Idolator: casting calls

New Fuse Game Show To Bring Musicians And Groupies Together Through The Power Of Trivia

Maura Johnston — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:00:00 EDT

What was that discussion we were having yesterday about music videos being a profit sink for cable channels? I guess the higher-ups at Fuse, the Cablevision-run music network that's been slipping further down the "incoherent programming" slope every day, have been engaging in similar discussions in their overdecorated offices, since a casting call for a "dating game show" went out from the network earlier this week. Unlike the vapid surfer-bunny types who populate Next and Parental Control, though, Fuse is keeping it real by making this game show sort of about musicians, music trivia, and "people who love musicians" who can also name at least one member of the Beatles! (Reading the casting notice makes me think that first names only are probably OK.) Details after the jump.

As it turns out, Fuse is looking for two types of people—musicians and ~~groupies~~ "people that love musicians!"

* Can you play an instrument, sing, scratch, or rap? * Do you love all things music and are a master of music trivia? * Have you ever dreamed of dating someone who worships musicians and people with musical talent?
We are looking for ALL types of musicians! As long as you can showcase it, we want to see it!

Hopefuls have to send in "a LINK to your music, a video of you playing or singing, a freestyle, or ANYTHING that proves you have musical talent"—and I guess said "talent" has to be within FCC guidelines. (I'd make a joke about the skin flute playing coming after the cameras stop here, but... oops.)

What qualities are they looking for in musician fans, you might ask?

* Do you adore musicians and love people with musical talent? * Do you find yourself attracted to the emo-sensitive guy, or the blinged out rapper, or the pierced and tattooed metal head??! * Have you ever wanted to date one of them?
WELL, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE!

"Emo-sensitive guy"? "Blinged-out rapper"? "Metal head" as two words? I wonder if the "prize" musicians will actually be life-sized carboard cutouts of caricatures—never mind that the "fabulous prizes" will probably wind up being tickets to shows at Madison Square Garden, since Fuse's promotions department can get them for free anyway.

Fuse TV Looking For Reality Show Participants [Hoboken 411 via Buzzgrinder]

Ne-Yo To Bring The Drama To "All My Children"

Maura Johnston — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:50:00 EDT

Ne-Yo will be the latest urban artist to cross over to the soap-opera world on May 21 and 22, when he performs on All My Children; he'll be the featured musical entertainment at the wedding of two Pine Valley residents, and all won't go according to plan on the romance front, natch. What will proceed the way the script intends is the cross-promotion for Ne-Yo's forthcoming album Year Of The Gentleman, from which the evil genius crooner's wedding toasts will be drawn. "Stop This World" is described by the album's press release as "embracing Lennon and McCartney with the same vigor as Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson... [it] should be hailed as one of the most beautiful love songs in years," while the other track on the docket is "Closer," in which the production duo Stargate dispenses with its "Irreplaceable" strummed-guitar template and brings the Eurodisco tension. Oh, Ne-Yo, you really do know how to get me excited. A YouTube rip of "Closer" is after the jump.

Ne-Yo To Appear On All My Children [USA Today]
Ne-Yo's YEAR OF THE GENTLEMAN Hits Stores June 24 [The Hype Wire]
Ne-Yo - Closer [YouTube]

Amy Winehouse To Sully British Favorite

Kate Richardson — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:30:00 EDT

As the saying goes, "When you fail at maintaining a career in music due to substance abuse problems, there's always long-running BBC science-fiction shows to fall back on." It's an oddly specific saying, but it seems as if Amy Winehouse has taken it to heart. The perpetually frazzled singer will play The Rani, "a rogue Time Lord," in the season (or series, if you're British) finale of Doctor Who, the beloved BBC show that's kind of like Star Trek, but with more sweater vests.

The part, Winehouse's first acting work since being expelled from the Sylvia Young Theatre School, is part of a year-long break from music for the singer.

Sources close to the show have told NME.COM Winehouse is a "massive fan" of the hit show.

"She was a total 'Doctor Who' nerd as a kid," they explained. "Her and Blake have all the DVDs in their flat. She once even told people at the Hawley Arms that she had a massive crush on [fourth Doctor] Tom Baker when he visited the pub."

If only she'd remained "a total Doctor Who nerd," maybe she'd have spent more nights in her flat with those DVDs than out rumpling her hair and scratching her husband's neck.

(Incidentally, as you may have noticed from my alarming Star Trek comment, I know very little about Doctor Who. If you're a fan and you'd like to write some jokes for this post, please do so and leave them in the comments. It will enrich us all.)

Amy Winehouse to star in new Doctor Who series [NME]

New York Bands: Now's Your Chance To Feel Like You've Won The Lottery

Maura Johnston — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:45:40 EST

Actually, it's more like your chance to be as famous as that guy wearing a pirate's hat in the FreeCreditReport.com ad—or maybe even these guys! A casting call just came across our transom: "Looking for a cool indie rock band to be in a New York Lottery commercial. Bands can be male or female or both but members must be in their 20's. Must have lots of style, charisma, attitude, and energy. Think Franz Ferdinand, The Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear, Band of Horses, Bloc Party, Cold War Kids, Mars Volta, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, etc.." By now there has to be some enterprising band out there that's claiming all those influences simultaneously, right? I sure hope tryouts for this are at Pianos! [Thepunkguy]