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'American Idol' Recap: Lauren Alaina Sets The Season Standard In Nashville

Posted 1/28/11 8:15 am EST by in Music


OK, "American Idol." Time to pack it up. No need to bother going through the rest of season 10. As far as "Idol" producers are concerned, we have met our next champion and her name is Lauren Alaina.

The first 52 minutes of Thursday night's (January 27) Nashville audition episode — filled with quarreling ex-lovers, former Donald Trump trophy teens and far too many "delusional" people who were obviously in on the joke — was like that one time in '97 when I went to see Blur and they had their friend's terrible band open for them so that they looked amazing by comparison.

Like Blur, there was no need for the weighted build up to the headliner. Truth is, Lauren Alaina's voice was the first one this season to make me cock my head sideways (a la Little Forrest Gump) and make my arm hairs tingle. She demonstrated control and conveyed emotion like a seasoned pro during Faith Hill's "Like We Never Loved at All." Then she naturally bantered with a misty-eyed J. Lo, quipping, "You're too pretty to cry!" Was she created in an "Idol" test tube or what?

Alaina even came equipped with a heart-tugging past. Her main inspiration, cousin Holly, is battling a brain tumor. Even more tragic? Her main hair inspiration is Ke$ha, judging from the crunchy rat's nest that sat atop her pretty little head. Perhaps most tragic? Her dress inspiration was the B-52's Cosmic Thing album cover. Somebody needed to bang bang bang on the door, baby, and tell Lauren that fluorescent psychedelia ain't happening for her.

(I feel like such a jerk for blatantly mocking a bubbly 15-year-old's fashion sense. Why did you have to make my job so dang difficult with this new lowered age limit, Nigel Lythgoe?)

But oh, that voice! Lythgoe has been openly campaigning for this girl on Twitter, saying her pipes are better than Kelly Clarkson's. With her Southern roots, twang and blond hair, I leaped to Carrie Underwood (if former "Idol" winner comparisons had to be made). But, as a commenter on MJ's Big Blog astutely pointed out, Alaina also has "a big spoonful of [Kellie] Pickler warmth and a dollop of Jordin's youthful enthusiasm." Ding ding ding!

I could have done without the "spur of the moment" Steven Tyler duet, and I definitely rolled my eyes as Tyler gushed to cameras that they "may have found the one." The pimping is getting old already, sure. But aren't you at least happy that you don't feel lied to when the show claims she was the best they saw out of 17,000 Nashville hopefuls?

The other judges' fave, 28 year old Jackie Wilson, was more of a head-scratcher to me. Read More...

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Steven Tyler's 'American Idol' Run Wasn't His First Chance To Help Young Singers

Posted 1/27/11 5:00 pm EST by in Music


"American Idol" is back again tonight (Thursday, January 27) with another audition episode (this time from the show's visit to Nashville) that will undoubtedly be full of great singers, strange performances, tearjerking back stories and lots and lots of bon mots courtesy of new judge Steven Tyler. The latter has been one of the key things that has kept the new season of "American Idol" a ratings winner, as Tyler has continued to deliver strange bits of philosophy, smooth talking and just the right amount of total nonsense. He's a fantastically dynamic television presence who not only seems interested in putting on a good show but also in helping out young artists to realize their dreams.

In fact, this isn't the first time Tyler has gone out of his way to help people who are just starting out to make a name for themselves in the music business. Back in 1995, Tyler and Aerosmith bandmate Joe Perry opened a rock club in their native Boston called Mama Kin (named after one of the band's signature songs). The concept of Mama Kin was that it was a small space with a killer soundsystem that allowed for up-and-coming bands to develop their chops using top-shelf equipment and enthusiastic audiences. At the end of their sets, bands would receive both an audio and a video recording of their set, which they could use to shop themselves around to labels and comb through to look for room for improvement.

MTV News took a trip up to Boston in the summer of '95 to get a tour of the place (which also included a stage dedicated to theatrical presentations and plays). In the clip below (which sees Tyler and Perry walking onto a set in the theater space — it's not actually a free-standing torture device for groupies), Tyler not only talks earnestly about giving newcomers a voice but also proves that he's always been good with turning a phrase. The clip literally has everything: Some good advice, a little bit of naughtiness, some honest intentions and some top-shelf free association.

The club is no longer there (it's now the Avalon), but Tyler's intention to give young artists a leg up continues to this day.

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Justin Bieber Is The Latest In The List Of Ozzy Osbourne's Unlikely Collaborators

Posted 1/27/11 4:00 pm EST by in Music


Over the course of his still young career, Justin Bieber has managed to appeal to people across a number of different genre lines. His ubiquity in the pop world is undeniable, and he is continuously picking up credibility in the R&B and hip-hop worlds as well (thanks to a number of key collaborations and endorsements). However, it's unlikely that Bieber will appeal to the metal community any time soon, though that could certainly change when the Super Bowl rolls around. Bieber will appear alongside Ozzy Osbourne in an advertisement for Best Buy that will air during the big game on Sunday night, February 6. The content of the ad is being kept under wraps, but it marks the first time that Bieber will be teaming up with Osbourne and will certainly make for unlikely bedfellows for both of them.

However, despite his well-earned reputation as a badass, Ozzy has been collaborating with unlikely partners throughout his career. He has teamed with some expected partners (like Mótórhead, and Type O Negative), but there are just as many oddball, left-field pairings like these.

Busta Rhymes
When Busta was putting together his 1998 album E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front, he wanted to use the iconic riff from Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" for the album-closing track "This Means War!!" But rather than just use the sample, he went ahead and brought Osbourne in to lay down a fresh vocal line for the chorus. Strangely, it was one of a string of hip-hop friendly collaborations for Osbourne.

Crystal Method, DMX and Ol' Dirty Bastard
To give you an idea of how huge "South Park" was when it first started, a record label paid a million dollars just for the opportunity to be the distributor of the show's soundtrack (which manifested as Chef Aid: The South Park Album, released in 1998). What did that money buy? Crazy-ass guest stars and unlikely team-ups. For instance, the first song on the album (after the theme song to the TV show) was "Nowhere to Run," a noisy, unprecedented collaboration between the Crystal Method (who laid down the music) and vocalists DMX, Ol' Dirty Bastard and Osbourne. It represented not only Osbourne's hip-hop crossover but also his one dalliance with the then-huge electronica movement.

Was (Not Was), Madonna and Kim Basinger
Outside-the-box pop group Was (Not Was) drafted Ozzy into singing lead vocals on their 1982 track "Shake Your Head (Let's Go to Bed)," which was a strange enough combination. But it only gets stranger when you add Madonna to the mix (she provided backing vocals), and gets surreal when you consider Madonna wanted her vocals taken out of the remastered version for the Was (Not Was) hits package and actress Kim Basinger filled in for her.

Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan's "For Heaven's Sake" (from their 1997 double album Wu-Tang Forever) already had a doomsday vibe to it thanks to the haunting production by the RZA. But Osbourne and Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi added an extra bit of end-of-the-world dread when they recorded a new version of the track for the rap-meets-metal compilation Loud Rocks in 2000. Most of Loud Rocks doesn't work, but the new version of "For Heaven's Sake" is pretty jaw-dropping.

Dweezil Zappa
What's the strangest thing about this collaboration, which was a cover of the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive"? The fact that it's a cover of a Bee Gees song? The fact that it came from a whole album's worth of metal covers of Bee Gees tunes? The fact that Frank Zappa named one of his sons Dweezil? Or the fact that it actually sounds kind of good?

Miss Piggy
For the Muppets-meet-rockers compilation album Kermit Unpigged, Osbourne teamed up with everybody's favorite high-maintenance porcine star and cranked out a version of Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild." It's not the best cover in the world, though it is Ozzy's greatest experience with felt.

What's your favorite unusual Ozzy Osbourne collaboration? Let us know in the comments!

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The Green Bay Packers Get A Musical Boost From Butch Vig: The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 1/27/11 3:00 pm EST by in Music


"The cool thing is, we sent it to the people at Lambeau — I know one of the DJs, Malcolm, who does on-field [music] at Lambeau Field — and when they first got it, Chad and I went to the game, and they played it, like, 15 times during the game. We were just in heaven, and, like, I know I've done Green Day and the Pumpkins and Garbage and whatever, but now I can die a happy man. I've had a song played at Lambeau."

-Music producer and Garbage co-founder Butch Vig, discussing the fact that "Go Pack Go" — the Green Bay Packers fight song he recorded with fellow Garbage member Duke Erikson as the 6 Packers — has been so enthusiastically embraced by the fans and supporters of the team. The song has been played repeatedly on the radio in Wisconsin as fuel for the Packers' run to the Super Bowl, where they will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, February 6. Vig originally recorded the song a few years ago, though they had to update the lyrics a bit to reflect the current roster.

"We just kind of put it out there, when the Packers went to the NFC Championship Game and lost to the Giants [in 2007], and then Favre left," Vig explained to MTV News' James Montgomery. "In our original version, in the middle break, there were all these references to Favre, so we went back in and did a new version about a month ago, and deleted, of course, any references to Favre."

Vig also discussed the upcoming Foo Fighters album, which he produced, marking his first collaboration with Dave Grohl since 1991's Nirvana album Nevermind. "Dave said, 'I want the record to sound rawer and somewhat imperfect. As good as we play, that's how good the record will sound.' And, you know what? It sounds great. They're f---ing badass players. It's an honest record. It sounds real."

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'Tosh.0' Gives Rapper Optimo 55 Souf A Big Boost Via 'Web Redemption'

Posted 1/27/11 2:00 pm EST by in Music


There is no one clear path to pop stardom, especially in this age of social networking and viral video. More and more stars — most notably 16-year-old pop sensation Justin Bieber — have kicked off their giant careers because they posted footage of themselves online. Though rapper Optimo 55 Souf isn't quite doing Bieber-sized business yet, he still has a piece of viral video — and an assist from comedian and "Tosh.0" host Daniel Tosh and legions of the show's fans — to credit for his recent surge up the iTunes sales chart.

It all began last year when Optimo was attempting to create a video for his song "I'm Gipper" by dancing in the middle of the street and ended up getting hit by an ice cream truck. The clip (which has over four million views on YouTube) made the viral rounds and Optimo became the source of much amusement. On Tuesday (January 25), Optimo finally got the last laugh, as he was the subject of the "Web Redemption" segment on "Tosh.0." Every week, the host gives a viral video victim the chance to re-claim some dignity, and Optimo not only got to explain the incident but also got a fully pimped-out, super-deluxe hip-hop video for "I'm Gipper" that let him get revenge on the source of his pain.

You can watch the entire "Web Redemption" segment here, which also includes a sit-down with Optimo about the incident. The exposure for Optimo was clutch, as his appearance on the hit Comedy Central show inspired fans to download "I'm Gipper" in overwhelming amounts, propelling the track into the upper reaches of the iTunes sales chart. The song currently sits at number 76 overall and peaked at number 15 on the hip-hop chart, ahead of such higher-profile smashes as Dr. Dre's "Kush" and Eminem's "No Love." It continues to climb the chart, and sooner or later it's going to peak pretty high — and all it took was a collision with an ice cream truck and a little help from "Tosh.0."

What do you think of the "I'm Gipper" video? Let us know in the comments!

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Was Chris Medina's Tale The Biggest Tearjerker In 'American Idol' History?

Posted 1/27/11 1:30 pm EST by in Music


On Wednesday night's (January 26) episode of "American Idol," the viewing audience (and the judges) were treated to the tale of Chris Medina, a contestant who not only performed the Script's "Breakeven" but also told the heartbreaking story of his fiancée, who was in a tragic accident that put her in a coma for a short time and left her with brain damage. He remains her caregiver (along with her mother), and his devotion to her was a truly touching moment. It's unsure whether Medina has the chops to make it as the winner of "American Idol," but his story is one of the most inspiring and heartstring-tugging in the history of the show. (It certainly didn't leave very many dry eyes in the MTV Newsroom.)

In fact, it made us think: Was Medina's story the biggest tear-jerking moment in the history of "American Idol"? The show has always dealt with heightened emotions, dramatic moments and tragic back stories, and this season alone has already delivered a few of those moments — starting all the way back in the first season, when Jim Verraros used sign language to express his emotional audition to his deaf parents. Some of the stories defined contestants entire existences on the show, like Danny Gokey (whose wife of 12 years passed away only a few weeks before his audition following her third heart surgery) or Josiah Lemming (a kid who lived in his car and whose only family was a terminally ill mother). Or what about Asia'h Epperson, whose father died in a car crash only two days before she auditioned to be on the show in season seven?

But Medina's biggest competition has to come from Angela Martin, who managed to have the most tragic run of luck in the history of "American Idol." When she first appeared in season seven, her father passed away just before she competed in Hollywood. A year later, she was forced to drop out of the top 50 because of a traffic warrant. When she tried again in season nine, her entire experience was under the cloud of her mother's mysterious disappearance. On top of all that, Martin was a single mom with a special needs child, which meant that every roadblock in her way was extra tragic, simply because she had already been through so much.

With that in mind, which "Idol" contestant made you cry the most? Vote in the poll below and let us know any of the heartbreaking moments we forgot in the comments.

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Spotted: NKOTBSB Meet The Green Monster In Boston

Posted 1/27/11 12:30 pm EST by in Music


Every day a multitude of stars wander through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

Excitement continues to grow for the upcoming tour that will bring together New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys (who have cleverly dubbed their combined unit NKOTBSB). The trek, which kicks off on June 2 and is currently booked through the end of July, will showcase two of the biggest boy bands in the history of pop music, featuring individual sets as well as plenty of collaborations between the two factions. On Wednesday (January 26), seven members of the tour (Brian Littrell, Jonathan Knight, Howie Dorough, Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre and Danny Wood) gathered in Boston to announce a huge event: A show at Fenway Park, the venerable home of the Boston Red Sox, on June 11. The press conference ended with a trip to the outfield to hang out at the famous Green Monster. The show will be especially meaningful for the New Kids, who all grew up in the Boston area. Ticket pre-sales are going on now, and they'll be available to the general public on February 5.

They weren't the only stars taking care of business, as Lo Bosworth signed copies of her new book "The Lo Down" in Boca Raton, Florida, and Adele performed songs from her new album 21 for BBC Radio 1 in London. Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted" archive, which features over 500 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Rihanna, the Jonas Brothers, Kanye West and Mariah Carey!

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Happy Birthday, Patton Oswalt!

Posted 1/27/11 11:30 am EST by in Music


The MTV Newsroom Blog is always trying to celebrate the birthdays of the biggest, best and most influential stars in the music universe. Though he has released several well-received albums, Patton Oswalt is not a musician, but rather an extremely successful and highly respected comedian, writer, actor and essayist (his first book Zombie Spaceship Wasteland just debuted on the best-seller list in the New York Times). He turns 42 years old today, and though he struggled for years as a stand-up comic, he is on top of the world today.

Having grown up in suburban Virginia, Oswalt headed west as soon as he could to escape the boredom of his upbringing. He worked as a stand-up for years, toiling on the road in terrible clubs (one notable run as a headliner in a small town outside of Vancouver is the focal point of one of the best entries in Zombie Spaceship Wasteland) but started to pick up breaks along the way in the acting and writing worlds. His first big break came as a role as a sidekick on the sitcom "The King of Queens," but his major mainstream breakthrough came as the voice of Remy the Rat in the smash animated film "Ratatouille." He also gained a reputation as a great script doctor and has done uncredited punch-up on a number of movies over the past few years.

Recently, Oswalt sat down with MTV Splash Page editor Rick Marshall to talk about Zombie Spaceship Wasteland and his love of geek culture. During the interview, Oswalt talked about how much he loved the soundtrack to the film "Repo Man," which introduced him to the magic of punk rock when he was growing up. In honor of his birthday, we're throwing Oswalt a "TV Party" care of Black Flag.


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Britney Spears Knocked Out Of Top Hot 100 Spot By Bruno Mars

Posted 1/27/11 10:30 am EST by in Music


The upper echelon of the Billboard Hot 100 has gotten fantastically interesting in the past few weeks and promises to stay that way in the near future. Last week, Britney Spears made yet another dent in the record books when her new single "Hold It Against Me" debuted at number one on the chart (that has only happened 18 times in history, and Spears has done it twice). Driven by record-breaking digital sales and a healthy embrace from radio, "Hold It Against Me" seemed poised to dominate the charts right up until the release of Spears' new album in March.

But Bruno Mars had a different plan, and this week his "Grenade" returns to the top of the chart. This marks the third time that "Grenade" has been number one (it previously stepped aside in favor of Katy Perry's "Firework," which sits at number two this week). Though Mars' "Grenade" hasn't broken the same kind of digital download records that "Hold It Against Me" has, it still managed to top the Digital Songs chart with a steady embrace from a number of different audiences.

Spears' "Hold It Against Me" remained strong, picking up enough downloads and radio airplay for the number six spot on this week's Hot 100 (and you can expect it to get another big boost when the video premieres, which will happen soon). The big story moving forward, however, has to be Wiz Khalifa. The Pittsburgh rapper settles into this week's chart at number three with "Black and Yellow," his pro-hometown song that has become an anthem for the current run of the Pittsburgh Steelers (who just won the AFC Championship, earning them the right to play against the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl). Expect "Black and Yellow" to be the number one song in the land in the lead-up to the big game — especially if the Steelers pull out a victory on Sunday, February 6.

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Another Winter Storm Cripples The Northeast: Wake-Up Video

Posted 1/27/11 9:30 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


Under normal circumstances, Wake-Up Video is devoted to tipping the proverbial hat to a moment in history or an important milestone. But this morning, it's all about the present tense. Yet another winter storm has dumped a disgusting load of snow and ice on the Northeast. Once again, schools have been closed, services suspended and transportation systems drastically altered, likely throwing your day into turmoil. According to the National Weather Service, this particular storm — which stretched from the Appalachian mountains to the coast of Massachusetts — should be finished by Thursday afternoon (January 27), but the aftermath could be troublesome through the weekend.

By many accounts, this storm rivaled the blizzard that crippled much of the Northeast at the end of last year. In New York City's Central Park, 12.3 inches of snow came down, which beat the single day record that has held steady since 1871. Records were also broken in Newark (11 inches) and in Philadelphia (14.2 inches). In fact, Philadelphia was hit particularly hard, as the precipitation forced the cancellation of nearly 200 flights out of Philadelphia International Airport, stranding hundreds of travelers overnight. The storm left all manner of travel issues in its wake, as Amtrak once again suspended service between New York and Boston, and hundreds more flights were canceled at Boston's Logan Airport and Washington, D.C.'s Reagan International Airport. Perhaps most astonishingly, public schools in New York City were closed, an event that seems to never happen even in the harshest conditions.

So if you're in the Northeast (or even if you're in sunny New Mexico), enjoy your snow day. Fire up the hot cocoa, catch up on all those episodes of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" you have backlogged on your DVR and crank up some good tunes — starting with Sara Bareilles' "Winter Song," an appropriate start to your day.


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