Category: Music

Kara DioGuardi Memoir Coming April 2011…Dear God

I’m not sure how I missed this — former American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi is writing a memoir called A Helluva High Note! She was absolutely useless on the show and wrote one of the crappiest songs ever recorded (“No Boundaries”). That said, prior to Idol she was a successful song writer and producer. Here are more details from EW:

A spokesperson for It Books (a division of HarperCollins) confirms with EW that the songwriter/TV personality’s memoir, A Helluva High Note, will hit shelves on April 26, 2011. (The news was first reported by Radar earlier today.) The tome won’t only cover DioGuardi’s two-season stint on Idol, but also “her life and career as a producer, songwriter and artist,” according to an It Books publicist.

I might have to buy this for the unintentional comedy. There’s a good chance it will top Dave Batista’s Batista Unleashed for the highest concentration of unintentional idiocy per page. Anyway, enjoy Kara’s naked picture from Allure (above) and her crappy song (below).

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Axl Rose Sues Activision Because He Hates Slash

Guns N’ Roses frontman W. Axl Rose is suing Activision…pretty much because he hates former bandmate Slash. Rose was under the impression that Slash and his new band Velvet Revolver would not be  in Guitar Hero III. He was under the impression that Slash imagery would be used for a tradeshow and not in the actual game. Here’s the skinny from The Hollywood Reporter:

The Guns N’ Roses frontman has just filed a $20 million lawsuit against Guitar Hero maker Activision claiming its use of the GNR song “Welcome to the Jungle” violated a deal not to include any imagery of ex-guitarist Saul Hudson (aka Slash) in the popular game.

In an amusing lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Rose and his Black Frog Music claim that Activision Blizzard fraudulently induced Rose into authorizing “Jungle” for use in Guitar Hero III by telling him during negotiations that it wouldn’t feature any reference to the former GNR member or his subsequent band, Velvet Revolver.

As much as I loved GNR back in the day, I always thought Axl was a dick. This confirms it.

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Will Ferrell and Manny Pacquiao Butcher “Imagine”

John Lennon is one of my favorite people that ever existed. I enjoy Will Ferrell’s comedy. Although I don’t particularly like his boxing style, I enjoy watching Manny Pacquiao fight and I’m proud of what he means to the Philippines. All that said, it was kind of painful to watch Ferrell and Pacquiao butcher John Lennon’s “Imagine” on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Ferrell was hamming it up and can actually sing better than this. Pacquiao is under the delusion that he’s a good singer. The whole thing ended up being unintentionally funny…and wince inducing.

Check out the clip and let me know what you think (please)!

Video Games Live: Level 2 Available This Week

Video Games Live: Level 2 comes out this week on Blu-ray and DVD. If you haven’t seen one of these shows — an excellent orchestral and rock performance of numerous popular videogame songs — then I highly recommend picking up this disc. Check out the trailer above for a glimpse of the new disc. I’m going to bug the show’s co-founder, my pal Tommy Tallarico, to see if I can get an interview. He’s cool like that.

Coffee Talk #229: What Kind of Headphones Do You Use?

Whether it’s playing games, listening to music, or watching a movie, a good pair of headphones can drastically alter your experience. Today I’m going to talk about the headphones I use and get some recommendations from you.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Christina Aguilera being single, your ALCS/NLCS predictions, or touchscreen phones having more bacteria than urinal handles, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Whether it’s playing games, listening to music, or watching a movie, a good pair of headphones can drastically alter your experience. Today I’m going to talk about the headphones I use and get some recommendations from you.

I’ve been using the same headphones for the last eight years and am extremely happy with my gear. At home, I use Grado’s SR125 open-ear cans; they offer incredible sound quality at an incredible price — the SR 125s sound as good or better than cans that cost two to three times as much. On the road, I opt for in-ear headsets with foam tips. The foam tips completely rule at blocking out airplane noise. My Etymotic ER-4Ps offer a perfectly balanced sound, while my Shure E4Gs offer more bass and a sound most people prefer for pop music.

What kind of headphones do you guys and dolls use?

Will.i.am’s Awesome “New Twitter” Video

Here’s an awesome video by Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas on the “new” Twitter. It’s pretty slick…despite its use of auto-tune. I love Twitter. I love the Black Eyes Peas (have to support Filipino-American Apl.de.ap!). Ergo I love this video.

Seriously, please check it out and let me know what you think.

#newtwitter

Latest iTunes Update Improves Ping

The latest version of iTunes includes some big improvements to the Ping social networking feature. Previously, Ping only worked with music that was purchased through iTunes. Now it works with your entire music library…if the music is available on iTunes. While it’s not the improvement everyone is clamoring for — Facebook integration — it’s a pretty big step that makes the service much more interesting.

I’ve updated my Ping account with a variety of music (that makes it look like I enjoy bands other than Nelson). If you’re interested, please follow me. I’m “Raymond Padilla”. If you download the update, please check out the new Ping and let me know what you think.

Planet Michael: An MMO Based on Michael Jackson

I swear I’m not making any of this up — I just received a press release on Planet Michael, an MMO based on Michael Jackson. What does the King of Pop have to do with a massively multiplayer online game? Here’s some press release info to help you (and me) figure it out:

SEE Virtual Worlds, an entertainment company developing a virtual reality universe of connected planets tied to licensed franchises, today announced a collaborative deal with the Michael Jackson Estate to publish Planet Michael, a massively multiplayer online virtual world set to launch in late 2011. Planet Michael will offer fans around the globe an innovative, first-of-its-kind interactive gaming and social experience that truly celebrates Michael Jackson’s extraordinary life as an artist and humanitarian.

The new planet, currently under development and slated for launch next year, will be an immersive virtual space themed after iconic visuals drawn from Michael’s music, his life and the global issues that concerned him. Entire continents will be created that will celebrate Michael’s unique genius in a way that underscores his place as the greatest artist of all time. Michael’s longtime fans will feel at home as they find themselves in places that seem familiar and yet unknown at the same time, and new generations will discover and experience Michael’s life in a way never before imagined. At its core, Planet Michael is a massive social gaming experience that will allow everyone, from the hardcore fan to the novice, to connect and engage in collaborative in-game activities with people worldwide.

Hrm. I thought only Mormons got their own planets in the afterlife. Also, do I get this or a Hello Kitty Online account? Decisions, decisions. Anyway, I’m anxiously awaiting all the jokes you can make about a Michael Jackson MMO. Let the invasion of Planet Michael begin!!!

Sacha Baron Cohen to Play Freddie Mercury in Queen Movie

Here’s a bit of completely awesome news — Sacha Baron Cohen (Ali G, Borat) has been signed to play Freddie Mercury in an upcoming Queen movie. I’m a huge Queen fan (Brian May rules!) and I really enjoy Sacha Baron Cohen. While Mercury’s voice is impossible to replicate, Cohen — more than anyone else I can think of — has the goods to portray the Queen frontman’s unique charm. Seriously, can you think of anyone else that can be fierce, forceful, and a little effeminate at the same time? Here’s a clip from E!:

In what could be one of the more inspired castings we’ve heard about in quite some time, Sacha Baron Cohen has signed on to star as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in a movie about the legendary rock band.

The pic, which will be scripted by Frost/Nixon and The Queen writer Peter Morgan, will follow the band from its early years to its performance at Live Aid in 1985, six years before Mercury died from AIDS complications at age 45.

What do you think of Ali G playing Freddie Mercury? Will it work? Or will it fall flat on its face?

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