I was a huge fan when I was a kid. They started to lose me around the time of the solo albums and lost me completely by the time Dynasty was released. They've always been one of the most crass bands commercially but Gene Simmons having the two new members parade around in the makeup originally made famous by Peter Criss and Ace Frehley is a fucking joke. Same for his plans for Kiss to continue with all new members once he and Stanley retire.

I don't really know who's "best" but I do have some favorites: Joni Mitchell Emmylou Harris Patsy Cline Loretta Lynn Kasey Chambers Tift Merritt Sarah Borges Tres Chicas (Lynn Blakey, Caitlin Cary & Tonya Lamm) Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Bramlett

I don't think any of those folks are slouches in the live show department these days, particularly Neil.

Even though it's been quite a few years since I last saw them (2002 or so), I think so. Like their summer tour mates Aerosmith, they became a bit too MTV friendly for my tastes which helped them lose the plot but they've always remained a very kickass live band. They have a DVD out called Live In Texas which I've seen on VH1 Classic a number of times lately. Judging from that alone I'd say they've still got it. I imagine you could also check YouTube and some similar sites online for a sampling of what they sound like in concert these days.

I think so too. Unfortunately Magnapop (which at one time counted Stipe's sister Lynda as part of their lineup) have dropped off of the bill. It should still be a very fun night nevertheless.

Don Dixon & Mitch Easter discuss the recording of R.E.M.'s Murmur as part of the Revolve Music and Film Festival. The discussion will be followed by performances from Dixon & Easter as well as Winston-Salem band Jews and Catholics. Friday, May 22nd The Garage Winston-Salem, NC

Exclusive Rolling Stones footage: 'If Woodstock was the dream, Altamont was the nightmare' Forty years after the Stones' infamous concert at Altamont, Guardian photographer Eamonn McCabe unveils his previously unseen footage

You can preview disc 8 of the Archives here. You can read this review of the Archives at the Guardian.

Todd Snider Saturday, May 16th Cat's Cradle Carrboro, NC Tres Chicas Sunday, May 17th Pour House Music Hall Raleigh, NC

I've listed movies in this thread I've seen at home and in theatres, both new and old.

You never can tell but I get the impression they're done with those for a while. If anything, we'll see a continuation of the current Star Trek crew next.

Some of those are ones I could live the rest of my life without hearing, particularly Babe, Too Much Time On my Hands, The Best of Times, Mr. Roboto and Come Sail Away. In other words, the songs Classic Rock radio has played into the ground as well as the ones that just out and out suck.

Humorous Neil Young-related anecdote from the blog of Lowell Todd: Neil Young "The Phone Is Broken"

Peter Buck Talks New R.E.M. Album The legendary guitarist tells us about the demos he's recording in Portland. Photos by Vivian Johnson Recently, reports have been circulating that members of R.E.M. are in Portland, Oregon right now, working on new material with Decemberists/Laura Veirs producer Tucker Martine. Those reports, it turns out, are totally right. (Thanks to Joshua Ackerman, via Murmurs.com, for the initial tip.) R.E.M. don't usually record demos, but guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills are making an exception this time, laying down the skeletons of 14 songs that may or may not appear on the follow-up to last year's Accelerate. Accelerate producer Jacknife Lee, slated to produce the next LP, is also on hand. However, they're early enough in the recording process that frontman Michael Stipe hasn't yet heard what they're working on. Yesterday, we spoke with Buck about the new album and the state of his various side projects. After the jump, find our interview and a few photos of the band in the studio. Click here to read the interview.

R.E.M. Works On New Album, Shares In-Studio Photos By Austin L. Ray Studio photos by Vivian Johnson R.E.M. is working on a new album! Now, before you fanboys/girls get too excited, speculating as to whether or not the new offering will top Accelerate, pale in comparison to both the recent and forthcoming reissues, and so on, note that the band's currently amidst the "early, early demo days" for the album. All we know at the moment is where the band was recently recording and who it's been working with. David Bell from R.E.M's office sent Paste the following statement and photos: "This past week, Peter Buck and Mike Mills of R.E.M. spent a few days with producer Jacknife Lee in Portland's Jackpot Recording Studio. It is early, early demo days for the next record, which is still a ways away. Also involved last week were longtime confederates Bill Rieflin and Scott McCaughey, as well as noted engineer/producer Tucker Martine." Click here to see the photos.

Tim Easton Tuesday, May 12th Berkeley Cafe Raleigh, NC Great show last night with Tim backed by a full band (including Alex Livingstone on bass from Grand Champeen). This was my first time seeing him with a band so it was quite the different live experience. We still got some some acoustic numbers from him with and without the band, including an encore done from down in the audience.

Tim Easton Porcupine Great show here in Raleigh tonight with a shoutout to locals Patty Hurst Shifter and Six String Drag (Kenny Roby) during one tune and Tim down in the audience solo/acoustic for the second encore. He also had vinyl versions of his new record on sale, 500 limited edition prints individually handpainted with unique artwork. If so inclined, you can check out some of his artwork here.

That's awful nice of you but you don't have to. Really.

They're an infamous L.A. punk band that led to such off shoot country/punk/rockabilly groups such as the Knitters and the Blasters. John Doe has also been in a number of movies over the years including Roadhouse.

While I'm not exactly his biggest fan (at least currently, I was a big fan of his in the 70s), I'd say the Nuge is far from an "anti-rocker" and that the soft side of Damn Yankees came from the Styx/Night Ranger faction. Ted is the one that seemed so out of place in that band since he was never known for doing power ballads while Styx and Night Ranger most definitely were. Thank goodness for the "cacophony of Grunge". Like punk in the 70s it brought rock n' roll back to it's roots.

I'm not sure who's Behind the Music special was best for being unintentionally funny, Creed's, Journey's or Styx'. Can't say I'm much of a fan as they're the very definition of what was the matter with so much corporate rock of the day but I do have a certain affinity for some of their earlier material.

Neil Young's Archives: A sneak peek If you check the weather in Hades today, don't be surprised to find Beelzebub shoveling snow. Neil Young's Archives project is real. I just viewed a sampler Blu-Ray disc, ahead of the full 10-disc first volume's official release on June 2. And if the taster disc that arrived in my mailbox today is a representative sample, it looks to be a game changing approach to documenting an artistic life. If the depth of information and creativity exemplified here is matched throughout the Archives' mooted three box sets, then 20 years of broken promises and disappointments related to this project will vanish the moment your home system loads the wickedly interactive Blu-Ray version. The two-decades running melodrama of Young's on-again, off-again scheme to unveil his career-spanning opus is well documented (I took a crack at it here). Some months ago, June 2, 2009 was announced as the once-and-for-all, for reals release date for Blu-Ray, DVD and CD versions of the set. As an added come-along, if you ordered the whole magilla through Neil's website, you would receive a bonus "preview disc." And that's what arrived at my door today. At this point, having followed this saga for so long and watched the set emerge on label release schedules and then mysteriously vanish, I knew better than to get my hopes up. And even now, with the preview disc in hand, I still half expect Neil could put the kibosh on the project once more between now and June 2. With all those qualifications aside, here's what's on the disc. Click here to read the rest of the article.

Fair enough, were you ever a fan of X?

I was never their biggest fan but I do like quite a bit of their stuff. They sort of lost me with the made for MTV power ballads in the mid-80s though. In the years since I have enjoyed some of the newer projects such as The Road Home but it seems like it's been quite a while since they've released an album of new material. I'll save ZeppFanForever a few steps here: How's it going "Jahfin"? (Insert remainder of reply here_______). ROCK ON!