New Music - Adam Lambert Debut Single

Lambert Covers: Top is for the single, bottom for the CD.

Adam Lambert previewed his first single on the Ryan Seacrest show this morning. For Your Entertainment is the debut from the album of the same name. The album is to be released at the end of November. For more information, go to Adam's official website here.

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Str8 Boys Need Love Too - Bucky Covington

Bucky Covington was a contestant on season 5 of American Idol, a handsome country singer from Rockingham, North Carolina. I loved his charm, that hair, and a roughness to his voice. That season, my three favorites finished 4th, 7th and 8th, leaving me far short of being able to pick a winner. That said, Bucky landed on his feet, scoring a contract and a fantastic eponymous first album. On release, it reached #1 on the Country charts, and the best debut on for a male artist since Billy Ray Cyrus scored with Achy Breaky Heart. Three songs from that album went on to be hits, A Different World, It's Good To Be Us, and I'll Walk. I'll admit I'll Walk was one of my least favorite songs offered, and one of my favorites, American Friday Night, never hit the airwaves.



However, coming in early 2010, Bucky will be releasing his next album, rumored to be named I'm Alright. He recently released a hint of what's to come. The song is Gotta Be Somebody, and I really like it. It is a southern-flavored cover of a Nickelback song.



I think he is just adorable, not bad for a str8 guy. You can find out more about Bucky at his official website here.

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New Video - Adam Lambert - Time for Miracles

Adam Lambert, the out first runner-up from American Idol this season, has a new release out. Lambert sings Time for Miracles, the theme song from the movie 2012. Lambert is expected to release his album at the end of November, and it is unsure as to whether this track will be on it. The Glam rocker has been in the headlines since his stint on the Fox show and the leak of pictures of him kissing men hit the internet. He has also been photographed often with his current boyfriend, the very hot Drake LaBry.



Anyway, here is the video for the song Time for Miracles. One can never be sure how long it will be available, so hope you get to see it.

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Str8 Boys Need Love Too - Jason Castro

Jason Castro was a contestant on American Idol two seasons ago, most noted for his gorgeous eyes, electric smile, dread-locked hair and 'Spicoli' personality. While I thought he oozed charm and charisma, I wasn't sure what kind of music he would make, or if he had the voice to make it. But he scored a major label contract, and has been working on an album that is due out early next year, and just released a single and a video that really surprised me. It is quite good. The song is Let's Just Fall In Love Again and thanks to my friend Rickey and his blog, I can post the video.



It is true, I really like the song, but the video is not hurt one bit the handsome singer/songwriter loses the shirt. To be fair, I liked some of his AI performances very much, so it is not entirely shocking I like this. Stylistically, this is a perfect choice for Jason, and he just nailed it. Hopefully, there is much more to look forward to once the album is released. You can find out more at his official website here.

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Web Video - Tweet Beat with Jim Cantiello 10/2/09

I find @JambaJim so very funny, and have been following his Idol in 60 Seconds, and the derivations on the theme he does for MTV. His irreverence and enthusiasm, combined with his basic geekiness, it all just makes him tough to resist. Recently he started a new project, Tweet Beat.

MTV Shows

I can't help but think that Jim is one of the guys that get it, the absurdity of life. Here is a geek who makes a living on the cool network, MTV, a network about music that hardly plays music anymore, and he covers the music from another network, or talking about the social networking of the stars. For a str8 boy, he has a wicked sense of humor.



You can find Jim on the MTV website here.

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Check It Out - Joseph & His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Why, might you ask? Because one of the stars is Anthony Fedorov, a young man from the suburbs of Philadelphia who went on to finish fourth on the fourth season of American Idol, who I happen to think is a talented guy. In fact, a couple of years ago, I went to see him perform live with my friend Rickey, and we had a great time. Anthony has a great voice, and has such enthusiasm for music that it is tough not to enjoy him.





So, Anthony is playing Joseph in a production in 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle, Washington. He is no stranger to theater, having played Matt in the off-Broadway production of The Fantasticks in 2007, and later sang in a touring company of Simply Ballroom. This past summer, he also played Joseph in a production for the Oklahoma City Lyric Theater. Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will be playing at the 5th Avenue Theater from October 10th thru November 1st.



To find out more about the production, go to the theater's website here. To find out more about Anthony Fedorov, check out his MySpace here. If you do, check out the beautiful song Remember on his MySpace page, which he not only sings, but also wrote.

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News - Casey on iTunes,new friends, etc

Just time for an update, it has been a bit. Casey Stratton's new release, Memories and Photographs, is now available on iTunes. I purchased it when it became available in Casey's store, and have listened to it several times, really liking in muchly! You can get it from iTunes by clicking here.



Welcome Michael, the latest person to follow here at Soundtrack to my Day. I appreciate your support!



It is official, summer is gone, and autumn is here. Frankly, I like fall the best, and am kinda happy to see summer fade. I love seeing the colors of fall transform the view out my window, from a sea of green to the shades of all, the reds, orange and browns.

Also, I might as well announce it now, in case the faint of heart want to start packing now. Once the American Idol season starts up, I will be guest-blogging for my friend Rickey, the blogger with Rickey. Org, the site EW named the number one American Idol fansite the the second year running. I will have my impression of the performance and results shows within 30 minutes of their conclusion, and I will post them here and at Rickey's. I had written them for Rickey last season, and he recently asked me back for another season.



Also, have the latest CDs from Collective Soul and Mika, and hope to post some thoughts on them soon. Been a busy time, so still working on listening to both, coming up with my thoughts. Not as easy as it used to be...

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Congratulations Jim Verraros

The first out contestant on American Idol, Jim Verraros, is marrying his boyfriend, Bill Brennan, Sunday, September 6. Verraros, the season 1 finalist who was just as known as the boy with the deaf parents, has released a CD [which I purchased and like] as well as appearing in a couple of movies, including the rather charming comedy Eating Out, and the sequel, Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds.



The following is the last single he released, Electric Love, which I really enjoyed. While I like the first CD, it was a bit muddled with just too many musical styles and lacking a through line aside from Verraros' voice. Hopefully, happiness and love will bring a bit more focus for future projects.



You can find Electric Love on iTunes and Amazon. In Eating Out, Verraros plays Kyle, the cute yet geeky gay musician with a bad case of unrequited love. I found the movie to be great fun. Here is the trailer.



You can find out more about Verraros on his website here. But I most certainly wanted to congratulate him and Bill Brennan, and wish them all the luck in the future.

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Live Music - American Idols 2009 Act 2

Top: Me & Rickey; Rickey & Blake; Big effects. Bottom: The band.

In a previous post, I had recapped the first act of the American Idol Season 8 tour, leaving me to tackle the top 4 here. But for those who missed that, I went to the American Idol Season 8 tour with my friend Rickey from Rickey.Org. The first act consisted of the performers who finished 5th thru 10th on the Fox reality show, and the 2nd act were the top 4, Allison Iraheta, Danny Gokey, Adam Lambert and eventual winner, Kris Allen. Below are my thoughts on the performances, and my pictures. If you'd like to see them bigger, click on them.




Allison Iraheta is 17 years old, but sings like a soul much more mature. She covered Janis Joplin's Cry Baby, and it was exceptional! She still maintains the charm of a teenager, with a raw and at time frenetic energy. I really enjoyed her time on the stage. Could she be the next Daughtry, and ride her 4th place finish to fame and fortune? Could be.




Danny Gokey has caught much grief this season, the story of his wife's passing almost as well known as his singing. I was not a fan while he was on the show, but he did show more energy live, and a lot more charisma. I never got what the judges were saying about him, but have more of an appreciation now. That said, I really find him to be more of an anachronism, more dated than he is retro. Can't say I see a place for him in modern music, but I could be wrong. Several times he did acknowledge Rickey during his set, which was fun.




Adam Lambert is a huge talent. On stage, he has charm and charisma in abundance, and a voice that is tough to top. He opened with Whole Lotta Love, the Led Zeppelin song, and it was outstanding. It was raw and sexual, just as the song intended. The ease of his performance was great to watch, moving from covers of Led Zep to Muse to Tears For Fears to David Bowie like he was putting on some eyeliner. I am not sure where or if he will find a place for himself in the music business, but it certainly won't be for lack of ability.




Kris Allen was considered an underdog, but still managed to win the title this season but all accounts with ease. I enjoyed him this season, as he seemed to be cut from the singer/songwriter cloth I enjoy so much. That being said, I was a bit disappointed with his performance, as I didn't feel he took command of the stage or the audience the way I would hope. He seemed tethered by the intrument he was playing, either the piano or the guitar, and didn't utilize the stage. He maintained a greater connection with the song than the audience. He sang his songs well, and played nicely, I was just hoping he would invite the audience to join him in the journey, not just watch him from a distance.




Then all 10 performers to come back and do a group song, a cover the Journey's Don't Stop Believing, a song making a resurgence as of late, much due to the use for the Fox series Glee, complete with a reappearance of the dueling pianists Matt & Scott. The number was quite fun.



Another bright spot for me was during Adam's set, when he brought out Allison to breathe new life into Foghat's Slow Ride. They were right on the money, being playful and strong, feeding off one another and elevating their performances.




In a side note, there was an extreme amount of smoke used during the show, and kinda grew tired of it by the third time Adam Lambert disappeared behind it. Sometimes, you just wanna explain that a little goes a long way.

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