Simon Cowell Not A Fan Of 'The Voice,' Calls It An 'X Factor' Rip-off

Posted 5/17/12 12:41 pm EST by in The Voice, the x factor


The Voice

By Zachary Swickey

Surprise, surprise – it appears Simon Cowell is not a fan of the "The Voice" and claims the vocal competition show is a blatant rip-off of his own pet-project, “The X Factor” (more specifically, the British iteration, which pre-dates "The Voice," as the US "X Factor" premiered later).

Cowell was chatting it up with Radio 4’s Today Show when he made the bold suggestion that “The Voice” should be on radio instead of television – saying he “didn’t understand” it.

"That show ['The Voice'] puzzles me because it starts off and 'it's all about the voice'," he explained. "So my first thought is, 'Why isn't this on radio?' because what's the point in looking at them. Then suddenly I'm watching it a week or two weeks ago and it's the same as 'The X Factor.' They've got dancers behind them, graphics, lights. Same show."

Apparently, Cowell thinks he has a patent on singing, dancers, graphics and lights?

“I see a lot of shows trying to rip us off. If you try and rip somebody off it always looks like a bad copy,” he continued. Ouch.

Plenty would argue with his statement as “The Voice” has been a ratings behemoth and even helped recharge the celebrity of some its judges. You couldn’t go anywhere without hearing Adam Levine’s Maroon 5 troupe and their hit “Moves Like Jagger,” which featured fellow judge Christina Aguilera, last summer. “The X Factor,” however, has not been taking off the way Cowell expected.

Although, we’re pretty sure Cowell will see one heck of a ratings boost now that they have added Britney Spears and Demi Lovato to this year’s judging panel.

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The Four New TV Shows We Can't Wait To See

Posted 5/16/12 6:30 pm EST by in Television


Mindy Kalings

With the big reveal of CBS' 2012-2013 primetime schedule, all of the major networks have revealed which of their current shows will be back in the fall and which ones are being sent to the television graveyard as well as which pilots will be premiering this fall.

We have to say, we're pretty pleased with how things panned out. After a tense, touch-and-go couple of days "Parks and Recreation" and "Happy Endings" got their expected pick-ups, and favorites "Modern Family" and "30 Rock," albeit for a truncated final season, will also be back when the leaves start to turn.

(We're not exactly in love with the idea of two cycles of "The Voice" – part of that show's appeal was that it was neither overextended nor played out and a non-stop, yearlong run puts that in danger – but we'll deal.)

We've also got Louis C.K.'s brilliant "Louie" returning to FX in June, and our high hopes that the summer-long break from the traditional TV season will give us a chance to catch up on "Mad Men" or "Game of Thrones."

So there's a lot of good things going on in TV right now, and that includes some of what we're seeing from the previews of the new shows that are premiering this fall. As the network upfronts continue, we're getting a first feel for which shows to start getting excited for. Below we've lined up the four shows (one from each of the four major networks, to keep things fair) that have us really excited for the hot and sticky summer to fly by (save that week at the beach … that can linger as long as it likes) so we can get back to where we belong – in front of a television with a fan, a glass of red wine and all of old and new (TV) friends. Read More...

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The Top 5 Bonnaroo Scheduling Conflicts

Posted 5/16/12 1:21 pm EST by in Bonnaroo, Festivals


By Zachary Swickey

At long last, the official schedule for this year’s Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival – taking place from June 7-10 in Manchester, Tennessee – has been revealed, and in typical music-fest fashion, fans are going to be forced to make some heart-wrenching decisions.

Anyone that has hit up a major music festival, especially one of Bonnaroo’s magnitude, knows that they will inevitably have to choose between two of their favorite acts when scheduling conflicts arise, as they are known to do for even the most casual fans.

Considering the stellar lineup they’ve concocted for this year’s iteration – Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Phish, Bon Iver, the Beach Boys, Foster the People, Skrillex and many more. If you’re attending Bonnaroo, you might want to prepare yourself for some overlap between your favorite artists' sets.
Here are five of our biggest scheduling predicaments. Who would you hit up?

Bon Iver Vs. The Shins

It seems like Sunday’s dilemma between Bon Iver and the Shins is the toughest one to make bar-none as their music is somewhat similar. Bon Iver should be winding down his backing of his ’11 self-titled release, while the Shins just dropped a new album (Port of Morrow) after a five year hiatus. So if you’ve already caught Bon Iver, we recommend giving the Shins a go.

Feist Vs. Ludacris

While this may not seem like a dilemma for some fans, music connoisseurs like myself will have a decision to make. With Luda’s rising acting career, his performances are fewer and farther between, and few can argue the appeal of Feist’s newest offering, Metals. Basically, do you want to have your mind blown by a Canadian singer-songwriter or one of the best lyricists in the rap game? Your move; we're not touching this one.

Fitz & the Tantrums Vs. The Avett Brothers

This one’s a toughie. Both of these bands have broken in the last few years and they’re both known for their spectacular live shows. Fitz and his troupe don their throwback suits and swagger onstage even through the most menacing heat, while the Avett Brothers inherently manage to capture the nostalgia of rock’s glory days. Choose wisely!

The Beach Boys Vs. City & Colour

We’re not too sure if many of the younger folks are eager to catch the Beach Boys on their 50th anniversary reunion tour, but having them play during City & Colour’s set is a genuine predicament. Look, we’re not arguing about the Beach Boy’s legacy, but when your youngest member is 69 years old, you’re likely past your prime no matter who you are. And City & Colour totally rules, so there’s that.

The Roots Vs. Mogwai

This one will have the hipsters scratching their heads. Casual music fans will obviously gravitate toward the Roots thanks in part to their gig as Jimmy Fallon’s house band (not to mention they’re just flat-out incredible), but Scottish rockers Mogwai are one of the most treasured indie acts out there. Also, being from Scotland, they don’t make it to the states often, and occasionally their drummer’s pacemaker can throw a wrench in things. We'd go Mogwai, but only because it'll be easier to catch the Roots at another time – they're not going anywhere.

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Adele's Success Made Amy Winehouse Feel 'Competitive And Restless'

Posted 5/16/12 10:53 am EST by in Adele, Amy Winehouse


Adele and Amy

Adele's history-making success has reinvigorated the music industry in the best way possible. Sales of her acclaimed 21 helped the industry to its first year-over-year sales increase since 2004 and she's continued her chart dominance throughout 2012. The reception the acclaimed album has received is proof that people are still very much interested in powerful vocalists who are also the driving creative force behind their own music.

The last time we can remember an album receiving this kind of enormous and universal reception from both critics and music lovers was Amy Winehouse's modern classic Back to Black in 2006. It seems the late singer was as aware of that fact as anyone else … and it made her quite nervous.

At least according to Mark Ronson, a long-time Winehouse confidant and the producer behind Back to Black. In a new interview with the Village Voice, Ronson reveals that Adele's success made Winehouse feel "upset, competitive [and] restless," though she was herself a fan of the "Rolling in the Deep" belter.

Asked if he was planning to work with Winehouse again before her death in late-July of last year, Ronson admitted they had been talking about it, but the beehived British soul singer was nervous and tense about returning to the studio with him and speculated that Adele's success might have had something to do with it.

"Yes. We spent a little time together and talked about it. But, what little time we had, well, it was tense. She was in a bad state, God knows why," Ronson told the Voice. "I think that the Adele thing had Amy freaked out. She liked her, but Adele's success was making Amy feel upset, competitive, restless. Anyway, we lost touch briefly. And before she and I could really start the process of beginning a new album, it was too late."

We can understand where Amy was coming from – their styles certainly had some overlap and any singer trying to get some shine on the charts would be a fool to not be made nervous by Adele's current ubiquity – but we think that there is more than enough room for both. What we wouldn't give to have had these two talented and unique voices dominating the charts at the same time and showing so many lesser talents how it's done.

Read on to check out Adele and Amy taking the same stage (albeit separately) with Ronson during a show-stopping medley performance of "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face," "Stop Me" and "Valerie" at the 2008 Brit Awards. Read More...

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Kim Kardashian Bashed By Rogue IMDb Writer In Biography On Film Site

Posted 5/15/12 4:36 pm EST by in Celebrity, Television


Sometimes some people are just pushed one step too far and that seems to have been the case for (former?) IMDb writer Jon C. Hopwood, who was tasked with writing/updating the site's biography of Kim Kardashian and simply wasn't having it.

Hopwood decided that the opportunity was perfect to pen what is really more of an op-ed than a bio, digging his claws into Kardashian and her place in American culture. There's really not a ton more to say -- he's certainly not the first writer to tear into Kim K. and the reality TV/celebrity culture she has become the ultimate example of, he's just the first to go rouge and do it on the Internet's most trusted (and typically objective) source on all things film.

IMDb has already pulled the biography down, though in the age of screengrabs, if someone gets to something quick enough it lives forever. In this case, Uproxx managed to snag the bio before the folks at IMDb pulled it.

Read it in full below:

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Andy Samberg Crashes Santigold's NYC Show

Posted 5/15/12 2:26 pm EST by in Concerts, Santogold


By Uptin Saiidi (@uptin)

New York - Fresh off his 100th SNL Digital short premiere on Saturday, Andy Samberg, dressed as Shy Ronnie, crashed Santigold's show in New York City Monday night (May 14).

The show was put on by Samsung to celebrate its 5 million "likes" on Facebook and held at the intimate Irving Plaza. The singer opened with her best-known hits before moving on to her latest tracks from her sophomore album, Master of My Make Believe.

She rocked out on stage with two backup dancers in festive costumes and at one point selected a dozen or so fans to come up on stage to dance with her.

The crowd, which was composed mainly of fans who were hooked up through Samsung's Facebook page, was treated to an open bar, appetizers and even a few surprise guests.

In addition to Samberg, Pharrell Williams also joined the indie sensation to perform "My Drive Thru."

The event was streamed live and you can check out Santi and Samberg in action below. Read More...

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London's Free iTunes Festival Boasts Usher, Jack White, One Direction And Norah Jones

Posted 5/15/12 1:31 pm EST by in Festivals


Jack White

By Zachary Swickey

It appears that three of the most in-demand artists around will be congregating at the same music festival in the U.K. this fall with impalpable Jack White, tween heart-throbbers One Direction, and R&B megastar Usher all signing up to perform at this year’s iTunes Festival, taking place in London in September.

The festival runs as a series of absolutely free shows taking place throughout the month (in past years it's taken place in July), and all performances will be taking place at the same venue, London’s iconic Roundhouse.

Interestingly, all three acts have performed on this season of “Saturday Night Live” with Usher being the most recent. (He even helped out host Will Ferrell with a sketch and appeared in the all-star 100th digital short).

Usher will be the first artist to perform at the festival during night one on September 1 with Jack White (who just rocked our world here in LA) taking his turn on September 8.

One of the most beloved female voices on the current music scene, Norah Jones, will also appear at the festival. She hits the stage on September 10, promoting her newest masterpiece, Little Broken Hearts, which was produced by the one and only Danger Mouse.

One Direction will get their chance to make the audience swoon when they perform their set on September 20. Many more acts will be confirmed in the following weeks.

The 2011 iteration of the festival featured a bevy of heavy-hitting artists, including Coldplay, Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance and the Foo Fighters.

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Mariah Carey Doesn't Care About Britney Spears Joining 'The X Factor,' Continues Being Awesome

Posted 5/15/12 12:03 pm EST by in Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, the x factor


Mariah Carey

Yesterday, Mariah Carey was awesome because of the insanely lavish first birthday party she threw DemBabies. Today, Mariah Carey is awesome because she doesn't give a crap about Britney Spears being on "The X Factor."

She doesn't mean that as an insult to Spears either. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Let us explain.

Asked by "Extra" what she thought about Britney's new role as a judge on the singing competition alongside Demi Lovato, Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid, Carey did what she does best – gave a blatantly honest answer that simultaneously praised Spears while throwing a little shade at "Factor."

(Man, do we love Mariah Carey. She's the best shade-thrower in the game.)

"You think I focus on that stuff? Have we met?" the diva asked. "I love her [Britney], honestly, I think she's a very nice person, but I don't care who's going on that show – as long as it's not me."

BOOM!

Carey was briefly linked to the role shortly after Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul were let go. Check out the action in all its glory, after the jump. Read More...

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Christina Aguilera Reportedly Avoids Adam Levine At 'The Voice' Upfront Presentation As Feud Intensifies

Posted 5/15/12 11:29 am EST by in Christina Aguilera, maroon-5, The Voice


Oh, drama. Or should we say – UGH, drama.

Anyone who watched "The Voice" this season could tell the tension between coaches Christina Aguilera and Adam Levine was palpable and not just for the cameras. Aguilera was easily the most outspoken judge on the panel and rarely sugar-coated her opinions, coming across as overly harsh at times. Levine opted to go in the exact opposite direction, playing the nice guy.

(Which, as MTV's resident "Voice" recapper, is not to say we think she was necessarily wrong most of the time. Indeed, it was strangely refreshing to watch a judge, you know, judge contestants, and Aguilera certainly knows a thing or two – perhaps more than any other judge on "The Voice" panel – about the technical side of singing. It was her directness and sometimes callous delivery that were controversial, not her actual opinions.)

Now, the conflict has reportedly reached a fever pitch, as Aguilera opted out of the red carpet at yesterday's NBC Upfronts, during which Levine tweeted, "I thrive on awkward moments." Aguilera did appear on stage with Levine and Cee Lo Green during the official presentation, though Levine stood far away from Aguilera on stage (above).

The pair started butting heads early in the season over contestant Tony Lucca. Lucca was a co-star of Aguilera's on "The Mickey Mouse Club" when they were tweens, though the "Beautiful" belter didn't seem to initially remember him during the blind auditions. Levine picked Lucca up for his team, and throughout the competition, Aguilera went after him hard. So hard in fact, it seemed that other motivations might have been in play.

The "feud" became a running theme of the season, so much so that by the finals, Levine, anticipating Aguilera's criticism of his contestant's final competitive performance, wore a glittering "Team Xtina" T-shirt under his flannel and revealed it when the pop star expectedly started laying into the singer-songwriter.

Reports that things were even more uncomfortable behind the scenes are rampant. Did Levine and Lucca pick Jay-Z's "99 Problems" for his final song as one last dig at Aguilera? Was she so hard on the contestant because of an unrequited teenage crush? Did Levine really call her that backstage after the show's final performance episode? Who knows, but there is a laundry list of rumors about the feud, and no one (especially Levine) comes across very well.

Read More...

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