Insight into my thoughts, rants, dreams and will include both written and video commentary in the coming months. Get ready, cause shit's about to get wildly inappropriate.
With a growing cult following, a North American tour and a new record in the works, Josiah Leming is anything but 'idle'. Find out more about this indie wonder-kid now.
Following her win on NBC's hit series The Voice and fronting the pop-rock band Hey Monday, Cassadee Pope is preparing her place in country music. With a new single, album on the way and summer tour with Rascal Flatts, she's off to a great start.
It's one of the most anticipated albums of the last 5 years, and now Justin Timberlake is readying the release of his third solo record, The 20/20 Experience with his new hit single "Suit & Tie".
After a whirlwind promotional tour surrounding the release of his new album, When Everything Breaks Open, Matt Morris has found his way back home to Denver, Colorado. In the past couple of months, Morris has gone from singer-songwriter to star - performing with Justin Timberlake on the Hope For Haiti Telethon, singing for Ellen DeGeneres, George Lopez, and David Letterman, and appearing on multiple local and cable shows. But it was in his hometown where the very humble and grounded performer got to experience some of his new found popularity for, what seemed like, the first time.
On Thursday night, he stopped by one of Denver's premier venues, The Bluebird Theater, performing his new music to a SOLD OUT crowd, who were captivated by the 30 year old as he put on a seriously good show. There were times during the show that you could practically hear the jaws dropping to the floor as the new fans experienced his live performance for the first time - and in the audience: Issac Slade of The Fray. Matt closed out Thursday's show with my two favorite tracks from the disc - his new single "Live Forever" and "Eternity".
On Friday night, Matt stopped by local record store Twist & Shout, which also happens to be the only place in town to pick up the CD - and vinyl, too - in stores, to do an encore performance for those that missed out on the previous night's showcase. Matt invited his fellow Denver musicians, Brer Rabbit and Jonny 5 of Flobots, on stage at both shows, singing a new version of "In This House" which begs for a release. The intimate setting was the perfect place to wrap up his initial promotional tour for the album.
One of the nicest, most down to earth people I know, Matt Morris deserves every bit of what is coming his way - fame, fortune, and a lifetime of doing what he loves: sharing his music with the world. I hope to be able to get to know this genuine artist better over the coming months and will continue to share his gift with my readers. In the meantime, you can check out a bit of last night's show below.
American Idol goes live tonight for it's first round of contestants singing for America's votes. First up, the girls will face off in a 2-hour episode that is rumored to feature songs by Michael Buble and Leona Lewis. Then, tomorrow night, the boys take the stage to croon their way to the top, which will feature Alex Lambert's version of Etta James' "At Last" and Joe Munoz taking on The Who. Thursday's results show will feature last year's Allison Iraheta our current Idol, Kris Allen, who are likely coming to hock their struggling albums. Apparently not even Idol producers believe in their albums enough to give them their own night. Ouch!
Oh, and this year, you can follow the contestants on Facebook and Twitter - their Twitter names are:
Andrew Garcia: @AGarciaAI9
Katie Stevens: @KStevensAI9
Michael Lynche: @MLyncheAI9
Didi Benami: @DBenamiAI9
Haeley Vaughn: @HVaughnAI9
Tim Urban: @TUrbanAI9
Katelyn Epperly: @KEpperlyAI9
Aaron Kelly: @AKellyAI9
Lee Dewyze: @LDewyzeAI9
Todrick Hall: @THallAI9
Janell Wheeler: @JWheelerAI9
Tyler Grady: @TGradyAI9
Lacey Brown: @LBrownAI9
Ashley Rodriguez: @ARodriguezAI9
Alex Lambert: @ALambertAI9
Joe Munoz: @JMunozAI9
Crystal Bowersox: @CBowersoxAI9
Lilly Scott: @LScottAI9
Paige Miles: @PMilesAI9
Siobhan Magnus: @SMagnusAI9
Michelle Delamor: @MDelamorAI9
Jermaine Sellers: @JSellersAI9
John Park: @JParkAI9
Casey James: @CJamesAI9
Adding the social media platform to the mix is a delightful addition to the competition this year and it will be interesting to see how it plays out. Now, let the games begin (no, not THOSE games - those are coming to an end)!!
The dynamic duo, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, have teamed up again on the rapper/producer's latest album, Shock Value II. The single "Carry On" is the latest track from the disc to debut a video, which features Mr. JT himself. The two first teamed up on Timbaland's single, "Give It To Me", which also featured Nelly Furtado.
American Idol Season 9 contestant, Angela Martin, came into Hollywood week hoping that this year would be her year. Martin, who has tried out for the show three years running and made it to Hollywood each year, has overcome a lot of struggle - her dad was murdered one week before her first shot at the Top 24 and traffic violations landed her in jail her second go around.
This year it seemed the Idol hopeful's dreams were going to come true - she got plenty of on-air time during the audition process and seemed to be a favorite among the judges. So when Kara DioGuardi moved from her seat across from Martin on the Kodak Theater stage to sit next to her, viewers were shocked to hear that she wasn't going to be going through to the live broadcast. Being Angela's last chance, due to her age, to appear on the hit television show, it was devastating news - for Angela, some of the judges, as well as the viewers who have come to connect with her emotional story.
But all may not be lost for Martin. Another Idol judges, Ellen DeGeneres had Martin on her show today and delivered a pretty huge surprise. One that will surely garner some jealousy among some of the other hopefuls that didn't make it - and maybe even those that did. Watch the clip below to see how Ellen and Kara change this young lady's life.
Last night, the Top 24 contestants were named for Season 9 of American Idol, and after speculation about the future of the juggernaut's ratings (with the absence of Paula Abdul and the announcement of Simon Cowell's departure), the world tuned in in droves to catch the new lineup of hopefuls. Idol beat out the Olympics in the ratings war indicating the series is still a top contender for the Spring schedule.
Next week, the girls will face off in the first live telecast of the season on Tuesday, while the boys take on Wednesday night - with results on Thursday night. The three night event will showcase the new hopefuls singing for your votes in to the finals, and those hopefuls are:
And after many internet rumors, it looks like Michael Lynche - his dad confirmed his participation in the Top 24 on a radio show last month - will NOT be disqualified for his father's error, at least not for now. However, Season 9 hopeful, Chris Golightly has been let go from the series and Tim Urban is stepping into replace him. It seems Golightly may have already been in contracts with another label during his stint on Idol.
Be sure to watch all the action on next week's live show as we begin the countdown to our new American Idol. *cue music*
Britney Spears, who became the face of Candie's brand last year, is preparing to launch a new Candies at Kohl's campaign, "Through The Lens". The singer, who was just named the Sexiest Woman in Music by Billboard Magazine, debuted some hot new photos on her website, taken by Annie Leibovitz, while the Candies site includes a teaser for the upcoming campaign to launch the brand's spring line. The full campaign and images should be released soon. Extra and Access Hollywood stopped by on the set of the new photoshoot to catch up with the pop singer - videos below.
A few weeks ago, it was announced that the Spice Girls would make a big announcement. And after some hold up due to scheduling conflicts, it has been confirmed that the Spice Girls will reunite. However, the reunion will not actually feature the girls on stage together, but instead its their music that will be reunited with audiences across the world in a new musical headed to the West End sometime in 2012.
The stage production will be named after the group's 1998 hit "Viva Forever" and will be created by Mamma Mia! producer Judy Craymer. All of the girls are excited about the project and think its a great way to pay tribute to their now classic pop tunes. And although the show will be based on the girls' songs,the rest of the show will be fictional, in much the same way Mamma Mia! is with Abba's songs. Craymer said, "I want to create a unique celebration of the band and its music, with its own flavor and joyful message. It is important to me that the excitement, style and humor of the Spice Girls is well represented on stage."
Songs that are rumored to be transformed into stage productions include the mega successful debut hit "Wannabe" as well as "2 Become 1", "Viva Forever", "Mama", "Spice Up Your Life", and "Say You'll Be There".
At last night's Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, the new version of "We Are the World", written by Michael Jackson, premiered. It's circling around the net and we have it for you here, check out the new recording, which features Celine Dion, Nicole Scherzinger, Jennifer Hudson, P!nk, Fergie, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Kanye West, Katharine McPhee, and many more.
Rihanna's new single "Rude Boy" is quickly making its way up the Hot 100 chart and now she's giving us some "boom, boom, boom" in a video to accompany the jam. The video, a modern throw back on the 80's, reminds me of something we'd see from rapper/singer MIA and shows off a sexy, yet still hard version of the once Good Girl Gone Bad. The song wasn't initially a favorite from her new disc, Rated R, but it's slowly growing on me - giving me what I "want, want, want".
Ellen joins the judges panel on tonight's American Idol as the contestants begin the grueling rounds of Hollywood Week. And while Ellen was excited to join the juggernaut series, it seems all is not well between her and Britain's bad boy, Simon Cowell. It was recently reported that the two are not speaking to each other after Simon arrived an hour and a half late for the first taping. The talk show host was greatly annoyed with British bully's tardiness and insisted the producers begin without him. Once Simon arrived, things were tense and continued to escalate from there. A source from the series says, "It's a lot more tense than previous seasons. It seems as if Ellen has decided to try to take control since Simon is on his way out and that's created problems".
And as if Simon's departure from the show wasn't a big enough blow, it is being rumored that Howard Stern is being courted to take over next season. Stern announced that it is being talked about and that he'd love to do it, but would require a $100 Million paycheck. I just hope FOX can't find the dough - Stern would completely drive the show into the ground. First Ellen, then Stern? It's a music related show, launching some of today's biggest names. It seems producers are losing site of that and looking for someone to create hype over.
Tune in tonight to see how Ellen pairs with the panel on an all new American Idol, tonight on FOX.
Today the New Orleans Saints will take on the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl. To kick off football's biggest day, Carrie Underwood will sing the national anthem and Queen Latifah will perform "America the Beautiful". In a press conference before the big game, a reporter asked Carrie what her thoughts were on the global phenomenon "Pants On The Ground", seen during the auditions of this year's Idol. Watch to see Underwood's response.
E! News also reported on the star studded game, which will feature many celebrity fans including Rihanna, who tore up a performance a couple nights ago to kick off the celebrations in Miami. And who did Carrie turn to for advice about hitting the right notes in the opening ceremony - find out below.
Kelly Clarkson, the world's first American Idol, is creating quite a bit of buzz over a post on her blog earlier today. The post inspired by comments made by Big Machine Records CEO, Scott Borchetta. Borchetta became defensive over the critically slammed performance by Taylor Swift at Sunday's Grammy's ceremony. Swift, a Big Machine recording artist, choked her way through a duet with the legendary Stevie Nicks, leaving critics and fans unimpressed and questioning why the artist continues to receive praise for her work. Borchetta was quoted, saying:
“This is not American Idol. This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and writer and communicator. It's not about that technically perfect performance. The facts say she is the undisputed best communicator that we’ve got. When she says something, when she sings something, when she feels something, it affects more people than anybody else. Maybe she’s not the best technical singer, but she’s probably the best emotional singer because everybody else who gets up there and is technically perfect, people don’t seem to want more of it. If you pick any of those artists that performed [at the Grammys], I’m sure you can go online and find something where you go, ‘ew.’ Maybe in that moment we didn’t have the best night. But in the same breath, maybe we did. And nobody is arguing with the awards."
Umm...I am. Taylor Swift continues to get recognized for her work as a vocalist and her own camp can't even defend her horrible "technical" ability. I'll give her this, she writes a mean pop/country song, but from what I've seen so far, that's where it ends. The girl should stay in the backdrop because one more screeching performance from her could ruin my awards watching experiences for good.
But enough about me, it was Kelly Clarkson who did not take kindly to the American Idol comment, leading her to post this on her blog:
"Wow …..Dear Scott Borchetta,
I understand defending your artist obviously because I have done the same in the past for artists I like, including Taylor, so you might see why its upsetting to read you attacking American Idol for producing simply vocalists that hit ‘the high notes’. Thank you for that ‘Captain Obvious’ sense of humor because you know what, we not only hit the high notes, you forgot to mention we generally hit the ‘right’ notes as well. Every artist has a bad performance or two and that is understandable, but throwing blame will not make the situation at hand any better. I have been criticized left and right for having shaky performances before (and they were shaky) and what my manager or label executives say to me and the public is “I’ll kick butt next time” or “every performance isn’t going to be perfect”. I bring this up because you should take a lesson from these people and instead of lashing out at other artists (that in your ‘humble’ opinion lack true artistry), you should simply take a breath and realize that sometimes things won’t go according to plan or work out and that’s okay.
Sincerely,
One of those contestants from American Idol who only made it because of her high notes "
The internet pubs, blogs, and twitters went wild with the news trying to pit Clarkson against Swift, but it was the Texas native that came to Taylor's defense when Kanye West took her award at last year's VMA's. Sources close to Borchetta are saying that he was not trying to attack all of the Idols, instead focusing on just one - Carrie Underwood, who is probably the best technical singer currently in the genre.
The newly engaged Carrie Underwood is readying the release of her latest hit, "Temporary Home". The video for the single made its way to the internet yesterday, so of course we have to share it with you. The second single from the singer's third album, Play On, is a touching ballad about the various hardship that people go through. The video accompanies the song beautifully, illustrated by Underwood, who shows off a bit of her acting chops near the end. Check out the video below and let me know your thoughts on the her new single and her acting abilities.
The Simon Cowell produced charity single, "Everybody Hurts", will be available for digital download on Sunday. The R.E.M. classic has been updated and features Leona Lewis, Mariah Carey, Cheryl Cole, Mika, Michael Buble, Joe McElderry, Miley Cyrus, James Blunt, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Jon Bon Jovi, James Morrison, Susan Boyle, Aston Merrygold, Marvin Humes, Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kylie Minogue, and Robbie Williams. The video below features the radio rip of the song from the UK's Radio1 for you to preview.
It's a great arrangement and so great to continue to see celebrities using their names for a good cause. Remember to continue to give what you can to those suffering in Haiti. The smallest good will can go a long way. The single is now available on iTunes for digital download and the heartbreaking video is below.
Last night marked the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards live on CBS. The performances were great, the acceptance speeches were short, and the house was packed with A-List stars. While the rumors that Britney Spears would perform turned out false, yet again, the starlet did attend the ceremony and the night had some great performances. Some of the highlights included Green Day's "21 Guns" as it will appear in the upcoming stage production American Idiot, P!nk's aerial performance, Black Eyed Peas and Lady Antebellum singing their hits "I Gotta Feeling" and "Need You Now".
My favorite performance of the night was the 3-D tribute to Michael Jackson featuring Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion, Usher, Jennifer Hudson, and Smoky Robinson. Mostly because it gave me the chance to see what it would like to have Carrie in my living room.
I also enjoyed seeing these two divas share the stage in what was a great opening to the show. Lady Gaga and Elton John burned it up with a great piano medley.
And Beyonce's "If I Were A Boy/You Oughta Know" medley rocked (literally) as well.
And while I'm still unsure why Taylor Swift continues to take some of the biggest awards in music - she won Album of the Year after the most embarrassing performance of the night (she couldn't hold a note while trying to keep up with the legendary Stevie Nicks) - the night had some very deserving winners. A full list of winners is below.
After a whirlwind promotional tour surrounding the release of his new album, When Everything Breaks Open, Matt Morris has found his way back home to Denver, Colorado. In the past couple of months, Morris has gone from singer-songwriter to star - performing with Justin Timberlake on the Hope For Haiti Telethon, singing for Ellen DeGeneres, George Lopez, and David Letterman, and appearing on multiple local and cable shows. But it was in his hometown where the very humble and grounded performer got to experience some of his new found popularity for, what seemed like, the first time.
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