​The best joke in the music business right now is, according to Cactus Music's Quinn Bishop, something frequently heard recently at his cash register: "Dude, you're getting Adele."

Even I bought 21 yesterday, the swiping of a credit card that completed a cycle that began several months ago. One night, half-asleep on my parents' couch while recovering from my heart attack, I saw the "Rolling In the Deep" video in the wee hours on VH1.

I think it was the New Orleans parade drum that gooses the song that made it click. Or those backing vocals that weave in and out. I think, though, that it's the way the song just moves, like mercury. I do finally get Adele.

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Photo By Jon Jordan.

A good penultimate track will wake him from his slumber.

​I'm not a linguist but I'll confess that I'm fascinated by jargon. Ever heard the phrase the 11 O'Clock Number? It's theatrical shorthand for the big show stopping musical number late in act two. If your musical starts at 8:30 p.m. and you want the crowd awake for the finale then you better have a great song hit at 11:00 p.m. If you do a really good job they'll be singing that song as they leave the theater.

Most albums do not have an 11 o'clock number. Music writers will talk all day about their favorite opening and closing tracks but rarely does anyone give the penultimate track its due. It's a track that has to be different enough from the closing track to stand out without being jarring in the process. They might serve as the emotional highpoint of the album or may just be an interesting sonic experiment, but it's important that they lead in to the next song just right. Put the wrong song here and you could blow the landing to a great album completely.

It's a thankless job, but fortunately for us there are a few brave tracks that rise above simply being just another track on the album. Take a look at this list of tracks that put the ultimate in penultimate.

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Courtesy Jacksboro Highway

L-R: Pete Best, John Lennon, Delbert McClinton, Bruce Chanel, Paul McCartney, George Harrison

​Lonesome, Onry and Mean didn't get in much trouble in school. So his parents were a little disturbed to find the eighth grader in the principal's office on the afternoon of February 10, 1964. He and his best friends, Mike Clowdus, Brad Rutledge, and Larry "Suitcase" Simpson, had been written up and sent to the office by Mr. Stephen Haynes, the eighth grade honors algebra teacher.

The infraction? Combing our hair like the Beatles.

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Photo by Katie Rommel-Esham

​The other night I watched Beauty and the Beast for the first time in roughly forever. I was shocked by two things: How much of the plot I had forgotten, and how many of the songs I remembered. It's like that for most Disney classics: I can't tell you what happened but I do remember how great the songs were.

It's been a long time since there's been a great Disney soundtrack, and, personally, I miss that. Not to sound like an old man in his rocking chair, but kids these days don't know what they're missing.

I say Disney needs to dust off that old copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales and call up some modern acts to throw a bit of spice in to the old formula. Not only would stunt casting the composing duties create a buzz but we'd get some great soundtrack albums out of it.

So, which artists have that knack for catchy tunes and the ability to get the story to happily ever after? Let's wish upon a star that these names would be up for consideration.

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Photo by Daniel Kramer

Madonna at Minute Maid Park, November 2008

​After her mostly praised Super Bowl XLVI halftime performance - aside from that whole M.I.A. middle-finger thing - Madonna will perform at Toyota Center on Wednesday, October 24, Live Nation announced this morning.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday, February 27, at the usual outlets: livenation.com, toyotacentertix.com, "most" Houston-area Randall's stores and 1-866-4HOUTIX (446-8849).

The tour is designed to promote the singer's album MDNA, scheduled for release March 26 (and not an Ecstasy reference at all, we're sure).

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Photo By Marco Torres

​All of the Super Bowl talk this week has given me a chance to ponder one of my favorite pop culture questions: how big do you have to be to perform at the Super Bowl half time show? When you consider the acts that have performed since the 2005 move to one act performances the amount of star power they've managed to book is staggering. We're talking millions upon millions of records sold, iconic nicknames, and first ballot hall of famers.

From a certain perspective, the well is starting to run dry. There are only so many legendary acts that are still performing and have the name value to pull the type of rating the half time show is known for.

So what do the next few half time shows look like? Who has that combination of great music, name recognition, and big show aura?

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Photo by Allison Wagoner

​It's time to be honest with each other for a moment: some people out there don't care about the Super Bowl. They may not care about sports at all. In fact, they might hate sports completely. Listen close and you can hear them roll their eyes at yet another blog post about the big game.

Maybe you have a significant other or close friend coming over for your Super Bowl party that hates sports. Want to make the game day experience more exciting for them? There is one thing that makes everything more exciting, from sporting events to award shows to yard work.

I'm talking about gambling.

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Photo by Matthew Keever

The Doom That Came To Dubstep?

​Subgenre: Brostep
Parent Genre: Dubstep

Imagine that you're a genre of music. You've been on the underground for a few years taking the sounds of your parents and evolving in to something new. For a long time few noticed but the last few years have been different. People started paying attention to what you were doing and then bigger, richer people started taking your sound and putting it in their hits. Your big moment is just up ahead, you can feel it.

And then your hyper, overaggressive little brother swoops in and steals all of your glory. He goes on to get Grammy nominations and high profile collaborations. Before you know it, not only is he more popular, people are starting to confuse you for him. They come up to you in the clubs and instead of talking about the things they like about your music they describe your little brother.

Congratulations: you are Dubstep, and your little brother is Brostep.

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​Lonesome, Onry and Mean was sad to learn via Chuck Prophet's Facebook page this morning that Reg Presley, lead singer of Sixties proto-punkers the Troggs, has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

The Troggs are known primarily for their 1966 hit "Wild Thing." LOM was a sophomore in high school when the tune came blaring out of the speakers of the car radio and rocked our world. It seemed that within a week every rock station in the country was playing "Wild Thing" once an hour. It was literally everywhere.

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Interscope

​I was in college when Get Rich or Die Tryin' dropped. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing "In da Club"-- house parties, techno clubs, AA meetings, everywhere. My friends used to sit around and debate 50's feud with Ja Rule. Anyone brave enough to take Ja's side was ridiculed to death. 50 Cent was king.

Oh, how quickly things change. The 50 Cent of today isn't the 50 Cent of 2003. This 50 would give his left nut to regain top dog status. After a slew of disappointing outings, he's been trying to claw his way back to the top, resorting to petty feuds and Twitter stunts (airing dirty laundry, betting dick pics) to stay relevant. Is it time for Fif to put down the microphone? Is Ed "Too Tall" Jones too tall?

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