Count Five: Beck's Favorite Things

Given Beck's latest album, a pairing with Danger Mouse entitled 'Modern Guilt,' we thought now would be a good time to ask Beck to list his five favorite guilty pleasures. But he gave us a list of his five favorite non-guilty pleasures instead. "I think there was a misunderstanding," he insists. "I thought they asked me to pick my five favorite things." And so, he did.

1. 'Lost Boys of Sudan,' a documentary by Megan Mylan and Jon Shenk:
This is a documentary that I saw about four or five years ago. It played on television and it was just something that struck me. I'm not sure why. There's something compelling about [it]. Obviously there's this heartbreaking story of these kids who are caught in the middle of a political upheaval, grew up in these refugee camps and were sponsored to go to America and be integrated to the American educational system. The thing that I was struck by is the way these boys, who had grown up together, really took care of each other. It's interesting to see them coming into an American culture, which is just completely alien to them. We grew up in it so we're used to it, but at the root of who we are as human beings -- it's probably pretty alien to us. It kind of shows you that we're all strangers in this whole modern landscape.

Count Five: Beck's Favorite Things -- Part Two

3. 'Mingering Mike,' a book by Dori Hadar: Some guy discovered some records at a swap meet. He stumbled unto these records that looked like lost jewels, and when he looked inside the record wasn't a record -- it was a piece of cardboard. He was really disappointed because he thought the music on them would've been incredible. It looked like the artwork was all handmade.

As he unraveled the mystery, it turned out that in the early '70s I believe, this individual, Mingering Mike, had created this alternate universe where he was a huge music star. He created this whole universe that was his own in which he had 50 hit albums. He made all the albums -- all the album covers, all the song titles, all the information. There just wasn't any music.

So this book collects all the various records that he made and it did remind me of artists that work in "outsider art." I was always drawn to people like Henry Darger and Daniel Johnston -- these people who just created their own creative world where they didn't really need to be part of any infrastructure or anything; they're just completely out on their own. They can create anything they want for their own amusement, and there's something valid in that. There used to be more of that in American life.

4. 'Juliet of the Spirits,' a film by Federico Fellini: That's the first Fellini film I saw. I was actually taken to see that in the movie theater when I was about 12, and it was like nothing I had ever seen. I didn't quite understand it but I loved the imagery and the atmosphere of the film. I was extremely aware of it being of a different time and place and mentality of what I'd grown up in. It was a mixture of color and something somewhat celebratory, but also a bit of dread. That movie was a little spooky, too. And then later I got to see 'La Strada,' 'La Dolce Vita' and a lot of his other important films, but that movie has always stayed with me.

5. 'Shuffering and Shmiling' by Fela Kuti: I really could've picked any record from that period, from the early '70s to the mid-'70s. What is really interesting is that his records tended to be two songs. Each side of the record would be a 20- or 25-minute song. There's something powerful about that, where a song can go for that long. It gains a momentum and a life that you really don't get in a three-minute pop song. It really plays with your perspective of time.

It's interesting that lot of younger bands now are taking influence from the African musicians. When I was about 19, I got to go see Thomas Mapfumo perform. He performed outdoors at a festival for maybe three or four hours -- it seemed like that -- and the song just went on and on and on. There was something that was just so open and hypnotic about that music. I know as a performer it's hard to get an audience to "let go." When that happens, it kinda makes you realize why you do what you do. But that's what that music is intended to be. It's music that hopefully can unmoor you from your own life and perspective, and just kind of drag you in with its current. I wish I could've seen one of [Fela's] shows.

Count Five: TV on the Radio's Top Pop Songs

TV on the Radio are best known for their seamless fusion of doo-wop, post-punk, jazz and beyond. With their psychedelic videos and collaborations with Antibalas, Celebration and David Bowie, it's not all that apparent that the Brooklyn-based experimental art-rock quintet would have a soft spot for the good ol' pop music. Drummer Jaleel Bunton and vocalist Kyp Malone break down their current favorites for Spinner.

1. Usher, 'Caught Up': If this song doesn't make you want to dance, then you should probably just continue pulling the wings off butterflies with your pal Darth Vader. --Jaleel Bunton

2 . Amy Winehouse, 'He Can Only Hold Her': This my favorite Amy Winehouse song. Somehow it's just perfect. You can dance to it, you can cry to it, and you can sing along to it. --JB

Count Five: Amy Lee's Top 5 Horror Movies

Evanescence's Amy Lee loves her some Halloween, which, if you ask us, is pretty convenient given she has a voice that could wake the dead. To that end, Lee, who just lent her pipes to a version of 'Sally's Song' on the 'Nightmare Revisted' soundtrack, and who is currently in the throes of writing new songs of her own, sat down with Spinner to reveal her Top Five favorite horror films just in time for the holiday.

1. '
Nightmare Before Christmas': I have to watch this movie at Halloween, and the fact that I get to be a part of it [on the 'Nightmare Revisited' soundtrack], as an uber-fan, is great. I watch this movie with my family every year. When this movie came out it, inspired me creatively. I was a big art nerd.

2. 'Halloween': You have to watch this movie, and the original is the one to watch. I've been watching this movie for so long and I have so many memories of being scared. Also, with the older movies, you feel like you're in a different time. I liked the new one a lot, too. My husband is a giant Mike Myers fan and even he liked it.

Denis Leary's Top 5 Musical Assaults

Denis Leary takes music so seriously that he once quipped, "You see that scar on my wrist? I heard the Bee Gees were getting back together." The 51-year-old actor and comedian, a four-time Emmy nominee who once proudly sang, "I'm an a--hole," is a devout Rolling Stones and Greg Dulli fan. And when he doesn't like something, everyone knows it. His hilarious new book, 'Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Lazy, Loud and Stupid,' features some vintage Leary attacks on musicians of all genres. In the spirit of his printed screed, he unleashes his sharp tongue on the following performers.

1. Madonna: "I looked at [comedy] like music, like there's the middle-of-the-road s--- like Madonna, and then there's, like, the Clash. I always liked the Clash, and I f---ing would never listen to an entire Madonna song unless I was taken hostage and drugged."

2. Britney Spears: "Britney Spears melts down for over 15 months on international TV. Then her other daughter -- who is 16 -- announces she is pregnant. And what does her mom do? Write a book about being a great parent!

Count 5: Josh Rouse's Favorite Tapas

Nebraskan Josh Rouse credits his newfound breezy, feel-good sound to his relocation to Spain. But that's not all the countryside has inspired. Rouse developed a passion for the country's cuisine, especially tapas. The seasoned singer-songwriter, who releases a greatest-hits collection this week, titled 'The Best of the Rykodisc Years,' unveiled to Spinner his Top 5 favorite tapas dishes.

1. Sepia a la Plancha: Sepia is a type of calamari cooked with olive oil, garlic, parsley with a squeeze of lemon on top.

2. Croquetas: Bechamel mixed with either jamon, chicken or cod. They look like chicken nuggets but they taste better.

Count Five: Scars on Broadway's Favorite L.A. Landmarks

Daron Malakin and John Dolmayan have turned a new leaf, morphing into a new powerhouse rock group -- Scars on Broadway. The duo, joined by Franky Perez, Danny Shamoun and Dominic Cifarelli, have recently released their their self-titled debut. Hailing from the City of Angels, Malakin and Dolmayan have seen the best and the worst of Los Angeles, which qualifies them to count down their top five favorite L.A. landmarks.

1. Whisky A Go Go: This is the first venue both System of a Down and Scars on Broadway played their first show at, among so many other legendary bands.

2. The Rainbow: Many legendary artists have dined at this famous eatery next to The Roxy on Sunset.

Count Five: James Lavelle of UNKLE's Favorite Sci-Fi Films

These days, UNKLE's James Lavelle has been making a name for himself by creating cinematic music. Most recently, he, along with Pablo Clement, has scored music for the forthcoming 'X-Files' film, landing the closing theme in addition to a remix of the series' theme song. Lavelle, as befitting UNKLE's science-fiction- and fantasy-derived imagery, is a sci-fi buff, which qualifies him to count down his top five favorite films in the genre.

1. 'Blade Runner,' Final Cut: Ridley Scott's masterpiece -- the greatest visual view of the future, Harrison Ford's greatest role finally completed to perfection.

2. 'THX1138,' Director's Cut: George Lucas' first film, set around control and paranoia. Its Lucas' most individual work, with so much resonating in today's society. A massive influence.

Count Five: The Hold Steady's Favorite Baseball Movies

Today is the only day of the year that America has no professional sports to tune in to. Even though this year's MLB All-Star Game gave us six and a half extra innings, rock 'n' roll's resident baseball experts the Hold Steady have put together their top five list of baseball movies, which you can rent to cure your mid-season withdrawal. Craig Finn and Tad Kubler, New York's biggest Twins fans, rattle them off.


1. 'Bull Durham': Susan Sarandon, Kevin Costner when he was still watchable.

2. 'Field of Dreams': "If you build it, they will come" -- phenomenal movie.

Count Five: John Reis' Favorite Tiki Bars

John Reis is a staple of the San Diego music scene from his days with Rocket From the Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes and the Nightmarchers, his latest adventure in sound. Reis also runs Swami Records, the spawning ground for several of his other projects, including his former stripped-down combo the Sultans. Beside his obsession with music, Reis also likes to seek out tiki bars while he is on the road. He put together a list of his top Polynesian libation outposts that you will need to make note of on your next trip.

1. La Mariana Sailing Club, Honolulu: The real deal, pieced together over decades. It exudes soul in ways that contemporary bars (tiki or otherwise) can't compete nor can compare.

2. Tiki Ti, Los Angeles: A tropical refuge amidst urban turmoil and the gloom of sooty skies. Potent libations and a magnificently welcoming atmosphere.