Who says that stoners aren't motivated? While many of you no doubt spent your April 20th dozing in a cloud of pot smoke and Dorito crumbs, Willie Nelson chose this year's 420 to release his 420th studio album, "Country Music." (Actually, make it something like his 67th solo effort, but for a 76-year-old who has spent a good portion of his life with a joint in his hand, Willie Nelson sure keeps ...

Guitar gods may not generally be the coolest dudes in the rock firmament -- too much foot-on-amp posturing and frankly self-congratulatory fret abuse for our tastes. Give us a detached bassist or carefree saxophone player any day. Jeff Beck, however, is an exception. Sure, by the '70s, he showed an alarming penchant for open-chested shirts and crotch-outlining bell-bottoms (and, indeed, was ...

Being a sports fan is all about opinions, comparisons and constant historically minded debate. As such, it's a rare thing to be able to confidently appreciate that you are watching one of the best ever in real time. When they finally tally the most stylish sports teams ever, though, we're pretty certain that the current incarnation of FC Barcelona will be at the top. Of course, Barca has always ...

You know how we know Ralph Fiennes is posh? Well, there's the preference -- peculiar to the English aristocracy -- for pronouncing seemingly conventional names in illogical ways (it's Ralph as in "waif"). Then there's his sprawling full moniker: Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes. (Filling in forms must be a nightmare for him.) Oh, and he's comes from some well-known stock: Arctic explorer ...

Look, we're the first to admit that Snoop Dogg isn't a foolproof style guru. It's always wise to be wary of taking fashion tips from a man in his late-30s who spends much of his time dressed in brightly colored, oversize tracksuits and skullcaps. And if you were thinking of emulating Snoop's glossy, straightened hair and suit get-up from the mid-'90s, well, just don't. All that being said, you ...

There are few actors working today who are more appealing than Forest Whitaker. His physical appearance alone is enthralling enough, lugubriously stalking the screen like a soulful, wonky-eyed bear. He's also a top-notch actor, regularly rising above lesser material, as in, we fear, his latest flick, "Repo Men" -- a high-concept sci-fi gore-fest in which he appears as a futuristic human organ ...

Of all Tim Burton's achievements, retaining an aura of cool despite making megabucks-movies for Disney is perhaps his most impressive. Key to the director's retention of his super-stylized, auteur vision is his supporting cast of regular collaborators. No shoehorned-in star turns from teen-flick dreamboats for Mr. Burton; where he goes, so does his troupe of quirky and eccentric players. Johnny ...

You don't go to contemporary country music for style tips, unless too-tight tank tops, overly-manicured facial hair and shiny. 10-gallon hats are your idea of a good look. (Nope. It's all yours, Tim McGraw). But that doesn't mean the world of twangy guitars and cowboy boots hasn't produced a few fashion icons in its time. And no one has better represented Nashville cool than Johnny Cash -- the ...

Plenty of modern bands know their way around a pair of skinny jeans, but rarely do they appreciate the value of a really great suit. Tindersticks are an exception. Formed in the early '90s, Stuart Staples and his cohorts slumped at the bar, sipping cocktails and looking elegantly wasted in Savile Row's finest while their Britpop peers were swilling pints and swaggering around the dance floor in ...

"I'm New Here," fibs the title of Gil Scott Heron's latest album. Certainly, it's been a while since the Chicago-born poet and singer had a new record in stores -- 15 years, in fact, and his previous disc, 1995's "Spirits," broke a 12-year hiatus. If anything, however, his reputation has only grown in the years since his productive heyday. Of all the people who could claim to be hip-hop before ...