Lostprophets are a Welsh alternative metal/alternative rock band formed in 1997. They have produced several demos (none of which are still produced commercially), three studio albums and ten singles. Their first album, thefakesoundofprogress, was originally recorded in a week for £5000 and intended as a glorified demo, but the band re-recorded and re-released the album on a much wider scale through Columbia Records in the USA, although they remain with Visible Noise in the UK. They released Start Something in 2004, and Liberation Transmission in 2006, both to mixed reviews and commercial success.

The song itself is just the latest international success for the stylish quintet. "Wake-Up Call" has already charted in more than twenty different countries, and, in testament to Maroon 5's widespread appeal, made the Top 10 in countries as dissimilar as Lebanon, Poland, and the Netherlands. It Won't Be Soon Before Long earned Maroon 5 their second straight platinum disc, and topped sales charts in the United States and the United Kingdom. In the week of its release, It Won't Be Soon shattered the sales records on iTunes, and lead single "Makes Me Wonder" hit #1 this June and was, arguably, the song of the summer. The record has been critically-lauded, too: in an All-Music Guide rave, Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it "that rare self-stylized blockbuster album that sounds as big and satisfying as was intended."

Akerlund's clip shoots high, too. Maroon 5 has never been shy about nodding toward classic movies - the video for "She Will Be Loved" was loosely based on The Graduate - and "Wake-Up Call" is a pure caper flick, complete with sun, skin, and hot-blooded murder. Titles, too: Akerlund lets song lyrics take the place of the film credits. But this is Adam Levine's show, and he makes the most of it: in a series of dramatic scenes, he busts in on his lover with another man, kills him, and then enlists the members of Maroon 5 in an attempt to cover up his crime. Of course, there are sexy girls aplenty, running toward the camera in bikinis, tied-up provocatively in the back of a speedboat, and playing poker at a bar. Eventually the plot unravels, and despite a truly spectacular car explosion, Levine's hot temper lands him in the slammer.

Mason Proper is about as gutsy as young rock bands come. Viewed from a certain angle, There Is A Moth In Your Chest, Mason Proper's debut, is just a terrific rock album: well-built songs, great melodies, intriguing lyrics, spirited performances. But listen a little harder, and the band's startling collective imagination becomes evident. This Michigan quintet loves off-kilter sounds and haywire synths, stuttering electronics and frenetic percussion - and when they build a song, they make sure there's space for their wild flights of fancy. No two Mason Proper songs sound the same, but they all bear an aural signature: a kind of musical intelligence, dark humor, playfulness, and a will to amaze listeners.

There Is A Moth In Your Chest is a bracing ride. Songs twist and turn, dissolve and re-form, flit between genres, weave through verses and combust into choruses. Each track seems to contain secrets, and almost all of them contain elements unusual to rock songs. "Blue Lips Eternal Inquiry" is bathed in lush strings, "The World Is Smaller Than You Think" is animated by a rogue shaker, a berserk analog lead runs through the electrifying "Lights Off", and "Mr. Charm" is all sharp angles and ricocheting beats. Lead single "My My (Bad Fruit)" is probably the most traditional rocker on There Is A Moth In Your Chest - but even this radio-ready track is spiked by renegade electronics. Singer and songwriter Jonathan Visger's language is often dense and provocative, and here, it's especially so: the song is crammed with apocalyptic and unsettling images. Yet the energy is explosive and the melody is infectious, and the song has become a favorite of Mason Proper's rapidly-expanding fanbase.

As you'd expect from a band that makes music as propulsive as There Is A Moth In Your Chest, Mason Proper tours constantly. This summer, the quintet will be swinging through the Midwest and Northeast, sharing bills with Ra Ra Riot and Jason Isbell. The clip for "My My (Bad Fruit)" catches Mason Proper in performance, too - but this is no ordinary gig. For starters, the band performs in an open field and under a blue sky. This is an outdoor wedding of sorts, but at first, it's unclear who's getting married, or why the musicians in the band seem more battered and bloodied with each subsequent shot! The bride, by contrast, looks healthy and poised in her gown and bone-white makeup, and her ladies-in-waiting gather about her, conspiratorially. In the hills behind them, a gigantic faceless conductor waves around his baton, generating atmospheric turbulence as he does. He seems to be somehow associated with the bride - because she, too, commands the air, shooting lightning-like squiggles from out of her eyes! The members of Mason Proper struggle with that same energy, attempting to tame it, but largely getting buffeted by it. Finally, Visger's bandmates prop his battered body up and lead him to the middle of the field, where his dangerous betrothed awaits him.

We'll have to wait until July for a full-length. But the songs that have emerged from the Mink camp so far are enough to excite anybody with a taste for legit New York rock and roll. Carlson leads the band through a characteristically Manhattanite repertoire: "Dematerialize", a sardonic, Lou Reed-like blues rocker, the decadent, trash-poppy "Crazy World", and the distorted, gritty "Pressure Pressure". And then there's "Talk To Me". The quartet's lead single sounds to our ears like an irresistible springtime hit: a brash come-on with a singalong chorus and energy to burn. Over Stella Mozgawa's propulsive shuffle beat, guitarists David Lowy and Nick Maybury slash and stutter, and Carlson shakes off his nerves and sings out a solicitation to the gorgeous girl across the room.

"Talk To Me" is just one of several Mink tracks produced by the visionary Sylvia Massy (Red Hot Chili Peppers, System Of A Down). Massy has preserved the group's live intensity, and polished the band just enough; commercial radio stations, teased by the sound, have already raced to add the song. "Pressure Pressure", produced by grammy winner Chris Shaw and remixed by Massy, found a receptive audience at ESPN - the sports network used the track in its promotional spots for the '06 MLB playoffs. This winter, Mink wowed audiences at no fewer than four SXSW showcases, and will hit the road this month for three weeks with Saliva before joining up with none other than the legendary KISS for a string of shows!

Clifford Smith, also known as Mr.Vegas, developed an affinity for music at an early age. But it was the moment he voiced a track on the Playground Riddim for producer Jeremy Harding, despite a serious injury to his jaw, which sealed his fate in the business. Unfazed by the injury and ambitious, Mr. Vegas laid his one-of-a-kind vocals and created "Nike Air" - an instant hit!

Ever since Mr. Vegas catapulted his way to the top in 1997 with "Nike Air" and the follow up smash "Heads High," the thriving artist has never looked back. This singjay clearly has the Midas touch when it comes to producing hit songs. Respectfully, "Heads High" became Mr. Vegas' biggest selling single, receiving heavy rotation on mainstream media outlets including MTV. And the single graced the Billboard charts for quite a few weeks.

Just like the single, the album Heads High of the same name on Greensleeves, made the world stand up and take notice. This exciting debut album took Mr. Vegas and dancehall to another level. With hit songs like "Jacket," "Sweet Pineapple" and "Everywhere I Go," Heads High was a chart topper. To top it off, the singjay earned a coveted British Music of Black Origin (MOBO) award for Best Reggae Artist. This honor symbolized that Mr. Vegas' fan base had expanded way beyond America and the Caribbean.

To prove that the success of his first album was no fluke, Mr.Vegas followed up with a sophomore release on Greensleeves, Damn Right. Laced with a strong R&B and hip-hop flavor, this album contained a myriad of favorites including "Girls Time" and "She's A Ho" and the monster hit "Hot Gal Today" on which he collaborated with Sean Paul. Overall, this album was quite a success for the artist.

Incidentally, the "Hot Gal Today" single was voted one of the all time best collaborations by Vibe Magazine. With his move to the Los Angeles-based independent label Delicious Vinyl Vegas, Mr. Vegas released his third full-length release Pull Up. The title track, which was recorded on Scatta Burrell's hugely popular Coolie Dance riddim, entered the Billboard Charts and again thrusted Vegas to international status.

Later, Mr. Vegas recorded and released the sizzlin' album Constant Spring. The lead single and title track topped all the major charts in Jamaica. The single was backed by a very creative video that captivated the interest of the dancehall community.

In between releasing well-crafted albums, this dancehall sensation has appeared on all of the Reggae industry's major shows each year including Guinness Sting, Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest, Fully Loaded and Reggae Sunsplash. In additional to blasting his way through the Caribbean, Mr. Vegas has also thrilled fans in Europe and the U.S. with highly rated performances. He even caused havoc in Japan with his energetic performance. Mr. Vegas is in world-wide demand.

In August 2007, Mr. Vegas released his latest album Hot It Up, distributed by Delicious Vinyl/Fontana in the USA, Five Man Army in Japan and Cargo throughout selected countries in Europe. The critically acclaimed effort includes the fiery tracks "Tek Wey Yuhself," "Lean Wid It," "Nuh Friend From Dem," "Hot Wuk" and many more.

Mr.Vegas has maintained a steady presence on the music scene with chart toppers such as "Hot Wuk," which dominated all of the major American, Caribbean and European charts. The single even made an entrance on Billboard's Hot R&B/ Hip Hop Singles chart. For Dancehall artist Mr. Vegas, every day provides new opportunities. As entertaining the massive with quality Reggae music is his passion, Mr. Vegas will continue to be a dominant force in the music industry.

"Thief's Theme" is a single from Nas' double album Street's Disciple. It is the last song of the album (13th track of the double album to be precise). The single contains vocals from Nas' song "The World Is Yours" from his first album Illmatic:

"The Thief's theme, play me at night they won't act right Understandable smooth shit that murderers move with."

This was intended to remind listeners that it was Illmatic's 10th Anniversary.

The song featured an interpolation of the famous riff from Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" performed by Incredible Bongo Band. Nas would again use the same sample on the 2006 single "Hip Hop is Dead".

Nas sponsored a contest in the United Kingdom in 2004, encouraging entrants to record a verse using the instrumental version of the song. The winner would perform a verse on the song, which would appear on the UK version of Street's Disciple. Rising Son would win the competition.

If you thought that Sixpence None The Richer's "Kiss Me" was condemned to lite-radio purgatory, guess again: it turns out that it was always a punk song waiting for NFG to unlock its potential. They've paired it with a video that feels like a pure celebration - beautiful young people constructing a stage and an outdoor fortress out of old mattresses. New Found Glory plays in the makeshift structure, and sings these lyrics about bearded barley and sparkling silver moons with shocking conviction. Meanwhile, the kids are having their fun, especially one cad who takes to tallying up the girls he smooches in black magic marker on his arm (he gets his comeuppance, of course). Watch for a cameo by Paramore as well; when a party is this good, everybody wants to attend.