Andrew W.K.

Whether it's song titles, subject matter, or his manic stage ethic, Andrew W.K. is all about the party -- from his 2001 breakthrough hit “Party Hard” to the Party Til You Puke EP to last year's Japan-only Party All Goddamn Night mini-album. Over the past decade, Andrew W.K.’s party has sparked considerable controversy and plenty of publicity, most of it having to do with the mysterious Steev Mike, who may be the mastermind behind Andrew W.K.'s music, and the widespread griping that Andrew W.K. is merely a corporate invention designed to sell records. Then there's the 2010 event called Ask Andrew W.K. Anything, which turned out to be not so forthcoming, since he refused to answer any of those pesky questions about his background. Through it all, he's unleashed some of the most hormonally charged rock music of the new millennium, provoking responses that range from fist-pumping adoration to venom-laden criticism, all of which reinforce his well-established party line. With Math the Band and Aleister X. -- Brian Baker