Kill Your Darlings Video for ?Everybody Else? Review

I woke up this morning in a little bit of a funk.  I rolled out of bed, made a cup of peppermint tea and started to reflect a little bit on my past.  Invariably, I was met with images of both positivity and negativity, some lovely and others heart wrenching.  I checked my inbox, and [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/beatcrave/~3/Q4mS8MR-wcA/

Emmanuelle Vaugier Emmy Rossum Erica Leerhsen Erika Christensen

'American Idol' Preview: How Will Scotty McCreery Do On Carole King Night?

King's lesser-known catalog presents a challenge for the top six.
By Eric Ditzian


Scotty McCreery performs on "American Idol" on Wednesday
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Fox

So much for contemporary tuneage! A week after "American Idol" embraced songs from the 21st century, the show is headed back into the familiarity of the previous millennium with the songbook of Carole King.

It's a rather odd choice at this point in the competition, as much fun as it would be to see James Durbin attempt to pull off a heavy-metal take on "It's Too Late." It's not just that King's songs will be an uneasy fit for many of the singers, but that her songbook doesn't contain near the number of recognizable tunes that even Elton John's does (and just you forget about Lennon/McCartney). Considering the top six will also be singing duets of King's work (hey, producers have got to find some way of filling up 90 minutes of air time), it's going to be a challenge for them to find recognizable solo performances that connect with home viewers. Perhaps more so than at any point this season, the arrangements of Jimmy Iovine's producers are going to be of the utmost importance.

Here's what we'll be looking for from the kids headed into Wednesday's show:

Casey Abrams
What to make of Casey? He's defied the odds for weeks, avoiding the bottom three after being saved by the judges last month. With his quirky performances and his goofy personality, the 20-year-old seems to have solidified a dedicated fanbase who will vote for him on good nights (Elton's "Your Song") and bad (Maroon 5's "Harder to Breathe"). King's oeuvre is certainly a better fit for Casey than other "Idol" hopefuls, and we can see him succeeding — along with his bass — with "Wasn't Born to Follow" (made famous by the Byrds in "Easy Rider").

Haley Reinhart
We'd say Haley can choose no other song than "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," but Lauren Alaina already beat her to it (on rock and roll night, strangely enough). It's too bad, since the tune would have provided the perfect, soulful platform on which she can build on last week's rousing rendition of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep." Whatever song she picks, here's the problem: Haley just doesn't have the fanbase to survive much longer. She killed it last week and still ended up in the bottom three. Her comeback, it seems, will be remembered as too little too late. We just hope she shows off enough bluesy sass to make record execs take notice. Don't let this girl disappear!

Jacob Lusk
America should have its fingers and toes crossed that Jacob ignores Randy Jackson's advice from last week to ditch his recent, restrained performances and let loose like a wild man. An unbound Jacob is a Jacob we simply don't dig. A tune like "It's Too Late" could hit his emotional sweet spot. No matter the song choice, Wednesday's performance could be a make-or-break one for the guy. He's been a regular member of the bottom-three crew, and he'll have to come out strong if he wants to pick up some of Stefano Langone's voters.

James Durbin
While it's putting it mildly to say James didn't bust out his finest vocals of the season last week during his Muse cover, we gave the thumbs-up to the performance because it was metal enough to satisfy James' instincts yet still allowed him room to stretch his vocal cords (even if it didn't sound so great when he did). King's songbook presents James with the biggest challenge of any of the remaining six. He might take a bite out of a King-penned Monkees' tune, but a savvier choice would be the Animals' "Don't Bring Me Down" and its darkly infectious choral refrain.

Lauren Alaina
Was last week a wakeup call for Lauren? Will she be able to shake off the nerves that have plagued her for too long and return to the freewheeling performance style she displayed early on this season? If that happens, and she continues to present country-rock music, Lauren is practically assured of ending up in the final three. "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," lyrically, just feels like a country song — all it needs is a little twangy update from Lauren.

Scotty McCreery
As we predicted last week, Scotty's likely in for a back-from-the-brink performance, not because he bombed last week, but because the judges decided to slam him for no apparent reason other than that resurrection narratives make good TV. Truth is, the 17-year-old remains the "Idol" front-runner. Heck, he could sing "Old Smokey Locomotion" and the voters would come on in droves for him. But that'd just be absurd. If he wants to switch things up a bit and bring a rock vibe to his country-strong performance, "Hi-De-Ho" by Blood, Sweat & Tears would be a fine choice.

Don't miss "Idol Party Live" every Thursday at noon on MTV.com for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty! 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 Videos

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662786/american-idol-scotty-mccreery.jhtml

Brittany Snow Brittny Gastineau Brody Dalle Brooke Burke

Jessica Alba's New Jewelry Gig

She?s made quite a name for herself in the acting world, and now Jessica Alba is looking to expand her realm of influence.

The ?Fantastic Four? actress has signed on as the ambassador for Piaget Jewelry?s Possession line, and she?s featured in a new ad campaign.

Alba was shot by Patrick Demarchelier for a photo spread that was unveiled on the brand?s website and Facebook page this week.

And with the fabulous images of Ms. Alba flooding the internet, it won?t be long before Piaget?s Possession collection is top in sales.

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/jessica-alba/jessica-albas-new-jewelry-gig-500815

Drew Barrymore Ehrinn Cummings Elena Lyons Elisabeth Röhm

Is Nicki Minaj A Good Fit For Britney Spears' Tour? Experts Weigh In

'If people are going mainly for Britney, they will be excited to see Nicki as well and vice versa,' one insider tells MTV News.
By Jocelyn Vena


Nicki Minaj and Britney Spears
Photo: Getty Images

After lots of rumors, it was officially announced Tuesday (April 12) that Britney Spears would be bringing along Nicki Minaj (as well as up-and-comers Nervo and Jessie and the Toyboys) on her Femme Fatale tour, kicking off this summer.

The Spears/Minaj matchup may not initially make sense, given their very different styles, but according to industry insiders who work on booking talent for venues throughout the country, this really is a match made in heaven.

"Bringing [together] two genres of music — one icon and one rising icon — is great for the music business. The combination of Britney Spears and Nicki Minaj on tour together is great for the music industry [and] shows its growing diversity," Matt Levine of Brandsway Creative, a branding and marketing group in New York City, explained to MTV News. "It gives concertgoers the opportunity to see two independently creative females excelling in their craft and showcasing their talent."

Dawn M. Britt, the director of public relations for the Venetian and Palazzo hotels in Las Vegas, said seeing these ladies on tour together screams girl power.

"Both Britney and Nicki give off a very 'girl power' attitude, and combining the Femme Fatale and Barbie themes is a smart marketing tool with the all-female tour," Britt explained. " ... Nicki is a mainstream rapper and collaborates with a lot of pop artists. Their audiences overlap enough that if people are going mainly for Britney, they will be excited to see Nicki as well and vice versa."

Britt said this tour makes tons of sense as it combines "two of the biggest names in music right now. Britney is a legend and in the midst of a huge comeback right now with her new Femme Fatale CD," she said. "Her recent performance in Vegas was a huge success and really got people excited for the tour. Nicki has been making a name for herself the last few years and is in high demand for collaborations and appearances."

Gary Bongiovanni, editor in chief of Pollstar, explained that Nicki is a good fit for the tour since "that tour likely needs a strong support act, and Nicki is not a bad choice. Options at this late date had to be limited." He added that since Spears is launching a new phase of her career, "Fan response on an act like Britney ... is always a question mark until you put the first shows on sale and the public answers the demand-level question with their wallets."

What do you think of the Britney/Nicki combo? Let us know in the comments!

Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1661854/britney-spears-nicki-minaj-tour.jhtml

Catherine Bell Chandra West Charisma Carpenter Charli Baltimore

Halle Berry: Pane Vino Pretty

Stepping out for a midday meal with a friend, Halle Berry was spotted at Pane Vino restaurant in Los Angeles earlier today (April 27).

The 44-year-old opted for a cute and comfortable outfit while dining out, wearing a long, flowing, pink and black dress, gray handbag and a pair of flip-flops.

Meanwhile, Aretha Franklin has just spoken out about Halle's refusal to play her in an upcoming biopic because, as she cited, she cannot match the Queen of Soul's voice while telling USA Today that she "never expected [Berry] to sing," adding, "It was more about her likeness, and the fact that she has [acting] experience."

With Berry out of the running, Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia Barrino are now rumored to be top contenders for the part.

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/halle-berry/halle-berry-pane-vino-pretty-500768

Haylie Duff Heidi Klum Heidi Montag Hilarie Burton

No Follow-up Planned for Radiohead?s The King of Limbs; Universal Sigh Contest Winner Announced

Amid conspiracy theories spreading like wild-fire on the web amongst fans who were not entirely satisfied with the band?s latest outing The King of Limbs, Rediohead guitarist Ed O?Brien has squashed any hopes for a sequel to the 8 track album. While they do have two new tracks coming out on vinyl for Record Store Day this weekend, nothing else is currently planned to expand on what has already been released from the TKOL sessions.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/beatcrave/~3/fVBubxYmujI/

Charli Baltimore Charlies Angels Charlize Theron Chelsea Handler