Idolator, All About the Music... If Only It Were

misanthropic tv guide

Why Am I Thinking Of Watching Maroon 5 On CMT Tonight?

Clearly, I don't spend enough time outside my house, but when you have two kids, whatever love of the nightlife you might have once had quickly evaporates. So, what to watch tonight? I'll clearly skip tonight's episode of Numb3rs, and the D-Backs' game at Wrigley Field will be over, so I'm might tune in to Crossroads on CMT, which tonight features Maroon 5 and Sara Evans. I don't have any particular affection for either artist, yet I'm strangely compelled to tune in anyway—the preview above makes the show seems sort of interesting. Maybe I need to diversify my interests somewhat. [CMT]

5:00 PM on Fri May 9 2008
By Dan Gibson
7 views, 5 comments

Latest by NeverEnough: Don't do it, Dan! Rent season 1 of Dexter instead. more »

DMX's weekend is starting in a rough manner, with an overnight raid on his Cave Creek, Ariz., home leading up to his arrest on drug and animal cruelty charges, following an investigation that began in August. Upside: the charges might not stick due to the grandstanding incompetence of the area's sheriff. Downside: an missed opportunity for a high speed chase in DMX's bumblebee car. [AZ Central]

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the real world: celebritytown

Britney Makes Public Appearance On Lousy TV Show

I went back and forth on whether to watch MTV's Rock the Cradle or not, but after suffering through one episode, I gave up. It turns out the show went on without me, crowning Kenny Loggins' son as the winner last night. While the show wasn't as exciting as I had hoped, Britney Spears was apparently a fan, as Access Hollywood reports that she sat backstage with her staff during the taping. My only hope is that she discussed a possible duet with Lil' B. Sure, but that's probably asking for too much. After the cut, an MTV compilation of the young Loggins and his performances. More »

4:15 PM on Fri May 9 2008
By Dan Gibson
24 views, 1 comment

Latest by Audif Jackson Winters III: Wow, Loggins is a lucky kid. Not only was he born rich, but his Dad also was nice enough not to name him Stills. more »

Bad Band Names, Part LXVI In A Never-Ending Series

Natalie Portman's Shaved Head. I can't wait for them to tour with Witty Pop Cultural Reference To Something Else That Happened In 2005! Better get those ironic covers of "Don't Phunk With My Heart" ready, guys. [MySpace]

3 comments

these shows aren't alright, but they're ok

Whitney Only Playing Expensive, Weird Gigs Now

Following last week's unfortunate Whitney comeback show, news hits the wires of one that apparently went well! With actual singing! Whitney was paid, according to the brilliant reporting of the Telegraph, somewhere between "£100,000 to £1.7 million" to perform a series of hits for an audience including the Sugababes, Mickey Rooney, and Buzz Aldrin. Internet reports are rather vague as to the quality of the show itself, although it's good to know Elton John's partner has her back, telling a reporter "When you have someone like Whitney who is spectacularly talented, I think they can take as much time off as they want and if they get the right songs they can come back and sell lots of records." [The Telegraph]

3:45 PM on Fri May 9 2008
By Dan Gibson
27 views, 3 comments

Latest by Halfwit: @loudersoft: My heart hurt a little reading that. I agree completely. more »

all radio news is bad news these days

An Update: Bonneville Hates Music In General

As an follow-up to my April post lamenting the demise of V100, Los Angeles' station featuring R&B for the grown and sexy, the station's replacement is now firmly entrenched on the airwaves—although not with the news/talk format it was rumored to take on. Instead, the listeners of L.A. get more middle-aged dad rock. More »

3:15 PM on Fri May 9 2008
By Dan Gibson
66 views, 2 comments

Staind, 3 Doors Down, and Hinder are joining forces to rock sheds and state fairs this summer. Staind is currently recording a new album with the working title The Illusion of Progress, which would make an excellent name for the tour as well. While it's difficult to imagine a more immediately loathsome bill, I believe the tour hits the midwest smack in the middle of tornado season, which should provide for some hope/excitement. [LiveDaily]

23 comments

videodrone

A Slow News Day Tribute To 1992 In British Dance

Idolator has already reported on Utah Saints' recent run up the British Charts, but as far as I'm concerned, there's no musical micro-genre more welcome for a comeback than Britain's dance music of the early '90s. I have a brightly colored striped shirt and a pacifier just sitting in box waiting to be used! More »

2:30 PM on Fri May 9 2008
By Dan Gibson
173 views, 12 comments

The Probably Inevitable Denoument To This Disappointing Season Of "American Idol"

Vote For The Worst has endorsed David Archuleta: "Sure he's annoying, but that's why he's perfect. Most of America does not want him to win. Imagine an Idol winner who couldn't aspire to be much more than a less-talented Clay Aiken. Imagine an Idol winner whose press tour would take 20 minutes to answer a single question. And just imagine the type of sappy ballad that the producers already have lined up for David to record, dripping with extra cheese and terrible melisma. We smell failure!" [VFTW]

1 comment

idolator's american idolatry

OMG! What Are The "American Idol" Finalists Doing Right Now?

The three remaining American Idol contestants are currently enjoying their homecoming days, and the Fox affiliates in their largest-populated hometowns (Salt Lake City, Kansas City, and Tampa) are going all-out with coverage, employing streaming video, blogging, and third-party chat-room technology to make sure that people can spend their Fridays slacking off to David Archuleta's overly licked lips, David Cook's unending grunge homages, and Syesha Mercado's inflated sense of importance. A guide to the proceedings—including pointers to the not-really-live webcam feeds that are claiming to follow the hopefuls all day, but have also provided somewhat terrifying glimpses into the rest of the country's local news offerings—after the jump. More »

2:00 PM on Fri May 9 2008
By Maura Johnston
360 views, 7 comments

Latest by brasstax: Little David is far from okay. He should've stayed in the oven for 3 or 4 more years before he even auditioned. Syesha will probably embark on a Broadway career any minute now. She's not good enough to win, more »

In case you have nothing better to do with your Friday, Three 6 Mafia will make an appearance on the CBS series Numb3rs tonight. In a bold turn, Juicy J and DJ Paul play rappers who perform at a birthday party where a fight breaks out. As a spoiler, Juicy J is killed within the first few minutes of the episode, along with any remaining enjoyment I will receive from future Three 6 Mafia releases. [CBS]

2 comments

chart preview, or 'Depressing Dan Gibson'

Neil Diamond To Top The Increasingly Relevant Album Chart

The results of this week's round of album sales are trickling in, and it looks like Neil Diamond will take the top spot, selling in the neighborhood of 125,000 copies. Diamond's previous album, 12 Songs, debuted at No. 4, which may be a sign that Matt Sweeney's acclaimed guitar work on Home Before Dark is responsible for its success. Projections have all non-Neil Diamond albums selling below the six figure benchmark; Clay Aiken slides into second place with less than half of the first-week sales of 2006's A Thousand Different Ways. What happened, Claymates? You've let your red-haired angel down. Madonna and Mariah Carey hang on desperately to the three and four spots, while Gavin DeGraw, Toby Keith, Leona Lewis, Josh Groban, Dierks Bentley, and Michael Buble round out the most depressing top ten in recent memory. [HITS]

1:30 PM on Fri May 9 2008
By Dan Gibson
91 views, 6 comments

Latest by FreedomFries: I love Neil Diamond and am stoked he finally got a #1 album. I guess that's all I have to say about that. more »

thriving markets

Rocklahoma Adds Fifth Day; Oklahoma Beer Distributors Very Psyched

Because of "overwhelming response from members of the rock community and their fan" (um, sic?), the hard-rock reunionfest Rocklahoma has swelled to a fifth day, news that's probably thrilling all the businesses within a 500-mile radius of the festival's home city, Pryor, Okla. The festival will now run July 9-13; a ton of hard-rock stalwarts, including Extreme, Cinderella, Tesla, and Sebastian Bach, have already been announced, leaving me to puzzle over just who, exactly, will be performing on that extra day. (Also, am I the only one who just realized that Living Colour was on the bill?) Full roster of acts, including the many second-stage bands, after the jump. More »

1:00 PM on Fri May 9 2008
By Maura Johnston
247 views, 12 comments

Latest by RTX007: I've always wondered if DEATHRIDERS included a guy named Neil Turbin. And now it's confirmed. Thanks the Tri-Label Group. more »

they come in threes

A Few Albums That I Am Really Digging Right Now

As a companion to Dan's open thread Tuesday, which I still need to dig through and fully suss out, and as a way to liven up a dreary Friday, I am going to use this space to tip you off to three (well, four, actually) records that I've been listening to in the spaces between Mets games recently. Hey, the best time to flout the "music-recommendation posts get low pageviews" maxim is the hours before the weekend begins, right? Israeli funk, recently excavated '90s indie, and UK R & B after the jump! More »

12:40 PM on Fri May 9 2008
By Maura Johnston
528 views, 4 comments

Latest by owenmeany: That Rocklahoma piece has me tuned in to the Arena Rock channel on Music Choice, the cable TV music service. They just played Kix. I'm a happy camper. more »

emotional tragedies as an excuse to post videos

Liv Tyler: Breaking Hearts, Reminding People Of Spacehog

Liv Tyler, who is famous for various reasons, has announced her separation from her husband of five years, Arckid singer/guitarist Royston Langdon. Tyler was spotted without her wedding ring at recent public events, setting off speculation and rampant wishful thinking. More »

12:20 PM on Fri May 9 2008
By Dan Gibson
300 views, 3 comments

100 and single

Jesse McCartney: The Unlikely Heir To Justin Timberlake's Throne?

Ed. note: Chris "dennisobell" Molanphy, our resident chart guru, looks at the upward, downward, and lack of movement on this week's Billboard charts:

The upper reaches of this week's Billboard Hot 100 are a little sleepy—two songs sneak into the bottom rungs of the Top 10, and every song above them either holds position or moves at most a spot or two.

But one of the Top 10 entrants boasts an unusual pair of credits: he has his first Top 10 hit as a recording act in the same week that he's enjoying his first chart-topper as a songwriter. Making it somewhat more unusual, at least among multi-hyphenate types: he just turned 21 about a month ago.

We're talking about former boy bander, former small-screen star, and TRL mainstay Jesse McCartney. The song he co-wrote—Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love," penned with OneRepublic schlock-meister Ryan Tedder—is actually in its fourth nonconsecutive week at No. 1. The newer hit is his own: "Leavin'," which leaps four spots to No. 10 after a huge, iTunes-fueled debut last week.

Throw in the fact that he did a voice for the March blockbuster Horton Hears A Who! and this kid's having an awfully good spring.

12:00 PM on Fri May 9 2008
By Chris Molanphy
197 views, 5 comments

Dave Mustaine is expanding his coffee business into the "coffee-of-the-month club" realm. For just $19.99 a month, you can drink the Megadeth frontman's favorite java as you read the paper and fume about the United Nations—just like he does! First up: "This PERUVIAN coffee was so pleasing to taste and had the right boost I needed in the morning for me to prepare for another day of shredding!" Oh, and he prefers it to be dark-roasted. [Legends Cup Coffee; HT Jon Solomon]

5 comments

if they pulled this stunt with MBV tickets, then i'd be really mad

StubHub: The Official Scalper Of Madonna Tickets

yesipickedtheworstmadonnapictureicouldfinddealwithit.jpg

Madonna, despite what Idolator's resident Madge-hater might have you believe, has always been an innovator. First female star of MTV, biggest musical act to make soft-core porn of themselves commercially available, etc., etc. And her upcoming Sticky and Sweet tour will be notable for more than just bisexual kissing—her Live Nation overlords are prepared to revolutionize the way that you'll overpay for tickets to an inevitably disappointing show! More »

11:15 AM on Fri May 9 2008
By Dan Gibson
331 views, 5 comments