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Spotlight

Twitter Trio: Steven Tyler, Black Keys + More

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Lots of musicians tweet, but all that Twitters is not gold. That’s why you’ll want to check out SPIN.com every Friday to see whose tweets we’re reading this week — then update your TweetDeck! (Obligatory Self-Promotion: …while you’re at it, be sure to follow @SPINmagazine!)

This week’s winners:

  • Steven Tyler
    @IamStevenT

    Why You Should Follow: This rock’n’roll legend and American Idol judge just came out with a new memoir, Does the Noise In My Head Bother You?, which is full of so many stories of sex, drugs, and mayhem, it makes Keith Richards’ Life look tame by comparison. His life these days isn’t quite as interesting, but you’ll still get plenty of retweetable stories if you decide to follow him on Twitter.

    In his signature all-caps (spell-check optional) style, he shares stories from the red carpet (“JONNY DEPP LOOKED ABFAB… WERE GONNA HOOK UP & WRITE A SONG OR TWO… & RUSSEL BRANT WELL WAS WITHOUT KATY SO I TOLD HIM TO F%#%CK OFF”), taunts AI host Ryan Seacrest (“@RyanSeacrest RY… DID U SAY U NEED 2 STRETCH TO DO THIS JOB OR HAVE SEX… YOUR STRETCHIN OUT & I LOVE IT BABY”), and explains why it’s good to be him (if he “pisses on his scarf,” it’s his assistant’s fault). Expect lots of crazy Twitpics of Tyler holding a giant pipe and cigar, showing off his art collection, wearing rainbow-striped socks to the airport, and driving snazzy sports cars around Los Angeles, as well as plenty of tweets about fancy meals out and celebrity-filled events.

    Still, at the heart of everything, he’s a dad – and it’s nice to see that even rock stars sometimes have to resort to Twitter to harass their children (“@MiaTyler MIA… U CAN’T TRICK DADDY… WHEN U COMMIN OVER 4 DINNER & YES I DO READ YOUR TWEETS”).

    Best Tweet of the Week: This photo of thealbum artwork for his next single, “(It) Feels Good.”

  • The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney
    @patrickcarney

    Why You Should Follow: The Black Keys have been on top of their game since the release of their chart-topping 2010 album Brothers (which earned them a couple of Grammy and Billboard Music Award nominations, and SPIN Artist of the Year honors), even making a short musical action film called “Howlin’ for You” with an oddball cast that included Playboy model Tricia Helfer and snowboarder Shaun White. But as a band, they still haven’t gotten the hang of the whole “social media” thing – search for “Black Keys Twitter” on Google and you’ll only come up with fan pages.

    Luckily, drummer/producer Patrick Carney has his own personal Twitter page, where he tweets back and forth with friends, makes Charlie Sheen jokes (“I took too much Charlie sheen”), posts Twitpics of French rooftops and Mississippi floods, and shares his thoughts on poetry vs. music (“Songs are a lot like poems only difference is songs are good I guess”). Follow him for declarations (“Pretty sure Josh homme is the coolest man in music”), observations (“The woman next to me on this flight has a suitcase filled with popcorn”), and social commentary (“I want to design a real low cal hot dog speed eating fest for babes”), plus the occasional bizarre, one-word non sequitur (“Vagazzled”).

    Best Tweet of the Week: “Where is the best place to buy a flea circus?”

  • Wye Oak
    @wyeoak

    Why You Should Follow: This charming indie folk duo (named for the state tree of their beloved Baltimore, MD) recently released a new album, Civilian, and launched a U.S. tour that’s taken them from B’more to SLC and back again. Things on the road aren’t always exciting (“nothing says monday night like looking at pictures of peter gabriel on the internet #hotelparty #notevenstoned”), but if you follow their adventures (and non-adventures) on Twitter, there might be something in it for you – they sometimes give away free concert tickets to fans who can answer trivia questions.

    Look out for plenty of tongue-in-cheek observations about the people they encounter in suburban towns (“segway hairgel mirrored shades bluetooth…carryout from panera bread. oh my god it’s THAT FUCKING GUY!”) and at Guitar Center (“Teen girl plays muzak MGMT on yamaha electric grand whilst studded belters look on, must be #guitarcenter”), plus overheard conversations (“‘giant cups of coffee make mommy HAPPY'”) and tales of drinking scotch with interviewers and having big noodle dinners with old friends.

    Best Tweet of the Week: “Rhetorical question: When did the arts become a service industry?”