Music Blogs

One of country music's most eagerly anticipated albums is finally on its way this spring! It's siblings trio the Band Perry's sophomore effort, which follows up their platinum-selling 2011 debut. The hot new set now has an official title and release date.

The collection is called Pioneer, and it'll land in stores April 2--that's just in time for the 2013 Academy of Country Music Awards which hit five days later, and where the band is up for Vocal Group of the Year.

Last night, "American Idol" Season 12's girls had their shot at Hollywood Week, but despite Ryan Seacrest's repeated, sometimes borderline-desperate declarations that this episode would feature some of THE best female talent in all 12 "Idol" seasons, my "The Day After" co-host Matt Whitfield and I were left feeling underwhelmed. Yes, some of the girls stood out, but most of them just fell apart. And hardly any of them could even remember all their lyrics, despite covering themselves in Sharpie-scrawled cribnotes for the group round! Simon Cowell would've never tolerated this sort of amateurishness (lyric-flubbing was always his biggest pet peeve on "Idol"), yet the new judges frequently turned a blind eye (or a deaf ear) to such embarrassing behavior.

By Jeremy Blacklow

Deadmau5 certainly knows a thing or two about stirring up controversy by slamming his fellow musicians.

The Canadian mouse-headed DJ (real name, Joel Zimmerman), one of the most successful and talented producers in the electronic music world, continued his trend of starting wars with other performers by lashing out at Kanye West. In a new interview for VIBE magazine’s February/March issue, when asked who he’d like to design a show for, he replied: “Anyone other than f-----ng Kanye, I f-----ng hate him.”

Sarah in the kitchen [photo: Justin Goode]"American Idol" Season 10 alum and cool food blogger Sarah Sellers has been posting her viewing-party snack recipes in Reality Rocks for two "Idol" seasons now, and she's back this year to get your mouth watering every night of Season 12.

Tonight, Hollywood Week continues apace with the female contestants' solo round, so for tonight's viewing, Sarah whipped something "girly, simple, and delicious!" Enjoy.

Hill and McGraw (Photo: Lester Cohen)Tim McGraw is no doubt enjoying Valentine's Day this year for the obvious reasons--16 years of marriage to his sweetie, Faith Hill--but also his No. 1 debut on the country albums chart this week for new set Two Lanes Of Freedom. Still, even with all of this exciting stuff to consider, McGraw insists that he prefers a low-key family-oriented approach to the holiday.

"For us, having an evening at home with the kids, a quiet evening is probably the best Valentine’s we can have," he told 99.5 WYCD.

McGraw added that he very rarely goes over the top with Valentine's Day gifts or gestures. "I get lucky every now and then and do something right," he told the radio station.

Still, don't write McGraw off as a total non-romantic. The superstar singer does enjoy getting in the mood with the right music on this most cuddly of days. Surprisingly, his favorite tune for the holiday is not country at all: "There’s this one song that always works, and that's 'Samba Pa Ti,' off [Santana's] Abraxas album."

What says "Valentine's Day" more than a sultry vixen whispering smokey-sweet nothings from curled red lips? Perhaps a cherry red English sports car that starts at a suggestively-priced $69,000.

Lana Del Rey released a new video today for her achingly seductive track "Burning Desire" that features Jaguar's new F-Type convertible (again, suggestively named?) flush with Valentine's Day reds. The singer utterly yearns on stage in an empty ballroom, as she is at her best when playing the lethally sexy lounge singer. Del Rey has a collage of glamorous, retro film footage projected behind her--much like in her "Video Games" video--spliced together with action shots of the F-Type speeding around a mountainside.

The video is essentially a glorified Jaguar commercial, but Del Rey is enjoyable to watch nonetheless, even during the awkward panting moment in the beginning when she looks more panicky than aroused. Del Rey is clearly cashing in on her fame as long as she can, particularly since she