The rock star film cameo is a time-honored tradition dating back to, well, the birth of rock 'n' roll, but sometimes those guest spots get so much hype they're not really "cameos" at all. (Remember Alanis Morissette as God in Kevin Smith's 'Dogma,' or Keith Richards as Johnny Depp's dad in the last 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie?) ...

Christina Aguilera's new movie, 'Burlesque,' continues a long tradition, from 'Jailhouse Rock' to 'Purple Rain' to 'The Bodyguard,' of singers starring in films for which they also dominate the soundtrack. Which got us thinking about singers who have defined the sound and spirit of an entire film without ever appearing onscreen. Here ...

Jason Persse for AOL No Joy, Soldiers of Fortune, Robert Lester Folsom, Tamaryn Thursday, Oct. 21 at the Knitting Factory The young ladies of No Joy kicked off the Mexican Summer Records CMJ showcase with a massive wall of fuzzed-out reverb that brought stragglers running in from the bar, and that was just the beginning of the night's guitar ...

Jason Persse for AOL Screaming Females, DOM, Yo La Tengo Tuesday, Oct. 19 at Brooklyn Bowl After a scorching set by Screaming Females and some shambolic rock from Massachusetts' DOM, Yo La Tengo treated the CMJ crowd at Mog's showcase to classics new and old, along with some fun covers, including a rendition of Devo's 'Beautiful World.' At one ...

Jason Persse for Spinner The third and final day of All Tomorrow's Parties NY, curated by filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, gave new meaning to the term grand finale. Fog machines (and other smoke-producing items) were working overtime during heavy psych-rock sets by Wooden Shjips, Dungen, and the Black Angels, while Vivian Girls and Girls kept their ...

Jason Persse for Spinner The menace and tight black t-shirts of Day One were replaced by good vibes and frayed cardigans as Day Two of All Tomorrow's Parties rolled on. Krautrock legend Michael Rother teamed with Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley and Tall Firs' Aaron Mullen for Hallogallo 2010, playing classic songs from Rother's Neu! and Harmonia ...

Jason Persse for Spinner All Tomorrow's Parties New York returned to Kutsher's Resort in the Catskill Mountains this weekend, beginning with "Don't Look Back," a full day of bands tackling their classic albums from start to finish. Australian swamp-garage godfathers the Scientists made their first-ever U.S. appearance to showcase their seminal ...