Well, year 2 of American Idol live blogging (for those who don’t know, this post gets updated after every performer so just hit refresh to see what else I have to say!)… Anyone who actually wants to pay attention can listen to all of my stupid ranting on the contestants and the judges… A lot of folks seem to tell me they enjoy it (though no one ever COMMENTS…hint hint…) But it’s the first night of the TRUE competition, the TOP 12! SOOOO I shall start the live blog tonight at 8! Hope all enjoys!

7:55PM WOO! I just learned that this week will be Rolling Stones week! Just what I want to hear! Songs that my PARENTS were young for. Nothing like sticking with the “contemporary” times the judges demand. If they tell Katie she is singing a song too old for her, or not young enough, I may have to buy a new tv after throwing mine out the window!

8:00 PM Why is it I always feel like the opener with Ryan is part of some perverse hazing ritual? Why can’t he just open the show. It’s NOT a drama. They sing. Someone loses. And where the hell did the new “announcer” come from? Did Ryan need to be announced so he refused to introduce the rest? I will blame this on his big ego… the only big thing the idiot (rich idiot) has… Oh and isn’t the WHOLE SHOW the countdown to the finale??

8:05 PM Did I mention my love for the Rolling Stones? And by love… I mean utter vomit educing reaction I get when I look at them or hear that big mouthed freak’s voice. Nevermind the dancing. If he won’t stop it by now, we are just screwed with it. Side note Ryan… the BEATLES are the most ICONIC band and will ALWAYS be.

8:07 PM Michael Lynche – “Miss You”
So, this guy’s voice is awesome, there is no doubt he’s going pretty damn far. The one thing I don’t like from ANYONE is the Michael Jackson “ball squeeze” high notes from a guy… I am not really sure what song this is, except I recognize the background from the chorus… are we in danger of being told he changed it too much? I think doing a bluesy version of a Stones song was his best bet. He IS one of the judges golden boys so I doubt they will be too harsh…

The judges…
Randy: please, you weren’t feelin’ it, then you slayed it. DECIDE WHICH AND TELL THAT ONE.
Ellen: Good job, genuine, I am going to really like you…
Kara: Chapter 8… (some folks will get it)
Simon: Corny dancing. I am not going to lie, not quite “cool” but I wouldn’t call it DESPERATE…however I wish he spoke more about the performance instead of just dancing. But how can you call ANYONE’s dancing bad when they are doing a ROLLING STONES SONG! (see my comments from above)
Ryan: You are showing your true psychotic nature…

8:16 PM Didi Benami – “Play With Fire”
So…Didi.. you make ME feel uncomfortable, I will listen to you sing but probably mute you during your awkward interviews. Fail.

I am wondering how many times they will refer to these songs as “Stones Classics.” Again, no clue on this song but I am ok with that. This may be one of the most BORING songs I have ever heard, I guess I should have gotten stoned before the Rolling Stones… seems like it would have made this better. Anyways. Great middle vocals but started and ended blah for me. She won’t go but won’t be hitting any confetti in a few months…

The judges…
Randy: You left no lasting input
Ellen: When nothing else, hit humor
Kara: I need an interpreter
Simon: Hmm, said the same thing about the start…Jeeez I am SO smart…

8:22 Casey James – “It’s All Over Now”
Ok, this is one of my least favorites. Keep your shirt on, close your mouth. Not feelin’ it at all… let’s see if SOMETHING will change my opinion… I see he starts the family sob story early.

Wow…let’s put this in perspective… my dog barked for the first 20 seconds of the performance. He screamed it. Loud. He caught up with the song, I guess… the guitar playing fantastic, other than that…I will not shed a tear for his departure which I assume will be sooner than later. That and hopefully a shampoo and haircut.

The judges…
Randy: You have bad taste
Ellen: Token lesbian joke, or…blonde joke (good job…) fantastic though? Ugh
Kara: Rockstar? Did ANY of them hear what I did?
Simon:  Despite your semi-agreement with a bad performance, you even thought it was better than it was. Blah.

8:33 Lacey Brown – “Ruby Tuesday”
The only thing I like about Ruby Tuesday’s is the fresh croutons from the salad bar. I didn’t even know there was a song. No love lost. OOH…Her hair is ruby colored. How convenient! But she’s really shy? She has red hair, sings and is on a national television show. How shy can she be?

Oh I hear a “pitchy” in our future… And possibly “freakin’ boring as hell” but we will see on that one…

The judges…
Randy: DAWG…WHERE’S YOUR LINE?!?! PITCHY! PITCHY!!!
Ellen: You said freakin’ boring as hell in SUCH a nicer way…
Kara: Thanks for picking up the pitchy part… drop the story telling though. I am starting to hate you.
Simon: What are you talking about?

8:44 Andrew Garcia – “Gimme Shelter”
So I am so torn between Katie and Andrew. Katie’s voice is flawless and she’s a great performer. Andrew is creative but it is true.. he just hasn’t captured the amazingness he hit from his version of Paula Abdul’s ‘Straight Up’… I wish this would resurface in a longer version but let’s see how he does on Gimme Shelter… whatever song that is…

And to the performance… oh wait… Ryan wants to be funny. Oh HA HA Ryan. To everyone who calls out my bad sense of humor, please take note. Ok, really time for the song. I have no idea how “original” this will be since I have no idea on the original. His voice is really hitting it tonight. I really like his performance, he’s not being too dramatic on stage, but I don’t think that would ever be his thing so I am ok with that. He seems comfortable, and I think if there’s a criticism on his voice then they are just being bastards and inconsistent (not that I am judging…the judges…)

The judges…
Randy: Pitchy and wasn’t great? You Randy… are a full blown idiot.
Ellen: Best performance yet? YOU ARE ON.. I knew we would mesh
Kara: A song about Vietnam— HOW CAN WE CONNECT, HE WASN’T EVEN ALIVE!!!!!
Simon: Thank you for shooting that down… Kara is dumb, and didn’t do great. I am not sure what didn’t connect… Thanks for hoping he sticks around…

8:53: Katie Stevens – “Wild Horses”
Ok, my two fav’s back to back. I can be happy with this. Now… unless there are many different songs called Wild Horses, I actually know one, and can’t wait to hear my girl knock it out of the park… Katie…WILL be in the finals. With that being said. She definitely had pitch issues, yes… I admit it but she is a powerhouse, and I think she is “dressed appropriate” for her age singing a 38247298 year old song. Lets see what they have to say.

The judges…
Randy: Not surprised he mentioned the pitch, but kudos for actually hitting the strong performance
Ellen: NOOOOOO don’t go to the pitchy… but good comments…
Kara: How nice… “It’s never technically perfect with you” See you next Tuesday Kara
Simon: Great strong song choice… a little surprised, he never likes the arrangements, get over it. Judge HER.

9:01 HOW MANY FREAKIN COMMERCIAL BREAKS CAN THERE BE?!?!!? I thought it was like one break for every two performances. This is driving me insane. RABBLE!

9:05 Tim Urban – “Under My Thumb”
Ok Tim, all the tween girls saw your shirtless photos on Perez Hilton. Congrats on your 6 pack. (oh yeah and F-U for the same thing). I have yet to believe that you should even be where you are in this competition and am definitely on the bandwagon who believes your Abercrombie model look is what has gotten you this far, but at least he does have a fun personality to back it, I will give him that… I thought the last performance was EHH but wasn’t fully surprised he moved on. I am hoping he’s been practicing hardcore, his singing that is…

Are we sure this isn’t Who Shot the Sheriff??? I actually think that Tim did the smartest thing, he Jason Mraz’d this song, it complemented his voice which I will say is much stronger this time around, I am glad he listened to the advice I gave a couple minutes ago. (My next piece of advice… clip your girly fingernails. please.) This is one of his strongest performances in my book…

The judges…
Randy: What didn’t you get? You couldn’t hear?
Ellen: Sounded great, but on the beach laying back? Hell, I would LOVE to be there
Kara: WHY do you keep calling Ellen and Randy the GUYS, she’s a lesbian not a guy… thanks though for noting the personalization
Simon: Thank you for acknowledging that this is a boring song as it is. It didn’t work, maybe… I would NEVER download it, but for HIM I think it was good… I guess all in context…

Tim, I give you credit for actually saying you knew you couldn’t look or sound like the Rolling Stones. However to EVERYONE… STOP SAYING YOU JUST WANTED TO HAVE FUN… That is right up there with Pitchy, Dawg, Just didn’t work for me, and I don’t get it. (ironically all of randy’s… yet used soooooooo much…hmmm…)

9:15 Siobhan Magnus – “Paint it Black”
Siobhan…Take the nose ring out. I am begging you.  I know everyone has different styles but it just looks gross and anyone who tells you it works for you is a big hairy liar. Even worse than the huge glasses. Even Sally Jesse would’t wear that crap. With that, she does have a very hardcore voice…

Oh Jesus. This is going to pain me. I already want it to stop, but I did just realize what this song actually is, however that is when the not BAD singing went BAD in my mind and she’s pulling major John Mayer singing face. BTW are those Doc Martin’s? Oh no, screaming. I officially hated this. Hated.

The judges…
Randy: That was hot? You’re officially an asshole. over it.
Ellen: She rises above? WTF… What was I watching???????
Kara: Flashbacks of Adam Lambert probably more because of his actual SCREAMING.
Simon: I have nothing to say to you. You have really failed me tonight. DON’T ENCOURAGE THE SCREAMING!!!!!!!

I am thinking she will be my Adam Lambert of the year, I hated him. I still hate him. People like him… I don’t understand those people but… Everyone’s allowed to have bad taste.

9:26 Lee Dewyze – “Beast of Burden”
I really like Lee. I don’t know why. He’s not my favorite, he isn’t an amazing prodigy and he’s not an overwhelming personality or topping the People’s Hottest person list, but I like him. Thankfully the paint color pop quiz didn’t ruin it. Ok, I don’t know if it’s my old age kicking in, but I can barely understand a word he’s saying. I love the sound of his voice, I love the style of the song, when he finally got a little louder, I thought it was AWESOME, the rest I think I would like if I had a clue on what he was singing about. It honestly sounded like he forgot the words for most of it and was humming. But that’s ok, I still loved it. Love his style. I would listen to a clip of the studio version to see my thoughts and would actually for the first time tonight consider buying it!

The judges…
Randy: Quality, thanks!
Ellen: Less than she expected, I get that… better delivery
Kara: Thanks for not being such a negative nelly as she looked like she would be in the middle of Ellen’s
Simon: Very safe song– WELL GIVE THEM BETTER OPTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At least you believe he has talent!

9:34 Paige Miles – “Honky Tonk Woman”
Man, for someone who almost voted herself off last week, it stinks that the Rolling Stones week is her FIRST week for the Top 12. Eek…Train wreck ahead?

Ok Paige. As most every week there’s someone who will suffer due to the genre and this is definitely your week to suffer, however your vocals kicked ass especially compared to last week. Another dumb song, Rolling Stones officially really stink in my mind, but I think she was very confident on stage, the notes she hit were great, and she seemed actually comfortable with the song despite being outside of what I imagine her comfort zone would be. I ACTUALLY felt like at the end she had a Christina Aguilera tone!

The judges…
Randy: You wanted more energy? Should she be doing the Ashlee Simpson dance?
Ellen: Nice comments, nothing to really effect
Kara: You are useless
Simon: Thanks for showing she did awesome considering laryngitis!  My voice is like a frog right now and if I tried to sing, my F quality would be 10000x’s worse.

9:42 Aaron Kelly – “Angie”
Hey Angie, can you just respond to him asap so he can stop singing. I find his voice to be irritating. Pickle juice in the eye irritating (Shout out Ellen…). Dumb song, blah performance. Yawn…

The judges…
Randy: I would like to see what songs are on your iPod to think that was good
Ellen: Don’t stray from our connection.
Kara: How can you call this great and hold your criticisms up for the others. Dumb HO!
Simon: He sang the song within the limits of his vocals– true… TINY limits… not a big voice… TRUE.

NOT an American Idol. Besides, he hasn’t even hit puberty, his voice hasn’t changed (and if it did… eek… that’s sad)

9:53 Crystal Bowersox – You Don’t Always Get What You Want”
Last but not least Crystal. She’s been hitting it hard since the Alanis performance which I actually didn’t love… Isn’t THAT ironic… And again finally another song I know… Without even hearing the rest, my favorite performance of the night. This girl is ruling this competition. I would never have guessed it. This performance wouldn’t be on my iPod but I am smart enough to know that she had one rock solid performance. Judges… if you bitch, then you are doing it for your own selves.

The judges…
Randy: Couple of problems, such as????
Ellen: Needs more personality… hmm I can’t disagree but what about the vocals?!!?
Kara: I will ignore you for the rest of the season… you are really useless and I hate you.
Simon: He could feel she wasn’t “in it” which I don’t get, I thought she was just fine, and no f’in way was that nose ring ho-bag better than her tonight.

Ugh, this is going to be a Adam Lambert issue this year and I am NOT up for that crap again. What I don’t get is why some of the best performances only get the negatives picked out, but the ehh ones get praised? I don’t get it. Last year I was pretty on top of it with the judges except for the whole Lambert ISSUE… but it’s ok Kris Allen won. Therefore I won. I like winning.

Well anyways… I feel like Lacey is the one who should be headed home… I would pick Siobhan but apparently she was a musical genius. I guess it must be the ATT Uverse HD that showed just how bad she was. UGH. Here’s my 12-1 favorites

12. Siobhan
11. Lacey
10. Aaron
9. Casey
8. Didi
7. Tim
6. Paige
5. Katie
4. Michael
3. Andrew
2. Crystal
1. Lee

As always I will pop the Dial Idol predictions tomorrow AM…

WHAT…A surprise… Everything is in the too close to call category, but a surprise is that Lee came out with the most of anyone!

Recently the Greater Hartford Arts Council had a meeting where we did a little shaving and repurposing of the video I created last fall. Thought I would share the new version, nothing crazy different, but still sharable :)

When I was at AOL Music I did a series of “AIM Interviews” over AIM with some pretty awesome (and some kinda awesome) people. Popping up my interview with Hilary Duff. Enjoy.BrendanInMusic: Hey there :)
WithLuvHil: hello
BrendanInMusic: how are you today Hilary??
WithLuvHil: pretty good! had to wake up early!!
BrendanInMusic: that must be tough, do you have a lot going on in prep for the album release??
WithLuvHil: yes! i have been doing a radio tour> two citys a day
WithLuvHil: lost of interviews! fun though
BrendanInMusic: well as long as it is fun, any cool places??
WithLuvHil: i was in arizona and it was really nice, the weather> then to dallas and i am from tx. so it was cool to be there for a little while. and chicago! those have been my fav so far!
WithLuvHil: and of course NYC
BrendanInMusic: awesome! what has the reception been on all of your new music
BrendanInMusic: it’s definitely a new sound for you
BrendanInMusic: many people calling it very Kylie
WithLuvHil: it is! i got to have so much fun. this is the first time i actually wrote the whole record! i got to just be really honest play with new sounds. i think it has kind of suprised people in a good way.
BrendanInMusic: we love what we’ve heard so far, it sounds great!
WithLuvHil: thanks!
BrendanInMusic: was it a hard transition for you at your age starting with a young audience to evolve your sound?
WithLuvHil: no it kind of feels just like a natural progression. it feels right. but it is weird kind of growing up with everyone watching you grow up. they think i am like planning all this out but really it is just how i feel and who i am
BrendanInMusic: what do you think has influenced you through all of this?
WithLuvHil: the reason i wanted to do more of a dance record is because i cant wait to go on tour again and want to do a show with the live feel from before but with dancers and i wanna dance and have a choreographed show
BrendanInMusic: when will you go on tour??
WithLuvHil: also other artist and wanting to do something diffrent to challange myself
BrendanInMusic: thats awesome, what did you find the most challenging from this record?
WithLuvHil: i was a little nervous to be so honest! when i started writting, i would stop and be like( whoa do i want people to know this about me?) but then i kept it all and let go being scared to be judged! no ones perfect and we all have problems and i am just like everyone else
WithLuvHil: it was so much fun!
WithLuvHil: i covered a lot of ground on this record
BrendanInMusic: very cool :)
BrendanInMusic: in general you’ve been big in the public eye over the past few years
BrendanInMusic: but at least mostly positive!
BrendanInMusic: how do you feel you’re portrayed??
WithLuvHil: thats kind of a hard question to answer myself. i feel like i should ask someone and get back to you! ha! i think pretty positive though. i dont like to live my whole life and things i do and people i hang out with all in the public eye for people to talk about.
WithLuvHil: i am not out there doing really crazy things, ya know
BrendanInMusic: haha well that’s a good thing then :)
BrendanInMusic: do you consider yourself a rolemodel??
WithLuvHil: yes. people always say that to me and its very flattering. at the same time it can be alot to live up to. i am just trying to figure out who i am in my life.
WithLuvHil: i dont really feel the same pressure as i used to about it though. i just want to make my self happy. if people like me they like me and if they dont they dont. or maybe look up to me is what i mean.
WithLuvHil: sorry dont feel like going back and deleting all that stuff
BrendanInMusic: well its a lot to look up to, you’ve sold millions of records, stared in movies
BrendanInMusic: is there something else you want to accomplish??
WithLuvHil: there is stuff that i have not accomplished within those things like a certain role or a diffrent sounding record.
WithLuvHil: i dream up all kinds of things
BrendanInMusic: what’s you’re wildest, or favorite dream of that sort?
WithLuvHil: i dont know if i could tell u specifaclly because i have been so focused on this record. but i know especially in movies i want to do something really dramatic or unexpected. i just did a movie in bulgaria and got to play this really out there girl who is totally the opposite of who i am and it was so amazing i cant wait to do more stuff like that.
BrendanInMusic: can’t wait to see that!
WithLuvHil: thanks! me too!
BrendanInMusic: so this record… what made you decide on the title??
WithLuvHil: i think it sounds strong! dignity is something we have to work on our whole lives to have if we want it. its not an easy thing to have all the time and it can go away really fast. but, you can get it back if you want. i just think its intresting and it is something i hope i always strive for
BrendanInMusic: that’s pretty strong!
BrendanInMusic: what can fans expect from the whole album
WithLuvHil: it really sums me up and is self explanitory. it was intresting to make a record half in a realationship and half not! lots of emotions happy,sad,lonley, strong. also lots of family matters happend to me this year i feel alot of people will realate to and living in la there is alot to write about!! some funny thing. all of it is done to dance music so its fresh. there is no ballad on the record
BrendanInMusic: very cool — what made you choose with love as the first single??
WithLuvHil: i have a fragrance that came out around christmas time it is called “with love” i wrote the song for the commercial i shot for the perfume. i loved the song and wanted to release it as a single
WithLuvHil: as well
BrendanInMusic: awesome, it sounds great
BrendanInMusic: so what can we expectto see soon, tour new movie???
WithLuvHil: thanks! it is pretty catchy
WithLuvHil: i will be touring over the summer!!! i miss tour and cant with to be on the road again. it is the greatest feeling! the movie i did in bulgaria is called “Brand Hauser” it is with John Cusack and Marisa Tomei, also Ben Kingsley. that sould be out in 7 to 8 months i think. also and animated movie called “Food Fight”
BrendanInMusic: awesome! we can’t wait to check it all out! it sounds great :)
BrendanInMusic: i know how busy you are so thanks much for chatting today :-)
WithLuvHil: thanks the album is out april 3th.
WithLuvHil: i had fun too
BrendanInMusic: great!! we are looking forward to april 3!
BrendanInMusic: have a good one :) thanks again!
WithLuvHil: bye!

Time to live it! I recently stumbled on this, and it just blew me away, so simple yet powerful. I haven’t gotten trained to it yet, but hoping that will happen in time….

Finally, people are starting to get the axe live. The top 24-12 doesn’t come close to the full entertainment of the Top 12… but first to go was Janell Wheeler who had performed Heart’s ‘What About Love.’ She seems sweet, and very pretty but she just couldn’t sing that song. I am quite fine with loss #1.

My biggest heartbreak is Ashley being voted off. Her audition was by far my FAVORITE and she was AMAZING, but singing Leona’s ‘Happy’ was just a big fail…. I can’t believe she blew it, I will definitely miss her in the Top 12.

Joe? Peace out… The “cute” one did worse, but you weren’t much better so best of luck.

No love lost on Tyler either, thought he did have a strong voice, but he had no chance on going much further.

See ya next week!

What will end up being a ridiculous series of posts, I changed the phone designs a bit, instead of a notification list, i thought interactive widgets were really where it was at… millions of changes ahead but thought it would be interesting to share the process…

When it rains it pours, this time I put a very long iMix up that was approved by iTunes, I’ve been in a little crabby mood lately so I decided to put together a little mix to listen to for a little pouting and uplifting. Check it out, and if you like it, rate it with the stars! I have some ratings so far but more would be really cool!!

So I wrote an insane amount of info on my thoughts on the state of cell phones right now, but I figured I would try and illustrate exactly what I wanted. This is no easy task especially since I have never done this before, but I am working out the kinks but wanted to get a quick draft done to show I am actually putting my money where my mouth is! Any thoughts are VERY welcomed…..

I ended up getting March’s iMix up pretty early!

Check it out :)

This is the second AIM interview I did with Kelly, 2 weeks before I got to meet her!!!!BrendanInMusic: hey hey
KellysDecember07: hello
BrendanInMusic: thanks for chatting today. where are you IMing from?
KellysDecember07: from my home in texas
BrendanInMusic: very nice, must be nice to be home!
BrendanInMusic: you’ve been pretty busy lately
KellysDecember07: it is very nice to be home, i love it here
KellysDecember07: i love your icon picture
KellysDecember07: haha, it’s funny
BrendanInMusic: hehe thanks.. I’m told it looks JUST LIKE ME
KellysDecember07: right on, then you’re adorable, haha
BrendanInMusic: and single… we can chat about that one after
KellysDecember07: hahaha
KellysDecember07: nice
BrendanInMusic: so you’ve been doing lots of TV, press, etc lately… is there anything that you still get excited about or nervous doing?
KellysDecember07: um …i get excited about a lot of things but never nervous
KellysDecember07: like i love doing Ellen, Leno, Jimmy Kimmel
KellysDecember07: fun shows
BrendanInMusic: what do you consider like the ultimate “it” for guesting KellysDecember07: i think Ellen because i love her show so much, she is hilarious and always super cool to me and to everyone that works with me
BrendanInMusic: awesome
KellysDecember07: she probably has the most fun on her show
BrendanInMusic: i can imagine…get to show off all your dancing skills
KellysDecember07: hahaha, yes
BrendanInMusic: Did you find much relaxation and fun time in between the tour and making the album?
KellysDecember07: yeah, i always make sure i’m having a bit of fun or else it’s not worth it
KellysDecember07: i mean, i want to see the places i’m actually getting to travel to
KellysDecember07: we’re gonna be playing a lot of guitar hero this tour, haha
BrendanInMusic: do you have a favorite so far?
KellysDecember07: a favorite place to visit?? i love boston
BrendanInMusic: that’s an interesting fav place, but a good one
KellysDecember07: i love the people and the city is beautiful. i don’t know, every time i go there i have a great timeBrendanInMusic: so when did you start the process for ‘My December’?
KellysDecember07: a little over 2 years ago
KellysDecember07: i wrote the album everywhere …scottland, uk, texas, L.A ..everywhere
BrendanInMusic: Did you feel very stressed going into the project after the massive success you’ve had in the last few years?
KellysDecember07: no, i had so much to say that i was feeling very creative, haha
KellysDecember07: we ended up with way too many songs
BrendanInMusic: i suppose that’s better than not enough
BrendanInMusic: what will happen with all of the extra songs??
KellysDecember07: started with around 60, then 26, now 14 for the album
KellysDecember07: we’ll use them for b-sides and international stuff and other albums i guess
BrendanInMusic: Did you go into the studio with any type of plan or mission for the album?
BrendanInMusic: sound wise or other
KellysDecember07: not really a plan, no
KellysDecember07: just recorded all of our favorites and wanted to make sure we were focusing on the music rather than being SO concerned with trying to make everything mainstream
BrendanInMusic: if you had to name the “sound” of the album, what would you call it?
KellysDecember07: there’s a little bit of everything sound wise …singer/songwriter stuff, rock/pop stuff, some soulful songs
BrendanInMusic: You’ve also been involved in a few country performances lately, not too long ago with Reba and a little while back with the Rascal Flatts… is a country album something you’d want to do or just something fun to dabble in?
KellysDecember07: oh lord, haha, i have no idea
BrendanInMusic: just good music?
KellysDecember07: i’m actually already working on my next project right now, and it’s kind of country meets blues meets rock
KellysDecember07: it’s awesome, i’m having a lot of fun on it
KellysDecember07: i love country music
BrendanInMusic: wow, thats pretty ambitious! already another new project before this one is out, haha
KellysDecember07: it’s fun and sweet and the melodies are usually killer
KellysDecember07: haha, yes i’m always working on the next thing. some might say it’s a sickness, but i just love writing
BrendanInMusic: all the work seems to be paying off
BrendanInMusic: the last time we talked to you was the day of Grammy nominations (and btw congrats!!)
BrendanInMusic: what did winning them mean to you?
KellysDecember07: thanks! winning them made me feel like all my hard work was paying off, which is a pretty awesome feeling
KellysDecember07: it’s always nice to be recognized for what you do obviously
KellysDecember07: the 10 year-old me was kicking myself that night, it was very cool
BrendanInMusic: in an old interview from Idol, you said that one of your ultimate goals would be to perform at an awards show like the grammys
KellysDecember07: yes i did, and also when i wrote ‘because of you’ i knew one day i would sing it on the grammy’s …i don’t know how i knew but i just did, and when it actually happened i flipped out
BrendanInMusic: now that you’ve done that and won a few… what’s your next life goal?
KellysDecember07: my goal is to be happy…a simple goal but a hard one sometimes with this crazy world, haha
KellysDecember07: i want to be happy with my music, and my relationships and life
KellysDecember07: life’s too short to settle for less
BrendanInMusic: definitely…so your look and sound has evolved quite a bit since you started out
BrendanInMusic: is where you are now the place you’ve been working towards or was it just more of a natural evolution?
KellysDecember07: i’d say natural revolution …i love both of my previous albums but you can tell that with each album I’m in a different place …and i should be because i’m obviously growing and changing…coming out with the same album and sound would be boring for me and my fans
BrendanInMusic: So what are your fans in store for this time around with ‘My December’?
KellysDecember07: well the album as a whole is about surviving things you thought you never would, and actually taking the time to catch your breath and enjoy life
KellysDecember07: it’s a little more rock, a lot more raw and blunt, and it’s all me
BrendanInMusic: right now people are calling you the Alanis Morissette of 2007…
KellysDecember07: hahahahaha, i’m not that good,
KellysDecember07: but thank you to whoever’s saying that
KellysDecember07: the first single definitely has that alanis touch but as for the rest of the album, it doesn’t
BrendanInMusic: You’ve got a pretty ambitious tour ahead of you. are you ready to get back on the road?
KellysDecember07: I LOVE TOURING, I CAN’T WAIT
KellysDecember07: this tour is going to be the biggest and best tour i’ve done
KellysDecember07: we’re bringing a string section, a horn section
KellysDecember07: a dj that plays NIN style scratches
BrendanInMusic: you have lots of fans really excited for it! sounds like they wont be disappointed…
KellysDecember07: it’s just way more production and i can’t wait for people to see it
BrendanInMusic: Do you have any favorite songs you like to perform live? (a couple years later… ‘addicted’ is still one of my favorite songs of all time)
KellysDecember07: oh i love that you like that song, it’s one of my favorite songs i’ve ever written!!
BrendanInMusic: very awesome, hope to hear it when you come around
KellysDecember07: i love performing ‘walk away’ and i think off this new record i’m gonna love performing ‘never again’ and ‘hole’ and ‘how i feel’
BrendanInMusic: awesome.. can’t wait to hear them!
BrendanInMusic: we know you’re busy, but thanks again for taking the time to chat
KellysDecember07: thank you!!
KellysDecember07: have a good one man
BrendanInMusic: you too

In 2007 Apple introduced one of the biggest products in history which “revolutionized” (I hate using that word, but there’s not many others that can work in its spot) cell phones and the emerging smartphone business permanently. From the day Steve Jobs had his keynote introducing the phone my mouth instantly watered and I was determined to get one…asap. The phone had amazing features, went beyond what any other phone could do and was just plain old cool. A lot has changed since then, and with the latest announcement of the Windows Phone 7 series I figured I would take a long winded approach to what I think is good and bad about the 3 major players– the iPhone, Android and Windows Phone.

When the iPhone came out, much to my disappointment in myself, I demonstrated self-restraint and waited after the phone was released… at least until they lowered the price and then it was adios Verizon, hello iPhone. I loved it, there wasn’t really anything NOT to love about it, well other than the fact that it was on AT&T and I was living in the Hoboken/Manhattan at the time and that area was not their strong suit. In fact, it was horrible reception. BUT, the phone was in fact worth that small price, until I actually moved to Manhattan and I couldn’t get cell service on my walk to/from work and was spotty at best in my apartment. Just not a feasible reason to keep a phone, even if it was the “Jesus Phone” since it really just didn’t work where I was.

From there I hopped over to Sprint, who still to this day has the absolute best network I have experienced and I love them. I was praying of a Sprint iPhone. Then Apple introduced the iPhone 3G (still on AT&T) but this time I was residing in Connecticut where I still am today and had no will power on an instant switch to get the precious iPhone back. There were minimal noticeable changes other than on the back end which just made the phone move a little faster. Nothing that really bothered me but always nice to have that done.

As some time went on, companies were busting their asses to catch up to the iPhone, newer smartphones were being released what seemed to be a few a week! It wasn’t until Google unveiled their Android platform did phones (in my opinion) take a step in a new direction. Up until Android phones were introduced, other than adding backgrounds to some phones or rearranging some icons, you really couldn’t do that much at all to really snazz it up, or just make it YOURS. I of course jumped ship. I have the Moto Droid right now, and I do like it, though as always there’s room for improvement. And lastly yesterday Microsoft introduced their new Windows Phone Series 7 system. I figured it was time to pit these phones against each other based on my own opinions on what needs to happen to make this really work.

The iPhone was the first in a class of its own. Its features and look software and hardware were just so impressive at launch….in 2007. Since that time, it has held it’s same user interface from 2007 and while there has been some changes to the hardware, it is pretty much the same phone they introduced in 2007. 3 years ago! In tech years that’s an eternity. Apple is a company of pure innovation and  has shown no true progress in 3 years. Apple. Please. STEP IT UP. Phones now offer animated widgets, the ability to update Facebook with out going into a Facebook app, realtime weather, alerts on the lock screen. The same icons sit in the same spots with no sign of a change. My hoped had been lifted before the introduction of the iPad, however it was literally just a stretched out iPhone, even the little icons were the same size on the same type of main screen which are dwarfed in comparison, the only step forward is the addition of a background! Woo. Apple had such a great chance to really drop a WOW bomb with this and to me and many others it fell flat. Sure it would be great to have if I was commuting compared to just a regular iPod, but there’s really no feasible use for me in its current state.

What chaps my ass is that Apple has just an unbeatable operating system– Snow Leopard. the UI (user interface) is beautiful, it’s fast, it really sets the standard compared to what is currently out there. So the question is why aren’t they taking the impressive features they have and moving them to the iPhone? Apple is always striving to go 2 steps forward, so why aren’t they doing this with the iPhone, why are they in such control that after 3 years you can’t even change the background of your home screen. The only customization you can make is the background on the lock screen and where certain icons can move.

I am not the only one on this rant, its all over the Apple and techy blogs. TUAW had visitors submit an open letter type of what they want to see in the 4th generation of the iPhone.

The theme is obvious on what people want. CUSTOMIZATION. FUNCTION. NEW LOOKS.  The picture to the left is something someone submitted as an ideal “lock screen” for a new iteration of the iPhone. I think that while it stick with the same look of the iPhone it is so great to see all of your current alerts and important information right there with out having to even fish around for them on the phone itself. That functionality would be a huge improvement. Beyond that they need to take a step forward on the way the iPhone operates in the users eyes. No the icons don’t need to CHANGE, but widgets are key, they are interactive and easy to use. They need to take their attention to beauty and make the UI just that. New and beautiful. I am a MAC 100% but yes, I have abandoned the iPhone. Until they step up the game and really take this to a new level, I honestly feel like it’s old technology at this point, which is strange because it set the standard for NEW technology when it came out!

Also on a separate note– PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE expand carriers in the US, every other country has options, not us. AT&T is NOT a great carrier, their prices aren’t competitive and you have more of a chance of me coming back faster if you were on Verizon or Sprint than staying with AT&T.

When the Android phones were coming out, I obviously kept a very close eye on what was going on. The first one that splashed in the US was the T-Mobile myTouch 3G, that didn’t get much of my attention because I don’t see T-Mobile as a carrier with any quality service (as far as actual network and coverage is concerned). Sprint took on 2 quickly after, the HTC Hero which I did drop my iPhone for which was heavily touted in the press as the hottest and most quality phone on the market. Well, despite some of its positives, it just did not work fantastic, there were too many bugs and I had to have 2 replacements within a month and 1/2. Not a good relationship. I decided to make the jump (again…yes) to the Motorola Droid. Verizon and Motorola made such a significant splash with this phone, especially targeted to the lack of features that the iPhone had in comparison. It was a direct slap to Apple, and I think they had proper grounds. I like the Droid, I am satisfied with it, it is powered by widgets, it has a lot of fun things you can add to customize, however for me it is STILL behind. Why is the grid so defined and spaced out, why are the icons SO small, if this is all customizable, why can’t I arrange things in a funky order? Why must I have the icon AND text for the icon. Little picky things yes, but for the customizable phone it definitely limits what you CAN customize. I want cool. It’s getting there, and yes it’s in its infancy stage with a lot of development ahead of it, early adopters pay that price, but I think that the potential is there. There’s one company below who is developing something for Android that I am really excited about…

Here is something that a company TAT has developed for the Android platform which I think should have been something integrated from the start. And it’s STILL not ready, but I definitely put my e-mail in to get on board when it DOES surface for consumers. The video does a much better job illustrating the differences, and it still isn’t “perfect” but it is a lot more customizable than the minimal “customizable” features of the Android system as it exists today.

This is the first interface that I actually think is ATTRACTIVE, FUNCTIONAL, and USER FOCUSED.

Lastly, the newest phone series to be announced, the Windows Phone. I was excited for the announcement to see what exactly they had up their sleeves, as they are coming from behind I expected them to have something really mind blowing in store for us. I absolutely love the interface they have for the Zune so I assumed that it would be just as great if not better. There are aspects of the phone that lean on that but if you want to scroll alllll the way back up to the top above my rant, you can see the home screen of the Windows 7 phones. What on EARTH were they thinking. Some say its simple but effective, I say its boring, has its positives by showing alerts but oh my god is it boring. There’s no life to it. I couldn’t have been more disappointed. The rest of the features are quite attractive so why did they make the home screen so damn boring. As expected they are only the software side of this. That is Microsoft though. Regular phone makers will be taking the operative system and using it for their phones, so really nothing special. Blah.

My recommendation. GOOGLE– Work with TAT asap, even looking through their other works they are really talented and have an amazing knack for some killer UI. With their ideas executed it would be a hard phone to beat when on the right hardware.

APPLE- Wake up, the iPhone was revolutionary in 2007. It’s 2010. Time to reinvent this wheel. It’s not broken but it needs to be fixed. Something FRESH AND NEW. PLEASE.

WINDOWS- Ugly. Come on, show some creative spirit.

For me, I am sticking with my Android but will no doubt head back to the iPhone when it reinvents itself.

Yesterday I popped on the blog and realized it had been forever since I had any updates! My bad!!! Not that there’s people clamoring for more of my drawn out stories, but still, I am getting back on the wagon and you shall see a lot more shortly!!!

So there are plenty of people for some strange reason stalking this blog. COMMENT ALREADY! Start some conversation. The only people who seem to want to converse are spam bots that want to talk about cialis or other enhancement drugs. I spend a good chunk of time deleting these spam posts.. about 50ish a day, just a pain in my ass, so I added the captcha field to the comments. I know… everyone HATES captcha, but this one is very basic, but just in case, here’s a picture that tells you EXACTLY how to do it. :)

The Grammy Awards totally sprung up on me this year! I wasn’t prepped and awards have already ben given out, 2 to both Lady Gaga and Jason Mraz (yay) and a few to the Black Eyed Peas…

As I type the BIG show doesn’t start for a half hour more but I thought I would give my own little commentary…

-Record of the Year- MAMAMAMAMAMA POOOKKERRRRR FACE. If anything else wins, it was just a pure failure from “the academy”

-Album of the Year- Again– Gaga should be taking it but with Taylor Swift and the BEP, the three all have at least 2 Grammys to start this fight.

-Song of the Year: If Poker Face doesn’t win… Swift’s You Belong to Me will take it.

-Best New Artist: I really don’t care about any of those people.

-Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: This one is tough, Pink really DESERVES this award, Beyonce or Taylor Swift may steal her glory, this one is a tough one to go at but with all of her glory Taylor Swift may get some love? (btw… Why did the Male have to be on the pre-show— I would really rather see Jason Mraz win his!!!!!!!!!)

The latest update to the house in honor of Mike and the upcoming Colts appearance in the Super Bowl…

The latest iMix has arrived, this one themed for February appropriately as a Valentines mix. I gave out the mix to folks at work and they LOVE it, I haven’t gotten such a positive response on a mix in a while. iTunes doesn’t seem to include ALL the songs, I am not sure why but the iMix has a nice selection, but missing a couple KEY songs… Look for Kris Allen’s “Falling Slowly” and grab that if you can, it is a must for this! I would love to get some ratings for my iMixes as well, so if you like them, rate them! Click on the “See All iMixes By This User” button to see the rest out there!

Check out the Valentines 2010 iMix!

Since my birthday last year I have been begging for the Apple Tablet. It was the worst kept secret in the tech world and as I am a gadget junkie I HAD TO HAVE IT. Well yesterday Apple FINALLY introduced their ‘iPad’ (please, enough maxi pad jokes… even I am not doing them.). I kept up with the live blogging and then watched their product video. The only thing I have to say… WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT. I was SO SO SO excited for a revolutionary product and they came with a repurposed iPhone/iPod Touch. Don’t get me wrong, its a beautiful piece of equipment, and from watching their official video, but it doesn’t deliver to those who wanted something NEW, the “NEW CREATION” they were touting. I think part of it was alllllllll the rumors that have been surrounding it since last year, the fake mocks etc but, it’s safe to say I will PROBABLY not get this iteration of the product. Though who knows on that. I will say watching the video makes it seem MUCH cooler so who knows…

Watch the video here to see just how cool you think it is…

So in 2003 I presented a “bid” for a board position for NEACURH which was a residential life student run organization. NEACURH was probably the best thing that happened to me in college and ranks up high in overall life experiences. The other day someone from Marist is looking to apply for the same position which was both a regional and national board position. I found my bid so I thought I would just pop it up :)

Click here to see the bid!

This was my first experience with an AIM Interview, I did this together with my boss, but he pretty much was my typist and everything came out of my request, though I’m sure based on the interview, no one would be surprised.

Today, Apple finally sent out their OFFICIAL invitation to the rumored January 27th press event. as you can see they are advertising their “latest creation.” If this isn’t the year long rumored Apple tablet touchscreen, there will be a LOT of pissed off Apple fans. If it is, I may pee my pants.

I am really enjoying the whole iMix thing, I am sure that no one is even paying attention, no ratings or anything, but it’s still fun to do. Every month (or more depending on my mood) I put together a “flavor of the moment” mix that I stick on for a while, the iTunes store doesn’t seem to capture ALL of the songs, but this one has 41. Check it out!

I am not going to lie. I am restless waiting for the big Apple event in 2 weeks where they have a new “product” unveiling. Everyone and their mother assumes it will be the longtime rumored tablet. There have been such a ridiculous amount of rumors, it’s hard to pretend it doesn’t exist but it’s also hard to pretend that it’s not out there! Well, Valleywag has taken things a step further by putting out a bounty for proof! It’s pretty insane and pretty HEFTY in the cash category, but I love that I am not the only one DYING for this.

I know this show has been on for a few months now, and I am trying my VERY VERY best to avoid it at all costs, but MTV’s Jersey Shore is getting more and more enticing by the moment. I don’t know how much longer I can hold out. EEEK!

When I was at AOL Music I did a series of “AIM Interviews” over AIM with some pretty awesome (and some kinda awesome) people. Popping up my interview with Elliott Yamin since Idol season has begun! Enjoy.BrendanInMusic Hey Elliott, what’s goin’ on? 
AsongForElliott: just chillin @ my crib 
BrendanInMusic nice, thanks for taking the time to chat with us today… 
BrendanInMusic where is your crib?? 
AsongForElliott: I’d tell u…but then I’d have to make u sleep w the fishies! 
BrendanInMusic hahaha, we don’t want that ;) 
AsongForElliott: jk…in LA 
BrendanInMusic nice 
BrendanInMusic so you’ve been pretty busy latey, congrats on the release of your CD 
BrendanInMusic what types of things are you doing for the release?? 
AsongForElliott: uh…let’s see…well i was in the big apple on release day w my band…we did Regis and Kelly, TRL, a Virgin in-store in Times Sqr…and an FYE in-store in upstate NY 
AsongForElliott: and it’s pretty much been go, go, go ever since… 
AsongForElliott: just got back home after a month long radio promo tour, as my single ‘wait for you’ is starting to blow up 
BrendanInMusic that’s a whole lot of stuff! was anything particularly surreal about it? 
AsongForElliott: are you kidding?…this whole shebang is still surreal!…but i actually feel like I’ve finally found my niche!…this is where i belong, and i’m doing what god made me to do! 
AsongForElliott: the only surprising thing is i never realized how hard of a schedule i would have to juggle!…but i think I’m starting to finally get the hang of it 
BrendanInMusic awesome 
BrendanInMusic well people seem to be really liking the music too, which I’m sure is the best part 
AsongForElliott: hands down the best part! 
AsongForElliott: actually the most surreal/gratifying thing about this is to actually put all the work into writing and recording a song… 
AsongForElliott: then go out and perform it on stage….and people actually know the words and are singing along to what I created 
BrendanInMusic what is the best crowd you’ve had so far? 
AsongForElliott: well, post-Idol?…probably when i did my first solo gig @ the Virginia state fair back in October after the tour 
AsongForElliott: hometown crowds are the best! 
BrendanInMusic awesome 
BrendanInMusic so how long did it take you to put this album together? 
AsongForElliott: probably about 3-4 months…but that was only bc i was in and out of LA where i did the bulk of my recording… 
AsongForElliott: had a lots of different things on my plate @ the time, so it was hard to get a good solid 2 wks in a row in the studio 
BrendanInMusic i bet! 
BrendanInMusic Did you take into account anything you heard from ‘Idol’ when recording? 
AsongForElliott: oh definitely!…i learned how to eternalize a song, make it my own, and really perform the hell out of it! 
AsongForElliott: so i always carry that w/ me walking into the recording booth…u have 2 b a storyteller, and be able 2 evoke as much emotion out of the listener as possible 
BrendanInMusic what story do you think this album tells? 
AsongForElliott: well…we haven’t even sctratched the surface yet!…haha!…im trying to hone my skills everyday… 
AsongForElliott: i want to become a much better writer…get a lil deeper, u know?…but the album, is a lot like yours truly…it’s honest, genuine, loving, and fun! 
BrendanInMusic very cool 
BrendanInMusic you released a “teaser” song‘movin on’ which had a great response, what made you release ‘wait for you’ as your first official single? 
AsongForElliott: i think initially we weren’t necessarily going to rely on radio to help drive the record…but then when i went to NY to ‘wait for you’… 
AsongForElliott: i think we knew we had dope, radio friendly producers…delivering a smash hit!…i think it was sort of unanimous 
BrendanInMusic so who were all of the heavy hitters in the studio with you? 
AsongForElliott: lets see…DJ Lethal, Tony Reyes, Ollie and Erin Goldstein, Ely Rise, Derek Bramble, Mike Mangini, Marshall Altman, Taj Jackson, Stargate, Josh Freeze, my cousin Josh Abraham 
BrendanInMusic no Timbaland? lol 
AsongForElliott: haha!…i’m hoping…maybe next album??…we gotta hook up our VA connection 
BrendanInMusic definitely! 
BrendanInMusic so what are fans who don’t have the record yet in store for? 
AsongForElliott: i’d say a good butt whoopin once i find out which fans don’t have it yet…hahaha! 
BrendanInMusic uh oh, anyone reading this who doesn’t have it best run out now… 
AsongForElliott: jk…i’d just say a whole lotta soul…not too much over-singing or over-production…just honest, good music! 
BrendanInMusic Did you feel like you had something to prove with this album? 
AsongForElliott: well, i def have to prove my true artistry….and i love that feeling…there’s always potential to reach, and room for improvement…the fact is, i’m hungry for it! 
AsongForElliott: i totally understand that coming out the gate, there’s a certain stigma attatched to being a cast-off from american idol…i get it 
AsongForElliott: but w/o that experience, i wouldn’t have been prepared for everything i’m doing now…i feel blessed to have made it as far as i did on the show and gain the exposure…now, we’re just onto the next chapter 
BrendanInMusic very cool, do you watch the current season of idol right now? 
AsongForElliott: i don’t man!…i wish i had time to…i saw the 1st couple top 24 episodes…that’s about it 
BrendanInMusic do you miss it or are you kinda glad it’s behind you? 
AsongForElliott: i dont miss IT perse….what i really miss are the people!…i miss the comraderie we shared among the contestants…and i miss all the people behind the scenes there too 
AsongForElliott: i made friends w/ everybody from security, to our stage mgrs, coordinators, music directors and stage coach…just everybody…i miss those guys! 
BrendanInMusic that’s awesome :) 
BrendanInMusic i know we look forward to seeing much more of you in the future 
AsongForElliott: thanx man…i look forward to being real busy in the future! 
BrendanInMusic so what IS next for you? 
AsongForElliott: well let’s see…my tour tour kicks off in ATL @ The Loft on May 15th…i’ll be on tour for over a month doing clubs and small theatres…then i’m going on vacation for about a week… 
AsongForElliott: then we’ll probably hit the dust bowl circuit over the summer and plan for a bigger tour…check out all of my dates on myspace andetrainstation.com
BrendanInMusic well, good luck! 
BrendanInMusic thanks again for chatting with us 
AsongForElliott: thanx for your time…and good luck to u as well my friend! 
BrendanInMusic thanks :) have a good one!

I was so excited when I found out that one of my 3 favorite TV shows actually was popular! NCIS really is the #1 watched tv show, which is unusual as I always pick the ones that get cancelled. Tonight is their 150th episode so they get a nice clip of the day throw! Watch after the break :) Congrats NCIS!

Plenty of people consider American Idol to be a guilty pleasure. I am not one of those people. I am a proud American Idol lover. Last year I was bored during a show of songs I didn’t care about though, so I decided to “live blog” during the show. Well, to my surprise people were amused by this…even my HUMOR! Got me… I decided to keep it up and continue to live blog on American Idol and it actually started to draw in quite a bit of people from around the net, and even world! Hundreds of people were reading it. How the hell did that happen? While it wound down towards the end, I decided that since this is Simon Cowell’s last year on American Idol, it was probably the last year it will actually be relevant, so another year of live blogging it is.

I was pretty “on point” last year with my predictions of who would be voted off… yes… I am that good, through out the ENTIRE competition I was a Kris Allen obsessed fan. I didn’t think he’d overtake Adam Lambert for the win but was SHOCKED and PLEASANTLY surprised. Kelly Clarkson, Kris Allen, and Daughtry will remain my top Idols, and we shall see about this year…

Paula Abdul’s departure didn’t kill me as much as it did some, yes I will miss some of her drug induced splurges, however she “cleaned up” (as much as she could) last year so it wasn’t even that great, and I do get sick of her really idiotic clapping. I also have always liked Ellen so I think she will bring an interesting dynamic, I think she will be critical than most think, but constructive criticism, unlike Simon who calls it like he see’s it, but never goes the next step by saying what would FIX any issues, and the few times he has, he tells them it didn’t work…

Kara I think is just bipolar in her criticisms, she seems to try to final all the faults in great performances and all the positives in the bad ones making it seem like the good ones weren’t great and the bad ones were good. Stop trying to play a mix of Paula and Simon. It doesn’t work. Randy. You are in my dog house. I don’t want to hear anything about being pitchy or anything related to your dogs or who you’ve worked with in the past. We get it. You were a producer to big stars. Congrats. I am also not QUITE ready for Ryan Seacrest’s bad jokes or Ford commercials that I think are completely stupid (sorry Mom), but it’s TIME so I have no choice!

Live blogging will only begin with the Top 12, there’s just nothing to say about crappy auditions, though could have some good comments on some of the guest judges during the auditions like Posh and whoever else did it too. I will keep updating my post as I go through out the show, usually after the judging of a performance, with the newer comments on the bottom (just to keep it in an easier chronological order) only on performance nights! I will also add the “Dial Idol” results the MORNING AFTER which predicts the person being kicked off and their margin of error. They are usually on spot, but last year there were way too many “too close to call” moments.

Let’s see how this season goes! Will next year be X-Factor live blogging instead??

That’s wicked awesome.

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