Viral Video

I saw this on Yahoo news & thought it was fun. This home-made music video is about a teenage girl & her wish to be Justin Bieber's girlfriend. (like every other teenage girl) These kids are sure getting creative these days!

The ACM's Are Coming Soon!

"I already can't not cuss"
It looks like sharing hosting duties with Blake will be interesting!  Can't wait.

See some behind the scenes of the promo shoots for this years show.

Best Of The Night?

Once the top 13 are announced on  American Idol, iTunes will begin releasing studio versions of the songs sang buy the contestants.  I will usually buy several of my favorites through the season. I don't always just buy the singles from my favorite, but just my pickes from the night. I really like Naima Adedapo funky version of Umbrella. Not crazy about her vocal performance on the show, but the studio single is much more polished. I also purchased Casey Abrams With a little help from my friends, which is great. Like I said these two aren't necessarily my favorites, but I just like their take on these tunes.

Tim Halperin

Kidd Kraddick had American Idol top 24 finalist Tim Halperin in the studio this morning. Tim's  giving away a free download on his site. Check it out!

• Kidd Kraddick

  Very impressed with Tim Halperin from Idol. Want the song he just played on our show? It's free, below.

  
  

  Free music from Tim Halperin

  noisetrade.com
  

  I just got some FREE music from Tim Halperin. You can download it by clicking the link above.

  
  

Artist Of The Day

Joshua James

Joshua James is a American rock and folk musician currently based out of Provo, Utah. Joshua James is often compared to Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Bright Eyes orRay LaMontagne. James is known for his intimate vocal style and bittersweet lyrics, often dealing with tragedy, religion, and substance abuse.

His original digital release of The Sun is Always Brighter on iTunes reached #1 on the service's Folk Album list in 2007. The album caught the attention of the indie folkscene, with Paste Magazine naming him one of their "Next 25 Artists You Need To Know" in their September 2008 issue,^[1] and prompting artists such as John Mayer,David Gray, Ani DiFranco, and Brett Dennen to have him support their North American tours.

NPR has also recently cited Joshua James in one of their "Song of the Day" publishings. They featured his "The New Love Song" as one of the best new songs from a previously unknown artist in a long time.^[2]

Joshua headed back to the studio in late 2007 to record his second album, entitled Build Me This, which was released digitally on September 8, 2009, and physically on September 22, 2009, on Intelligent Noise/Northplatte Records. Paste Magazine dubbed the new work "phenomenal."^[3] iTunes also dubbed Build Me This one of the "Best of 2009" Indie Spotlight Singer/Songwriter albums.

Albums

• B-Sides: It's Dark Outside (2006)
• Fields and Floods (2007)
• The Sun Is Always Brighter (2008), "Best of 2008" iTunes Folk Album
• Build Me This (2009), "Best of 2009" iTunes Indie Spotlight Singer/Songwriter Album

Where you can find Joshua:
Official Site

Did You Know

• The Motown female group The Supremes, which dominated the pop charts in the 1960's, was originally called The Primettes.
• According to Margaret Jones, author of a Patsy Cline biography, there are a dozen places in Virginia that could claim to be the hometown of the nomadic Cline. Her family moved 19 times before she was 15.
• At age 47, the Rolling Stones' bassist, Bill Wyman, began a relationship with 13-year old Mandy Smith, with her mother's blessing. Six years later, they were married, but the marriage only lasted a year. Not long after, Bill's 30-year-old son Stephen married Mandy's mother, age 46. That made Stephen a stepfather to his former stepmother. If Bill and Mandy had remained married, Stephen would have been his father's father-in-law and his own grandpa.
• Most toilets flush in E flat.
• The rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd took their name from a high school teacher named Leonard Skinner who had suspended several students for having long hair.
• In the band KISS, Gene Simmons was "The Demon", Paul Stanley was "Star Child", Ace Frehley was "Space Man", and Peter Criss was "The Cat.
• In 1992, Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon, better known to country music fans as singer/comedienne Minnie Pearl, was awarded a National Medal of Arts by President George Bush. In 1994, Minnie became the first woman to be inducted into the Comedy Hall of Fame. She was too frail and sick to attend the ceremony, and so good friend and comedian George Lindsey ("Goober") accepted the award for her. She died in 1996 at age 83.
• The voice of Tony the Tiger is Thurl Ravenscroft, who also sang the "Rotten Mr. Grinch" song in the movie, "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas". He was also narrator for Disney's "A Spooky Night in Disney's Haunted Mansion" album. He performed for many Disney attractions including: voice of Fritz the parrot in "The Enchanted Tiki Room, " lead singer in "Grim Grinning Ghosts" in the Haunted Mansion, narrator on Monorail. He was the voice for the Disneyland LP based on the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride. The flip side of this LP contained a number of sea chanties he sang.

Number One This Week

R&B Hip Hop
Moment For Life (Nicki Minaj)



Country
Don't You Wanna Stay (Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson)



Hot 100
Born This Way (Lady GaGa)



Rock
Rope (Foo Fighters)

Country Flashback

I recently found this collection of videos. It was called Country Family Reunion. It was great to see all these great country artists from way back. Enjoy!

John Conlee


T.Graham Brown


Janie Fricke


Doug Stone

Jessie J - Price Tag ft. B.o.B.

Check out this British pop artist who will soon be making her way into the US.

Pomplamoose

Check out this collection of videos from this very talented singer!

Where Are They Now?

Tiffany-  She shot to number one at the tender age of 16 with I Think We’re Alone now. Her flame haired locks looked like they would set the world on fire, but she fell out with her controlling manager, and soon slipped into obscurity.








Leaving her teen pop days well and truly behind, Tiffany appeared nude, but 'enhanced' on the cover of Playboy in 2002. After an attempt at a country music career, she returned to her pop roots and released The Colour Of Science, to rave reviews.

'Here I Go Again,' from Whitesnake, led by singer David Coverdale (c.). While the group toiled as a '70s British hard rock band, they changed their sound and found '80s success with made-for-video singles like the ballad, 'Is This Love'.




Though their popularity - and in some cases hairlines - have receded, many '80s bands like Coverdale's Whitesnake are still rocking and rolling. Whitesnake is planning a world tour later this year.

K.T. Oslin lives in Nashville,Tn, where she's retired from touring but occasionally performs at various charitable events and causes she believes in like animal rights and homeless victims. She is also officially retired from recording. You can learn about her at her official site, TheKTOslin.com.

Idol Look Back

Here's a look back at a some of the talent that has emerged from the talent show American Idol.

Who Has More?

Have you ever wondered who the most Grammy awarded artists are?

Male Artist- Stevie Wonder  22 wins
Female Artist - Allison Krauss 26 wins
Group - U2  22 wins
Youngest Winner - LeAnn Rimes at 14 year old

Allison Krauss

A few years ago I was watching my (at the time) favorite TV drama & heard a familiar sound.  That sound was the voice of country/blue grass artist Allison Krauss.  The song 'New Favorite' was featured in the NBC hit show Medium.  The haunting sound of the song along with the angelic softness of Krauss' voice fit perfectly in that particular episode. I had always liked Allison Krauss but after hearing the song on the show I went right out to purchase the CD. Hear's the video for the tune:


Get to know more about Allison:

Alison Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in 1987. She was invited to join the band with which she still performs, Alison Krauss and Union Station (AKUS), and later released her first album with them as a group in 1989.

She has released eleven albums, appeared on numerous soundtracks, and helped renew interest in bluegrass music in the United States. Her soundtrack performances have led to further popularity, including the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, an album also credited with raising American interest in bluegrass, and the Cold Mountain soundtrack, which led to her performance at the 2004 Academy Awards. During her career she has won 26 Grammy Awards, making her the most awarded female artist, the most awarded singer, and the third most awarded artist overall in Grammy history.

Discography:

• 1985: Different Strokes
• 1987: Too Late to Cry
• 1989: Two Highways
• 1990: I've Got That Old Feeling
• 1992: Every Time You Say Goodbye
• 1994: I Know Who Holds Tomorrow
• 1997: So Long So Wrong
• 1999: Forget About It
• 2001: New Favorite
• 2004: Lonely Runs Both Ways
• 2007: Raising Sand
• 2011: Paper Airplane

Even though Allison was a familiar name in the blue grass community, she gained national recognition with the cover of Keith Whitley's his 'When You Say Nothing At All'.


One of my favorites with Allison was her collaboration with Brad Paisley on 'Whiskey Lulliby'.  The video stars Rick Schroder, best know for his childhood acting in the sit-com Silver Spoons.

Not Good Enough !?!?

Can you believe that these stares were 

once rejected by American Idol?

Hillary Scott

Colbie Caillat

Amber Riley

Robyn Troup

Check out what Yahoo TV Blog had to say about these stars who have gone on to become famous on their own! Read Article Here...

Chris O'Brien

Found Chris on iTunes this past summer & wanted to share. Take a listen!





Chris O'Brien Official Site
Face Book
MySpace

Idol Look Back

The 10th season of American Idol is in full swing as the judges are now narrowing their picks down to the top 24. The final selections will air tonight as the rest are officially revealed to all. CLICK HERE for a full rundown of last nights show from BurnThisMedia.

Here's a little excerpt from the blog...
Tonight the remaining 61 contestants are in Las Vegas, performing on the LOVE stage, where Cirque du Soleil puts on a breathtaking show using Beatles music as the backdrop for the love story/sick display of acrobatic excess. Who will rise to the occasion, whose career trajectory will take an unexpected downward turn?  Let's find out.   Read More...

I figured since Idol is a big topic of music lovers, I would post some videos of some of the lucky finalist that have nabbed their own record contracts through the years. Some of these past contestants have made a huge impression in the industry & some have been less fortunate. Nonetheless I will be highlighting some of them as well.

This down home girl has had a few chart hits on country radio & her witty sense of humor I'm sure contributes to her success. You've gotta smile when you see this girl on the tube.



Mr. Aiken had a great start beating out Ruben in the commercial success of his debut album, but it seem most have lost interest in this not-so-likely-idol finalist.



The year Josh Grayson was on Idol I was anxious to see how everything would pan out for him. He actually had a few radio hits but hasn't seemed to grab attention again.


Check back every week after as I will be featuring the talents of past idols.

Adele and 21

Grammy winning British pop-Soul powerhouse Adele released her sophomore album, 21, Tuesday in the U.S., and the reviews have been quite positive for the most part. Entertainment Weekly gave it a grade of A-, Spin magazine rated it an 8 on the 10 scale, Rolling Stone magazine gave it 3.5 stars out of a possible five and the Los Angeles Times gave it three out of a possible four stars.

Having purchased Adele's first release "19" a couple of year ago, I was definitely expecting great things from her follow up effort. Was I impressed? You better believe it.  This record has a little bit of everything from toe tapping tunes like Rollin Deep & Rumor Has It, to a seemingly country sounding ballad called Don't You Remember.  The unmistakable throw back style of Adele on her sophomore album 21 is a must have. Click here to download from iTunes.   Official Web Site

Here's what critics are saying about 21:

In these times when everything on the radio seems to be electro-pop music, and a shameless use of the auto-tune machine is perpetrated by ‘top’ record producers, there’s an female artist, a Londoner, who still wants to create albums with real instruments, and show her voice as it is: pure, powerful, soulful, and able to pierce through you all the way to your heart with one simple note. Read More.......

I really like this track-by-track look at the album by Adele herself. It's interesting to hear from the artist first hand where the inspiration from each song comes from, even exactly what the songs mean to them personally.       I like her better having seen her personality more in this clip. Warning, she does cuss like a sailor!  LOL

Ray Lamontagne & Damien Rice

“There’s something magical that happens when these musicians play together,” says Ray LaMontagne. “I’ve been wanting to capture what we’ve been doing live for a while. The chemistry is really special.”

The billing on LaMontagne’s fourth album, God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise, reveals instantly that something new is happening with this project. The record is credited to “Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs”—the first time... (read more)


Official Site
Twitter
FaceBook

Flashback Friday

Ever wondered what the first music videos to broadcast on MTV on its first day, August 1, 1981.  
Well here's a list.

1. "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles -MTV Video
2. "You Better Run" by Pat Benatar - MTV Video
3. "She Won't Dance with Me" by Rod Stewart - MTV Video
4. "You Better You Bet" by The Who - MTV Video
5. "Little Suzi's on the Up" by Ph.D. - MTV Video
6. "We Don't Talk Anymore" by Cliff Richard - MTV Video
7. "Brass in Pocket" by The Pretenders - MTV Video
8. "Time Heals" by Todd Rundgren - MTV Video
9. "Take It On the Run" by REO Speedwagon (The video cut off after a few seconds)- MTV Video
10. "Rockin' the Paradise" by Styx - MTV Video
11. "When Things Go Wrong" by Robin Lane and the Chartbusters - MTV Video
12. "History Never Repeats" by Split Enz - MTV Video
13. "Hold On Loosely" by 38 Special - MTV Video
14. "Just Between You and Me" by April Wine - MTV Video
15. "Sailing" by Rod Stewart - MTV Video

Stewart's "She Won't Dance with Me" was the 3rd video played; with this video, Stewart became the first artist to have two different videos played on MTV.

Here are some other firsts in music:

• In 1990, Irish rock singer Sinéad O'Connor became the first musical recording artist to refuse a Grammy Award, which she won for her recording of, ironically enough, "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got." She claimed that too much emphasis was placed on the pop charts, and not enough on the ills and abuses of the world. O'Connor, already controversial because she shaved her head, was savagely lambasted by the press and the public for her controversial statements.

• The first jukebox was installed at Palais Royal Hotel in San Francisco in 1899.
• Loretta Lynn was country music's first female millionaire, at age 30 in 1965.
• Beatle John Lennon appeared on the first cover of "Rolling Stone" magazine, which debuted on November 9, 1967.
• During their 1976 tour, The Who was the first rock group to use lasers in a live performance.
• The first American pop group to tour the U.S.S.R. was the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band during their 1977 concert tour.

CMT was positioned to play country music videos 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while TNN was geared toward programming lending itself to a "country lifestyle". The very first video clip to air on CMT was a performance clip of country music legend Faron Young's classic hit, "It's Four in the Morning".

"It's Four in the Morning" (also known as "Four in the Morning") is a song made famous by the country music singer, Faron Young. Originally released in 1971, the song became his first No. 1 hit single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart since 1961's "Hello Walls."^[1] The song was written by Jerry Chesnut.^[1]