It’s another day, and yet another Now That’s What I Call Music! compilation album is available for consumption. Not to make anyone feel old or anything, but we’re at volume #41! (In the UK, where the series began in 1983, they’re at #80). Artists featured this time around include LMFAO, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and, for those who prefer to rock, Nickelback.

If the past is any indicator of the future, this album is bound to be a hit. In a recent press release, the Now! team states that “every album in the numeric US series has reached Billboard’s Top 10, and 15 Now! releases have reached #1, second only to The Beatles in chart history.” Indeed, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, every Now! album has achieved either Gold or Platinum status, with only a few exceptions. In 2006, Slate music critic, Jody Rosen, wondered if Now! could save the music business, calling the franchise “one of the great success stories in the record business over the last decade.”

So, in our age of digital downloading and cloud computing, of Pandora and Sirius and Spotify and even YouTube, how are these records comprised of jams found everywhere still so successful?

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It’s the day of the Superbowl, and millions of fans are waiting with great anticipation for “the greatest show on earth,” even though they’ll have to sit through at least an hour of sports to get to it. In case you haven’t heard, this year, after a series of mostly ho-hum post-Nipplegate classic rock performers, the NFL has asked the Queen of Pop to perform the halftime show, and supposedly it’s going to be a doozy. We know, we know, they say that every year. This time, Madonna has promised that viewers will be “knocked out of their seats from beginning to end,” but we’re thinking you might need a little help with that, so we present to you our patented 2012 Superbowl Halftime Show Drinking Game, for use this evening as you watch Madge knock it out of the park (or kick it under the table) — not to mention a bunch of football. Click through to find out the rules, and let us know what you think of the performance in the comments!

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Today at Flavorpill, we found out what American Idol’s William Hung has been up to. We watched the MS Paint version of the “Party Rock Anthem.” We noted how quickly hacktivist collective Anonymous responded to the Megaupload shutdown. We coveted these lamps made from recycled books. We said goodbye to champion freestyle skier Sarah Burke. We learned 11 new things about Winnie the Pooh. We took a survey asking how we buy our comics. We swam with the fishes and this beautiful sea photography. We were happy to hear that the woman who was struck by lightning while pregnant delivered a healthy baby girl. We wanted to sip this Rosemary smoothie. We got a kick out of Twitter’s response to @grammer_man. And finally, we loved learning that Helen Mirren’s name is included in the Guinness World Records 2012 Gamer’s Edition.

Foot tapping and head bobbing are as much facets of some songs as lyrics and instrumentals. But some music goes to particularly explicit lengths to serenade dance, not only compelling listeners to get up and move, but also paying homage to the act of dancing in subject matter. Below the jump, we review some of 2011′s most memorable dance songs about dancing — full-on, unmasked celebrations of bouncing, shuffling, booty shaking, and generally letting loose on the dance floor. Read More »

Originally gaining attention as part of the late-90s Big Beat phenomenon, LA-based duo the Crystal Method have stood the test of time for over a decade. On May 12, the pair — Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland — releases its fourth full-length, Divided by Night. The album features guests including Peter Hook, Justin Warfield, Emily Haines, and Matisyahu — the latter of whom takes on lead vocals on the record’s first single, “Drown in the Now.” Tackling the video for the track, New York’s UVPHACTORY created a dark, futuristic world, populated by 3D creatures and comic-book overtones, with Matisyahu holding court at the heart of it all. We spoke with co-directors Alexandre Moors and Jessica Brillhart about the clip and how it came to life; after the jump, watch the video, read the interview, and check out photos from behind the scenes of the shoot.

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