Contributor: Adam R. Holz

This Boston pop-punk band’s latest hit is its highest charting one, thanks in no small measure to a guest performance by a certain blond-haired, blue-eyed country star who knows a little bit about hit singles herself. (Initials: T.S.)

The second big-screen installment in the Twilight series features a soundtrack full of established indie acts and obscure musicians with one thing in common: the ability to write haunting, desperate, brooding tunes about love deferred.

Back in August, we reported in “Culture Clips” that Mariah Carey’s new album would feature a 34-page advertorial insert co-sponsored by Elle magazine. Well, we’ve now reviewed Mariah’s latest (check it out here) and had a chance to look at the enhanced …

Michael Jackson’s first single since his passing is a mostly sweet ballad (with a tinge of sexuality). But the song itself has quickly been overshadowed by a surprising controversy about its origins.

So I just got done listening to the new Pearl Jam album, Backspacer. I confess, as a child of the ’80s, I was never much of a PJ fan. Grunge put an end to the musical era that I grew up in, and it’s only now, a long time after the fact, that I can give …

This pop-punk band’s third effort nearly topped the charts. Why? Credit Rock Band, Guitar Hero and Twilight. But also credit rockin’ emo tunes that never really get nasty.

Mariah Carey may be waxing eloquent about the joys of married life in the interviews she gives. But broken romances are still the rule in the diva’s latest set of suggestive R&B songs.

Queen of the coy innuendo Britney Spears does away with coy innuendo completely on her latest hit, a shameless, unapologetic invitation to participate in a certain kind of sexual encounter—defined by the song’s title.

Documentary filmmaker Dan Merchant sets out to discover why some people say they like Christ but have a much lower view of Christians. Is he opening a can of worms? Or drumming up good works?

The godfathers of grunge shed (most of) their infamous angst in exchange for a positive outlook on life on this brief, stripped-down rock effort.

It’s the arena-shaking influences of Queen, U2 and Radiohead that stick with you after hearing this British prog-rock trio’s fifth album full of cosmic, existential tunes.

Jay-Z’s 11th release is also his 11th consecutive chart-topper.

Mike Judge’s 1999 film ‘Office Space’ became a sleeper hit for its off-kilter jabs at white collar tedium. ‘Extract’ moves the action to a factory.

Three months atop the rock chart says that this latest hit from popular Canadian post-grunge band Three Days Grace has more than a little staying power—while it preaches changing things up a bit.

Whitney’s sixth studio effort debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s album chart.