Idol Chatter

Carrie Underwood on the Today show (a photo gallery)

Carrie Underwood appeared on the Today show’s summer concert series Friday morning.

The season four winner of American Idol hit number one on the country singles charts again earlier this week with “Undo It.”

But there’s little she’d like to undo about her music career. “Undo It” is her third straight number one single off her third album, “Play On.”

Here are photos from Carrie’s appearance on the Today show. Check back later. I’ll be posting more.

With Ellen gone, where, oh, where should Idol turn?

So, Ellen DeGeneres is gone. Simon Cowell has yet to be replaced. And Kara DioGuardi’s contract has yet to be renewed.

What’s it all add up to?

A wonderful opportunity for America’s most-watched TV show to totally retool its judging panel.

And perhaps make a change that would help reverse its declining ratings in the process.

What should American Idol do from here?

1. Do not renew Kara’s contract. She’s been more of a detriment than an addition to the show since the day she arrived, for reasons and gaffs too numerous to recount here.

2. Do not hire four judges for season 10. Three judges is plenty on a show like Idol. Four judges translates into way too much gab between performances.

3. Buy out Randy Jackson’s contract. I mean, would all that many people miss Randy if he weren’t on the panel? Have his critiques ever gotten more insightful than: “That didn’t really work for me, dawg”?

Here’s the beauty of a complete recasting of the judging panel, an advantage I pointed out among a list of tips for saving the show at the end of a lackluster season nine.

By hiring three new judges the show would triple its chances of finding someone who clicks with viewers the way Simon did instead of putting all its eggs into one Harry Connick Jr. basket.

Ellen wasn’t the answer, and I doubt viewers will miss her any more than they’d miss the absense of Kara.

Hey, funny lady. She delivered some memorable one-liners during her time on the show, like comparing Tim Urban to a fourth shot of tequila.

But the one-liners came off as a little too rehearsed, and she was clearing uncomfortable handing out criticism.

She admitted as much in her explanation for leaving the show.

Reports are that Ellen will be replaced by actor-singer Jennifer Lopez.

Of course, earlier this week, we heard that Jessica Simpson might be in the running for a judge’s post.

Yep, the Jessica Simpson of “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica” fame. The Jessica Simpson whose post-divorce relationship with Tony Romo got more attention than most of her music. The Jessica Simpson whose career musical highlight came singing  “These Boots Are Made for Walking” in short shorts.

And how many other names have we heard since the announcement of Simon’s departure? Elton John. Howard Stern. Donald Trump. Justin Timberlake.

I’ll wait for the official announcement.

Which could come as early as Monday, when Fox presents its 2010-11 programs to the Television Critics Association.

An Idol performer to watch in N.J. auditions

I can pretty much guarantee you who will be one of the featured contestants when American Idol airs its season 10 audition episode from Rutherford, N.J.

Folks, meet Anthony Riley, 23, of Philadelphia.

What makes Anthony so special?

Well, he’s a street performer. And, three years ago, he was arrested for singing too loudly on Rittenhouse Square in Philly.

He not only beat the disorderly conduct charge, he was later awarded a $27,500 in the case.

At the time of his arrest, he was singing Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come.”

And he plans to sing the same song at the New Jersey auditions next week.
Now, do you think American Idol will be able to resist telling the story of the singer who took on city hall and won?

The Associated Press moved a short item about Anthony earlier today. Here’s a more extensive story, courtesy of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The East Rutherford auditions — the closest season 10 audition site — are set for Tuesday with registration beginning on Sunday.

After that, Idol has two more audition stops scheduled: Aug. 11 in Austin, Texas, and Aug. 18 in San Francisco, Calif.

Note: Are you from York County and planning to audition in New Jersey? If so, I’d love to hear from you. Just leave a message below or e-mail me at mfranklin@yorkdispatch.com.

Carrie Underwood on top of country singles chart again

Carrie Underwood is back in a familiar spot today (July 29) — number one on the country singles chart.

It took 15 weeks to do it, but “Undo It” completed its climb to number one on the Billboard music charts posted online today.

Let’s see …

That’s Carrie’s third straight number one country hit from “Play On,” following “Temporary Home” and “Cowboy Casanova.”

That follows four number one country hits from her second album, “Carnival Ride” (2007).

Which followed three number one country hits from her debut album, “Some Hearts” (2006).

Oh, and another song from that album — the American Idol coronation song “Inside Your Heaven” — made it to number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Quite a track record the gal from little ol’ Checotah, Okla., is putting together, huh?

The only single she’s released recently that didn’t made it to number one on the country chart was her “I Told You So” duet with Randy Travis.

But don’t shed too many tears for Carrie. That song stalled at number two on the country charts.

“Undo It” had climbed to the number two spot last week, behind Luke Bryan’s “Rain Is a Good Thing,”

Now it’s a question of how long it can stay at number one. “Temporary Home” held the spot for just one week.

Hot on Carrie’s heels: “Free” by the Zac Brown Band at number two and “Lover, Lover” by Jerrod Niemann at number three.

Oh, and just a reminder: Carrie will be the featured artist on the Today show’s Summer Concert Series Friday morning (July 30).

Kimberly Caldwell’s debut album delayed again

If you track the release dates for albums from American Idol alumni, you know today (July 27) was supposed to be a big day.

Finally, an album from contestant-turned TV host Kimberly Caldwell, who finished seventh on Idol way back in season two.

Well, not yet.

The release of the long-awaited “Without Regret” album has been delayed again.

A rep for Vanguard Records says the album will now be out in January because new songs are being added.

Kimberly said the same thing back in late March when she announced the original release date of April 6 was being pushed back.

At the time, Kimberly said she’d had a hand in writing much of the material for the album, which was also supposed to include songs penned by Chad Kroeger, Kara DioGuardi and Diane Warren.

One single from the album — “Mess of You” — is available. Here’s a link to the full video for that song.

And, if you’re looking for a Kimberly fix, you can head to her MySpace page and hear three songs that were supposed to be on the upcoming album, the single plus “Going, Going, Gone” and “Heart Like Mine.”

Here’s a video of Kimberly performing “Going, Going, Gone” at the Thanksgiving parade in Philly last year.

Carrie closes in on No. 1, watch her on Today

Luke Bryan was named top new artist at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards.

Carrie Underwood was named Entertainer of the Year.

Now they’re in a tussle for the top spot on Billboard’s country music charts.

Luke currently holds the spot — and has for at least two weeks — with his hit “Rain Is a Good Thing.”

Carrie’s right behind in the number two spot with “Undo It.” The song was number three a week ago and has been in the top 10 for seven weeks now.

If “Undo It” makes it all the way to number one, it will be the third straight single from Carrie’s latest album to do so.

I’m guessing that’s just what will happen Thursday when Billboard releases its updated chart information.

Meanwhile, Carrie will take the stage Friday morning as part of the Today show’s summer concert series on NBC. Check in that day. If the Associated Press moves photos from the concert, I’ll be sure to post them here.
Now, for a look at how the other Idols are faring on the charts …

Kris Allen: “Live Like We’re Dying” is alive and well on Billboard’s adult contemporary chart, though it drops from number eight to number 10 this week.

Kelly Clarkson: “Already Gone,” one of three big hits off her 2009 album, disappeared from the Hot 100 chart months ago. But it’s still number six on Billboard’s adult contemporary chart.

Bucky Covington: The season five contestant’s new single, “A Father’s Love,” climbed as high as 23 on the country singles chart. This week, it heads in the other direction for the first time, dropping back to 25.

Daughtry: “Life After You” moves up from number 10 to number seven on the adult contemporary singles chart. “Leave This Town” drops from 66 to 98 on the Billboard 200. But the band’s debut album is also among the top 200, at number 191.

Fantasia: With the release of studio album number three now a month away, Fantasia’s first single from the album checks in at number 10 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart for the second straight week. It’s number 92 on the Hot 100, a move up of two spots.

Adam Lambert: “If I Had You,” the latest single from the architect of the Glam Nation Tour, continues to advance on the Hot 100, moving from 73 to 69. His previous single, “Whataya Want From Me,” is number 10 on the adult contemporary chart. And his album is number 95 on the Billboard 200, up one spot from last week.

Kimberley Locke: Her dance tune, “Strobelight,” cracked the top 25 on Billboard’s dance/club play chart five short weeks ago. Now it’s all the way up to number seven for Idol’s third-place finisher in season two.

Carrie Underwood: “Undo It” is also number 24 on the Hot 100, tops among Idol-related tunes. Last week, it was number 25. “Play On” is number five on the country album chart (down from 5) and number 35 on the Billboard 200 (down from 32).

Thousands, including a teen from Thurmont, at 1st two Idol auditions

American Idol ratings might have declined last season, but it’s still the most-watched show on television.

And the best chance at a big break for many performers.

That’s why thousands have turned out again this year for Idol’s first two audition sessions, last week in Nashville and Wednesday in Milwaukee.

Idol placed the Nashville crowd at 16,000. Among them were 15-year-olds for the first time (OK, I still don’t like that change.) And, according to this story, 18-year-old Shayna Beard from nearby Thurmont, Md.

I’ve got my fingers crossed that the crowd also included aspiring country singer Mallorie Haley. The Nashville resident made it to Hollywood last year, and her original material (check out “Pretty Smile” and “Beat Up Town” here) was among the best I could find from golden ticket recipients … well, except for Crystal Bowersox.

I haven’t seen a crowd estimate from the Milwaukee auditions yet. But the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel caught up with one guy who traveled there from Iowa, living in his car in a parking garage with two friends and his cat (Mecho, if you’re wondering) for two days waiting for the auditions to start.

Hey, York County musicians, if you can sing and want to try out, you don’t have to travel as far as Shayna did.

Auditions in East Rutherford, N.J., are right around the corner (Aug. 3). The other audition cities are New Orleans (July 26), Austin (Aug. 11) and San Francisco (Aug. 19).

In other random Idol news …

* Several media outlets are now reporting that Chris Isaak is among the frontrunners to replace Simon Cowell.

As anyone familiar with the Idol audition process knows, the judges aren’t in attendance at the initial tryouts like the ones that have taken place in Nashville and Milwaukee.

But they are typically on hand when golden tickets are handed out at the call-back auditions, which are scheduled to begin in September.

* The Idol nine summer tour rolls on, but gets a less than rave review from Michael Slezak, one of the show’s closest followers.

He caught the show in Newark and came away impressed with only two of the 10 performers — Pa. teen Aaron Kelly (read my recent interview with him here) and, of course, Crystal.

Remember, the Idol tour stops in the D.C. area Friday night and in Baltimore on Saturday. I’m pretty sure tickets are still available. You can find links to ticket information in the Idols in the Area section off to the right of this blog.

Now, more photos from the Idol auditions …

Pre-orders begin for David Archuleta’s new album

Pre-orders for David Archuleta’s upcoming album are being taken at his Web site beginning today.

And anyone who orders gets a free, right then MP3 download of his new single, “Something About Love.”

Of course, the song’s already available on iTunes, but not for free.

If you missed the news — like I did because I was on vacation last week — David’s new album is due to hit stores Sept. 14.

It’s called “The Other Side of Down,” which pretty much sums up David’s outlook on things every time I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing him.

No track list yet. I’ll be interested to see how many tracks David had a hand in writing.

He’s been back and forth to Nashville for songwriting sessions and  has said he’d like to have more of his own material on the followup to his 2008 self-titled album, which came out the same year in finished second on American Idol.

As for the pre-orders, there are three options to chose from — the basic album, an album/DVD combo and, for $30.99, the exclusive fan edition.

What does that include? Glad you asked.

The CD. The DVD. Four 4×6 pics of David. A rubber “Other Side of Down” friendship bracelet. Memory box packaging.

Oh, and there’s this, a chance to win an HD Flip Video Camera with “a week full of video memories shot by David himself.”

You can head here to check it all out.

Glam Nation Tour, with Allison along, returns to Pa. next month

Allison Iraheta will continue to open for Adam Lambert through the remainder of the Glam Nation Tour, according to a press release issued today by 19 Entertainment.

I didn’t know there was any doubt, but why mess with a winning formula?

Adam, Allison and tour mate Orianthi have been selling out shows on a regular basis, including the tour opener in Wilkes-Barre in early June.

If you don’t mind traveling a couple of hours, there will be a couple of opportunities to catch the Glam Nation tour next month.

The tour stops at the Tower Theatre in the Upper Darby area (think Philly) on Aug. 12.

The next day, Allison and Adam will be performing at Musikfest in Bethlehem, Pa.

You can go here for ticket information on the Philly show and here for information on Musikfest.

And, according to Allison’s Web site, some new dates have been added through Sept. 21. You check check them all out here.

Big week on the charts for Adam and Carrie

Could Adam Lambert have his first big hit on his hands?

Can Carrie Underwood make it all the way to number one with a third straight single off her “Play On” album?

The signs are looking good for both former Idol contestants, based on the latest Billboard charts.

Here’s a rundown on how Idols fared on the music charts released late last week.

Bucky Covington: The season five contestant’s latest single, “A Father’s Love, cracked the country top 30 seven weeks ago. This week, it’s at number 23 for the second straight week.

Daughtry: Fueled by the release of “Leave This Town, The B Sides,” the band’s later album surged from 108 to 66 on the Billboard 200. “The B Sides” debuted at number 70. The band’s first album is number 193 on the Billboard 200.

Fantasia: “Bittersweet” cracked Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first time last week, checking in at number 94. It’s been on the R&B / Soul chart for about two  months and moved up from 12 to 10 on that chart this week.

Adam Lambert:  Adam’s “For Your Entertainment” single never really caught on. His followup, “Whataya Want From Me,” did better, making it all the way to number 10 on the Hot 100 (it’s number 49 now, down from 44).

His third single, “If I Had You,” might top them both. It landed on the Hot 100 at 94 earlier this month and had soared to 73 in two weeks. Last week, it jumped 12 spots. The album is number 96, down from 100.

Kimberley Locke: “Strobelight” continues to do well on the dance / club play chart, moving up from 15 to 12 in the past week.That’s the third straight advance for the song, which landed on that chart a month ago.

Carrie Underwood:  “Undo It” jumped from five to number three on the country singles chart last week, leaving just two hits between Carrie and another number one. Those are chart-topper “Rain Is a Good Thing” by Luke Bryan and “Water” by Brad Paisley.

The songs is number 25 on the Hot 100, up from 27.  Carrie’s “Play On” album is number four on the country chart; number 32 on the Billboard 200, where it remains the most successful album from a former Idol.