Resident Canadians, this is your chance to judge the Intel® “Canada Superstars” Competition for a chance to win some awesome prizes! We have seven different channels that all need judging, but only you — the fans — can help us determine who the winners will be. If you do, you will be eligible for our sweepstakes in which one Grand Prize Winner will receive a Fender® Modern Player Telecaster Plus Guitar and a Fender® Mustang II 40 Watt Guitar Combo Amp — a retail value of $615.24. So what are you waiting for? Click here to select a channel and start judging now!

We previously discussed some of the big changes to The Voice as of Season 3, but there’s already huge news about Season 4: Usher and Shakira will be replacing Cee-Lo Green and Christina Aguilera as judges. With all of the recent drama surrounding new American Idol judges, we were hoping that The Voice would continue to keep their loveable set of coaches. Sadly, the show must go on, and so must the coaches’ own careers.

With a new album and subsequent tour, X-Tina will be replaced by Latin/pop crossover artist Shakira. Shakira seems like an odd choice, considering the other coaches are constantly dominating the charts, but we’re willing to give her a shot. Usher, on the other hand, is an excellent replacement for Cee-Lo (though we’ll certainly miss Lo’s crazy outfits…and pet cockatoo). He will be leaving the show to work on his upcoming sitcom.

Season 3 of The Voice is currently airing on NBC on Monday and Tuesday nights.

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Pony Boy, the brainchild of Marchelle Bradanini, is a self-described “junkyard country” group that sounds like a dusty old Ford rumbling down a deserted road. Having already put in time as a member of the eclectic Bedtime for Toys, Bradanini channeled her rediscovered love of classic country, blues, and Americana into her latest project. We caught up with her to chat about her poetic past, her distaste for manicured pop, and what really separates her from R. Kelly.

OS: You’ve been involved in some eclectic musical projects in the past such as Bedtime for Toys or you DJing project Pony vs. Tiger. What got you interested in the aesthetic of your current band?

MB: I started out just as a girl with a guitar influenced by Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. Then, I ended up starting a band with some friends and that was about playing music that a group of people came up with collectively at a different point in my life. When that band broke up, I was trying to figure out what I was doing next. Oftentimes you get asked to DJ after playing a show, and I had a pretty decent vinyl collection. While I was working out exactly what the solo project would be, I started getting asked to DJ all over the place. The nice thing was that those gigs were for people who wanted rock ‘n’ roll or classic country, and it was a great opportunity to go back and rediscover all of these old, great artists that I love: John Prine, The Allman Brothers, and even Ram Jam [laughs]. There’s the electronic DJ scene, but then there are also people who want to hear actual songs that were initially released on vinyl. Getting into that scene was really great because I got to work on playlists all day. Continue reading ‘Exclusive Q and A: Pony Boy Talks Poetry, Pop, and Production’

On August 28th and 29th, folk rock sensations Mumford & Sons performed at the famous and awe-inspiring Red Rocks Amphitheater near Morrison, Colorado. From this experience, the band plans to release a documentary called Road To Red Rocks, including footage of the live performance, life on the road, and, in an interesting twist, fan submitted home-videos of their experiences before, during, and after the show. Now, after a three part series of promo trailers, the band have released their official music video for new single “I Will Wait” off their upcoming album Babel, which will be out September 24th. Click here for preorders, and check out the video below:

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It’s hard to believe that The Voice is already back, but we’re not complaining.

The second season of the hit singing competition, which stars Christina Aguilera, Maroon 5‘s Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Cee-Lo Green as judges, only just wrapped in May. With the third season kicking off tonight, here are some exciting new twists you can look forward to.

• Bigger teams: The teams have been increased from 12 up to 16 contestants, which is twice as many as were on the Season 1 teams. The result? Battle rounds AND “knockout rounds.” This is going to be intense.

• Stealing: We’ve all seen this happen: Two amazing contestants go up against each other, their coach rambles on about how much s(he) loves both of them, and said coach eventually has to make the heartbreaking elimination. Now, the other three coaches will have the ability to steal the eliminated contestant and add them to their team. This is sure to cause some drama (and heightened competition between the coaches).

• New mentors: The Voice is all about musical diversity. Last season, we had the opportunity to see contestants of all backgrounds get mentored by the likes of Alanis Morissette, Kelly Clarkson, Lionel Richie and Ne-Yo. This time around, they’ll be working with mentors from completely different genres than their coaches, which is sure to make for some great TV. Offering up their pearls of wisdom will be Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day (Team Christina), Mary J. Blige (Team Adam), Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20 (Team Cee-Lo), and Michael Bublé (Team Blake).

• More familiar faces: Viewers of the first two seasons may have noticed some singers they already knew, including Dia Frampton of Meg & Dia, Juliet Simms of Automatic Loveletter, and singer-songwriter Charlotte Sometimes. This season, we’ll be seeing former Hey Monday vocalist Cassadee Pope…and maybe even an OurStage artist or two?

• More singing from all contestants: In the past, we’ve gone too long without seeing certain contestants sing, depending on the competition schedule. This season, all current contestants will sing during live shows, so you won’t miss your favorites.

• More Purrfect: We all know that the real breakout star of Season 2 was Purrfect, Cee-Lo’s snow-colored, sour-faced cat. She randomly showed up in his arms about halfway through the competition, and was soon immortalized on his clothing (and on Twitter). Judging from her most recent tweets, the famous feline will be back on Mr. Green’s lap for more vocal warefare this fall.

Season 3 begins with a three-night premiere starting tonight at 8PM EST. Check out a special preview of the blind auditions below!

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Go ahead and call TobyMac‘s music – the latest of which is the album Eye On It that debuted at #1 across iTunes charts last week – Christian rock if you want. And call the music made by Eric Church and Colt Ford country. Just as long as you realize that those entertainers may not stay firmly in those boxes.

There’s a reason you’ll see the sometimes rapping TobyMac pop up around country concerts and in country-flavored venues, and that’s not just because of the close connection between Christian and country formats (think Elvis Presley). It’s because anyone who listens to TobyMac music, including on his just-released album, will hear some distinct roots sounds a la John Oates‘ solo work. And who ever thought half of the pop group Hall & Oates would have such a soulful sound before he made that sound known in Nashville? Continue reading ‘Your Country’s Right Here: Multi-Grammy Winner TobyMac Grabs Roots for Musical Feast’

The old saying “living well is the best revenge” is certainly proving true for the three members of Gloriana.

Not that brothers Tom and Mike Gossin and bandmate Rachel Reinert have ever offered anything but charitable words about former member Cheyenne Kimball who abruptly left the group in July 2011. But the departure left the three original members somewhat stumped — Kimball had reportedly left without any notice — and scrambling to finish the follow up to their self-titled 2009 debut album.

Although losing a member would cause some bands to fracture and others to completely fall apart, the three members of Gloriana soldiered on. The result is the award winning band’s July 31 release, A Thousand Miles Left Behind that debuted at #2 on the Billboard Country Album Chart and #10 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. In addition, the single “(Kissed You) Good Night” debuted at #4 on the Billboard Country Singles Chart, marking the group’s first Top 5 single. Continue reading ‘Exclusive Q and A: Gloriana’s Mike Gossin Talks about the New Album, Celebrations, and the NFL’

The drama is getting started a bit ahead of schedule over at American Idol. Ever since Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler decided to bow out from their roles as judges on the popular reality singing competition (though not Randy Jackson, apparently) there has been a great deal of speculation and conjecture as who will take over their spots. About a month since Tyler and Lopez’ departure, it looks like the panel for Season 12 is finally coming together. Maybe.

Mariah Carey was one of the first names floated around as a replacement judge. Indeed, Carey was the first new face to sign on for season 12 to the tune of $18 million. But it looks like Carey might not be the only woman at AmIdol this time around; Nicki Minaj is reportedly close to signing onto the show for $8 million and an allowance for hair, makeup, and outfits. Knowing Minaj, that could easily drive her price tag into the tens of millions.

While it doesn’t sound like Carey is too pleased with having to share the spotlight with another female performer it is unlikely that she would have been the lone diva for long. Katy Perry was also in talks with Idol to judge, though $20 million apparently wasn’t enough to land her.

As for the guys it’s still unknown who is going to be bro-ing out with Jackson in season 12. Keith Urban is in talks with the show and he would certainly lend the twang to the proceedings that Idol has been lacking. It would be an easy transition for Urban, too, as he has just wrapped up his judging gig on Australia’s incarnation of The Voice. The other big hosting candidate would be rapper and living embodiment of ego Kanye West. It also sounds like West has some pretty powerful backers, namely American Idol host Ryan Seacrest and Kris Jenner, matriarch of the Kardashian clan and momager extraordinaire. So, he’s basically got it, right?

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It’s difficult to believe that the latest recording by The Roys, New Day Dawning, is only the siblings’ sophomore effort for Rural Rhythm Records.

The brother and sister who embraced bluegrass as elementary school children in New England have such a solid, signature sound — in the style of their idols including Bill Monroe and Ricky Skaggs — that it feels as if they have always been part of the bluegrass community. Perhaps that’s because the music of the reigning Inspirational Country Music Bluegrass Artists of the Year is a true staple on radio, in concerts, and during high-profile events including the PBS television special Pa’s Fiddle and on such television shows as Fox & Friends.

Now Elaine and Lee Roy are again candidates for nominations in ICM award categories — this time for Entertainers of the Year, Vocal Duo, and Inspirational Bluegrass Artist. As if that isn’t enough, the duo are ready to release their next recording this month. Elaine Roy took time out of her hectic schedule to chat about the duo’s music, album, and fans.

OS: New Day Dawning is a great title for your album. How did you come up with that title?

ER: I don’t even know who came up with the idea. We started talking and somebody said “New Day Dawning” and we wanted to write it as a song. There’s such negativity in the world so when it came time to name the album we thought it was the perfect title of the album.

OS: Well, I have to ask if it also signifies a new day or turning point for The Roys.

ER: We hope it’s a turning point! We’ve struggled long and hard to get where we are today. We are really grateful for all that has happened to us and we look forward to a new day dawning and great things ahead.

OS: Now this recording isn’t a full album. Why is that?

ER: Right, it’s seven tracks. I think for us it was trying to turn out more music quicker for the fans. When you record a complete album, that’s a very long process. We just wanted to get music out there for our fans.

Continue reading ‘Exclusive Q and A: Elaine Roy of The Roys Looks Ahead to a “New Day Dawning.”’

Chris August still can’t quite believe that a skateboarding accident almost ended it all. Instead, this week he’s celebrating the release of his highly anticipated sophomore album The Upside of Down.

The accident that resulted in a serious head injury was the latest roadblock that almost ended August’s career before it began. August had fought his way up from what he calls “a broken family,” to a record contract and a large dose of success in the Los Angeles music industry. Industry turmoil threatened to stall his career, but he released a debut album that went to #1 and won multiple awards. Just before the release of his much-anticipated sophomore album, he was hospitalized with a serious head injury from the skateboarding accident. Although he still suffers from the injury and is susceptible to pneumonia, heat exhaustion, and other maladies, he returned to work just months after the injury. Continue reading ‘Your Country’s Right Here: Chris August Adds Soul to ‘The Upside of Down’’