Click Track: Riffs


Posted at 01:11 PM ET, 01/18/2012

The daily lives of musicians: An Internet guide
By Allison Stewart
What’s life really like for rock stars?

By Allison Stewart  |  01:11 PM ET, 01/18/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Chris Cornell, Liam Gallagher, Solange Knowles, Steve Albini

Posted at 12:52 PM ET, 11/10/2011

Click away on The Rap Board
By David Malitz
All your favorite rap catch phrases in one tidy place.

By David Malitz  |  12:52 PM ET, 11/10/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  50 Cent, Rick Ross, Flava Flav, DMX, Young Jeezy

Posted at 01:05 PM ET, 11/07/2011

Are Kanye West and Jamey Johnson actually the same person?
By Chris Richards
A pair of recent D.C. concerts show striking similarities between the rap superstar and country brooder.

By Chris Richards  |  01:05 PM ET, 11/07/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Kanye West, Jamey Johnson

Posted at 01:33 PM ET, 11/03/2011

Wale’s “Ambition” discussed, debated, disemboweled
By Chris Richards
The Washington rapper’s new album has been on retail shelves for about 62 hours and the online chatter is still going strong.

By Chris Richards  |  01:33 PM ET, 11/03/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs, Riffs | Tags:  Wale

Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 11/02/2011

Haters gonna hate: Top 10 Loutallica reactions from around the Internet
By Allison Stewart
Lou Reed and Metallica’s “Lulu” collaboration has received almost uniformly harsh and hilarious reviews.

By Allison Stewart  |  11:00 AM ET, 11/02/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Lou Reed, Metallica

Posted at 02:22 PM ET, 10/25/2011

A brief history of Coldplay insults
By David Malitz
It’s just so easy to make fun of the popular British rockers.

By David Malitz  |  02:22 PM ET, 10/25/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Coldplay

Posted at 12:50 PM ET, 10/05/2011

Drake’s ugliest sweaters (and one so ugly it’s kind of awesome)
By Allison Stewart
He’s got one of the year’s most-anticipated albums coming out later this month. And he’s also got an array of ugly sweaters.

By Allison Stewart  |  12:50 PM ET, 10/05/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Drake

Posted at 02:01 PM ET, 08/31/2011

Jay-Z, Kanye West, Adele, Lil Wayne, Lady Gaga: Summer’s musical winners and losers
By Allison Stewart
Jay-Z, Kanye West and Adele come out on top, but Lil Wayne and Lady Gaga didn’t fare as well.

By Allison Stewart  |  02:01 PM ET, 08/31/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Adele, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Odd Future, Pistol Annies

Posted at 12:13 PM ET, 08/30/2011

Cheer up: Watch these Lil Wayne and Red Hot Chili Peppers documentaries on YouTube
By Chris Richards
Both acts have new, underwhelming albums. Time to relive their glory days on YouTube.

By Chris Richards  |  12:13 PM ET, 08/30/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Lil Wayne, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Posted at 02:00 PM ET, 08/25/2011

The collected wisdom of Stephen Malkmus
By David Malitz
The Pavement frontman has been busy on the interview circuit.

By David Malitz  |  02:00 PM ET, 08/25/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Stephen Malkmus

Posted at 07:00 PM ET, 08/19/2011

My t-shirt says everything: Were fans at Identity festival communicating in some kind of secret t-shirt language?
By Chris Richards
Were fans at Identity festival communicating in some kind of secret t-shirt language?

By Chris Richards  |  07:00 PM ET, 08/19/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs

Posted at 01:07 PM ET, 08/12/2011

Musical celebutots explained
By Allison Stewart
Children of Jeff Tweedy, Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Hanks and more try their hand at music. It’s not always pretty.

By Allison Stewart  |  01:07 PM ET, 08/12/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs

Posted at 11:40 AM ET, 08/03/2011

Riffs: Being annoyed and being annoying at the Bon Iver doubleheader at 9:30 Club
By Click Track
What fan misbehaviors are you most tired of suffering through at concerts?

By Click Track  |  11:40 AM ET, 08/03/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Bon Iver

Posted at 12:10 PM ET, 07/28/2011

Tribute albums a go-go: A guide to the summer’s best and weirdest releases
By Allison Stewart
The Strokes, Nirvana, the Runaways and Buddy Holly are all the subject of recent tribute albums.

By Allison Stewart  |  12:10 PM ET, 07/28/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Nirvana, The Strokes, Buddy Holly, The Runaways

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 07/25/2011

The best Amy Winehouse songs you might not have heard
By Allison Stewart
A look back at some of her best rarities, remixes and live versions.

By Allison Stewart  |  12:00 PM ET, 07/25/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Amy Winehouse

Posted at 11:56 AM ET, 07/21/2011

Getting to know Wiz Khalifa’s Rolling Papers tour crew
By Allison Stewart
Big Sean, Mac Miller, Big K.R.I.T. and Curren$y join the rapper at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Sunday.

By Allison Stewart  |  11:56 AM ET, 07/21/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller, Big Sean, Big K.R.I.T., Curren$y

Posted at 02:37 PM ET, 06/28/2011

Live last night: Monday Night RAW with [Expletive] Up
By David Malitz
Why the Toronto hardcore band’s concert at Rock & Roll Hotel felt a lot like watching wrestling.

By David Malitz  |  02:37 PM ET, 06/28/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Live last night, Riffs | Tags:  [Expletive] Up

Posted at 12:10 PM ET, 06/27/2011

“June 27”: Slowing down to remember DJ Screw’s most legendary recording
By Chris Richards

By Chris Richards  |  12:10 PM ET, 06/27/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  DJ Screw

Posted at 11:25 AM ET, 06/03/2011

Did the Washington Wizards predict contemporary hip-hop?
By David Malitz
Were the Washington Wizards swag before swag was swag?

By David Malitz  |  11:25 AM ET, 06/03/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Lil B, Souja Boy, Jay-Z, Diddy, Swag

Posted at 01:54 PM ET, 05/17/2011

Tegan and Sara vs. Tyler, the Creator: The Internet reacts
By Allison Stewart
The folk-pop duo calls out the Next Big Thing rapper. He responds. The Internet reacts.

By Allison Stewart  |  01:54 PM ET, 05/17/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Odd Future, Tyler, the Creator, Tegan and Sara

Posted at 04:28 PM ET, 04/13/2011

That can be my next tweet: Pop stars edition
By David Malitz
A new generator lets us imagine what the next tweets of our favorite musicians would be.

By David Malitz  |  04:28 PM ET, 04/13/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Twitter

Posted at 12:53 PM ET, 03/30/2011

Riffs: 20 thoughts from LCD Soundsystem’s NYC farewell
By David Malitz
The beloved dance-rock troupe performs four shows at Terminal 5 this week before its final show at Madison Square Gardenon Saturday.

By David Malitz  |  12:53 PM ET, 03/30/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs, Riffs | Tags:  LCD Soundsystem

Posted at 02:30 PM ET, 03/29/2011

Riffs: Chris Brown and other badly behaving chart toppers
By Allison Stewart
Chris Brown is just the latest example of an artist who has topped the charts despite — or because of? — bad behavior

By Allison Stewart  |  02:30 PM ET, 03/29/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs, Riffs | Tags:  Chris Brown, Rihanna, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, R. Kelly, Dixie Chicks

Posted at 01:46 PM ET, 03/14/2011

Haters gonna hate: Five musical acts who have criticized their own albums
By Allison Stewart
The Strokes and Lupe Fiasco are just the latest acts to diss their own creations. Who are some others and why do they do it?

By Allison Stewart  |  01:46 PM ET, 03/14/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  The Strokes, R.E.M., Lupe Fiasco, Eminem, Weezer

Posted at 02:06 PM ET, 03/09/2011

Riffs: The rock star's guide to quitting the business
By Allison Stewart
For any musician planning to leave rock and roll behind for a life of goat herding or bed and breakfast-running, Click Track has assembled a brief guide to get you started.

By Allison Stewart  |  02:06 PM ET, 03/09/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs

Posted at 12:05 PM ET, 02/03/2011

Riffs: Five genre-smashing, superstar-on-superstar interviews we'd like to see
By Allison Stewart
These two could definitely find some things to talk about. It wasn't as momentous as the time Edgar Allen Poe met Charles Dickens. And it certainly wasn't as mind-boggling as this. But the recent pairing of alt-country's professional strange person...

By Allison Stewart  |  12:05 PM ET, 02/03/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Arcade Fire, Bonnie Prince Billy, Brandon Flowers, Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Flaming Lips, Justin Bieber, Killers, Lady Gaga, Michael Stipe, Morrissey, R. Kelly, REM, Smiths, Stevie Nicks, Will Oldham, Win Butler

Posted at 12:30 PM ET, 01/19/2011

Riffs: Coachella 2011, decoded
By Allison Stewart
The just-announced lineup for this year's Coachella festival serves up few OMG-Pavement-is-getting-back-together-type surprises, relying instead on a predictably solid mix of indie, dance and hipster-approved soul acts Passes for the fest, which go on sale Friday morning, will set...

By Allison Stewart  |  12:30 PM ET, 01/19/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Big Audio Dynamite, Bright Eyes, Caifanes, Coachella, Death From Above 1979, Duran Duran, Kanye West, Lauryn Hill, London Suede, Mumford & Sons, Suede, The Arcade Fire

Posted at 01:15 PM ET, 01/12/2011

Riffs: Britney vs. Kanye/Jay-Z: The final showdown
By Allison Stewart
"H.A.M." or "Hold It"? It's not quite an epic battle on the level of the Backstreet Boys vs. New Kids on the Block, but when it was announced that Britney Spears and the historic pairing of Jay-Z and Kanye West...

By Allison Stewart  |  01:15 PM ET, 01/12/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Britney Spears, Jay-Z, Kanye West

Posted at 12:15 PM ET, 01/12/2011

Riffs: Picking 13 bands for an "Our Band Could Be Your Life" sequel
By David Malitz
Superchunk is still going, but would have to be in a '90s indie rock tome. (Lexi Mitchell) On Thursday night, Grant Hart, former drummer/songwriter for hardcore/alt-rock godfathers Husker Du performs at the Black Cat. This got us thinking about Michael...

By David Malitz  |  12:15 PM ET, 01/12/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Flaming Lips, Guided By Voices, Magnetic Fields, Neutral Milk Hotel, Pavement, Superchunk, Unrest

Posted at 12:08 PM ET, 01/06/2011

Riffs: Courtney Love's tweets, decoded
By Allison Stewart
If you're Courtney Love, 140 characters can get you into a lot of trouble. (Kyle Gustafson/FTWP) Before Kanye West took over as the reigning king of Twitter, there was Courtney Love. While West's tweets usually address his new album, his...

By Allison Stewart  |  12:08 PM ET, 01/06/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Courtney Love

Posted at 02:56 PM ET, 12/21/2010

How did we do at predicting the Pitchfork top ten?
By Click Track
We got the top four right -- not in order, but close! Pitchfork announced its best albums of 2010 list on Friday, ( i.e. 10,000 years ago in Internet time), so please pardon this late post-mort. But way back on...

By Click Track  |  02:56 PM ET, 12/21/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Big Boi, Deerhunter, James Blake, Joanna Newsom, Kanye West, LCD Soundsystem, Pitchfork, Sleigh Bells, Titus Andronicus, Vampire Weekend

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 12/08/2010

Riffs: Five things we learned from reading rock star autobiographies
By Allison Stewart
Don't mess with Megadeth's Dave Mustaine or he might put a spell on you. (Kyle Gustafson/FTWP) Rock stars have much to teach us. At least, according to rock stars. It's never been a better year for musical autobios: Patti Smith's...

By Allison Stewart  |  12:00 PM ET, 12/08/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Dave Mustaine, Jay-Z, Keith Richards, Susan Boyle, Vince Neil

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 12/03/2010

Riffs: Grammys 2011 -- 5 artists who were robbed
By Allison Stewart
Sade, snubbed. The Grammys aren't as embarrassing as they used to be. Remember when Rod Stewart, Paul Simon, Sheryl Crow and Steely Dan would be nominated for just about anything? Or the year Jethro Tull beat out Metallica for Best...

By Allison Stewart  |  12:00 PM ET, 12/03/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs, Riffs | Tags:  Big Boi, Cee Lo Green, Florence and the Machine, Grammys, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Sade

Posted at 02:07 PM ET, 11/30/2010

Riffs: Free Energy, Vampire Weekend and Lenny Kravitz, the inescapable songs on TV
By David Malitz
As the days get shorter, the temperature gets colder, the local concert calendars become more bare and the NBA season kicks into high gear, we find ourselves entering hibernation mode and spending more time in front of the TV. (We've...

By David Malitz  |  02:07 PM ET, 11/30/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Free Energy, Lenny Kravitz, Vampire Weekend

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 11/29/2010

Riffs: Thanksgiving now means a plethora of pop music weirdness on television
By Click Track
Float on, Kanye. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images) While the rest of our family spent much of Thanksgiving watching football in the living room, Click Track went down to the basement to channel surf for morsels of pop music surrealism. Among...

By Click Track  |  12:00 PM ET, 11/29/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  James Brown, Kanye West, Taylor Swift

Posted at 11:10 AM ET, 11/24/2010

He's alright: Kurt Vile plays Black Cat Wednesday night
By David Malitz
Be thankful for a pre-Thanksgiving show by Kurt Vile. (Matador Records) Is Kurt Vile a mellow, acoustic troubadour? Is he a shaggy-haired, psychedelic rock noisemaker? Can't he be both? The Philadelphia singer-songwriter -- and, yes, that's his real name --...

By David Malitz  |  11:10 AM ET, 11/24/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Kurt Vile

Posted at 01:00 PM ET, 11/12/2010

Riffs: Bob Dylan's venues, they are a-changin'
By David Malitz
Bob Dylan's 115th different venue. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for AFI) The Never Ending Tour isn’t just a clever name for Bob Dylan’s seemingly endless string of concerts. “The poet laureate of rock-and-roll roll, the voice of the promise...

By David Malitz  |  01:00 PM ET, 11/12/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Bob Dylan

Posted at 01:56 PM ET, 11/05/2010

Riffs: Touring by color
By Click Track
Ariel Pink and Pink, a match made at about 335 degrees on the color spectrum. (Photos by Kyle Gustafson/FTWP; Getty Images) Two hard-charging, guitar-toting rock bands -- the Black Angels of Austin and Black Mountain of Vancouver -- are scheduled...

By Click Track  |  01:56 PM ET, 11/05/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Al Green, Ariel Pink, Black Eyed Peas, Cee-Lo Green, King Crimson, Maroon 5, Pink

Posted at 12:33 PM ET, 10/29/2010

Five songs we'd request from DJ Solange Knowles
By Chris Richards
We offer some DJ tips for Solange's Saturday set. (Universal Music Group) By Chris Richards You know her as a lover of indie rock, a bender of genres and the sister of Beyonce. But did you know Solange Knowles is...

By Chris Richards  |  12:33 PM ET, 10/29/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Solange Knowles

Posted at 12:15 PM ET, 10/28/2010

Riffs: How "zef" is Washington D.C.?
By Chris Richards
So So Zef! Die Antwoord at 9:30 Club, Wednesday night. (Josh Sisk/FTWP) By Chris Richards Nearly all of the lyrics that spew from the mouths of South African rave-rap surrealists Die Antwoord aren't printable on the website of a family...

By Chris Richards  |  12:15 PM ET, 10/28/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Die Antwoord

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 10/27/2010

Riffs: Kings of Leon vs. The World: Their biggest beefs, brawls and blow-ups
By Allison Stewart
They could insult somebody. (Kyle Gustafson/FTWP) By Allison Stewart Congenitally grouchy alt-rockers Kings of Leon seem to be beefing with everyone these days: their peers (Groove Armada) their betters (the Arcade Fire) and just about every avian and non-avian life...

By Allison Stewart  |  12:00 PM ET, 10/27/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Kings of Leon

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 10/20/2010

Riffs: Banned in the USA: If you don't want your album cover banned, Kanye-style, don't do these five things
By Allison Stewart
By Allison Stewart On Sunday, Kanye West tweeted that the artwork for his upcoming album, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," had been banned, implying that Wal-Mart was the culprit. If this is true (Wal-Mart told MTV News they hadn't...

By Allison Stewart  |  12:00 PM ET, 10/20/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Beatles, Black Sabbath, Jane's Addiction, Kanye West, Killing Joke, U2, the Coup, the Scorpions

Posted at 02:55 PM ET, 10/13/2010

Riffs: The Board Adminstration showcase at U Street Music Hall and the magic of free CDRs
By Chris Richards
Fans were offered a cornucopia of compact discs at U Street Music Hall on Tuesday night. By Chris Richards Tuesday night, in the subterranean bass temple that is U Street Music Hall, hometown rap star Wale introduced fans to the...

By Chris Richards  |  02:55 PM ET, 10/13/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Black Cobain, Fat Trel, Tiara Thomas, UCB, Wale

Posted at 01:30 PM ET, 09/24/2010

The Click Track 2010 Virgin Mobile FreeFest Draft!
By Chris Richards and David Malitz
FreeFest is tomorrow: Who willl you pick? By Chris Richards and David Malitz One festival. Two reporters. Twenty bands. How to divvy up responsibilities? There's only one way: the Click Track 2010 Virgin Mobile FreeFest Draft, in which Chris Richards...

By Chris Richards and David Malitz  |  01:30 PM ET, 09/24/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Virgin Mobile FreeFest

Posted at 11:30 AM ET, 09/22/2010

Your guide to the FreeFest Dance Forest
By Allison Stewart
Chromeo's blue-eyed soul/electro combo will be a Dance Forest highlight. (Courtesy of Windish Agency) By Allison Stewart Who needs T.I.? Saturday's Virgin Mobile FreeFest promises no end of riches, with many of the day's buzziest acts performing in the Dance...

By Allison Stewart  |  11:30 AM ET, 09/22/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Chromeo, Maximum Balloon, Modeselektor, Neon Indian, Sharam, Sleigh Bells, Wolfgang Gartner

Posted at 11:30 AM ET, 09/16/2010

The new super-headliners and the fans that love them: Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Arcade Fire
By David Malitz
Vampire Weekend, MGMT and Arcade Fire played the big stages this summer. How did their young fans respond? By David Malitz This summer, three young rock bands -- Vampire Weekend, MGMT and Arcade Fire -- made the leap to super-headliner...

By David Malitz  |  11:30 AM ET, 09/16/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Arcade Fire, MGMT, Vampire Weekend

Posted at 02:45 PM ET, 08/30/2010

Riffs: My "Ultimate Running Mix"
By Chris Richards
Who needs a personal trainer when you have Lungfish? (Photo: Jon A. Evans) By Chris Richards Please pardon this extremely self-indulgent autobiographical blog post, but I ran in a ten mile race, yesterday. It wasn't pretty, but I finished the...

By Chris Richards  |  02:45 PM ET, 08/30/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Riffs

Posted at 01:15 PM ET, 08/27/2010

Riffs: Kanye, Britney and Gaga: By their Twitter feeds ye shall know them
By Allison Stewart
Hey y'all, try my new perfume! (Linda Davidson/TWP) By Allison Stewart It's practically in the Bible: And by their Twitter feed, ye shall know them. As Slate recently pointed out in a recent, must-read faux-interview with Kanye West, Twitter has...

By Allison Stewart  |  01:15 PM ET, 08/27/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Britney Spears, Kanye West, Lady Gaga

Posted at 01:30 PM ET, 08/18/2010

Riffs: Our top five Britney Spears dream collaborators
By Allison Stewart
Britney just needs to the right collaborator to set her free. (Linda Davidson/TWP) By Allison Stewart If Christina Aguilera is a voice, and Lady Gaga is an aesthetic, Britney Spears is pretty much just an idea. With Spears, there is...

By Allison Stewart  |  01:30 PM ET, 08/18/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Beth Orton, Brandon Flowers, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Colbie Caillat, Dave Longstreth, Derek Miller, Dirty Projectors, Dr. Luke, Drake, Emily Haines, James Murphy, Kara DioGuardi, Kylie Minogue, LCD Soundsystem, Lady Gaga, Le Tigre, Lily Allen, M.I.A., Madonna, Metric, Pharrell, Rodney Jerkins, Rusko, Sia, Sleigh Bells, Stuart Price, Timbaland, the Neptunes, the Weepies

Posted at 11:45 AM ET, 08/17/2010

Listen to Justin Bieber slowed down to an unrecognizable, blissed-out, new age slush
By Chris Richards
The kid has never sounded dreamier. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) By Chris Richards We love that Justin Bieber. We love slowed-down pop tunes. We love new age music. Today, the internet smiles on us....

By Chris Richards  |  11:45 AM ET, 08/17/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Justin Bieber

Posted at 02:30 PM ET, 08/13/2010

Riffs: Best show flyer of the year?
By David Malitz
Handmade flyer > Facebook invite. By David Malitz Wednesday night's Ty Segall show at DC9 was one of the best I've seen in a while. Garage rock on overdrive, overflowing with hooks for 45 minutes. (Could have done without the...

By David Malitz  |  02:30 PM ET, 08/13/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Thee Lolitas

Posted at 01:30 PM ET, 08/13/2010

Riffs: Does George Michael's life of crime affect his music? Let's find out!
By Allison Stewart
You gotta have faith. (Photo by MJ Kim/Getty Images) By Allison Stewart The arrests. The trolling for sex in public parks. By now it's pretty clear: George Michael's issues go well beyond his fondness for smoking more pot than Mischa...

By Allison Stewart  |  01:30 PM ET, 08/13/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  George Michael

Posted at 02:00 PM ET, 08/10/2010

Riffs: Pop stars get "Lost"
By David Malitz
Should this be the cover of the next Diddy CD? By David Malitz Yesterday we became aware that the cover of the new Weezer album would simply be a picture of Hurley - the largest and most lovable character on...

By David Malitz  |  02:00 PM ET, 08/10/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs

Posted at 01:30 PM ET, 08/06/2010

The Roots are coming to town! (again)
By David Malitz
The Roots performing at 9:30 Club in December -- one of many, many recent local appearances. (Kyle Gustafson/FTWP) By David Malitz Even a full-time gig as Jimmy Fallon’s house band hasn’t stopped hip-hop’s most reliable live act from appearing in...

By David Malitz  |  01:30 PM ET, 08/06/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  The Roots

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 08/06/2010

Riffs: Does all music sound better slowed down?
By Chris Richards
By Chris Richards Welcome to the dog days of August, where everything slows down to a creep. (Including the news cycle. Hence this post!) But one blog's "slow news day" is Click Track's golden opportunity to share some random...

By Chris Richards  |  12:00 PM ET, 08/06/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Kelly Clarkson, Rush

Posted at 02:45 PM ET, 08/05/2010

Riffs: Call it a comeback: Artists we miss. And others we'd like to miss, if only they would leave.
By Allison Stewart
Taylor Swift's not going anywhere. But should she? (Toni L. Sandys/TWP) By Allison Stewart The first week sales figures for his upcoming album will tell the tale, but Kanye West's Swift-ian diss at last year's VMAs seems to be largely...

By Allison Stewart  |  02:45 PM ET, 08/05/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, OutKast, REM, Taylor Swift

Posted at 03:00 PM ET, 07/28/2010

Riffs: I'm not going to try to like Ariel Pink anymore
By David Malitz
Fuzzy microphone? What's not to like? Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti performs tonight at Rock & Roll Hotel. (Photo courtesy the artist) By David Malitz I don’t like Ariel Pink. This isn’t really much of a problem. Maybe you don’t like...

By David Malitz  |  03:00 PM ET, 07/28/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Ariel Pink

Posted at 10:30 AM ET, 07/14/2010

Five questions we're asking ourselves after seeing M.I.A. storm late night television
By Chris Richards
By Chris Richards If you missed M.I.A.'s incredible performance of "Born Free" on Letterman last night, give thanks for the miracle of YouTube and watch it above. It features a crew of M.I.A. lookalikes and some righteous keyboard slashing...

By Chris Richards  |  10:30 AM ET, 07/14/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  M.I.A., Suicide

Posted at 03:30 PM ET, 07/06/2010

Riffs: Let's Go Crazy: a history of Prince's wackier antics, pronouncements and lawsuits
By Allison Stewart
Prince has got computer blues. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) By Allison Stewart Remember the days when Prince would make some sort of weird pronouncement or do something strange, and everyone acted like he was some kind of mystical oracle instead of...

By Allison Stewart  |  03:30 PM ET, 07/06/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Prince

Posted at 12:45 PM ET, 07/02/2010

Sleigh Bells: Summer fling or in it for the long haul?
By David Malitz
Tonight the massively-hyped New York duo Sleigh Bells performs a sold-out show at Rock & Roll Hotel. (Read a Q&A with guitarist Derek Miller.) The loud-Louder-LOUDEST party anthems on the band's debut album “Treats” are no doubt serving as...

By David Malitz  |  12:45 PM ET, 07/02/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Justice, Lily Allen, M.I.A., Passion Pit, Sleigh Bells, Vampire Weekend

Posted at 03:00 PM ET, 06/29/2010

You said it: Recent highlights from our comments pages
By Chris Richards
Adam Lambert fans saw Monday's concert different than we saw it. To put it mildly. (Evy Mages/TWP) It's been an exciting 48 hours on Click Track, with our reader comments sections going completely coconuts. You guys got pretty fired up...

By Chris Richards  |  03:00 PM ET, 06/29/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Adam Lambert, Courtney Love, Hole

Posted at 02:00 PM ET, 06/16/2010

Riffs: How to rock an album set at Rock the Bells
By Sarah Godfrey
By Sarah Godfrey The annual Rock the Bells hip-hop festival is coming to Merriweather Post Pavilion on Aug. 29. (Tickets go on sale this Saturday.) The biggest news of this year's tour is, of course, the reemergence of Lauryn...

By Sarah Godfrey  |  02:00 PM ET, 06/16/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Snoop, Wu-Tang Clan

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 05/05/2010

Welcome to Your Backlash, Christina Aguilera!
By Allison Stewart
By Allison Stewart When Christina Aguilera debuted her new video, "Not Myself Tonight" last week, online reaction was swift and merciless. Many outlets used variations on the word "desperate" to describe it, and most everyone pointed out the clip's...

By Allison Stewart  |  12:00 PM ET, 05/05/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Christina Aguilera

Posted at 05:00 PM ET, 04/27/2010

Riffs: Know your Roots!
By Chris Richards
Rapper Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and bassist Owen Biddle of the Roots perform with Adele. The Rev. Al Sharpton watches in the background. KIDDING! (Photo by Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) By Chris Richards Members of The Roots tweeted about it...

By Chris Richards  |  05:00 PM ET, 04/27/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  The Roots

Posted at 03:45 PM ET, 04/23/2010

Miley Cyrus: Tool of the Left Wing Establishment?
By Allison Stewart
Miley Cyrus: Country music's public enemy No. 1? (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) By Allison Stewart Earlier this week, conservative website Big Hollywood published the most fascinating Miley Cyrus takedown in the long history of Miley Cyrus takedowns. Written by Brian...

By Allison Stewart  |  03:45 PM ET, 04/23/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Miley Cyrus

Posted at 05:55 PM ET, 04/15/2010

Did President Obama find the Mothership?
By Chris Richards
POTUS and the Mothership? (REUTERS/Jim Young) By Chris Richards On Monday, we reported on the search for Parliament-Funkadelic's lost Mothership. From the looks of today's washingtonpost.com homepage, the Mothership appears to have been discovered by President Obama! (Or not)....

By Chris Richards  |  05:55 PM ET, 04/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Mothership

Posted at 11:30 AM ET, 04/08/2010

Shavo Odadjian joins the ranks of self-referential musicians/artists
By Sarah Godfrey
Will System of a Down's Shavo Odadjian be able to match RZA's artistic masterpiece? A huge achievement in visual art is nearly upon us: creative firm When Art Imitates Life has announced that it will release a fine art piece...

By Sarah Godfrey  |  11:30 AM ET, 04/08/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Grace Slick, RZA, Ron Wood, Shavo Odadjian, Tony Bennett

Posted at 12:10 PM ET, 03/31/2010

Erykah Badu's "Window Seat" video is great; the song itself? Not so much
By Sarah Godfrey
"Window Seat" - Erykah Badu (NSFW) By Sarah Godfrey By now, most people have likely seen, or at least heard about, the video for “Window Seat,” the lead single from Erykah Badu’s “New Amerykah Pt 2., Return of the Ankh.”...

By Sarah Godfrey  |  12:10 PM ET, 03/31/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Erykah Badu

Posted at 01:13 PM ET, 02/22/2010

Riffs: "American Idol" vs. "X Factor"
By Allison Stewart
Which of Simon Cowell's talent shows produces better talent? Sometime in the not too distant future, the British talent competition “X Factor” will call creator Simon Cowell home to the mothership. Okay, maybe not to the mothership, but to an...

By Allison Stewart  |  01:13 PM ET, 02/22/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  American Idol, David Archuleta, Leona Lewis, Taylor Hicks, X Factor

Posted at 04:15 PM ET, 02/02/2010

Groundhog Day: Our favorite "on repeat" songs
By David Malitz
R. Kelly, over and over. (By Kyle Gustafson/FTWP) Today is Groundhog Day, best known for some sort of Pagan ritual involving a large rodent and sundial. At least that's what I've been able to piece together through the years. But...

By David Malitz  |  04:15 PM ET, 02/02/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Double Dagger, George Michael, Kanye West, Miley Cyrus, R.Kelly, Run-DMC

Posted at 01:15 PM ET, 01/25/2010

Riffs: How Mystikal Can Start Bouncin' Back
By Sarah Godfrey
Mystikal is out of jail - but can he become a star again? Recently a major -- MAJOR -- rap star was released from prison. No, not Gucci. Not Boosie. Not Lil Wayne -- he hasn't even started his bid...

By Sarah Godfrey  |  01:15 PM ET, 01/25/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Mystikal

Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 01/22/2010

Riffs: How does Prince's Vikings anthem measure up with Bootsy Vegas's "Hail to the Redskins" go-go remix?
By Chris Richards
Bootsy Vegas is better than Prince ... when it comes to writing songs about football teams. As this year's NFL season winds down, a pattern emerges: Losing teams will be serenaded with really cool songs performed by incredibly obscure...

By Chris Richards  |  11:00 AM ET, 01/22/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Bootsy Vegas, Prince

Posted at 04:00 PM ET, 01/20/2010

Riffs: Killers, Dixie Chicks, Nine Inch Nails... What to expect when your favorite band goes 'on hiatus'
By Allison Stewart
It was a sad day in Sam's Town when the Killers announced a hiatus. The Killers recently saddened literally dozens of fans when they announced they were joining the long, proud tradition of bands going on hiatus. Hiatus is a...

By Allison Stewart  |  04:00 PM ET, 01/20/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Dixie Chicks, Fugazi, Fugees, Killers, Led Zeppelin, Nine Inch Nails, The Strokes

Posted at 07:25 PM ET, 01/11/2010

Riffs: Pavement and the art of the shrewdly calculated reunion tour
By David Malitz
"I've got a lot of things I want to sell, because I need money to buy tickets to more Pavement shows." Stephen Malkmus is getting the band back together. The big alt-rock moneymaker of 2010 promises to be the long-inevitable...

By David Malitz  |  07:25 PM ET, 01/11/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Pavement

Posted at 04:30 PM ET, 01/06/2010

Riffs: Jonas, in the future
By David Malitz
What does the future hold for these young lads? (Photo by Michael Temchine/FWTP) When I reviewed the Jonas Brothers show at Verizon Center last July, I wrote: "The best hope of a continuing, thriving Jonas Empire would be to focus...

By David Malitz  |  04:30 PM ET, 01/06/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Riffs | Tags:  Jonas Brothers, Predictions