Blog Posts by Lyndsey Parker

photo courtesy of Vanguard RecordsLee DeWyze has had a rough time of it since he won "American Idol" Season 9, earning the dubious dishonor of being the lowest-selling "Idol" winner ever and subsequently parting ways with his major label after releasing only one album, the critical and commercial disappointment Live It Up. But DON'T count Lee out just yet. With a new deal with good-sized indie Vanguard Records, the man seems artistically recharged.

Case in point: Lee's anthemic new single "Silver Lining," which is far and away THE best thing he's ever done.

Jane Smith is inexplicably rejected on "The Voice"The second-to-last episode of "The Voice" Season 4's Blind Auditions took place on Monday, and while there were a few dynamite ladies who got me all excited for next week's Battle Rounds, there was one extremely awesome lady, a not-so-plain Jane, who bizarrely didn't get picked. What does Adam Levine have against girls named Jane, huh?

I kid, I kid. Sort of. I'll get over this loss in time, as long as the amazing Grace Askew sticks around. Keep reading to learn about Grace and the other contestants who made it through--and about Jane, the one that got away--on Monday's episode of "The Voice."

photo: Wendy WaddellTo countless admirers in the '80s, she was Claire, the popular princess with the infamous hands-free lipstick-application technique. Or Sam, the birthday-girl-next-door who won the heart of the ultimate BMOC, Jake Ryan. Or Andie, the original Etsy girl who made it cool to wear a deconstructed DIY dress to the prom. Or even little Molly Parker, the plucky boarding-school student who plucked a ukulele on "The Facts Of Life." But to most, she was just Molly Ringwald. She was that special girl who captured the hearts of America's Blanes and Duckies alike--"your former teenage crush," according to the bio on her own Twitter page.

Since Molly's teen dramedy days, she's kept busy writing both fiction and non-fiction; acting in film, television, and theater; and parenting her three children. But now she has launched a new venture: a jazz music career, with an album of standards from the Great American Songbook, Except Sometimes. This may seem like a major stylistic departure for the former new wave girl who once memorably danced in slouchy boots in the Shermer High School detention center, but the album does offer one touching nod to Molly's '80s past: a cocktail-jazz remake of Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)," which, of course, was the theme song to perhaps the most famous film she made with legendary late director John Hughes, The Breakfast Club.

It has been nearly two years since pint-size powerhouse Vicci Martinez made it to the Season 1 finale of "The Voice," and almost a year since she released her post-"Voice" album, Vicci. But happily, that album's first single, "Come Along" featuring her old Red Zone coach Cee Lo Green, is finally gaining momentum at radio--which means the searing song now has its own long-overdue music video, released this week.

Last night on "American Idol," Burnell Taylor went home in seventh place. This was not a massive surprise, considering the rough week he'd had; my "The Day After" cohost Matt Whitfield and I had both predicted that Burnell would get cut this week. However, we'd also predicted that Lazaro Arbos would be in the bottom two with Burnell. So that was the true surprise last night: that Lazaro not only escaped the bottom two, but made the top three. Meanwhile, my favorite contestant of the week, Janelle Arthur, was in the bottom with Burnell and almost went home.

Today, Matt and I discuss what went down. Why are people voting for Lazaro? Should he have been put in the top 20 in the first place? Does he have a chance of actually making it to the finale--or even winning? And will his continued controversial survival hurt a show that is already struggling in the ratings? Watch us talk about all this and more in our latest chat.

Lazaro watches Burnell say goodbye"If America gets it right, there can only be one person going home tonight, and that's Lazaro," tough-talking, truth-serum-swilling "American Idol" advisor Jimmy Iovine declared on Thursday's top seven results show. His pronouncement sounded like a rerun of last week's results show, when Jimmy unabashedly rallied for Lazaro Arbos's elimination. But, just like last week (when Lazaro survived over the inarguably more talented Devin Velez), America didn't agree with Jimmy. Lazaro was safe yet again. However, unlike last week, Lazaro wasn't in the bottom three this time. HE WAS IN THE TOP THREE.

Yes, you read that right. That was not a typo. Lazaro Arbos was in this week's top three on "American Idol."

Sarah Sellers [photo: Justin Goode]Season 10 "American Idol" 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.

This week, the top seven "Idol" finalists were not allowed to sing any ballads, and they had to sing rock 'n' roll. So tonight's viewing-party snack theme is "fast food"--with a little taste of something you might find on the menu at the Hard Rock Cafe. Enjoy!

Last night, the "American Idol" top seven attempted to rock out, but few of their performances inspired me or my "The Day After" cohost, Matt Whitfield, to flick our Bics, bang our heads, or salute the "Idol" stage with the devil's-horns hand-sign. Where were Adam Lambert, James Durbin, or David Cook when we really needed them?

Okay, so Wednesday's episode didn't exactly rock our world. But at least there were a couple performances that we found entertaining. (And we found out that Keith Urban has a shoe fetish, which kind of rocks.) So watch us talk about last night's show in our latest chat below.