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'American Idol' Recap: Chris Medina, Tears And More Great Steven Tylerisms In Milwaukee

Posted 1/27/11 8:30 am EST by in Music

For the first time in 10 seasons, "American Idol" hit Milwaukee for an audition round. Milwaukee: Best known for cheese, beer and Danny Gokey. To honor the occasion, I'm drinkin' a brewsky (imported, natch), nibbling on some cheddar, (Cheez-Its, natch) and I don't plan on ever, ever shutting up.

Mr. Gokey returned to "Idol" during Wednesday night's (January 26) audition episode, happily telling hopeful contestants, "In a moment your life can change, you guys!" He's right — it only takes an instant (and a tragic back story) to turn you into the target of "Idol" bloggers' venom and resentment.

Which brings us to Chris Medina, the most polarizing contestant since the Gokester. (I know Julie Andrews says, "Let's start at the very beginning," but she's not the boss of me. I'm doing this blog "Memento" style, starting at the end and working my way back. Deal with it, Maria von Trapp.)

Medina's narrative is the stuff of Lifetime movie legends. Deeply in love, engaged to a Starbucks barista, only to have his life turned upside down when his fiancée suffers major brain injuries in a severe car accident (that briefly put her in a coma) months before the wedding. Intense. (Or campy, if Meredith Baxter Birney is involved.) Now Chris spends his days strapping his soul mate into her wheelchair, making small talk with her caretaker mom and writing painfully earnest love songs to his ailing bride with his band, named — I kid you not — the Able Body.

In other words, when "Idol" producers met him, they said, "Jackpot!"

The story is inspiring, and Medina's dedication to his fiancée Juliana is admirable. Heck, beyond admirable. So why did his audition segment make me feel ickier than a pool full of mucus?
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Ry Cuming's Tour With Maroon 5 And OneRepublic: Behind The Scenes Photos!

Posted 1/14/11 3:30 pm EST by in Music

This past fall, singer/songwriter Ry Cuming returned to the road with his Maroon 5 buddies. And just like he did during his opening stint over the summer, Cuming documented the experience with his killer collection of still cameras. The avid photographer so kindly handed over some of his favorite behind-the-scenes pictures so we could share them with you, our beloved MTV News readers.

Check out these awesome off-the-cuff photos of Ry, his backing band, the Maroon 5 boys and fellow tour-mates OneRepublic in this exclusive photo gallery. Ry even provided us with captions for each snapshot, which explain some of the amazingly candid stuff going on behind the scenes.

(Click here for more behind-the-scenes photos from the big Maroon 5 and OneRepublic tour!)

Ry will reconnect with Maroon 5 when they hit his homeland in 2011, as the band is set to play a slew of dates with Cuming in Australia this coming May. Sara Bareilles is also joining the tour, which works out nicely since she appears on Ry's first single (and one of my Top 25 Songs of 2010) "Always Remember Me," featured on Cuming's self-titled debut.

But if you don't live down under or can't wait until the spring, be sure to catch Maroon 5 live on The Critics Choice Awards, which airs tonight (Friday, January 14) at 9 p.m. on VH1. Adam Levine and company will be serving as the evening's house band, doing their best to get presenters like the Kardashian Sisters to shake their famous booties and underscoring the competitions between great 2010 films like "The Social Network," "Black Swan" and "The King's Speech."

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Britney Spears Defies Pop Music Rule Book: Don't Hold It Against Her

Posted 1/10/11 5:56 pm EST by in Music

The new Britney Spears' single, "Hold It Against Me," hit the Web this morning and, sorry haters, it's a home run. The Max Martin/ Dr. Luke concoction combines the electro-house craze currently fueling Top 40 radio with a sing-songy chorus that nods to Britney's bubblegum past. (Strip away the grimy electronic pulses, and that refrain could fit snuggly into the kind of midtempo ballad Spears used to drop with every other single.)

As far as 2011 mainstream pop music goes, it doesn't get much shrewder than "Hold It Against Me." When MTV News staffers listened to "Hold It Against Me" today, we spent almost an hour brainstorming ideas around the song and considering Spears' place in contemporary pop culture. During discussions of hair-shaving and conservatorship, it hit me: What's most noteworthy about Britney's career of late is what an anomaly it is.

Britney Spears single-handedly disproves the theory that pop music prioritizes style over substance. Without flashy music videos, a primping glam squad and tricky studio wizardry, naysayers argue, pop stars would not be able to maintain their luster.

Based on those criteria, though, shouldn't Britney's success have fizzled out years ago? By 2007, America's pop music sweetheart-turned-sexpot was a mother of two who had replaced her personal trainer with a bottomless frappuccino. If, according to her critics, Britney's major selling points were her six-pack abs and sex appeal, she'd have dropped off our radar by then. Read More...

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Paula Abdul's 'Live To Dance': Welcome Back, Old Friend

Posted 1/5/11 11:30 am EST by in Television

America's favorite loopy reality TV judge Paula Abdul returned to prime time Tuesday night (January 4) with her brand new show "Live to Dance." And while that title suggests that people might be executed if they don't learn a two-step, the show was far less enticing than that assumption would suggest.

Basically, it's a hodgepodge of other competitive reality TV shows. (Call it "So You Think You Got Talent, Dance Crews?") Paula sits on a panel of "experts" (not judges) and awards gold stars to a variety of dancers in every genre imaginable in every age group conceivable (as young as six and as old as 90). They have one thing in common: none of them are particularly amazing or amazingly bad. They're all just ... there.

Paula has been saying in her promo tour that "Live to Dance" is a "little gem" that celebrates dance. They're not out to mock the delusional like "Idol" does during its infamous audition episodes. Paula and her expert panel (made up of a former Pussycat Doll and one of Michael Jackson's old choreographers) are there to encourage encourage encourage, even if they’re simultaneously crushing the dreams of eight-year-olds.

The premiere's pacing was somehow zippy and deadly at the same time. Auditions barely lasted a minute, yet by the time the two-hour premiere hit the 30-minute mark, it felt as though I had been watching for days. It was difficult to form much of a connection with any of the contestants, save for a brief "Awww, that little kid's cute" or "That old lady's a trip!" There's $500,000 on the line, so why didn't it feel like anything was at stake? (Even the troupe of homeless kids looked as though they were there because producers and stage-parents told them to hit a mark, rather than, you know, win half a million bucks.) I can't imagine any viewers picking up a phone to vote once the competition starts (besides the contestants' relatives).

The show's best asset by far was Paula. Read More...

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Fantasia, Deerhunter And Janelle Monae: The Top 25 Songs Of 2010

Posted 12/7/10 4:00 pm EST by in Music

The end of 2010 is almost upon us, which is why MTV News is rounding up the Top Songs of 2010. We had over two dozen MTV News staffers submit their own personal lists of their 25 favorite songs, and from those lists we derived a master list whose top 10 will be slowly rolling out over the course of this week. Check out one of the 25 lists below, with an argument or two for the greatness of some of the under-appreciated tunes of the year.

Don't let "Blah Blah Blah" fool you — 2010 was an awesome year for music. When I was asked to contribute a list of my 25 favorite songs to James Montgomery and Kyle Anderson (who were compiling a master list for the department using fancy math stuffs), my first draft was well over 100 songs. (Seriously!) From singles by "Idol" faves like Adam Lambert, Kris Allen and Fantasia to deep cuts from Detroit lo-fi punk bands like Tyvek, artists from all walks of life and genres stepped up their games big time, making my bank account suffer and my iPod hard drive sweat from being stuffed to the max.

Some of my song picks ended up making the final MTV News list, but a lot of them didn't. (Because my co-workers are idiots. I mean ... because music is subjective?) So peep my personal list of 2010's finest songs below. I even wrote a few words for a handful of my choices, but avoided songs written about so eloquently already.

25. "Teenage Dream," Katy Perry

24. "Real Love," Beach House

23. "Always Remember Me," Ry Cuming

22. "Animal," Neon Trees

21. "Denver," Clem Snide
Long after Clem Snide had their moment in the sun (their claim to fame: the theme song to the second season of "Ed"), singer/songwriter/front-man Eef Barzelay is still digging deep to tell new stories. This one's a breakup ballad about an on-the-way lovechild in the titular city, with Barzelay bellowing out high notes like a wounded animal. "Denver" might be the saddest ditty this under-appreciated artist has ever committed to tape. Fun fact: Barzelay is offering to write a song about you for $100 on his website. If it's half as good as "Denver," it's the biggest bargain on the Internet.

20. "Mean," Taylor Swift

19. "A/B Machines," Sleigh Bells
Blistering surf guitars. Bowel-disrupting bass. Ear-raping distortion. Two lines ("Got my 'A' machines on the table/ Got my 'B' machines in the drawer") that are repeated like a mantra. And just when you think it has shown its hand, a woman shrieks. I've probably lost 50 percent of my hearing thanks to having this track on repeat for the majority of 2010. It was worth it.

18. "All to All," Broken Social Scene

17. "Crazy for You," Best Coast

16. "New York Is Killing Me," Gil Scott-Heron
Read More...

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Kris Allen Indulges In His Goofy Side For 'Alright With Me' Video

Posted 11/19/10 4:30 pm EST by in Music

MTV News has known for awhile that Kris Allen is a fun-lovin' goofy son of a gun with a killer sense of humor and a low-key down-for-whatever attitude. In fact, we often take advantage of those qualities. (Exhibits A, B, C, D, E, F — you get the idea).

Yet both of his official music videos — "Live Like We're Dying" and "The Truth" — have been angsty affairs filled with desert metaphors and passionate guitar strumming. (We get it, Jive Records. Kris Allen is a serious musician. He's even forlorn on his album cover. In leather, no less.)

Thankfully, last night Allen tweeted a link to a music video for his catchy new single "Alright With Me" that shows off his personable side in a huge way. (Watch the video at his official website.)

The video, directed and edited by his Arkansas buddy Matthew Leonard, is one of those "on the road" diaries that hair metal bands churned out back in the day. But where Journey's "Faithfully" and Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" relied on slow-mo melancholia ("Sigh, it's so hard to be a rock star on the road earning millions of dollars and having sex with anonymous groupies"), "Alright With Me" takes the opposite approach. "Hot diggity, touring with my good friends and meeting fans and rocking out is totally the best thing ever." (Also, no groupies.)

In between artfully-shot live footage of the Kris Allen Band taken from their current fall tour with Lifehouse, we see the "American Idol" winner shimmying backstage, getting his nipples clamped by a dude named Big Daddy (!!!) and making enough silly faces to make Jim Carrey go, "Dude, chill."

Ironically the charming, silly clip (made to say "thanks" to his fans) sells Kris as a serious music artist far better than his first two music videos ever did. Whether they're on stage in front of thousands or by themselves in a studio, Allen and his band are having so much fun playing music together that it's hard to watch the "Alright With Me" video and not buy them as legitimate musicians madly in love with what they do for a living. No over-dramatic symbolism or wind machines needed, thank you very much.

Some have compared the playful video to the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" flights of fancy. It might be a reach, but then again, Kris once told MTV News that he was going for "a George Harrison vibe" when he recorded "Alright With Me." Nothing in Kris' video matches the Fab Four racing around a field in fast motion, but then again, not much in the world does. At the very least, Allen and his team have finally figured out that it's time to unleash their best kept secret: his personality. And that's alright with me.

After you watch the new music video, why not watch his latest MTV collabo? A few weeks ago the jokester stopped by for an appearance on my weekly musical Glee-cap segment. It's "Rocky Horror" themed, so if you've ever wanted to see Kris Allen channel a young Meat Loaf (hip wiggles and all), click play at once.

What do you think of the "Alright With Me" video? For now it's just a treat for the fans, but do you think it could work as the official video for the single? Leave a comment below, and for more "Idol" chatter, follow me on Twitter@jambajim!

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Pink Vs. Adam Lambert: Who Has The Better 'Whataya Want From Me'?

Posted 11/11/10 4:00 pm EST by in Music

The international edition of Pink's upcoming Greatest Hits ... So Far!!! collection will include her version of Adam Lambert's megahit "Whataya Want From Me." It's a song she recorded (and ultimately dropped) from her 2008 Funhouse album before handing it off to Lambert, who turned it into a platinum-seller.

Pink's rendition is nearly identical to Adam's. (Listen to snippets in the embedded video below.) The biggest difference is a pronoun switch in the chorus. One can only assume Pink's version — which she co-wrote with Max Martin — includes the original lyrics: "He messed me up" versus Adam's generic "It messed me up." (In hindsight, it's a bummer that Team Lambert felt the need to "straighten" the song.)

The official release on Pink's part is curious, mostly because Adam's single is a hit worldwide. It's one thing if Europe was unfamiliar with the "American Idol" alum and his music, but the dude has made a splash there. In fact, his Glam Nation Tour is playing to sold-out European crowds at this very moment.

Also, both Pink and Lambert are backed by the same exact instrumental track. Her take doesn't offer anything new, other than giving ammo to haters who like to point out that "Idol" stars often get pop star throwaways for their debut albums. (Those people need to cool it. Britney recorded "Umbrella" before Rihanna released it, and there's a demo of Katy Perry singing Kelly Clarkson's "I Do Not Hook Up" floating out there. Pop tunes make the rounds before they find a home, regardless of the quality of the song.)

If anything, "Whataya Want From Me" proves that Adam and Pink are both killer vocalists who should team up on a song sooner rather than later. Imagine the rock duet they could come up with! Imagine the music video!

Which "Whataya Want From Me" do you want? Do you think Pink would have had similar success with the song had she released it as a single two years ago? And who do we have to bribe, beg, and/or sleep with to ensure a PinkBert duet happens? Sound off below! And for more pop culture and "Idol" ramblings, follow me on Twitter @jambajim!

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Crystal Bowersox Previews New Music At Intimate Office Show

Posted 11/4/10 2:30 pm EST by in Music

In the eleventh hour of getting her Jive Records debut ready for public consumption, Crystal Bowersox stopped by VH1's offices Thursday morning (November 4) for a brief acoustic set. Apparently the gig was supposed to be a conference room performance just for executives, but the VH1 higher-ups believe so strongly in Crystal's potential that they wanted to share her casual mini-concert with their viewers. Expect to see the full four-song set streaming on VH1.com in the coming weeks.

The "American Idol" runner-up kicked things off by premiering "Hold On," the first official single from her album. Curiously enough, the song wasn't written by Bowersox, who has notoriously insisted she will have her hand in every album track. Instead, Nickelback's Chad Kroeger penned it with former "Idol" headache judge Kara DioGuardi.

But fear not, music fans with good taste. If those two names have you running for the hills, take a breather. Read More...

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Kanye West's Banned Album Cover: Did He Follow All The Rules?

Posted 10/18/10 1:30 pm EST by in Music

So Kanye West picked a painting of himself hooking up with an armless, tailed lady to be the cover for his new album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and then announced that it was banned. It's still unclear who banned it, or if anyone banned it at all.

You can't blame Kanye for at least trying to get his album cover censored. As I noted in 2007, with the announcement of Nas' N----- LP (which he later re-named Untitled), sometimes the best way to guarantee buzz is to push the envelope with your album artwork.

In this fun video I produced and co-edited back then, I broke down the five ways artists have historically made their way into news headlines with their controversial album art. Whether it's with profanity, sacrilegious imagery, nudity, sexually suggestive pics or graphic violence, artists from the Beatles to Jane's Addiction to Slayer to REO Speedwagon have all had their album covers singled out as being too hot for some record stores.

So while we wait for the official word as to whether Kanye's suggestive painting is actually banned, why not take a trip down memory lane and check out this vid? Honestly, any excuse to bring it back is a good one — it's still one of the favorite segments I've ever produced during my MTV News gig.

Do you think Kanye is drumming up controversy on purpose? Do you agree with West that there's a double-standard if Nirvana was able to feature nudity on an album cover yet he can't even show a painting? Watch the video and comment below. And for more pop culture ramblings, follow me on Twitter @jambajim.

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Why The Situation Needs Late Night Talk Show Coaching Stat!

Posted 9/24/10 4:00 pm EST by in Television

On Thursday night (September 23), the cast of "Jersey Shore" took over late night television. Snooki chatted about her droopy boobs on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" while the Situation paid a visit to "Lopez Tonight" to promote his current stint as a competitor on "Dancing With the Stars." That got me thinking: Doesn't it seem like these kids are on talk shows a lot?

Here's a crazy figure for you: Since the premiere of the very first episode of "Jersey Shore" in December of 2009, the cast has been on late night TV a whopping 32 times. (And that's not including daytime appearances on stuff like "Ellen" and "The View.")

With that in mind, how is it that the Situation isn't a total pro at chatting up talk show hosts, considering he has made nearly a dozen appearances on said shows himself? And why was his spot on "George Lopez" so excruciatingly dull?

Look, I get it. "The Situation" on "Jersey Shore" is different than Mike in real life. However, I like the "Jersey Shore" version of the man a lot better. Sure, he's arrogant, misogynistic and often obnoxious, but he's also laugh-out-loud funny. If I wanted to see a timid, humble dude talking about being "blessed," I'd watch Philip Seymour Hoffman discuss craft with Charlie Rose. No thank you!

So here's hoping the Situation gets himself some coaching and blossoms into a top-shelf late night guest (and anything is possible — even Robert Pattinson figured out how to do it). I never thought I'd say this, but I have to give the cast of "The Hills" some credit. I mean, at least they were consistent — boring on the show, and boring in real life.

What did you think of the Situation's appearance on "Lopez Tonight"? Let us know in the comments!

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