Todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Idol headlines after the jumpà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦
Clarkson Proves, Yet Again, She’s Got Pipes
….Now, after concert promoter Live Nation pulled the plug on Clarkson’s planned summer tour, she has to prove this fall that she has the goods in concert. She did so with impressive confidence Sunday at Mohegan Sun, where the 25-year-old singer transcended the manufactured TV hype, music-biz politics and general buffoonery of popular culture to reveal the real reason for her success: The girl can sing…..
Twists, turns make Underwood’s ‘Carnival Ride’ a musical joy
In many ways, Carrie Underwood’s “Carnival Ride” is the quintessential “American Idol” product. It’s a broad, slickly produced, unabashedly populist CD with appeal that cuts a wide swath across a number of key demographic groups, and Underwood — unlike that rabble-rouser Kelly Clarkson — happily abides by all the rules laid out before her.
That’s not to take anything away from Underwood. Rather, she seems to completely understand her place in the pop music world and how she got there, and instead of going all personal on her sizable fan base, she simply delivers them more of what they want. And just in time for the impending holiday sales rush, no less……
Carrie Underwood is atop a ‘Carnival Ride’
….But “Carnival Ride” makes it clear, to paraphrase Underwood’s one co-writer on “Some Hearts,” she ain’t in Checotah anymore. While the hurriedly made first album had an organic feel and ingà ©nue’s charm, “Carnival Ride” sounds far more studied, even as it also showcases Underwood’s growth as a vocalist. She considers it to be more country than her debut….
Underwood’s Second CD Highly Anticipated
Carrie Underwood’s 2nd Album, `Carnival Ride,’ Among The Year’s Most Anticipated Releases
…But Underwood says she won’t make the mistake of measuring success strictly by the numbers, especially since her debut set the bar improbably high.
“Even if it doesn’t sell as many, I feel like we’ve made a better album, which is what you want to do. You want to keep getting better and have better songs and keep sounding better and moving forward. So even if we don’t reach the numbers, I’m definitely still very pleased with it. I don’t think it will be a letdown at all.”
The first single, “So Small,” is No. 5 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and rising. Like her breakthrough hit “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” the lyrics and the music are uplifting, proclaiming “when you figure out love is all that matters after all, it sure makes everything else seem so small.”
The track is one of four that Underwood co-wrote, a step up from her one co-write on the debut. In fact, she had a larger hand in the whole project because there was much more time compared to the tight schedule after her “American Idol” win in 2005.
“I was in the studio whether we were recording or not. If Mark (producer Mark Bright) was doing something I’d come by and listen to the background vocals that were being put down, and if I found something I didn’t like maybe I’d tell the background vocalists that I think it would sound better if we did it like this,” she says. “Mark was super open because it’s my voice and my album, and in the end I’m the one who should be most pleased with it.”…
Will Rocket Be The Next Great American Band?
Imagine our surprise when we discovered from the LA Times’ Buzz Bands blog last week that our friends Rocket were not only on the new tv show The Next Great American Band but they had made it pretty far already……….
Music Review: Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood, “Carnival Ride” (Arista)
After the six-million-selling “Some Hearts,” where the “American Idol” champ sparked arguments about whether she was country or pop, her second album goes out of its way to prove sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹s as down home as any of her Nashville peers……
Stargazing: Helio Castroneves splits with real-life partner, Tim Gunn on being gay in the fashion world, Bo Bice release
…Bo knows à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ good health
Bo Biceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“See the Lightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ is available starting today at Wal-Mart, and the former à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“American Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ contestant is feeling even better about feeling good. Late last year he had emergency intestinal surgery that seems to have helped a health problem heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s had since childhood.
About Last Night: Weekend Edition
…But the problem NGAB will have compared with Idol is that the band format is inherently less dramatic than seeing a lone singer out on a stage. The quality of musicianship was fair, certainly of a higher level that what Idol features in its auditions, but no one was especially memorable. The producers tried to get around this problem by picking groups that can stand out demographically–”the girl rockers”, ‘the kids”, “the country brothers”–but I don’t think anyone here is going to create a Sanjaya-like buzz. The ratings were pretty terrible, but since it’s on Fridays and Fox, to put it mildly, owes a lot to Idol, I don’t see it disappearing. Prediction: the country band Sixwire to win…
Meet The Skaneatles, And 59 Other Bands That Want You To Love Them
Welcome to our inaugural recap of The Next Great American Band, the American Idol spinoff that will give one lucky act the chance to achieve the same level of stardom as Taylor Hicks. First up: Friday night’s audition episode. Now, given that in the Idol world, those episodes usually draw in the trainwreck-hunting masses by the boatload, a non-Idol-like 2.0 rating makes me wonder if this show will even last long enough to get an official site that isn’t on MySpace. Oh well, at least Zolar X finally got the national TV time they’ve deserved for so long:
Rick Denzien Heads To Hollywood For Awards Show
…New Music Weekly magazine, sponsor of the New Music Awards, has announced 2007 nominees for the prestigious awards, including Fergie, Pink, Maroon Five, Elliott Yamin, Amy Winehouse, Daughtry and Bon Jovi among the pop nominees, while emerging indie artists as Rose Moore is nominated for Best New Artist. Categories also include Country, College, and Top 40. The New Music Awards ceremony takes place on November 10th, 2007 at the Avalon Theater in Hollywood, California.
The public has access to vote in support of their favorite New Music Awards nominees, in which such votes can be placed at www.newmusicawards.com/main.html by clicking on the Vote Now button. Please place your votes in support of independent artists…
Fair attendance breaks records
Good Weather – Great Gates
…CONCERTS: An “unprecedented” five of the nine performances in Dorton Arena sold out, said Brian Long, spokesman for the state agriculture department.
Roanoke Rapids rocker Chris Daughtry’s concert sold out in four days when ticket sales opened online last month. Albemarle native Kellie Pickler’s new country concert was more down to the wire but sold out before she took the stage Tuesday…
CONFIDENT BUT NOT CARRIE-D AWAY
ON her debut album, Carrie Underwood allowed Jesus to take the wheel. For her follow-up, “Carnival Ride,” which hits stores today, she’s driving. “I got the chance to write a lot more for this album than I did the first, which was great,” says Underwood. Her first effort, 2005’s “Some Hearts,” earned the country singer and former “American Idol” winner two Grammys and a host of other accolades while going platinum six times over, becoming the fastest-selling debut country album in Nielsen SoundScan history…….
SEND-OFF SURPRISE
“AMERICAN Idol” alum Fantasia Barrino brought down the house at Tillman’s Bar & Lounge during a send-off party for her “Color Purple” co-star Kimba Shannon. She jumped onstage the other night to toast her pal and gave an impromptu performance of songs from the show, in which she plays Celie, bringing the crowd to tears. Shannon’s new gig will be as a dancer on Celine Dion’s tour.
“Next Great American Band” surpasses “Idol”
Strictly from a mechanical point of view, there is about as much creativity in producing “The Next Great American Band” as there is in making an ice cube. Practically every detail of the series, which premiered Friday, came straight from the “American Idol” playbook, even down to the demeanor of the host and each of the three judges.
But what this show lacks in imagination it makes up for in casting. While “Band” mimics “Idol,” it also surpasses it in virtually every respect. It has better judges, a better host, sharper storytelling and editing that is at least as smart…..
Fo sho….
Chicklets anyone?
ETA:
Fire ant bites to prove it…laugh my fire ant biten ass off.
:lol_tb:
Boulder – You’re quick!
I have no idea who this Real Celine is, but why is ***à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fugly dog humping her foot?
OMG… Keep em comin Boulder.
OMG. My head is trying to wrap around today’s conversation on music. I can’t speak to the topic of what is “real” or what isn’t “real” since it all exists and is therefore “real.”
I don’t see anything any of the idols have produced (before or after their Idol stints) as innovative or unique. It’s all derivative. So, I guess you pick what you floats your boat. I know Carrie has a better voice, but I prefer to listen to Kellie’s CD. I’ve heard pre-AI Taylor and the songs were nice, but not breaking any ground. Daughtry has a nice voice, but I don’t care for his kind of rock.
Whether you think it’s better to have “pros” writing the songs for your fave or you prefer them to write their own derivative songs, I guess that’s an argument that I don’t think will get anywhere.
To me, listening to music is all about where you’re at at a given time. If I’m in CVS, I have no choice. But if I’m home and feeling melancholy, I may put on some Patsy. If I’m feeling groovy, I may put on something like “Blue Lines” by Massive Attack. Or if I’m in a cleaning frenzy, I may put on the Ramones.
Artists can transcend cheesy songs, too. I loved Marty Casey’s take on Britney’s “Hit me baby one more time.” He was so upset when he got that song, but he totally made it something else. And he rocked the guyliner! Hee!
My cleaning music is the Romantics or CC Music Factory – lol
Lu, LOL. Christina’s “Back to Basics” is excellent cleaning music as well!
Good to have you back!
Yay, Lu! Happy about Morgan!
Wish I could help with the ex, but I was supposed to off someone in Chi-town and failed to get the Mayor to help, so I’m useless in that regard.
Here’s Marty’s version of “Hit Me Baby One More Time.”
http://youtube.com/watch?v=d8AvxF4FWEA
For interested parties, of course…
Am having trouble with THUMBSNAP website, so not sure if this will work. But, it is worth a shot.
Remember this Elliott CD cover? In the old days, it set off a flurry of fire ant attacks. lol
Boulder, it didn’t work for me. Try imageshack.us for images.
I can’t get that link to work Boulder… but once I can I may have to set loose the fireants!
Wondering… what in the world is that CD cover going to look like…
OK, here it is. Elliott’s CD cover that, long ago, set off a series of fire ant attack.
LMAO! That’s so cute. I don’t see why that would set off fire ants. :rolleyes_wp:
LOL. Neither do I. Yet, most things the yaminions did were difficult to explain.
Whew, thank goodness I wasn’t the only one that felt like I’d stumbled into a scene from The Matrix!
I was just a lurker (I think) back then and didn’t even know what/who the Yaminions were but the Elliott snark used to hurt because he was the only unsigned one of the top four. I don’t remember that cover (looks cute now) but it went along with all those “pundits” who predicted no future for Elliott. I remember some self appointed music biz exec who said only Paris was worth signing and some guy with initials who was full of dire carp. No excuse for fire ants but E fans were more sensitive back in the day.
jpfan, try being an Ace fan right now. :razz_wp: I would love a Boulderchop of Ace doing something goofy.
However, I’m off to bed and I will leave y’all with this excellent performance of Marty doing the Killers acoustic (I know there are some Marty fans out there).
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-u030JQMyhA
I hope GAB can hold my interest. So far, it hasn’t been as good as the Rock Star shows for me. Still reserving judgement, though.
I didn’t know whoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ or whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ the yaminions were either (which got me in hot water with the yaminions as well…lololol)…but they really attacked peeps here at MJ’sà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ especially, MJ, Folkgirl, Hezzer, and me. They even went so far as to stalk Folk in real life.
As for INSERT IDOL NAME HERE snark hurting….I could never understand that. I mean, why care what anyone on a blog, or elsewhere, says or snarks about. In the grand scheme of things, it is trivialà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ mousenuts.
Also, as far as anyone other than the winner of AI getting signed….I continue to think it diminishes the premise of winning the contest if any and everyone that competes…or makes the top 10, 5, 4, 3 gets signed. Personally, I think only the winner should get signed. PERIOD. But I don’t want to get into a debate about this–it has been discussed to death here. I’d rather snark.
Well, I popped in and saw Boulder’s response. They’ve always signed the top two, so I don’t see that as any different than signing the top four or whatever. If they just sign the winner, that’s fine with me, too. I think the other artists should still have the ability to sign with other labels or put out their music (like Bucky and Elliott have). I HOPE these shows don’t try to stifle the contestants that make them so much money on television just because they didn’t “win” a popularity contest.
ETA: The music business is hard. I guess I don’t have a problem with them signing more than one. The contest means less to me than than the chance it gives to peeps living their dreams.
PJ=Cheesy
LOL.
Night!
That would certainly raise the stakes wouldn’t it? Win American Idol or leave the music business and be blacklisted and unsigned forever.