ESPN

Here's a list of songs from performers featured on ESPN’s "SportsNation" and "Nacion" programming, links to the artist’s websites and links for you to download and buy the songs and/or albums:

May Music on "SportsNation" and "Nacion" programming

Ana Tijoux

“Shock" from the “La Bala” album (iTunes | Amazon)

Ritmo Machine

“This Day" from the “Welcome to the Ritmo Machine” album
(iTunes | Amazon)

Here's a list of songs from performers featured on ESPN’s "First Take" programming, links to the artist’s websites and links for you to download and buy the songs and/or albums:

May Music for "First Take" programming

Bad Rabbits

"Get Up and Go" from the “American Love” album.
(iTunes | Amazon)

Little Hurricanes

"Hold Me Back" from the “Homewrecker” album.
(iTunes | Amazon)

Willy Moon

“Get Up" single not available for sale

Warm Soda

"Only In Your Mind" from the “Someone For You” album.
(iTunes | Amazon)

Here's a list of songs from performers featured on ESPN’s programming, links to the artist’s websites and links for you to download and buy the songs and/or albums:

May Music on ESPN programming

Fitz and The Tantrums

"Out of My League" from the “More Than Just A Dream” album
(iTunes | Amazon)

Fitz and The Tantrums

"Get Away" from the “More Than Just A Dream” album
(iTunes | Amazon)

Fitz and The Tantrums

"Tell Me What Ya Here For" from the “More Than Just A Dream” album
(iTunes | Amazon)

DJ Raff

"Latino & Proud" from the “Latino & Proud” album
(iTunes | Amazon)

DJ Raff

"Paseo Con Audifonos" from the “Latino & Proud” album
(iTunes | Amazon)

Here's a list of songs from performers featured on ESPN’s "Unite" programming, links to the artist’s websites and links for you to download and buy the songs and/or albums:

May Music for "Unite" programming

Coe 24K

"On Tha Come Up" not available for sale

The perks of living in the city where the LA Kings practice. #goodtalk vine.co/v/bxuuilT9XI2

— Jonathan Vigil (@JonathanVigil) April 26, 2013

Lead singer Jonathan Vigil of The Ghost Inside will have to rely on his computer for results of the NHL playoffs, which begin this week.

See, Vigil is a big fan of the Los Angeles Kings. And the hard-core band from Los Angeles is in Asia for the next three weeks.

"I'm obsessed," said Vigil, who helped form the band in 2004. "I'll be able to watch the games from my phone backstage at the shows. I love when kids yell out the score to me during the set. Having the Kings win on days of our shows is awesome."

Vigil didn't start out loving hockey. Like many kids growing up in Southern California, his first love was baseball. But eight years ago, a friend had some extra hockey equipment and asked Vigil to play a recreational game. And he was hooked.
Playbook had a few minutes with Vigil to talk hockey and music.

Was it really love at first sight with you and hockey?

"Yep. I skated that first time and fell in love. It's all I think about. It's so awesome."

And it seems fans and the Kings notice your love.

"I'm not sure who runs the Kings' Twitter feed, but they sent me a message one time talking about our new record. That was pretty awesome to see that. This one time on Twitter at the Philly show, I said I'd kiss the fans if the Kings won. As I got off stage, fans told me the Kings had won! I didn't think people were checking Twitter during a show. I did kiss a few -- on the cheek."

(Read full post)

To say Joakim Noah is multi-cultural is a bit of an understatement. The Bulls center's diverse background has been well documented: his French-African father earned his fame as a tennis star, his mother once reigned as Miss Sweden and his father's father was a soccer player in Cameroon. Arts and sports have long held equal sway in the Noah family.

But it’s reggae, and the roots of the Rastafari movement, that have inspired Noah to broaden his horizons. He was first exposed to the music of Bob Marley as a child. In fact, his parents, Yannick and Cecilia, shared a love of the Jamaican artist. “My house always had Bob Marley music playing in the background," Noah says.

As he grew older, Noah began to appreciate the lyrics of Marley’s songs as much as the melodies, and was motivated to research their meaning. In doing so, he stumbled across the origins of the reggae movement and Rastafarian culture. “A lot of people think of reggae as laid-back and chill, but the words in reggae are very powerful," he says.

Despite his fascination with the Rastafari movement, the soft-spoken, 6’11’ Noah – who holds American, Swedish and French citizenship -- doesn’t consider himself a follower of any one religion. “I’m not a religious person, but I’m a spiritual person," say Noah, whose family members practiced both Islam and Christianity. "I believe in God, but I don’t believe in one specific god. I like to take pieces from everywhere and incorporate them into my life."

“I’m not a Rastafari, but a lot of their philosophy and beliefs make sense to me: being in tune with nature, knowing about your roots, knowing about your heritage, not getting caught up in materialism.” He adds, “I think Rasta teaches you humility.”

It also helps him connect with his roots. Noah’s favorite Marley song is "Africa Unite" and, even though he's never been to Ethiopia or Marley's homeland of Jamaica, he wears an Ethiopian cross adorned with Tibetan beads around his neck to represent Rasta.

"I feel like your jewelry is a big part of you,” Noah says. “I don’t wear diamonds or anything like that, but I wear this every day. This is my peace. When I die, I want to have it on.”

Noah, who is averaging a double-double that includes career highs in points (12.0) and rebounds (11.5) per game this season, also finds peace before games by listening to reggae. "It gives me strength when I play,” says Noah, who also jams to Barrington Levy, Capleton and Sizzla -- and his dad. Now a pop singer in France, Yannick Noah released a Marley tribute album, “Hommage,” last year.

For now, his son is sticking with his day job. Noah says there's no chance of him following in the footsteps of his athlete-turned-singer father. “I can’t sing like that,” he says. “Only in the shower.”

With the NBA playoffs set to begin this weekend, Ohio native and Maybach Music Group member Stalley will be rooting on hometown friend LeBron James closely.

See, Stalley knows that James is an Ohio guy and will someday return to resurrect the franchise -- Cleveland Cavaliers -- he left.

"I think soon he'll honestly go back and give them a ring and do as he promised," said Stalley, who was quite critical of James during the "Decision" of 2010. "When that happens, everyone will erase the past, and he'll be king again here. He'll enjoy his life back home."

Ohio is and will always be home for Stalley, born Kyle Myricks. He started out making mixtapes and started working with big-time producers and he signed with Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group and will release his debut album this summer.

In fact, growing up in Massillon, Ohio, Stalley played James in high school basketball. Stalley was a 6-2 player also with NBA aspirations.

"I tip my hat to LeBron. I knew he was going to be something special. I saw him up close a lot. He was an animal," Stalley said. "I'm still such a big fan of his. He is my motivation. Seeing him do what he does, why can't I get Grammys? Why can't I sell platinum records? It makes me work harder."

Playbook had a few minutes with Stalley to talk LeBron, music and his love of cars.

You played basketball as a teen. Think you could have gone pro?

"I don't see why I couldn't. I always had that dream. I could see myself playing overseas or even the NBA. I'm not a person who lives out of my means so I know the road wouldn't have been easy. I think music is very similar. You have to put in the work."

(Read full post)

It’s not that Rockie Fresh is scared or anything. He’s just not stupid.

The 21-year-old rapper laughs when he says it, but you will never catch him playing a game of pickup football with his Maybach Music Group boss, rapper Rick Ross.

Emphasis on never. Have you seen the size of the two of them side by side? It would never work.

Musically, Rockie Fresh is bringing a different funk to hip-hop. He's signed to MMG, one of hip-hop's trendsetting labels, but his interpretation of the music has hints of alternative rock music a la Fall Out Boy and Good Charlotte. After uber-success on the mixtape circuit, he'll finally release his first studio album, aptly titled, "Debut Studio Album," later this year.

Aside from rocking the mic, of course, Rockie is rooting for most Chicago teams (as a South Sider, it’s treason to root for the Chicago Cubs, but he’ll have a beer in the stadium) and hoping/wishing/praying for a Bulls comeback.

Everyone is waiting for Derrick Rose to get back in the game. What’s the vibe like in Chicago now?

It’s a good time for us. But at the same time, we all just want to make sure he’s actually ready to come back. Nobody wants him to come back too soon. Because he’s actually from Chicago, people have a different kind of respect for him than we’ve had for any other player that’s played for us. So everybody just wants to make sure that he’s healthy more than anything. ... We don’t want him to get injured again and things be worse. It’s a crazy time for the city.

I know you want another championship from your home team. How far off from reality do you think that is?

I don’t think it’s too far. We could get blessed with a good draft pick or something next year and maybe the year after that. But I do feel like Derrick Rose needs a little bit of help -- that’s a lot of responsibility on him. He needs a little bit more release in the backcourt. Hopefully we come up and get us a nice little guard.

(Read full post)

Here are a list of songs from performers featured on ESPN’s NASCAR programming, links to the artists' websites, and links for you to download and buy the songs and/or albums:

Music for NASCAR programming

Green Day

"99 Revolutions" from the “Tre” album
(iTunes | Amazon)

John Fogerty

"Almost Saturday Night" (with Keith Urban) from the “Wrote A Song For Everyone” album (iTunes | Amazon)

John Fogerty

"Bad Moon Rising" (with Zac Brown Band) from the “Wrote A Song For Everyone” album (iTunes | Amazon)

John Fogerty

"Fortunate Son" (with Foo Fighters) from the “Wrote A Song For Everyone” album (iTunes | Amazon)

John Fogerty

"Born on the Bayou" (with Kid Rock) from the “Wrote A Song For Everyone” album (iTunes | Amazon)

John Fogerty

"Hot Rod Heart" (with Brad Paisley) from the “Wrote A Song For Everyone” album (iTunes | Amazon)

John Fogerty

"Who’ll Stop the Rain" (with Bob Seger) from the “Wrote A Song For Everyone” album (iTunes | Amazon)

John Fogerty

"Mystic Highway" from the “Wrote A Song For Everyone” album (iTunes | Amazon)

Blue Sky Riders

"I’m A Rider" from the “Finally Home” album (iTunes | Amazon)


Imagine Dragons

"Round and Round" from the “Night Visions” album (iTunes | Amazon)

Maroon 5

"Lucky Strike" from the “Overexposed” album (iTunes | Amazon)


Tim McGraw

"It’s Your World" from the “Two Lanes Of Freedom” album (iTunes | Amazon)

Tim McGraw

"One Of Those Nights" from the “Two Lanes Of Freedom” album (iTunes | Amazon)

ESPN The Magazine is celebrating its 15th anniversary. To commemorate the milestone, The Mag will look back and generate exclusive playlists curated by Bomani Jones. The “Around the Horn” panelist will pick and discuss the biggest hits of the past 15 years. Listen to the final playlist below.

“Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen
“You’ll understand I had to put it on the list. But I don’t want to talk about it either.”

“Gangnam Style” by PSY
“Remember, Dennis Rodman wanted to go to North Korea and meet PSY. PSY, who is South Korean, wasn’t able to make it.”

“We Are Young” by Fun featuring Janelle Monae
“Say hello to the Oklahoma City Thunder, as exciting and youthful a basketball team as we’ve ever seen in the NBA Finals. The future looked so bright ...”

“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” by Kelly Clarkson
“... and then they met the Heat, survivors of scrutiny as rare as the Thunder’s youth. LeBron got his ring, meaning it might be a while for Kevin Durant.”

“Starships” by Nicki Minaj
“Add 'starships' to the list of things not nearly as fast as Usain Bolt, who won three more gold medals and staked his claim to being the greatest track Olympian of all time.”

“Take Care” by Drake featuring Rihanna
“Can’t you imagine Drake consoling Lolo Jones and telling her everything would be OK? How did Lolo’s PR team not get her in one of his videos?”

“Work Hard, Play Hard” by Wiz Khalifa
“Call him Johnny Football if you want to, but it’s pretty clear Johnny Manziel likes lots of other things. The Heisman Trust has never had a winner quite like this.”

“Glad You Came” by The Wanted
“Serena Williams did the crip walk at Wimbledon during the Olympics, and Andy Murray won the men’s gold medal. There’s two things you’ll probably never see again.”

“We Found Love” by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
“Inspired by the death of his girlfriend, Manti Te’o helped Notre Dame to its best season in nearly 25 years. Hey, that’s what we thought in 2012."

ESPN The Magazine is celebrating its 15th anniversary. To commemorate the milestone, The Mag will look back and generate exclusive playlists curated by Bomani Jones. The “Around the Horn” panelist will pick and discuss the biggest hits of the past 15 years. Listen to the entire playlist below.

“Rolling in the Deep” by Adele
“The Patriots could have had it all, again. But they lost in the Super Bowl to the Giants. Again.”

“Look at Me Now” by Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes
“Most thought this would be LeBron James’ anthem after the backlash of The Decision. Turns out it fit ... Dirk Nowitzki?”

“Black and Yellow” by Wiz Khalifa
“This anthem for the Steelers wound up co-opted by any fan base that could make it work for them. And somehow, Wiz Friggin’ Khalifa performed at halftime of an NFL playoff game. Yes.”

“6 Foot 7 Foot” by Lil Wayne featuring Cory Gunz
“That’s the story of Anthony Davis’ rise in the recruiting rankings. And after he hit campus that fall, Kentucky grew from a Final Four team to a dominating national champion.”

“I Need a Doctor” by Dr. Dre featuring Eminem and Skylar Grey
“That must have been what the seemingly indestructible Adrian Peterson thought, lying on the FedEx Field turf with his ACL torn. Turns out ... he really might be indestructible.”

“F----n’ Perfect” by Pink
“For so long, we’d heard that about Andrew Luck. This was the year we found out Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III might have been even better."

“All of the Lights,” by Kanye West featuring Rihanna
“Helping your favorite pep band try and sound cool since someone sneaked it into the playlist without the director’s permission.”

“The Show Goes On” by Lupe Fiasco
“It’s much easier for fans to say that to a free agent after winning a championship, making Albert Pujols’ move to Anaheim from St. Louis after the 2011 season better than it could have been.”

Country music singer Craig Morgan, who hosts his own show on the Outdoor Channel, has begun a five-day, 200-mile dog sled trek above the Arctic Circle.

That might seem pretty extreme for the 48-year-old Nashville, Tenn., singer, famous for songs "That's What I Love About Sunday" and "Bonfire," but he has an easy answer for why he's doing it:

"I'm just living. That's all there is to it," said Morgan, who is married and has four children. "I know there are others out there with this same particular gene. We're willing to try anything."

And Morgan has definitely done that.

He spent 10 years of active duty in the U.S. Army and nine years in the Army Reserves. He returned to Nashville and became a demo singer for various artists until he got his break. He signed his first record contract in 2000 and has released seven albums.

That wasn't enough to satisfy his thirst of "just living," so, in 2010, he joined the Outdoor Channel as host of "Craig Morgan: All Access Outdoors." He doesn't just hunt and fish. He has kayaked, scuba dived and ridden professional dirt bikes.

"I'm a survivalist. I always loved the idea of being self-sufficient with my hands," Morgan said, "and this trip to Europe will allow me to experience extreme cold. That's something I haven't done."

Morgan and about 20 other people from 10 countries are participating in the sixth annual event called Fjällräven Polar. With the help of Fjällräven experts, Morgan will drive and care for his dogs and survive in the snow in sub-zero temperatures. He has a film team for his Outdoor Channel show and a potential stand-alone show for a network.

"Maybe it's all because I have a Type A personality?" Morgan said. "All I want people to know is that I love life and I'm living it to the fullest."

ESPN The Magazine is celebrating its 15th anniversary. To commemorate the milestone, The Mag will look back and generate exclusive playlists curated by Bomani Jones. The “Around the Horn” panelist will pick and discuss the biggest hits of the past 15 years. Listen to the entire playlist below.

“Power” by Kanye West
“Love The Decision or hate it, but be honest -- from that moment on, LeBron James has been the biggest star in sports. He flexed his muscle, to disastrous effect, but you can’t say he didn’t have the power to do so.”

“Break Your Heart” by Taio Cruz
“Yeah, sorry, Cleveland. We know. We know.”

“You Belong with Me” by Taylor Swift
“This is summary of Dan Gilbert’s insane, Comic Sans diatribe about LeBron. Wait, I thought it said You Belong to Me.”

“Cooler Than Me” by Mike Posner
“Those of us who thought Duke’s program had become too stale to get Coach K his fourth ring? Maybe being 'cooler' doesn’t matter that much.”

“Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry
“After 49 Cup-less seasons, forgive hardened, blue-collar Chicagoans for singing like pop stars when the Blackhawks finally brought home a championship.”

“Miss Me” by Drake
“Because, finally, this was Brett Favre’s last season. His third -- and least successful -- last season.”

“B.M.F.” by Rick Ross featuring Styles P
“That’s exactly what Michael Vick did, though most of it went back to the Falcons after he went to prison. But 2010, powered by an unexpectedly great season, was when he started making it back.”

“OMG” by Usher featuring will.i.am
“Connecticut’s women’s basketball team had its second straight 39-0 championship season. Those three letters might be the only way to capture such dominance in the 21st century.”

ESPN The Magazine is celebrating its 15th anniversary. To commemorate the milestone, The Mag will look back and generate exclusive playlists curated by Bomani Jones. The "Around the Horn" panelist will pick and discuss the biggest hits of the past 15 years. Listen to the entire playlist below.

“Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus
“This was the year of the Super Bowl champion Saints, as close as possible to truly being America’s Team. Even a couple of Falcons fans rooted for Drew Brees & Co.”

“Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” by Beyonce
“Two years earlier, Kobe demanded the Lakers get him some help. This year, he put a ring on it, and Shaq was nowhere to be found.”

“Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys
“Jay and Keys performed this during the 2009 World Series, which the Yankees won. Which, apparently, turned this into the new New York anthem the world was just itchin’ for.”

“I Love College” by Asher Roth
“Guarantee that’s how John Wall felt about his year at Kentucky, when he and his incoming classmates arrived in the Fall and fully ushered in the era of one-and-done college basketball. It’s just that he loves millions of dollars more.”

(Read full post)

Sam Llanas, formerly of the BoDeans, has returned to the music scene as a solo artist venturing into new territories.

Since departing from the BoDeans, Llanas released an album at the very end of 2011 titled "4 A.M. (The Way Home)." More recently, he has penned a slate of new songs, heading back to the recording studio to put together his next, currently untitled record.

"4 A.M." is a collection of acoustic guitar-based songs which Llanas said "deals with a lot of themes of the night."

"I started writing the songs for '4 A.M.' before leaving the BoDeans, and I think the songs on the new record are even more accessible. And, for me, the next one feels like it is my real first solo record."

For Llanas, currently there's a certain buzz that may also be stoking creative fires.

"I love March Madness and, to me, it's one of the greatest things ever in sports," Llanas said.

Llanas, who is from of Waukesha, Wis., said that despite his proximity to both NCAA tournament participants Marquette and the University of Wisconsin, he's not a fan of any one team in particular.

"What I like is seeing a game that's anybody's game when it goes down to the wire," he said.

(Read full post)