Rising EDM trio tell MTV News upcoming shows will be a ‘visual escape,’ as their single ‘Get Static’ hits Beatport. By Adam Stewart, with additional reporting by Brian O’Toole Savoy’s Mike Kelly Photo: MTV News Savoy have quickly become a buzz-worthy act on the EDM scene, and you can expect to hear a lot more from them in the months to come. On Thursday, their single “Get Static,” a big synth-infused monster, is slated to hit Beatport. The dance-music trio — Ben Eberdt, Mike Kelly and Gray Smith — began making waves in 2009 with their hit “Automatic,” and their electro-rave-inspired swagger has since earned them a loyal (and growing) fanbase. MTV News recently met up with Savoy who told us how they met and teased their tour plans (expect lasers!). “We met at the University of Colorado in our freshman-year dorms and, ever since, we’ve been striving towards making dance music and working together as music producers,” Eberdt explained. “Mike lived next door from me, and I met Gray from seeing him walk around playing a mandolin. I went up and said, ‘Hey man, we should play some music together.’ We all went [to college] with the same idea that we wanted to meet somebody else to play music with or to make music with or at least have some artistic connection with.” Since their college days, Savoy have pumped out some of the most talked-about underground New York dance-music scene. From their Benny Benassi-esque electro destroyer “Life of the Party” to “Real People,” a delightfully-dark progressive house thumper, Savoy have demonstrated grade-A production ability and they make their inspirations clear — but with subtlety. “Acts like Swedish House Mafia and Deadmau5 are awesome,” said Gray. “We’re all really big fans; they’re definitely huge influences for us. It’s awesome to see them doing so much for the dance-music genre, really taking it to new levels and better venues than dance music has pretty much ever seen before.” The trio will hit this weekend’s Snowball Festival in Colorado, alongside Porter Robinson (a prot
Paul McDonald and Casey Abrams get high marks, while Jordan Dorsey and Robbie Rosen might not make it to the next level. By Eric Ditzian Jacob Lusk appears on “American Idol” on Tuesday Photo: FOX Another season of live “American Idol” episodes is officially in session, which means it’s time to bring back MTV News’ reality-show report card. Who rose to the front of the crooning class Tuesday night when the top-12 men took the stage for the first time? Who’s in danger of being booted out of class? Sharpen your pencils and open to a fresh sheet of notebook paper, because it’s time to get busy grading! Excellent Paul McDonald Why wasn’t he featured more in Hollywood Week? Goofy and gospel-y, this Southern boy was an utter delight during his breakout performance Tuesday. McDonald was, at times, overwhelmed by the backing band, but his vocal tone is truly distinctive and his song choice of Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May” was spot on. We remain undecided about those dance moves: wink-wink awkward or just awkward? Casey Abrams This could have gone so wrong. And if Simon Cowell were still around, we have a feeling he would have slammed Abrams for his hyper-growly take on Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You.” But somehow, to us, it just worked. Abrams has a true artist’s confidence in his own gifts, and even when he takes it too far — sometimes, dude, less really is more! — you still get the feeling he’s in control and knows exactly what he’s doing. Good Scotty McCreery With that subterranean twang of his, the kid sounded like he could be a regular presence on county radio right now. That doesn’t mean we’d want to listen, but he certainly fits a mold; we’ll wait and see if he has any desire to break it. Jacob Lusk Though it was an old-fashioned performance and Lusk needs some work on his phrasing in the lower register, we have to applaud him for one of the more impressive performances of the evening. What a range he has! What’s more, he’s able to communicate genuine emotion when he sings. This wasn’t, however, his breakout performance. We’re waiting for more before bumping him up to the next level. Satisfactory Clint Jun Gamboa What Randy Jackson got wrong about the singer’s take on Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” is that karaoke isn’t just about vocals; it’s also about a feeling. Clint’s performance just felt karaoke. There’s no doubting he has pipes. What he’s missing is artistry. The “Idol” stage practically swallowed him up in a swirl of pulsing primary-colored lights. Jovany Barreto My colleague Jim Cantiello is right on when he zings Barreto for falling far short in the charisma department. We should, though, give credit to Barreto for simply possessing a beautiful instrument. Close your eyes, and it was a much finer performance. Alas, for a TV show, that’s not a good thing. James Durbin We don’t get what all the fuss is about. Everything Durbin did onstage, from the schoolboy-rocker hand gestures to the scarf-tail-thingy that’s supposed to make him stand out, came off as phony. He tried his hardest to project a rock-star image, which is the least rock-star thing anyone can do. At least we’re glad he toned down the scream-singing. Tim Halperin Halperin sneaks into satisfactory territory, if only because we hardly remember his performance, so forgettable was his take on Rob Thomas’ “Streetcorner Symphony.” Uptempo tunes might not fall in his comfort zone, nor did he have the vocal power to compete with the band. Also: Demerits for encouraging the hand-waving clappers in the audience to burst into action. Stefano Langone Langone started off a hair behind the band and couldn’t ever seem to catch up. Don’t even get us started on how he chop-sueyed. Still, he’s got plenty personality to carry him past those vocal missteps. Unsatisfactory Jordan Dorsey He tried on a top 40 pop tune, and it just didn’t fit. How could we even concentrate on his vocals while Dorsey was spastically shaking his body in the name of dancing like Usher? We have a feeling that Dorsey is due for a major comeback — when he returns to his R&B roots — yet we fear he may not get the chance after Tuesday’s outing. Brett Loewenstern Oh, Brett! What can we say? Maybe don’t dance next time? Maybe only shake those fiery locks once or twice? The smallness of Loewenstern’s voice was unmistakable during the Doors’ “Light My Fire.” We don’t think he’s in danger of going home — the kid remains aw-shucks likable — but we can’t say we’re expecting better in coming weeks. Robbie Rosen Pitchy and somnolent, lacking in youthfulness and energy, Rosen’s was one of the more surprising of the night in that it just wasn’t very good. We were expecting more from him. Share your “American Idol” grades in the comments! Don’t miss “Idol Party Live” at 10 p.m. Thursday on MTV.com, following the “American Idol” results show, for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke. In the meantime, get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Our experts weigh in on the top 12 men, also naming Paul McDonald and Scotty McCreery as standouts. By Gil Kaufman Casey Abrams Photo: FOX Of course it’s too early to start handicapping who might win season 10 of “American Idol,” but that’s never stopped us before. After a lackluster first night on the big stage for the top 12 men on Tuesday, we decided to ask a few of our “Idol” experts who they thought nailed it and who appears to have what it takes to win the whole thing. First, we turned to noted producer Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, All-American Rejects, Flyleaf), who worked with “Idol” alum Chris Daughtry on his band’s smash 2006 debut, who said he was impressed with sudden front-runner Jacob Lusk and Casey Abrams . “I think Casey’s one of the best ones left, and Jacob is amazing,” said Benson, who started watching the show intently after working with Daughtry. “Casey’s definitely got a Mumford & Sons thing going on, and there’s an opening for that quirkiness out there. I don’t know if he can write his own material, so it’s a matter of where you get him and how you produce him.” But he said he could see Lusk, who was compared to late soul icon Luther Vandross during Tuesday’s show, selling millions of albums if he did the right kind of album given the lack of a traditional gospel/soul-influenced R&B crooner on the scene at the moment. He was unimpressed with karaoke DJ Clint Jun Gamboa, whom he predicted would be gone soon, and said Brett Loewenstern’s cover of the Doors’ “Light My Fire” was horrifying. “I thought Jim Morrison would have been there he would have killed him,” he said of the late Doors singer. “I’ve never heard anything so bad in my life. He doesn’t stand a chance.” Benson, who has worked with Adam Lambert, said James Durbin looked a bit too much like the former glammy “Idol” runner-up, but didn’t live up to Adam’s vocals and was too shrieky. He also thought Jordan Dorsey blew it when he folded right away and agreed when the judges said he picked the wrong song with “OMG” by Usher. “The minute he caved in so quickly, I thought, ‘He’ll never survive.’ You can’t do that.” Two dark horses he picked as ones to watch are Tim Halperin and Paul McDonald, whom he dubbed potential stars. “They’re good-looking and have good voices, and with the right material, you could definitely make some good records with those guys.” He tagged 16-year-old country crooner Scotty McCreery as a potential wild card. Though he wondered whether S.C. could survive rounds when he had to sing something besides country, Benson said he would sign the high-schooler “tomorrow” just on his attitude, honesty and self-assured vocals. “The best thing that could happen to him is if he signed a contract tomorrow and he goes off and makes a record.” MTV’s own “Idol” impresario, Jim Cantiello, said Tuesday’s show was definitely a case of “strange vs. range.” The performances were so all-over–the-place that Cantiello said he’s starting to wonder if producers have a nefarious plan for this year’s male singers. “I wonder if producers are stacking the deck with wildly offbeat male performers so that the female singers have a chance to stand out with their vocals,” he said. “Think about it: Every highlight in the guy’s show was a left-of-center ‘Idol’ oddity.” After three years in a row of male winners, Cantiello pointed to the unusual performances on the show, including Loewenstern’s “fidgety” Doors cover, Durbin’s “shrieky” Judas Priest bit, McDonald’s Russell Brand-swaggering stage show and Abrams’ “junkyard-dog impression,” and wondered what the plan was. “At this point, I find it hard to believe that Abrams, while engaging and entertaining so far, will be able to survive all the way to the finale,” he said. “He’ll have to show new angles of his crazy before the judges and viewers turn against him.” As for Lusk, while previous gospel guys like season nine’s Jermaine Sellers and season three’s George Huff didn’t have the vocal-aerobics abilities of Lusk, Jim noted that the “Idol” voting patterns have changed quite a bit since season-three winner Fantasia’s histrionics propelled her to the top. “I won’t be surprised if mainstream viewers flee Jacob’s over-the-top dynamics and Casey’s gonzo commitment before the confetti falls,” he said. Popdust writer Maura Johnston is keeping her eye on Halperin, whom she thinks has some Josh Groban-type potential and could have really leaped into the lead if he’d picked a better song on Tuesday night. “It didn’t show off his power,” she said of his Rob Thomas cover. “And he seemed awkward onstage.” She also thought Stefano Langone showed promise by picking a contemporary song (Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are”), which he dedicated to the ladies in the audience in what she dubbed a nice, savvy touch. And though she sometimes forgets that Abrams is only 19 because he comes off much older and more experienced, she said he seems to have a spark that plays well on the “Idol” stage and could work on radio. As for McCreery, she wasn’t feeling him. “He’s very one-note,” she said. “He has me lamenting that they’re doing decades and not theme nights this year. Could you imagine him on disco night?” Do you agree with our experts? Which guys do you think are killing it so far? Let us know in the comments below! Don’t miss “Idol Party Live” at 10 p.m. Thursday on MTV.com, following the “American Idol” results show, for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke. In the meantime, get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Top 24 ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Mag dubs her ‘America’s #1 Party Girl.’ By Aly Semigran Snooki on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine Photo: Mark Seliger/ RollingStone.com Pint-size reality star/published author Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi made the cover of the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine — doing her best “Dr. Strangelove” imitation, no less — which hits newsstands this Friday. But the cover shot already hit the Web on Wednesday (March 2), prompting Polizzi to tweet , “THE NEW ROLLING STONE COVER : Nicole Snooki Polizzi ♥ #loveitorhateit =).” In the issue, the 23-year-old, who is currently riding the success of the record-breaking third season of “Jersey Shore,” poses with pickles, discusses life in the limelight and announces her plans for total reality-television domination. While the magazine has dubbed her “America’s #1 Party Girl,” it may not be a title she is entirely comfortable with. Polizzi, who said she watches the show every week, has noticed how her partying ways have caught up with her. “If I do something stupid, which is pretty much the whole time, I hate it,” she reveals, “I just hate it. Obviously, they’re only going to put the good stuff in, and the good stuff is us drunk, so all I’m seeing is me drunk and falling down. That’s how I am when I party, but some of the stuff I do is, like, ‘Really, Nicole?’ I look like a freakin’ alcoholic. I’m like, ‘You’re sweating, your makeup is running, you look gross.’ I just look like sh–.” Still, those less-than-flattering moments and the effects of being on camera all day, every day (“There’s no normalcy,” she gripes) don’t seem to stop Polizzi from seeking out a life in front of the cameras. “When ‘Jersey Shore’ ends I’m going to do more spin-offs,” she told the magazine. “What I’d like is to turn out like Jessica Simpson, with her whole brand. She makes millions … I’m trying to build an empire, because after this I can’t get a normal job. I mean, how do I go and sit behind a desk?” But before those future endeavors, Polizzi is more than willing to talk about what’s currently going on at “Jersey Shore.” In addition to releasing excerpts from the interview, a video has been posted at RollingStone.com featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the multi-outfit (including a pickle barrel) photo shoot with Polizzi, who discussed everything from heading to Italy to her occasional friend-with-benefits, “Jersey Shore” castmate Vinny Guadagnino. Polizzi, who said she was excited but surprised that Rolling Stone chose her for the cover (“I’m like, ‘Okay, who am I? Like, I don’t sing, I don’t do anything like that”), also theorized on why she’s the most-liked castmember on the series. “I think everyone gravitates towards me more on ‘Jersey Shore’ just because I think I’m more relatable and … I’m real and I don’t care [if I] show my real side.” Still, Polizzi will likely bond with her fellow castmembers as they head to Italy for the upcoming fourth season. “I’m definitely excited to go to Italy for the new season,” Polizzi says, but acknowledges her limited capabilities of the language. “The only thing I really know in Italian is ‘Ciao, bella.’ ” Polizzi also brought up a certain castmember after riding the RS cover rocket (which she later signed, “Goodbye rocket, you hurt my ass”): Vinny Guadagnino. “Vinny definitely compares to the rocket I sat on,” Polizzi said of her co-star, with whom she’s shared some, er, intimate moments on the show. “I would probably call that rocket Seabiscuit because that’s the same size as Vinny’s ding-dong.” Don’t miss “Jersey Shore” every Thursday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. What do you think of Snooki’s Rolling Stone cover? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Jersey Shore (Season 2) | Ep. 18 | Highlights Related Photos Jersey Shore (Season 2) | Snooki
In a new web video, the former Minnesota governor serves a hot cuppa. “I think the Tea Party is a great addition to the conservative coalition and the coalition for change in this country,” he says. “I think the Tea Party is a welcome, helpful, energetic, forward-leaning organization.” As Pawlenty moves toward a 2012 run, he appears to be carving out a tea-soaked space in what could be, as Rich notes… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The Corner Discovery Date : 01/03/2011 17:30 Number of articles : 2
Event planners imagine what kind of party they’d throw the superstar. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber Photo: Gilbert Carrasquillo/ Getty Images Justin Bieber is about to reach another milestone in his life: On Tuesday (February 29), the teen star turns 17. Already, he’s had hit albums and singles, a world tour and a successful concert documentary, so he definitely has a reason to celebrate. As he gears up for the fun, MTV News asked some party planners to weigh in on what kind of bash they would throw for the pop superstar. “I think, knowing that he’s such a fan of purple, I would create a purple Willy Wonka fantasy party,” said Bruce Starr, who works at BMF Media Group in New York. “I think we’d do it in L.A. on a studio lot and have the Oompa Loompas in purple. We’d recreate this extravagant fantasy world.” Starr said he’d have a female DJ on the decks, but also would have some musical surprises up his sleeve. “We’d have a surprise stage, and without telling him, work with his friends and have them do surprise sets for him,” he explained. “The party would have just friends and family, about 250 or 300 or 400 people tops — really intimate.” There would even be a fan element to the party. “I think we would do huge screens for all the people who couldn’t be there. We’d have surprise music videos from them, and throughout the candy land, there’d be screens with tweets from his fans,” he added. Taylor Choi, event consultant for Gansevoort Hotel Group, explained that she’d have the perfect Big Apple hot spot for the party. “For him, I would do something more fun and exciting,” she mused. “I would do more like bowling or video games, some sort of 3-D type party with more technology-type stuff for him.” So, what types of social media would that include? “A social-media kiosk where people can take photos,” she explained. “I would do karaoke and do something more fun and interactive. I would have a fun DJ and a fun live performance because a performance would be fun.” As for the venue, Choi said: “If he was in New York, I would throw it in the Gansevoort Park Avenue where we could do a 3-D installation. We can do a performance over the pool. We would deck it out for him with three floors. I’d serve cupcakes, hot dogs, burgers. “I would have like 200 of his closest friends,” she added. “I would definitely do 3-D stuff. He’d have fun with a small group of friends: private, intimate, nothing too crazy. Have his friends perform a song for him.” While it seems these planners would throw elaborate bashes for the star, Bieber recently revealed that he’s hoping for a low-key affair. “I only have, like, four days, so I’m just going to relax, because I start my world tour starting on [March 4] — so just going to mentally prepare and just relax,” Bieber explained. “No birthday bash. … Hopefully my grandparents will be out here, and I’ll be able to spend time, a little bit, with them. My grandma makes the best cheesecake — cherry cheesecake. She made that for my 13th birthday.” How do you think Justin Bieber should celebrate his 17th birthday? Tell us your ideas below! Related Photos Justin Bieber Turns 17! What’s In Store For Him This Year?
Justin Bieber Birthday Party Invitations (Set of 6). JB invite cards are printed on non-glossy brilliant white, 110lb ultra-thick stock. L- 7″ x W- 5″ *Just add your party information nside. Technical Details Justin Bieber Birthday Party Invitations (Set of 6) JB invite cards are printed on non-glossy brilliant white, 110lb ultra-thick stock. L- 7″
‘I’m glad I did it, because the day after it aired, wonderful things started happening,’ he tells MTV News. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Jim Cantiello Chris Medina Photo: MTV News Last week, when Chris Medina was sent packing on “American Idol,” it was a shock to pretty much everyone — except, oddly enough, Medina himself. “I gave it my all, but, I mean, I’m in a room with 40 phenomenal singers. They all have earned their right to be there. And though I had faith in my talents, just being in that situation, you gotta have consistent, solid performances all the time, and the people there did that,” he told MTV News on Monday. “I think I had a really good first audition, a good audition in Vegas and a good audition in my last one — I sang for my life — but there were times in the middle where I was just pretty OK. And I’m not one of those people who’s delusional. I left it all on the line. … Some people had seven solid performances; I had three or four.” If that reaction seems a little strange coming from a former “Idol” contender, well, it’s probably because Medina is far from your average pop-star wannabe. Even in the face of overwhelming success, he’s remained grounded, thanks in no small part to his fianc
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