NOISE

This week at Mandalay Bay, the Foo Fighters, Godsmack, Paul Rodgers and the All-American Rejects will help pay tribute to Queen, Kiss, Judas Priest and Def Leppard in an event that will be televised May 31 on VH1. Here's our simpler stab at homage.

Spencer Patterson

1. Judas Priest: "Hell Bent For Leather"

2. Def Leppard: "High 'N' Dry (Saturday Night)"

3. Queen: "Under Pressure"

4. Kiss: "Detroit Rock City"

5. Def Leppard: "Comin' Under Fire"

6. Judas Priest: "The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)"

7. Kiss: "Black Diamond"

8. Queen: "Somebody to Love"

MC LARS


The Graduate (2 stars)

The subjects of laptop MC Andrew Nielsen's geeky rants—the record industry, crunk rap, Hot Topic ("Tupac incense burners are not punk rock")—are more obvious than amusing, even when the Stanford grad finds a way to drop Chaucer, Steve Wozniak and Mao Zedong into the conversation.

Joe Bonamassa


You & Me (2.5 stars)

Competent but rather boring blues-rock from the poor man's Kenny Wayne Shepherd. He covers everyone from Charley Patton to Led Zeppelin and solos like crazy, but has little to add to the genre.

None More Black


This is Satire (2.5 stars)

Don't let the title fool you: This isn't satire at all. It's earnest, angsty punk rock with a bit of indie-rock diversity thrown in. Satire might have been better, though—most of the time the sound is droning and whiny, although the more straightforward punk tracks occasionally pack a punch.