Monthly Archives: September 2008

Who: Alabama’s own Jamey Johnson, a shit-kicking, hard-drinking badass who is well on his way to being country music’s biggest outlaw. Sounds Like: To start, think Steve Earle and Merle Haggard, not Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban. On his album That Lonesome Song, Johnson mixes tender ballads like “In Color” with barnstormers like “High Cost of Living” and raw country tales influenced by booze, drugs and his own divorce. “I was trying to reach that dude at the bar going through what I was going through,” Johnson says of the album. Vital Stats: Continue reading →

Everybody get out and party in New York! Last night in the Big Apple, music stars were out doing it up. Here’s a sample of the star sightings:
Details and photos after the jump!

» T.I. and DJ Drama performed a secret show in Manhattan.

» At the club Guest House, Avant was promoting his music comeback, while [...] Continue reading →

To say that Kellie Pickler is excited about her sophomore album, which dropped today, is an understatement.  With more time to dedicate to recording (For her first album, her main recording time was in between shows on the AI tour.), a more seasoned approach, and even a new outlook on life, Kellie’s new CD will reflect all the changes she’s experienced since her debut album.

As she explained in our exclusive interview yesterday, she had more time “to be able to make it me.”  She also called the whole experience this time around more “enjoyable,” as she was able to do some fun things, like collaborating with her new best friend Taylor Swift.  The two sing a duet on the album called “Best Days Of Your Life,” about a bad break-up.  While there are other heartbreak songs on the album, Kellie is quick to note that it has a bit of everything, from the angst-ridden numbers to the more fun, rockin’ songs.  In fact, “Rocks Instead of Rice,” written by Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins (who also wrote “Before He Cheats” for Carrie Underwood) is a revenge fantasy about a girl who crashes an ex’s wedding.

The songs are all very personal to Kellie and her experiences, but she named two songs as being closest to her heart:  “Somebody To Love Me” and “One Last Time”.  Somebody was a song that reflects a time in her life when all of her business endeavors were coming together but her personal life was “crumbling.”  Writing the song with Aimee Mayo and Chris Lindsey gave her the sense of closure she needed on some tough issues in her life.

On top of a whirlwind media tour to promote the new album, Kellie leaves right from an appearance on “Live With Regis And Kelly” to go tour with the band Sugarland.  Having toured with Brad Paisley and Rascal Flatts already, Kellie feels very blessed these days.  She calls the live shows an “incredible feeling,” going on to say that hearing her fans sing along to her songs and scream her name “never gets old.”

Kellie is quite open about some initial missteps in her career just after her stint on “Idol,” calling herself young and naïve.  These are all things she’s been able to learn from, however, and unlike her image as a bit of an airhead while on AI, she definitely has a good head on her shoulders.  She has learned to put her foot down, and she’s making smarter decisions these days.  Before American Idol, Kellie had never been on an airplane or even seen the inside of an airport for that matter.  Now, she’s traveled the world, including a trip to Iraq with the USO, which she will be doing again later this year.

With her star on the rise and a recent CMA nomination for Best New Artist, Kellie hasn’t forgotten her “Idol” roots.  Instead, she says she feels “so blessed to have been a part of the show.”  She went on to say that it has done nothing but help her in her career, and she even considers her fellow Idols and the people behind the scenes to be like family, saying that it’s like a giant reunion when she goes back to perform.

Kellie gushed about her relationship with the AI producers, saying that she knows each of them would help her if she ever found herself in crisis.  “Another amazing thing American Idol gave to me was long-lasting friendships,” Kellie said.  She stays in touch with Bucky Covington and Mandisa, whom she calls “one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met in my life.”  She was in Katharine McPhee‘s wedding back in February and counts her as one of her best friends.  She’s generally impressed with each of her fellow Idols from season five, saying that each person in the top 10 is very successful.

Kellie is most excited for her fans to be able to listen to the album in its entirety, as only clips have been available to them until now.  She looks forward to the feedback, and if her fans feel half as strongly as she does about this album and all of the songs’ underlying means, they are going to love it.  It makes sense that her debut album was called “Small Town Girl” while her sophomore effort will be self-titled, as this is the real Kellie Pickler.

Check out Kellie’s Transformation gallery from Season 5! Continue reading →

Photograph by Bob Gruen
Rock Daily recently brought you the story behind legendary rock photographer Bob Gruen’s new book documenting the history of glam-punk pioneers New York Dolls. Click here to check out some awesome photos from the hardcover, with commentary from Debbie Harry, Iggy Pop, Joe Strummer, Johnny Ramone and more punk icons.
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• New [...] Continue reading →

We’ve been fans of Kanye West-approved Chicago MC Kid Sister since catching her set at last year’s CMJ fest in New York. Her album Dream Date is out November 25th on Downtown Records, and you can check out the bouncy “Family Reunion” (featuring a sharp verse from David Banner) right here: “Family Reunion” [right click and select "save as"] Continue reading →

James Taylor’s Covers leads this week’s loaded slate of new reviews. In his review, Rolling Stone’s Anthony DeCurtis calls Taylor’s new record, “a fan’s notes: a great singer-songwriter playing DJ, showcasing songs he loves for listeners who love him.” Click below for the full review, as well as reviews of new releases from T.I., Ben [...] Continue reading →

By Elena Torres
Ever since I was 13 and bought the Californication CD back in 1999, I’ve always found some kind of weird way to identify with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Since then I’ve seen them in concert three times, bought every CD they’ve ever made, read Anthony Kiedis’ autobiography “Scar Tissue” and done everything [...] Continue reading →

Look up the word “cool” in any dictionary, and you’ll see that it has a lot of different meanings. In my book, artists like Bob Marley, the Beatles and Prince are the very definition of the word “cool.” Well, add to that list the name Robin Thicke. It’s a bold statement, I know … but [...] Continue reading →

Somewhat lost amidst the madness that was Austin City Limits was the stirring set by Conor Oberst, who unleashed a pair of new tunes and covered a Paul Simon song. Oberst treated the crowd to a cover of Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome,” reportedly a popular singalong on Oberst’s tour bus. As for the new ones, “I [...] Continue reading →

Photo: Latz/AFP/Getty
The Backstreet Boys invade Canada on the second leg of their tour, Yes hit the road without Jon Anderson and Nick Lowe plays some clubs to further cement himself as the Jesus of Cool. Follow the jump for the complete set of tour dates.

Backstreet Boys
October 30 – Reading, PA @ Sovereign Center
October 31 [...] Continue reading →

Last weekend’s Austin City Limits festival was an ample opportunity for people in Texas to see some great bands, but it also allowed Tegan and Sara to catch up with their old pal Tom Gabel from Against Me! Click above for the three-way interview, including news on Gabel’s solo album and the benefits of being [...] Continue reading →

Photo: Dyson/Getty
Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen will reportedly team up for a Barack Obama benefit concert at NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom on October 16th. The concert will be Obama’s last NY appearance prior to the November 4th election. Donors were notified about the concert today. The performance will be the first time Springsteen and Joel — [...] Continue reading →

The video for Jack White and Alicia Keys’ Quantum of Solace theme “Another Way To Die” hit the internet today. The video is surprisingly un-Bond-like, with no explosions, cartoon women being shot out of pistols or even any footage from the actual film. Instead, it’s just Keys and White singing their duet in that desert [...] Continue reading →

By Jocelyn Vena
On occasion, it’s our job to crash movie and television sets, and today that occasion came our way. And as you fine readers may know, we here at MTV News love us some good gossip. So it was our pleasure to find that “Gossip Girl” was taping right in front of the MTV [...] Continue reading →

TV On the Radio, “Halfway Home” Brooklyn rockers mash up New Wave guitars, doo-wop vocals and nursery-rhyme melodies for a genre-exploding anthem that’s thoroughly modern.
[Review]
Jackson Browne, “Off of Wonderland” A lovely, soft-rockin’ jam that celebrates the best of the Sixties, from MLK and RFK to the days of living “ankle-deep in contraband.”
[Review]
Jenny Lewis, “Jack Killed [...] Continue reading →

Chrissie Hynde saw a familiar face among the few hundred fans crowding the aisles Monday at the Pretenders’ in-store performance at Amoeba Records in Hollywood. It was Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook, and Hynde waved happily from the small stage, declaring “It’s always good to have the Sex Pistols in the house.”
It’s a connection that [...] Continue reading →

Photo: Getty
The Red Hot Chili Peppers, No Doubt, the Offspring and many more will contribute hand-signed merchandise and other items to a charity auction that will benefit Lit drummer Allen Shellenberger. Shellenberger was recently diagnosed with a grade 4 malignant brain tumor. RHCP will provide a copy of their Stadium Arcadium signed by all four [...] Continue reading →

AC/DC fans in Florida finally have reason to rejoice: The band’s Black Ice tour has been extended into the New Year, with the band coming to the Sunshine State, the Sooner State, the Cornhusker State and a bunch more additional markets the band skipped over during the first leg of their tour. The band kickstart [...] Continue reading →

Photo: Getty

50 Cent has posted a new song on his website entitled “50 Cent for President.” 50’s new album Before I Self-Destruct is out December 9th.
Kanye West will host a benefit concert in Washington, D.C. on November 4th. The Give Back concert will help out the Live to Give Campaign and the Dr. Donda West [...] Continue reading →

With her new album Circus ready to go, Britney Spears told New York pop radio station Z100 yesterday that she’s planning on embarking on a massive tour. “Oh definitely, next year,” Spears said of her tour plans, adding that the jaunt would likely take her “around the world.” The tour would be Spears’ first large [...] Continue reading →

By Jocelyn Vena
On Monday, Britney Spears‘ attorney filed an appeal to delay her upcoming misdemeanor trial for driving without a license, according to The Associated Press.
J. Michael Flanagan filed a petition in the Los Angeles Superior Court seeking a stay in the case. He also wants an appellate judge to order the judge assigned to [...] Continue reading →

By Emily Donahue
Amongst bustle skirts and corsets, top hats and tails, brass-rimmed goggles and time-traveling arm bands, it was me, in a black tank top and jeans, that received the most stares in Brooklyn a few weeks ago. I was at the first day of the Dances of Vice festival, an evening that also served [...] Continue reading →

Flea Goes Back To School

The Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist talks about being both a teacher and a student during the band’s hiatus.

Continue reading →

If you’ve been on the americanidol.com forums recently, you’ve seen the intense yet friendly debate between The Archies and The Word Nerds over which David has the better single.  The bottom line is that both have released songs that the public loves, and the Billboard charts reflect just that.  The top two debuts of 2008 are “Crush” by David Archuleta at No. 2 and “The Time of My Life” by David Cook at No. 3.

Congratulations to both of them!

See how much David Cook and David Archuleta changed over the season in their Transformation Galleries:

David Cook Transformation Gallery

David Archuleta Transformation Gallery Continue reading →

Los Angelenos and Jon Peter Lewis fans will be excited to hear about his local show this weekend.  JPL will be playing at Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles–see details in the image to the right.

Check out the video for “Break The Silence,” the title track from JPL’s latest album, right here on americanidol.com!

Then, catch up with Jon by checking out his most recent MyIDOL blog post! Continue reading →

Tomorrow is the big day for Jennifer Hudson fans, as the season seven top 7 finalist will release her self-titled album, featuring the summer jam “Spotlight” and the soundtrack hits “And I Am Telling You” (Dreamgirls) and “All Dressed Up In Love” (Sex and the City). Jennifer’s significant success since her time on AI has certainly paid off, as the highly anticipated CD also contains several new tracks penned and produced by music veterans like Timbaland, Robin Thicke, Diane Warren and Missy Elliot. Continue reading →

Riding high from her recent CMA nominations for Album of The Year and Female Vocalist of The Year, Carrie Underwood starts the fall part of the “Carnival Ride Tour” tomorrow with a show in Cleveland.  The tour ends Dec. 14 in Gainesville, Fl.  More than 700,000 fans have attended the tour so far, with 51 more shows planned this fall in the U.S. and Canada.  By the end of the year, Carrie will have performed 137 live shows.  Little Big Town will open the shows.  As if the hundreds of thousands of fan testimonials aren’t enough, the critics have given the CARNIVAL RIDE tour extremely high praise.

Have you seen Carrie’s video for her smash hit “All American Girl” yet?  Watch it now on americanidol.com! Continue reading →

This week’s New Music Report focuses on T.I. and his new album Paper Trail. The record, recorded mostly while the rapper was under house arrest, is more contemplative than his past work, but does this new perspective suit him? Click above to get the full scoop from Rolling Stone Contributing Editor Christian Hoard.
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Photo: Courtesy Jonathan Levine Gallery
Chris Mars made a name for himself as the spastic timekeeper in the Replacements, the booze-soaked Minneapolis post-punk band he helped co-found. But with rock stardom in his rearview, Mars has made a second splash in the art world. Tolerance, his first book, collects 159 paintings created between 2000 and 2007. [...] Continue reading →

Photo: Whittaker/Getty
Tom Morello embarks on his “Fabled City” tour, Letters to Cleo reunite for the first time in eight years for some 20th anniversary shows and Oasis & Ryan Adams schedule more North American dates as Noel Gallagher’s ribs heal. Follow the jump for the complete set of dates.

Tom Morello
November 1 – San Francisco, [...] Continue reading →