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'American Idol' Elimination Recap: Casey Abrams Gets Dismissed, Then Saved In Shocker

Posted 3/25/11 8:15 am EST by in Music

It has been quite a hyperbolic week for "American Idol." On Wednesday (March 23), Jacob Lusk delivered what many thought was one of the greatest performances in the history of the show, and during Thursday night's (March 24) elimination show, one of the most surprising events in recent "Idol" memory unfolded. The whole show ended with nobody getting the chop this week, setting up a double elimination down the road.

The first big surprise of the evening was the bottom three, which for the first time included the male contestants. Both Casey Abrams and Stefano Langone found themselves near the bottom of the heap next to floundering teen Thia Megia. When all was said and done, Abrams was the one with the fewest votes, a shocking revelation considering that he had been a favorite for most of the competition.

But things got really weird when it came time for Abrams to perform his survival song in an attempt to snag the coveted judges' save. He only got a few notes into "I Don't Need No Doctor" before Randy Jackson stopped him and let him know that they had already decided to save him. Abrams was completely thrown by the news, and he stammered and mumbled his way back to the safety of the pool of contestants.

The whole evening left everyone's head spinning — including that of MTV News "American Idol" expert Jim Cantiello, who discussed Abrams' save (and the rest of the madness) with guest host Michael Buckley (he of the YouTube series "What the Buck") on Thursday night's "Idol Party Live."

Don't miss "Idol Party Live" at every Thursday night at 9 p.m. on MTV.com, following the "American Idol" results show, for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty! And get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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MTV's Musical March Madness: Muse Vs. Weezer

Posted 3/24/11 4:30 pm EST by in Music

It's MTV's second annual Musical March Madness! MTV News took the 64 biggest names in rock, split them up into four regions, assigned them seeds and puts them up against one another in a single-elimination series of match-ups in a winner-take-all contest. We're leaving it to you to decide an actual champ in this field of 64, so over the next few weeks, fan voting will determine who will emerge as this year's champion. It's all about the fans, and the artist with the most passionate fan base will score the awesome Musical March Madness trophy!

The South bracket has already delivered some surprises, and the match-up below represents the last of the region's second round voting. Tune in tomorrow for the East bracket's pairings, and remember that you should keep track of your favorite artists' progress, as anything can happen between now and when voting closes.

Voting for all second round match-ups will close on Sunday, March 27 at midnight. As always, you can follow all the voting here.

(2) Muse vs. (7) Weezer
Muse are sort of the quiet juggernaut of this tournament, as they had an excellent showing last year and topped Cobra Starship in the first round. They'll face off against Weezer, who walked all over My Morning Jacket in the round of 64. Which one of these rock titans will advance to the Sweet 16 to take on the winner of the Adele/Tokio Hotel winner? Only your votes know for sure!

Watch the breakdown of the first round and a preview of round two!

Check out the Musical March Madness bracket and be take a look at the hoops-centric photos of some of the tournament's biggest bands.

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MTV's Musical March Madness: Tokio Hotel Vs. Adele

Posted 3/24/11 1:30 pm EST by in Music

It's MTV's second annual Musical March Madness! MTV News took the 64 biggest names in rock, split them up into four regions, assigned them seeds and puts them up against one another in a single-elimination series of match-ups in a winner-take-all contest. We're leaving it to you to decide an actual champ in this field of 64, so over the next few weeks, fan voting will determine who will emerge as this year's champion. It's all about the fans, and the artist with the most passionate fan base will score the awesome Musical March Madness trophy!

The round of 32 has been intense thus far, and it's only about to get more intense. With two match-ups already presented in the South bracket, this third one may be the most intriguing if only because it features two upset-minded underdogs.

Voting for all second round match-ups will close on Sunday, March 27 at midnight. As always, you can follow all the voting here.

(11) Adele vs. (14) Tokio Hotel
In the only second round pairing that put together two upset victors from round one, the upset minded Adele (who beat back Kid Rock to advance) takes on the rabid fan base of Tokio Hotel (who bested Mumford & Sons in round one). No matter who wins, the one left standing could end up being the lowest seed in the Sweet 16. Which artist will keep wearing the glass slipper? Weigh in with your vote!

Watch the breakdown of the first round and a preview of round two!

Check out the Musical March Madness bracket and be take a look at the hoops-centric photos of some of the tournament's biggest bands.

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MTV's Musical March Madness: Paramore Vs. Kings Of Leon

Posted 3/24/11 11:33 am EST by in Music

It's MTV's second annual Musical March Madness! MTV News took the 64 biggest names in rock, split them up into four regions, assigned them seeds and puts them up against one another in a single-elimination series of match-ups in a winner-take-all contest. We're leaving it to you to decide an actual champ in this field of 64, so over the next few weeks, fan voting will determine who will emerge as this year's champion. It's all about the fans, and the artist with the most passionate fan base will score the awesome Musical March Madness trophy!

The votes are really flying in the South bracket, as Linkin Park are building a healthy lead over R.E.M. in the first showdown of the day. Who will the winner of that match-up face in the Sweet 16? One of the two huge acts in the second pairing of the day.

Voting for all second round match-ups will close on Sunday, March 27 at midnight. As always, you can follow all the voting here.

(4) Kings of Leon vs. (5) Paramore
In a battle of the greater Nashville area, Kings of Leon ride their solid first round defeat of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals into the second round to square off against Paramore, who went toe-to-toe with No Doubt for a true heavyweight fight that came down to the wire. With the wind at their backs, will Paramore charge into the Sweet 16, or do Kings of Leon have too much power to be put down? Your votes will decide it!

Watch the breakdown of the first round and a preview of round two!

Check out the Musical March Madness bracket and be take a look at the hoops-centric photos of some of the tournament's biggest bands.

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Psychedelic Furs Get 'Pretty': Wake-Up Video

Posted 3/24/11 10:30 am EST by in Wake-Up Video

Despite the fact that many of today's bands draw heavily from the genre's tropes, New Wave still gets sort of a bad rap. People tend to remember the terrible hair, the neon-colored clothes and the empty keyboard bloops (not to mention the entirety of the Culture Club catalog). But there were gems, and luckily modern bands are taking from the best. For example, take Psychedelic Furs, the English group formed by singer Richard Butler in the late 1970s. Sometimes derided as a one-hit wonder (people tend to remember the song "Pretty In Pink," which came from the hit movie of the same name), the Furs turned out seven excellent albums between 1980 and 1991.

Their self-titled debut is a raw but warm collection of tunes that found the band still trying to nail down their core sound. They had it figured out by 1981's Talk Talk Talk, a classic in the genre and one of the best releases of the decade (it contained "Pretty In Pink" as well as the awesome "Into You Like a Train"). They followed that with the stellar Forever Now, which was produced by Todd Rundgren and contained the hit "Love My Way" (which got a second life when it was included on the soundtrack to the hit Adam Sandler film "The Wedding Singer").

The band continued with 1984's Mirror Moves, 1987's Midnight to Midnight and 1989's Book of Days. It was an incredible run, though the band ended in 1991 (frontman Butler then formed Love Spit Love, a profoundly underrated modern rock outfit most famous for a cover of the Smiths' "How Soon Is Now?" that appeared on the soundtrack to "The Craft"). Butler is one of the great unheralded songwriters in rock, and his work tells the tale. Rock out to "Pretty In Pink" and listen to some Psychedelic Furs today.


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MTV's Musical March Madness: Linkin Park Vs. R.E.M.

Posted 3/24/11 9:30 am EST by in Music

It's MTV's second annual Musical March Madness! MTV News took the 64 biggest names in rock, split them up into four regions, assigned them seeds and puts them up against one another in a single-elimination series of match-ups in a winner-take-all contest. We're leaving it to you to decide an actual champ in this field of 64, so over the next few weeks, fan voting will determine who will emerge as this year's champion. It's all about the fans, and the artist with the most passionate fan base will score the awesome Musical March Madness trophy!

With half the field in play in the second round of MTV's Musical March Madness tournament, it's time to dive into the bands that are left in the South region. Be sure to keep voting in the second round races that are already open, as many of them are getting tighter and tighter.

Voting for all second round match-ups will close on Sunday, March 27 at midnight. As always, you can follow all the voting here.

(1) Linkin Park vs. (8) R.E.M.
The men of Linkin Park took down a very game Sleigh Bells squad in the first round, clearing the way for their confrontation with R.E.M. (who had a surprisingly tight race against Hinder to advance). The Georgia band's new album Collapse Into Now isn't exactly setting the world on fire, but they have enough fight in them to give the juggernaut that is Linkin Park a tough run. Which one will advance to the Sweet 16? You decide!

Watch the breakdown of the first round and a preview of round two!

Check out the Musical March Madness bracket and be take a look at the hoops-centric photos of some of the tournament's biggest bands.

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MTV's Musical March Madness: Blink-182 Vs. Red Hot Chili Peppers

Posted 3/23/11 4:30 pm EST by in Music

It's MTV's second annual Musical March Madness! MTV News took the 64 biggest names in rock, split them up into four regions, assigned them seeds and puts them up against one another in a single-elimination series of match-ups in a winner-take-all contest. We're leaving it to you to decide an actual champ in this field of 64, so over the next few weeks, fan voting will determine who will emerge as this year's champion. It's all about the fans, and the artist with the most passionate fan base will score the awesome Musical March Madness trophy!

There are now officially two regions open in the second round of MTV's Musical March Madness. Every single one of the bands in the West can win, including the two acts below.

Voting for all second round match-ups will close on Sunday, March 27 at midnight. As always, you can follow all the voting here.

(2) Blink-182 vs. (7) Red Hot Chili Peppers
In the midst of some good-natured ribbing and the spirit of healthy competition, Blink-182 toppled their pals in All Time Low in a thrilling first round collision. In the second round, they have to stare down Red Hot Chili Peppers, the veteran act who managed to topple Death Cab for Cutie despite the fact that they haven't released any new music since 2006's double album Stadium Arcadium. Of course, Blink-182's last new album was in 2003, so there's an even playing field in this match-up. Which one will advance? You decide!

Watch the breakdown of the first round and a preview of round two!

Check out the Musical March Madness bracket and be take a look at the hoops-centric photos of some of the tournament's biggest bands.

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Britney Spears Reveals 25 Facts About Herself For Us

Posted 3/23/11 2:30 pm EST by in Music

Though there was a period of time when it seemed like every aspect of Britney Spears' life was put on the front page of the tabloids, she has managed to keep her life relatively mysterious as of late. Though she is forward about some things, she mostly plays everything close to the vest. That's what makes Spears' list of "25 Things You Don't Know About Me" (a series of facts she gave to Us magazine's website) so intriguing. Some of them seem like they could come from just about any star (she's a fan of animated films and white lilies), while others are biographical facts that everybody sort of knew already (she both played basketball and wrecked her mother's Lexus while she was in high school).

But there are a handful of true surprises that are particularly strange and interesting, if not entirely revelatory. The fact that she apparently takes two baths a day is somewhat amazing, especially considering how time-consuming that process must be. Spears also adores chocolate (she says, "I can eat chocolate morning, noon and night") as well as orange sherbet and chewing ice.

By far the greatest revelation on the list is number four which states, "I make a mean fake dinosaur when playing with the two loves of my life, Sean, 5, and Jayden, 4." The image of Britney Spears — easily one of the biggest pop stars in the world and one of the most famous people on the planet — pretending to be a tyrannosaurus is pretty amazing.

But which fact did you think was the most surprising? Vote in the poll below and let us know in the comments!

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MTV's Musical March Madness: Green Day Vs. U2

Posted 3/23/11 1:30 pm EST by in Music

It's MTV's second annual Musical March Madness! MTV News took the 64 biggest names in rock, split them up into four regions, assigned them seeds and puts them up against one another in a single-elimination series of match-ups in a winner-take-all contest. We're leaving it to you to decide an actual champ in this field of 64, so over the next few weeks, fan voting will determine who will emerge as this year's champion. It's all about the fans, and the artist with the most passionate fan base will score the awesome Musical March Madness trophy!

The second round is quickly becoming contentious, and there are a number of routs and upsets going down all over the place. Both bands in this particular match-up have shown they want to win, so this one should be no exception.

Voting for all second round match-ups will close on Sunday, March 27 at midnight. As always, you can follow all the voting here.

(3) Green Day vs. (6) U2
Adam Lambert had a surprising surge in 2010's Musical March Madness tournament, but this time around he couldn't build enough of a front to get out of the first round against Green Day. The Berkeley punk legends take on U2 in the second round, following the Irish quartet's victory over Ke$ha in the opening round. Which one of these former collaborators (on "The Saints Are Coming") will survive to play again? Vote and find out!

Watch the breakdown of the first round and a preview of round two!

Check out the Musical March Madness bracket and be take a look at the hoops-centric photos of some of the tournament's biggest bands.

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MTV's Musical March Madness: Panic! At The Disco Vs. Florence And The Machine

Posted 3/23/11 11:30 am EST by in Music

It's MTV's second annual Musical March Madness! MTV News took the 64 biggest names in rock, split them up into four regions, assigned them seeds and puts them up against one another in a single-elimination series of match-ups in a winner-take-all contest. We're leaving it to you to decide an actual champ in this field of 64, so over the next few weeks, fan voting will determine who will emerge as this year's champion. It's all about the fans, and the artist with the most passionate fan base will score the awesome Musical March Madness trophy!

The games in the NCAA men's basketball tournament don't start up again until Thursday (March 24), but the throwdowns in MTV's Musical March Madness continue unabated. Check out the next pairing from the West bracket, which pits a couple of young superstars against one another.

Voting for all second round match-ups will close on Sunday, March 27 at midnight. As always, you can follow all the voting here.

(4) Florence and the Machine vs. (5) Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco are one of the favorites in this year's tournament, and they established themselves as serious contenders in their first round victory over a game Avril Lavigne. They have to overcome a spry Florence and the Machine squad that trounced Brandon Flowers in round one. Will they play spoiler, or will Panic! at the Disco ride their just-released new album Vices & Virtues to the Sweet 16? You decide!

Watch the breakdown of the first round and a preview of round two!

Check out the Musical March Madness bracket and be take a look at the hoops-centric photos of some of the tournament's biggest bands.

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