Fall Out Boy vocalist Patrick Stump: “The CSS record is fucking awesome! Seven hot Brazilian chicks singing hilarious dance music.”

• No Doubt drummer Adrian Young: “I’m really liking Muse. Talk about a three-piece that’s making a lot of noise. Those guys are phenomenal, and the songs are really great.”
• TV On the Radio singer/guitarist Kyp Malone: “Miles Robinson and the Black Boys. It’s not on a label and it’s not out yet. His influences are coming from Crazy Horse or Springsteen or Dylan. He’s got one of the more refreshing voices that I’ve heard in a long time, and some of the best writing.”
• Cobra Starship: “We listen to Ratatat before we go on stage,” singer Gabe Saporta tells us. “When you play Ratatat, no one says ‘oh, play something else,’” gutarist Ryland Blackington explained. “It brings all of us together; it’s really good preparation music, really good before you play or before you go out to meet a nice … someone.”
• The Academy Is guitarist Mike Carden: “I have been listening to the new Wilco record, and I have been watching ‘Snakes on a Plane’ every day because that song is still my favorite song.”

The weekend is looking up: Queens of the Stone Age are streaming their whole entire album, Era Vulgaris, days before it officially drops on Tuesday. Try it, you’ll like it; if you don’t believe us, check out Rob Sheffield’s review from the last issue.

Photo: Getty

Nine months ago, we let loose a cry: Rage Against the Machine, where are you when your country needs you? Much to our delight, the band answered our call: first they performed at Coachella, and now they appear to be announcing a full tour this summer.

But why stop there? If Dennis Kucinich and that dude from “Law and Orde”r can run for president, why not Zack de la Rocha? To get the ball rolling, we’ve started rounding up Zack’s positions on a variety of issues. To provide some context, we’ve laid out his statement below, and compared them to those of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards. Zack, you can take this guy out — we just know it.

Consider this the kickoff of the de la Rocha ‘08 campaign:

ON DEMOCRACY
Edwards: “Our job is to make the idea of America real for all Americans, and to rekindle that idea around the world.”
Zack: “Brothers and sisters, your democracy has been hijacked!”
(more…)

While writing the follow-up to 2005’s Grammy-nominated Be, Chicago rapper Common drew inspiration from an unlikely place: Hollywood. “Acting opened up a new creative place for me,” says the rapper, who made his film debut earlier this year in the crime thriller Smokin’ Aces. “I felt a little more free — I was thinking more about the characters in my songs and not putting as much pressure on the raps.” (more…)

It’s Friday! Why spend time outside when you could lock yourself indoors, gaze at your computer screen and ponder the question for this weekend’s rock list: What are the greatest songwriting partnerships ever? Here’s our first five. Who would you add?

• Jagger/Richards
• Lennon/McCartney
• Strummer/Jones
• Marr/Morrissey
• Bono/Edge