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Kris Allen, Adam Lambert And Allison Iraheta: The 'Kradison' Summit!

Posted 2/17/10 3:15 pm EST by in Music


Getting to interview Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta (or "Kradison," as "American Idol" fans affectionately call them) together was a personal career goal of mine. Last Friday night (February 12) at the Ryan Seacrest "Rock My Town" event, after a year of begging publicists, record labels and religious saviors, my dream finally became a reality.

What is it about Kradison in particular that made me want this interview so badly? For one, I'm a huge fan of their music. Before the eighth season, I've never rooted for three separate contestants in one "Idol" season simultaneously (even if it took me a little time to warm up to Adam's vocal prowess). Beyond their tunes though, when you put Kradison in a room together, sparks fly.

Adam's devilish sense of humor brings out Kris' naughty side (watch Kris joke about covering "For Your Entertainment," complete with whips) and Allison's teenage energy infects Kris and Adam with a goofiness you don't always see from the reserved "Idol" winner and arty runner-up. (Check out Adam's hilarious reggae version of "No Boundaries.")

You don't take my word for it — check out our seven-part Extended Play interview! Although I'm not sure I'd call it an interview so much as a collection of giggles, overlapping chatter and jaw-droppingly blue remarks. (Speaking of which, I hope Kris' mom doesn't find this interview. If she does, sorry Mama Allen! Blame those raunchy, "grab-happy" fans in Singapore!)

Seconds before our cameras began rolling, Kradison reminisced about how a little under a year ago, they were doing press together after being voted through from the same semi-finals group. Now they're too busy to shave, obsessing over picking a second single or looking forward to trips around the globe. Friday night's concert had a really cool "Goodbye 'Idol,' hello solo artists" vibe to it. Here's hoping my interview is one last memory for the fans before we all start obsessing over the new crop of "Idol" contenders while continuing to follow Kris, Adam and Allison's careers individually.

What's your favorite Kradison memory? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

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30 Seconds To Mars Debunk The Price Tag Of Their 'From Yesterday' Video

Posted 2/17/10 2:25 pm EST by in Music


Over the course of 10 years and three hit albums, 30 Seconds to Mars have become notorious for a handful of reasons: A stunning live show, their rabid fans, frontman Jared Leto's approach to fashion and their envelope-pushing music videos. The latter is especially noteworthy, as Leto (who went to film school) has brought an incredible cinematic eye to the group's clips, leaving a handful of truly stunning images associated with their various hits. Leto has achieved technical mastery in the clip for "The Kill," went to Antarctica and Greenland for "A Beautiful Lie" and went to China for "From Yesterday." (Their most recent clip, for "Kings and Queens," will get the "Frame by Frame" treatment later this week.)

But the video for "From Yesterday" became known for something that had nothing to do with the group's trip to China or it's convoluted plot. Back when it first premiered, word got around that the clip cost the band a whopping $13 million, which would have made it the priciest video of all time (surpassing even Michael and Janet Jackson's "Scream").

"Contrary to Internet rumors, it did not cost $13 million to make," Leto told MTV News. "It was actually reported in [British music magazine] NME at the time, and they were talking about it like it was the most expensive video of all time."

Leto added that it was actually a pretty streamlined shoot. "It was a relatively inexpensive video to shoot, especially at that time," he said.

"Compared to the result, for sure," guitarist Tomo Milicevic added.

So there you have it: Another Internet urban legend dispelled!

What's your favorite 30 Seconds to Mars video? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

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If Kevin Eubanks Leaves 'The Tonight Show,' Who Should Be His Replacement?

Posted 2/17/10 1:35 pm EST by in Music, Television


Trouble just keeps following Jay Leno. Now that his primetime experiment is over with and he is returning to late night as the host of "The Tonight Show" once the Winter Olympics wrap up, he was probably hoping for a smooth transition back behind his old desk. Unfortunately, that may not be the case. There are reports out there that longtime "Tonight Show" bandleader Kevin Eubanks will not be returning to the show. (Keep in mind that the same report cites sources who say that Eubanks will indeed be back, so do with that information what you will.)

While Eubanks has never been the sort of dynamic force that Max Weinberg or Paul Shaffer has been for Conan O'Brien and David Letterman, he still has an easy chemistry with Leno, and any interruption in that chemistry could derail Leno's delicate re-introduction to the late night fold. The new bandleader would have to be an absolutely perfect fit.

Then again, maybe this is the opportunity for Leno to reinvent himself and evolve a bit. The report that said Eubanks was exiting also says that former Hootie and the Blowfish frontman and current chart-topping country star Darius Rucker is rumored to be Eubanks' replacement. While that wouldn't be a terrible decision, it's a little safe. (Plus, why would Rucker — who has carved out an incredible second career for himself as a country star — want that job?) Here are six suggestions for Eubanks' replacement (if he is indeed flying the coop).

Lyle Lovett
Honestly, this is the consensus pick in the MTV Newsroom. Lovett can be everything to everyone: He's a recognizable face, a country outlaw, an accomplished actor and a killer musician. He would be able to lead the band, joke around and — as Max Weinberg has proven — still continue on with his primary music career. It's a perfect match that would appeal to young and old alike.

Ben Folds
This is the other favorite pick in the Newsroom. Read More...

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On This Ash Wednesday, Let's Give Up Vampires And Tila Tequila For Lent

Posted 2/17/10 12:45 pm EST by in Music


By Saimon Kos

With another Fat Tuesday having come and gone, it's time to shake off your hangover and decide what you'll give up for Lent. John Mayer might want to take the opportunity on this Ash Wednesday to spend the next 40 days abstaining from any and all media interaction. The general consensus in the Midwest and on the east coast is that everybody would love to give up these snow storms, unless of course you enjoy getting a few extra days off from school. As far as I'm concerned, it's time to give up all those things that really don't seem to add much value to my daily dose of pop culture.

For starters, I need to stop paying attention to the crazy that is Tila Tequila and her manufactured Twitter drama. It's a soap opera that can quickly suck you in, but usually leaves me feeling dirty for caring enough to read her mile-a-minute posts. So for the next 40 days, no more Tila — and for that matter, no more following celeb Twitters that have no inherent value. (Don't worry Taylor Swift, we're not ready to abstain from you yet.)

I also think I'm ready to say no to vampires for a while. 2009 was a huge year for bloodsuckers, so without offending any "Twilight" super fans, I think a little more than a month off from all their movies, books and music is what I need in my life. Sorry Vampire Weekend, I guess I'll catch up with you after Easter. And don't worry "True Blood," you don't come back until June, so we can pick right up where we left off.

Finally, I think it's only fair that I give up something that will actually be a bit of a challenge. So for this Lent, I'm giving up "Jersey Shore." I watched every episode religiously and up until now I've been paying attention to the cast with undivided attention. Maybe it's the fact that I grew up in Jersey, but this crew has always had a special place in my heart. That being said, now that I know they'll be back for season two, I'm ready to turn away for a while. 40 days without a Snooki update or a check in with the Situation's latest, uh, situation won't be easy, but once their second season arrives, having taken a break will make it that much sweeter.

So that's it — my list of abstentions for the next 40 days. Hopefully I can stay strong and abstain from these guilty pleasures, and come out a better man for it. But probably not.

Are you giving up anything this season? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

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John Mayer's Playboy Interview Forces A Deep Dive Into His Lyrics

Posted 2/17/10 11:40 am EST by in Music


By Joel Hanek

In light of the recent controversial Playboy interview (where John Mayer was apparently auditioning for Howard Stern's job, should Stern bolt the "shock jock" chair in favor of "American Idol"), fans and critics alike will be eager to hear how he addresses the situation in his music moving forward. But what about his back catalog? Did any of his old lyrics raise red flags? Does anything sound particularly ironic now? Let's look at five notable entries.

"Your Body is a Wonderland"
In this sultry-yet-sweet ballad from Mayer's debut album, the singer-songwriter croons about one of his favorite interview topics. Mayer describes his lady as having "candy lips and a bubblegum tongue" (quite the apt metaphor for a tune as saccharine as this). Then again, since his Playboy interview, I've completely second guessed the meaning of all his metaphors. After all, he compared Jessica Simpson to "crack cocaine" ("I want to quit my life and just f---ing snort you"). So what does this mean? Are "candy lips" and "bubblegum tongue" really just street names for airplane glue and whippits? (Probably not.)

"My Stupid Mouth"
I guess this song isn't so much ironic as it is now painfully literal. Read More...

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The Top Five Things MTV News Has Learned At The Vancouver Olympics

Posted 2/17/10 10:50 am EST by in Sports


By Nick Neofitidis

The Winter Olympics march on, but MTV News' time in Vancouver is nearly up. We've still got plenty more to come, including insights from snowboarders, members of the men's and women's hockey teams and whoever else we happen to run into here in not-nearly-snowy-enough British Columbia. We've certainly learned a thing or two about the Olympics — in fact, here are the top five things we've taken away from our time here so far.

5: When In Rome
As we have been saying it all week: From our trip to Granville to the folks at Whistler, Canadian people are super nice. I'm a New Yorker at heart, so my tough skin sometimes can come out a bit when I'm in a new city. But in Vancouver, I don't have a choice. I could curse Wayne Gretzky's name to the death and not ever hear someone from across the way tell me to shut it. (For the record, I love Wayne Gretzky, so my my Canadian brethren can rest easy).

4: Team USA Is Awesome
We have interviewed a ton of athletes during our stay here so far. From the lunatic Skeleton athletes like Katie Uhlaender to our new buddy Will Brandenburg (who made a last ditch effort to get Taylor Swift to be his valentine). We even talked to Hannah Kearney, who was the proud recipient of the U.S. team's first Olympic Gold Medal and who is a pretty diehard Red Sox fan. One thing is for sure: Our athletes are fun and down-to-earth people.

3: "Nice" Is Only 95 Percent Of The Time
OK, so about number five. Read More...

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The Scottish Terrier Takes Westminster: Wake-Up Video

Posted 2/17/10 10:00 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


On Tuesday night (February 16), a cutthroat competition came to a close and saw a dominant champion crowned once again. No, it had nothing to do with the Winter Olympics (where Russian figure skater Evgeni Plushenko took home a gold in the Short Program and Canada's Maelle Ricker took the top spot in Women's Snowboardcross) nor did it involve the ongoing saga of "American Idol" or the thrilling overtime win that the University of Kentucky posted over Mississippi State in basketball. The real action took place at Madison Square Garden, where the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show came to a close with Sadie the Scottish terrier taking the prize for Best in Show.

It was a nail-biter of an evening. Following Sadie's victory in the Terrier group, she went up against stiff and eclectic competition in the all-around category. Though the crowd at MSG loved the Doberman pinscher, the toy poodle, the brittany, the puli, the French bulldog and the whippet, the Scottish terrier clearly had the most support. It's been a dominant career for that dog, as Tuesday night's victory represented Sadie's 112th Best in Show Award (a staggering figure), and in winning she also became the first pooch ever to win the dog show version of the Triple Crown (adding to her victories at the National Dog Show in November at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in December).

In honor of Sadie's dominant victory (consider her the Michael Jordan of the dog world) and because every elite athlete needs a badass theme song, here's Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog."

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'American Idol' Recap: Seven In, 17 To Go

Posted 2/17/10 8:15 am EST by in Music, Television


I imagine Tuesday night's (February 16) "American Idol" was a lot like watching Brangelina's vacation videos. On one hand, you think you should care because it's Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and their 14 children on a banana boat. But on the other hand, if you've seen one family vacation home video, you've seen them all. Nine seasons in, the final Hollyweek episodes are as old hat and predictable as an ensemble romantic comedy.

There just wasn't enough drama to sustain an hour of "Idol," let alone two. Yep, "Idol" decided last week that the Olympics were on and holy crap we need to do something desperate fans deserved an extra bonus hour of Hollywood week to help us get to know the Top 24 better.

Ironically, out of the seven names they revealed a day earlier than usual, only one was that of a contestant we hadn't seen that much of before. But did "Idol" take time to teach us anything about Lee Dewyze (or DeWyze, depending on whether you believe his website or "Idol" producers)? Hell no. We got to hear a few seconds of his weak Hollyweek (Hollyweak?) "You Found Me" and then Kara babbled about him not having any confidence. Way to give the guy a fighting chance, Simon Fuller!

Mimicking Tuesday night's pointless "Memento"-like structure, let's arbitrarily rewind and go to the beginning.

The opening chunk of the episode gave us too-brief snippets of the remaining 71 contestants performing with the band one last time. Most sang that Jason Mraz song we're all sick of, including eventual Top 24er Todrick Hall, who had the good sense to turn the twee tune into a Maxwell-style dirty slow jam. Forget a ukulele — that dude would uke your lele!

A few contestants tried that Colbie Caillat song about tickled noses we're all sick of. Like Casey James, the now infamous shirtless dude who finally proved to me that he has something to offer other than chest hair and a ponytail thanks to a husky rock interpretation of the tune. (In honor of the needlessly complicated editing, cut to: Casey James, making it to the Top 24. Congrats, man. Hope you're prepared for drooling ladies tweeting unspeakable things at you and your family members in the coming months. It will happen.)

And lastly, an insane amount of people tackled Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" — most notably church singer Jermaine Sellers, who pulled a diva move by blaming the band for messing up the arrangement. (How Christian of him!) The band also goofed when playing "Bubbly" for momma's boy Thaddeus "I'm Not 'Bubbly'" Johnson instead of the MJ tune. Thaddeus should have probably stuck with "Bubbly" instead, as his "Man in the Mirror" was so broken he's going to have seven years of bad luck.

A few other early standouts had their 15 seconds of fame. Read More...

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Kevin Smith's Fight With Southwest Joins The Pantheon Of Celebrity Air Travel Confrontations

Posted 2/16/10 6:10 pm EST by in Music


Over the weekend, filmmaker Kevin Smith (the indie auteur responsible for cult hits "Clerks," "Chasing Amy" and "Dogma," as well as the upcoming "Cop Out") got into a little spat with Southwest Airlines. While trying to board a plane on Sunday morning (February 14), Smith was asked to leave because he was too big for one of the seats. He immediately began tweeting about the incident for the benefit of his over one million followers and the airline itself. It amounted to a rare air rage incident that took place on solid ground.

In the end, Southwest apologized and refunded Smith, though he remains upset about the incident. "Now I'm gonna carry this Too Fat to Fly sh-- around like herpes for the rest of my life, and it was never even true," Smith wrote on his Twitter.

But Smith's disagreement with Southwest pales in comparison to some of the more high-profile incidents in celebrity air rage history. What other incidents, you ask?

Naomi Campbell
The typically level-headed supermodel became upset with British Airways lost one of her bags upon her arrival at London's Heathrow Airport in 2008. She reportedly started kicking and spitting at airline representatives and police (she claims she was responding to being called a racial slur) and ended up pleading guilty to charges of assault and disorderly conduct.

Peter Buck
The R.E.M. guitarist was responsible for what has gone down in history as the definitive celebrity air rage fiasco. The normally mild-mannered Buck destroyed a cup of yogurt, overturned a service cart and may or may not have marked his territory in the bathroom during a flight from Seattle to London in 2001. The great punchline? Buck had no memory of the incident — he woke up in a London jail cell unable to recall his flight, blaming the whole event on the combination of a sleeping pill and red wine.
Read More...

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Jay-Z, LeBron James, Jerry Jones Highlight Memorable NBA All-Star Weekend In Dallas

Posted 2/16/10 5:15 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Sports


By Rahman Dukes

The 2009-10 NBA All-Star Weekend was another one for the record books. At the various NBA-related functions, loads of young folks came out for the nightly parties that were hosted from everyone from Drake to TNT commentator and former player Kenny "The Jet" Smith. In just two days, we found ourselves in the company of LeBron James, Diddy, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the king of rap, Jay-Z. Not bad, eh?

I'm not a plane guy, so our horrific travel getting into Dallas will damn near forbid me from ever getting on a runway again. But it was all worth it.

I got a clear direction from our boss prior to our trip outta town: Deliver!

We attended the annual "Two Kings" dinner, where my crew pretty much owned the red carpet. It was amazing to see Jerry Jones' reaction to our knowledge of sports. Even New Edition's Mike Bivins, who was commentating for NBA TV, had nothing on my colleague Shaheem Reid.

Jay-Z came right in and acknowledged us. "I gotta talk to this boy right here, look at his Scooby Doos" Jay said in regards to Sha's stellar suit. "What up, boy?" Hov said to me with a nod. I couldn't keep a smile off my face that evening, which included a wave from NBA great Earvin "Magic" Johnson (with Cookie in tow) and a nice talk with New Jersey Nets General Manager Rod Thorn (who was probably in town to convince some of NBA brass to salvage his career in Jersey, where they own a wonderful 4-47 record this year). Later that night, we ran into Ray J at the Play N Skillz party where the fun continued.

On Sunday, we had the opportunity to watch the NBA All-Star Game at what is potentially the dopest stadium in the world: Jerry Jones' new toy, Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. I didn't know what was better to watch: The biggest Jumbotron in the world (it's a staggering 11,520 square feet) or the All-Stars themselves.

That evening we wrapped up our All-Star experience with Texas rap legend Bun B. Bun's a good friend who came out to party with Play N Skillz who had other guests at their affair including Amber Rose. Before the end of the night Bun handed me a bottle of Rosé and said "That's how you do it in Texas." For sho, big homey. I couldn't agree more.

Shouts out to to the NBA, the city of Dallas and Jerry Jones for an amazing All-Star Weekend. I think my boss will be pleased with what we got.

Photo: Cynithia Allen

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