The eclectic Orange County band No Doubt was formed in 1986 by Eric Stefani and John Spence who soon recruited Eric’s younger sister Gwen as co-vocalist. With the addition of Tony Kanal on Bass, they launched a 20 year career that would fuse ska, grunge, alt. rock and shades of several other musical genres into a unique mix. The 1987 suicide of John Spence resulted in the battlefield promotion of Gwen to lead vocalist, a shift that would prove a launch pad for her future solo career and media celebrity status. Through it all No Doubt went from strength to strength and in 1995, following the departure of Eric Stefani, finally found mainstream success when their third album, Tragic Kingdom, enjoyed over 15 million sales worldwide. Since then this ska-loving band from Southern California has flourished. Despite a frequently changing line-up and the potential distraction of Sven’s parallel solo career, No Doubt have stayed true to their mission to be musical and visual innovators.

With contributions from former and current band members, collaborators, friends and critics, Simple Kind Of Life is the first major biography of No Doubt. The eclectic Orange County band was formed in 1986 by Eric Stefani and John Spence who soon recruited Eric's younger sister Gwen as co-vocalist. With the addition of Tony Kanal on bass, No Doubt launched a 20-year career that would fuse ska, grunge, alt.rock and shades of several other musical genres into a unique mix. The 1987 suicide of John Spence resulted in the battlefield promotion of Gwen Stefani to lead vocalist, a shift that would prove a launch pad for her future solo career and media celebrity status. Through it all No Doubt went from strength to strength and in 1995, following the departure of Eric Stefani, finally found mainstream success when their third album, Tragic Kingdom, enjoyed over 15 million sales worldwide. Since then this ska-loving band from Southern California has flourished. Despite a frequently shifting line-up and the potential distraction of Gwen Stefani's parallel solo career, No Doubt have stayed true to their original mission to be musical and visual innovators. This is their fascinating story. Book jacket.

In the late ’90s, third-wave ska broke across the American alternative music scene like a tsunami. In sweaty clubs across the nation, kids danced themselves dehydrated to the peppy rhythms and punchy horns of bands like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Reel Big Fish. As ska caught fire, a swing revival brought even more sharp-dressed, brass-packing bands to national attention. Hell of a Hat dives deep into this unique musical moment. Prior to invading the Billboard charts and MTV, ska thrived from Orange County, California, to NYC, where Moon Ska Records had eager rude girls and boys snapping up every release. On the swing tip, retro pioneers like Royal Crown Revue had fans doing the jump, jive, and wail long before The Brian Setzer Orchestra resurrected the Louis Prima joint. Drawing on interviews with heavyweights like the Bosstones, Sublime, Less Than Jake, and Cherry Poppin' Daddies—as well as underground heroes like Mustard Plug, The Slackers, Hepcat, and The New Morty Show—Kenneth Partridge argues that the relative economic prosperity and general optimism of the late ’90s created the perfect environment for fast, danceable music that—with some notable exceptions—tended to avoid political commentary. An homage to a time when plaids and skankin’ were king and doing the jitterbug in your best suit was so money, Hell of a Hat is an inside look at ’90s ska, swing, and the loud noises of an era when America was dreaming and didn’t even know it.

SPECIAL BONUS SECTION: On the Cusp includes the first three and a half chapters of the author's new astro-mystery novel, Wall Ride!In this book based on a series of blogs that was written just as Pluto was preparing to enter Capricorn, Philip Brown brings to life our world on the cusp of a momentous transformation. Explore how the lens of astrology can be used to look at science, books, movies, and the world around us. How does astrology relate to modern neuroscience, robotics, and mobile technology? How can astrology help us make sense of a discordant world? Using illustrations from his own life, as well as news and people in the world around us, the author applies both Western and Vedic astrology to take the reader on a trip across the rapidly transforming cultural landscape. The author explores timeless reflections on topical events through astrology, capturing the astrological zeitgeist while still maintaining a focus on the bigger picture. On the Cusp also includes exclusive new forecasts for trends to expect with Uranus in Aries and Neptune in Pisces.As a special added bonus, On The Cusp contains the first twenty pages of the author's new astro-mystery, Wall Ride. One of the main characters is a Tarot card reader and the story includes astrological symbolism as a clue in a baffling death. The narrator of Wall Ride is a fourteen year-old girl skateboarder who stands on the cusp of a life-altering discovery and personal transformation. The book should be available in Spring, 2011.

In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends.

Your nights of poring over massive karaoke binders are over! With more than two thousand songs handpicked and organized by music industry insider and DJ Sarah Lewitinn (a.k.a. Ultragrrrl), Pocket Karaoke is the definitive, portable guide to making your next karaoke performance unforgettable -- in all the right ways. This must-have reference book includes: • SONG LISTS BY ARTIST: Featuring all of the best artists, along with levels of difficulty, drink minimums, performance tips, and similar artists. • SONG LISTS BY GENRE: From oldies to new wave, disco to emo, funk to hip-hop, all the crowd-pleasing favorites are listed here. • SONG LISTS BY CELEBRITIES: More than thirty musicians, DJs, and journalists list their top five favorite songs to perform at karaoke and why. • SONG LISTS BY OCCASION: With duets, seductive little ditties, roof-raising party-starters, and more. • Plus KARAOKE GEAR -- where to buy online, all-in-one systems, and computer programs to take your obsession to the next level!

The Essential Reference Guide to America’s Most Popular Songs and Artists Spanning More than Fifty Years of Music Beginning with Bill Haley & His Comets’ seminal “Rock Around the Clock” all the way up to Lady Gaga and her glammed-out “Poker face,” this updated and unparalleled resource contains the most complete chart information on every artist and song to hit Billboard’s Top 40 pop singles chart all the way back to 1955. Inside, you’ll find all of the biggest-selling, most-played hits for the past six decades. Each alphabetized artist entry includes biographical info, the date their single reached the Top 40, the song’s highest position, and the number of weeks on the charts, as well as the original record label and catalog number. Other sections—such as “Record Holders,” “Top Artists by Decade,” and “#1 Singles 1955-2009”—make The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits the handiest and most indispensable music reference for record collectors, trivia enthusiasts, industry professionals and pop music fans alike. Did you know? • Beyoncé’s 2003 hit “Crazy in Love” spent 24 weeks in the Top 40 and eight of them in the #1 spot. • Billy Idol has had a total of nine Top 40 hits over his career, the last being “Cradle of Love” in 1990. • Of Madonna’s twelve #1 hits, her 1994 single “Take a Bow” held the spot the longest, for seven weeks—one week longer than her 1984 smash “Like a Virgin.” • Marvin Gaye’s song “Sexual Healing” spent 15 weeks at #3 in 1982, while the same song was #1 on the R&B chart for 10 weeks. • Male vocal group Boyz II Men had three of the biggest chart hits of all time during the 1990s. • The Grateful Dead finally enjoyed a Top 10 single in 1987 after 20 years of touring. • Janet Jackson has scored an impressive 39 Top 40 hits—one more than her megastar brother Michael!