"AI" updates, Happy Birthday Trevor

Hello,

First things first. Today my oldest child turns 12. It is hard to believe we have a 12 year old. Happy Birthday Trevor!

As you well know by now, the finale has been set for "AI". As many people have predicted for several weeks now it will be David Cook vs. TCWNCBM. It will be the talented singer who arranges song and will go on to have a successful post-Idol career David Cook. I like his version of "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" much better than either Aerosmith or Mark Chesnutt's version. He will be going against TCWNCBM who will sing his songs in his normal dreary style. Also remember next week one of the songs they will be forced to sing is the songwriting winner of all the submittals to "AI". According to EW.com, the 20 final songs for this honor blow. I would listen to them for you but I can't handle that much crap music at one time. Speaking of crap music one post-Idol CD I will not be buying is TCWNCBM's CD. I will give a review of it now with it not even being made. A bunch of mid-tempo songs sung by one of the most boring "AI" contestants ever. Or as I like to call him Taylor Hicks Jr. If you don't know who Taylor Hicks is, that's my point.
I am looking forward to the first post-Idol CD's by David Cook, Syesha Mercado, (Please don't try to turn her into Mariah Carey, she has an Alicia Keys vibe. Also don't make her sing any more songs from animated movies.) Carly Smithson, Alexandrea Lushington and Kristy Lee Cook. I think CD's by Jason Castro, Brooke White and David Hernandez all could be really great or really bad. (Please whatever you do, don't beatbox.) Also I am still waiting for those first post-Idol Cd's by Jennifer Hudson and Melinda Doolittle.

One final note about last night's "AI", did Fantasia remind anyone else of Dennis Rodman. She kind of looks like him, her herky jerky attempts to dance and that butt ugly hair color. Uhh! Okay enough ranting.

Other music news, one of my all-time favorite Broadway plays is coming to an end. After 12 years of riveting performances, "Rent" will close on June 1st. This play launched the career of Taye Diggs and "Law and Order's" own Jesse L. Martin. The play is great and the music is great. The movie is good and they really rock up all the songs for the movie. Definitely see it on Broadway if you can though.

Here's some other tidbits: I heard the new Motley Crue song "Saints of Los Angeles" the other day. It is a good song but it is also very derivitive of their mid-80's output. However it is good to welcome the Crue back, we need some kick butt rock music in this hip hop era. Also I have never been a big fan of Beyonce, but one song she does really well is "Listen". This is a song from the "Dreamgirls" soundtrack. She really sings it well. If you don't want to buy the whole CD, you should at least download this song. The whole soundtrack is pretty good though. I was a bit bored by the actual movie, although Jennifer Hudson ruled. She deserved her Oscar for that movie.

Upcoming CD releases: This past week, Death Cab for Cutie released their latest CD "Narrow Stairs". From the first single I heard off this CD, I don't hold out high hopes for this CD. If you have an interest in Death Cab buy their excellent CD, "Transatlantism". On May 20th Green Day finally return with their follow up to "American Idiot". Except for this CD they are calling themselves Foxboro Hottubs. The name of the CD is "Stop, Drop and Roll". Also on May 20th Scarlett Johansen is releasing a CD, yes that Scarlett Johansen. The movie star is covering several of Tom Waits songs, the title is "Anywhere I Lay My Head".

On June 10th Alanis returns with "Flavors of Entanglement". Also sometimes Wallflowers singer Jakob Dylan releases his solo CD that day. It is titled "Seeing Things". Also my favorite title of the summer CD's, Martha Wainwright's "I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too". On June 17th Coldplay return (yawn) with "Viva La Vida". Even though I like the first single, "Violet Hill", I only want that CD if Gwyneth Paltrow delivers it personally to me free. Also on June 17th the Offspring return (remember them) with "Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace". I guess that answers the question that almost no one is asking, "Whatever happened to the Offspring?"

Finally on June 17th, the Crue roll back into your life with the CD "Saints of Los Angeles". I will be buying this CD on the first day it is available and will have a review of it. Also Weezer has another self-titled CD coming out that day. Although the nickname for this CD is the Red Album.

Upcoming a review of REM's "Accelerate" and also songs that are rocking my iPod. Until tomorrow, themusicaddict.