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July 16th, 2012 | 7:00 am by Jordan Runtagh

Still Crazy: Paul Simon Closes Hard Rock Calling With Epic Graceland Performance

Paul Simon closes Hard Rock Calling festival

The party’s over, the circus has left town, the finale of the 2012 Hard Rock Calling music festival is over and done, and we’re getting so misty-eyed that we can barely see the keyboard. Luckily the powers that be gave us one hell of a parting gift: Paul Simon performing all of Graceland with the original Ladysmith Black Mambazo backing group! It’s hard to feel too bad with music like that swirling in our ears. Rest assured folks, he’s still crazy after all these years.

But we’re getting way too ahead of ourselves. Today was something of a gentler day for the HRC lineup. If yesterday was a competition to see who could rock out the hardest (and loudest), today was more of an exploration of the many different possibilities within music, from country to gospel to african rhythm to reggae and beyond. It was truly a grab-bag in the finest sense: every set was an unexpected winner, full of songs you never knew you loved. There was something of a late sixties NorCal festival vibe in their air when we arrived. The English summer sun was shining, and we saw young women brandishing tambourines wandering the muddy grounds in lacy shirts with daisy chains in their hair (really). Plus we saw some seriously outstanding mustaches, which were definitely worth the price of admission.

We got there just in time to hear Robert Randolph ripping it up on a pedal steel guitar with his Family Band. Part blues, part funk and all awesome, their break-neck jams gave us as badly needed wakeup jolt. “We only got two hours sleep last night!” Robert yelled from the stage in between numbers. So did we Bob, and right now we barely have enough energy to lift a can of Red Bull to our lips! How does he do it?!

July 12th, 2012 | 5:59 pm by Jordan Runtagh

Legends To Light Up London At The Hard Rock Calling Music Festival: VH1 Will Take You There!

Hard Rock called and we answered! The 7th annual Hard Rock Calling music festival is almost upon us, and VH1′s got your front row ticket and backstage pass. The big event will take place this Friday through Sunday in London’s Hyde Park, and we’ll be there rockin’ out with some of the biggest names in rock ‘n’ roll history! Hard Rock always treats us music fans right, but this year they’ve really spoiled us with some once-in-a-lifetime performances.

Grunge gods Soundgarden will be there playing cuts from their upcoming album, a first in 16 years! Paul Simon is going to celebrate the 25h anniversary of his landmark Graceland album by performing it start to finish, backed by the incredible Ladysmith Black Mambazo group who gave the original recording its timeless sound. Bruce Springsteen will no doubt turn rock ‘n’ roll into an athletic event during his marathon set with the E Street Band, and punk prince Iggy Pop will tear up the stage (and hopefully not himself). Lady Antebellum, Alison Krauss, John Fogerty and Robert Randolph…they’ll all be there to move it and groove it across the pond.

And get this, guys: That’s just the main stage. We’ve got three others to choose from, so get ready for more music than your ears can handle. We’re pleased to report some success stories, as one-time VH1 You Oughta Know artists Dawes and Christina Perri both take the stage. We’ll be sure to catch up with them and see how they like performing along side their idols. There will be tons of surprises along the way, so keep checking back for updates to see what went down in London Town! And also be sure to follow us on twitter (VH1Music) and instagram for up to the minute updates. See ya there!

[Photo: Getty Images]

March 28th, 2012 | 8:15 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Last Lap: Those Of You With Tenacious D Tattoos Can Rest Easy Once Again, Because Jables And Rage Kage Are Back!

TENACIOUS D HAS RISEN AGAIN (JUST LIKE THE FENIX)
The D has been silent since The Pick Of Destiny bombed at the box office back in 2006, but the band just released a brand new video that includes the most kickass training montage since Rocky IV. Oh, and btw, R.I.P. Val Kilmer; your sacrifice will never be forgotten. [TenaciousD.com]

PAUL SIMON CELEBRATING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF GRACELAND WITH DELUXE BOX SET
You’ll have to sell the diamonds on the soles of your shoes to be able to afford the $249.99 price point, but for that scratch, you’ll get 2 DVDs, 2 CDs, an copy of the vinyl LP, a deluxe book featuring unreleased photos, new liner notes, a replica of Paul Simon’s handwritten lyrics pad and a limited edition, numbered Graceland poster autographed by Rhymin’ Simon himself. [PaulSimon.com]

November 30th, 2011 | 9:00 pm by Kat George and Mark Graham (@kat_george)

2012 Grammy Awards Preview: Album Of The Year

Of all the Grammy Awards, the one that artists covet the most is the Album of the Year prize. The nominees for the 54th annual ceremony are being released live tonight at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS, and a number of artists, producers and record label executives are currently feeling a rush of butterflies go through their stomachs. Thanks to the confusing timeline in the Grammys universe, this year’s Album Of The Year nominees will be LPs that were released between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2011. With that in mind, here are some of the frontrunners:

Adele, 21
If there’s one shoo-in for this year’s Album Of The Year prize, it’s 21. Debuting at Number One on both the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200 Chart, 21 took on the number one chart position in a total of 19 countries across the world, which was good enough for a spot in the Guinness Book Of World Records. With two Grammys already under her belt (taking the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 2009 Grammys), Adele is a fan and industry favorite.

November 22nd, 2011 | 3:00 pm by Kat George and Lauren Olson (Deiman) (@kat_george)

The Top Five Artists We’d Like To See Taylor Swift Perform With Tonight At Madison Square Garden

Taylor Swift has been blazing across the country on her Speak Now tour, and in her warm, earnest way, she’s been welcoming city-specific guests to share the stage with her while she pays unique tributes to all the towns she visits. And now, on the final leg of her tour, Taylor is in that town, New York City, and the opportunities for tributes and guests are almost endless. For her first New York show last night at Madison Square Garden, Taylor played “one of the greatest songs ever written,” The Goo Goo Dolls‘ “Iris,” with the band’s frontman Johnny Rzeznik. With one last show set to light up the Garden tonight, we’re speculating who of the New York set will join Taylor on stage. Will it be a Strokes affair? Mother Monster? Or a spectral visitor from the afterlife?

Who did we miss? We want to hear your thoughts!

[Photos: Lauren Deiman/Getty Images]

November 3rd, 2011 | 10:00 am by Kat George (@kat_george)

Tuned In: Jimmy Fallon Bieberfies For “(It’s Not My) Baby”

Yesterday, the Twitterverse exploded when Justin Bieber was hit with a paternity suit by a 20-year-old Californian woman. Never mind the issue of statutory rape, we all started chanting “Maury!” as the Bieb-Father scandal overshadowed the hysteria surrounding KardashianGate. Enter Jimmy Fallon, performing as his alter-ego Justin Bieber, parodying JB’s hit “Baby” with what we predict to be an even bigger hit, “(It’s Not My) Baby” on his show, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Busting some awesomely accurate Bieber dance moves, Fallon makes a surprisingly convincing teen idol, and we guarantee you’ll be starting your day with giggles if you click play above…

September 12th, 2011 | 11:12 am by Nick Minichino

Paul Simon Brings Ground Zero Crowd To Tears With “The Sound Of Silence”

Paul Simon‘s Newark and Queens upbringing doesn’t always seem as intrinsic to his musical identity as it is for other New York City-affiliated musicians, but the songwriter’s background came to the forefront yesterday at the site where the World Trade Center stood, as he played the 1964 Simon & Garfunkel single “The Sound of Silence” for the gathered crowd. His performance was reportedly one of the most powerful moments of the September 11 memorial service, and after watching the footage above, we believe it. Simon has performed in a similar capacity before, most notably his performance of “The Boxer” as part of the tribute that opened the September 29, 2001 episode of Saturday Night Live.

Interestingly, the official program for the tenth anniversary ceremony indicated that Simon would be performing “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” the 1970 single that was originally sung by Art Garfunkel, and which would also have been appropriate. Nevertheless Simon’s decision to sing “The Sound of Silence” instead made the performance all the more moving and memorable.

Musical Moment: Paul Simon Sings ‘The Sound Of Silence’ [NPR]

April 7th, 2011 | 3:00 pm by Nick Minichino

STOMP Perform “Cecilia” on Fallon…but Wait! Here Comes Rhymin’ Simon

Paul Simon surprised viewers of last night’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon when he joined percussive dance troupe STOMP for a striking rendition of his and Art Garfunkel’s 1970 single, “Cecilia.” In retrospect, the collaboration was obvious, as STOMP is perhaps uniquely suited to replicate the peculiar rhythmic charm of the original track. And the performance, to put it plainly, killed.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon has emerged as the unlikely music leader in the late-night talk show game, hiring “the legendary Roots crew,” as Fallon puts it, as the show’s house band, and casting a net wide enough to include 90s DC indie-rock stalwarts Jawbox (reuniting only for the show), yacht-rocker extraordinaire Christopher Cross (with special guest Michael McDonald), teenage-riot horrorcore rappers Odd Future, and incomparable new jack swingers Bell Biv DeVoe, among others. Largely, this is thanks to the show’s music bookers (and their bosses, who give them lots of freedom).