Andrea Ball on The Deuce

My featured artist of the month, Andrea Ball, appeared on The Deuce in Colorado on Tuesday night.  She performed her new single "Dial Tone" from the album of the same name, which was released this week.  Be sure to pick up this great album on iTunes now and if you're in the Colorado area, come see Ball perform at Hi-Dive tomorrow night.

 

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Gone To South By

Idol Insider is headed to Austin for a jam packed weekend of fun at South By Southwest!  On our agenda: Perez Hilton's "One Night In Austin" with Snoop Dogg, Alphabeat, and a surprise guest (I'm salivating with anticipation), Metric playing at Stubb's, Free Sol, meetings with some of the hottest new bands emerging on the music scene and, of course, I'll be scouting new talent to bring to you on Idol Insider.

Some of our featured artists, including Houses, Matt Morris (with Dave Preston), and Andrea Ball, are also playing down at SXSW and we're hoping to stop by to show our Idol Insider support!  I'll catch you up when I get back - it'll feel as if you were right along side me all weekend long.  

Later ya'll!

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Idol Recap: Top 16

What is there to say about the Top 16 showdown on last week's American Idol? It was all wrong -- everything from song choice to the hopefuls that got the boot.  The girls kicked off the week with a mild "bang".  Most of the ladies failed to make any kind of impression, including Paige Miles, who butchered "Smile" the same way she's ruined every other song she's chosen over the past three weeks.  And Katie Stevens, once a front-runner, proved she doesn't have what it takes to take the title.  But sadly, neither of those ladies were sent packing, instead it was the most unique contestant, Lilly Scott, and Katelyn Epperly, who's talent is as big as her hair.  And after the votes were counted, I can confidently say America got this wrong - extremely wrong. 

The boys, who performed Wednesday night, had a similar evening -- lackluster and bland.  The stand outs of the night were Todrick Hall, Alex Lambert, who showed major improvement this week and showcased his incredible talent, and Michael Lynche.  Unfortunately Lynche's performance was then ruined by Kara's over-emotional critique that resembled tears that only Paula Abdul could let out.  And let's be honest, Lynche wasn't THAT good, but he did do the Maxwell hit justice, but he's not Idol material.  Remember Ruben Studdard, America loved what he represented on the show, but it failed to translate into sales.  And while Andrew Garcia didn't suck, his take on "Genie In A Bottle" came off as a desperate attempt to recreate his infamous "Straight Up" performance.  And when the two stand outs of the night were sent packing on Thursday's results show, I began to lose all hope in this season's showdown. 

Tonight the Top 12 take on hits of the Rolling Stones in the live performance show, sending one more hopeful packing tomorrow night.  And unless someone pulls out some major surprises tonight, I am shifting my support to Crystal Bowersox and Didi Benami for the remainder of the season - or the remainder of their stay on the show.  Sorry men, it's just not your year!  Hopefully with Paige Miles suffering from Laryngitis she'll finally be sent packing this week.  And Ke$ha and 3OH!3 will perform on the results show along with  David Cook who will return to the Idol stage. 

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Artist To Watch: Andrea Ball

Idol Insider is excited to bring you our new featured artist of the month, Andrea Ball. Ball is a self-described creative individual who “can’t seem to communicate the same way everyone else does”. Instead, she best communicates in beautifully crafted lyrics, telling a story with an arrangement, and expressing emotion with her performance, which is why the stage is where she feels most comfortable. And while she may feel “different from everyone else” at times, this is what makes Andrea Ball one of the music community’s most celebrated new stars.

We first discovered Ball in 2008, when her first LP titled Beat Beat Pound made its way to iTunes. A native to Denver, Colorado, Ball received praise from her local community as she performed at some of the city's most notable venues.  Just two years later, she is readying the release of her follow up LP, entitled Dial Tone, which continues to showcase her ability to write emotional, and very personal, tracks to tell a story through her music.  Dial Tone is a more grown up version of the singer-songwriter, as she takes what fans came to love about her on her first release and multiplied it by ten. The singer, who's voice could be compared to some of music's greatest talents, showcases a unique sound radio stations across the country are lacking.

In an interview, Ball describes the process of writing the new album, beginning with an idea of compiling a variety of love letters and basing songs on them.  The project organically grew and suddenly became very personal, focusing on her own love letters and experiences. And whether the letters tell stories of personal growth or leave a final word to past lovers, she pours her soul into the new compilation of perfectly blended tracks, which comes across loud and clear the first listen.

The title track, "Dial Tone",  represents the singer's attempt at finding her true self without the help, or direction, of those around her.  And to tie the album together she offers a bit of foreshadowing in the opening line, “put on your parachute”, illustrating the turbulent ride of emotions to come from the next 9 tracks - one of the final tracks is titled “Plane Crash”.  On "Glass Wall", one of the stand out tracks, the raw, emotional vocal almost emulates that of Fiona Apple on Tidal.  Sincerity in her performance makes Ball relevant and captivates her audience at every show. And while most artists tend to succumb to what's known as the "sophomore slump" on their second release, Ball shines brighter than before - the signs of a true star on the rise.

Plans to tour the new album include performing this week at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, a CD release concert in Denver, and a slew of other shows throughout the spring and summer. Having already opened for some big names in the industry, including Flobots, Matt Morris, Meiko, and Bowerbirds, it is clear that Andrea Ball is a name that will soon be headlining her own stage.

Denver fans can catch Andrea when she celebrates the release of her new record at Hi-Dive (7 S. Broadway) on March 26th.  And be sure to pick up a copy of Dial Tone on iTunes March 23rd.

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Idol Recap: Top 20

Idol kicked off this week with the news of Crystal Bowersox entering the hospital for what is rumored to be a severe case of diabetes.  The singer's illness left the producers unsure whether she'd be well enough to sing on last Tuesday's show, so they pulled a last minute switcheroo instructing the boys kick off the week.

And the boys seemed okay with the mix-up on Tuesday night's American Idol showdown, which brought out a smidge more talent than we saw in the first go around.  Unfortunately, compared to the show's previous seasons it is clear this crop of guys isn't going to leave viewers overly impressed.  The most improved was Alex Lambert, who probably should have been sent home after his disasterous performance last week.  But this week his nerves, while still present, were calmed by the addition of his guitar and he actually showcased a pretty solid tone in his voice that could very well win him a spot in the finals.  And while Lambert took a few giant steps forward, it was Kara "The Cougar" DioGuardi's fave Casey James who's rendition of Gavin DeGraw's "I Don't Wanna Be" under-delivered in a major way.  And the best of the evening belonged, once again, to Lee Dewyze, who impressed us with his calm, cool stage presence while showing off his talent on "Lips Of An Angel", a song that he himself could have had on the radio as a hit.

And after the boys called it a night, it was the girls turn to rise to the occasion.  Wednesday night kicked off with Bowersox, who was cleard by her docs only hours before the show to perform.  Crystal far and away is the most talented performer on the singing competition and will likely stick around through the rest of the season, so long as her "betes" - as she calls it - stays in control.  Following Crystal was the Vote For The Worst's choice, Haeley Vaughn, who chose to sing "Climb" by Miley Cyrus.  And much like Miley, Haeley didn't have much to offer in the talent department.  I want to feel for her, being from Colorado and all, but the performance was quite unfortunate.  My front runners from this week are another Colorado girl, Lilly Scott, Katie Stevens, and Siobhan Magnus, who is the clear dark horse this season.  And failing to impress, Lacey Brown's boring take on "Kiss Me" and Michelle Delamor's horrendous version of "With Arms Wide Open".

Thursday night provided little to no surprises, aside from the horrifying performance by last year's Danny Gokey, when John Park and Jermaine Sellers were sent home from the boys group - both failed in song choice - and Haeley Vaughn and Michelle Delamor from the girls.  And what will happen tonight as the Top 8 - Top 16 total - from each group plead one last plea before the Top 12 move to the Kodak Theater next week?  Will Tim Urban finally get the boot?  What will Katelyn Epperly wear, and will Kara approve? And will Ellen come up with an original thought?  Probably not, but it all goes down tonight on FOX!

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Idol Recap: Top 24

American Idol's ninth season officially kicked off last Tuesday, as 12 guys and 12 girls performed live for America.  The troupe of girls went first, performing a variety of songs chosen by them on Tuesday's performance show.  And there lies the problem: song choice.  An early Idol Insider front-runner, Ashley Rodriguez, chose to take on the power ballad "Happy", but failed to reproduce Leona Lewis' powerhouse chops.  Janell Wheeler, who was another favorite during Hollywood Week failed to create a star quality on stage, letting her nerves get the best of her.  Other early favorites, Lacey Brown and Katie Stevens, also failed to shine, picking songs that weren't suited for their talents.  And Crystal Bowersox, the girl with the jacked up teeth and dirty hair, actually showed off some originality, but failed to be authentic when picking the Alanis Morrisette classic. In fact, none of the girls really overly impressed in the first live show.  Whether nerves or song choice, the overall feeling of the night was bland.

And it didn't end with the show on Tuesday night.  Wednesday night's performance show, featuring the Top 12 boys, was even worse.  And not just because new judge Ellen DeGeneres has turned out to be such a boring, disappointing judge (I'm gonna give her time to grow, but she is better suited for her daytime gig than the Idol platform).  The boys, for the most part, seemed to be lacking the talent to be this far in the process, seeming more like the type of contestants you'd see getting the boot during the initial auditions.  Alex Lambert, probably the worst of the bunch, was so nervous that his performance came across like a 5 year old's debut in their school choir.  Did anyone else feel like he was going to burst into tears at any moment?  And Tim Urban, who replaced Chris GoLightly, proved why the judges didn't put him through the first time around: he sucks!  He couldn't even hit the notes in the song HE chose.  The night wasn't full of horrible talent, although nothing stands out as an Idol greatest moment.  Casey James showed some serious potential, but the Kara-Casey crush commentary needs to stop immediately.  Andrew Garcia still remains one of my top picks for the boys, although his song choice was less than stellar.  It was Todrick Hall who took on "Since U Been Gone" by original Idol, Kelly Clarkson, and turned it into a funky, R&B jam that actually sorta worked.  It wasn't surprising to see him stick around for this week's show.

However, on Thursday night, not everyone was quite as lucky: Janell Wheeler, Tyler Grady, Joe Munoz, and Ashley Rodriguez said goodbye to the hit show.  Munoz and Rodriguez being the obvious surprises, leaving both Tim Urban and Alex Lambert, who screamed out some profanities when finding out the news, untouched.  And tonight the process starts again as the Top 10 boys and Top 10 girls return for Round 2.  Will it be as bland as last week or will the contestants find their comfort on the Idol stage?  Will Haeley Vaughn finally sing without an annoying lisp or will she make her return to Colorado?  And will Alex Lambert keep his language under control?  Probably not.  It all goes down, starting tonight, on FOX.

And, don't forget, you can download your favorite Idol performances from each week's show on iTunes.  But don't expect them to sound exactly like the live performance.  It was recently uncovered that the Idol camp is touching up some of the live performances before sending them out for distribution. Rumored to have received the auto-tune treatment: Lee Dewyze, Haeley Vaughn, and Lacey Brown.  Meanwhile Alex Lambert and Tim Urban's ghastly performances were distributed as is - meaning don't download them.  Take a listen to the proof below.



UPDATE: A "medical issue" has prevented Crystal Bowersox from performing live tonight, so the boy will be going first this week.  Hopefully Crystal is well enough to perform tomorrow - I will keep you updated.

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How I Met Carrie Underwood

No, I didn't actually meet the country cutie.  Bummer! But I will be tuning in tonight when she appears on the CBS hit show How I Met Your Mother.  This will mark Underwood's first acting gig as she takes on the role of pharmaceutical sales rep, Tiffany, a new love interest of main character Ted.  Check out these teaser clips from tonight's show:

 

 

 
Later this summer Carrie will seen in her first feature film role when she co-stars in the movie Soul Surfer, the inspirational life story of the surfer, Bethany Hamilton, who lost her left arm in October 2003 to a tiger shark.  The singer will portray Sarah Hill, a counselor at Hamilton's church and best friend to the surfer chick.  The movie also stars Anna Sophia Robb, as the lead, Dennis Quaid, and Helen Hunt.   

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