The ever-sarcastic taste-makers at Blender out the 25 biggest rock wusses — ever — in their August issue. No. 1? Sweet baby James "my-wife-made-me-sing-'Mockingbird' " Taylor.

Rounding out the top five: Nick Lachey, Dan Fogelberg, Boyz II Men and Peter Cetera. Natalie Merchant (No. 22) and Hilary Duff (No. 10) were the only females making the cut.

Metallica (No. 17) got in for paying a "life coach" 40 grand a month to stop James and Lars from harshing on each other, and then filming it for the documentary "Some Kind of Monster." Even Bread (No. 19) fared better.

— Derek Paiva

NOT GETTING ENOUGH SURF TIME?

The publishers of FreeSurf magazine and producer of Board Stories TV have launched a new surf show, Billabong Surf TV, on OC16.

The Hawai'i-based program will cover both the local and international surf scene, mixing free-surf with pro contest footage.

— Catherine E. Toth

FINAL WORD

"I am a very private person."

Maynard James Keenan | lead singer of Tool, headed for Honolulu to play two shows, Aug. 18 and 19, at the Blaisdell Concert Hall