Blog Posts by Lyndsey Parker

Culture Club frontboy Boy George has fallen on tough times, time and time again, since his early-'80s heyday as the world's most beloved gender-bender. But his recent duet with Miike Snow frontman Andrew Wyatt on uberproducer Mark Ronson's Record Collection album, "Somebody To Love Me," has restored Sir O'Dowd to his former pop glory. The lovely, Motownish track--penned by the Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears, Anthony Rossomando (of the Libertines/Dirty Pretty Things/Klaxons), Cathy Dennis, and Wyatt--is arguably the finest cut on Mark's critically acclaimed album, and George's vocals, which are just a little bit gruffer and world-wearier than they were in his carefree youth, contribute so much pathos to the song.

It's no coincidence that Mark assigned George the tune's line about wanting someone to "see the boy I once was." When George croons those words, it's a sweet, subtly lump-in-throat moment...which is only augmented by the new "Somebody To Love Me" video, which brilliantly

There were many memorable "American Idol" contestants Wednesday night in Milwaukee, but the one that's spiking in Yahoo! Search and top-trending on Twitter is by an unassuming Illinois man named Chris Medina. However, his audition was somewhat polarizing, with some viewers (including myself) deeply moved by his incredible sob story, and other, more cynical ones accusing him of exploiting the woman in his life.

In October 2009, only two months before they were supposed to wed, Chris's 23-year-old fiancée Juliana Ramos sustained a traumatic brain injury in a horrific car crash and lapsed into a lengthy coma. She has yet to recover from her massive, life-changing injuries, and since the accident, Chris has dedicated himself to being her caretaker. "What kind of guy would I be if I walked out when she needed me the most?" he explained.

Even in a season already packed with sob stories, this one was a doozy--in fact maybe the sobbiest sob story in all 10 "Idol" seasons. Even class-clown

On Wednesday, "Idol" headed to Wisconsin, the land of cheese and Danny Gokey--which, come to think of it, are kind of the same thing. Heh. And after a couple of "kindler, gentler" episodes that were surprisingly light on trainwreck auditions, the show was back to its old tricks, with plenty of cheesy contestants that had newbie judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler slinging barbs that Simon Cowell would sell his entire black T-shirt collection to come up with. 

"Steven, you are INSANE!" howled Randy Jackson. And sure enough, there was plenty of insanity (including a couple ill-advised Gaga and J.Lo covers, a dental hygiene PSA, a bunch of wannabe Biebers, and plenty of inappropriate Tyler flirting) to follow. But by the end of the night, the panel had discovered some truly exceptional talent, and one sob story to rival even widower Gokey's. It was the best crop of contenders yet this season.

THE GOOD:

Scott Dangerfield - There's little doubt that this boy will be a heartthrob among

As recently revealed in Richard Rushfield's new TV exposé American Idol: The Untold Story, "Idol" was always supposed to have four judges--but when the original fourth judge, a young KROQ Los Angeles radio personality named Ted Stryker, opted not to join the cast at the last minute, the show went on without him. One might assume that, like original co-host Brian Dunkleman--who quit "Idol" after one season and has since very vocally admitted that it was the worst decision of his career--Stryker spends every day kicking himself, wondering what might have been. But in a new interview with Reality Rocks, Stryker insists that he has absolutely no regrets.

"I really don't regret the decision," he says. "I've achieved more than I ever thought I could in the radio world. I've gotten to do some of the coolest things, at least to me, and those things wouldn't have happened if I had done 'Idol.' Whether it's interviewing Julian from the Strokes or having [Rage Against The Machine's] Tom Morello

The Horrors' metamorphosis from obnoxious noisemongers to moody, Mercury Prize-nominated melodists on their second album, Primary Colours, is one of the great transformations in rock 'n' roll history. But the British psych-goth band's frontman, Faris Badwan, clearly isn't content with staying in one place for long. So he's undergone yet another drastic musical makeover, forming a drony new duo with Canadian opera soprano/classical multi-instrumentalist Rachel Zeffira--a career move that makes his other band's switchup seem positively uneventful.

The mystery-shrouded and experimental pair, billing themselves as Cat's Eyes, are set to release their Spectorian self-titled debut disc (recorded at Peter Gabriel's RealWord Studios in Bath, England) this May. However, they gave their first (super-secret) performance last month at, of all places, the Vatican. No, not some hip new London indie club CALLED "The Vatican." The actual home turf of the Pope.

Trust me, I NEVER thought I'd see Faris

The Osmonds--yes, Donny's brotherly band--bizarrely once gave space-rock a go back in the psychedelic '70s, with their ambitiously proggy concept LP Crazy Horses. And while the bubblegum brothers were unable to get past their squeaky-clean stigma and find acceptance among rock radio programmers at the time, the cult classic has since been embraced by a new generation of hipsters and rocksters. Esteemed metal critic Chuck Eddy even listed the album at number 66 in his book Stairway To Hell: The 500 Best Heavy Metal Albums In The Universe. (Read an interview in which Donny discusses the Crazy Horses mystique HERE.)

The latest cool kids to Horse around are fuzzed-out Oakland voodoo rockers Lumerians, who according to their cryptic press release traffic in "droning dance music for the soul you forgot you had--the noise of the billions of switches in your brain shutting off and on in perfect harmony," and who will release their debut full-length, Transmalinnia, on Knitting Factory Records

Holy reality-show mashup, Covergirl! It's enough to make one's wig-topped mind boggle. Simply put, "American Idol" + "America's Next Top Model" + "RuPaul's Drag Race" = Best. Drag Race. Contestant. Ever.

Her name is Raja, and more specifically, his name is Sutan.

"ANTM" diehards, and/or equally diehard Glamberts, might recognize Sutan. He's a celebrated makeup artist who has appeared on "Top Model," and, just as impressively, painted Adam Lambert's over-the-top, often bindi-enhanced face during Adam's 2010 Glam Nation Tour. Check out Sutan working his maquillage magic on Adam backstage below, along with a "Drag Race" cameo of Adam himself on the Glam Nation tour bus:

Anyway, Sutan clearly has an advantage now as a contestant on "RuPaul's Drag Race 3," because when he turns his cosmetic skills on himself, the result is the absolutely fabulous Raja--who made a grand entrance fit for a queen on this week's "Drag Race 3" premiere wearing a Gaga-worthy cyclops hat; later rocked a

When former teen queens (and onetime rumored foes) Tiffany and Deborah "Debbie" Gibson announced they'd be joining forces this year in the soon-to-be-cult-classic SyFy Channel flick "Mega Python Vs. Gatoroid," and would settle their supposed differences the old-fashioned way--with an onscreen pie fight!!!--children of the 1980s rejoiced. But that's nothing compared to the sheer reto epic-ness of their recent "Don't Stop Believin'" duet, which took place this past Saturday at Manhattan's Canal Room and practically put "Glee's" campy version to shame.

You know, considering that aging ex-teen sensations New Kids On The Block and the Backstreet Boys are currently touring together, we say it's time for Debbie and Tiffany to take their professional relationship to the next level, too: We want them to hit the road as a dynamic duo, preferably performing at this nation's great shopping malls while doing the "Electric Youth" choreographed dance of 1989.

Hey, it could happen. Don't stop