen — who asked McCain to stop using their songs in the Republican senator's appearances during his White House bid.

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John McCainWe're not so arrogant as to think that the McCain and Palin spend their downtime reading the Newsroom blog. We know they're busy and all. So, maybe they didn't read our story earlier this week about how '80s rockers Survivor weren't too happy about the campaign using their "Rocky III" song, "Eye of the Tiger," at rallies.

And maybe they missed the stories about the Foo Fighters, Van Halen, Heart and Jackson Browne complaining about the same thing. We're not saying an intervention is in order, but while five is troubling, six is definitely a sign of a problem.

The latest? Jersey icons Bon Jovi. Jon Bon Jovi told TMZ that the band was "surprised to hear that our song 'Who Says You Can't Go Home,' was used by the McCain campaign at rallies yesterday and today.

"We wrote this song as a thank you to those who have supported us over the past twenty-five years," JBJ continued. "The song has since become a banner for our home state of New Jersey and the defacto theme song for our partnerships around the country to build homes and rebuild communities. Although we were not asked, we do not approve of their use of 'Home.'

McCain certainly should have seen this one coming, what with the singer throwing a $30,800-a-plate dinner at his house for Obama last month.

What do you think of McCain's musical miscues? Does the campaign need to be more careful, or do these musicians need to lighten up?

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