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American Idol 9 Top 11 Theme – Teen Idol Week

mj — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:46:41 +0000

UPDATE: Check out the press release:

On Tuesday, March 23 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), the Top 11 finalists (Didi Benami, Crystal Bowersox, Lee Dewyze, Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Aaron Kelly, Michael Lynche, Siobhan Magnus, Paige Miles, Katie Stevens and Tim Urban) return to the IDOL stage to perform in a Teen Idols-themed week.

iTunes will have a list of songs up soon that will give us a better idea of what the theme is about.

Somebody from AINow.org just tweeted that next week the Top 11 Idols will be singing songs from Teen Idols.

Don’t ask me what that means, because I have no idea.

When I get more information, I’ll post it here.

PS: If this is really the theme, it’s a really stupid idea.

American Idol 9 Top 12 – Results Show Recap

mj — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:58:10 +0000

Lacey Brown is eliminated, and the judges DO NOT CHOOSE to save her.

The Judge’s Save has been brought back for Season 9 The panel will have the option of saving the eliminated contestant, up until week 5

David Cook performs “Jumpin Jack Flash” – VIDEO
Ford Commercial – VIDEO
Paige Miles and Tim Urban are in the B3 – VIDEO
Orianthi sings “According to You” – VIDEO
Ke$ha sings “Blah Blah Blah” (horribly) – VIDEO
Lacey Brown is in the B3. Tim Urban is sent back to the couches. – VIDEO
Lacey Brown is eliminated, sings “The Story”, the judges do not save here – VIDEO

The Top 12 perform the music of the Rolling Stones. Download their Top 12 singles on iTunes HERE.

David Cook’s performance of the Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” will be available as a paid download from iTunes tomorrow!

The right person went home tonight, more or less. While Lacey Brown wasn’t improving much week by week, she wasn’t horrifying audiences either. Tim Urban’s continued presence in the competition should at least produce some lulz-worthy moments, although I have no desire to see him on tour. Paige was the best she’s ever been Tuesday night. I’m glad she was safe.

I have mixed feelings about the return of the judges save. I knew they’d bring it back, because the save is TV gold. The drama of desperate contestants singing for their lives is too delicious for the network execs to pass up. I find it uncomfortable to watch personally. And what’s more, I truly believe AMERICA should have the final say, even if that say seems like a mistake.

Sure, the Matt Giraud save was a warm and fuzzy moment last year, but as I saw it, he really didn’t deserve to be saved. Matt’s save cut short, Anoop Desai’s run–a contestant who was actually stepping it up rather than choking. These things should really be allowed to run their course, I believe.

One minor change with the save: Lacey was able to pick her own song to sing, rather than forced to sing for her life with the song that got her kicked off in the first place. Definitely an improvement to the gimmick–makes it a little less cruel.

So, David Cook was pretty awesome tonight. He showed the kids how the freak to cover the Rolling Stones on the great big karaoke show. Orianthi seems very talented, but it’s a pity she’s saddled with such crappy material. Ke$sha was like a 10th rate Lady Gaga. She was ridiculous.

Live blog after the JUMP…

Tonight, David Cook and Orianthi perform LIVE on the big Idol stage! Ke$sha pre-taped her performance today. And of course one of the Top 12 will be eliminated tonight.

Ryan wishes us Happy St. Patrick day. Kieran the lighting guy is celebrating!

Ryan and Simon discuss Ryan’s “aggressive” behavior last night. They continue to eyeball each other. What shtick!

OOOH The judges save is on! The judges will have the option of saving the eliminated contestant, up until week 5. Should make for some good TV.

David Cook takes the stage to sing “Jumpin Jack Flash” and, he rocks his face off. Wow. This is frickin’ awesome.

Ryan chats with David afterward. David is very excited for his next record to come out. He’s busy working on it. David will be going to Africa for Idol Gives Back.

So, no Rolling Stones pointy pose from the kids?

First Ford pimpmercial! The kids design their own cars. Casey wasn’t’ there, he was battling the flu. Behind the scenes, the kids design Ford Fiestas. Wow, I’d love a car with big ugly paint splootches all over it.

Time for the results. Kieran dim the lights! Paige Miles stands up first. She says she’s feeling better. Oh noes! Paige is in the bottom 3. Lee Dewyze is next. He says he needs to be himself and let loose from this moment on. Lee is safe. He sits down.

Siobhan is next. More comparisons to Adam Lambert. Ellen says Siobhan already stands out. Siobhan is of course, safe. Aaron Kelly is next. Ryan explains the Justin Timberlake comparison from last night. He’s safe. Andrew Garcia and Tim Urban stand up. Kara says she’s not comfortable seeing people leave, but unfortunately both belong in the B3. Andrew is safe, Tim is in the Bottom 3.

Guitar Goddess, Orianthi takes the stage to sing her single, “According to You”. Ergh. This chick is a fantastic guitar player. Why is 19 forcing her to sing sh*tty songs? This song is crap.

More eliminations: Didi is next. She says she follows her intuition when she picks out songs. Her mom is in the audience. Didi is safe. Crystal Bowersox is next. Seeing her Dad crying on tape affected her last night. Crystal says she’s never thought for one second that she had it in the bag, and please don’t put words in my mouth thankyouverymuch. Crystal is safe.

Katie Stevens is next. Katie says the remarks from the panel can be confusing. Kara says there’s an inconsistency with her vocals. Kara sees her more as a Pop R&B singer. Simon disagrees. He thinks she should be doing country. Ellen says more mariachi. I think they are kidding. Anyway, Katie is safe.

Mike Lynch is next. He watched it back, and in so many words (he’s inspired by THE PEOPLE) he says he doesn’t think he’s corny. Lacey Brown and Casey James are next. Lacey is in the Bottom 3. Casey is safe. Simon thinks one of the contestants is worth saving (He doesn’t say who, but it’s either Casey or Paige). Ellen gives a really wishy-washy answer to the question.

Ryan sends Tim Urban back to the couches.

After the break, Ke$ha sings her new single “Blah Blah Blah” The sway bots love it! OMG After the rap break, Ke$ha returned to the stage wearing a ridiculous Indian headress. Well, that was stupid.

ELIMINATION: Randy isn’t surprised to see them both there. Lacey Brown is eliminated. Will she be saved? Lacey Brown is eliminated. She sings “The Story” to save herself. Nice they get to perform a different song from the one that got them eliminated. She sounds pitchy. The judges pretend to “confer”. No freaking way are they gonna waste a save on her. And they don’t. Lacey says she might go the country route. It’s obvious she hasn’t figured that out. Lacey’s goodbye video rolls. Katie is crying. The end.

Safe:

Lee Dewyze
Siobhan Magnus
Aaron Kelly
Andrew Garcia
Didi Benami
Crystal Bowersox
Katie Stevens
Mike Lynch
Casey James

Bottom 3

Paige Miles
Tim Urban (Safe, sent back to the couches)
Lacey Brown

Siobhan Magnus – FOX 25 News Report – VIDEO

mj — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:17:27 +0000

Check out this FOX 25 Boston report on Siobhan Magnus. They head down to the Cape to talk to her best friend and Barnstable High drama teacher.

Check it out after the JUMP…

Allison Iraheta, Matt Giraud, Anoop Desai, Scott MacIntyre Random Video Roundup

mj — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:32:19 +0000

I’ve got a bunch of random videos here from a few Season 8 Idols including:

A wonderful Q&A with Allison Iraheta via the Los Angeles Times
Matt Giraud and Anoop Desai in a hilarious promo vid for the Oreo Cakesters campaign (I wonder how they decided who would dunk and who wouldn’t Coin toss I’ll bet!)
Scott MacIntyre promotes his new album, Heartstrings on Good Day LA.

All after the jump…

Also, check out a quick vid of Matt Giraud singing “Ma Belle Evangeline” from Princess and the Frog HERE.

Videos after the JUMP…

Allison Iraheta Q&A with the Los Angeles Times (She sings a snip of scars!)

Anoop Desai and Scott MacIntyre for Oreo Cakesters

Scott MacIntyre on Good Day LA

American Idol Ratings: Wins the Night, Down from Last Year

mj — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:44:11 +0000

For fun, I looked up the ratings for S8 and S7 Top 12 performance ep. Looks like a steady decline, doesn’t it?

Ratings experts say that the onset of Daylight Savings Time means more people are out rather than in watching TV–last year’s Top 12 was a week earlier. But I have a feeling some peeps may be tuning out of a dull season. We’ll see.

Season 8: 25.24 million viewers and a 9.2 rating/24 share among adults 18-49 from 8-10 p.m.
Season 7: 29.88 million viewers and an 11.0/28 in the demo.

via Mediaweek

-Ratings Breakdown:
A two-hour edition of American Idol led Fox to Tuesday victory, but there was plenty of audience left over for second-place CBS. American Idol, featuring the top 12 contestants, averaged 22.57 million viewers and an 8.0 rating/22 share among adults 18-49, building by half-hour as follows:

American Idol (Fox)
8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 20.50 million (#1), A18-49: 7.1/22 (#1)
8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 22.49 million (#1), A18-49: 7.9/22 (#1)
9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 23.24 million (#1), A18-49: 8.2/21 (#1)
9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 24.05 million (#1), A18-49: 8.6/22 (#1)

American Idol 9 Top 12 – Who is Going Home?

mj — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:32:15 +0000

I have to say, last night during the mostly boring renditions of classic Stones songs, I lamented the loss of Lilly Scott, Alex Lambert and Katelyn Epperly. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Toddrick Hall, but even he could have alleviated some of last night’s tedium.

Only Crystal Bowersox and Siobhan Magnus got the party started last night, and neither performance was their best.

Signed up for the pool? Make your picks HERE.
Check out my AOL recap of last night’s show HERE.

I wasn’t crazy about Siobhan’s take on “Paint it Black” but I thank her for not putting me to sleep.

So, who is going home tonight? Not Siobhan or Crystal. And probably not Mike Lynche, who performed first and also displayed a little excitement (albiet corny) on the big Idol stage.

Lee Dewyze’s competent and workman-like rock performances are slowly gathering some steam. The consistent Casey James is also performing solidly and is making his mark on Season 9 as the country heartthrob. Both Lee and Casey are safe.

Didi Benami is getting better, and I bet viewers felt bad about her stumble and threw her a few votes. Ditto Paige Miles who delivered one of her better performances with laryngitis.

The judges have decided to critique the children on a curve, so I think Katie Stevens and Aaron Kelly are safe for another week.

That leaves Tim Urban, Andrew Garcia and Lacey Brown. Andrew continues to under-perform. And you know? I think we’ve seen all we’re going to see from Andrew. Yet, the judges are still begging us to save him. Therefore, Andrew is probably going to stick around this week.

Despite the judges’ negative critiques of Tim Urban’s totally WTF???!!!! performance of “Under My Thumb” last night, they really did not seem to get how truly ridiculous it was. A performance that mind-numbly clueless deserves no extra credit for effort! I don’t know, I still think there are people out there voting for Tim, and I suspect he’s going to become the thing that won’t go away. He’s staying this week.

So that leaves Lacey Brown, who picked the right song, but the wrong arrangement, delivering a rather odd and dull performance. Right smack dab in the middle of the performance lineup, who even remembers her? She and Didi are splitting votes, and I think those peeps were more inclined to save Didi this week.

In conclusion: I’ll be putting all my points on Lacey to be leaving us on American Idol this week.

What say you?

Idol Sales News – Week Ending 03/14/10

Kirsten — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:31:21 +0000

Idol Album numbers are out and they are down across the board except for Miss Clarkson. Her album reversed the trend by a whopping increase of 125%. I’m out of the Idol loop this week, so I have no idea why that happened. Meanwhile, Danny saw the biggest drop at 63%, but that is actually a pretty reasonable first week to second week drop so no worries there. Daughtry continues it’s march toward platinum and should hit it in about three weeks (it could be officially certified by now based on shipments). Most worrisome is Kris’s drop. He needs a new single fast.

Billboard date 03/27/2010

Please post numbers when you find them. Thanks!

Download Numbers

Adam Lambert “Whataya Want From Me” 54K (0%) Total: 651K
Kris Allen “Live Like We’re Dying” 53K (-8%) Total: 1.110M
Daughtry “Life After You” 28K (-1%) Total: 520K
Artist for Haiti “We Are the World 25: For Haiti” 23K (-38%) Total: 604K
Carrie Underwood “Temporary Home” 23K (-2%) Total: 293K
Carrie Underwood “Cowboy Casanova” 16K (-13%) Total: 1.230M
Jason Castro “That’s What I’m Here For [Album Version]” 15K (NEW) Total: 15K
Kelly Clarkson “Already Gone” 13K (-5%) Total: 1.285M
Jason Castro “Over the Rainbow [Album Version]” 12K (NEW) Total: 13K
Danny Gokey “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me” 12K (-55%) Total: 70K
General Larry Platt “Pants on the Ground” 10K (-34%) Total: 173K
Kellie Pickler “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You” 7K (-17%) Total: 233K
Carrie Underwood “Before He Cheats” 5K (-11%) Total: 2.958M
Kellie Pickler “Best Days of Your Life” 4K (-14%) Total: 988K
Carrie Underwood “All-American Girl” 4K (+1%) Total: 1.168M

Featured on Idol:
Michael Bublé “Haven’t Met You Yet [Album Version]” 49K (+24%) Total: 851K (Group Number)
Owl City “Fireflies” 39K (+11%) Total: 3.445M (Lee)
Jeff Buckley “Hallelujah” 23K (+396%) Total: 1.084M (Tim)
Ray LaMontagne “Trouble” 15K (+594%) Total: 331% (Alex)
Maxwell “This Woman’s Work” 14K (+1,005%) Total: 255K (Mike)
Keith Urban “You’ll Think of Me” 11K (+280%) Total: 579K (Casey)
Kate Bush “This Woman’s Work” 9K (+1,936%) Total: 167K
Israel Kamakawiwo’ole “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” 8K (+51%) Total: 1.312M (Jason on the Bachelor Wedding thing)
Lonestar “I’m Already There” 6K (+395%) Total: 450K

Album Numbers
Danny Gokey “My Best Days” 24K (-63%; lw 65K) Total: 90K
Carrie Underwood “Play On” 17K (-7%; lw 18K) Total: 1.394M
Daughtry “Leave This Town” 9K (-38%; lw 15K) Total: 986K
Adam Lambert “For Your Entertainment” 9K (-22%; lw 11K) Total: 561K
Kelly Clarkson “Breakaway” 4K (+125%) Total: 6.133M
Kris Allen “Kris Allen” 4K (-40%, lw 6K) Total: 283K
Daughtry “Daughtry” 3K (-21%) Total: 4.650M

Rounded numbers from Brian over at Idol Chatter.

Idol Headlines for 03/17/10

mj — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:20:17 +0000

Top 12 to reveal customized Ford Fiestas on ‘American Idol’

DEARBORN, Mich., March 17, 2010 – Ford Motor Company is adding an exciting new element to its sponsorship of the hit television series “American Idol,” giving the top 12 Idols a unique opportunity to work with Ford designers and create their own personalized 2011 Ford Fiesta.

Tonight’s episode of “American Idol,” which airs at 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET live/PT tape-delayed on FOX, will feature this new element in a video segment.

All of the Idols’ Fiestas will be on display at www.americanidol.com. From March 17 through May 21, 2010 fans 18 and older can enter the Ford Music Video Challenge weekly for a chance to win one of the vehicles and a trip to the set of a Ford Music Video shoot or the grand prize, which includes a Fiesta with their choice of one of the Top 12 designs and tickets to the finale. Official rules and entry details are available at www.americanidol.com/ford/challenge.

Ford began the design process by giving each of the top 12 contestants a palette of nine Fiesta colors to choose from, including vibrant shades like Lime Squeeze, Blue Flame and Bright Magenta. So the design team could get to know each contestant on a more personal level, the Idols also were given a personality survey to fill out with questions like, “What are the three things you are most passionate about?” and “What do you want your car to say about you?”

Ford Vehicles.com

Kris Allen to host TOMS One Day Without Shoes event in Little Rock, AR

Kris Allen is hosting a One Day Without Shoes event on April 8th… are you? http://toms.sh/9AX48M. via TOMS

TOMS

Catching up with David Cook

Cook hopes to have a single ready in April, with the album to be released over the summer, which means he’ll soon have to sequester himself in a recording studio (a producer has yet to be chosen). That may be part of the reason for this unexpected “Idol” appearance. Cook is also scheduled to visit the “If I Can Dream” house on Thursday night (fans can talk to him live via the “Dream” house Twitter). And guess who’s tagging along?

LA Times

*Tonight’s Idol Top 12 Results show features performances from David Cook, Orianthi and Ke$sha, tonight 9/8c FOX*

More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…

Idol track sales: Adam Lambert takes the top spot

Adam Lambert led all Idols last week with nearly 54,000 downloads of Whataya Want From Me. Overall, he ranked 20th on Nielsen SoundScan’s Top Digital Tracks chart. Right behind him, at No. 21: Kris Allen, selling nearly 53,000 copies of Live Like We’re Dying.

As for last week’s Idol performances, the group-sing of Michael Bublé’s Haven’t Met You Yet earned it a 24 percent bump, pushing it past 49,000 for the week. Owl City’s Fireflies moved up 11 percent after Lee DeWyze’s version, and Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah climbed nearly 400 percent, thanks to Tim Urban.

USA Today

Idol album sales: Danny Gokey, Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson, etc.

Danny Gokey’s weekly sales fell 63 percent last week, taking him from No. 4 on The Billboard 200 to No. 16. My Best Days still remains the week’s best-selling American Idol act, according to Nielsen SoundScan, his 24,000 sales bringing him to a two-week total of nearly 90,000.

Daughtry’s Leave This Town fell below the 10,000 mark for the first time in a while. Still, the album looks to be just a couple weeks away from breaking the million mark.

Kelly Clarkson’s Breakaway more than doubled its week-over-week numbers, surging back into the Billboard 200. Meanwhile, Kris Allen is in danger of falling off that chart entirely. With a 40 percent drop last week, Kris Allen drops from No. 92 to No. 172, less than 600 units away from the bottom of the chart.

USA Today

‘American Idol’ Contestant Siobhan Magnus Professes Her Love For Hanson

Tonight on “American Idol,” the newly-christened Top 12 will ruin cover Rolling Stones tunes. In previous seasons, celebs like Jamie Foxx, Elton John, Mariah Carey and even Jennifer Lopez have all stopped by to provide advice, guidance and veteran wisdom to the contestants. But who will be tapped this year?

If season niner Siobhan Magnus had her pick, it’d be the men from Hanson.

MTV

Casey James Addresses His Pre-’American Idol’ Mug Shot

Every season, “American Idol” casts a new batch of aspiring singers. And every season, without fail, tabloids work overtime to dig up as much dirt on the newbies as possible. Whether it’s Antonella Barba’s risqué photos or Bo Bice’s drug arrests, gossip rags and blogs get a ton of mileage out of “Idol” contestants’ youthful indiscretions.

Season nine is no exception. Finalist Casey James is the latest in a long line of “Idol” singers with a rap sheet. Last week, Star magazine published James’ 2001 mug shot, taken when the then-teenager was slapped with a DWI. (James eventually served a monthlong jail sentence in 2003 after getting busted an additional two times.)

MTV

From the Cape to Hollywood, Idol Siobhan Magnus’ roots

She’s been wowing American Idol fans for weeks! Siobhan Magnus is a 20-year-old Cape Codder who has found the perfect blend of quirkiness and star power. She’s a woman with her own sense of style, and a voice that is bringing down the house!

“She has the kind of voice you don’t hear everyday. She has incredible range, outstanding just stage presence, everything about her. She just has the “it” thing going on,” said Stephanie Gianno, Siobhan’s best friend and un-official Cape-Cod Press Secretary.

My Fox Boston

‘It’s been a huge learning experience’

If “American Idol” contestant Aaron Kelly is feeling the pressure of being on one of the most popular shows on TV, he isn’t showing it.

“If you’re not enjoying yourself while you’re here, there’s no point in doing it,” he said. “I enjoy every minute of the day. I’m having so much fun [in Los Angeles].”

The 16-year-old singer from Sonestown in Sullivan County, about 100 miles northeast of Harrisburg, has shot to national attention thanks to “Idol,” where he has won plaudits for his shy, sincere demeanor and soaring voice. Many online pundits speculate he could have a shot at winning it all.

Pennlive.com

Cheering on ‘Idol’ hopeful Andrew Garcia

Tears fell down the faces of those watching silently on the big-screen TV, even before their beloved Andrew Garcia began singing his first note Tuesday night.

“It’s pretty great seeing him on TV,” said brother George Garcia Jr., 27, wiping away a tear.

For more than a month, family and friends have gathered in a backroom at Shakey’s Pizza in Moreno Valley to watch the 24-year-old brother, cousin, nephew, father and friend compete on “American Idol.”

PE.com

Orianthi: Bringing the axe to ‘American Idol’

Many people got their first look at Orianthi when she played guitar behind Carrie Underwood on the 2009 Grammy Awards telecast.

Tonight, they’ll see her again, as the 25-year-old Australian singer and guitarist performs her hit According to You on the American Idol results show. Orianthi, whose friends call her Ori (“It’s much easier,” she says) will be one of three performers on the show, along with David Cook and Ke$ha. “It’ll be great to meet with all the contestants,” she says. “That’ll be awesome.”

USA Today

Simon Cowell Wants Elton John as his Wedding Singer

With Simon Cowell’s reported September wedding date fast approaching, many details need to be decided. Filet mignon or salmon, what color the chair covers should be … oh, weddings are fun! However, the most important detail to Simon is booking Elton John to perform at the wedding!

“It makes total sense that Simon is focusing on the wedding singer. Music is more important to Simon than the venue, the lighting or the flowers. Knowing Simon, I think it might be even be more important than the bride,” joked a friend of the ‘American Idol’ meanie.

“Elton would be the perfect choice. Unlike others, he is brilliant live. Plus, Simon’s dear mum and older relations know all his songs.”

Popeater

The ‘American Idol’ Judge Power Rankings: Kara stays on top, Randy sinks further down as we head into the Top 11

Eleven more eliminations to go … and the judges seem bored. Can we blame them? With America ousting the contest’s less mind-numbing contenders early, Rolling Stones week as interpreted by this Top 12 was about as rock ‘n’ roll as Plain White Ts’ “Hey There Delilah.” See: Katie’s “Wild Horses,” Andrew’s “Gimme Shelter,” Aaron’s “Angie”…

Is Simon’s weariness (or is it secret sabotage?) rubbing off on everyone? Kara’s still the most eager to be there, offering the contest’s only thoughtful and consistent commentary. Ellen’s jokes are hit or miss, but hey, she’s a fan of every hopeful, no matter what. And Randy’s already completely lost in his Randyisms.

LA Times

Paula Abdul — Searching for a Better Offer?

Paula Abdul
is supposedly thisclose to signing on for a revamped “Star Search” on ABC — but if her reaction last night is honest, it ain’t exactly a done deal for the ex-”American Idol” judge.

TMZ

Simon Cowell loses out at Royal Television Society Awards

X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent have lost out at the Royal Television Society Awards. The two Saturday night talent shows were beaten in the entertainment category by BBC4’s Newswipe With Charlie Brooker.

There was a huge cheer from the crowd when the winner was announced.
Britain’s Got Talent judge Piers Morgans was beaten by Louis Theroux for the best presenter award. He was nominated for his chat show Piers Morgan’s Life Stories.

STV.TV

Carrie Underwood Entertains Bridgeport

Carrie Underwood’s first of two Connecticut stops on the “Play On” tour was no disappointment to the crowds and one thing that was clear form the audience is that “American Idol” live performances did not lie. Carrie can sing.

During her show at The Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport on Tuesday, she sang all her hits were sung and focused on her new album.

The Oklahoma-native belted out lyrics and high notes with precision like it was her job, which it is.

NBC Conneticut

‘American Idol’ Experts Predict Who Will Go Home Wednesday Night

For the most part, the top 12 finalists on “American Idol” stepped up their game for their first performance on the big “Idol” stage on Tuesday night. Nobody flamed out completely, succumbed to a bout of nerves, blew a lyric or otherwise face-planted while singing the songs of the Rolling Stones.

But, alas, someone has to go home every week and while our “Idol” experts have had differing opinions over the past few weeks about who would be sent packing, they were unanimous in their feeling that Wednesday night’s elimination show will likely prove to be the end of the line for flame-haired Texan Lacey Brown.

MTV

American Idol 9 – Top 12 Recap Roundup

mj — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:16:30 +0000

MJ’s Take on Rolling Stones Week: No Real Satisfaction

The Top 12 kicked off the season 9 finals Tuesday night by taking on the songs of the iconic British band, the Rolling Stones.

Could the remaining kids pull off such big songs? This week’s performances weren’t as bad as they could have been. On the other hand, there were no truly fabulous performances, either.

AOL

‘American Idol’: Kara attacks Simon…’s chest, on the scene at the Top 12 performance night that is known as the Idoldome. Best I can tell, the set itself hasn’t changed much at all sin

Ah, the Idoldome. It’s my fourth year recapping the behind-the-scenery at American Idol, and my third inside the double-decker, steel-and-mylar-and-HD-jumboscreens behemothce The Season of Kradison — the only major difference to the studio I caught was the addition of three rows or so to the rear of the audience.

Entertainment Weekly

‘American Idol’ Recap: Highs And Lows With The Rolling Stones

It has been five days since America took a machete to the seriously talented people on “American Idol,” but as is always the case with this insane show, you just have to accept the results and move on. (Says the man who spent the day watching Katelyn Epperly’s “The Scientist” on repeat. While clutching a homemade Allison Iraheta plush doll. And weeping.)

MTV

More Idol recaps after the JUMP…Keep checking back for more…

‘American Idol’ recap: The Jaggered Edge

That hilarious moment played out in my mind during last night’s episode of American Idol, because several of season 9’s finalists botched the translation of the Stones’ songs they were tasked with singing. Katie Stevens turned a classic tale of romantic longing into a pitch-imperfect plea for text-message votes. Andrew Garcia massaged a ferocious anti-war anthem into a puddle of meaningless pablum. Paige Miles, well… I’m still trying to make sense of her gender change-up of ”Honky Tonk Women.” And poor, misguided Tim Urban delivered a tale of sexual domination as if he was reading a brunch menu to an aged aunt who’d left her glasses back at the rest home.

Entertainment Weekly

Few stand out in long, uneventful ‘Idol’ show

Two hours is a very long time to commit to a television show. Add the interactivity element to it, as “American Idol” does, and you’re asking viewers to spend their entire after-dinner evening watching relative unknowns cover Rolling Stones tunes, and then pick up the phones to vote and text for their favorites.

MSNBC

‘American Idol’ Gets Its Ya-Ya’s Out On Rolling Stones Night

“Someone in the ‘American Idol‘ hierarchy must have a sick sense of humor.” That was the first thought I had when I heard that the Top 12 would be blasting its way through the catalog of the Rolling Stones for its first night on the big stage in Los Angeles. The Rolling Stones? The same Rolling Stones who could never get “Satisfaction,” who demanded “Sympathy For The Devil,” who had infamous bootlegs of their backstage adventures?

Fancast.com

Ann Powers: The Top 12 meet the Rolling Stones

For any rock fan who has learned to love “American Idol,” the theme of Tuesday night’s first showing for the Top 12 — the music of the Rolling Stones — was fraught with tension. Imagine if you’d had two high school boyfriends, one the student body president and one a pot-smoking juvenile delinquent, and they got to talking at your 10-year reunion. There you would sit, sheepishly sipping your Grey Goose and tonic, caught in a crossfire of mutual disbelief: How could you have liked that loser?

LA Times

‘American Idol’ Recap: Aaron Kelly Brings It With the Rolling Stones’ ‘Angie’

First off, let me get my predictions out of the way before the show starts so you can come back and cheer me or mock me afterwards. If you want to see my psychic link with Simon Cowell informed opinions on how the remaining “Idol” contestants are going to do this season, check out my power rankings here on Billboard.com.

Billboard.com

12 Finalists Compete

I know a lot of you are going to say “Haw haw! You thought this show was about singing?” but it’s really dispiriting to hear the judges repeatedly give feedback along the lines of “You didn’t hit all the notes but you did a great job.” Can’t we at least try to pretend that singing well is still a big part of the show? But this is the top 12, the Stair part of the show. People sing on the stairs. Ryan descends the stairs. Idol and its precious stairs. There’s no time for getting the notes right when there are stairs to think about!

AV Club

‘American Idol’ Top 12 done in by Rolling Stones

It was Rolling Stones night on “American Idol.” Be yourself, know who you are as an artist — but surprise us and sound like you mean every word. Oh wait! It’s Rolling Stones week! Three-chord songs with limited vocal range that never sound good performed by anybody but the Rolling Stones. Nevermind.

Washington Post

American Idol top 12 recap, rankings: starting us up

While this is hardly a rocker-heavy group, the top 12 managed to pull off Rolling Stones night with some level of satisfaction.

Siobhan Magnus’ star keeps on rising while two other frontrunners Michael Lynche and Crystal Bowersox (in the well-earned pimp spot) maintained their positions.

AJC

Blake Lewis: ‘Where was the excitement’?

Big Stage, Big Voices, but no BIG performance. I watched American Idol twice Tuesday night to see if I had missed anything. Had I? I was hoping to be blown away by someone’s stunning performance, and, sadly, I was not.

There were some great vocals and that’s just great. Great, Great, Great. But this was a Rolling Stones tribute night?! No one in the entire night channeled Mick Jagger or Keith Richards. Where was the excitement on stage?

USA Today

“American Idol” Finds Its Lady Lambert on Rolling Stones Night

American Idol is definitely reeling from the loss of queen of kook Paula Abdul — see Rob Sheffield’s excellent Post-Paula Depression for a full explanation — but the show is also lacking something it didn’t even have until last season: breakout sensation Adam Lambert. Say what you will about his post-Season Eight career, but for a few months in ‘09, Glambert was the reason people tuned in to Idol on Tuesdays (to see what he’d sing) and Wednesdays (to see what he’d wear while someone else got sent home).

Rolling Stone

‘American Idol’ Top 12: Crystal Bowersox, Siobhan Magnus Come Out On Top

The “American Idol” season-nine top 12 made it to the big stage Tuesday night (March 16) to take on the songs of the Rolling Stones. And, in a wakeup call on the first night of mixed-gender competition, the women served notice that they really are the ones to beat this year as Siobhan Magnus drew more raves and Crystal Bowersox had yet another solid performance.

MTV

Siobhan Magnus’ ‘Paint It Black’ Lights Up The ‘American Idol’ Stage

She looks like Marcie from “Peanuts,” embraces theatricality like Adam Lambert and sings Rolling Stones songs like she’s Mick Jagger’s long-lost daughter (which, knowing Mick’s reputation, could be a possibility). Her name is Siobhan Magnus, and her rising star shone bright on Tuesday’s (March 16) top 12 episode of “American Idol.”

MTV

‘American Idol’ Season 9 Recap: Siobhan Magnus Tops the Top 12

In a nod to the successful all-Beatles night two years ago — well, the first night was successful; Idol kind of ruined it by stretching it to two weeks — the Idols took on the Rolling Stones. They had a lot of material to chose from. (Disclosure: I am not terribly familiar with their material once you past the most popular ones. And my TV broke, so I was working off a backup. Bear with me.)

Wall Street Journal

American Idol: The Top 12

Since this worked so well last week, let’s make it a tradition: Siobhan Magnus > Crystal Bowersox > Casey James > Tim Urban > Andrew Garcia > Paige Miles > Katie Stevens > Lee Dewyze > Michael Lynche > Aaron Kelly > Didi Benami > Lacey Brown

A band puts a song out in the world, and quickly it belongs to everyone: fans sing along to it, critics dissect it, young artists cover it. It’s gone: once you let a song go, you can’t take it back.

New York Times

Top 12 Recap- “I Always Thought My Son Would Be a Custodian”

Ryan Seacrest mentions that 450 screaming fans are in the live Idol audience tonight. What a coincidence. That’s the exact same number of albums the winner of this season will sell. In the hotly contested 2 dog race between Crystal and Siobhan with 10 supporting players, the Rolling Stones were murdered quite a bit tonight. I thought some of the takes were better than I was expecting, but Tim Urban’s out of left field reggae version was the WTF moment of the night. I knew Tim wouldn’t let us down. After Ryan Seacrest calls The Rolling Stones the “most iconic band on the planet” and the “greatest rock and roll band in the world” (didn’t see say that about the Beatles two years ago?), it’s now time for amateurs to shit all over their collection. Are you ready?

Vote For The Worst

Final 12 – It’s Hard To Ruin The Stones, But They Sure Tried

Seacrest announces 450 fans are in the audience tonight. Ooh, so intimidating. There’s usually more people standing around at the Post Office. Now that I think about it, this episode was about as exhilarating as being stuck in line at the post office, except without the stamp-licking.

In Idol’s inimitable, fawning, over-the-top kiss-ass style they praise The Rolling Stones, and call them “The Most iconic band on the planet. Their live shows define the meaning of rock and roll.” And I can’t really disagree. Although technically you can’t be the “most” iconic, as anything iconic is the epitome of it, therefore you can’t be “the most epitome” of anything.

Vote For the Worst

The ‘American Idol’ Judge Power Rankings: Kara stays on top, Randy sinks further down as we head into the Top 11

LA Times

American Idol Recap: You Can’t Always Get What You Want

American Idol entered the finals portion of season nine last night, bringing the top twleve contestants to a larger stage with more lights, a louder audience and inescapable Coca-Cola advertisements. The episode was Rolling Stones–themed; considering the amount of questionable talent that still remains, that daunting assignment hung over the evening like a dark, terrifying cloud. Would Aaron Kelly strut around the stage doing Mick Jagger’s rooster dance while shouting out “Brown Sugar”? Would Katie Stevens make us sit through a mind-numbingly vanilla version of “Wild Horses”? Would someone lean on the ever-popular “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” as a musical crutch? Well, no, yes, and sort of. But the night was not the disaster it might have been, and a few of the weaker performers even displayed signs of improvement.

NY Magazine

Eggheads on ‘Idol’

As a judge on American Idol, Ellen DeGeneres could use all the help she can get. Remember when she accidentally thought a piano was a guitar? Actually, this whole season of Idol seems off key—three promising performers went home last week and Simon Cowell seems more tuned out than ever. That’s why NEWSWEEK recruited the world’s smartest Idol fans to serve as our own judges.

Newsweek

Kimmel admits to sucker-punching Leno

Could the Rolling Stones revive Season 9 of “American Idol”? In a word, no. I came to Tuesday night’s competition disgruntled, disappointed and highly skeptical. I used to be a believer back in the day, when “Idol” produced greats like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry. I should have known better when Adam Lambert didn’t win and sworn off “American Idol” forever, right then and there.

Salon.com

American Idol: We May Have Just Finally Killed Keith Richards

Well, OK, it wasn’t that bad. But did you, like me, find yourself wondering what Lily, Epperly, and Carol Brady would have sung? There, flickering dimly in the crumbling Aztec theater that is my sad and addled brain, was Alex Lambert doing a crystal-croony version of “Wild Horses.” There was Epperly doing a slo-mo piano “Angie.” And the Worst Witch? Well, I don’t know. I don’t really know any more Rolling Stones songs. I’m honestly sort of skeptical that anyone in this world actually sits down and listens to the Rolling Stones. When is that occasion? OK, maybe if you’re hanging out with Tim Allen and John Travolta and they’re like “Wanna take a motorcycle ride?” then maybe I would listen to “Start Me Up” or whatever. But then and only then. Otherwise, forget about it. Give me my Justin Bieber and call it a motherfucking day. Heard?

Gawker

Guest blogger Jon Peter Lewis talks Top 12

In the first of a (hopefully) regular series, “Idol” Season 3 alumnus, “American Nobody” host and longtime F.O.I.T. (friend of Idol Tracker) Jon Peter Lewis is our guest blogger for the week. He breaks down the Top 12’s first round and will join us for our live chat today at 1:00 p.m. PST (4:00 p.m. EST).

The Rolling Stones are a challenging band to tackle for the “American Idol” format, and I’m kind of surprised to see them (the producers) take the risk. The Stones were about style and swagger, not good singing and generic, corporate marketability. Listening to rock ‘n’ roll in general was meant to give our “greatest generation” grandparents the musical middle finger. Rock was rebellion in the ’60s and the Stones were the epitome of that movement.

LA Times

‘American Idol’ Report Card: How Did The Top 12 Do?

Epperly, Katelyn? Lambert, Alex? Scott, Lilly?!

Oh, that’s right. We almost forgot. Those three promising “American Idol” students were expelled from the show last week. Let’s skip attendance and jump right into Tuesday night’s “Idol” report card. We have a feeling Siobhan Magnus and Crystal Bowersox will be graduating with honors, while Andrew Garcia and Paige Miles are in danger of flunking out. Let’s see how they all fared with Rolling Stones week. (And don’t miss Jim Cantiello’s recap of their performances in the MTV Newsroom.)

MTV

In Which We Take ‘American Idol’ Rolling Stones Covers Way Too Seriously

It’s a really slow news week, perked up only by my unexpected encounter with pepper spray on the Metro last night (I’m fine now, don’t worry — it wasn’t even aimed at me, surprisingly enough), and that means we must turn our attention to the very odd collection of Rolling Stones covers on last night’s American Idol. The contestants have undoubtedly been clamoring for more advice, so I will now give some. (As always, if the somewhat wonky embeds don’t work, all performances are here.)

NPR.org

Adam Lambert – Sukkiri – VIDEO

mj — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:39:43 +0000

Adam Lambert appeared on Sukkiri, a Japanese TV Show on Mar 16th. He’s wearing the jacket from the Blondes designers and the claw!

He performs “For Your Entertainment” in part 2.

Check it out after the JUMP.

Video after the JUMP…

Part 1

Part 2

Alex Lambert – Ellen Degeneres – VIDEO

mj — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:30:53 +0000

What could have been. Alex Lambert sings the song he wanted to sing last week–until the producers talked him into “Trouble” by Ray Lamontagne.

It’s Mario’s “Let Me Love You”.

Sigh.

UPDATE: Check out a song Alex wrote and sang backstage for Ellen HERE.

Video after the JUMP…

American Idol 9 – Top 12 – Recap

mj — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:56:51 +0000

Rolling Stone night produced no major trainwrecks. Well there was that WTF moment when Tim Urban turned the sinister “Under My Thumb” into a Jimmy Buffett jam–but no major disasters. Instead, it was mostly good (Crystal) to middling performances. And I’ll be in the minority to say that I didn’t think Siobhan Magnus was all that tonight. I like the idea of Siobhan, but ultimately, she’s style over substance.

The Idol judges continue grading on a curve for this crew of under-achievers. Some of the kids showed improvements, but when you consider how crappy some of the 12 have been, it’s really not saying much. I was mostly bored tonight. Sigh.

Tonight, its the music of the legendary Rolling Stones!

Announcer introduce the judges and Ryan, X Factor style. Is that really necessary? Ryan reintroduces us to the “big stage”. Ryan introduces the Top 12, who take the stage. Ah. The stylists have finally gotten a hold of them!

Ryan introduces the theme: The Rolling Stones. The video package rolls.

Kids talk about their childhoods in tonight’s video packages

Michael Lynche – “Miss You” – Big Mike talks about the profound effect his mother’s death had on him. He started playing music at that time. Aw. His little baby is beautiful! Mike’s R&B take employs lots of flourishes and falsetto riffs. Not sure I like the arrangement–it goes nowhere, but the vocal is good, if a little OTT. Mike could dial the runs back and be OK. Randy says, “I wasn’t so crazy…but it reminded me how great a performer you are.” Ellen says, “What’s not to love about that? Not disappointed yet. Way to start the night.” Kara says, “You delivered swagger, style and attitude. Hot on stage.” Simon says, “You’ve got your confidence up, I thought the performance was kind of corny. You sang it well, it was verging at times, a tiny bit desperate.” Simon snerks at Ryan for questioning his judgment, Ryan walks over to the judges table to face-off with Simon! Throw-down between Ryan and Simon! All in jest. I wouldn’t call Mike’s performance “desperate” but corny? Simon has a point there. – - 1-866-436-5701. – VIDEO

Didi Benami – “Play with Fire” – Didi gets a pre-package interview. Didi’s mom gets too nervous watching her get perform. Her mom is watching her apartment in Los Angeles. No guitar tonight. Didi and her awesome phrasing and unique vocals are back, I do believe. Oh, she missed a beat there. Oh no, she’s screwing up the rhythm. That’s too bad, because she started off really well. She finishes up OK. She looks a little upset. Randy says, “You were on fire tonight..one of your best performances.” Ellen says, “You lost your way, but you got right back in the song. Sounded great.” Kara says, “When you push on your vocals, you lose your way. But I like your intensity. The sweetness of your voice with the darkness of the song…two steps in the right direction.” Simon says, “You are beginning to show us the kind of artist you want to be. I thought you were going to lose it. That’s what nerves will do to you. Solid, but not brilliant performance.” Man, it really is too bad she lost it. The good parts were really good. Didi says Siobhan is rubbing off on her. – 1-866-436-5702. – VIDEO

Casey James – “It’s All Over Now” – Casey comes from a single parent home. He was sick as a baby and didn’t talk for the longest time. He comes from a musical family. Casey needs to finish his phrases! But, I dig his raspy voice. He’s got a really nice tone and a lot of confidence–decent guitar player. A little stiff on stage, though. He needs to loosen up! Randy says, “Back to the Casey that I love. I loved it.” Ellen says, “Women’s hearts will start racing, but for people like me…blonds…I thought it was fantastic.” Kara says, “Tonight you WERE a rock star. It’s got blues and soul. That’s what I’ve been missing from you. Your best performance since we met.” Kara’s back on the train. Simon says, “For me, that was like an audition performance, not using this stage…not using the platform…you’ve got to push yourself. Not just a guy standing in the middle of the stage.” Simon is right. But still, Casey can sing, he just needs more pizazz. – 1-866-436-5703 – VIDEO

Lacey Brown – “Ruby Tuesday” - She was born and raised in Amarillo TX. Her parents are pastors. Dad says Lacey doesn’t have much experience singing outside the church. Lacey’s got a string section. Her twangy vocals don’t really match what’s happening in the music. I’m waiting for someone to bust out a banjo. She’s pitchy. I’m not sure why Lacey doesn’t go country. So, that was a little weird for me. Randy says, “Very interesting arrangement, not jumping up and down about the vocal…you kinda held it together.” Ellen says, “I thought it was weird on the slowest part of the song you were moving. A tiny bit sleepy for me.” Kara says, “It was 50/50 for me. Hearing your voice up clear is great, some issues where you didn’t hit the notes right. You could do better.” Simon says, “You perform like an actress, everything is very thought through. Nothing wrong with the vocals. You’ve got to stop over-thinking this.” – 1-866-436-5704. – VIDEO

Andrew Garcia – “Gimme Shelter” – Andrews Dad is a musician and a singer. Dad gets misty describing how they had no money for stuff. No guitar for Andrew this week. I’m not liking this song choice. Andrew doesn’t have the vocal strength to pull this song off. This is really pitchy and boring! So monotone. He’s got no phrasing, modulation, nothing to give the song oomph. He livens up a bit near the end. The semi-glory note at the finish is not enough. Zzz. Randy says, “It was just pitchy everywhere, it wasn’t great dude.” Ellen says, “I think that was your best performance yet. I loved it.” (Seriously?) Kara says, “It’s a song about war, I wanted to feel that from you…the connection bothered me the most…more intensity. I still like you.” Simon thinks she’s taking it too literally (No she’s not Kara is right) Simon says, “I’m somewhat in the middle. My gut is that you were better in rehearsals, you’ve had so much mixed criticism, you had to try something else, I genuinely hope you survive another week.” How many chances are we supposed to give this dude? He outlasted peeps who didn’t screw up this much. – 1-866-436-5705 – VIDEO

Katie Stevens – “Wild Horses” – Ryan interview before her video package. She explains why she picked ‘Wild Horses”. OMG that dress! She barely knows who the Stones are. Katie says she used to be shy. Her mom disagrees. She hopes to put CT on the map. Erm, I think it’s already there. She’s sitting on a stool. This is impossibly slow. Her vocals are all trembly. Gah. She seriously has no idea what this song means. Ugh Katie. Please go back to Connecticut. Big meaningless glory note at the end. Subo sings it better. And Subo sucks. Randy says, “I think you sang that really well. Strong performance.” Ellen says, “I almost wore that. It started pitchy, but then amazing once you got into it.” Kara says, “It’s never technically perfect with you, but you made some nice choices.” Simon says, “This is the only week you chose the right song. I didn’t like the second half of the arrangement…but it’s the first time you connected to the song. Well done.” Gah! Simon, of course, has to mention the Subo version. Of course he’s not going to dis the song choice. Well done Katy! Kissing Simon’s ass with that song choice. – 1-866-436-5706. – VIDEO

Tim Urban – “Under My Thumb” – He wanted to be an athlete. Tim picked up the guitar at 15 or 16. He is part of the Urban family. Sounds creepily cultish. The sway bots are singing and clapping along. WTF. Has Tim really listened to the lyrics of this song? Is he f*cking serious with this jaunty reggae arrangement? The lyrics are sinister. This might be one of the most mean-spirited Stones songs ever. It’s meant to be performed with edge. Randy is laughing, “Wow, I didn’t get that dude. It was really bizarre. It was weird for me.” Ellen says, “I felt like I was at a resort and listening to someone sing. Nothing wrong with it, it just didn’t work” (Oh, there was a lot wrong with that) Kara says, “I got to applaud you for doing something so different with the song…you made it your own.” Simon says, “I have to applaud you for doing something different…it didn’t work. Rolling Stones fans would be turning the TVs off. It was a crazy decision.” Tim says he knew it was going to be a huge risk. I found a song I could have some fun with. Dear GOD. PLEASE GO AWAY. – 1-866-436-5707. – VIDEO

Siobhan Magnus – “Paint it Black” – Siobhan comes from a huge family. She’s from Barnstable, MA in the Cape. She sings with her Dad. They sing to let off steam. Siobhan is sitting on the stairs, lit up red. She’s all in black. Wow, she looks beautiful. Hm. She’s slightly underpitch all the way through. I’m not sure I like this arrangement. She gets kind of screamy at the end. Oh that last note before the end was not good. She’s trying too hard. You know I really really want to like Siobhan. I really do. On paper I like her, but I’ve got mixed feelings about her performances. She’s unique, for sure, but she’s all over the place. Randy says, “That was hot.” Ellen says, “I love the way you look tonight…you stand out like Snooki’s poof.” Kara says, “The best interpretation tonight, most interesting.” Siobhan reminds Kara of Adam Lambert. Adam had better control of his vocals (mostly). Simon says, “It was the standout performance of the night. Now I see the development from the middle to the end. There’s a lot of people who are going to hate that…better than being boring.” Wow. The judges totally overpraised that performance. I highly suggest they go home and watch that back on TV. – 1-866-436-5708 – VIDEO

Lee Dewyze – “Beast of Burden” – Lee Dewyze sits down for a little chat with Ryan. Ryan quizzes him on paint colors. He used to be real nervous…and he’s still nervous! Lee’s on acoustic guitar. I really like the quality of Lee’s vocals. I think he’s going to sound amazing recorded. But he needs to light up that stage. He just doesn’t have the presence to pull off his performances. Nice arrangement of the song. Randy says, “You really came home with this for me…I thought it was dope.” Ellen says, “I thought it was great…I was expecting a tiny bit more for me…I was almost there…nothing wrong with it…little less than I expected” I agree with this. Kara says he displayed tremendous growth. Simon says, “You don’t shine at the moment. You chose a very safe song, and other people have had bigger moments. You’ve got an incredibly good voice. I want you to come back here and have moment. Stop thinking that other people are better than you.” – 1-866-436-5709 – VIDEO

Paige Miles – “Honky Tonk Woman” – She lost her dad. He was paralyzed from the neck down, and died. Paige is so pretty. Well, this is better than last week, but still not wow-worthy. She hits some nice big notes in there. The laryngitis gives her vocal a nice rasp! Randy says, “You did alright with it, you kind of pulled it out. Wished you had more energy.” Ellen says, “You sounded great, even though you’re struggling with your voice.” Kara says, “Sometimes you got a little lost, but the Paige we know is back” Simon asks about her laryngitis. “Oh, considering that, you did alright.” Simon says she’s still a little generic, like something you’d hear at a bar, and she’s still not living up to her potential. So, they let her explain her illness that will help with the votes. I don’t expect her to go home this week. – 1-866-436-5710 – VIDEO

Aaron Kelly – “Angie” – Aaron’s aunt, who he calls Mom, is very proud of him. Aaron is sitting on the steps as he croons “Angie”. “Angie” is not a song that you croon. OMG this is so boring. I can’t even listen. He sounds the same on every song he sings. Randy says, “You were born to sing….the tender moments. I thought it was hot.” Ellen says, “I thought that was such a great song choice for you. You and Siobhan stood out tonight.” GAH! Kara says, “When you connect with the feeling of a song, you really stand out.” Simon says, “You chose absolutely the right song. What you did cleverly, you kept within the limits of your vocals…it was believable…one of your best.” Judges? Have now resorted to grading on a curve. Randy inexplicably compares him to Justin Timberlake (??) – 1-866-436-5711 – VIDEO

Crystal Bowersox – You Can’t Always Get What You Want” – Crystal grew up in a rural area. She started writing when she was 10 years old. Her Dad think she’s a good songwriter. Aw, her Dad tears up talking about her. Crystal’s got her acoustic guitar tonight. Dang. This girl is the real deal. No pretension, no gimmicks, just raw talent. Randy says, “I didn’t think it was your best performance…you didn’t disappoint.” Ellen says, “You sing with such ease. You really are born to be on stage…You started adding some personality.” Crystal says she was thinking too much. Kara says, “She’s so comfortable on stage…you start thinking that “I’ve got that”…but tonight, you loosened up.” Simon wonders about the over-thinking. Crystal says she’s got a lot in her mind that kept her from letting it all out. Simon says, “I think you chose a song, that didn’t have the drama, I think you were beaten by Siobhan. He warns her not to become over-confident. You have to dig deep every week…you’ve got to come on that stage and you’ve got to kill” Crystal stresses that she doesn’t think she’s already won the contest. “But other people think you do”, says Simon. Wow, her performance lacked the drama and the trappings of Siobhan’s performance, but I still think she was better. But, it’s probably good to de-pimp her a little at this point. And I think the judges may be setting them up for a final two showdown. Crystal wears a Lilly feather in her hair to commemorate her fallen friend. – 1-866-436-5712 – VIDEO

American Idol 9 – Top 12 Song Spoilers

mj — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:50:45 +0000

Michael Lynche – “Miss You” – R&B Style, had to do it twice. Audio problems. Didn’t sound good with eyes closed. Good stage presence, though
Didi Benami – “Play with Fire” – Dramatic, sexy version. Hit all the big notes
Casey James – “It’s All Over Now” – He was good. Played electric guitar, Southern Rock version
Lacey Brown – “Ruby Tuesday” – 4 people on strings. Awkward in the beginning, picked up steam.
Andrew Garcia – “Gimme Shelter” – No guitar, LOVED the beginning. The chorus not so much. Too low
Katie Stevens – “Wild Horses” – Sang it straight up. Pretty. Didn’t seem pageanty. Best Katie performance so far.
Tim Urban – “Under My Thumb” – Least favorite vocal. Reggae arrangement.
Siobhan Magnus – “Paint it Black” – Really good. Very dramatic, hit big high notes, Short barbie doll dress, combat boots, all in black.
Lee Dewyze – “Beast of Burden” – Radio ready version of the song. A little nervous in the beginning
Paige Miles – “Honky Tonk Woman” – Sounded great. Forgot the words. Didn’t sing the whole song. Didn’t sound sick.
Aaron Kelly – “Angie” – Kinda pulled it off. Wasn’t great. Too young to get the lyrics.
Crystal Bowersox – You Don’t Always Get What You Want” – AWESOME as always. Played guitar. Took it gospelly/Janis Joplin. Beautiful. Moving.

Listed in performance order.

Thanks to Jeff who provided the list, and Carie who added the commentary!

Paige Miles Update: “I Have No Voice At All”

mj — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:16:13 +0000

UPDATE: Paige just tweeted from rehearsal (Spoilers soon! The Idols are tweeting from rehearsal right now)

Will be rehearsing for the first time today in a second, but won’t be able to give a full out performance until the show! That is a little nerve wracking but I HAVE faith that I can pull through! Following doctor’s orders :0) Stoked for tonight!!!

Paige Miles just tweeted a health update to the Season 9 twitter:

@AI9Contestants: Paige Miles: I have no voice at all! Doctor says its VC Laryngitis with swelling so pray for me! I will make it work regardless but what a way 2 start Top 12 :0} !!! Still excited for today! Big stage now!!!

Rhu rho! Will Paige croak out a song tonight? Will the judges cut her slack if she sucks? Stay tuned at the Top 12 Idols tackle the music of the Rolling Stones tonight on American Idol! 8/7c PM Fox. Ha!

Also, come back to the blog around 6-7ish for some AWESOME SONG SPOILERS. Carie, an experienced spoiler is on the case. Hooray.

Idol News Roundup: CKX Finalizing Idol Deal, Paula Abdul Update And More

mj — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:56:30 +0000

A couple of Idol news updates for ya (and I may be adding more as they arrive.)

Michael Johns performs with David Foster at the Muhammed Ali Fight Night on March 20

Season 7 Idol, Michael Johns tweets, “Playing with David Foster this weekend at the Muhammad Ali Fight Night in Phoenix really one of the best charities ive ever done cant wait” More info on Muhammad Ali Fight Night HERE. Randy Jackson will also be in attendance.

Season 2 of Jason Castro Web Series “That’s What I’m Here For” Begins March 30

Watch a trailer introducing Season 2 of Jason Castro’s Web Series, “That’s What I’m Here For” beginning on March 30. This time, Jason answers the question, “What would you be doing now if you hadn’t been on American Idol?” Join Jason every Tuesday as he tries out a bunch of different jobs that could have been. What the trailer HERE. Looks cute!

Daughtry to perform Live Webcast

Daughtry will kick off their U.S. tour w/ a LIVE webcast of their show on 3/18, brought to you by Sony make.believe on DaughtryOfficial.com!

RCA Music Group

Kelly Clarkson Confirmed for 3 Lilith Fair Tour Dates

Kelly Clarkson is confirmed for at least 3 of the upcoming Lilith Fair 2010 tour shows: Chicago (July 17), Indianapolis (July 20) and Toronto (July 24). The shows will also feature Mary J. Blige, La Roux, Sarah McLauchlan plus other arists. via Idol Chatter. Lilith Fair website HERE.

CKX renegotiating Idol contract.

Idol parent company, CKX, is in the midst of finalizing a “long-anticipated” renewal of “Idol” through 2014 that has been in the works since September. The process has been made “tortuously long” due to talks with Simon Cowell as “one factor contributing to the delay.” According to CKX cheif, Robert Sillerman, “Agreements on key deal terms were reached late last year, but ‘an on-air issue’ remains outstanding.” Hm. Sillerman expects a deal to be finalized quickly.

One more remaining issue is how exactly Ryan Seacrest will get paid. He signed a contract with 19/CKX last year, but there are questions as to exactly how he’ll get paid. A technicality, I’m sure. Read more about it at The Hollywood Reporter.

Will it be Star Search or X Factor for Paula?

The Daily Beast reports on the rumors that Paula Abdul will soon be hosting a new version of Star Search for ABC. Thing is, if she takes the Star Search gig, she can’t appear on Simon Cowell’s X Factor at the same time. What will Paula do? Read more at The Daily Beast. Paula broke her silence earlier today on twitter, “Once again, until you hear it from me, you can’t believe what you read Lots of love! Paula”

American Idol 9: Behind the Scenes of the Top 12 Photo Shoot – VIDEO

mj — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:58:52 +0000

Entertainment Tonight follow the Idols on their Top 12 photo shoot, after the jump… The guys and gals discuss trying out new styles and for the guys–wearing makeup for the first time.

Check out the photos from that shoot right HERE.

VIDEO after the JUMP…

Taylor Hicks – Fox and Friends – VIDEO

mj — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:26:58 +0000

Taylor Hicks visited the peeps at Fox And Friends this morning. Taylor, currently on tour with Grease plaything the Teen Angel, talks about Idol, life on the road, and what he would have done if instruments were allowed during his season of Idol.

Taylor is heading back home to Birmingham AL on March 18 to help out Habitat for Humanity build a home. Read more HERE.

Video after the JUMP…

Kara Dioguardi – The Tonight Show – VIDEO

mj — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:45:37 +0000

Kara Dioguardi didn’t exactly say that a boy would win, as some websites are reporting, on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night.

When Jay tried to get her to pin down who she thought would win, she wouldn’t say at first, but then, she namechecked Michael Lynche as somebody who could take it all.

But, she and Jay had just been talking about her tears after Big Mike’s performance of “Women’s Work” and I think she just threw out a name to shut Jay up.

Everyone knows Crystal Bowersox is going to win! Ha ha. Check out Kara on the Tonight show, after the jump…

By the way, Kara will be showing off her own singing chops at the Borgata in Atlantic City on April 9 and 10. More information HERE.

Video after the JUMP…

Adam Lambert: More From Japan – VIDEOS

mj — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:23:20 +0000

Adam Lambert is making the rounds of TV shows as he promotes his album For Your Entertainment in Japan.

Check out the clips after the jump. Most of them are not subtitled, but all the better for maximum hilarity! My favorite clip has Adam trying to stab him self with a samurai sword. No, I have no idea why. Plus, Adam speaks Japanese!

Update: Interview with Norwegian TV

Video after the JUMP…

Adam Lambert on Sukkiri-Japanese TV show w/English subtitles

Adam Lambert on Japanese TV – Mar. 16, 2010 – “Waratte Iitomo” at the very end of the show. He’s like, “what’s going on? what!?”

Adam Lambert at ALTA in Shinjuku – Adam getting to his car through a throng of fans

Adam Lambert on Japan TV?( 3-16-2010 ) part1

Adam Lambert on Japan TV ( 3-16-2010 ) part2

Adam Lambert interview for Norwegian TV

American Idol 9 – Top 12 Power List

mj — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:41:17 +0000

Here’s my power list for this week. Looking back on last week’s lists is downright embarrassing, but I’m giving it another shot!

UPDATE: Btw, I touched base with my Dress Rehearsal spy! She’s definitely on for tonight!

Rolling Stones week should work out well for Crystal Bowersox, Casey James, and Lee Dewyze, who have all demonstrated an ability to rock. Siobhan Magnus, that little chameleon, will probably make “Paint it Black” her own.

If some of the troubled contestants like Didi Benami, Paige Miles or Andrew Garcia raise their game, we could have a contest. I’m holding out hope for this season, still.

My power list after the jump. What’s yours?

Crystal Bowersox – Queen Bowersox remains in the lead and should stay there until the backlash begins. OK, hopefully there won’t be a backlash. I’d be very happy with a Bowersox win, but Idol history has shown that it can be difficult for a front-runner to maintain her status til the bitter end. Still, Crystal has a fabulous voice, confidence and stage presence–qualities that the rest of the field only has in parts.
Siobhan Magnus - Siobhan, queen of the quirky girls, has a huge voice, and seems able to sing anything, from operetta to classic rock. Sometimes, her vocals are unwieldy and, at the age of 20, Siobhan hasn’t developed an artistic identity yet–she’s a bit of a cipher. But her ability to traverse genres may allow her to ace theme weeks, where others might falter.
Michael Lynche – Michael entered the semi’s with a guitar and a neo-soul vibe that didn’t impress the judges much. Switching to a more traditional R&B vibe earned him the votes, and the judges praise. He’s #3 right now, because he’s the guy with the confidence and the enthusiastic support of the judges. If the themes d0n’t trip him up, he could go deep into the competition.
Casey James – Casey has been performing well, but the judges have been kinda tough on him. He’s got confidence, a pleasing country twang and impressive guitar skills, whether it be acoustic or electric country/blues/rock. He should do well with this week’s Rolling Stone’s theme.
Lee Dewyze – I like Lee’s raspy rock vocals, but his performance skills need some work. He’s not comfortable in front of the cameras–but that can change. Lee could blossom as the competition progresses. I thought he might get eliminated last week because he performed first, and got meh critiques from the judges. But Stones week is this rocker dude’s week to lose. I expect he’ll do well.
Didi Benami – Let’s see if Didi can stay on track this week after last week’s impressive performance of “Rhiannon.” I wasn’t surprised that she survived the blood bath last week, and I’m not mad that she did. She could be one of the saving graces of the season, because she’s got potential, she just needs to stay on the right track now.
Andrew Garcia – Andrew has got to get back on track soon, or his fan capital will be spent. If he manages to pull out a good performance that pleases the judges this week, he could be good for several more weeks. If he stays back on track, he could go very very deep. However, I’m not sure Andrew is anything more than a one-trick pony who has exhausted all his tricks. We’ll see.
Paige Miles – I actually had Paige 6th in my power list last week, and believed she’d make it into the Top 12…until she laid that big rotten egg called “Smile”. I thought that was a performance nobody could survive, even a contestant who wasn’t splitting votes. With vote splitting still going on between the girls and some of the boys (Aaron and Tim are probably splitting the tween vote), I think Paige, who’s got the R&B female thing all wrapped up, will survive at least for awhile. If Paige had been eliminated last week, it would have been the first Top 12 without an African American female. It was not meant to be.
Aaron Kelly – In a recent interview with USA Today, Idol musical director, Michael Orland vouched for Aaron’s musicality, and is expecting him to blossom in the competition. I’ll believe it when I see it. So far, he’s proven to be a talented karaoke singer, who could benefit from some voice lessons. He doesn’t connect to the songs he’s singing, and could use a few more years experience. But what do I know. I’ve got him 9th, but he may be able to coast on his youth and likability. I hope not.
Katie Stevens – Like Aaron, Katie is also advancing despite some gnarly vocal performances. I think she’s splitting votes with Lacey and Didi, and could survive them both. I fully expect Katie to make the tour.
Tim Urban – I choose to believe that Tim barely survived last week, and that he’s finally coming to the end of the road. Talent wise, I think he’s the worst out of this bunch, except for maybe Katie and Aaron–but they have youth as an excuse, and more room for growth. Please judges, stop giving Tim easy critiques. He needs to go HOME.
Lacey Brown – Lacey wouldn’t be the worst singer here, not at all. But she’s the least memorable. I’m still trying to figure out how she survived last week. She gave her best performance of the semis, but it was still somewhat forgettable. Where were all the pity votes for Katelyn when the judges dissed her performance? Lilly has always had problems connecting with the audience, but I thought the pimp spot would save her. Lacey, Didi and perhaps Katie are all fighting for the same middle position, and I think this could be the week Lacey loses out to vote splitting.

Idol Headlines for 03/16/10

mj — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:01:17 +0000

SomethingPitchy Broadcast: 12 Steps to Recovery

In preparation for tonight’s episode, SomethingPitchy host Andy Scott sits down with Rickey (Rickey.org), Maura (Fancast.com), Rae (AOL Music) and MJ (MJ’sBigBlog) to analyze last week’s shocking eliminations, Rolling Stones week and whether this is the worst season of ‘American Idol’ ever.

television.aol.com

‘Idol’ aging gracelessly

Has American Idol lingered past its expiration date? There is certainly a bad-dairy air wafting off TV’s top show in its ninth season.

The singing competition gets down to brass tacks tonight with the newly installed Final 12 contestants performing music from the Rolling Stones catalog.

But fans can’t seem to get no satisfaction.

Philly.com

More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…

In wide-open race, 12 ‘Idol’ finalists hit unpredictable note

At first glance, this season’s final American Idol lineup comes across as pretty weak. After a couple of seasons in which several seasoned performers arrived in Hollywood as diamonds in the rough, Season 9’s top 12 just looks rough. It’s hard to tell if there’s a diamond in the bunch.

Many of the ragtag dozen are having a hard time just hitting their notes, much less finding their onstage footing and remembering where the cameras are. Singers of questionable skill have skated through by stepping up at just the right moment, while one poor performance has felled more promising talents. Last week, even the contestants appeared shocked by which of their number made the cut and which got the ax.

USA Today

‘American Idol’: The Real Drama Is Offstage

Cherish every last moment with Simon Cowell. No one crushes the human spirit quite as brilliantly as he does.

Cowell is planning on bringing his signature blend of good cheer and loving kindness to a new show, X Factor. That’s bad enough for Idol, but what’s worse is that’s not the only problem the show has at the judges’ table. New judge Ellen DeGeneres is … well, I’ll put it as delicately as Cowell would: She’s horrible.

NPR.org

Family Of Katie Stevens’ Fans Keep ‘Idol’ Phone Lines Hopping

The Rychalsky family of Seymour has a standing date each week this time of year. Mom and dad Konnie and Helen and their adult daughters, pharmacists Michelle and Kristen, get together to watch “American Idol.”

This year that means calling in as many votes as possible for their favorite, Middlebury’s Katie Stevens. The family night is not only a tradition but a casual competition, which includes spread sheets and statistical data, as the family tries to progressively increase the number of calls and the votes they make the old-fashioned way, on their home-phone land line.

Courant.com

‘American Idol’ contestant Katie Stevens talks about pleasing the judges, making it to the top and more

(Editor’s note: The News-Times caught up Monday with 17-year-old Pomperaug High School senior Katie Stevens, who is among the final 12 on American Idol, and asked her how she feels about her experience on the show.)

Katie, how do you feel about the whole experience of being on “American Idol,” and about making it to the top 12?

It’s been amazing here. Never in a million years did I think I could make it this far. I’ve met so many wonderful people.

Newstimes.com

Astoria resident part of ‘American Idol’ top 12

Astoria resident Michael Lynche made it to “American Idol’s” top 12 last week and wants people to just have a good time when they watch him perform.

“It feels amazing,” Lynche told The Queens Courier on Monday, March 15 in between rehearsals. “It’s just a really big checkpoint in my journey and my goals.”

Queenscourier.com

Area ‘Idol’ singer reassures fans

Lighten up, America. Crystal Bowersox is having fun.

The 24-year-old American Idol contestant from northwest Ohio appeared upset and teary-eyed during Thursday night’s results show – even after learning viewers had voted her into the top 12 finalists.

Her appearance had some worried that she was bored with the show or simply didn’t want to be there.

None of the above.

Toledo Blade

EXCLUSIVE: American Idol’s Crystal Bowersox Was Bullied At School

She may be on the cusp of fame and fortune, but American Idol favorite Crystal Bowersox knows what it’s like to be unpopular because she was humiliated in high school for being poor, RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned.

The single mom from Ohio has been wowing the judges with her Janis Joplin style vocals and last week after she performed Tracy Chapman’s Give Me A Reason Simon Cowell told her: “You are the one everybody has to beat, I am telling you. It’s yours to lose.”

Radaronline

‘American Idol’s’ Lacey Brown: ‘Who even knew?’

Lacey Brown is a little stunned to even be in the “American Idol” Top 12. “I’m feeling awesome. Who even knew? … It’s just ridiculous.”

She’s excited about the Rolling Stones, but Lacey tells Zap2it that her dream theme is country. “I haven’t really done a lot of country, I’m a little more on the folk/indie side … I think it could be really fun.”

Zap2it

‘Idol’ contestant thankful for Tulsa fans

Lacey Brown knows that contestants on “American Idol” depend on their fans to stay afloat in the singing competition.

Which is why she’s glad to be getting support from her hometown — Amarillo, Texas — and Tulsa, where she lived for several years while attending bible school and interning at GUTS Church.

“I really love Tulsa,” Brown said in a phone interview from Los Angeles. “I miss it so bad. I have a lot of friends there.”

Tulsa World

‘American Idol’ Contestant, Pa. Native Aaron Kelly Has Performed At Pittsburgh Area Events

PITTSBURGH — “American Idol” contestant Aaron Kelly is no stranger to the Pittsburgh area. It turns out, the Sonestown, Pa., native has performed here.

For years, Kelly, 16, has made the four-hour drive from his hometown to perform at Charleroi American Legion Post 22’s annual picnic. Tim Brannon, who has performed with Kelly, and Michelle Tegtmeier, an American Legion auxiliary member, gave me the scoop and sent me the video below.

WPXI

Idol chatter: Sonestown’s Aaron Kelly among top 12 finalists on American Idol

On March 11, American Idol revealed the season’s Top 12 finalists. Among those finalists was Sonestown, Pa.’s Aaron Kelly, a 16-year-old whose story of a struggling childhood won over the hearts of judges during audition week last summer in Orlando, Fla.

And Kelly has been stirring a buzz in his small hometown of Sonestown, Pa., where many of the locals already familiarized themselves with Kelly’s stage presence at area events such as the Troy Fair in 2008, and performances at the Bloomsburg Fair for two of the past three years.

‘American Idol’s’ Lee Dewyze: ‘I dabble on the piano’

Lee Dewyze tells Zap2it of making the “American Idol” Top 12 that “it’s really overwhelming … ‘American Idol’ has helped so many artists and musicians get to where they need to be.”

When asked if we’ll see the guitar most weeks, Lee says it all depends on how he’s feeling that particular morning.

Zap2it

‘American Idol’s’ Michael Lynche: ‘You gotta take everything to your world’

Michael Lynche says that he and fellow “American Idol” finalist Paige may be fighting over the same song if the show lets them do a Michael Jackson week.

Does that mean he wants to sing “Dancin’ Machine” too?

Lynche laughs and says, “I think Michael Jackson would be an amazing time for all of us, especially for all of us who really, really loved Michael.”

Zap2it

Famous fan gives Siobhan shout-out

A call from one of her idols is sending Cape Cod’s “American Idol” finalist Siobhan Magnus into tonight’s final round on a high note.

Magnus, one of the remaining 12 contestants, received a message several days ago from Taylor Hanson, lead singer of the rock band Hanson – one of her favorite musical acts – wishing her luck.

“It basically said, ‘We’re really excited to hear that you’re a fan’ . . . and told me they were rooting for me,” she said yesterday after she left a rehearsal.

Boston Herald

‘Idol’ Reject — I’m the Next J-Hud!

Lilly was walking around W. 3rd Street in L.A. with fellow “Idol” wannabeen Alex Lambert — when she told us she will be doing “big things” and she’s aiming for Daughtry or J-Hud level success.

FYI — Hudson placed 7th, Daughtry was 4th … Lilly didn’t even crack the Top 12.

TMZ

Bucky Covington Talks About American Idol And His Upcoming Second Album

It’s easy to think of Bucky Covington only as the crazy-haired blonde guy who finished in 8th place on Season 5 of American Idol. But after Covington signed a recording contract with Lyric Street Records, his self-titled debut became the best-selling debut artist from the country music class of 2007, opening at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and producing three hit singles (“A Different World.” “I’ll Walk” and “It’s Good To Be Us”).

Bucky was kind enough to speak with The 9513 about what fans can expect on his upcoming sophomore album, I’m Alright, his new single, “A Father’s Love,” his recent USO tour and his thoughts on American Idol.

9513.com

Taylor Hicks back in Birmingham, helping Habitat for Humanity

Birmingham’s Taylor Hicks is entirely comfortable with a microphone or harmonica in his hands. But what about a tool belt?

Taylor Hicks 031510.jpgTaylor Hicks (Special / Taylor Hicks Web site)We’ll find out on Thursday, March 18, when the singer and former “American Idol” winner returns to his hometown to help Habitat for Humanity.

Hicks will participate in a build at 4817 Michigan Ave., in the Wylam Oaks subdivision. He’ll be painting and putting siding on a house for the Thompson family, according to a Habitat spokesman.

AL.com

‘Glee’ scoop: Fox to super-size season 2!

In what’s sure to be music to the ears of Gleeks everywhere, Fox is said to be finalizing a deal to amplify Glee’s second season.

“Season 2 will be much bigger and much longer,” series creator Ryan Murphy confirmed to us over the weekend at PaleyFest ‘10. “We are talking about doing 25 episodes as opposed to [the customary] 22.”

AusielloFiles

Get the Glee-ful Dish on Hit Show’s New Episodes

The 27th Annual William S. Paley Television Festival hit an attendance high on March 13 when 2,000 “Gleeks” descended on the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills for a presentation with the cast and producers of Glee.

Fans got all the gossip on the second half of the show’s smash first season. “I keep saying, bigger, better, and no pregnancies!” jokes co-creator and executive producer Ryan Murphy. “In the first 13 [episodes], we did three or four musical numbers an episode, and in the back nine, we do 6-8 numbers on average, with more music, more comedy, and more Jane Lynch!”

People.com

Dish Of Salt: Monday TV Dish (‘Glee’ Is Back!)

LOS ANGELES, Calif. –

I was one of the lucky few hundred folks that had a chance to see the first brand new episode of “Glee” over the weekend. And let me tell you, it was every bit as brilliant as the first 13 episodes! The entire cast (minus Lea Michele, who was in NYC) gathered at the annual Paley Television Festival where fans got a chance to hear all about their favorite show. Creator/Executive Producer Ryan Murphy was free flowing with great spoilers. Here’s what I learned inside the panel and on the red carpet with the stars of the show:

Access Hollywood

‘Glee’ cast and creators meet the Gleeks

Episode No. 14 is screened: Virginal germaphobe teacher Emma Pillsbury turns out to be an actual virgin. Oh yeah – Spoiler Alert. And, steel yourselves for the next chapter in Sarah Palin’s symbiotic You Publicize Me/I Publicize You relationship with the Fox “Hollywood” network.

When the episode is over, cast members are brought out on stage, minus star Lea Michele, but including Matthew Morrison, who plays optimistic teacher/Glee Club leader Will Schuester, and Jane Lynch, who plays scheming cheerleader coach Sue Sylvester. Also brought out are the executive producers, and co-creators, including Ryan Murphy of “Nip/Tuck” fame. Murphy’s the guy who made this show happen when he pitched it during a What Do You Want to Do Next? meeting with Fox suits, with whom he had just signed a development deal. Murphy does most of the talking for the rest of the night.

Washington Post

‘Dancing With the Stars’: Who Waltzes Away With a Win?

This year, there aren’t any outsized fan bases among the participants, as there was last season with Donny Osmond, who took home the show’s mirror-ball trophy over competition that was a little more polished on the dance floor. Hopefully, that means the results will be decided more by dance ability than popularity. Here’s how we rank the season 10 contestants and their odds of winning:

AOL TV

CKX, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2009 Results

NEW YORK, March 16, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — CKX, Inc. /quotes/comstock/15*!ckxe/quotes/nls/ckxe (CKXE 4.88, +0.20, +4.27%) today reported financial results for its fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2009.

Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2009 grew $42.5 million, or 113.7%, to $79.9 million as compared to the prior year period. Operating income before depreciation, amortization and non-cash stock compensation (“OIBDAN”) declined to $6.5 million from $10.3 million in the prior year period. The decline in OIBDAN reflects an unfavorable swing between the 2009 and 2008 periods of $10.0 million in non-cash foreign exchange gains and losses and the prior year’s net gain of $7.7 million from the terminated merger, which was partially offset by a decline in acquisition-related costs of $2.2 million in 2009. Excluding these items, adjusted OIBDAN in the fourth quarter of 2009 was $6.7 million as compared to a loss of $5.3 million in 2008.

Market Watch

Don’t Let Simon Cowell Fool You – He’s Just Shy, Says Friend

He may blush and seem “uncomfortable” as he sits beside and kisses his girlfriend on The Tonight Show, but Simon Cowell is really “giddy” with when it comes to rumored fiancée Mezghan Hussainy.

Cowell, 50, has been acting “teenagery and happy and light,” British actress Amanda Holden tells PEOPLE. “They are like Tweedledee and Tweedledum. You can’t separate them really. ”

People.com

‘American Idol’ Dad to Take On Gillibrand for Senate Seat

Move over, Scott Brown, you’re not the only politician with an “Idol” connection.

Former New York Rep. Joe DioGuardi on Tuesday is announcing his bid for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, returning to politics less known as a former GOP congressman than as the father of “American Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi.

DioGuardi served two terms in Congress during the 1980s and has since written a book, but recently has been asked more about his famous daughter, who just did a racy photo shoot for Maxim magazine, than his political ambitions.

“What am I, chopped liver here?” DioGuardi asked Fox News after being regaled with his daughter’s accomplishments.

Seriously, though, DioGuardi said Kara was a big source of support during his campaigns two decades ago and “of course” backs his run this time around.

FOX News

Carrie Underwood: Her Allure Photo Shoot

At her shoot at the Glen Leven Estate, a historic farm in Nashville, singer Carrie Underwood managed to make a bale of hay look as comfortable as a featherbed. Check out these outtakes from the singer’s session with photographer Carter Smith, and for more of our interview with Underwood, pick up the April issue of Allure, on newsstands March 23.

Allure.com

Carrie Underwood: Her Style Timeline

Carrie Underwood looks back on some of her most notable fashion moments—including some gold lamé. For more of our exclusive interview with the singer, pick up the April issue of Allure, on newsstands March 23.

Allure.com

American Idol’ Top 12 Can Step It Up On Rolling Stones Night

Forget everything we’ve heard up until now. On Tuesday night (March 16), the top 12 finalists will step out onto the new and improved “American Idol” thunder dome stage to try to make us fall in love all over again. Some will try to make us forget about last week’s surprise eliminations, while others will dig deep to cement their status as the ones to beat this year.

And they’ll do it all while singing the songs of the Rolling Stones. It’s a tall order and a few singers, such as teens Katie Stevens and Aaron Kelly, not to mention the seemingly on-the-bubble Paige Miles and Tim Urban, who will seriously have to step up their game.

MTV

Review: Underwood knows how to put on a show

PROVIDENCE — “My job is fun,” Carrie Underwood said Saturday night at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, and all you could do was agree.

Her quip came after she swung from a giant porch swing during the war-widow ballad “Just A Dream,” but it could just have easily come when she opened the show by rising from underneath the stage wearing a tuxedo, seated on a red divan, singing “Cowboy Casanova” (one of nine songs in the 90-minute show from last year’s “Play On” album). Or when she sang “Take Me Home Country Roads” while standing in the back of a pickup truck flying over the audience.

Or when she sang “Change” wearing a dress that doubled as a video screen.

Projo.com

Lilly Scott – The Ellen Degeneres – VIDEO

mj — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:32:16 +0000

Lilly Scott sang “Lullaby of Birdland” on the Ellen Degeneneres Show today.

In her post-performance interview, Lilly expresses gratitude, rather than the bittercakes from her post-Idol interviews. Ellen gives Lilly tons of encouragement. She’s definitely a fan.

Damn Lilly! Why aren’t we looking forward to your take on the Rolling Stones tonight! *Sob*

Video after the JUMP…

David Cook to sing “Jumpin Jack Flash” on Wednesday’s Idol Result’s Show

mj — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:03:46 +0000

Fred Bronson of @Idolsnow is reporting that David Cook will sing the Rolling Stone’s “Jumping Jack Flash” on Wednesday’s results show…

Video after the JUMP…

Paige Miles, Casey James Battling Illnesses

mj — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:47:39 +0000

Uh oh. Paige Miles reports that’s she’s sick, via the official AI9 facebook:

In rehearsals but I have completely lost my voice! Throat infection Let’s hope for a miraculous recovery by tomorrow night!

Paige is smart to give fans a heads up about her illness–’cause if she sounds terrible tomorrow night, the judges may or may not mention that she’s sick.

It’s been reported that Casey James is also under the weather. He had to see a doctor for a case of the flu…

PS: By the way, I’ve got a couple of moles to Dress rehearsal tomorrow! Stay tunes for spoilers galore!

ETA: Lilly Scott will Be on the Ellen Degeneres show tomorrow (March 16), Alex Lambert on Wednesday (March 17)

ETA2: That You Tube channel with the song spoilers is FAKE.

Paula Abdul in Talks to Headline an Updated Version of Star Search

mj — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:31:32 +0000

via Mark Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly, Paula Abdul may be headed back to TV soon:

Sources confirm to me exclusively that the ex-American Idol judge is finalizing a deal to headline an updated version of Star Search, the great-granddaddy of all televised singing competitions, for ABC. Abdul’s role is still being defined, but I hear it will likely include some combination of hosting and judging. An ABC rep refused to comment.

The Alphabet network had been wooing Abdul since last summer when she officially announced her departure from Idol. There was talk of her joining Dancing With the Stars in some capacity, but a deal never came to fruition. It’s not clear if Abdul’s Star Search gig would preclude her from joining former colleague Simon Cowell as a judge on the forthcoming US version of his UK monster hit, The X Factor, which is slated to debut on Fox in the fall of 2011. (Star Search is being targeted for this summer.)

If she signs a contract with ABC, will she still be able to do X Factor with Simon Cowell on FOX?

Allison Iraheta To Sing the Anthem Before the Los Angeles Marathon, Shares Her Favorite Mile

mj — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:06:13 +0000

Allison Iraheta will sing the National Anthem before the 25th Annual Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, March 21.

The LA Times talked to Allison Iraheta about the two times she ran the marathon:

“I ran the marathon before — two years in a row, actually,” she tells Idol Tracker. “But it will be a lot of fun to be watching and not running this year. Hopefully, I can bring a little motivation to those that are doing it for the first time.”

The starting line gun will fire at 7:20 a.m. just outside Dodger Stadium and immediately after Allison’s turn, but she’ll be sticking around to cheer on her old sister.

What was Allison’s running time? Check it out in the LA Times article HERE.

After the jump, watch as Allison shares her favorite mile of the Los Angeles Marathon (It’s mile 3!)

Ace Young On Nudity and the Broadway Revival of Hair – VIDEO

mj — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:30:15 +0000

Season 5 Idol, Ace Young talks about his decision to go nude for his role as Berger in the Broadway revival of Hair in an interview for the New York Post’s Popwrap blog. Ace also talks a little bit about his Idol experience and its aftermath

You’ll also get a glimpse of Ace on stage performing, alongside Season 2 Idol, Diana Degarmo, cast in the role of Sheila. Check it all out, after the jump.

Video after the JUMP…

Orianthi and Ke$ha to Perform on Idol Top 12 Results Show (David Cook, Too)

mj — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:45:29 +0000

2nd Update: AINow.org reports that David will be singing a Rolling Stones song on Wednesday

UPDATE: 19News assures us in a tweet, “@thedavidcook will also be performing on Wednesday night’s American Idol results show!!” (Next time, don’t leave important news out of the press release!) Plus, it’s confirmed by American Idol news.

I just received the official press release announcing that Orianthi and Ke$sha will be performing on Wednesday’s results show.

Oddly, David Cook’s appearance isn’t mentioned in the release, even though David tweeted that he would be performing, and his appearance is now listed on his official website.

Maybe RCA will send out a separate press release. Or, David’s appearance is meant to be a great big surprise…

Pop sensations Ke$ha and Orianthi will take the stage on this week’s live AMERICAN IDOL results show Wednesday, March 17 (9:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. Tune in to see Ke$ha sing her smash single “Blah Blah Blah,” Orianthi perform her hit “According to You” and find out who receives enough votes to stay in the competition and who is sent home.

Also this week, on Tuesday, March 16 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), a new IDOL stage will be revealed and America’s Top 12 – Didi Benami, Crystal Bowersox, Lacey Brown, Lee Dewyze, Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Aaron Kelly, Michael Lynche, Siobhan Magnus, Paige Miles, Katie Stevens and Tim Urban – will perform songs by The Rolling Stones.

Global pop superstar/singer-songwriter Ke$ha’s debut album, “Animal,” (RCA Records/ Kemosabe Entertainment) entered the Billboard Top 200 at No. 1 and hit No. 1 on the Digital Albums charts when it was released in January. Rolling Stone said “Animal” was “ridiculously catchy,” and The New York Times called her a “double threat” and “a pioneer.” “Animal” holds the record for the best-ever digital-album sales for a new artist and is the third-biggest digital-album debut by a female, coming in right after Taylor Swift and Britney Spears. It also marked the biggest first week for an artist’s debut album released in January in SoundScan history. Her first single, “TiK ToK,” spent a record-setting nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has sold over 4 million copies in the U.S. and nearly 10 million units worldwide.

Orianthi is a 25-year-old Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist who was featured in Michael Jackson’s comeback concert film, “This Is It.” She has also opened for and recorded with Steve Vai, backed AMERICAN IDOL Carrie Underwood and traded solos with the legendary Carlos Santana. Her debut single, “According To You,” reached No. 6 in Australia and is the No. 2 most-played song on pop radio in the U.S. Her debut album, “Believe,” was released at the end of last year.

Danny Gokey – Walmart Soundcheck Interview – VIDEO

mj — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:23:50 +0000

Danny Gokey explains his connection to his brand-new album, My Best Days in this new interview with Walmart Soundcheck.

Check out Danny Gokey’s interview with Walmart Soundcheck HERE.

Jason Castro Sings ‘Crazy’ for Billboard Mashup Monday – VIDEO

mj — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:12:11 +0000

Jason Castro performs an acoustic version of Gnarles Barkley’s “Crazy” for Billboard Magazine’s Mashup Mondays.

After he talks to Billboard that singing the “schizophrenic” song gives him a big release. “Crazy” is one of my favorite Jason covers. He sang it for his Idol audition, but it was never shown because the Idol peeps couldn’t get it cleared. Pity.

Video after the JUMP…