Idol Headlines for 07/14/09
Listen Up: Daughtry doesn’t travel far on ‘Leave This Town’
There’s an old rule of thumb that says rock stars appeal mostly to guys and pop stars appeal mostly to girls. If that’s the case, where do you stick an act like Daughtry, a rock band whose records don’t get played on rock radio but whose 2006 debut has sold more, at 4.5 million copies, than almost any other rock album of the past three years?
Leave This Town (* * 1/2 out of four) ‘†the band’s second album and first recorded with drummer Joey Barnes, bassist Josh Paul and guitarists Josh Steely and Brian Craddock, all of whom signed on after singer Chris Daughtry finished cutting his debut ‘†does little to answer that question. In fact, it mostly muddies the waters.
Daughtry settles into new, more personal ‘Town’
Chris Daughtry didn’t realize he had vocal talent until he was in his early teens. “But I always had this dream of doing something big,” he says. “And I knew that doing anything big would require me to leave the small town I grew up in.”
Hence Leave This Town, the title of his band Daughtry’s new album, out today. It’s the follow-up to his self-titled 2006 debut, which went five-times platinum.
American Idols Live tour hits Utah
Danny Gokey may have finished third on the recently completed eighth season of “American Idol.” He was voted off of the show in the next-to-last episode, leaving the flamboyant Adam Lambert and Kris Allen to battle it out for the title on the season finale.
So it might seem as if Gokey was never really a central part of the conversation about who would win this past season.
Had he beaten out Allen to reach the finals, Gokey thinks he might well be wearing the “Idol” crown.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Adam Lambert Dogged by Diva Claims on “American Idols Live!” Tour
Adam Lambert’s outrageous attitude is infuriating the other finalists on the “American Idols Live!” tour, a report from the National Enquirer claims. The sexy young singer rarely shows up for rehearsals, makes comments implying he’s better than the other “Idol” singers, and frequently gripes about his wardrobe and makeup, according to an insider cited by the magazine.
The diva claims continue to dog Adam, and the insider is willing to speak. ‘It’s so frustrating! The other ‘Idol’ finalists work their butts off for hours every day rehearsing for the tour, but Adam rarely shows up for practice,’ said the source.
This week’s American Idol airplay chart
This week’s American Idol airplay chart doesn’t have a lot of movement. In fact, the top eight spots are the same as on last week’s chart. The only debut in the top half of the chart comes from Jennifer Hudson, with her performance of Will You Be There from the Michael Jackson memorial service.
Way down in the bottom rungs of the chart, a handful of stations have begun toying with Kelly Clarkson’s Already Gone.
‘American Idols’ Live Tour 2009-video highlights, plus more Matt Giraud news
We’re only six shows into the “American Idols” Live Tour 2009, and already Kalamazoo’s Matt Giraud is distinguishing himself as a fan favorite among the “American Idol” Top 10 finalists who are on tour this summer.
The video highlights of Matt, Kris Allen, Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta, Lil Rounds, Megan Joy, Anoop Desai, Scott MacIntyre and Michael Sarver have been fun to watch on YouTube.
Son Volt’s ‘American Central Dust’ new on CD
“Leave This Town” (19/RCA) is the second album by Daughtry, the band fronted by former “American Idol” favorite Chris Daughtry that carries his name and his unmistakable Neanderthal-chic scent. The 2006 Daughtry debut album was a robust celebration of stoicism, hardy even when tender. And Daughtry is often a tremendous singer, matching the triumphalist impulses of Jon Bon Jovi with the persistent tonal misery of Staind’s Aaron Lewis. In the late 1990s not only would Daughtry have been one of the era’s best-selling acts but also one of its most emotionally resonant.
A decade later Daughtry is an anachronism and plenty content with his blinders.
Daughtry: Bright Lights, Big ‘Town’
Back in the fall of ‘06, when Chris Daughtry released his grunge-riffic debut, “Daughtry,” most of the accompanying debate centered on whether the “American Idol” finalist would have any credibility as a rock singer. He didn’t, as it turns out, but he didn’t need it: “Daughtry,” technically the product of a band for which Chris Daughtry serves as the singer, sold 4 million copies and birthed a follow-up, the far superior, marginally more rocking “Leave This Town.”
Album review: Daughtry’s ‘Leave This Town’
Daughtry_240_ To understand the sensibility Daughtry brings to hard rock, read the acknowledgments in the CD booklet for “Leave This Town.” Every member of the band put together by Chris Daughtry, the chart-topping former “American Idol” contestant, thanks his wife profusely — except for the drummer Joey Barnes, who expresses deep gratitude to a spouse he hasn’t yet met.
What happened to the stripper-worshiping hedonism of hair metal, or even the lonely, monkish pose those messy ’90s grunge rockers struck? Daughtry and his boys are marriage maniacs. That’s what gives this band its pioneering edge, despite the utter predictability of its music.
Daughtry keeps things comfortable
Leave This Town, online and in stores today, doesn’t stray far from the blustery blueprint set by 2006’s self-titled disc: heartache and a little hope, crashing guitars offset by intimate interludes. But it doesn’t necessarily signify a lack of growth. Rather, Daughtry is simply sharpening its sound, building on a sturdy, if safe, framework.
Jordin Sparks: Love/Love is A Battlefield
Whether it was her overly emotive performance or clear Pat Benatar riffs, I hated “Battlefield” the first time I heard Jordin Sparks it on “American Idol.” In the months since it has not only become one of the most played songs on my iPod, but also the track I most often hope comes on next.
Now, with only eight days to go until Jordin Sparks sophomore CD hits stores, she is on full court promotion press, culminating at the 2009 Arthur Ashe Kids Day on Aug. 29. The annual tennis and musical festival will see more celebs than ever before this year as Jordin is joined by Will Ferrell, Andy Roddick and Honor Society to help kick off the US Open.
VIDEO: Elliott Yamin sings ‘You Say’
Check out Elliott Yamin’s new video “You Say” from his “Fight for Love” album, which was released May 5. “You Say” was the first single off the record in Japan, where Yamin recently toured.
Please join us this Wednesday at noon PDT for a live chat with Elliott Yamin!
Kelly Clarkson is Letterman Lovely
Kelly Clarkson waves to fans and photographers before taping her performance on Late Show With David Letterman at the Ed Sullivan Theater on Monday (July 13) in New York City.
Celebrity Performer Duo Receives MDA Directors’ Awards
The Muscular Dystrophy Association has awarded its highest philanthropic achievement honor, the MDA Directors’ Award, to two entertainment industry celebrities.
Alison Sweeney and Ace Young were honored for their outstanding contributions to MDA’s battle against muscular dystrophy and related disease . The award recognizes philanthropic contributions in the areas of corporate and organizational sponsorship, media and entertainment industry support, and personal fundraising.
Exclusive Interview: Caitlin Kinney of So You Think You Can Dance
Last week I had the pleasure of sitting and chatting with Caitlin Kinney, the latest girl to be eliminated from So You Think You Can Dance.
From the moment she stepped on stage during try-outs, Caitlin made an impression on the judges and America with her expressive dance and explosive tumbling passes. After starting the season strong with a precise and passionate Bollywood routine, Caitlin and her partner Jason were plagued by the “dance hat of death.” The couple only danced one routine, their last, in their genre–though Caitlin proved week after week that she could dance just about whatever genre was thrown at her.
‘So You Think You Can Dance’: Final thoughts from Phillip Chbeeb and Caitlin Kinney
On Friday, the latest eliminated dancers from “So You Think You Can Dance,” Phillip Chbeeb and Caitlin Kinney, chatted on a conference call with journalists about their experiences on the show and more. Here are a few excerpts:
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How cozy! Maybe Kris will lend them the headphone splitters!
This. It is an old interview and we already had an article just a week or so ago bringing up the same quotes, but also with alot of the author’s slant in it that people seemed to confuse for Danny’s current sentiments.
I agree that Danny was responding to a specific question. He has never done anything but compliment Adam as a singer/artist….and compliment him highly. While I don’t necessarily know who would have won if it had come down to Adam and Danny, I do think Danny would have had a good chance. People who want to say that Kris’s fans would not vote for Danny because Adam and Kris are such good friends, seem to not realize that the casual veiwer would have no idea based on just watching the show alone that Adam and Kris were such good friends. IT’s the Internet peeps that know and care who is friends with whom. And I personally think the the outcome is based more on casual veiwers. Heck, we already know that if the obsessed Internet peeps decided the outcome, Danny would never have made top 3.
Josie, I had to lol at your comment that you read the Danny articles very carefully so that you know what you are going to have to deal with. Word.
Short, amusing interview of Chris Daughtry in current Newsweek. He talks about twitter, Kris and Adam, and a few other things.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/206159
It’s a labor of love aek, labor of love.
Funny video of the guys without scott
http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/4TvR1Nc36rUI0NYt
thanks hwc for helping me discover ryan adams. i start the day by listening to When The Stars Go Blue
any other similar artists you recommend?
I love you Q3 but I don’t see the fact Adam is driving one is going to impact Mustang car sales by THAT much – Ford got the primary bang for their buck in their overall involvement as a sponsor of the show and the weekly videos – the Fusion and Fusion Hybrid is going to sell more with the overall demographic of Idol than the Mustang, because of cost and because Hybrid makes you a good citizen of the world. The Mustang is a fun car for people who can still afford fun cars along with the insurance. Sporty car always equal higher insurance premium or it does here.
Have you ever bought a car because your favourite celebrity is driving it? I certainly have not. Now I will admit the Escalade has benefitted from being the favoured car of the hip hop rapper set but that is because all those guys were featuring those cars in videos and singing about Escalades so the brand name was being repeated constantly – but it also means the Escalade is the favourite target of thieves, certainly is around here. Maybe Ford needs a new hip artist to sing about Ford Mustangs. Plus there are probably more celebrities driving Hybrid cars right now than other cars or at least they make sure they are seen driving their Hybrid cars around Hollywood – the list is long, I remember at least one of the magazines did an article on it.
Mustangs, even the cheapest model, are not cheap and I suspect males of a certain age are the primary buyers and those are not Idol watchers nor the kind of guys impressed by who else is driving the Mustang and certainly not be impressed that an Idol runnerup is driving it, they are more concerned about impressing the neighbour down the road or reliving their youth when perhaps they owned a Mustang. And yes there are women out there driving Mustangs too, of all ages. Because it is a pretty car with history.