Artist: Bruce Springsteen

 After Hearts of Oak , many didn't think Ted Leo and his Pharmacists would be able to make anything better. Then came Shake The Sheets , an enigmatic batch of pop driven home with electric guitars drowning in hooks, political lyrics, and insistent riffs. But it isn't preachy, tiring or frantic. Amazingly, despite the album starting on one of it's strongest notes with "Me and Mia," it doesn't disappoint the listener thereafter. Each song packed with passion and raucous beauty. All from a man who is as much of an everyman as Bruce [...]

Count down the best cover songs of 2012, and listen to each!

Right then, the top 10 albums of 2012 chosen by the State team. As ever, it's been a fascinating process - especially comparing the list with our mid-year poll . Seven of our final selection where there in July, with three records making their way to the top table. Thanks to all those who contributed, we'll do it all again in six months or so. 10. Hot Chip - In Our Heads ' The rare case of a band getting better and better. 9. Chromatics - Kill [...]

Cover Songs / New Video Someone You Should Know Under the name DROP THE LIME , New York's Luca Venezia has performed for knights and kings as well as for night clubs around the world. Drop the Lime is a world renowned DJ, a pioneer in the breakcore genre and an electronic producer. He helped found the Trouble & Bass label and his latest, as you are about seem, is a stylistically dark and [...]

Welcome to the end of 2012. And possibly the world as a whole if you're so inclined to believe. Once again, we've taken the stray thoughts that fell through the cracks in our Annual Report and compiled them into one (hopefully) comedic list. As my esteemed colleague Jeremy Larson wrote last year , "Year-end summaries, lists, recaps, and reports are just study guides for an exam that’s  never happening, you guys ." True, but by listing things and poking a little fun, we're doing our part to remind you that the music industry can be [...]

Rolling Stones w/ Lady Gaga at Prudential Center - 12/15/12 (via Sarah Neves ) The Rolling Stones wrapped up their '50 and Counting' shows at Prudential Center in Newwark, NJ on Saturday (12/15), after playing the same venue two days earlier . They were joined by previously announced guests Lady Gaga on "Gimme Shelter," The Black Keys on a cover of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?", former Stone Mick Taylor on [...]

Madonna , Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band , and Roger Waters were named this year's highest grossing tours, as Billboard reports . The Material Girl sold out all 72 of her shows with a total attendance of 1,635,176 grossing $228,406,085, while Springsteen sold out 54 of his 72 shows with a higher total attendance of 2,165,925 and a final gross of $199,371,791. Waters, on the other hand, walled in 1,680,042 fans with 51 out of 72 sold out shows grossing $186,466,703. Other notable artists on the year-end list include Coldplay (No. 5), [...]

This might have been a huge hit for Bruce, but I could have done without it. At least ... that's how I felt back in the day. The dance-oriented nature of the song just did nothing for me. The weird thing is that I've seen him play this live many times since then and have always enjoyed it. I suspect [...]

On Saturday night, the dream team of Lady Gaga and the Rolling Stones did not fail to disappoint audiences during the final concert in the band’s One More Shot tour , a celebration of 50 years together .  Fans went gaga when Mother Monster took to the stage and belted “Gimme Shelter” as the boys rocked out at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Always having a flair for the dramatic, a long-haired Gaga, looking like Ziggy Stardust-esque space invader and outfitted in a [...]

Depois de Florence Welch dividir os vocais de Gimme Shelter com Mick Jagger em Londres, foi a vez de Lady Gaga ser a convidada do The Rolling Stones para apresentar a mesma faixa, dessa vez em New Jersey. Bruce Springsteen se juntou à banda para cantar Tumbling Dice , e o The Black Keys apresentou Who Do You Love . Já Gary Clark Jr. e John Mayer apareceram em I'm Going Down . [...]

As promised, The Rolling Stones celebrated their final 50th anniversary concert with some big name guests. Bruce Springsteen , Lady Gaga , and The Black Keys all performed alongside the band during their concert at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey last night. Following in the footsteps of Mary J. Blige and Florence Welch , Gaga sang alongside Mick Jagger for "Gimme Shelter", The Black Keys guested for the Bo Diddley cover of "Who Do You Love?", and Bruce Springsteen joined the band for "Tumbling Dice". John [...]

After nearly a year of speculation, warmup gigs and the shows themselves, The Rolling Stones' 50 and Counting Tour came to a close tonight at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The guest-laden performance was broadcast live as Pay-Per-View special both on television and over the internet. The Stones started off the show with the old school pairing of Get Off My Cloud and The Last Time before moving on to a Bill Wyman-less It's Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It) and repertoire [...]

If you're a film director aiming for critical acclaim, there are better ways to earn it than by prominently featuring Katy Perry in your movie. Yet there she is, screeching her No. 1 hit "Firework" on the soundtrack during several key scenes in French director Jacques Audiard's Rust and Bone ( De rouille et d'os ), including one that features Marion Cotillard doing some killer whale trainer moves that look cooler than anything Perry did in the "Firework" video. [...]

Lady Gaga teamed up with British rock legends the Rolling Stones during a rehearsal for the final night of their 50th anniversary concert tour, One More Shot, at New Jersey’s Prudential Center. Changing up blood and baubles for a more demure ensemble, the Mother Monster was pictured with Mick Jagger and the rest of the boys in the band during a pre-concert rehearsal. Gaga is in good company as Bruce Springsteen , the [...]

About two weeks ago MTIB started whittling down a list of over 5,678 abums (5,679 albums to be exact) to bring you a list of our favorite albums of the year. This year we decided we shouldn't stop at just ten, but share all of the albums that were in the running as well. So, here you have it. The 50 finest albums of 2012, in our humble opinions. Although, we may not use as many big words as Pitchfork and we may not always be as 'hip', we do understand those words and we did [...]

First of all, #RestoreTheShore. Having said that, a group of elderly honkies who 'represent American Music' got 2gether 2 have a benefit show 2 raise money 4 restoring the shore. I guess they raised money, which is good, but at the same time, u have 2 wonder if it is time 2 just 'shut down' culture [via 'being old and tired']. Watched these dudes with fake hair perform. I think they are 'the original guidos' [via Jersey Shores] Also Paul McCartney joined Nirvana, replacing Kurt Cobain or something. I guess he [...]

well, here we are. 2012 almost over, my 7th year of running this joint has passed, and this is what i have come up with. most of this will not be a surprise to anyone who follows this place with any regularity. this year was increasingly hard, i must admit. i think every record in my top ten has the potential of landing that coveted #1 spot cause they're all amazing records in my very very humble opinion, but at the end of the day there can only be one, much like the highlander. my number one record this year [...]

• Aesop Rock - Cycles To Gehenna
• Bobmouldmusic - The Descent
• captainsdead - American Aquarium "Jacksonville"
• Guided by Voices - Keep It In Motion
• The Pollies - Something New

Filed under: Concerts and Tours , News Larry Busacca, Getty Images for Clear Channel Getting people to part with their hard-earned money isn't an easy thing. When it comes to putting on a benefit concert, you'll have to pull out some heavy artillery. The 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief did just that, with some unforgettable moments. Sure, at times it felt overstuffed, which is pretty unavoidable for five and a half hours. Paul McCartney [...]

Anytime a concert features Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Kanye West, the Rolling Stones, Eddie Vedder and The Who, it's a Pop Culture Has AIDS bylaw that we have to watch it together and live blog it. Since one of us ... Continue reading �

Even if Coachella, Bonnaroo, and Lollapalooza were to pool together all their resources, they still couldn't book the lineup assembled for 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief . Last night's showing at Madison Square Garden, which benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy, featured members of the UK's four most celebrated bands - ahem, The Rolling Stones , The Who , Sir Paul McCartney of The Beatles, and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd - along with the King of New Jersey , the world's most-famous Piano Man , a dynamite guest performance by [...]