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Pop Rock Nation

Author: Pop Rock Nation

  • Vital Idol: Give Back Idol, Give Back

    I didn’t plan on writing about this show, but after I thought about it, it’s a huge show (some 2 1/2 hours in length) and it’s for a great cause. If I should write about any American Idol show, this is probably the one. You can donate at AmericanIdol.com. You can also call 1-877-IDOL-AID.

    – I wonder if Kanye West will show up thinking it’s another awards show and get angry early when his name doesn’t get called.

    – Let’s hope Ramiele isn’t nervous tonight. You can’t get kicked off again Ramiele, don’t worry.

    – David Cook singing Rihanna – where amazing happens!

    – Why is it that when the show started and all these dancers from If You Think You Can Dance were hot steppin’ on the dance floor, I immediately thought, “Where are the Jabbawockeez when you need them?”

    Act Like Ya Know

    – By the way, Paula’s boobs aren’t popping out as far tonight. Arsenio Hall just turned off the television.

    – Why is Maria Shriver on my television in the year 2008? Oh yah, she’s married to Arnold. Her cheeks have a life of their own by the way.

    – Ryno just said that you can donate money by buying some of these performances on iTunes. David Cook singing Rihanna can be yours and it’s right at your fingertips.

    – The es-en-double-o-pee and Charlie Wilson Can’t Say Goodbye. Charlie’s wearing one of MJ’s old glitter derby hats while rockin’ the mic.

    – Teri Hatcher just finished singing Carrie Underwood’s Before He Cheats (this song has to be about Tony Romo) and Kristy Lee Cook just called her pitchy. Isn’t that like the pot calling the kettle dark skinned? I’m kidding. KL Cook probably thought it was great.

    KL Cook’s Favorite Singer

    – Let’s see. Billy Crystal is an old school comic. Miley Ray Cyrus is the hot new thing. And they can’t find anything entertaining for them to say for a very long five minutes. Well, it was still better than Forget Paris.

    – They kick Chikezie off the show, but they still make the brother work the phones.

    – Since this isn’t the time to necessarily be making fun of folks, I’ll hold off from saying that Fergie’s face resembles Secretariat. And plus, she did a decent job with Finally, with help from John Legend on the piano.

    (She also performed with Heart who Idol owes some love considering all the female Idol hopefuls jack their songs. Fergie Ferg is also wearing a glitter wrap around her wrist. Yet another ode to MJ.)

    – You know this is a big show when Eli and Peyton Manning take the big stage. Let’s just say they are better with the Xs and Os than they are at reading queue cards.

    – The story about the kids who lost their parents to AIDS and were worried about being positive themselves was tough to watch. Yes, I can write this up without joking around. I haven’t shed a tear though. Yet.

    – Celine Dion is on the show again this year, but she didn’t bring Elvis this time.

    – Jimmy Kimmell just said that on some nights, it looks like Simon is smuggling the Olsen twins underneath his shirt.

    – Sheila E. just came out and she still has it.

    – The Idol contestants are singing Seasons Of Love. Teri Hatcher tried to get on stage and join them, but Dean Cain swooped in and saved the day. (That didn’t really happen by the way, but you know it would’ve been 10 shades of awesome if it did.)

    – Dane Cook is still in show business? I just want to hear him say Daisuke Matsuzaka one more time.

    – Miley Ray Cyrus again? Isn’t it past her bedtime?

    For Our Young Demographic

    Save for Brad Pitt wearing a Kangol (don’t worry Brad, I can’t really rock it well either), this was a very compelling TV show. I know, I know. Because it’s Idol, they’re going to get lots of money donated. And while they are going to get good ratings out of this, it’s still a great thing to do. I’m off to download some songs from iTunes to give back.

  • New Releases 4/8/08: Leona Lewis, Nine Inch Nails & More

    Hey Folks,
    Another Tuesday is upon us, with more new music. Here are some of the highlights.
    Leona Lewis: “Spirit”: So, um yeah, Leona won some talent contest in her native U.K. that was created by Simon Cowell. Cowell brought her over to these shores, where she was signed to J Records by Clive Davis, and…if you can think of a smoother entry into the U.S. market, I’d like to hear one. First single “Bleeding Love” has already zoomed to the #1 spot on the American singles chart (after blowing up all over Britain), and this album features production and songwriting contributions by everyone from Akon to the Kenny-G looking dude in Color Me Badd (Sam Watters).
    If you haven’t heard the song yet or checked out the video, here you go: http://youtube.com/watch?v=5-ctIC65PV0
    She’s no Amy Winehouse (or Adele or Duffy or Kate Nash), but if you ever wondered what Mariah would sound like if she were British…
    Nine Inch Nails: “Ghosts I-IV”: Trent Reznor and crew released this 36-track instrumental set over the Internet a month or so ago (actually, closer to two months ago), and it finally receives its commercial release today. While I’m sure NIN fans have already gobbled this up, more hesitant types might want to pick this up. While some tracks are familiar sounding to those who have been listening to NIN for the past twenty years, some songs are downright purty. Does Trent have a future in film scoring ahead (and why does something tell me he’s done so already…did he do the music for “Lost Highway?)??
    P.O.D. “When Angels & Serpents Dance”: I won’t be as obnoxious as I originally intended to be…but for those of you who may still actually give a shit, guitarist Marcos Curiel is back with the band after a one (mmm..maybe two-) album absence, and the band finds themselves on a new label (Columbia). Personally, I was on board for “Alive” and “Youth of the Nation” and promptly found myself right back off of the P.O.D. train.
    Ray J. “All I Feel”: I would say that Ray J. is the highest-charting porn actor in history, but then I’d be forgetting about this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6wP_kUzaRlY (and yes, she really was a porn star…I’ve seen her in action). At any rate, who’d have thought that an album by Brandy’s negligibly talented little brother would be more anticipated than a Brandy album? Me either. But while Bran defends herself against several legal woes, Ray J. has a Top Ten hit (“Sexy Can I”, an album with guest shots from The Game & Snoop Dogg, AND he bagged Kim Kardashian *and* Whitney Houston. Hats off, dude.
    Other than that, the pickings are a little slim. Was (Not Was), one of the most bizarre funk/pop bands of the Eighties return with “Boo!”, which is their first album in nearly two decades, or since Don Was became the producer in demand for everyone from Bonnie Raitt to The Stones. All you hipsters will be grooving to new albums from indie faves Cut Copy and Tapes ‘n Tapes, and if you still believe in “Girl Power!”, you might wanna check out Spice Girl Melanie C.’s latest solo album entitled “This Time”.
    Happy shopping!

  • Chart Chat 4/5/07: Day26, Madonna and More!

    Courtesy of the good folks at Billboard (wishing on a star for Joel Whitburn to send me all of his books), here are this week’s Top 20 Singles & Albums charts.
    Top 20 Albums:
    1)”Day26″-Day26
    2) “Pretty. Odd.” Panic at the Disco
    3) Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings” Counting Crows
    4) “Welcome To The Dollhouse” Danity Kane
    5)”Now 27″ Various Artists
    6) “Trilla” Rick Ross
    7) “Consolers of the Lonely” The Raconteurs
    8)”Sleep Through The Static” Jack Johnson
    9) “Mail on Sunday” Flo Rida
    10) “Little Voice” Sara Bareilles
    11) “Funplex” The B-52’s
    12) “The Odd Couple” Gnarls Barkley
    13) “Ego Trippin’” Snoop Dogg
    14) “Taylor Swift” Taylor Swift
    15) “Good Time” Alan Jackson
    16) “Alvin & The Chipmunks” Soundtrack
    17) “As I Am” Alicia Keys
    18) “95/08” Enrique Iglesias
    19) “Jonas Brothers” Jonas Brothers
    20) “Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds Tour” Taylor Swift
    Top 20 Singles:
    1) “Touch My Body” Mariah Carey
    2) “Love in This Club” Usher feat. Young Jeezy
    3) “4 Minutes” Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake
    4) “Bleeding Love” Leona Lewis
    5) “No Air” Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown
    6) “Sexy Can I” Ray J. feat. Yung Berg
    7) “Lollipop” Lil’ Wayne feat. Static Major
    8) “With You” Chris Brown
    9) “Love Song” Sara Bareilles
    10) “Low” Flo Rida feat. T-Pain
    11) “Don’t Stop the Music” Rihanna
    12) “You’re Gonna Miss This” Trace Adkins
    13) “Stop & Stare” OneRepublic
    14) “See You Again” Miley Cyrus
    15) “Apologize” Timbaland feat. OneRepublic
    16) “Superstar” Lupe Fiasco feat. Matthew Santos
    17) “Independent” Webbie, Lil Phat & Lil’ Boosie
    18) “No One” Alicia Keys
    19) “New Soul” Yael Naim
    20) “Sorry” Buckcherry
    First, a correction: a couple days ago, I mentioned that Madonna had moved into 2nd place on the list of artists with the most Top 10 hits, jumping ahead of Elvis and standing beside The Beatles. I made a boo-boo. Madonna is actually #1 all by herself with the ascension of “4 Minutes”. My bad, Madge. I checked out the video, and was gonna post it for y’all as a treat. But, alas, I can’t find it anywhere. You guys do the dirty work.
    Country star Trace Adkins parlays his 2nd place finish on “Celebrity Apprentice” to the #1 spot on the country charts and the highest pop placement of his career with “You’re Gonna Miss This”. No word about whether Omarosa saw this and decided she wanted a music career.
    Two of the albums in the Top 20 maintain relatively lofty positions despite a good amount of people not even knowing they’re out. The Gnarls Barkley album actually moves up 6 spots in it’s second release (it wasn’t supposed to be out until April 8th), while The Raconteurs album, which was supposed to be out on April 29th, debuts in the Top 10 despite it’s release date being moved up a full month. Pretty ballsy to see these moves taking place, especially at a time when shortsighted music executives seem to place all their chips on hitting a particular first week number.
    Holy crap! Can someone put “No One” by Alicia Keys out to pasture already?
    It’s a good time to be Ryan Tedder. Who the hell is Ryan Tedder, you ask? Well, not only is he the lead singer and songwriter for the band OneRepublic (represented with two singles in the Top 20), but he, along with former teen-popster Jesse McCartney, co-wrote Leona Lewis’s “Bleeding Love”, last week’s #1 single, which gets displaced this week by Hurricanes Mariah and Madonna.
    With those two albums arriving this month (and Usher being moved from mid-June to late-May), is it safe to say that the next few weeks in the music industry will actually be exciting?