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+ Kanye West's forthcoming G.O.O.D. compilation's roster is growing. Pusha T, Frank Ocean and Jay Electronica are the latest additions to join Yeezy, Big Sean and Mannie Fresh in the studio. It's due out in the spring. (Billboard)

+ We already knew Beyoncé was a pretty fly momma, and now scientists have named one insect species after her. The bootylicious fly, Scaptia (Plinthina) Beyonceae, has a gold-toned bottom. 'Nuff said. (E!)

+ Jay-Z, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Vampire Weekend, Janelle Monáe and Adam Levine are apparently among Barack Obama's campaign wish list of celebrity endorsers. #rockthevote (MTV News)

+ Watch St. Vincent's performance from "Conan." She gave a nod to Elvis Costello's "Radio Radio," prior to launching into her own "Cheerleader." (Pitchfork)

+ Peep Adam Lambert on "Tonight Show With Jay Leno," where he premiered "Better Than I Know Myself" from his forthcoming album, Trespassing. (Neon Limelight)

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Tags Adam Lambert, Adam Levine, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Big Sean, Buzz Bites, Elvis Costello, Frank Ocean, Janelle Monae, Jay Electronica, Jay-Z, John Legend, Jon Brion, Kanye West, Mannie Fresh, Pusha T, St. Vincent, Vampire Weekend

When I was younger, I totally thought I was famous. Actually, I thought my name was famous. See, my dad was a classic-rock fanatic and insisted on turning up the oldies station whenever we were in the car together. From an early age, I learned to appreciate Motown, soul and, of course, The Beatles. While my friends were freaking out over Milli Vanilli, I was rocking out to Big Bopper.

I was especially taken with the song "Groovin'" by The Young Rascals. In addition to having an impressive harmonica solo, I was also stoked because it sounded like frontman Felix Cavaliere was singing about me... Leslie! There's this part in the blissful ditty where he swoons, "Life could be ecstasy/You and me and Leslie." Sure, I was a little confused why Cavaliere would invite a third party on a date with him and his girlfriend, but who was I to judge? I found out years later that he wasn't really singing my name's praises: The lyric actually goes, "Life could be ecstasy/You and me endlessly." What a bummer.

Attention, songwriters: I'm still waiting to be the inspiration for a hit so feel free to throw my name into the musical mix and see what comes out. In case you need help, my name easily rhymes with "folie," "tensely" and "Nestle."

What are some songs that do feature real names in the title? I'm glad you asked. Let's pretend we're members of the American Name Society and check out songs from Amy Winehouse, Kaiser Chiefs, The Shins and Elvis Costello.

Finally, learn more about me and all my musings by visiting my website and following me on Twitter (@redpatterndress).

1.) Amy Winehouse's "Valerie": What better way to celebrate Amy's life than to shine the spotlight on all the amazing music she left behind, and "Valerie" is such a great example of her music's timelessness. While the song was originally recorded by The Zutons, it wasn't until Mark Ronson produced the cover with Amy that the tune really took off. The original is a great track, don't get me wrong, but Amy's soulful voice definitely upgrades the song from rockin' toe-tapper to timeless classic.

Listen to "Valerie"

2.) Kaiser Chief's "Ruby": Unlike U.K. peers Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs never translated well with American audiences. The band had a small-ish hit with "I Predict A Riot," off their 2005 debut album Employment, but that was about it. I really thought things were going to take off for them after hearing "Ruby," which has all the makings of a fantastic power-pop anthem: galloping guitars, lyrics about unrequited love and plenty of "da da da's." Unfortunately, chart-topping success was not meant to be. However, that doesn't stop me from playing this song on a weekly basis.

Listen to "Ruby"

3.) The Shins' "Saint Simon": I'd be lying if I didn't admit that this song initially spoke to me because it boasted my surname, but it still remains one of my all-time favorite tracks because I'm endlessly smitten by its dreaminess and fragility. Frontman James Mercer's voice is delicate enough, but combine that with the dulcet sound of violins and xylophone and you've got a song that should be posted with a label that says, "Handle With Care." Sometimes it's the lightest songs that carry the most weight.

Listen to "Saint Simon"

4.) Elvis Costello's "Alison": Though he's always been mum about the song's muse and surrounding details, Elvis must've been pret-ty gutted to write such an apologetic ode. How else do you explain the heartbreaking lyrics: "I'm not going to get too sentimental/Like those other sticky valentines/'Cause I don't know if you've been loving somebody/I only know it isn't mine." His aim might be true, but his words are distressing. I wonder if we'll ever know the real story behind one of the Greatest Songs Of All Time? Would the real Alison please stand up?

Listen to "Alison"

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Tags Amy Winehouse, Bloc Party, Elvis Costello, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Mark Ronson, Soundtrack Of My Life, The Shins, The Zutons

Credit: FilmMagic

After The Strokes took a few years off to focus on solo projects, they're back together now and fans (including us) couldn't be happier about it. And if the video for their latest single, "Taken For A Fool," teaches us anything (aside from what life would look like if you were on a 24/7 acid trip), it's that these boys are simply meant to play together.

The Laurent Briet-directed video (Radiohead, Aphex Twin) showcases The Strokes playing on what seems to be a rotating stage, with the audience having a consistently shifting view of the performance (kinda like they're on one of those really romantic rotating beds).The clip is deliberately lo-fi,  which perfectly compliments the grainy, we're-playing-this-in-my-parents-garage vibe of "Taken For A Fool." And of course, what kind of Strokes video would be complete without some sporadically popping colorful bubbles thrown in for good measure...or something?

"Taken For A Fool," off of The Strokes' latest album Angles, will be released officially as their second single July 26. And major bonus alert: it will feature a B-side duet version with the legendary Elvis Costello, whom the band has often cited as a major influence. Yeah, we're gonna need to download that ASAP.

+ Watch The Strokes' "Taken For A Fool" video.

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Tags Elvis Costello, The Strokes

(Credit: Paul Morigi/WireImage)

Ted Leo makes pretty serious music; it's politically-charged, socially-conscious, punk-power-pop that calls to mind Thin Lizzy (ask your dad), Elvis Costello (ask your older brother) and The Jam (ask either of them). But that doesn't mean the Jersey boy isn't without a sense of humor.

After slugging it out for years in the punk rock trenches, Ted Leo uses his hilarious new video for his song "Bottled In Cork" (taken from his great Brutalist Bricks album) as a platform to take some shots at one of punk rock's biggest ever successes, Green Day.

"Bottled In Cork" features comedian Paul F. Tompkins (who you might remember as the one-time host for Vh1's "Best Week Ever") as musical theater producer Reginald Van Voorst, who takes Ted and his band, The Pharmacists, and turns them into Broadway stars.

The entire thing culminates in a stage performance that playfully mocks the musical theater adaption of Green Day's punk rock opera American Idiot.

Check out the video below. Brutalist Bricks is out now.

Tags Elvis Costello, Green Day, Ted Leo, The Jam, Thin Lizzy, Videos

Ari Shine has rock and roll written all over him. Really. He's got the Rush song "Free Will" tattooed across his knuckles. So you know this cat is serious.

He's also seriously talented. The Los Angeles singer-songwriter is a multi-instrumentalist, playing all the parts on his two albums, Rocket Summer and A Force Of One.

Shine's sound is a contemporary take on a classic template: literate, tuneful power-pop in the vein of Cheap Trick, Elvis Costello and The Kinks.

MTV Iggy caught up with Shine and chatted with him about (among other things) his early, early days gigging around L.A. as a teenager, negotiating the tension between writing with one eye on success and one eye on aesthetics, and the challenge of re-inventing the three-minute pop song over and over again.

Check out the MTV Iggy video as well as a great performance of Shine's "Here With Me" below.

Tags Ari Shine, Cheap Trick, Elvis Costello, The Buzz On, video

Theophilus London is one of the new breed of rappers whose sound is informed equally by the dance club is it is by the street. The Brooklyn-based MC has made a name for himself on stage (touring with DJ A-Trak, as part of the 10,000 Pound Hamburger Tour) and on the blogs (where he is something of a critical darling) this year with his engaging, club-informed hip-hop, which can be heard on the This Charming Mixtape (the name of which pays tribute to The Smiths, while the mixtape's cover acknowledges Elvis Costello).

On this edition of "The 5," London, whose "Humdrum Sound" was recently released on Green Label Sound, talks about his hobby of collecting hats and pins,  his love of geometric shapes, his affection for '80 Brit titans The Smiths and Joy Division and much more.

Check out Theophilus London's MTV.com interview below. And be sure to check out This Charming Mixtape.

Tags Elvis Costello, Joy Division, The 5, The Smiths, Theophilus London, video

A little while back we got a look at the artwork for Nick Jonas & The Administration's first single, "Who I Am." And last night, at the Grammy Nomination Show, we got a chance to hear Nick Jonas' side project in all their glory.

Nick Jonas seemed super confident and, frankly, looked like he was really enjoying himself (which isn't to say he doesn't love being a Brother). Jonas and his band, The Administration (the band name is a nod to Elvis Costello's old group, The Attractions and Nick's fascination with the presidency), cruised through "Who I Am," an up beat pop-rock number with some funky, chicken-scratch guitar work underneath. With fellow Jonases (Jonasai?) Joe and Kevin watching, Nick worked the crowd with winks and nods.

Nick Jonas & The Administration (a band which features members of Prince's old New Power Generation crew) are due to release their debut album early next year.

What did you think of "Who I Am"? Does it hold a candle to your Jonas Brothers favorites? Let us know in the comments!

Related Content Nick Jonas And The Administration 'Who I Am' Cover Revealed!

Tags Elvis Costello, Joe Jonas, Jonas Brothers, Kevin Jonas, Nick Jonas, Prince, video

No, Pete Wentz doesn't *necessarily* die in Fall Out Boy's highly hush-hush new video "What A Catch Donnie" and no, "What A Catch, Donnie" isn't *necessarily* their last video.

"What A Catch, Donnie" is all Patrick Stump's Elton John-ian vocal acrobatics (and Elvis Costello's guest vox, don't hurt), set against a misty, wistful Hemingway/ Decemberists backdrop of nautical metaphors. It's kind of like the movie Castaway but with 100 percent better art direction and no volleyball or whatever that busted thing was.

The "What A Catch Donnie" video was shot off the waters of Los Angeles by Alan Ferguson. Speaking of cameos, watch for Panic! At The Disco's (SO... hard to remember whether or not to use the "!") Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith.

Tags Andy Hurley, Brendon Urie, Elton John, Elvis Costello, Fall Out Boy, Joe Trohman, Panic At The Disco, Patrick-Stump, Pete Wentz, Spencer Smith, video

While we still lack definite confirmation that the title of the Jonas Brothers' next album will be Lines, Vines And Trying Times, we can tell you (fairly) confidently about where the Jonas Brothers are coming from on their new album.

In a recent Billboard interview, Nick Jonas revealed that the boys drew heavy inspiration from Elvis Costello, The Zutons, Kings Of Leon and the reigning king of all entertainment, Neil Diamond. And while we can't tell you exactly what that sounds like through a Jonas filter, we can tell you a little bit about those bands. Consider it a Lines, Vines, And Trying Times primer for the uninitiated.

ELVIS COSTELLO: An intellectual's rockstar, he exploded into the world with My Aim Is True, a peppy, quirky, ska-infused downer that's widely considered one of the best debuts of all time. That's right. Peppy downer. Think about it. Elvis Costello videos to know: "Radio Radio" and the very Jonasy "Veronica."

THE ZUTONS: Punky British indie rockers who were way too catchy to stay indie long. Their first single, "Pressure Point," was featured in a Levi's commercial and on every nerd's mixtape in 2004. Zutons video to know: "Pressure Point."

KINGS OF LEON: Studs. Strike me dead for saying so, but this Tennessee-bred band of brothers makes the JoBros look like the nerdy nice guys who finish last in all the movies. Their music comes from the South and from the guts. Visceral rock that even Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift can't resist. Kings of Leon video to know:. Kings of Leon video to know: "The Bucket."

NEIL DIAMOND: Need I say more? If you don't know Neil Diamond, you're still just waiting to be born. Here's a classic. Play it loud, my baby.

Tags Elvis Costello, Jonas Brothers, Kings of Leon, Miley Cyrus, Neil Diamond, Nick Jonas, Taylor Swift, The Zutons