Tag Archives: rolling-stones

‘American Idol’ Experts Say Tim Urban Tried Too Hard

‘He made an ambitious song choice this week and it did him in,’ one expert says. By Gil Kaufman Tim Urban Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images There are worse ways to fail than being too ambitious or too nice. But for booted “American Idol” finalist “Teflon” Tim Urban, it was a combination of his sunny persona and decision to stretch outside his comfort zone that contributed to his undoing on the show. After Urban was eliminated during Wednesday night’s “Idol Gives Back” special, some “Idol” experts said they weren’t shocked — and might have been a bit relieved. “Tim Urban was the little engine that could … not stop smiling,” said MTV News’ “American Idol” expert Jim Cantiello . “He went from being one of the worst semi-finalists to being one of the most well-liked contestants in a matter of weeks thanks to his ‘kill ’em with kindness’ attitude toward the especially nasty judges.” Even though Simon Cowell was annoyed by Urban’s grin-and-bear-it persona and often denigrated the Texas singer’s iffy chops, Cantiello said the mop-toppers’ undoing was deviating from his proven formula: singing songs with limited range that he could mostly nail. “That Goo Goo Dolls tune [“Better Days”] was way too big, too obscure and not romantic enough for him to make memorable,” said Cantiello, who actually thought it was Casey James’ time to go on Wednesday night. “Previously, his failures were AWESOME ones. Remember when he turned the Rolling Stones ‘Under My Thumb’ into a campfire reggae sing-along? Or when he decided to croon ‘Sweet Love’ while limping toward the front of the stage like a horror villain?” Like another finalist with limited skills (to whom he was often compared), Sanjaya, Cantiello said once Urban delivered a performance that lacked in water-cooler buzz, America dropped him like a cold bowl of soup. That said, Cantiello wouldn’t be surprised if Urban could still carve out a decent music career. “The guy’s got the looks and the personality and enough of a voice to cut a marketable album,” he said. “Or maybe I was just brainwashed by his gaze.” Another “Idol” expert, MJ Santilli of , also didn’t predict Urban’s ouster this week — she went with Aaron Kelly — but said it was clearly Tim’s time to go. “Tim did well as long as he chose songs within his very limited vocal range,” she said. “He made an ambitious song choice this week and it did him in. His pitchy, uneven vocals overruled his sincerity. Having said that, Tim didn’t really have much left in his tank anyway. He had a good, solid run for a contestant with so few vocal gifts.” MJ sees modeling and acting in Urban’s future, or possibly a shot at another reality gig. “If Jason Gaston moves out of the ‘If I Can Dream’ house, Tim could take his place as the resident hottie.” Do you think Tim Urban should have been sent home this week, or did America get it wrong? Let us know in the comments below! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos Stars Perform On ‘Idol Gives Back’ ‘American Idol’ Season Nine Performances A Look Back At Tim Urban’s ‘Idol’ Journey

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‘American Idol’ Experts Say Tim Urban Tried Too Hard

Miley Cyrus to Serve as Mentor to American Idol Hopefuls, Perform on Show This Week

She might hate the Internet , her own hit Disney show and the entire country music genre, but Miley Cyrus still has plenty of passion and expertise to go around. The teen queen will be the celebrity mentor on American Idol this week, Fox confirms. Tuesday night will reportedly feature a Billboard No. 1 hits-themed show. Of the 11 contestants left, three are teens: last week’s sensation Siobhan Magnus , 19, Aaron Kelly, 16, and Katie Stevens, 17. Tim Urban is just 20 years old. Of course, the three teens all took on The Rolling Stones – more than triple their age – and pleased the judges with their homages to the rock gods last week. Will Miley be able to steer them in the right direction this week? Or will the girlfriend of Liam Hemsworth act like she’s better than them? We’ll soon find out … Miley Cyrus is promoting The Last Song this week. No doubt there will be a plug – or maybe even a track – or two from that tear-jerker when she comes to American Idol. On Wednesday’s results show, Miley will be back to perform her hit song, “When I Look At You,” while new couple Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato will duet on “Make A Wave.” In other words, clear the space on your DVR now, because this watershed moment in teen music history may be one you hold onto and savor for many years to come.

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Miley Cyrus to Serve as Mentor to American Idol Hopefuls, Perform on Show This Week

Martha Stewart: Road-Raging Guinea Pig Eater [Books]

Martha Stewart ‘s (former) friend Mariana Pasternak has just released her backstabby tell-all book The Best of Friends: Martha and Me . We have culled some of its bitchy allegations for your reading pleasure! Today: Martha drives dangerously, is insane about animals. Martha Stewart is allegedly not only a dangerous driver, but a vindictive one: And she likes to holler! The death of Martha Stewart’s dog allegedly drove her past the edge of sanity: Martha Stewart allegedly made her author friend’s children eat sweet, sweet guinea pigs, on a trip they all took to Peru: [Martha: please email us at once with your side of the story. Because we have more excerpts from this book to post soon! Also, choose nicer friends.]

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Martha Stewart: Road-Raging Guinea Pig Eater [Books]

American Idol: We May Have Just Finally Killed Keith Richards [Recaps]

Well, America. There it was. Your Top 12 Idols. What you prayed and voted for, what you made happen. I hope you were happy. Because, thanks a frigging lot, that was some bullshit . 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? The Good Thumperstacks did good. We all love Thumperstacks. Her performance last night was absolutely her worst so far, but it was still basically miles ahead of everyone else and her little pre-song package about her Ohio daddy cryin’ and carryin’ on was pretty nice, so Thunderpants wins this round. Or does she? Siobhan Magnus, the last of the Starchildren, is trying to sing her way back to her home planet of Songtasia and lemme tell you, I think she might get there. Nothing about her “Paint It Black” made any cognitive sense in terms of a human person trying to record and sell music in the year of our Lord 2010, but other than that it was good! She sang it interestingly and was reminiscent of a male Adam Lambert and that is nice. Plus I liked her intro package about being from Cape Cod, because I always imagine that growing up there is like living in a lighthouse. Just a sea of lonely lighthouses that inevitably house creatures like Siobhan Magnus. Why her skystreamer crashed here three hundred years ago we’ll never know. Why all the other Starchildren are gone — not dead, just gone — we’ll never know either. But what we do know is this: Siobhan and Blisterknickers are the two top favorites of this, our god-awfulest season of American Idol since the last season of American Idol . Paige Miles finally showed some trace of the voice that Simon’s been yammering on about since Day 1, so that was interesting to see. I still think she’s confused about what this show is and should probably be escorted home, but she didn’t totally embarrass herself last night as she has in weeks past, so good for her. The Bad Do you guys mind talking to me for a second about Lacey Brown? Why is she on the television? I factually know at least ten people who are much better, more interesting singers than her. People I know in my real-ass, theater-ass life. And yet there’s Lacey Brown, gurgling along up there on stage, heinously mangling… wait, what was that? “Ruby Tuesday” ? Arguably Lacey picked the prettiest of Stones songs (it’s so pretty it sounds like the Beatles) and then she walked up to it and strangled it. That was some cold blooded gangster shit right there. She was all nice to it, saying sweet things to it, and then she got behind it and slowly strangled it, saying “Sshhh, sshhh, ssshhh,” stroking its head as it slumped over and died. Lacey is a tough-cookie song murderer. Goodbye Ruby Tuesday indeed. A leather shirt. As if this season didn’t have enough avatars of awfulness in play already — the sex troll that is Tim Urban, the teef of Boomerslacks, the Carol Brady haircut — last night we got yet another artifact that will forever stand as representative proof that American Idol season 9 was indeed the groan and whimper that ended the world. That sad-eyed kid from Texas (I really sincerely can never remember his name) came out wearing what I thought at first was a fetching, Ryan Gosling-esque fitted caramel leather jacket. Oh how wrong I was. The camera then panned back to reveal all his makeover glory and I realized that this kid wasn’t wearing a leather jacket. No ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. This rat-like fellow was wearing a leather shirt. A collared shirt, made of leather. Remember denim disasters (how can we now think that JT is cool? just look at that) and how those were bad enough? Well, this was worse. It was a shirt made of brown leather. This is post -makeover, guys. That the only thing I can say about this kid — who, if he’s not pulled out of this competition immediately, is going to be blowing dudes for nickels at the bus station pretty soon and really needs to be rescued — is that he wore a crazy leather shirt last night should give you some indication of his singing ability. I’m pretty sure there’s a guy on this show named Phil Dweezy who’s been pretty much whiffing it every night for weeks. Am I right about this? He’s like David Cook’s stoner cousin who wore Vans and cargo jeans to Thanksgiving and no one could really figure out what happened with his parents, how they raised wrong-side-of-the-tracks kids when everyone else in the family was firmly right-side. I don’t know. I like the tone of his voice sometimes but it’s never consistent. One shining moment of surprise on the first night of semifinals does not an Idol career make, friend. Nor does one shining Paula Abdul-graced performance during Hollywood Week. Yes, Andrew Garcia, I am looking in your direction. What happened to him? He really is the Chris Sligh of this season. All faded, growly promise. Too bad, so sad. The Whiffenpoof So I’m watching Idol last night with my dear friend Cathy, a Latin teacher who never watches the show but was tolerating it before we turned on Lost , and we were watching Tim Urban and she was like “I just don’t think he should be on this show. He looks like he should be a Whiffenpoof or something.” And after I’d stopped cackling and got myself back up on the couch I asked her, “What, dear friend, is a Whiffenpoof?” Because it was the most accurate description of Tim Urban I’d ever heard and I didn’t even know what it meant. Turns out it’s one of Yale’s prestigious a cappella groups . A Whiffenpoof. That is Tim Urban. Tim Urban shall forever be known from here on out as Whiffenpoof. Gratias tibi ago, Cathy. But yeah, Whiffenpoof is a total dinkins and sang dreadfully, as always, but of course he will linger on forever. He really could win this thing. He really could. It’s those dimples! Oh and didn’t you weep soft humanity tears last night while watching Whiffenpoof’s package and seeing his brother, who sort of looks like him but clearly is not as attractive and isn’t that sad when that happens? Also, 10 kids. Ten kids. What’s the story behind that? I Can’t Anymore With the Katie Stevens. I just can’t. Did you see in her Let’s Meet… video when she was like all robotic “I was very shy!” and then her mom was like “No, she was a total ham”? That was such a treasure. I hate how models or beautiful actors are always like “I was such a dork in school!” because that’s supposed to make us like and relate to them somehow. “Ohhh they were a dork way back when just like I am a dork right now and always will be. Connections!” Well it’s the same thing with the Stevens Machine saying “Oh I was so shyyyyyyy.” No you weren’t and the lie will not make us like you any more. And good for Mom for being honest. I also could not believe that people who were that young when “From This Moment” came out are capable of walking and talking now. Years. And did you see that picture of Katie as a little girl that was hanging on the wall? That picture ? It was like Thomas Kinkade highjacked an Anne Geddes photoshoot. It was a young Katie sitting in a white photo studio wearing a jaunty chapeau and grinning. It was basically an outtake from the opening credits of a never-aired 1994 TGIF show called House Rules , about a weary referee, his sassy-smart wife, three precocious daughters (who he just doesn’t understand, because he’s a man!), and his one horny teenage son. It was supposed to air after Step by Step but was canceled immediately for mysterious reasons. That was Katie’s photograph and it was just so telling. So very telling. Anyway, Katie’s “Wild Horses” was predictable and boring. And that’s that!

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American Idol: We May Have Just Finally Killed Keith Richards [Recaps]

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

Siobhan Magnus, Crystal Bowersox shine, while the guys do their best to keep up during Rolling Stones week. By Eric Ditzian Didi Benami performs on “American Idol” on Tuesday Photo: FOX 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.) Excellent Didi Benami : Her captivating rendition of “Play With Fire” makes it two straight weeks at the top of the class for this 23-year-old old soul. It was a gutsy choice to go all slow and brooding, and it paid off. Yet her future remains cloudy: Didi just couldn’t rise up to hit that final high note, and her lack of vocal power will become ever more evident when the field narrows. For now, though, we offer Benami a slew of gold stars and our assurance that she’ll stick around the competition for a while longer. Siobhan Magnus : Her take on “Paint It Black” was some sinister, “Alice in Wonderland”-infused glory. That’s not to say it didn’t have its fair share of problems, from those shrieky high notes to the fact that going so upbeat may not showcase her true strengths. But her vocal chops, combined with her charmingly goofy personality, have us certain Magnus is a serious contender. Crystal Bowersox : Close your eyes during Sox’s “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and you might have thought a ’70s-era Bonnie Raitt was up on the stage busting out some countrified power blues. Crystal can wail. From here on out, “Idol” season nine seems to be a competition between the ladies, with the guys doing their best to keep up. Good Lee Dewyze : We’re starting to remember why we thought he was a dark horse at the start of the live shows. There were flashes of John Mayer in his performance of “Beast of Burden.” Is he still a pedestrian musical talent? Can we find a Lee Dewyze in every corner bar in every city in America? Yes and yes. Taking into account this season’s overall talent, though, Dewyze really does have the potential to keep chugging along. Paige Miles : Would it be cruel to suggest Miles acquire a permanent case of laryngitis? Because belting out “Honky Tonk Woman” despite her illness was the best she’s sounded in weeks. We’d like to hear the same stuff in the future. Only problem is that she’s in serious danger of going home. Aaron Kelly : The tender “Angie” was the perfect choice for the season’s youngest contestant. And it really was his best performance of the live shows thus far, which is not saying much at all. The 16-year-old still should have been sent packing last month, but there’s clearly a dedicated Kelly fanbase out there — one that votes for him no matter what. Kelly will live to sing another week. ‘American Idol’ Season 9 Performances Satisfactory Michael Lynche : No one will ever fault Big Mike for his failure to communicate a confident stage presence. He commands the stage like no other contestant, and that’s no easy feat to pull off week after week. However! The promise of Tuesday’s soul-powered intro to “Miss You” failed to deliver when the band kicked in. And we’ll just pretend those odd little side kicks weren’t actually Mike’s idea of a dance routine. Casey James : What’s going on, Casey? We suggested you bring some country twang to this performance. You did bring a slide guitar-style honky tonk to “It’s All Over Now,” but left the gritty rock and roll the song required at your hotel room. We’re certain you and your over-moussed locks will be voted through to the next round, so when you get there, please revert back to the acoustic-guitar-and-stool set-up that worked so well during your take on Bryan Adams’ “Heaven.” Katie Stevens : “Wild Horses”? Why? Why?! It’s never a good thing when you don’t come out on the winning end of a comparison with Susan Boyle. Stevens may have thought she had no choice but to be old when performing a Rolling Stones tune, but did she have to channel a 40-something-year-old Scottish songstress? In all fairness, it was a vast improvement from the pitch-plagued performances of weeks’ past, and that pop quiz from Ryan Seacrest was deeply unfair. Truth be told, people love them some SuBo and some of that affection will certainly rub off on Katie. Expect her to continue to sneak through the competition. Tim Urban : The judges were downright angry that Urban would dare bring a reggae vibe to “Under My Thumb.” Funny thing is, while we’ve been railing against this kid for weeks, we didn’t totally hate this reworking. Sure, it was bizarre. So too was it some island-y fun. Mind you, Urban should have been booted from “Idol” long ago. But we applaud him for taking a risk and shall plop him right in the meaty part of our grading curve. Unsatisfactory Lacey Brown : Her stripped-down, string-backed reworking of “Ruby Tuesday” was brilliant in conception and flawed in execution. Lacey just didn’t seem to have the vocal fortitude to soar over the lovely instrumentation. Following her strongest performance to date (Brandi Carlile’s “The Story”), this week marked a step down for the 24-year-old Texan. Still, we’re betting her taped segment — with the revelation that she comes from a family of pastors and grew up singing in church — was endearing enough to curry favor with voters. She’ll be around next week. We’re just not sure she deserves to be. Andrew Garcia : It’s not that we’re mad, Andrew. We’re just disappointed. We’ve been hoping he’d somehow revert to the Hollywood Week form that made us believe he was a front-runner. But hoo boy! His Sting-like version of “Gimme Shelter,” with its clunky arrangement and his warbling middle register, has us ready to say goodbye. We love his story, his family, him. We’ve just been hurt too many times. Goodnight and good luck! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Top 12 Party ‘American Idol’ Season Nine Performances

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

Siobhan Magnus Paints American Idol Black

Siobhan Magnus and Crystal Bowersox dominated ladies’ night last week. Last night, on the first show of the American Idol finals, the two ladies were 1-2 again. At least that’s how we saw it, but we doubt we’ll receive too many arguments. With the possible exception(s) of Big Mike and Aaron Kelly, no one came close to these two. Not that Crystal wasn’t her usual, solid self, but if there was a clear winner Tuesday, it was Siobhan, who gave “Paint It, Black” dramatic flair on Rolling Stones night. Her vocal range was amazing and the overall performance riveting. Kara DioGuardi compared her to Adam Lambert , which is not praise thrown around lightly. She was a tough act to follow for Crystal Bowersox, whose rendition of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” seemed to suit her style perfectly. Typically solid. It was Siobhan Magnus and Crystal Bowersox’s show last night. Any other week, it may have been tops, but Simon opined that Siobhan outperformed her. A good thing, he said, as Crystal is obviously legit but needs to raise her game. Aside from Michael Lynche’s “Miss You” and Aaron Kelly’s tender “Angie,” most of the other efforts weren’t impressive. Who’s going home? There are plenty of candidates. Tim Urban’s reggae style “Under My Thumb” and Lacey Brown’s “Ruby Tuesday” struck us as a few performances that could result in a heave-ho. Who knows. Do you agree with our assessment of Tuesday’s elite? Who do you see going home on American Idol tonight? Here’s how we rank last night’s performances: Siobhan Magnus , “Paint It, Black” Crystal Bowersox , “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”

Conan’s Final Night: The Ratings Glory, The After-Party, The SNL Sneak Attack, and The Hulu Conspiracy

What was Conan O’Brien ‘s final night hosting The Tonight Show like? For NBC, totally cock-rockingly awesome. The networked murked it in the ratings game

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Conan’s Final Night: The Ratings Glory, The After-Party, The SNL Sneak Attack, and The Hulu Conspiracy

Rolling Stones, U2, Madonna Are Top Touring Acts Of The Decade

Stones concerts raked in $869 million in the 2000s, according to Billboard. By Gil Kaufman Madonna Photo: Daniel Mihailescu/ AFP/ Getty Images It should come as no surprise to anyone who saw one of their multiple massive tours that classic rockers the Rolling Stones topped Billboard magazine’s list of Top Touring Artists of the 2000s

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Rolling Stones, U2, Madonna Are Top Touring Acts Of The Decade

Ron Wood Arrested For Assaulting Ekaterina Ivanova

Ron Wood, a.k.a. Ronnie Wood, a.k.a

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Ron Wood Arrested For Assaulting Ekaterina Ivanova

Ron Wood Busted for Assault

Filed under: Celebrity Justice Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood was arrested last night in London — on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend, 21-year-old Ekaterina Ivanova.According to the BBC, Wood was busted “on suspicion of assault in connection with a domestic incident” and … Permalink

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Ron Wood Busted for Assault