Today’s Idol headlines after the jump…
Bo Bice Releases New CD
American Idol finalist Bo Bice was in town Tuesday, promoting his new record and talking about plans for his future. Bice made the rounds at area Wal-Marts signing copies of his new album, “See the Light.” Bice told FOX6 News he misses living in Helena and Alabama and plans to sell his home in Nashville and move back to Helena early next year
American Idol’s Mandisa Rings In The Holiday With Christmas EP
After a highly successful label debut with “True Beauty,” American Idol’s own MANDISA will be celebrating the season with her Christmas EP featuring four tracks available digitally today and in stores nationwide November 20th just in time for the holidays. “Christmas Joy EP” will feature classics “Joy to the World” and “O Holy Night” as well as the Stevie Wonder favorite “What Christmas Means to Me” and the newly written “Christmas Makes Me Cry” duet with labelmate Matthew West, which will be serviced to radio as a holiday single. In addition to the “Christmas Joy EP,” Mandisa is a part of the “WOW Gospel Christmas” CD with her song “God Speaking” that is also her second single from her label debut “True Beauty.”………
MUSIC REVIEWS: Dave Gahan, The Eagles, Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood – Carnival Ride (Arista): If your life had a soundtrack, Carrie Underwood’s new album “Carnival Ride” would likely provide background music for those moments when you’re counting out quarters at the laundromat – it’s about as memorable as the sound of wet jeans clanking in the drier. Despite the runaway success of her first album, the “American Idol” winner’s sophomore record doesn’t rise above the pastiche fare of Top 40 stations, which is likely where many of these tracks will end up. The young country star does, however, show promise in “Last Name,” a fun ditty about a scandalous encounter that ends in a Vegas-style marriage. Grade: C+ –
Rent | The Fabulous Fox Theater
…Former American Idol contestant Anwar F. Robinson sung a remarkably emotional rendition of “I’ll Cover You: Reprise” as his character, Tom Collins, mourns the death of his lover Angel. Though Robison is not the baritone most have come to expect from the role, his performance was still stellar…
Turn Thanksgiving into a vacation holiday
…Stay here in Philly and watch the country’s oldest Turkey Day parade, sponsored in recent years by Channel 6 ABC and Boscov’s. It’s televised live on Channel 6, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Thanksgiving Day.
The parade route begins at 20th and Market streets and winds along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway toward the Museum of Art.There will be floats, balloons, marching bands and celebrities such as singer Sean Kingston, Miss America and “American Idol” finalist Josh Gracin…
Concert Review: Kelly Clarkson
Massey Hall, Toronto - October 30, 2007
…Clarkson later had the audience judge a band pumpkin-carving contest in honour of Halloween that included one she co-designed that was inspired by Steve Carell’s chest-waxing scene in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and his now famous utterance “Kelly Clarkson!”
Naturally, her pumpkin won…
MUSIC REVIEWS: Pop, country/roots, jazz and classical releases
CARRIE UNDERWOOD “Carnival Ride” (Arista, 3 stars)
Carrie Underwood’s “Some Hearts” didn’t sell an unheard-of (in this downloading age) 6 million copies solely on the strength of her “American Idol” success and girl-next-door appeal. Simon Cowell’s favorite heartland honey turned in a well-made debut album that deftly walked the country-pop divide and, in “Before He Cheats,” smashed headlights with an expertly delivered blast of girl-done-wrong rage……..
Quick Hits: Gwen Stefani, Kid Rock, Bono, Smashing Pumpkins, Blake Lewis, Chingy, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Elvis Presley, Lenny Kravitz, Oasis, HIM, Alanis Morissette
…AOL Music’s PopEater blog has just premiered the first single from American Idol’s Blake Lewis called “Break Anotha.” The song will be on his forthcoming album, Audio Day Dream, which is due in stores on December 4. The Dance/Pop/Rap hybrid tune can be streamed exclusively at music.aol.com…
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I think I might like to hear/have Mandisa’s Christmas EP. Too bad it is unlikely to be made available in my part of the world. Oh, well. :-(
HAPPY HALLOWEEN
Did anyone catch Mikalah Gordon on the Unit last night? Played a brat very well!
No, but I did hear the new single of some EUNICH. LOL
Happy Halloween!
Halloween Online Magazine
For Halloween, I was going to dress up as a SMURF, but since I didn’t want to get pelted with comments that went over my head, I decided not to.
Then, I was going to dress up as a ***Fan, but couldn’t figure out how to translate humourless twit into a convincing rainbows and kitten themed costume.
Then, I decided to dress up as a TIN EAR (a.k.a. a little d™ fan), but even I couldn’t pull that off.
Then I decided to dress up as a Blake fan, but plaid pants made my ass look f-f-f-f-f-f-fat. So, n-n-n-n-n-n-n–natch, that was o-o-o-o-o-out.
Then I decided to dress up as an Elliott fan, but those damn fire ants kept biting me and I had to keeping tearing the costume off.
Then, I decided to dress up as a Taylor fan. But, since my hair is naturally grey, my purple velvet blazer is at the cleaners, and my bedazzled walker is in daily use, it was just my plain everyday boring look.
Alas, what’s an idol fan to do?
What IDOL related costume would you dress up in for Halloween?
I was thinking scarey mary would be a good costume. If I can’t find the red and white top and stylin’ white jeans, I might opt for the silent night dude - “Silent night, I said a silent night.” I got that Fubu shirt around here somewhere.
I think I’d dress up as a cocacola product placement article or, perhaps, the gold asexual figure from the opening credits.
Any Ronnie Wood fans?
This is a good laugh.
I find the news of Bo wanting to move back to Alabama a bit unsettling. He built a new music studio next to his home in Nashville earlier this year. Wouldn’t it make sense as far as his career to stay close to the Nashville Sound with musicians and great things that the city has to offer for a star rising?
Good news for the video Witness, vh1 has added it to the play list today. Could CMT be next?
This has a very Night of Living Dead vibe. I’m not sure they were going for that but they do a great job on what I hope is Elliott’s next single.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjwBRRfTIfw
It’s getting dark where I live so Happy HALLOWEEN
Phil sent out a myspace bulletin earlier… Yay for the contract news!!! This is an exciting week for season 6 fans!
I just saw Phil’s bulletin! How exciting!! Love how he pimps Jordin and Blake too. :)
Congrats Phil. Here’s a little nod to Blake on the week of his single dropping:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecMktYXMcvY
A very good article from The New Yorker, courtesy of Pulse:
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2007/10/22/071022crmu_music_frerejones
A Paler Shade of White
How indie rock lost its soul.
In 1960, on a train between Dartford and London, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, then teen-agers, bonded over a shared affinity for obscure blues records. (Jagger lent Richards an LP by Muddy Waters.) “Twist and Shout,” a song that will forever be associated with the Beatles, is in fact a fairly faithful rendition of a 1962 R. & B. cover by the Isley Brothers. In sum, as has been widely noted, the music that inspired some of the most commercially successful rock bands of the sixties and seventies—among them Led Zeppelin, Cream, and Grand Funk Railroad—was American blues and soul.
In honor of Carrie’s big opening week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zksbfm5Cas&NR=1
I can’t believe how great all these acappella(sp?) groups are. I wonder if Blake saw that beat box version of YGLABN in 2006? Wasn’t he involved with some acappella groups?
jpfan, Blake was in an acapella group called Kickshaw, but I believe it was pre-2006… he quit I think in 2002. Rudy C was also in a different acapella group, and that’s how they knew each other.
I’m going to have to check out this article. The Stones and Led Zepp are widely accused of stealing from blues and soul, not just being influenced by those genres.
I can’t seem to edit.
Congrats to Phil! I can’t wait to hear more details.
This isn’t new. New Wave and Punk artists were accused of the same thing..stripping itself of its African American roots way back in the 70s and 80’s. I don’t necessarily view this as a negative development–just different.
Just because rock sprung from African American roots doesn’t mean that musicians are obligated to keep those influences in the music they create.
That line of thinking annoyed me thirty years ago, and it still annoys me.
I enjoyed Phil’s myspace bulletin. He is really a class act.
I can’t believe the author considers Vanilla Ice as a “genuinely popular white rap act.” Don’t you have to have more than one hit to be genuinely popular in the long run?
Maybe he’s lumping the Red Hot Chili Peppers into the rap/rock suckfest, but I would suggest that they 1)started as a genuine indie band 2)were mostly funk/rap until 3)”Under the Bridge” from “Blood, Sugar, Sex Magic” when their ballads made them lots of $$$. That formula has served them well, but they still hold on to their rap/funk roots.
There are other examples, but the author keeps referencing indie rock as the culprits, but then throws in mainstream examples. Go figure. Anyway, it was an interesting read, even if I didn’t agree with everything posited.
ETA: I wonder if the author considers Matisyahu indie? LOL.
Phil really is a class act. I didn’t really appreciate him while he was on the show, but he’s sure won my respect post-Idol. This group really was special.
For Boulder, a new FPB clip!
http://blog.syracuse.com/musicscene/2007/10/square_green_bottle_by_fpb_on.html
Night all. Can’t wait to see how Bo does on the charts tomorrow (today actually).
Congratulations to Phil! I look forward to hearing what he comes up with.
So excited to hear Bo’s video has been added to vh1. They and MTV both seemed to like Bo a lot when he was on Idol. I wondered about Bo moving back to Alabama too. Maybe with his being gone so much touring his wife is feeling a little homesick and lonesome and wants to move back home. I dont know if Bo ever sold his home in Alabama. Last I heard he was letting a Katrina family live in it.
As for Bo moving back… it’s not like Alabama is all that far from Nashvegas. He can easily get back up there if he needs to be there on occasion.