Topic: Neil Young

Levon Helm of The Band was roots rock pioneer, quintessential American musician

Helm and his band mates - Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Robbie Robertson and Richard Manuel - were musical virtuosos who returned to the roots of American music in the late 1960s.

Davy Jones remembered as 'The Monkees' teenage heartthrob

Davy Jones, the lead singer on the 1960s television band 'The Monkees,' passed away on Wednesday at his home in Florida.

Gift ideas: 'Harry Potter,' Adele, 'Law & Order,' and 'Super Mario 3D'

Your gift list can get long with nieces and nephews, grandparents and friends all needing a present this holiday season. Try a few of these items that are sure to please like 'Winnie the Pooh,' 'Ken Burns: Prohibition,' and the video game 'Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.'

Occupy Wall Street: Is it becoming your father’s – even grandfather’s – movement?

Many of the 'Occupy Wall Street' protesters are now much older than college age. Is this a sign of cross-generational appeal, or is the movement being taken over by aging ’60s radicals?

Toronto International Film Festival: the buzz this year

George Clooney film captures attention, along with a new Neil Young documentary.

Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond head latest class into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Alice Cooper and several other notable musicians were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Monday night. After accepting his latest honor, Alice Cooper performed for the New York audience.

Top Picks: 'Nuit Blanche,' a new album from Iron and Wine, dinner party guides, and more

A Montreal arts festival, the Iron and Wine album 'Kiss Each Other Clean,' a how-to website for dinner parties, and more recommendations.

Top picks: Randy Bachman on the radio, 'Breadcrumb Trail' app, Kings of Leon's 'Come Around Sundown,' and more

Guitarist 'Randy Bachman's Vinyl Tap' on the radio, iPhone app 'Breadcrumb Trail,' new album from Kings of Leon 'Come Around Sundown,' and more recommendations.

Top Picks: 'Beauty and the Beast,' Farm Aid, 'Ondine,' and more recommendations

Newly restored 'Beauty and the Beast' on the big screen, Farm Aid music festival at 25, 'Ondine' fairy tale out on DVD, and more top picks.

Top Picks: 'Red Horse' CD, style beyond fashion at 'The Sartorialist,' behind bottled-water doc, and more recommendations

'Red Horse' CD from three of folk music's warmest voices, 'The Sartorialist' – a blog for the fashion cognoscenti, an eye-opening documentary on the bottled-water industry, and more.

Top Picks: Dave Rawlings, Simon & Garfunkel, 'Crazy Heart,' and more recommendations

Dave Rawlings latest CD 'A Friend of a Friend,' Simon & Garfunkel's spring tour reunion, 'Crazy Heart' on DVD, and more top picks.

John Mellencamp: Replacement for Evan Bayh in Senate?

Grassroots efforts are under way to draft rock musician John Mellencamp as a replacement for retiring Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana.

Move over Kanye West, Taylor Swift and the Millennial generation are taking over music

The 2010 Grammys will probably show that Taylor Swift and her generation are making over American music as triumphantly as they did politics with the election of President Obama.

‘Pants on the ground’ goes viral: Top five Larry Platt covers

American Idol contestant ‘General’ Larry Platt’s song mocking contemporary street fashion has inspired many YouTubed versions, from rap to easy listening.

Grammy nominations show was a ladies' night

Beyoncé and Taylor Swift scoop up 18 nominations between them, but Whitney Houston is a surprising absence.

Why the left misjudges GOP sex scandals

As in Sanford's case, what matters to the Christian right is not so much the behavior of their leaders as the repentance they show after their fall from grace.

Six Picks: Recommendations from the Monitor staff

Audubon's new butterfly guide, a PBS documentary on rock icon Neil Young, Allen Toussaint's first solo album in 10 years, and more.

American Buffalo

An in-depth look at the animal that was our national symbol.

Name that bat for the holidays

George W. Bush and pop culture's perception

More than all his predecessors, Bush may see his legacy shaped by the barrage of new media.

Trend spotter: Amateur songwriters for Obama

The Illinois senator is inspiring unknown musicians to compose their own odes to the presidential candidate.