Sounds of Simon, Garfunkel chosen for preservation

A popular tune by Simon and Garfunkel written after John F. Kennedy's assassination and Chubby Checker's 1960s dance hit "The Twist" will be among 25 recordings selected for preservation at the Library of Congress.

These are just a few sounds of the 20th century being added to the National Recording Registry on Thursday for long-term preservation due to their cultural, artistic and historic importance. The library said Checker's rendition of "The Twist" became a symbol for the energy and excitement of the early 60s after "American Bandstand" host Dick Clark chose Checker to record a new version of the song.

Later, the 1966 album "Sounds of Silence" by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel was a hit in its day but not before the duo struggled and split early on. Their song "The Sound of Silence" from the aftermath of President Kennedy's assassination 50 years ago this year had initially flopped — but it became a hit after it was re-edited as a single. That prompted the duo to reunite and quickly record another album under a similar title.

Third Man Records to Release Shovels and Rope Covers

Jack White's Third Man Records is set to release a new single on their Blue Series from Charleston, South Carolina, duo Shovels and Rope, who aptly describe themselves as "sloppy tonk."Brittany Howard Teams with Third Man Records for New Single

Out April 2nd, the single features two covers: a rendition of Bruce Springsteen's "Johnny 99" on Side A, and a version of Tom Waits' "Bad as Me" on Side B. You can check out the duo's rendition of "Johnny 99" below, which turns Springsteen's sparse, acoustic-and-harmonica original into a jaunty number with a rollicking piano two-step and tick tack percussion, all carried by singer Carry Ann Hearst's dry, sobering wail.

The tracks are available for pre-order now on iTunes; the vinyl seven-inch record is available through the Third Man website.

Chinese and Western backgrounds

"One thing I was really aware of growing up as a Chinese-American was that most of the types of music that are popular here did not originate in China," says Liang, who was born to immigrant parents in Kansas and grew up in New York State.

"When I heard Shanghai jazz, that was the first time I felt that there was music that could speak to both my Chinese and Western backgrounds.

"Then when I started composing music myself, I was searching for music that reflected parts of me. As someone who never felt like I fully fit in with any one demographic, this was a way for me to tell all the stories I had stored up, probably subconsciously in a way that spoke best to me."

Steven Summerstone believes the young people of Beijing are not so different from their counterparts in his native United States.

This Song Saved My Life was one of the most popular songs on the band's latest album Get Your Heart On.

Billie Joe Armstrong Writing Songs for Rock Adaptation of Shakespeare

Billie Joe Armstrong is returning to the theater by writing new music for a Yale Repertory Theater adaptation of Shakespeare. According to the New York Times, the Green Day frontman is contributing to These Paper Bullets, a rock adaptation of the Bard's Much Ado About Nothing that follows a band from Liverpool as they navigate romance and the music industry in London. It will premiere in March 2014.Billie Joe Armstrong Opens Up About Substance Abuse

Armstrong already has musical theater credibility under his belt, having adapted Green Day's American Idiot to Broadway in 2010. Green Day resumed their postponed U.S. tour earlier this month and will stay on the road until their April 19th show in Los Angeles.

Jim James takes search for connection to SXSW

My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James thinks music is a spiritual force that can unite humanity.

He's taking that message — and his new solo album "Regions of Light and Sound of God" — to the South By Southwest Music Festival this week.

"I feel like society likes to highlight our differences so much, to make us feel so isolated and so separated and so different," James said. "Music does that a lot, too. The walls are put up so big. What could a country music fan possibly have in common with a hip-hop fan? I feel if you take everything down to the core, it's the same in a beautiful way. It's all the same."

There's no better example of that sort of spiritual communalism than SXSW where musicians and artists of all stripes gather to find some kind of connection. James, the singer-songwriter who normally heads up the rock 'n' roll band My Morning Jacket, launched a five-set examination of higher powers early Wednesday morning in Austin, Texas, and will wrap things up Friday when he appears at the free outdoor show at Auditorium Shores, one of the week's highlights. And in April he'll start an extensive tour to support "Regions of Light," which came out last month.

Celebs also hit the thrift shops

Eebbie Harry loves to search for unique items at thrift shops, but sometimes the Blondie frontwoman had to do it because times were hard.

"At various times in my life (it has) been really necessarily to shop like that," she said in an interview.

Harry, 67, said she also hit up thrift shops to fuel her creativity when deciding what to wear to an event or photo shoot. Her favorite used item? A silver 1960s Betsey Johnson jumpsuit.

"Let's face it, when you don't have a lot of money and have to dress cool, it's the best way to go," she said.

The singer says she loves thrift shops in Florida and that as a kid her bargain shopping annoyed her father.

"My dad was horrified when I was in high school and I would come home with something from Salvation Army," she said. "He was terrified that I would be bringing a large population of bugs."

She also enjoys thrift shopping because it's somewhat of an adrenaline rush.

Canadian singer Stompin Tom Connors dies at 77

Canadian country-folk singer Stompin' Tom Connors, whose toe-tapping musical spirit and fierce patriotism established him as one of Canada's biggest cultural icons, has died, his promoter said Wednesday night. He was 77.

Connors passed away from natural causes at his home Wednesday evening, Brian Edwards said. The musician, rarely seen without his signature black cowboy hat and stomping cowboy boots, was best known for songs "Sudbury Saturday Night," ''Bud the Spud" and especially "The Hockey Song," a fan favorite played at hockey arenas around North America.

Those three songs are played at every Toronto Maple Leafs home game. At Toronto's Air Canada Centre Wednesday night, many fans took to their feet as "The Hockey Song" was played after Connors' death was announced.

Although wide commercial appeal eluded Connors for much of his four-decade career, his songs are regarded as veritable national anthems thanks to their unabashed embrace of all things Canadiana.

Train strongly opposes any kind of policy

Members of Train said Friday in a message on their website that they were unaware of the policy barring gay scouts and adult leaders from participating in the organization before agreeing to perform.

"Train strongly opposes any kind of policy that questions the equality of any American citizen," the statement said. "We have always seen the BSA as a great and noble organization. We look forward to participating in the Jamboree this summer, as long as they make the right decision before then."

Deron Smith, publicity director for the BSA, says the organization is moving forward with plans for the Jamboree.

"We appreciate everyone's right to express an opinion and remain focused on delivering a great Jamboree program for our Scouts," Smith wrote in an email. Smith was unaware of any other performers scheduled to participate in the event.

The BSA's policy has drawn attention before and gay rights organizations hailed Jepsen and members of Train for taking a stand and helping to bring the issue back into the public debate.

Train Refuse to Play Boy Scouts Event Unless Ban on Gay Scouts Is Lifted

Train have made a public statement against the Boy Scouts' longstanding ban on scouts from the LGBQT community by refusing to perform at the Boy Scout Jamboree unless the band is lifted, according to Queerty. The pop-rockers were set to play the July event in West Virginia with Carly Rae Jepsen, but a recent Change.org petition by gay Eagle Scout Derek Nance urging the musicians to take action got their attention when GLAAD signed on for the cause on March 1st. The petition convinced Train to boycott the event, and they released a statement on their blog.

"When we booked this show for the Boy Scouts of America, we were not aware of any policy barring openly gay people from participation within the organization," they wrote. "Train strongly opposes any kind of policy that questions the equality of any American citizen. We have always seen the BSA as a great and noble organization. We look forward to participating in the Jamboree this summer, as long as they make the right decision before then."

Van Cliburn remembered as gifted pianist

Legendary pianist Van Cliburn was remembered Sunday as a gifted musician who transcended the boundaries of politics and art by easing tensions during the Cold War and introducing classical music to millions.

About 1,400 people attended a memorial service for Cliburn, who died Wednesday at 78 after fighting bone cancer. As the service began, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra accompanied a choir while pall bearers carried his flower-covered coffin into a Fort Worth church.

Several speakers referred to what made Cliburn famous: winning the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958, when he was just 23. At the height of the Cold War, the win by the pianist who grew up in Texas helped thaw the icy rivalry between the United States and Soviet Union.

Rolling Stone Announces SXSW Rock Room Day Parties

Rolling Stone returns to Austin this year with our Live Rock Room day parties featuring some of the biggest names in town for SXSW. Curated by Rolling Stone editors, the set list features five bands taking over the Rock Room stage each day, along with the Peached Tortilla truck serving up good eats on Friday and our annual Saturday Rock & Roll BBQ set for Saturday.

The Rock Room will return to La Zona Rosa (612 W. 4th St) in downtown Austin, with the festivities kicking off at 11:30 am on both March 15th and 16th. Friday's show will be headlined by the Screaming Eagle of Soul himself, Charles Bradley, and Brooklyn multi-instrumentalists the Menahan Street Band. Also set to play are Chelsea Light Moving, the new project from Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, rock luminary Eric Burdon, eclectic indie rockers Fitz and the Tantrums, Chicago soul-revivalists JC Brooks and the Uptown Sounds, and Swedish garage pop outfit Shout Out Louds.

Big-riff – and big-hair – rock devotees Free Energy will headline Saturday's show while guests chow down on free BBQ all day. Rising singer-songwriter duo Gus + Scout will also take the stage, as will 16-year-old British wunderkind Jake Bugg, Los Angeles folk rockers Lord Huron, and alt-rock outfit Surfer Blood.