When the judges saved Casey Abrams tonight on American Idol, the real importance is not that he gets to stay in the competition, it’s that he gets to go on tour. Usually only the top ten Idol contestants tour the country, but because the judges saved Casey Abrams, all 11 of the current contestants are included in the tour. So why is this such a big deal? Because Casey Abrams just got guaranteed some serious cash. Idol contestants make a six-figure salary up front, plus an additional percentage of the ticket sales. That’s a lot of money, and judging from Casey Abrams reaction tonight, he’s certainly appreciative. At one point I thought he might pass out, leaving Ryan Seacrest to hold him up — or topple over. Watch the video below to see his reaction.
Category: Music
Music Spotlight On: Jonsi of ‘Sigur Ros’ — Great Solo Album
My musician buddies are constantly introducing me to new, unique artists, and this process usually entails me feigning an understanding of their technical terms. Every so often though, they reject the shop-talk and use the term “stoner music.” That doesn’t help much either, seeing as how I don’t do drugs. I therefore find myself questioning the occasion for such music in my own life, and the other day — it hit me. Stoner music to them is yoga music to me! Having said that, I’d like to introduce you to Jonsi, an Icelandic musician that is most known as the lead singer of Sigur Ros. His second solo album, entitled Go, was voted best rock/pop album of 2010, at the 17th annual Icelandic Music Awards. Listen to one of my favorite tracks, Around Us, below. Feel free to do downward dog while doing so.
Thia Megia Sings ‘Heatwave’ — This Song Must Die
When Thia Megia sang Heatwave on tonight’s American Idol, I got the strange feeling that I’d heard it before. After doing my research, I realized the cause of my deja vu. I have heard it before! I’ve heard it sung by three other contestants, and it was once even performed as a group medley. I understand that these songs get repeated, but this isn’t a Karaoke bar with a one page song list. Do the producers limit the contestants’ choices? You would think with all that money they could get more songs cleared. Watch Thia’s performance below, along with the slew of other contestants who sang the same song.
Thia Megia
Lil Rounds
Kimberly Locke
Vonzell Solomon
Liam Gallagher Still Hates Oasis — New, Angry Interview
If you’ve ever heard of Oasis, then you’re likely familiar with the venomous hatred between the Gallagher brothers. Liam Gallagher fronted the band, which included his brother, Noel Gallagher, along with four other members who fortunately survived Liam Gallagher’s very public anger issues. The Gallagher brothers have long been splashed across tabloids for their sibling acrimony, which ultimately escalated into a pre-concert fist-fight, forcing Noel to finally quit the band for good. Liam Gallagher subsequently formed a new band that includes everyone from Oasis except his brother Noel. The band is called Beady Eye, and when asked about Oasis in a new interview for MTV Hive, LIam did not disappoint. Please take the time to read excerpts from the interview below. At the very least, it will make you feel really great about your relationships with your siblings. (Further Reading: Liam Gallagher Discusses Suing his Brother)
The future of Oasis: “Get over it. Oasis is yesterday. It’s fucking done.”
Ryan Adam’s version of Wonderwall: “It’s shit to me, man. I like Ryan Adams and I like some of his songs. But I hated what he did with “Wonderwall. It’s not his fault. To be quite honest, I’ve never really cared for the original either.”
On why you won’t hear Oasis songs on the Beady Eye tour: “We could’ve if we wanted, but we’ve got a lot more fucking self-respect. It’s why we don’t fucking play somebody else’s fucking songs when we can make our own.
Keith Richard and Mick Jagger working together (despite reported tension)- “Yeah, and what have they fucking done for the last twenty-five fucking years?”
Harper Blynn at the Hotel Cafe — Great Performance
Last Sunday my friend invited me to The Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles to see Harper Blynn play. The venue opened in 2000, and it is known for featuring new singer/songwriters. Harper Blynn started their performance with singer/songwriter Schuyler Fisk, who I later found out is Sissy Spacek’s daughter. Despite her often described “folk” music, I actually found her to be a confusing cross between pop and country, with a strange resemblance (physically and musically) to Colbie Caillat. To be fair, I must confess my limited musical knowledge, which explains why my only legitimate criticism of their combined performance is the strange blend of Fisk’s sweet looking, polished demeanor and the unwashed looking Harper Blynn boys. To put it plainly, the chemistry was odd. As soon as Harper Blynn played alone, the energy in the room completely changed. The band is comprised of four band members, including: Pete Harper (keys and rhythm guitar); Jason Blynn (lead guitar); Sarab Singh (drums); and Whynot Jansveld (bass), and to quote Paste Magazine, who voted Harper Blynn the #1 new discovery of the CMJ Festival, “despite their Brooklyn address and hipster credentials, there’s nothing remotely indie rock about the band-the harmonies recall Simon & Garfunkel, and the melodies would make Elvis Costello proud.” They promoted their new self-titled EP during the show, leaving out songs from their debut album, Loneliest Generation. They closed the show with a cover of Beyonce’s Halo, which they’ve become known for after a previous performance of the cover went viral. The biggest applause of the night came from the Halo cover, which I pondered for a bit before stumbling across a very well-written article by Jim Malec. He said, “massively popular mainstream hits can be adapted under an indie aesthetic and made appealing to a young, hip crowd.” And “It’s surprising that more indie artists don’t strive for that same type of catchiness in their own tunes.” While I’m not sure I agree that Harper Blynn’s music lacks catchiness, I will say that their upcoming EP certainly sounds more catchy than their debut album. It will be worth the wait. Watch their video for Loneliest Generation below.
[Great photo via Anthony Saint James]
Jennifer Lopez Misses The Paley Center’s American Idol Panel — Back to her Diva Ways?
Whenever a notable part of a show neglects to show up for an important appearance, I can’t help but question their mysterious absence. At last night’s Paley Center panel for American Idol, Jennifer Lopez was a no show. This was particularly strange because the other two judges were in attendance, and one of those judges includes the legendary Steven Tyler. So is the question-and-answer session good enough for Steven Tyler and not Jennifer Lopez? My guess is that Jennifer Lopez thinks the appearance is beneath her and therefore decided not to show. This is a dangerous assumption, but I feel it’s a relatively safe guess. Why? Because not one person mentioned the elephant in the room. If she had some sort of important personal commitment, I’m confident that the moderator would have explained it, so as to make her look better. Things only go unexplained when there’s guilt afoot.
American Idol Performances Not Live — Are the Producers Incompetent?
Fox announced that this week’s American Idol will be pre-taped because there is a “new director and new judges, and it has nothing to do with manipulation.” Though I agree that this has nothing to do with manipulation, I’m certain it has everything to do with incompetence. It takes a lot of skill to produce a live show, and pre-taping it is a cop-out way of saying they can’t execute the task. Furthermore, the essence of American Idol’s brand is that it’s a live show, so this is preposterous. I’d like to also add that I feel terrible for the audience this week, because if you ever gone to a non-live show taping, then you know it’s absolute torture to sit through five hours of taping for a one hour show. To put things in perspective, they often don’t even let you leave to pee. Yeah — you heard me.
Phil Collins Quits Music — Will He Marry Billy Joel?
If you read my Billy Joel post, you might predict my reaction to Phil Collins’ recent announcement that he’s quit the music business. In a statement, Collins said, “I’m sorry that it was all so successful. I honestly didn’t mean it to happen like that. It’s hardly surprising that people grew to hate me.” He also said that he “doesn’t think anyone is going to miss [him].” Can someone please explain to me when musicians become such emotional cowards? I’d use the “P” word, but my father told me to stop cursing on my blog, and despite my suspicion that he actually doesn’t read The Dishmaster, I’ll err on the side of caution. Anyways, there’s something about massive success that breeds complacence, and I wonder if Phil Collins will live happily ever after with Billy Joel, who hasn’t written a new song in over a decade. For goodness sakes, Phil Collins sold over 150 million records, and the guy just quits? I’m aware that the today’s music industry is horrific, but that’s all the more reason to release new material. So Phil if you’re reading this — grow a pair — and write some music.
Kim Kardashian’s New Single — Proves Auto-Tune Doesn’t Work for Everyone
I recently went to a friend’s recording studio, where an upcoming artist was recording tracks for her new album. I was shocked to hear her terrible voice, at which point my friend assured me that auto-tune would save the day. When I heard the final version, I was shocked. We’ve all heard about artists using auto-tune, but I suppose I never fully understood the extend to which it corrects a voice. But before you start dreaming about becoming the next pop-star, I would encourage you to listen to Kim Kardashian’s new single below. Apparently, auto-tune doesn’t work for everyone.
American Idol Recap — The Judges Are Crazy
I admit that this season’s American Idol is like a train wreck I can’t turn away from. Every time someone performs, I yearn for Simon Cowell, especially when the judges are elated with a wretched performance. Where is Simon to call these performers “indulgent” and “boring.” As an example, I’m posting a video of Haley Reinhart, whose performance was so cheesy, I thought that she might have practiced it in front of a mirror imagining she was in a strip club. I hate to be so rude, but watch below and judge for yourself. Too mean?