So You Think You Can Blog?

I know, I know. Its been a long time since I last blogged. A very long time.

I've been caught up with school and work and writing some novels and grieving for one of my cats and welcoming a new kitten into my home. Life has been crazy.

So, what has been going on in the world that I used to at least (semi?) regularly update? Well, David Cook has put out a fantastic album, U2 has released an album and are preparing to launch a huge sold-out tour, Blue October have released a new album, Depeche Mode have released a new album, and I believe Linkin Park is getting ready to release a new album.

It seems Britney Spears has somewhat gotten her life back on track.

JD Fortune is no longer the lead singer of INXS, possibly at least partially due to his own loose lips.

Marty Casey left Lovehammers to front LA Guns, and it seems he is now doing both simultaneously.

Project Runway is no longer part of Bravo, but has moved to Lifetime. And Bravo has replaced it with The Fashion Show. Not nearly as much of a guilty pleasure, I can assure you.

American Idol's 8th season has come and gone...and a lackluster season it was, in my opinion. There was certainly no David Cook or Michael Johns to capture my attention. Congratulations to Kris Allen. I'm just glad that Adam Glambert did not win. He makes my ears bleed.

So now what? What has brought me out of my lengthy blog silence? What could possibly be noteworthy enough to force me to set aside everything else in my life to type away to an unknown audience, regardless of the annoying A key on my keyboard, which my sweet little kitten has so lovingly pulled off so many times it won't go back on?

A new season of my biggest obsession, So You Think You Can Dance, of course!

So, tune in, sit back, and get ready for some amazing, some lackluster, and some insanely bad dancing. I'll be giving my own thoughts and comments, and if I can find videos of the noteworthy auditions and performances, I'll post them here as well.

David Cook: A New Album!

All right people, the day you have been waiting for arrived yesterday! David's new album was released.

So...do you have it yet? What do you think of it?

If you don't have it yet, head on over to Amazon.com to purchase it.

And if you want to take a look at the lyrics to the songs, you can read them here.

What are you waiting for? GO!!!

David Cook: Rare Solo Songs

This is a fan tribute video, put together to a couple of David's rare solo recordings. The first song is typically called Optimistic to a Fault by fans (I don't think anyone is really aware of what David actually calls it), and the second song is Dear Heaven. Check them out!

David Cook: New Vlog

The Davids on The View

Part 1


Part 2

AI7 Tour - Media Day

The Davids on Entertainment Tonight:


And the Top 10 are interviewed on Good Day LA.

David Cook: People Interview

David did an interview with the people from People. (Hee...) Check it out here.

David Cook: New Video Blog

David Cook on 105.1 The Buzz

Here's another radio interview, this one talking about his playlist. Enjoy!

David Cook on Jimmy Kimmel Live

David Cook: More Radio Interviews

David made the rounds today on radio. Check the interviews out below.

Cincinnati's Q102 WKRQ FM

Boston 104.5 XLO

WTMX Chicago

Providence

David Cook on the Tonight Show

Time of My Life


My Hero

Taking a Look Back: AI7

Season 7 of American Idol gave us some truly memorable performances...performances that really touched us, or made us take a second look. Sometimes performances that simply made us say "Wow."

I'm going to try to take a look back at the performances from this season that I found to be memorable, for various reasons. I hope you enjoy the trip down memory lane.

One of the first performances that made me take a second look was by Alexandréa Lushington, with Spinning Wheel. She didn't make the Top 12 and the big stage, but she really wowed me with this one.



My favorite performance from David Hernandez was in the Top 20, when he did Papa Was a Rolling Stone. He showed a lot of personality and really let his vocals shine.



Brooke White turned Love is a Battlefield on its head in a way I never would have expected, but I loved it.



David Cook took me by surprise with Hello. It shouldn't have worked. But it really, really worked.



Brooke White came out in the first week of the Top 12 and took my breath away with an emotional performance of Let it Be.



Also in the first Beatles week, Chikezie did a version of She's a Woman that was surprising, refreshing, and unique. I'd love to hear more from him along this line.



Michael Johns showed off his amazing rock abilities with Queen's We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions. I loved him already at that point, but I seriously thought he could have a chance to win with this one.



Taking a Dolly Parton song and turning it into a soul song doesn't sound like it would work, but Michael Johns proved that it could with It's All Wrong But It's All Right.



Another singer who turned a Dolly Parton classic on its head was Carly Smithson with Here You Come Again. She made the music and vocal suit the lyric in a gorgeous and breathtaking performance.



And yet again, on Dolly Parton week, David Cook did his own arrangement of Little Sparrow that should never have worked, but which quickly convinced me that he not only could, but should, win.



Jason Castro gave me one of the biggest and most pleasant surprises of the season, with Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I still get chills when I hear it.



The next week, David Cook once again surprised us all with his own arrangement of Mariah Carey's Always Be My Baby. Wow. Just wow.



And how do you follow a performance like that? Well, Jason Castro got to find out, by doing his own version of I Don't Wanna Cry.



Syesha Mercado really turned on the heat during Andrew Lloyd Webber week, with One Rock and Roll Too Many.



Brooke White really touched me again during Neil Diamond week, with her performance of I Am, I Said. I really love her the most when she is sitting in front of the piano and doing her thing.



I was scared...seriously scared...when I found out that David Cook would be performing The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. I shouldn't have been. He did an amazing job with it, and it is actually one of my favorite performances of all time from American Idol now.



David Archuleta was simply amazing throughout the competition, but the one performance of his that really stood out to me as his best, was one of his last. When he did Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me during the finale, he gave me goosebumps and made me nervous that he might win.



But I needn't have worried...because David Cook followed with The World I Know, and gave what could be his quintessential performance on the show. I seriously cried when he performed this that night. He did an amazing job with it.



So...there you have my *quickly counting* 18 favorite and most memorable performances from Season 7 of American Idol. Yeah, I realize that I completely left out Ramiele Mulabay and Kristy Lee Cook. Frankly, they didn't have any performances that struck a chord with me. I could have gone on to do a number of others...because I am leaving out some that I truly love like Archie's Imagine, Castro's Hallelujah, Carly's Superstar, Michael Johns's Dream On. Hell, I am even leaving out David Cook's Billie Jean and I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. I could go on and an. But I think 18 is enough for now.

Rolling Stone Ask a Rock Star: David Cook

Rolling Stone did an interview with David Cook, only instead of having a reporter interview him, they dished out fan questions. Check it out here.

David Cook: WalMart Concert

David Cook on Fox News Radio

Listen in to the podcast here.

Ed Roland Discusses David Cook

Here's a really cool interview with Ed Roland, the lead singer of Collective Soul, on the Zakk Tyler Show. Ed discusses David's choice to perform The World I Know on the final night of competition on American Idol, and his thoughts on how it went. Listen in.

Preorder David Cook's New Album

No word still on the possibility of a reissue of Analog Heart. If I hear anything, I will let you know. There is a possibility that some of the songs from Analog Heart will make it onto the new album though. We'll just have to wait and see.

David Cook on 103.7 Lite FM

David did a radio interview with Gene and Julie. You can listen to it here.

Apparently he played his last show before AI at the R Bar in Denton. *sniff* I wasn't there. Dammit.

David Cook on the Billy Bush Show and Adam Corolla Show

Listen in to the podcast of the Billy Bush interview here.

And for the Adam Corolla interview, check it out here.