American Idol’s (Lowest Rated Ever) Results Show

Unless you live under a seriously big heavy rock or have been too busy circumnavigating the new Facebook phishing scam, areps.at [Author’s note: Seriously guys? You don’t have anything better to do than proliferate that destructive crap? C’mon. wtf?] or reading up on the NFL love triangle murder cold case [also….wtf?] or, I dunno, participating in real life or something, then you MAY have noticed that Wednesday night was the American Idol finale show! Oooooohhhhh.

Ok so, for the sake of transparency I’ll admit that I am not nearly as anti-AI as many of my cohorts. I can sit totally riveted through an entire two hour show no problem. (Just as easily as I can sit through Dancing With The Stars or So You Think You Can Dance or pretty much any other performance-related competition). But alas, I did not. So I dare not speak with any sort of authority on the matter. Nor have I watched the show this season, other than a clip here and there.

That said, let’s examine some of the facts.

The (gasp!) underdog wins and jaws drop around the world. Who knew? Despite the runner up’s consistent praise from the judges, his ambiguous androgynous glam rock sex pot appeal, his made-for-stardom stage presence, and his exceedingly obvious popularity, when it came down to it the voters went with the safe, boy-next-door, I am Jack Johnson/John Mayer/[insert any saccharine-laden male pop artist here], humble country boy. What does that say about television? About America (at least as represented by AI voters)? About the state of pop music today? About the ability of our nation to embrace a sassy, androgynous individualist?

Well, regardless of what it says about the political/musical/social/moral climate of the country, the climate of American Idol viewership is, in no uncertain terms, cooling. Wednesday night’s episode was the lowest results show rating ever apparently. Perhaps AI has passed its prime. Shall it go out on a still fairly high high note? Or should it keep on truckin as long as there are enough viewers watching to keep the money-making machine and all its sponsors in business?

For those of you reading this who also, somewhere along the line, became fans of runner-up Adam Lambert, we naturally have to wonder what is next in store for him? I doubt he’d have any trouble shimmying off the Idol stage and right into the arms of a record label ready to lap up his every ripple of stardom (all the while molding him into what they think will sell). Or maybe he’ll do something really unique and different? (Afterall, he is an individualist…) Personally I’m picturing some kind of cross between Scissor Sisters, KISS, Lady Gaga, Billy Idol and David Bowie…

Billy Idol @ The Fillmore 6/26/08

Turns out I like love Billy Idol. Not that I ever disliked him, but I never really made it past recognizing his songs on the radio.

That all changed on Thursday.

Since I have a policy of pretty much never turning down free stuff, I jumped at the opportunity to check out Idol’s show at The Fillmore when someone offered me two free tickets, despite already having plans for the evening.

After hitting up the SF Mag Best of the Bay party at the Concourse for a bit (where there was everything from free samples from awesome restaurants, silent auctions, and a Rock Band corner to dancing, free drinks and goody bags…fun times), we cruised over to Fillmore and caught maybe the last hour of the show.

(crappy iPhone photo)

I’ve only been to The Fillmore a handful of times – if I remember correctly, I’ve seen Hieroglyphics, Medeski Martin & Wood, and Reel Big Fish there – but it’s probably one of my favorite concert venues, with its unique atmosphere, chandeliers etc. The audience on Thursday seemed to be made up of primarily hardcore fans who were fist-pumping and singing along to all the songs. I actually knew most of them, so he must have been singing hit after hit.

I couldn’t help but marvel at how good he looks. Still superbly fit and incredibly energetic, Idol struck me as the ultimate performer. Whether he is truly as passionate about live shows as he was early in his career, or he is just doing his job and doing it well, the man knows how to put on a show. Steve Stevens, with his retardedly good guitar playing and silly antics was impressive as well.

Check out the review by hardrockchick for more. Great venue, great vibe, great show. Billy Idol, you can officially count me among the ranks of your fans now. Hot in the City is right!

Classic 80’s Idol video below:

Don’t Idolize

Millions of Americans tune in weekly to American Idol. Millions will tonight for its premier. I’m still trying to figure out why.

I know, I know. The TV line-up is thin right now. Unless you’re watching the stellar 5th season of The Wire, indulging your senses in the L Word or devouring the new and improved American Gladiators, life on TV during the writers’ strike is hard. And while Fox may want you to believe it, buy into it, and worship them for it, American Idol is not the solution to your problems. They thought we’d forget that we aren’t getting 24. For years now, Fox has taken the show from over the pond and fed it to you with a sense of smug satisfaction. I mean, think about it…millions of Americans audition, meaning that the job of casting is never difficult (unless you consider that three people actually have to sit there and listen to millions of Americans who think they can sing), it doesn’t take any writers, so that cost and hassle is eliminated, and millions of Americans not only tune in, but actually call and text in to vote. People…they’re laughing all the way to the bank! And now, with the writer’s strike, they’re anticipating running up the viewer count because there is nothing else on. I give you fair warning here, gentle readers…if you really like Idol, or you’re not interested in a prolonged rant against it, this isn’t the post for you. For all the rest of you…read on!

There are numerous reasons not to waste your time on this show. Of course, enjoying wasting your time isn’t one of these reasons. But the reasons, when it comes down to it, need to be split up and addressed differently to both music lovers and people who don’t really care about music. First we’ll tackle the people who don’t really care about music…

You don’t like music or really care about it. You view Idol as pure entertainment, something to throw on the tv while you eat your dinner. In the beginning stages of the show, you like watching horrendously bad people who think they can sing. There’s a certain sort of sick fascination here, like watching a train wreck or taking pictures of a car accident as you drive by. I can almost understand this part…it can be humorous, entertaining to watch people as incredibly bad as the beginning contestants. But as humorous as it can be, what does it say about your taste that this is a good way to spend your time and viewing hours? Is laughing at other people’s misfortune that fun?

Then, you get into the regular show and listen to Simon, Paula and Randy talk about these people as if they’re actual artists. However, the entertainment value here is again derived from watching the contestants get beat up on. What the judges actually say doesn’t have any bearing, because the viewing population is the one who votes on the winners, so why even have judges to begin with? I will point out here that you can basically watch this sort of thing in any local karaoke bar. I recommend here American Gladiators, any National Geographic program, and movie watching as great alternatives to the “entertainment” value of American Idol. You can also spend 45 minutes reading a book and use the 15 minutes of commercial time in a TV hour to go for a walk. Of course, in the end, if Idol is that entertaining to you, you’ll still watch it, but my point here is to get you to sit there for a minute, think about it carefully, and really determine if you’re gaining anything, even real entertainment that couldn’t better be found elsewhere, out of this pursuit.

Then you have the people that enjoy or claim to enjoy music. This is a much easier group to attack. The entertainment goers have some excuses, as in the end what counts as entertainment is a matter of taste, and if you like it, you’re entitled to it. But in my mind, any self-respecting fan of music should have serious problems with this show as American Idol, for all its posturing as a musical show, is virtually devoid of any sort of actual musical quality or content, aside from the few guest appearances throughout the year by actual musicians. The program is supposed to crown the next pop music star, giving label execs a bankable star to sell albums because they have already won over the viewers who vote, so who wouldn’t buy the album?

Well, when you look at the fact that American Idol basically tests to see if you’re able to give a strong karaoke performance on national television, why should you expect any sort of actual musical talent from these people, let alone a decent album? People come on the show that have never made it as musicians, never made it in a band, and haven’t had any luck making it as a singer. These people aren’t just the most absolutely talented singers who happen to have really bad luck getting signed. There’s a reason they haven’t made it! They make the show based on their ability to carry a tune solo, and then progress based on their performances of other artists’ songs. Sure, as a singer you make each song your own, but not in any way that isn’t identical to what happens in millions of karaoke bars the world over. They don’t write their own songs, they don’t make their own music, and they need only the capability to captivate an audience of millions of “average Americans” (and we all know how smart they are from their election choice in 2004) for five minutes at a time. Finally, when the Idol is crowned, someone else usually writes the songs for the album, and the album sales usually flop due to either a) the fact that the Idol watchers have short attention spans and have moved on to other Pop Top 40 hits between the finale and the record release or b) the album exposes them for what they truly are: a glorified winner of a nationally televised karaoke/popularity contest. There are of course exceptions to the rule here, but the last Idol winner, Taylor Hicks, failed to break 1,000,000 album sales and lost his contract. Where were the millions of fans that voted for him when it came time to buy his album on the record contract they helped him get? Even a former Idol contestant (and loser to Hicks), Chris Daughtry, thinks the process is silly. “It’s funny at first, but come on,” he said. “They spend three weeks on people that can’t sing, and that’s what they’re banking it on. (They should) find some people that you can really invest in.”

In addition, you have merely to surf Billboard’s Top 100 or scan the radio airwaves for 5-10 minutes to realize that what the “average American”/radio listener/American Idol watcher knows about music is pretty much nothing. Saccharine singers like John Mayer and Jack Johnson, talentless “rappers” like Soulja Boy (all the people that came to this post from the Soulja Boy tag are now ready to throw me under a bus) and musically bereft bands like Nickelback saturate the entire popular music scene. Sure, there are different musical tastes, and I don’t deny anyone the right to their opinion, but when did the aggregate musical taste of the masses get so bad that a song telling you to “superman dat ho” could spend 26 weeks on the Top 100? Is anyone out there listening anymore? Meanwhile, amazing groups and artists like k-os, Throw Me the Statue, Immortal Technique and Jean Grae make music for years without getting noticed by the masses.

If you’re a “music fan” that’s spending time watching Idol, I suggest to you a visit to a listening station to find an unknown artist, a trip out to see a live performance somewhere, or simply an exploration into the collections of Hall of Famers that you aren’t familiar with. There is so much great music out there that you haven’t heard, I promise.

My Mom loves Idol…she’s of the entertainment crowd that enjoys watching Simon plaster contestants. Whenever I get caught up on my anti-American Idol rant, her constant argument revolves around the millions of people that tune in and call or text in a vote. “30 million people tune in,” she tells me, “they all like it.” I leave you here with the words of a wise person…”what’s right isn’t always popular and what’s popular isn’t always right.” But in the world of pop music and a show like American Idol, it should really be, “what’s popular isn’t always good.”

What I’m Hearing, Vol. 15

{for last month’s What I’m Hearing, click here}

July’s iPod update was an extremely diverse one, not just for the artists, but for the songs themselves. Taking a new tact, I made July an all mash-up month, checking out some of the ways in which DJs have started taking on the mix and match genre full-throttle. While Danger Mouse helped pioneer it with the Grey Album and AmpLive took it another step with his remixes of Radiohead’s In Rainbows, the mash-up culture is far past those now. But while there is much to be said for the style of Girl Talk where there are more layers than you can reasonably dissect in a listening, I find the club mash-ups utilizing 2 to 3 songs to be a most effective use of the genre. The best news? As all of these are off the grid, they’re all available for download, so follow the links to check the music out for yourself. July’s iPod update included 118 songs.

50 Cent vs. The 50s, DJ Doc Rok: Currently residing in Washington, D.C., DJ Doc Rok’s (djdocrok@gmail.com) work is among the strongest of all artists I heard this month. What’s more is that while he does have a collection of odd mash-ups and various artists, he also sets out to create complete albums of one to two artists. On this album, Rok focuses on all lyrics from 50 Cent songs and combines them with Golden Oldie hits from the R&B and Pop genres. The result? 50 Cent party songs with a touch of flair, moved out of the straight club motif that dominates so many of his songs and saturated with style and soul. Using songs like Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man,” The Four Seasons’ “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and Booker T. and the MG’s “Green Onions,” Rok flips the 50 acapellas on their head with fantastic result. Definitely my favorite download of the month. Don’t Sleep On: “Rowdy Rowdy/It’s My Party (And I’ll Cry If I Want To),” “Like My Style/One Fine Day,” and “The Good Die Young/Little Susie.”

Best of 2007 (Mash-Up Your Bootz), Various Artists: If you’re looking for a comprehensive blog that provides a vast cross-section of the variety of mash-ups available online, check out Mash-up Your Bootz. They provide comprehensive year-end wrap-up mixes, links to other mash-up sites, and breaking news in the genre. I downloaded both their 2007 and 2008 Best of Mixes and wasn’t disappointed with either. Beck takes on Green Day, AC/DC meets 50 Cent and the Scissor Sisters, Peggy Lee and Iggy Pop collide and Peter Bjorn and John find their whistle backing both Bloc Party and Amy Winehouse. Some of the mashers on this mix include DJ Peaking, DJ Le Clown, CheekyBoy, DJ Lobsterdust, and Party Ben. Perhaps the most pleasant track is by Norwegian Recycling who put together a very simple acoustic mash-up called “How Six Songs Collide” featuring Jason Mraz, Howie Day, Five For Fighting, Angela Ammons, Boyzone, and 3 Doors Down. This one is mirrored nicely with the eerie and melancholy mash of Placebo, Kate Bush and the Pet Shop Boys called, “Love Comes Running Up That Hill Quickly.” Don’t Sleep On: “Young Folks Rehab” by DJ Topcat (Amy Winehouse’s v. Peter Bjorn and John), “Love Comes Running Up That Hill Quickly” by DJ Magnet (Pet Shop Boys v. Placebo v. Kate Bush) and “Break Through Love” by DJ Zebra (The Doors v. Led Zeppelin)

Best of 2008 (Mash-Up Your Bootz), Various Artists: The 2008 mix picks up where 2007 left off and offers an impressive array of very different artists finding their songs blended with people of opposite genres. The album kicks off with Bryan Adams going head to head with Metallica, James Brown duels The Offspring, and Rage Against the Machine gets thrown together with AC/DC, Joan Jett, Queen and Red Hot Chili Peppers. To say that these songs stretch the concept of mashable genres is an understatement. Contributors include Wax Audio, MadMixMustang, DJ Morgoth and Divide and Kreate. Best track has to come when DJ Schmolli brings the haunting guitar lilt of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” and fills it with a slowed down Billy Idol singing “White Wedding.” The result is astounding. Don’t Sleep On: “Wicked Wedding” by DJ Schmolli (Chris Isaak v. Billy Idol v. HIM) “The Low Anthem” by Bass 211 (Flo Rida v. Pitbull) and “Dance Dreams” by Divide and Kreate (Eurythmics v. Lady Gaga)

Michael Jackson: With the unfortunate and untimely death of Michael Jackson last month, I decided to go back and flesh out my Jackson music collection. Sure, I had Thriller and parts of Bad, but I was still missing a large chunk of music from the Jackson 5 days as well as the tracks he did as part of The Jacksons. In all of these outings, Michael’s voice is distinct and easy to pick out, and his energy serves to carry most of the songs. So if you’re looking for some tracks you may not have heard, Don’t Sleep On: “Too Late to Change the Time,” (Jackson 5) “State of Shock,” (The Jacksons) “Another Part of Me” (Michael Jackson)

Jay-Z vs. Led Zeppelin, DJ Doc Rok: By taking the lyrics from Jay-Z’s soundtrack to American Gangster and mashing them with various Led Zeppelin songs, Doc Rok succeeds again in creating an album that can stand on its own. Darker and more subdued than the 50 Cent album, this outing utilizes Zeppelin songs like “Immigrant,” “No Quarter,” “Tangerine,” and “Kashmir.” The result is a new way to think of Jay-Z, liberated from much of the standard hip-hop and rap tracks he’s been tied to, the guitars and gritty classic Rock from Led Zeppelin provide a new canvas which comes off fresh. Don’t Sleep On: “Success/Moby Dick,” “Party Life/I’m Gonna Leave You,” “No Hook/Tangerine”

Party Vol. 25 (Mash-Up Your Bootz), Various Artists: Where the 2007 and 2008 span every genre, what you find most on this party album are mashes primarily utilizing hip-hop, dance and rock. DJ Lobsterdust brings The Police and Coldplay together while DJ BC brings together George Harrison, L’il Kim and Notorious B.I.G. The nice part of this album is that all of it is danceable and will appeal to most anyone on the dance floor. When Gloria Gaynor and Fall Out Boy meet each other at the hands of Mighty Mike, just about anything is possible. Don’t Sleep On: “Get the Day ‘n’Night Started” by Pheugoo (Pink v. Kid Cudi), “Beautiful Journey” by DJ MashUP (Journey v. Akon) and “Lady and the Usher” by Divide and Kreate (Usher v. Ladyhawke)

Send John Brown’s Body on Tour (via The Hector Fund)

There are different kinds of music fans out there. There are the casual fans – you know who you are – who regularly download the top 20 songs on itunes to stay current, flip on the radio while driving cause it’s easy, and tap their toes to whatever is playing in the background. They definitely enjoy music and probably have some favorite songs but they don’t, you know, obsess. They don’t memorize the lyrics to an entire album. They don’t spend a month’s salary on good seats at a concert. And they certainly don’t go out of their way to help the musicians themselves.

And then there are the loyal fans. Loyal fans are a unique breed of human. Loyal fans don’t just like, they love their favorite bands. These are the people who will fight a bouncer three times their size in an attempt to get on stage with their idol. They kiss their posters good night when they go to bed. They will follow a band around the country for months on tour. They would give anything to actually meet their favorite musician.

Loyal fans are pretty stoked about the things that are being made possible in this evolving world of music 2.0, where musicians and their fans are starting to interact, to connect. Not only can fans follow the daily lives of their favorite artists through tools like Twitter and Facebook and communicate with them and become part of a community, but now fans can support them financially. We’re not talking about buying CDs (i.e. giving money to record labels) here. We’re talking about giving cold hard cash directly to the artist, and thus enabling them to continue to create great music. There are various services out there that offer this, some of which we’ve covered previously.

Recently, we learned that a group of rising reggae artists, John Brown’s Body, is raising $50k for an overseas tour using a service called The Hector Fund, which designs and manages “Artistfunding” campaigns. Microfinancing music is not a new idea. President/Founder of The Hector Fund, Jake Brennan, says on music think tank’s blog “We don’t claim Artistfunding as an original idea… We’re simply Artistfunding agents. We offer this as a service to artists. We develop, host and market the campaigns for the artists and administer the fulfillment of purchased tangible goods and merch to their fans.”

The kids over at The Hector Fund facilitate more intimate relationships between musicians and their loyal fans. They have built a platform upon which both parties get something they want (cool perks) or need (money) in a way that is feasible for everyone. And they make it super easy for both sides by handling all the details.

What sorts of tangible goods and merch is JBB offering in exchange for cash love? Among other things, a weekend on the band’s tour bus, a permanent spot on the guest list, studio production time and much much more. As part of this promotion they are offering a free MP3 download of the previously unreleased song, “Sweeter,” here. Go grab it and have a listen. Then, on that same page you can check out the plethora of contribution levels – from $6 to $50,000 – and all the cool shit you get in return for helping them live their dream and go on tour abroad.

[Sidenote: Did you know you can remix their song “Zion Triad”? You should give it a shot.]

On her St. Pete Music Scene blog, Shannon B. writes “…this Foundation embodies and represents true love for and dedication to music. In my opinion, this is exactly the kind of thinking the music community needs.” Well, it is certainly a step in the right direction. Empowering musicians to work more independently and to connect directly with their fans is a beautiful thing. And we’ll likely see more organizations like The Hector Fund popping up in the near future.

Stay up to date with The Hector Fund by becoming a fan on Facebook.