BuzzSugar

Should Idol Replace Paula With Rotating Judges or Just One?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:30:42 -0700

Paula Abdul has tweeted her goodbyes to American Idol, but the show must go on. This morning at the Fox TCA session, execs Peter Rice and Kevin Reilly confirmed that they've already started the process to fill her empty chair, starting with a rotation of female pop stars. Victoria Beckham and Katy Perry are already signed on to help judge the auditions, which start filming this week.

Apparently Fox is hoping to have permanent plans for Paula's seat by the time the show goes live next year. They liked the four-person dynamic, and there's still a chance one single judge will take Paula's place long-term. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to hearing from a different female artist every week. What about you - do you think Idol should continue with rotating guest judges through season nine, or focus on finding one new person to take Paula's spot for good?

Estelle and Kid Rock Join List of Artists Saying No to iTunes

BuzzSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:30:48 -0700

There's an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal today about a trend toward record companies pulling their artists' records from the iTunes Music Store - and/or avoiding iTunes altogether - because selling singles at Apple's mp3 store isn't always as profitable (or necessary) as people think. Kid Rock's latest album, Rock 'n Roll Jesus, was never sold on iTunes, for example, and he still managed to sell 1.7 million copies in the US alone. Estelle is on the same label as Rock, and after seeing how well his album has done, the label yanked hers from iTunes as well - even though she currently has one of the hottest singles of the Summer.

I naively thought the ailing music business had finally surrendered to the download. Now I'm not sure where I stand on all this. From an artistic perspective, I think some albums really are a total package, and it's a shame to pick them apart by only buying singles. That's why Jay-Z refused to sell his American Gangster album on iTunes last year, stating, "As movies are not sold scene by scene, this collection will not be sold as individual singles."

On the other hand, not all "collections" are a work of art. Do we really need to listen to Katy Perry's album front to back rather than picking and choosing what songs we like? I bet a lot of people are glad they could buy just "I Kissed a Girl" on iTunes rather than shelling out $10 or more to get that one song.

So what do you think? Is this smart on the part of record labels, and does it preserve the integrity of the album format? Or is this just delaying the inevitable? I have to say, as I scan my iTunes library, I sure have a lot of unrelated singles mashed together, which is really different from my CD book from the old high school and college days.

Source

What's the Song of Summer 2008?

BuzzSugar — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:00:46 -0700

You know, I'm not gonna lie: kind of a tame Summer for music, don't you think? Not to say that there weren't solid releases from big names, but it's that time of year when everyone seems to be singing the same song ("Umbrella-ella-ella-ella!") and yet I can't seem to find a consensus of what songs are perpetually on the radio, in our heads, or on the dance floor.

But here are the songs that, as far as I can tell, are on heavy rotation right now. You know, the songs that will remind us in the future of that one Summer when every superhero movie ever came out, Mariah Carey got married, and neither Obama nor McCain was president yet.

Source

Which "I Kissed a Girl" Do You Prefer?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:30:11 -0700

Late last week, Katy Perry scored a milestone: Her single, "I Kissed a Girl," jumped to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the 1,000th No. 1 hit of the rock era (aka since the release of "Rock Around the Clock" in 1955).

However, catchy as Perry's song might be, hers isn't the "I Kissed a Girl" that I tend to get stuck in my head. No, that would be Jill Sobule's 1995 hit of the same name, which came complete with adorable, candy-colored, suburb-satirizing music video.

Despite fielding lots of e-mails from annoyed fans, Sobule herself says she appreciates Perry's track as "a catchy party song." What about you? Which "I Kissed a Girl" would you rather have on constant rotation?

Source

What to Download: New Music on iTunes

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:30:16 -0700

Tuesdays are big in entertainment-ville: Not only do all the new DVD releases hit Netflix, but new music also pours into stores, including iTunes. So I take a spin through each week's iTunes music releases and pick out some albums and tracks worthy of a download. You may have heard that Coldplay's new album is out today (I reviewed here) and you can also sample the new Wolf Parade album before you download it.

By the way, if you took my advice and downloaded the Fleet Foxes a couple of weeks back, there was something wrong with the iTunes version of the track called "He Doesn't Know Why." So, now you can get the better version here for free!

Makin' mischief: People tend to describe Katy Perry's musical sensibilities as "feisty." I think that's an understatement. Her song "Ur So Gay" is totally hilarious, and you probably know a guy or eight that seem like the one she's singing about. "I Kissed a Girl" is catchy, too, and already has a bit of a cult following. Hers are the kind of songs that will get your friends talking (and dancing) if you slip them into a party mix. Good times.

The boys of summer: It's no secret I'm a giant fan of The Hold Steady. On this busy day for music, do not miss taking a listen to the band's fourth album, Stay Positive, which is out early on iTunes ahead of its physical release next month. Already the track "Constructive Summer" makes me want to jump up and rock out, and I'm really digging "Lord, I'm Discouraged" as well. But who am I kidding? I'm downloading the entire thing.

Two more great download selections, so read more.

Funny lady: Sometimes it's hard for me to get other people into Kathy Griffin because she has this pesky reputation for being annoying. But I find her stand-up hilarious, and now instead of begging friends to give it a chance, I will simply turn on bits from this standup show now available on iTunes. Her impression of Oprah on "Oprah's Favorite Things" kills me. And when she shoots down claims that Donny and Marie were hip in "The Osmonds Were Never Cool," I hurt with laughter.

Feeling dark? This new album from Silver Jews is, well, a little depressing. The band tends to tell the cold, hard truth about things like dreams and how they end - not unlike, say, Johnny Cash. This time around, though, the band's lyrics are more playful, like in "Suffering Jukebox." Also, "San Francisco B.C." is pretty amazing and incredibly poetic.

Twilight Leads the People's Choice Awards Nominations

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:43:12 -0800

The 36th annual People's Choice Awards nominees are here, and last year's Twilight is leading the charge! American Idol's Kris Allen was among the announcers this morning for the nominees, which also include lots of nods for The Proposal - but of course, everyone's favorite bloodsucking love story landed in many categories, including favorite on-screen movie team.

Why didn't they look to 2009's New Moon? Because last year's nominations debuted before the first movie in the Twilight saga.

To see the full list of nominees, just read more.

MOVIES

FAVORITE MOVIE
Twilight
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Star Trek
The Hangover
The Proposal

FAMILY MOVIE
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Up
Where the Wild Things Are

COMEDY MOVIE
17 Again
Bride Wars
He's Just Not That Into You
The Hangover
The Proposal

INDEPENDENT MOVIE
(500) Days of Summer
District 9
Inglourious Basterds
Paranormal Activity
Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail

FAVORITE MOVIE FRANCHISE
Twilight
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Star Trek
Transformers
X-Men

FAVORITE MOVIE ACTOR
Brad Pitt
Hugh Jackman
Johnny Depp
Robert Pattinson
Ryan Reynolds

FAVORITE MOVIE ACTRESS
Anna Hathaway
Drew Barrymore
Jennifer Aniston
Kristen Stewart
Sandra Bullock

FAVORITE ACTION STAR
Christian Bale
Gerard Butler
Hugh Jackman
Shia LaBeouf
Vin Diesel

FAVORITE COMEDIC STAR
Adam Sandler
Ben Stiller
Jim Carrey
Ryan Reynolds
Vince Vaughn

FAVORITE BREAKOUT MOVIE ACTRESS:
Anna Kendrick
Emily Osment
Ginnifer Goodwin
Miley Cyrus
Zoe Saldana

FAVORITE BREAKOUT MOVIE ACTOR
Chris Pine
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Sam Worthington
Taylor Lautner
Zachary Quinto

FAVORITE ONSCREEN TEAM
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, The Proposal
Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, Twilight
Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, will.i.am, Dominic Monaghan and Daniel Henney, X-Men Origins: Wolverine

TELEVISION

FAVORITE TV DRAMA
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Grey's Anatomy
House
Lost
NCIS

FAVORITE TV COMEDY
Desperate Housewives
How I Met Your Mother
The Big Bang Theory
The Office
Two and a Half Men

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTOR
Hugh Laurie
Kiefer Sutherland
Mark Harmon
Matthew Fox
Patrick Dempsey

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTRESS
Anna Paquin
Blake Lively
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Katherine Heigl
Mariska Hargitay

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTOR
Alex Baldwin
Charlie Sheen
Jim Parsons
Neil Patrick Harris
Steve Carell

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTRESS
Alyson Hannigan
America Ferrera
Amy Poehler
Eva Longoria Parker
Tina Fey

FAVORITE TV OBSESSION
Dexter
Gossip Girl
The Hills
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
True Blood

FAVORITE TV TALK SHOW
Chelsea Lately
Live with Regis & Kelly
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Tyra Banks Show

FAVORITE TV SCI-FI/FANTASY
Heroes
Lost
Supernatural
The Vampire Diaries
True Blood

FAVORITE TV COMPETITION SHOW
American Idol
Dancing With the Stars
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance
Survivor: Samoa

FAVORITE ANIMAL SHOW
Animal Cops
DogTown
Dog Whisperer
It's Me or the Dog
Rescue Ink

FAVORITE NEW TV DRAMA
Eastwick
FlashForward
Melrose Place
Mercy
The Forgotten
The Good Wife
The Vampire Diaries,
Three Rivers
NCIS: Los Angeles
V

FAVORITE NEW TV COMEDY
Accidentally on Purpose
Brothers
Community
Cougar Town
Glee
Hank
The Cleveland Show
The Middle
Modern Family

MUSIC

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST
Eminem
Jason Mraz
John Mayer
Keith Urban
Tim McGraw

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST
Beyonce
Britney Spears
Carrie Underwood
Pink
Taylor Swift

FAVORITE COUNTRY ARTIST
Brad Paisley
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
Rascal Flatts
Taylor Swift

FAVORITE BREAKOUT MUSIC ARTIST
Adam Lambert
Demi Lovato
Kris Allen
Lady Gaga
Susan Boyle

FAVORITE HIP-HOP ARTIST
Eminem
Flo Rida
Jay-Z
Lil' Wayne
T.I.

FAVORITE ROCK BAND
Daughtry
Green Day
Kings of Leon
Muse
Paramore

FAVORITE MUSIC COLLABORATION
Cobra Starship & Leighton Meester, "Good Girls Go Bad"
Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat, "Lucky"
Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West, "Run This Town"
T.I. & Rihanna, "Live Your Life"
The Lonely Island & T-Pain, "I'm on a Boat."

FAVORITE R&B ARTIST
Alicia Keys
Beyonce
Jennifer Hudson
Mariah Carey
Usher

FAVORITE POP ARTIST
Britney Spears
Katy Perry
Lady Gaga
Taylor Swift
The Black Eyed Peas

FAVORITE WEB CELEB
Andy Samberg
Ashton Kutcher
Miley Cyrus
P. Diddy
Will Ferrell

Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:00:00 -0700

ABC adds Benjamin Bratt to its Modern Family - TV Squad

Like Roxie's bedroom on Eastwick? Here's how to get the look - CasaSugar

Jordin Sparks covers Katy Perry's Hot 'N' Cold - HitFix

Tommy Lee Jones joins Matthew McConaughey for Lincoln Lawyer - MTV Movies Blog

The new Bachelor is announced! [drumroll] He's last season's reject, Jake - PopWatch

SNL dish: Tracy Morgan has fighting words for his former costars - Defamer

Amy Poehler talks about Parks and Recreation and her knife-fight with New Kids on the Block - TV.com

Exclusive photo of Gavin Rossdale on Criminal Minds - Watch With Kristin

Rashida Jones's graphic novel is being made into a film! - Cinema Blend

Shannen Doherty's new Hallmark movie = awesome -The Futon Critic