Leigh Belz

Throughout the aging process, the grass is always greener on the other side. While you might have fond memories of your adolescence and high school days, it's very likely that your teen is desperate to bypass them and be seen as more adult.

Teens today have grown up using technology and are more accustomed to interacting with others in a fast, direct and personal way. But this can often prove inappropriate in situations with adults that aren't purely social.

Blog readers, what do you think about Burnham? The teenage trio of brothers (Alex, Andre & Forrest) from Vermont released their first single, "Catch Me If You Can," less than two weeks ago and have already been named featured openers on...

Photographer: Pamela Littky Tonight, the Honda Civic Tour kicks off in Raleigh, North Carolina with a stellar bill -- Paramore, Tegan and Sara, New Found Glory, and Kadawatha.I caught up with the lovely Sara Quin...

Elly Jackson, the face of U.K. synth-pop band La Roux, tells Leigh Belz why she doesn't buy her own hype.With her tailored style and gravity-defying quiff, 22-year-old Elly Jackson of U.K. electro-pop duo La Roux...

This morning, an estimated 20,000 fans came out to New York's Rockefeller Plaza to see Lady Gaga perform on NBC's TODAY show for all of her "little monsters."  She talked to TODAY's Meredith Viera about fame, fashion and played "Bad...

OK, so there's really no direct reason why TODAY needs to be the day you check out The Black Keys' new album, Brothers. But . . . should you need a reason? No. It's just good rock 'n' roll music. If...

Last week, I was invited to check out "Rock of Ages" -- the Broadway love letter to '80s hair metal starring Constantine Maroulis (Season Four, American Idol). The show features an almost uninterrupted medley of songs from the likes of...

According to my handy day planner, today is officially "Canada Day." Any Canadians out there reading the blog? How does one properly celebrate "Canada Day"? Are there fireworks?On this day, it seems appropriate to celebrate...

Nikki Yanofsky is a 16-year-old singing sensation from the Great White North. Her debut album of jazzy standards, Nikki, was released in May and quickly became the number one album on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart.Though Nikki's...

The lovely Marina Diamandis was the focus of my June/July column--she told me about her early dreams of superstardom and fascination with everything American. This morning, Marina premiered the video for her new single, "Oh No!"  "Oh No!" was directed by...

I'm always amazed when I see concert footage of US acts playing non-English-speaking countries--the fans are always singing along perfectly with the English lyrics. Do they understand the meaning of the words?With that in mind,...

Last night, New Jersey quintet Steel Train celebrated the release of their eponymous third full-length (pictured at left) with a triumphant performance at New York's Mercury Lounge. Before the show, I was able to sit down...

Last Friday night, New York City commuters and indie-rock fans got a special treat at the height of rush hour: A pop-up performance by Seattle's Band of Horses at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Station.The AOL pop-up...

California pop band Rooney recently released the video for the first single off of their just-released album, Eureka. The video for "I Can't Get Enough" takes place in a roller rink and features 80s-style greenscreen effects. Instead of taking up...

Every once in a while, my favorite bands will pair up and go on tour. It's like getting a present with a second, slightly smaller but just-as-exciting present on top of it.Last night, The National...

Last night, Teen Vogue's Danielle (of the excellent PATA blog) and I went to a listening for Katy Perry's new album Teenage Dream.Had our cellphone not been checked at the door, we would have been Tweeting photos of the giant...

OK Go is known for it's insanely creative videos, and they're about to have a new one join the viral ranks. "End Love," a stop-motion masterpiece, debuted this morning. Watch here and let me know what you think in the comments. (My...

Is there anything more heartbreaking than having to miss out on an amazing music festival like Bonnaroo because of an ill-timed illness? Dear readers, I can tell you there is not. But though I did not get to spend some...

One of MusicBlogger's favorite artists, Florence Welch, has a killer song on The Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack, which is out now. We asked our girl Flo about her Twilight allegiances, summer soundtrack and fantasy superpowers: Team Edward or Team Jacob? I'm not sure,...

Australian songstress Sia contributes one of the stellar original tracks to The Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack, which hits stores and online retailers today. Below, Sia tells us about her track, "My Love," and who she's rooting for to...

We featured Neon Indian (Real name: Alan Palomo) in our May music portfolio because we thought his debut indie-electronic album, Psychic Chasms, was the most fun thing we'd heard in a while.Last Friday, Alan released...

Today at 3 p.m. EST (noon PDT),  Australia's The Temper Trap will be performing in the Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, CA; the show will be broadcast as it happens via Livestream. I caught the group two years ago at SXSW...

This morning Canadian pop phenom Justin Bieber performed at Rockefeller Plaza as part of the TODAY show concert series. Girls were camped out overnight to get a good spot near the outdoor stage. (Thousands ultimately...