Category: Music TV

“American Idiot” Premieres This Week

Posted by Kat – April 18, 2010

If you’re like me, you’ve been a fan of Green Day for quite some time, and even if you weren’t a huge fan, you at least knew who they were. And when the album “American Idiot” came out in 2004, you knew it was a good one. You didn’t even have to really like their previous stuff to find something on the new album that really hit home. Whether it was the title song or “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” the album really seemed to strike at the core of just about anyone. And for Michael Mayer, what struck him was inspiration. It was clearly a rock opera just waiting to hit the stage, and after a few years of inspiration and collaboration, it premiered at the Berkeley Reperatory Theatre back in 2009. But this year, it finally really hit the big times, as it made its way to Broadway. It’s going to be opening this week on Broadway with almost all of the same cast from the original production, and the clamoring from Green Day fans is almost impossible to ignore.

The previews from last week have been jam-packed for this one-act musical that features almost no dialogue, instead using the music to tell the story of the main character, “Jesus of Suburbia”, who is named Johnny in the musical, as he and his friends try to escape their suburban life in favor of something else. One of the friends never even makes it through the starting gates, and yet another finds himself going to war. Johnny himself finds drugs and a girlfriend, and he crashes hard.

It’s a great story, and it’s clearly been thought through a great deal by both Mayer and Armstrong, the lead of the band itself. “American Idiot”, the album, and the follow up to it, “21st Century Breakdown,” are the albums used to create a rock opera unlike most others, and it’s definitely worth seeing.

Raymond v. Bieber?

Posted by Kat – April 7, 2010

While it took two years to really get the album out and to the public, Usher’s “Raymond v Raymond” album has hit the markets and has proven to be just as exciting and as wanted by the fans as we all hoped. The album, which features hits like “Lil Freak” and “OMG”, has officially bumped Justin Bieber’s album (oh, thank god and finally, that took long enough) to the number two slot. Now that Usher’s album is at the top of the list with a whopping 329,000 copies sold just in its first week available, it looks like Usher’s fate is secure for this particular album. Even though some critics state that some of his album is very typical, the sound is still fresh and shows an even more sexy player side of Usher than his last album. Granted, his recent divorce probably gave him plenty to  come up with for his more girl-crazy aspects of his album, but it has some punch and passion regardless.

To help promote his new album, Usher had been at American Idol last week, as well as the Ellen Degeneres show, where he performed “OMG” on both of the shows. Now, we’re all just waiting to see what the actual chart says to find out just how high “OMG” will debut. Unfortunately for anyone who would like to see Bieber drop further down the charts, his slip to second was buffered by all the Easter sales last week that probably made him an ideal present for parents to give to their kids. With luck, though, Raymond v Raymond will stay on the top of the charts for at least a little while, ensuring that Usher’s newest endeavor is secure. I dunno about you guys, but Lil Freak’s been stuck in my head for days, and it should be stuck in yours, too!

An Incredible Steampunk Machine

Posted by Kat – April 5, 2010

Who doesn’t love Steampunk? The unusual but exciting take of Victorian technology far past its actual development, such as analog computers and an intellectual development that surpassed the technology, has been a branch of science fiction that audiences have loved for quite some time. We should have known that bands would eventually start to be inspired by it. And one of those bands is “Sugarland,” a country duo that has already won Grammies in their career, and are currently in the studio finishing up what will be their fourth album, and they’ve so far given it the title of “The Incredible Machine.” The vocalist of the group, Jennifer Nettles, has been enthusiastically hopeful about the album and while there isn’t a release date just yet, they’ve got quite a plan for it. With around 10 tracks, all of which are newly written from in between their albums, Nettles has been speaking a great deal about the new changes and growth that will show in the album.

From the lyrics to the vocal work, Sugarland is really hoping to show growth and change from their last album, “Love on the Inside.” To do that, they have considered the steampunk movement as a way to facilitate their growth, and it’s going to be a major theme throughout all of their work on the album. From the song to the tour to album artwork, Sugarland’s foray into steampunk will be complete. Interestingly, the way that Nettles is describing the new vocals isn’t necessarily what I would call steampunk, though. Given that she’s describing herself as a mix of Blondie and Chrissie Hynde, it sounds like this will be a very interesting album that won’t quite be like anything we’ve heard out of Sugarland before. Whether or not that’s necessarily a GOOD thing remains to be seen.

Erykah Badu Gets No Easter Cheer For Her Video

Posted by Kat – April 4, 2010

Last time I had checked on the front of Erykah Badu’s controversial new music video shoot, where she was walking naked through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, TX, she wasn’t going to be charged. In fact, the Dallas police had stated that because no one actually called in a complaint at the time of the video shoot, they weren’t going to slap a charge on her. But, of course, leave it to someone to take things too far and to whine. A Texas woman has now filed a complaint of indecency with the Dallas police and they will be charging her with disorderly conduct. That means that in the mail, Badu’s about to get a citation for a $500 fine. Now, I have issue with this for more than one reason.

First of all, the video was shot completely in one take, and it involves her actually stripping down until she’s completely nude, where a gunshot then rings out and she crumples to the ground while what looks like blue blood then spills down onto the ground until it forms the word “groupthink.” So, you’re talking about maybe a minute of time where she is actually nude, and it was in one take. One minute, people. In my opinion, that’s guerilla theatre, and this should fall under artistic license. Regardless of if she warned the public of it, given that she didn’t and it was only her and a cameraman, she wasn’t walking around for hours on end with no clothes on shouting “Look at my boobies, children! Look at my boobies!” In fact, I’m more stuned that someone filed an indecency complaint against a woman who bared all in what is a very beautiful and non-sexual way, when it’s not like anyone files complaints against Usher for having a single where he drops the F-bomb throughout the entire chorus.

What does Badu have to say about this? She’s stunned, too. She says she’s been more naked in her lyrics and her words, and that’s where real vulnerability lies.

Linkin Park Goes 8-Bit? Well, Kinda.

Posted by Kat – April 1, 2010

One thing I do love about Linkin Park is that they are certainly in touch with what their audience loves. And sometimes, that means giving the nerds of the world a little love, and in this case, that means a fun little 8-Bit mobile game app that will soon be available for iPod Touches, iPhones and iPads everywhere called “Linkin Park’s 8-Bit Rebellion!” Having already seen a demo of the game,  I can tell you that it’s certainly not the greatest strategy game ever created for  gamers out there, but it’s a great concept because of what it will be doing. For those who get the game and beat it, they will unlock a new single by the band, “Blackbirds.” This is going to be groundbreaking, because this will be one of the first times that a major artist/band has decided to release an exclusive new track through a game application for mobile phones. It’s groundbreaking and exciting, and not just because the game is apparently going to be a lot of fun.

The new track, “Blackbirds,” is only going to be available through the game. The game is about you, the hero, trying to defeat an ‘evil HD empire’ called PixxelKorp, which has stolen all of Linkin Park’s music and it’s up to you, the hero, to get it back. Each of the different levels is based around one of the band members, and throughout the game you will be able to hear 8-bit versions of several hit songs. I can’t wait to hear the 8-bit versions of “In the End” and “Crawling.” It may make me fall in love with this band all over again.

One thing’s for sure. I’ll be one of those individuals getting the game as soon as I can, because it’s got a pretty awesome incentive.

Ricky Martin Is Out!

Posted by Kat – March 30, 2010

I’ll be honest. I could die of how not surprised I was of this news that Ricky Martin has officially come out and said “I am a fortunate homosexual man.” No offense, but if you’ve seen his dancing in “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” and given that you knew he was a boy-bander…. part of your brain MUST have gone – “He has to be. He can’t possibly NOT be!” Be that as it may, I may have had my suspicions but I wasn’t about to just stating it as fact. For one thing, as juicy as celebrity gossip is, I think there’s a point where you just don’t want to know or don’t need to know. And this was one of those times. Sure, I loved Ricky Martin’s music to a point (Although,  if I ever have to hear ‘She Bangs’ one more time, I will find William Hung and smite him), but I didn’t really need to know which way he swings.

To be fair, though, now that he has come out, I can’t help but say “Good for you!” Martin knew that his family and many of those closest to him were terrified that the cons would far outweigh the pros of him telling the public his sexual orientation. One of those concerns was for the well-being of his children, two twin boys who will grow up dealing with pressure from the press.  And part of that well-being was due to the fact that they would grow up with their father always being a point of public scrutiny, while they knew the truth.

Overall, Martin’s admission has changed little for the music world. In 2000, it was a perfectly reasonable thought to have that you thought he was gay. Now that it’s been confirmed, maybe now Martin can move on with his life. We all know the questions didn’t help his career.

Really, Evanescence? You’re Back?

Posted by Kat – March 28, 2010

So, what does a band do when their first album was a raging success, but their subsequent album didn’t do nearly as well? Disappear off the face of the earth for four years, that’s what! It turns out that Amy Lee of Evanescence has let it slip that she has been back in the recording studio with the band for the last three weeks and are working towards the release of a brand-new album. It’s planned to be out in the fall, but with no title just yet, there isn’t much else to know other than what Lee is telling everyone.

Evanescence’s debut album in 2003 entitled “Fallen” went platinum seven times, shooting the group to the top of the charts and establishing them as a household name. Amidst flack from fans of Lacuna Coil, which, in my opinion, was doing what Amy Lee tried to do for longer and has been doing it better for a while, Evanescence then followed with a second album, entitled “The Open Door.” That album, though, only went platinum twice and was creatively lacking and criticized in comparison to their first album.

So, when everyone else thought they were going to drop off the face of the earth into obscurity like so many bands that don’t quite match their first hits, it turns out the band has come together and is working towards an album that Amy Lee says fels like will be the “best album of [her] life.” Is it really that amazing? Who knows. Nothing has really come out in regards to the album, as it’s currently being recorded, but saying it’s the best album they’ll have yet is going to be a difficult, difficult statement to hold to. The sound is going to be different, but also very much the same band, and one of the new additions is that Amy Lee has since learned to play the harp, so that will be incorporated as well.

To be honest, I’m still dubious, at best, on the idea of this new album. The Open Door was almost generic in how much it sounded like a watered down, orchestral version of Fallen, and Fallen was played to death so many times that Bring Me to Life kind of makes me want to die.

Plastic Beach Gives New Life to The Gorillaz

Posted by Kat – March 16, 2010

A couple of months ago, I clued you in to the premiere of the newest single off of “Plastic Beach”: Stylo. The Gorillaz have been working hard to do something different, retaining their reputation of being both innovative and cooky. If you haven’t seen the newest music video for Stylo, or the thirty second teaser trailers for the album, then you’ve been missing some awesome music and an even more awesome change to their look: The Gorillaz have gone 3-D.

In the music video for Stylo, a piece that the band has shown a great deal of pride and excitement for, the characters of Murdoc, 2D and Noodle (Who is inexiplicably an android for this video, but who doesn’t love the weirdness that is Noodle?) have been given the 3-D treatment, and it’s a stunning and welcome change. The video itself is an enjoyable ride with a very surprising appearance – Bruce Willis. Willis’s appearance is as an unnamed man chasing after the Gorillaz in their car. To be honest, though, I’ve watched the video over a dozen times and I still can’t help but hope the next video they do directly ties to this one. The video leaves you hanging, but only after sucking you into what you’re watching.

On a creative note, the appearance of Bobby Womack and Mos Def really show a true collaboration. Womack, who hasn’t really recorded in years and didn’t even know who the Gorillaz were, did the song because his granddaughter likes them. In regards to the recording experience, Womack was given the opportunity to simply brainstorm and sing what he wanted.  He got “everything off [his] chest” for the lyrics he sang. Other tracks on this album show just as creative collaborations. Plastic Beach is new, innovative and a bit different from their previous albums in a refreshing way.

Beyonce and Lady Gaga’s Telephone Collab Truly Impresses

Posted by Kat – March 12, 2010

Fans of both Beyonce and Lady Gaga have been waiting with bated breath for the new collaboration music video, “Telephone,” to premiere, and it looks like Lady Gaga and her companion certainly didn’t disappoint. The new music video premiered last night at 11:30 PM Eastern Standard Time to a ravenous audience just waiting for the video. For the last two months, fans and critics have been given small, quick glimpses of what was going to be in the video, but nothing could have really, really compared to actually seeing the video. With a long intro of over a minute to set up the storyline – Gaga is a new inmate at a “Prison for Bitches,” and Beyonce is her contact on the outside world who later bails her out – the video just gets better from there.


For one thing, the full frontal nudity (Although censored and blurred out, it’s still quite obvious) and the fantastic costuming, it’s hard to tell where the video’s going to go for the moment, or where exactly it relates to the song itself. As most Lady Gaga fans would know, that last factor is strictly optional. With vivid and outrageous telephone-related costuming, it had marks of Lady Gaga’s style all over it. Then again, as it was directed by Jonas Akerlund, the same director to work with her on Paparazzi, you could see the same high levels of thematic care and stylization that makes Lady Gaga enjoy working with him.


All the fans and not-so-fans of the Kill Bill movies would have gotten a real laugh out of the storyline taking place after Lady Gaga gets out of prison, as Beyonce picks her up on the Pussy Wagon, the same exact truck used as the Bride’s escape vehicle at the beginning of Kill Bill Volume 1. On top of that, there are very Tarantino-esque moments in the video, and as Gaga loves to talk about, she is a fan of androgyny and breaking sexual barriers, and there is a healthy dose of that as well in her videos.


Without giving the ending away, this has to be one of the most complex music videos Lady Gaga or Beyonce have done.

Simon’s Old Seat On Idol Being Heavily Eyed By Steve Lillywhite

Posted by Kat – March 6, 2010

When it comes to American Idol, the news of Simon Cowell’s last season hit a while ago and seems to have caught the attention of celebrities and music bigwigs far and wide. Most notably, though, is Steve Lillywhite, the Grammy-winning producer who has worked with Phish, Morrissey, Jason Mraz, the Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band and U2, just to name a few. And Steve Lillywhite has told people that he wants to help the US find the next Elvis Presley, and to do that, he feels he’d be best suited to take over the much-talked about seat that Simon Cowell will be vacating. While Simon Cowell will be leaving to go bring out a U.S. version of the incredibly popular “X Factor” British TV series, Lillywhite has already hired on a publicist and an agent so that he can get started on the process of campaigning for the role.

If you’re curious to see what his reasoning is, Lillywhite had put up a YouTube clip already to talk about his qualifications and his reasoning for wanting to take Simon Cowell’s spot. He’s planning on releasing a slightly more formal and professional video in the next week or so, but the main thing is that Lillywhite really does have a fantastic series of credentials that will be able to make him an ideal judge for American Idol. His knowledge of the pop industry and the rock industry makes him invaluable for knowing what is popular and what will sell, which will definitely be in need for when Cowell leaves.

Unlike some other celebrities who have offered a run on American Idol, Lillywhite is very aware of the six-month run every year and the fact that it takes full commitment to really invest in American Idol, and he is more than willing to do just that. He already watches Idol as it is, and so he’s sure that he would be great with working on the show. He already tends to agree with Cowell’s choices the most, and for Lillywhite, there is no question. He should easily be a candidate.