What is a Guilty Pleasure? I have the answer...

I've mentioned before that I used to be a big pop music fan. I've drifted away from it as I've gotten older, especially over the last two years, nothing was coming out that I even found remotely exciting. But with the release of the new Backstreet Boy record and the new Britney, I've really found that my 14 year old self is trying to make comeback. However, I'm not excited for the Britney release, the tracks that have been leaked don't speak to me at all. I'm trying to get excited about the BSB album, but I haven't heard a song that I love either, I'm hoping that will change when I hear the full releases and not just the 30 second clips.

So instead, I've somehow gotten sucked into the cheesy world that is the High School Musical cast. I've been listening to Vanessa, Ashley, and the HSM soundtrack pretty much non-stop. Make fun of me if you will, but it actually reminds me of the day when pop music was GOOD. When I could dance around and giggle at the simple lyrics about love and loss, sung by people who have hardly reached the age to know what its like. I don't feel bad for liking this music, but I'm starting to understand, at the age of 22, exactly what a guilty pleasure is. I don't want to admit to it, but I love it.

The 14 year old inside of me is rocking out. Especially to this song.



Laugh if you must, but I'm pretty sure I enjoy life a lot more than you do.

The Nobody.

County Music and American Idol = Carrie Underwood

It's been a long time. I was in the process of a gigantic move across the country, hence the lack of pop culture related posts from The Nobody. Well, she's also no longer creeping around L.A. trying to find out what Britney Spears' drug of choice is. She's moved to Nashville.

And I'll stop talking about myself like that now. I have bigger and better things to update about.

I was never a fan of American Idol. I avoided it from the moment it started. But, in case you hadn't noticed, I'm a huge fan of country music. And when my best friend told me there was an great singer making her way through the ranks that sang COUNTRY, I got involved. Carrie Underwood (and country music in general) may not be everyones cup of tea. But the girl has a powerhouse voice, that can't be denied.

Upon my move to Music City (which it most definitely is, more musical than any other cities I've ever been in, and I've been in A LOT of cities... trust me) I took my first trip to the Grand Ole Opry. If you ever make the trek to Nashville I suggest you visit. There are performers there that have been performing for over 60 years. Not to mention some of the best musicians working their fingers in ways you never even dreamed possible. It's a real treat for anyone who considers themselves a fan of true musicianship.

On this particular night Ricky Scaggs was there, as was little Jimmy Dickens, among many many other greats. I felt blessed to be in the same room as them, as if it wasn't enough to see them live. But Carrie Underwood was the closer. I saw her once before at the CMA Festival in June of this year. And she was good, I was impressed, but seeing her in a setting like this only solidified her right to be as famous as she is.

She sang a stunning version of How Great Thou Art, a gospel song that you'd normally only want to hear sung by the best of gospel vocalists. She sang the single off her new album, Carnival Ride, as well as that ass kicking song Before He Cheats, and overall it was a great performance. She's grown a lot since her stint on American Idol, both vocally and performance wise. She was also the type that didn't show a ton of emotion when she sang, but she's starting to get the hang of it. As a young performer myself, I understand how hard it can be to connect to a piece of music, but she's really starting to shine in that department.

Anyway, I swear to get back in the swing of things. It probably won't truly happen until this Nobody finds a job. But you've gone on without me this long. I can imagine you'll last a little longer.

Here's a picture for your time.

When a Winehouse is invovled, it's always sloppy...

Somehow I've gained a lot of respect for Charlotte Church after watching this... who knew?

Fall Out Boy-Band

This weekend I did a nice thing for one of my friends. I went to a Fall Out Boy show with her. Why was this such a nice thing? Because I don't like Fall Out Boy, I don't know the words to one of their songs, other than the chorus of "Dance, Dance" and mostly just the part that actually says dance, dance. After that, I'm lost in the bad diction of the lead singer and trying to figure out what kind of music, exactly, these guys are making. I went along with her (mostly because I would also see +44) and was quite blown away by what I saw.

Not blown away in the good sense.

I've seen these guys perform on various television shows since they rocketed to stardom and I've always thought they were TERRIBLE live. The lead singer had terrible technique, and even at this show, was cracking throughout the song. He has trouble hitting some notes (write a song in a key that's comfortable for you, kids) and he has the stage precense of a rag doll. Seriously, could he be anymore boring?

But here's the reason I was blown away.

I'm not ashamed of my past, so let me just freely admit, I was a Backstreet Boy fan. When I was in high school I was sucked into the world of bubblegum pop, and it kept me interested, and I can still be caught dancing in my underwear to a number of those songs. All I remember is people constantly talked shit. They constantly had bad things to say about boy bands. But here's the things, that's exactly what Fall Out Boy is. These are guys that were too ugly to be in boy bands, so they learned to play instruments (thought not particularly well) and write annoyingly contrived songs that Max Martin could have written if anyone had ever asked him. Their stage show was remarkably familiar to me. Blowing confetti through the air at the end of the show, fire shooting up as a song finished dramatically, and Pete Wentz removing his shirt and (pretending) to remove his pants. (Keep it on Pete, we've all seen, and most of us didn't want to have sex for a good few years afterwards). It reminded me so much of the things that I saw as a teenager in fairly bigger arenas and with guys that may not have written every song or played instruments on stage, but could actually sing. We trade one talent for another and get the same thing. They even have choregraphy for fuck sake.

Here's the thing, if you want to be a star, learn to sing and be the lead vocalist. If you don't have any charisma at all, shut your mouth and play guitar in the background. It was ridiculous to me that Pete was the one encouraging the audience to sing along and clap, and Patrick just sat there like an idiot, singing his melody rather badly. Maybe I'm just having a hard time understanding the dynamic of this band. For a long time I thought Pete was the lead singer, until I saw a music video and realize that he wasn't.

I never thought I would be the old person bagging on what all the kids are listening to. Let's be honest, most people think my taste in music is crap. I think their taste in music is either a) crap or b) insanely predictable. ("I like the Beatles because that's what everyone else seems to like and idolize!") With Fall Out Boy, I couldn't help myself, everyone in the audience looked like everyone in an audience at a 'NSYNC show back when I was in high school. Only they were wearing all black, looked like they hadn't showered, and threw up the rock sign like they knew what rock and roll was.

They don't.

These guys can write a catchy song, I will definitely give them that, and Pete is famous for being an overdramatic blogger who has opinions on others opinions of him. There is a place for this music, I wouldn't have explored music further had I not had the Backstreet Boys. They were my stepping off point for things further down the line. So, by no means am I saying that people shouldn't like Fall Out Boy, what I'm saying is that I hope people see the similarities. They're the new teen dream. The bands that sound exactly like them are the same thing. This is not rock music by any means, and if you listen to it, you're not hardcore.

You're a teenybopper. If you find shame in that (as so many usually do) then maybe you should rethink your loyalty to the band. And please, PLEASE, don't throw the rock sign up at a show. I am in no way a rocker, so I don't do it, show the same respect.


And just for example sake:

Fall Out Boy



Backstreet Boys:



The Nobody

Chart News for 6/19-6/26

Last week we had a number of new releases that made us wonder who was going to take the top spot away from Toby Keith. Bon Jovi, Chrisette Michele, The White Stripes, Lifehouse, Mandy Moore, and Brad Paisley to name only a few.

1. Bon Jovi "Lost Highway"(292,000 Units)
2. White Stripes "Icky Thump" (223,000 Units)
3. Brad Paisley "5th Gear" (197,000 Units)
4. Toby Keith "Big Dog Daddy" (73,000 Units)
5. Paul McCartney "Memory Almost Full" (64,000 Units)
6. Linkin Park "Minutes to Midnight" (63,000 Units)
7. Amy Winehouse "Back to Black" (62,000 Units)
8. Maroon 5 "It Won't Be Soon Before Long" (62,000 Units)
9. Fabolous "From Nothin' to Somethin'" (59,000 Units)
10. T-Pain's Konvict "Epiphany" (56,000 Units)

Other Releases:
11. Shop Boyz "Rockstar Menality" (52,000 Units)
14. Lifehouse "Who We Are" (49,000 Units)
26. Huey "Notebook Paper" (29,000 Units)
29. Chrisette Michele "I Am" (26,000 Units)
30. Mandy Moore "Wild Hope" (25,000 Units)

I'm a huge country music fan, but I couldn't be happier to see that fool slip from the top spot, and Bon Jovi (a country release from the usual rock band) taking it's place. I actually got Bon Jovi, Lifehouse, and Mandy Moore this week. I'm a big fan of the new Lifehouse record, I think it's the best since their debut album, No Name Face. I haven't had a chance to listen intently to the Bon Jovi album, but I love the tracks with Leann Rimes and Big and Rich. I've only listened to a couple from the Mandy Moore album, and it's definitely a departure from what I'm used to hearing from her. I think she has a long way to grow with her songwriting, but her voice sounds beautiful, not as overproduced as it's had a tendency to be in the past.

Now the question on everyone's mind is who will take the top spot next week. Early predictions are saying that both Hannah Montana (seriously?) and Kelly Clarkson are estimated to to be over 300,000 units. We shall see.

The Nobody

The Foo Fighters Had a Secret

I attended a secret Foo Fighters show last night with a couple of friends. It was at this tiny bar in the valley, very small, very intimate. I had seen the Foo once before at the House of Blues in Anaheim years ago. I'm not a huge fan, but I like some of their music, and I respect them as artists. Not to mention Dave Grohl pretty much owns everyone.

Anyway, the show was totally packed. It was originally suppose to be an industry show that they opened up to a certain number of Foo fans at the last minutes. It was a very covert operation. You had to pick up your wrist band at a park about a mile from the venue and get all the information on where it was going to be, only two or three hours before the show actually went on.

I felt very shady, like I was doing a drug deal or something, it was awesome.

The show was great. They played all the songs you'd expect them to, Everlong, Monkey Wrench, and so on. It was their first show after being holed up in the studio for four months, but they sounded on top of their game, and I had a good time despite the fact that I didn't know the word to every song. The place was packed, the vodka in my system and my fear of huge crowds in small places made me miss the last two songs. That place needs air conditioning.

They're playing with the Police this weekend at Dodger Stadium. I won't be attending that show, but if anyone does, let me know how it goes.

http://www.foofighters.com/

The Nobody

The Gay Man is Conspiring Against the Hetero...

Isaiah Washingting Is Part of A Conspiracy

I mentioned previously that I'm picky about the things I will sit on my couch and take time out of my night to watch. I actually watch a LOT of TV shows, but I wait until they come out on DVD and watch them on my own time. Grey's Anatomy is one of the shows I actually watch on television. Besides the fact that this season sucked in comparison to the first and second season, and the finale definitely left something to be desired, the thing that irked me the most (about this season) was the scandal behind the scene's.

For some time the drama with Isaiah Washington and T.R. Knight completely overshadowed the success of the show. People started petitioning for the firing of Isaiah because of that pesky gay slur he uttered at some award show. I admit, when I watched the clip on YouTube my jaw dropped. I'm a huge supporter of the gay community, one of my best friends is gay, and I pretty much come unraveled if someone attacks them. So, I wasn't a fan of Isaiah Washington after seeing that clip, but I wasn't ready to have him kicked off the show. Dr. Burke was one of my favorite characters, he was a strong character, I thought he was getting enough crap for what he said and he had apologized so why fire a good actor for being a bad human being. A lot of actors leave something to be desired in reality.

It seemed like it was blowing over, then I just had the craptastic finale to deal with, and my opinion of the show was in limbo over THAT. But then the news came that they had fired Isaiah. And now this. In this article he says that T.R. Knight should be fired, because he was actively trying to pit Patrick (McDreamy) and Isaiah against each other to get them BOTH fired. Apparently T.R. is some kind of mastermind that has used the gay community to garner sympathy and get the two leading men on the show fired. According to Isaiah, Patrick agrees with him on everything, but they were instructed by the Disney Corporation to keep their mouths shut. The whole article reads like a bitter man trying to sell his secrets to the National Enquirer. Of course, I'm not behind the scene's and I don't know what really happen. Maybe T.R. Knight is on some campaign to be the most famous Grey's man or maybe not. Maybe Isaiah is an asshole and nobody wants to touch him now that he made a fool of himself insulting more than half of the men/women in Hollywood. I don't know.

The point is, I don't care. As soon as people stop writing articles about this man he opens his mouth to get put back in the spotlight. I don't care about the soap opera going on behind the soap opera, I just want to watch my television shows in peace. He's not only spouting off the most asinine story, but he's also putting words in other cast members mouths, as well as the people behind the scenes on the show. If it is true, he's just put some people in very awkward positions when he had no right to even be speaking on their behalves. If it ISN'T true, then he is just crazy. Straight up, homophobic-paranoia-Tom Cruise-Crazy.

But I'm ready for someone to just finally tell him to shut his mouth. The rest of the world does not care that you got fired. Badmouthing the show that made you more famous than you were before, is not such a smart move. Why do people keep doing this? We've got Mandy More talking crap on her first album, and yeah it was crap, but COME ON it made you famous. So shut your pretty little mouth and make the music you want, for once...

Holy tangent.

Let me get back to the issue at hand. This fool opens his mouth trying to garner some kind of sympathy from the general audience, meanwhile, he's losing it. I was sympathetic when I found out they let him go, I like Dr. Burke and thought it was their loss to lose him, so I felt bad and a little upset. But now that he won't shut up, now that he's dragging this out and doing all this shit talking, I've stopped being sympathetic. Now, I'm just at the point where I hope this all backfires and blows up in his face somehow.

At this rate, Shonda should give up on Grey's Anatomy and write a show about what goes on BEHIND the scene's of a popular doctor drama. Sounds much more thrilling the the season finale she's so damn proud of.

Poor Little Rich Girl Gets Richer

NBC Offers Paris Hilton One Million Dollars to Talk

I went to Nashville two weeks ago for the annual CMA Fest, I like country music, so sue me. While I was there I watched a lot of CNN while getting ready in the morning, and to my surprise, CNN was ONLY talking about how Paris Hilton had been let out of jail. They had minute by minute updates on whether the judge was going to order her to appear in court, they followed the police car from her house to the court house, and gladly waited outside to announce that Paris was being sent back. As an avid follower of pop culture, it would have been something that interested me, only I wasn't watching CNN to know what was going on with Paris Hilton. I was TRYING to keep up on the news, since I didn't have my usual internet access, and silly me thought CNN reported the news. Not Paris Hilton's every move.

The topic of Paris Hilton and her minions (Lindsay, Britney, and whoever else would like to be associated) was part of a lot of conversations I had that weekend, particularly with my mom, who was outraged that they even let her out in the first place. One of the things my mom was angry about, was that she'd have the chance to get out of jail and reports would be doing back flips to sit her down in a chair and get her experience on tape. Well, I didn't think that would be the case. I thought for sure people would be over it, it would blow over, and people would generally not care to hear Paris' account of jail on every news channel for lord knows how long. Then I read this article when I woke up this morning.

All I could think was "ONE MILLION DOLLARS?"

I sat on that thought for a while. Why would NBC shell out that much money to hear some whiny, spoiled rich girl complain about jail. Don't we all have a general idea of how jail is? Bad food, bad bedding, and even worse company. We could pull any plain jane on the the television to tell us how her experience in jail was, and we don't, but for some reason for Paris Hilton that changes?

I watch TV rarely, and when I do, I hold high expectations for what I'm watching. This is not something I will take time out of my day to sit on my couch and watch. Why? Because I don't care how Paris felt in jail. I don't care how horrendous of an experience it was. People go to jail all the time, I watch my step and obey the law, to avoid any jail going experience in my future. Paris didn't do that.

Not to mention she's done nothing but try and look like the victim, holding her head high as she faces her jail sentence. She's thrown every bullshit line she can out at the press, and I don't believe any of it. She's pissed off that people are making fun of her because she doesn't have control of what they're making fun of this time. Unfortunately, Paris will never NOT be made fun of. I will never take Paris seriously, even if she started pulling a Jolie and adopting babies from other countries (truth be told I still don't take Jolie all that seriously). I can't really understand why we want anything to do with this woman, why we want to hear about her story and allow her the chance to be the poor little rich girl being held down by THE MAN.

Maybe she has changed. Maybe she'll finally grow up and take some responsibility for the bullshit she's been blaming other people for. Maybe Lindsay and Britney will follow in her footsteps and they'll stop acting like 16 year old high school girls, desperate for attention and praise. But I doubt it. I think we'll get a couple months of more bible-toting, white dress wearing, spiritual book buying Hilton. Then she'll be back at the clubs drinking her life away and making sex tapes.

She says the media has been using her. Well, when you put yourself out there like that, sweetie, what do you expect? You've made a joke out of yourself and now you want to blame the media for it. Like it's their fault. We didn't force you to make a sex tape or do a really terrible reality show to showcase how ridiculously dumb and spoiled you are. You did that on your own. You dug your grave, Ms. Hilton. Now lie in it.

Now I'm off to the Foo Fighters secret show tonight. I will not be thinking of Hilton at all throughout this experience.

The Nobody