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Currently On Repeat: Kings of Leon

Check Out: Drive-By Truckers

Who? Rednecks who get loose like Neil Young but also punky like the Replacements. They even had a two-disc concept album, Southern Rock Opera, about the rise and fall of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Sound byte: “When we wrote our earlier records, none of us had ever really lived outside of the South. I’m a big believer in ‘write what you know,’ and that’s where we were.”—Patterson Hood, guitarist-singer

Ideal for: Binge drinking and road-tripping (but not in that order).

The Truckers’ 11th disc, Go-Go Boots, is out February 15.

You Secretly Work Out to: Rihanna

Check Out: Jessie J

Who? The 22-year-old London girl sings, raps, and has written songs for Justin Timberlake and Alicia Keys. She also cowrote Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA.” (You know you love it.)

Sound byte: “There’s a fine line between being naked and humping someone and smoking cigars, but then there’s doing it in a way that’s cool.”

Ideal for: Pouring champagne while hot girls dance around (or something).


Jessie J’s debut album, Who You Are, is due this spring.

Your Chill-out Soundtrack Is: Jack Johnson

Check out: Iron & Wine

Who? Indie-rock beard-o Sam Beam, whose insanely catchy acoustic folk ditties have been helping dudes bed hipster girls for almost a decade.

Sound byte: “You have three big things you can talk about, basically, if you’re going to write something that actually means something to you as a human being: love, God, and death.”

Ideal for: Campfire listening and seducing your indie-rock crush.

Kiss Each Other Cleanis out January 25.