Billboard Update: Decade-End Billboard 200 Albums (2000-2009)

With the year of 2009 coming to a close, we also see the 2000s coming to a close. So it was time for everyone to list the best things of this decade. For EdgeMusic, we only began in 2007, so we're going to take a look at what made other decade-end lists. No one had their lists more eventful than Billboard. For the next two weeks, we will present to you the outcome of most of the decade-end charts. We start off with the Billboard 200 charts. The #1 album this decade was *NSYNC's "No Strings Attached" (2000). They never were an EdgeMusic Artist of the Week, but we wanted to point out how much the music industry has suffered ever since they got that boy band out of their sights. Anyways, here's how our alumni did:

#29. KELLY CLARKSON "BREAKAWAY" (2004) - HIGHEST POSITION
#34. BACKSTREET BOYS "BLACK & BLUE" (2000)
#38. PINK "M!SUNDERSTOOD" (2001)
#45. BACKSTREET BOYS "MILLENNIUM" (1999)

Also, the list includes two soundtrack entries which include EdgeMusic alum, Ashley Tisdale (June 21 - 28, 2009):

#44. HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL SOUNDTRACK (2006)
#102. HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2 SOUNDTRACK (2007)

Yet Another Interesting Showing Of Affection For Ashley Tisdale

We really love how Ashley Tisdale's fanbase operates at their headquarters. The EdgeMusic alum (June 21 - 28, 2009) has taken the #1 spot on the FM Box countdown, which is a radio countdown in Chile. And you said foreigners were boring. Anyone across the country can vote, and you can vote until the next countdown on Tuesday. Here's another interesting fact: another EdgeMusic alum, The Backstreet Boys (May 4 - 11, 2008), have occupied the #2 and the #3 spot with both their singles from "This Is Us". Note that "Bigger" is at #2. It's great for us that both artists can do mediocre in the US, and they can do a lot better overseas. I can only hope to go on an airplane trip soon to see how they operate.

Ashley Tisdale Hits #7 In Both Billboard Readers' Top 10 For 2009 And For The Past Decade

The Billboard Top 10 of 2009 as chosen by Billboard readers have revealed their results today. We were flattered to see "Guilty Pleasure" by Ashley Tisdale (June 21 - 28, 2009) cracked the top 10 list at #7. Even though #1 was "The Fame" by Lady GaGa, it did do a lot better than most other talentless albums, like Rihanna's "Rated R", which did no better than #9. And if that wasn't enough, #7 was also the lucky number for Tisdale in the readers' poll for the Billboard Top 10 of the past decade. The #1 album on that poll was Michael Jackson's last ever album, "Invincible". For an album that did poorly on the Billboard 200, we are glad that "Guilty Pleasure" at least made an impact with somebody. And the fact that it was chosen by readers once again shows why she was the chosen one on our website in the first place.

Artist Of The Year Introduces The Wildcards

Alright, we haven't been giving a lot of people any updates on the Artist of the Year Faceoff, but it's still running. Right now, half of our semi-final spots are filled up. Locksley is our representive for January, Seymoure will support our February winners, Kelly Clarkson is representing March, Junior Doctor won our April preliminaries, Jimmy Wayne is in it for May, and one of our June winners Wake the Light is our recent semi-finalist.

Last year, we had 12 semi-finalists, which became three finalists. This year, with our very special weeks this year, we are opening up a Wildcard slot. There will be three Wildcard preliminaries because two polls this year will produce seven winners, including next week's Lollapalooza sequel.

First, we will go through the winners from our Bamboozle week. The nominees are:

*Demi Lovato

*Closure in Moscow

*Care Bears on Fire

*Tiffany Giardina

*Runner Runner

*Single File

*All The Day Holiday

Now in this preliminary and in the Lollapalooza preliminary, we will run each for 6 days. Each poll also begins on a Monday. The poll is right below at the end of this article

EdgeMusic Artist of the Year Preliminary Wildcard

Wildcard Group #1: Bamboozle Festival Winners

Who should represent the Bamboozle winners in our Wildcard Semifinals?

Demi Lovato
Closure in Moscow
Care Bears On Fire
Tiffany Giardina
Runner Runner
Single File
All the Day Holiday

View Results

Myspace polls

Week 98 Results

Okay, the poll has been closed, and the votes have been counted. It's time to reveal who won last week's contest.

Last week, we had 332 votes come in. Winning by more than 46% of the vote...

KRIS ALLEN IS THE NEW EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Kris Allen on the win, and thanks to everyone who voted. Kris will be featured on EdgeMusic starting now and ending on Saturday, December 12th. The new poll will be up shortly.

Final Results:

KRIS ALLEN - 46.69%

Crosby Loggins - 34.94%

Hot Chelle Rae - 13.86%

311 - 3.01%

Amie Miriello - 1.51%

EdgeMusic Artist of the Year Semi-Finalist, Seymore, Has Called It Quits

We knew we would eventually witness the first breakup of a band in our EdgeMusic alumni sooner or later. We almost saw it happen twice, when Sound the Alarm and First Class Fever went on hiatus. The first break-up just happened with one of this year's Artist of the Year Semi-Finalists, Seymoure. Last Friday, Wes posted a blog about the status of the band.

"I'm sure many people have guessed by the lack of activity on the myspace but for those who didn't put two and two together, we've decided to call it quits on old Seymoure. It's been a great two years, but due to school and different goals in life we've decided to hang up our hats. Stay tuned for more details on our final show. And thank you to anyone who has ever bought a CD/Shirt, come to a show, or even just left us a comment. I don't know if you realize it but you left an impact on these four boys from East Texas."

We are sorry to hear about this tragic news, but we wish everyone in the band the best of luck with their futures.

Who Is Ryan Star?

Ryan Star pulled in an astonishing amount of support from fans that voted to make him the new EdgeMusic Artist of the Week. With that much support, we want to know what makes him that special to everyone, and where did this all originate from. We are about to figure out right now who is Ryan Star.

Ryan Star Kulchinsky was born in Dix Hills, which is located in Long Island, New York, on January 7th, 1978. He started to play music at a young age, and at age 14, he formed his own band Stage. He was the lead singer alongside Petr Anselmo, Greg Meyer and Justin Parker. They were signed to Maverick Records, and their self-titled debut was released in 2003. Unfortunately, the band parted ways in that same year.

Three years later in 2006, Ryan Star made his solo breakthrough on the CBS talent show "Rock Star Supernova".

Paramore "Brick By Boring Brick" Music Video Premiere

Just one question, and it doesn't involve Hayley's new hair color. There's no problem with that. The question is: Why does the gravedigger bury the girl after the she falls into the hole? He may not even know if she's really dead or not.

Demi Lovato "Remember December" Music Video Premiere

Ashley Tisdale Was Robbed!

And she was robbed terribly. Ashley Tisdale (June 20 - 28, 2009) was reportedly the victim of a robbery. Some guy broke into her home in Toluca Lake and stole some of her valuable items. No word yet on what was actually taken from her, but the guy who did break into her home has a giant criminal record of recent events. Jonathan Ajar, nicknamed "Johnny Dangerous", is part of a gang of Hollywood burglars that have already robbed several celebrities in the past month. They have also robbed the homes of Megan Fox from "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen", Brian Austin Green of "Beverly Hills 90210" and wannabe white rapper fame, socialite Paris Hilton, ticking time bomb Lindsay Lohan, former "OC" star Rachel Bilson, "The Hills" actress Audrina Partridge, and slimeball Orlando Bloom. We will definitely keep an eye out on this dude. The first sign that this guy is not that threatening is when he adopts the moniker of a Michael Keaton movie.

Ashley Tisdale "Crank It Up" Live From Arizona

Here's to hoping she doesn't become a forgotten Disney star like Christy Carlson Romano.

Who Is Paramore?

Paramore was nominated 4 times prior to last week's contest, and on their last nomination, they finally edged out a narrow win to become the EdgeMusic Artist of the Week. So now we have to answer this question: Who Is Paramore?

Since Paramore does have a strong mainstream fan base, you may know who they are by now. However, two weeks ago, their third album "Brand New Eyes" debuted at #2, while Barbara Streisand held the #1 spot on the Billboard 200. So maybe, not everyone knows who they are. So if you didn't help the band debut at #1, here a look at the story of Paramore.

Week 91 Results

Okay, the poll has been closed, and the votes have been counted. It's time to reveal who won last week's poll.

Last week, 18 votes were cast. Winning by over 38% of the vote...

PARAMORE IS THE NEW EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Paramore on the win, and thanks to everyone who voted. Paramore will be featured on EdgeMusic starting now and ending on Saturday. The new poll will be up shortly.

Ashley Tisdale "It's Alright, It's OK" Live on MTVLA Awards

First off, the vocal have improved spectacularly on this song. Second, is that a one-piece bathing suit?

Cartel "Let's Go" Music Video Premiere

Cartel's new album "Cycles" comes out on Tuesday. This is the video for their first single "Let's Go".

We The Kings "Heaven Can Wait" Music Video Premiere

We the Kings will release their sophomore album "Smile, Kid" on December 8th. This video is for their first single released last month.

Billboard 200 Update (October 14, 2009)

The Backstreet Boys (May 4 - 11, 2008) debuted at #9 this week with their seventh album "This Is Us". The album moved 42,000 copies, which is almost half of the sales for 2007's "Unbreakable" in its first week, which debuted at #7. Their peak had already ended, but this was no fault to the boys. They could have gotten a lot more promotion in this week to boost the sales if Brian Littrell hadn't caught the swine flu. We were sure that promotion would take a good hit after that.

Artist of the Year Preliminary Round #9 Results

Yesterday, we ran the poll for our ninth preliminary round in our EdgeMusic Artist of the Year Faceoff. We published the poll on our Facebook account and our Twitter account. This preliminary featured all the winners featured on EdgeMusic in September 2009. The winners from last month are:

*Cheap Trick (September 6 - 13)

*Tamar Kaprelian (September 13 - 20)

*The Helio Sequence (September 20 - 27)

*David Cook (September 27 - October 4)

The poll ran for only yesterday throughout the whole day. Now we will reveal our ninth semi-finalist. So far, we have had Locksley, Seymoure, Kelly Clarkson, Junior Doctor, Jimmy Wayne, Wake the Light, Jonas Sees In Color, and The Right Coast put through to the next stage. Yesterday, 21 votes were cast. Winning by a close 38% of the vote...

TAMAR KAPRELIAN IS A SEMI-FINALIST IN OUR EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE YEAR FACEOFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Tamar Kaprelian on advancing to the next stage, and thanks to everyone who voted. Cheap Trick received no votes, but The Helio Sequence and David Cook put up a good fight. One vote separated the first and second place artists, and one vote separated the second and third place artists. Tamar will represent the September winners in our semi-finals. She will be the first person to participate in our third semi-final round. In the next three months, we will determine the semi-finalists from October, November and December. The semi-finals will take place at the end of the year.

Final Results:

TAMAR KAPRELIAN - 38.1%

The Helio Sequence - 33.33%

David Cook - 28.57%

Cheap Trick - 0%

Week 90 Results

Okay, the poll has been closed, and the votes have been counted. It's time to find out who won last week's contest.

Last week, 17 votes were counted. Winning by over 41% of the vote...

A LOSS FOR WORDS IS THE NEW EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to A Loss For Words on the win, and thanks to everyone who voted.

Shelby Cobra Also Has Swine Flu

We already reported on how Brian Littrell became the first EdgeMusic alum to catch the dreaded swine flu one day before the Backstreet Boys released their new album "This Is Us". Now we found out more to this horrible situation: there's another EdgeMusic alum who has the infamous pig virus. Shelby Cobra of KSM has confirmed that she had the swine flu.

Elliot James Leaves Hey Monday

As Hey Monday's term as the current EdgeMusic Artist of the Week ends tomorrow, the band has been hit with a curveball that is not an excellent way to end a winner's reign. Elliot James has announced he is leaving the band.

Brian Littrell Diagnosed With Swine Flu

Tomorrow, the Backstreet Boys release their new album "This Is Us", and they are using every opportunity they have to get people to buy the album. So it was appropriate that the worst case scenario was the dreaded swine flu. Today, it was confirmed that Brian Littrell has been diagnosed with the one disease that no musician or EdgeMusic alum wants to have. While it's the biggest epidemic to spread throughout the Earth this entire year, it's not fatal. You just have to take the regular medication. What we learned that swine flu is the same as regular flu. The only difference is that it lasts up to a week rather than a 4 to 5 day basis. This pretty screws up the band's promotional plans this week, which is what they needed to guarantee a great first week debut. The cancelled appearances include a performance on CBS's The Early Show tomorrow morning, an intimate performance at PC Richards in New York City, and a signing for Hard Rock Live's PINKTOBER event in New York City. Now the boys can only hope to figure out how to sort out the rest of their promo schedule and hope that it catches on to music consumers through the songs. The last thing they need in their career is the swine flu.

Ashley Tisdale Cast In "Sleeping Beauty"

Remember when we told you about Ashley Tisdale going back to blonde because she said she was being cast in a new movie. Well now, she has confirmed what the project is: a live-action remake of the Disney classic, "Sleeping Beauty". She will be shooting the movie on November 25th, and she will star alongside Meg Ryan. The only way you could make me go see this movie is if Ashley's the one playing Princess Aurora.

Week 89 Results

Okay, the poll has been closed, and the votes have been counted. It's time to reveal who won last week's poll.

Last week, 20 votes were cast. Winning by only 65% of the votes...

HEY MONDAY IS THE NEW EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Hey Monday on the win, and thanks to everyone who voted. The band will be featured on EdgeMusic starting now and ending on Saturday. The new poll will be up shortly.

Final Results:

HEY MONDAY - 65%

New Found Glory - 30%

Shinedown - 5%

Miggs - 0%

Lynyrd Skynyrd - 0%

Flo-Rida II (Week 89)

Okay, the nominees have been selected, the poll has been created, and the vote is now open. Here's the lowdown on this week's EdgeMusic Artist of the Week contest.

Who should be the EdgeMusic Artist of the Week from Octpber 4 - 11?

Shinedown

Hey Monday

New Found Glory

Miggs

Lynyrd Skynyrd

View Results

Myspace Polls

Week 88 Results

Okay, the poll has been closed, and the votes have been tallied. It's time to reveal who won last week's contest.

Last week, 34 votes were cast. Winning by a unanimous vote...

DAVID COOK IS THE NEW EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to David Cook on the win, and thanks to everyone who voted. David Cook will be featured on EdgeMusic starting now and ending on Saturday. The new poll will be up shortly.

An Update On Ashley Tisdale

Ashley Tisdale was one of two EdgeMusic Artists of the Week featured from June 20-27, 2009. She tied for first with KSM. Since then, she has done heavy promotion for her second album "Guilty Pleasure" and her most recent film "Aliens In The Attic" which both premiered during the same week in July.

Since then, her film opened up below average at #5 with 8 million in its first weekend. The film has grossed over $24 million, but she's still at work on acting. She's continuing her voiceover role as Candace on Disney's "Phineas and Ferb". Also, she's at work on a new role, which had her switch back to blonde hair for the first time in a year. Currently, she hasn't confirmed the whole detail on the film, but she plans to reveal the full lowdown in the weeks to come. Ashley was born a brunette, but I was introduced to her as a blonde, so I'm glad she went back to blonde. The brunette hair fit better than I expected for the album, but I was concerned that she would put herself as another ripoff of Miley Cyrus's ripoffs of Diana DeGarmo.

No Messing With Texas II (Week 88)

Okay, the nominees have been selected, the poll has been created, and the vote is now open. Here's the lowdown on this week's EdgeMusic Artist of the Week contest.

EdgeMusic Artist of the Week Poll (Week 88)

This Week's Theme: No Messing With Texas II

Who should be the EdgeMusic Artist of the Week from September 27 - October 4?

David Cook
Erin McCarley
Green River Ordinance
A Bird A Sparrow
This Year's Fashion

View Results

Myspace polls

Week 87 Results

Okay, the poll has been closed, and the votes have been tallied. It's time to reveal who won last week's contest.

Last week, 64 votes were cast. Winning by 64% of the vote...

THE HELIO SEQUENCE IS THE NEW EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to The Helio Sequence on the win, and thanks to everyone who voted. The Helio Sequence will be featured on EdgeMusic starting now and ending on Saturday. The new poll will be up shortly.

Final Results:

THE HELIO SEQUENCE - 64.06%

Everclear - 28.13%

The Decemberists - 7.81%

Stars of Track and Field - 0%

Mat Kearney - 0%

Who Is Tamar Kaprelian?

Tamar Kaprelian has received more than 85% of the vote last week to become the new EdgeMusic Artist of the Week. She pulled in 79 out of all the 92 votes that were cast. So now, we need to answer this question: Who Is Tamar Kaprelian?

Tamar Kaprelian was born in Scottdale, Arizona in 1987. She was raised by Armenian parents in Georgia and California. She grew up singing while watching classic Disney films, and she was eventually influenced by Billy Joel and Paul McCartney.

In March 2008, her first big exposure came when she did a YouTube video of her version of "Apologize" by OneRepublic. She entered the OneRepublic cover contest and won by an overwhelming response. The band later started working with Tamar on her solo stuff.



Not long after, she shot her first ever music video for "New Day".



In September of 2008, she began working on her album. Co-workers have so far included OneRepublic. Meanwhile, she has done background vocals for live televised performances of the All-American Rejects' smash hit "Gives You Hell". She has appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Ellen, Jimmy Kimmel, and a few other shows.



In June of 2009, her solo career made its first major break when "New Day" was featured on the season finale of MTV's "The Hills" during the final scene where Lauren Conrad left Spencer Pratt's wedding and the show for good. It was featured again on "The Soup" when they talked about the clip. Soon after, she was featured on MTV Buzzworthy, and iTunes released the song immediately.

Today, her album is completed and is rumored to be titled "It Is What It Is". It will be released on Interscope Records. She has already released two other singles: "Delicate Soul" and "Three Simple Words", which was released last week. With a fresh, melodic sound and a sweet surface, her music will captivate a new audience. That is who Tamar Kaprelian is.

Week 86 Results

Okay, the poll has been closed, and the votes have been counted. It's time to reveal who won last week's EdgeMusic Artist of the Week contest.

Last week, 92 votes were cast. Winning by almost 86% of the vote...

TAMAR KAPRELIAN IS THE NEW EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Tamar Kaprelian on the win, and thanks to everyone who voted. Tamar Kaprelian will be featured on EdgeMusic starting now and ending on Saturday. The new poll will be up shortly.

Final Results:

TAMAR KAPRELIAN - 85.87%

Michelle Branch - 6.52%

The Maine - 5.43%

Jordin Sparks - 2.17%

Jimmy Eat World - 0%

Demi Lovato "Gift Of A Friend" Music Video Premiere

This is a nice, pleasant song. I'm not confident it will break into the Hot 100 at all. Unless they release the movie that the song is featured on soon. "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure" will be released October 27th.

Artist Of The Year Preliminary Round #8

Today is the only day to vote in this preliminary round in our EdgeMusic Artist of the Year Faceoff. This round pits together all winners from August. The winner will represent August in the semi-finals, which will take place at the end of the year. The contenders are:

*Elliott Yamin

*Staggerford

*Cleverform

*The Right Coast

EdgeMusic Artist Of The Year Preliminary Round #8

August 2009 Preliminaries

Who should represent August in the EdgeMusic Artist of the Year Semifinals?

Elliott Yamin
Staggerford
Cleverform
The Right Coast

View Results

Myspace polls

Cheap Trick "The Flame" Live From New Orleans (08.18.2009)

This week's EdgeMusic Artist of the Week, Cheap Trick, was one of the opening acts for the concert we went to on August 18th headlined by past EdgeMusic winner Def Leppard (May 11 - 25, 2008). Since Cheap Trick wasn't an EdgeMusic winner yet, we excluded them from the coverage. But I did capture one of their performances on video. I even uploaded it on our YouTube account, but I wasn't confident that they would ever become featured on EdgeMusic one day. We do not rig the votes in any way, and last week's poll proved why they are the most underrated band of all time.

But the real reason why we captured this video is because the song they performed was the greatest song of all-time, and it still is. Now I can share with you my all-time favorite song, "The Flame", which became their only #1 single on the Hot 100 back in 1988.

Week 85 Results

Okay, the poll has been closed, and the votes have tallied. It's time to reveal who won last week's contest.

Last week, 135 votes have been cast. Winning by only 84% of the vote...

CHEAP TRICK IS THE NEW EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Cheap Trick on the win, and thanks to everyone who voted. Cheap Trick will be featured on EdgeMusic starting now and ending on Saturday. The new poll will be up in a little while.

Final Results:

CHEAP TRICK - 84.44%

The Last Vegas - 10.37%

Wilco - 2.96%

The White Tie Affair - 1.48%

Plain White T's - 0%

Raising Arizona II (Week 86)

Okay, the new nominees have been selected, the poll has been created, and the vote is now open. Here's the lowdown on this week's EdgeMusic Artist of the Week poll.

EdgeMusic Artist of the Week Poll (Week 86)

This Week's Theme: Raising Arizona II

Who should be the EdgeMusic Artist of the Week from September 13 - 20?

Michelle Branch
Tamar Kaprelian
Jordin Sparks
The Maine
Jimmy Eat World

View Results

Myspace polls

Backstreet Boys "Straight Through My Heart" Video Premiere

You can tell from this music video that it's all or nothing for these guys.

Van Atta High "Birthday Girl" Music Video

Week 84 Results

Okay, the poll has been closed, and the votes have been counted. It's time to reveal who won last week's contest.

Last week, 28 votes were cast. Winning by only one vote, with 42% of the vote...

THE RIGHT COAST IS THE NEW EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to The Right Coast on the win, and thanks to everyone who voted. The Right Coast will be featured on EdgeMusic starting now and ending on Saturday, September 5th. The new poll will be up shortly.

Final Results:

THE RIGHT COAST - 42.86%

Halestorm - 39.29%

innerpartysystem - 10.71%

Ween - 7.14%

Hall & Oates - 0%

Backstreet Boys on Chelsea Lately

Philly Phanatics III (Week 84)

This week's theme is Philly Phanatics III. This is the third time EdgeMusic has ever focused on the state of Pennsylvania. The first time was in October of 2008, where Strikes Again won the vote. The second time was in March of this year, and P!nk won the vote. This week, we have 5 new nominees from the state of Pennsylvania. The nominees are:

*The Right Coast (Lancaster) This is the second time they have received an EdgeMusic nomination.

*Ween (New Hope)

*innerpartysystem (Mohnton) This is the fourth time they have received an EdgeMusic nomination.

*Halestorm (Red Lion)

*Hall & Oates (Philadelphia)

EdgeMusic Artist of the Week Poll (Week 84)

This Week's Theme: Philly Phanatics III

Who should be the EdgeMusic Artist of the Week from August 30 - September 5?

The Right Coast
Ween
innerpartysystem
Halestorm
Hall & Oates

View Results

Myspace polls

Van Atta High "Afternoon Delight" Music Video

Def Leppard "Armageddon It" Live From New Orleans (08.18.2009)

Week 83 Results

Okay, the poll has been closed, and the votes have been counted. It's time to reveal who won last week's contest.

Last week, 174 votes were cast. Winning by only 64% of the vote...

CLEVERFORM IS THE NEW EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Cleverform on the win, and thanks to everyone who voted. Cleverform will be featured on EdgeMusic starting now and ending on Saturday. The new poll will be up shortly.

Final Results:

CLEVERFORM - 64.94%

Colour Revolt - 18.97%

At Cliffs End - 12.64%

Wavorly - 2.3%

Fox Chase Drive - 1.15%

Def Leppard "Love Bites" Live From New Orleans (08.18.2009)

Def Leppard perform their only Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit "Love Bites" at the New Orleans Arena.

Def Leppard "Nine Lives" Live From New Orleans (08.18.2009)

Def Leppard (May 11 - 25, 2008) perform the first single released from their latest album "Songs From The Sparkle Lounge" at the New Orleans Arena.

Def Leppard "Animal" Live From New Orleans (08.18.2009)

Def Leppard perform their smash hit "Animal" from their classic album "Hysteria" at the New Orleans Arena.

Def Leppard "Rock Rock (Til You Drop)"/"Rocket" Live From New Orleans (08.18.2009)

Def Leppard (May 11 - 25, 2008) open their set at the New Orleans Arena on a stop in their 2009 summer tour. This video features the first two songs they performed: "Rock Rock ('Til You Drop)" from their 26 year old album "Pyromania", and "Rocket" from their blockbuster "Hysteria".

Backstreet Boys "Straight Through My Heart" Single On iTunes

The Backstreet Boys (May 4 - 11, 2008) have released a new song titled "Straight Through My Heart". It is the first single off their upcoming seventh album, "This Is Us", which hits stores October 6th. The song is produced by RedOne, who produced Lady GaGa's music, as well as the New Kids on the Block (July 20 - 27, 2008) comeback album "The Block". They have been back so many times now since 2005. This is their third comeback, but this time, it's for the radio stations. This song is a dance-pop track that reflects their previous dance hits. The only question is if it will become a hit. You can buy "Straight Through My Heart" on iTunes right now.

Five Times August Achieve $20,000!

Our second ever Artist of the Week, Five Times August (November 11 - 18, 2007), had annouced a month ago that Brad Skitsmas (the only person in the band) needs $20,000 raised in order to release his next album. The deadline was Midnight August 16th. With 4 hours left to go, Brad has crossed the $20,000 mark. I was afraid that he would never cross it, but he was able to do it with hours left to spare. Thank you, fans of Five Times August, for allowing the band to continue doing music without a major label. Now, "Life As A Song" will be released on October 13th.

Mississippi Queen (Week 83)

Okay, the nominees have been selected, the new poll has been created, and the vote is now open. Here's the lowdown on this week's EdgeMusic Artist of the Week contest.

This week, the theme is "Mississippi Queen". Mississippi became the 20th state to be admitted into the United States on December 10th, 1817. It is currently the 31st most popular state and the 32nd largest state in area. The capital and the most popular city is Jackson, Mississippi. Mississippi is known for the Mississippi River, where it takes its name from.

Musicians from the state's Delta region have been significant in the Blues genre. The genre began to rise during Reconstruction and has been the origin of many Blues artists. Also, its significance in American music as a whole is recognized as well. Its most famous music native is Elvis Presley (today is the 32nd anniversary of his death). He was born in Tupelo, and he had gone on to crossover in the 1950s and popularize the rock n' roll genre. Other natives in music are Tammy Wynette, Bo Diddley, Britney Spears (NOTE: KENTWOOD, LOUISIANA DOESN'T HAVE ANY HOSPITALS), Brandy Norwood, Ray J, LeAnn Rimes, Jimmy Buffett, Faith Hill, and B.B. King.

This week's contest is between 5 bands from the state of Mississippi. The nominees are:

*Colour Revolt (Oxford)

*Fox Chase Drive (Jackson)

*Wavorly (Tupelo)

*Cleverform (Jackson)

*At Cliffs End (Jackson)

Those are your nominees this week. You can vote on either this website (poll listed below), or you can vote on our MySpace profile. Voting ends Saturday night at 11 PM Eastern. Results announced at Midnight.

EdgeMusic Artist of the Week Poll (Week 83)

This Week's Theme: Mississippi Queen

Who should be the EdgeMusic Artist of the Week from August 23 - 30?

Colour Revolt
Fox Chase Drive
Wavorly
Cleverform
At Cliffs End

View Results

Myspace polls

Week 82 Results

Okay, the poll has been closed, and the results have been tallied. It's time to find out who won last week's contest.

Last week, 85 votes have been cast. Winning by 58% of the vote...

STAGGERFORD IS OUR NEW EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Staggerford on the win, and thanks to everyone who voted. Staggerford will be featured on EdgeMusic starting now and ending on Saturday, August 22nd. The new poll will be up shortly.

Final Results:

STAGGERFORD - 58.82%

Learning to Fall - 22.35%

Go Crash Audio - 11.76%

311 - 7.06%

For Against - 0%

Elliott Yamin's New Single "Cant Keep On Loving You"

This week's EdgeMusic Artist of the Week, Elliott Yamin, has announced his second single off of his latest album "Fight For Love". The song is called "Can't Keep On Loving You (From A Distance)". It was released to radio stations this past Monday, so call whatever stations have it and request for the song.

Day 6 Of Voting

Today is the sixth day in our Omaha Beef contest. Tomorrow is the last day to vote. You are picking who you want to see on EdgeMusic next week. The nominees are 311, Go Crash Audio, Staggerford, For Against, and Learning to Fall. Voting ends tomorrow at 11 PM Eastern.

EdgeMusic Artist of the Week Poll (Week 82)

This Week's Theme: Omaha Beef

Who should be the EdgeMusic Artist of the Week from August 16 - 23?

311
Go Crash Audio
Staggerford
For Against
Learning To Fall

View Results

Myspace polls

Teen Choice 2009 Winners

Since we have a loyal fanbase of teenagers, we knew one of our EdgeMusic alums would win in this year's Teen Choice 2009 Awards. We basically know our fans, and 3 of our EdgeMusic alums had won at least one Teen Choice Award (in which the trophy is an actual surfboard). These are the categories our alums took an award home in:

Choice TV Breakout Show: JONAS (starring the Jonas Brothers)

Choice TV Actor Comedy: Jonas Brothers "JONAS"

Choice TV Breakout Star Female: Demi Lovato "Sonny With A Chance"

Choice Music Breakout Artist: David Archuleta

Choice Music Love Song: David Archuleta "Crush"

Choice Music Tour: Demi Lovato and David Archuleta (which we went to see last month)

Choice Music Summer Song: Jonas Brothers "Before the Storm"

Choice Red Carpet Icon Male: Jonas Brothers

In total, our alums have taken home 10 Teen Choice Awards. EDGEMUSIC VICTORY!

Week 81 Winner

Okay, the poll has been closed, and the votes have been counted. It's time to reveal who won last week's poll.

Last week, 669 votes were cast. And get this: only three votes separate the top two vote-getters. Winning by only 47% of the vote...

ELLIOTT YAMIN IS THE EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Omaha Beef (Week 82)

EdgeMusic Artist of the Week Poll (Week 82)

This Week's Theme: Omaha Beef

Who should be the EdgeMusic Artist of the Week from August 16 - 23?

311
Go Crash Audio
Staggerford
For Against
Learning To Fall

View Results

Myspace polls

Demi Lovato Does Okay In Second Week. Ashley Tisdale Starts Out Rough.

This week's Billboard charts were released yesterday. While we knew Demi Lovato (April 26 - May 3, 2009) wasn't gonna keep the #1 slot again on the Billboard 200, "Here We Go Again" has a decent decline to #8 with 39,000 copies, which is a 64% decline. The album has sold 146,000 copies so far, so it might be here for a while. Fabolous took the top spot, by the way.

However, it wasn't a good start for Ashley Tisdale (June 21 - 28, 2009). Her second album "Guilty Pleasure" debuts at #12 with 25,000 copies. It's bad enough her movie "Aliens in the Attic" did mediocre in its opening weekend, but the album doesn't do better than "Headstrong" in its opening week back in 2007. That album debuted at #4 with 64,000 copies. It wasn't Ashley's fault or anything. The promotion was all good except for the first single. She may need to release "Masquerade" or "Hot Mess" as a single very soon, because "It's Alright, It's OK" is not going to help her out unless the payola kicks in.

The Third Results From Week 80

Okay, today is Tuesday, August 4th, 2009. That means it's time to announce another winner from last week's Lollapalooza II contest. So far, we have featured Manchester Orchestra and Cage the Elephant on EdgeMusic. Now, we will announce the third of our seven winners this week. This poll pulled in 14 votes. Winning with 78% of the vote...

PASSION PIT IS ONE OF OUR EDGEMUSIC ARTISTS OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Second Results From Week 80

How about we announce some more winners? Today is Monday August 3rd, so it's time to announce our second winner. We already have announced that Manchester Orchestra is the winner from the first poll. Now this poll was between Ben Folds, Santigold, Kaiser Chiefs, The Gaslight Anthem, and Cage the Elephant. This poll pulled in 24 votes. Winning by only 83% of the vote...

CAGE THE ELEPHANT IS ONE OF OUR EDGEMUSIC ARTISTS OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The First Results From Week 80

Okay, the polls have been closed, and the votes have been tallied. We will now beginning the winners of all of last week's contest. One winner will be announced every day this week. Today, we will announce the winner of the first poll, which was between Gomez, Manchester Orchestra, Deerhunter, Of Montreal, and Vampire Weekend. This poll saw 12 votes cast. After receiving 41% of the vote...

MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA IS OUR FIRST EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Manchester Orchestra on the win, and thanks to those who voted them one of our Artists of the Week. They will be featured throughout the week starting now and ending on Saturday. The next winner will be announced tomorrow. In the meantime, the new poll is up right now.

Final Results:

MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA - 41.97%

Gomez - 33.33%

Vampire Weekend - 25%

Deerhunter - 0%

Of Montreal - 0%

Meet Virginia II (Week 81)

Okay, the new nominees have been selected, the new poll has been created, and the vote is now open.

EdgeMusic Artist of the Week Poll (Week 81)

This Week's Theme: Meet Virginia II

Who should be the EdgeMusic Artist of the Week from August 9 - 16?

Parachute
Jason Mraz
Elliott Yamin
My Favorite Highway
Dave Matthews Band

View Results

Myspace polls

Boys Like Girls "Love Drunk" Music Video Premiere

Ashley Tisdale "It's Alright, It's OK" Live on The View

Great performance of a weak single

She's Singing In The Rain. Just Singing In The Rain.

What a glorious feeling, her album's #1! Demi Lovato (April 26 - May 3, 2009) has just received the news that her album "Here We Go Again" has debuted at #! on the Billboard 200. In its first week, it sold 107,000 copies. That doesn't say much despite the current state of the music industry, but it performed better than her debut album "Don't Forget" in its first week last year, which debuted at #2 with 89,000 copies. More info on this story as it develops, but in the meantime, EDGEMUSIC VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ashley Tisdale "Guilty Pleasure" CD Review

Ashley Tisdale's first album "Headstrong" started off in a rough spot commercially. Either no one took the time to hear it, or Ashley (June 21 - 28, 2009) didn't take the time to promote it fully with shooting of "High School Musical 2" around that same time. Afterwards, she made up the rest of the promo duties in October of 2007. After earning a Gold certification at 471,000 copies sold, it didn't make a giant impact. But it wasn't a disaster like we quickly assumed considering that it sounded similar to the failed debut album that Diana DeGarmo (May 25 - June 1, 2008) put out.

Now in the year 2009, Ashley might have went to the same hairstylist that DeGarmo had and came out a brunette. But that's not her only change. Her second album "Guilty Pleasure" takes on the pop/rock sound with the electrorock subgenre, which was different from the first album. With the exception of the Timbaland-ish "Crank It Up", the entire album is jammed in the middle between the Hilary Duff/Lindsay Lohan teen rock from Disney's past and the Miley Cyrus/Selena Gomez electronic pop/rock from Disney's present.

The "High School Musical" breakout, whose vocals still aren't as powerful as Demi Lovato's (April 26 - May 3, 2009), sounds scattered on "It's Alright, It's OK". Limping from note to note to high note and sounding like Kidz Bop covering "So What" by Pink (March 1 - 8, 2009), the album's first single doesn't make a giant mistake like it wanted to. As much as she tries to show her growth, the vocals sound constrained, and the amazement is not there. Tisdale hasn't even gotten a handle on the slow ballads yet. On "What If", she struggles to shake off the Broadway pitch for "American Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi's soft tune. It comes across as an outtake from the "High School Musical 3" soundtrack as well as a sequel to the wobbly ballad "Unlove You" from her debut album.

When listening to the lyrics on "Hair", those who miss the blonde ambition she had with Sharpay Evans and Maddie from "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" will find it hard to endure through the full song. Also sounding like a bad pun, "Hot Mess" is a decent track, but considering what didn't impress already, the album could have been either summed up as a hot mess or made into a more appropriate title for this album until the rest of the album is played.

Listeners are prone to doubt the potential of Disney stars but have never counted out Ashley. As you listen to "Overrated" you can somehow identify it as a top 40 ready smash that would have made a better first single than "It's Alright, It's OK". Ashley could have also substituted in "Masquerade". This radio-friendly jam sounds pitchy when sung live, but it gives Ashley room to grow as a vocalist. She comes out swinging toward the end of the album with knockouts like "Me Without You" and "Switch".

In a typical discussion, Tisdale is often labeled as the fabricated Disney tycoon instantly, but Tisdale's showbiz record has less in common with everyone else than anyone takes the time to notice. While she had her first encounter with Disney at the regular starting age of 13, her first appearance in a Disney product was in the 1998 Pixar film "A Bug's Life". While every other Disney star was still a teenager at their breakthrough, Tisdale turned 21 when "High School Musical" took off. While all of her good Disney friends got record deals from Hollywood Records, Ashley made a bold decision by signing to Warner Bros. Records. It may not get her videos on YouTube due to the label's feud with that website, but they supported every decision Ashley went with. Most of these songs flow better than the first single, and she finishes this round feeling like a champion.

This review can also be read on my Rate Your Music profile (misterturk182)

Kelly Clarkson Hates "Already Gone"

Kelly Clarkson (March 8 - 15, 2009) is now releasing her third official single from her fourth album "All I Ever Wanted". Turns out, the song was the one she NEVER wanted: "Already Gone".

Week 79 Results

Okay, the poll has been closed, and the votes are now tallied up. It's time to reveal who won last week's poll.

Last week, 6 votes were cast. By a unanimous vote...

YOUR FAVORITE SCENE IS THE NEW EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Your Favorite Scene on the win, and thanks to everyone who voted.

Okay, Demi. You Can Stop Crying Now.

Billboard has reported that Demi Lovato's current single "Here We Go Again" has finally broken into the top 40 tier of the Billboard Hot 100. The song debuted 4 weeks ago at #51. Last week, it was #66. This week, it has jumped 42 spots to #24! This is only the second top 40 hit to date by Demi (April 26 - May 3, 2009). Her first top 40 hit was "This is Me", which was the Camp Rock duet with Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers (August 31 - September 7, 2008). Two songs from her debut album have come so close to breaking into the top 40 (Get Back peaked at #43, and Don't Forget was right on the edge at#41). We're proud of Demi, and now she's not in danger of being discussed in one of VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonder countdowns.

Oh yeah, and if Demi still cries every now and then, we won't stop her. It's actually sweet.

Demi Lovato's new album "Here We Go Again" is out now. Buy it. Or else the cops will catch you.

Week 78 Results

Okay, the poll has been closed, and the votes have been counted. It's time to reveal who won last week's contest.

Last week, 264 votes were cast. After receiving over 85% of the vote...

JONAS SEES IN COLOR IS THE NEW EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Jonas Sees in Color on the win, and thanks to everyone who voted. Jonas Sees in Color will be featured on EdgeMusic starting now and lasting all the way to Saturday, July 25th. The new poll will be up shortly.

Final Results:

JONAS SEES IN COLOR - 85.61%

The Fear of Falling - 8.33%

Belson - 4.17%

The Mile After - 1.52%

Rookie of the Year - 0.38%

First Class Fever Is On Indefinite Hiatus

First Class Fever (July 13 - 20, 2008) just announced a year after they have become an EdgeMusic winner that they are going on an indefinite hiatus. This was their explanation on their MySpace blog titled "Pew! Pew! LaZer... GONE! FCF on Hiatus.":

Hey everyone,

There comes a time in everyone's life where they need to take a step back, re-evaluate what they're doing, and make some hard decisions. We're are going to be calling it quits for awhile. There are plenty of reasons why we have made this decision, but the main thing is, there is only so much a band can take without going anywhere.

We want to thank everyone for the amazing memories:
Our first show ever at The Door, meeting our first fan mackenzie.
Plano Centre Shows
Warped Tour
Hitting no. 25 on TheDailyChorus.com's Top Unsigned List
Recording with Geoff Rockwell
Touring with our boys in The Rad and Select Start
and most importantly getting to meet all of our amazing fans and supporters.

John will be focusing on producing artists! You can listen to "NYC or Bust" and "Gossip Girl" on our myspace as examples of his work.

Andy and Eric will be returning to College to pursue degrees.

Dillon and Joe will be around so I'm sure you'll see them at shows and such.

No one is giving up on music so be on the look out for new projects!

We will be having a massive merch sale and if a band needs a trailer in great shape hit us up for pics and specs!

Much Love,
First Class Fever

If this is the last we hear from them, we thank them for what they've brought to EdgeMusic. We will always remember them.

Boys Like Girls Are No Longer One Hit Wonders!

Boys Like Girls (January 6 - 13, 2008) released their new single "Love Drunk" not too long ago. Last week, it premiered at #46, which disappointed us because when it came out, it was #2 on iTunes, and then it fell down several spots.

However, this week, the song has shot up to #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in its second week! It was also recognized as the week's biggest sales gainer thanks to iTunes. The only prior time that they broke into the Top 40 was almost two years ago with their first-ever single "The Great Escape". Now the worst they can be considered is a two-hit wonder, which isn't as bad.

Do Care Bears On Fire Suck?

Care Bears on Fire were voted as one of seven EdgeMusic Artist of the Week, all of which were featured from April 26th - May 3rd of 2009. What we didn't know that Care Bears on Fire were getting ready to release a new album at the time, and that album is out today according to iTunes. We know their talent is there somewhere, we were disappointed with the album that they put out. A bunch of 16 year olds doing Punk Rock ala Ramones is the equivalent of 7 year olds doing rap music. It doesn't work that well. They have the iTunes feedback to prove it. The album holds a 2 STAR RATING AVERAGE. The reviews on there are extremely negative.

Care Bears on Fire had won their poll for a reason. Their fans believed that they have some kind of talent in their music. In my opinion, it's there somewhere. But they still need to go a long way to make the music they want to make. They should honestly go away for at least five years. Then people will buy their kind of punk music.

Diana DeGarmo Is Donning The Dreamcoat Again

Diana DeGarmo (May 25 - June 1, 2009) is enlisted for the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma's upcoming production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream, which she did as a child in Georgia. DeGarmo will be the narrator, while another former American Idol finalist, Anthony Federov, will be Joseph. We are more than glad to see Diana in this new role, but I'm a little concerned. If Diana knew her recording career was still on the line, she would have known better than to not go back to play productions and Broadway musicals.

Week 77 Results

Okay, the poll has been closed, and the votes have been counted. It's time to reveal who won last week's contest.

Last week, 742 votes were cast last week. It's not larger than the last O! Canada poll we had where Rachel Ferguson won, which received over 22,000 votes. However, it was much worse during most of the week. During the first 5 days, we only had seven votes cast at the time. The last time I checked the results was Friday morning. So from that time to Saturday night, there was boost by 0ver 700 votes. That made us feel a lot better about the outcome. Plus, that is the usual amount of votes we get by our standards, which we hadn't seen in a month or two, so Canada didn't disappoint yet again. With that said, after receiving almost 70% of the vote...

AFTER THE ANTHEMS ARE OUR NEW EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to After the Anthems on the win, and thanks to everyone who voted.

Final Results:

AFTER THE ANTHEMS - 69.95%



Anvil - 29.51%



Theory of a Deadman - 0.4%



Metric - 0.13%

Align Changes Their Name

Align (May 3 - 10, 2009) has made an announcement that their name will be changed to Winbourne. Align sounds like a better name, but we're sure that Winbourne will make more sense if they get famous. Go Winbourne!

O! Canada IV

We're not Canadian, but we need you all to sing the national anthem to Canada right now. Even if you're not from Canada:

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

I know it was uncalled for, but this is a special week for EdgeMusic, as this week's theme is dedicated to our favorite country of all time, Canada. This country has given us more EdgeMusic winners than any other foreign country.

Week 76 Results

Okay, the poll has been closed, and the votes have been counted. It's time to reveal who won last week's poll.

Last week, 81 votes have been counted. After receiving 58% of the vote...

THE ALTERNATE ROUTES ARE OUR NEW EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Demi Lovato "Get Back" ENCORE Live From Lafayette (07.01.2009)

Demi Lovato (April 26 - May 3, 2009) finishes off an incredible night with the last of her two encore songs. This was the first single off her debut album "Don't Forget" on her summer tour in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Wanna know what my shriek was for at the end of the song? I had a dream one night that I was at a concert by AC/DC in a hotel, and Demi Lovato was the opening act. That combination sounds weirder in my dreams than on paper. I remember that I went into the theatre room right at the end of "Get Back" which was the last song, and I remembered that ending to turn out just like that. So I knew I had to attend this concert to make that dream a reality. I was grateful to got to this one-of-a-kind concert.

That's it for the videos, but I still have to put up photos. Once I gather all that up, I'll post them on here.

Demi Lovato "Don't Forget" ENCORE Live From Lafayette (07.01.2009)

Demi Lovato (April 26 - May 3, 2009) performs the first of her two encore songs. This was her biggest hit off her debut album "Don't Forget" on her summer tour in Lafayette, Louisiana.

I APOLOGIZE FOR THE PATHETIC VOICE I HAD WHILE SINGING. I WAS TRYING TO SHOUT OUT THE LYRICS, AND I COULDN'T GET A GREAT YELLING VOICE OUT OF ME. MAYBE MY VOICE WENT OUT DURING THE CONCERT AFTER ALL THE YELLING I DID. I WASN'T TRYING TO SOUND LIKE THAT AS WELL. MY VOICE SOUNDS EVEN WORSE WHEN IT'S RECORDED.

I have to say that I felt more excited at this more than any other concert I've been to. Demi Lovato is my top celebrity crush right now, and I adore both her personality and music.

Demi Lovato "Here We Go Again" Live From Lafayette (07.01.2009)

Demi Lovato (April 26 - May 3, 2009) performs her new single off her upcoming album "Here We Go Again" on her summer tour in Lafayette, Louisiana. I recorded the entire performance sitting down so I can hide the camera, and it was tough getting shots of her, so I only aimed for the screen.

Demi Lovato "Stop The World" Live From Lafayette (07.01.2009)

Demi Lovato (April 26 - May 3, 2009) performs a new song titled "Stop The World" off her upcoming album "Here We Go Again" on her summer tour in Lafayette, Louisiana. This song feels reminescent of Michelle Branch's "Breathe", and I can imagine this on radio.

Demi Lovato "Solo" Live From Lafayette (07.01.2009)

Demi Lovato (April 26 - May 3, 2009) performs a new song titled "Solo" off her upcoming album "Here We Go Again" on her summer tour in Lafayette, Louisiana. This is a very great jam song. You can sing this in your convertible.

Demi Lovato "This Is Me" Live From Lafayette (07.01.2009)

Demi Lovato (April 26 - May 3, 2009) begins singing her song "This is Me" at the second verse, and she notices that something is wrong. So she brings up one of her fans on stage to sing her smash hit from the "Camp Rock" soundtrack on her summer tour in Lafayette, Louisiana. Turns out her mother has a YouTube account and asks me to send her a copy of the file that I recorded it on for her child. All I need to know is what's her email address.

Demi Lovato "Catch Me" Live From Lafayette (07.01.2009)

Demi Lovato performs a new song titled "Catch Me" off of her upcoming album "Here We Go Again" on her summer tour in Lafayette, Louisiana. This song goes into most of the duration in a sweet, soothing acoustic melody, and then it kicks into hard time at the end, just like "Don't Forget". Well done, Demi.

Demi Lovato "Party" Live From Lafayette (07.01.2009)

Demi Lovato performs a song off of her debut album "Don't Forget" titled "Party" on her summer tour in Lafayette, Louisiana. Demi just equals love.

Demi Lovato "You Got Nothing On Me" Live From Lafayette (07.01.2009)

Demi Lovato (April 26 - May 3, 2009) introduces a new song off her upcoming album "Here We Go Again" called "You Got Nothing On Me" on her summer tour in Lafayette, Louisiana. The chorus was very fun to learn, and I'm interested to hear how she does it on the studio cut. Maybe this next album will be great also.

Demi Lovato "La La Land" Live From Lafayette (07.01.2009)

Demi Lovato (April 26 - May 3, 2009) starts off her set with the hit song "La La Land" on her summer tour in Lafayette, Louisiana. This is the eighth video we got from the Demi Lovato/David Archuleta/KSM concert in Lafayette, Louisiana, and it's the first we have of the main headliner, Demi. What a great way to start this set.

David Archuleta "Crush" Live From Lafayette (07.01.2009)

David Archuleta (January 18 - 25, 2009) closes out his set with his smash hit "Crush" while opening for Demi Lovato on her summer tour. This is the last video we recorded of David Archuleta from the Demi Lovato/David Archuleta/KSM concert. Up next are the videos we have of the one and only Demi Lovato.

David Archuleta "Apologize" Live From Lafayette (07.01.2009)

David Archuleta (January 18 - 25, 2009) does a cover of the smash hit "Apologize" by OneRepublic while opening for Demi Lovato on her summer tour.

David Archuleta "A Little Too Not Over You" Live From Lafayette (07.01.2009)

David Archuleta (07.01.2009) sings one of his singles off his self-titled debut album while opening for Demi Lovato on her summer tour.

David Archuleta "My Hands" Live From Lafayette (07.01.2009)

David Archuleta (January 18 - 25, 2009) sung a song off of his self-titled debut album while opening for Demi Lovato on her summer tour.

David Archuleta "Touch My Hand" Live From Lafayette (07.01.2009)

David Archuleta (January 18 - 25, 2009) started out his set with his current single "Touch My Hand" while opening for Demi Lovato on her summer tour. This is the third video we got from the Demi Lovato/David Archuleta/KSM concert in Lafayette, Louisiana, and it's the first we got of David Archuleta.

KSM "Distracted" Live From Lafayette (07.01.2009)

KSM (June 21 - 28, 2009) close out their set with the song "Distracted" while opening for Demi Lovato on her summer tour. This is the last video we got of KSM last night during the Demi Lovato/David Archuleta/KSM concert. Up next are the videos we got of David Archuleta.

KSM "I Want You To Want Me" Live From Lafayette (07.01.2009)

KSM (June 21 - 28, 2009) start the night off with a cover of the famous Cheap Trick song "I Want You To Want Me", which will be featured on the new ABC Family show "10 Things I Hate About You", while opening up for Demi Lovato's summer tour. This is the first video from the Demi Lovato/David Archuleta/KSM concert in Lafayette, Louisiana. More videos are on the way.

The Mission District's New Video For "So Over You"

The Mission District - So Over You from Fiona Byers on Vimeo.

Our good friends from The Mission District (March 16 - 23, 2008) have a new music video out for their first single "So Over You". The single will be released on August 10th through EMI.

Kevin Jonas Is Engaged

Kevin Jonas, the oldest of the Jonas Brothers (August 31 - September 7, 2009), is now engaged

AOL Music's Video of the Day: Matt Wertz "Everything's Right"

Teen Choice 2009 Nominations

EdgeMusic's creator, Turk182, has registered to vote on the 2009 Teen Choice Awards, and he can reveal to you who is up for a nomination within our EdgeMusic alumni. Even if none of them win, there's still reason to watch, as the Jonas Brothers (August 31 - September 7, 2008) are hosting this event. Here's what we have for our nominees:

Ashley Tisdale (June 21 - 28, 2009) is nominated one time in the Movie Actress: Music/Dance category for her role in "High School Musical 3: Senior Year". The movie is also nominated for Movie: Music/Dance and Music Album Soundtrack.

Kelly Clarkson (March 8 - 15, 2009) is nominated only one time in Music: Single for "My Life Would Suck Without You".

Demi Lovato (April 26 - May 3, 2009) is nominated two times (ONLY TWO TIMES? WHAT GIVES?) She has a nomination in Other Stuff Red Carpet Icon - Female, a nomination for TV: Breakout Star Female, and a nomination for Music Tour. My bad. That's really THREE NOMINATIONS, which isn't that bad.

David Archuleta (January 18 - 25, 2009) is nominated three times. He received a nomination in Music: Breakout Artist, a nomination in Music: Love Song for "Crush", and a nomination in Music Tour as an opening act for Demi Lovato.

The Jonas Brothers are nominated in Movie: Music/Dance for their 3D concert film, a nomination in Other Stuff Male Hottie (not that I'd vote in that category), a nomination in Other Stuff Red Carpet Icon - Male, a nomination in TV Actor: Comedy for their TV show "JONAS", a nomination for TV: Breakout Show for "JONAS", a nomination is Music: Love Song for "Lovebug", a nomination in Music Album Soundtrack for their 3D concert film, a nomination in Music Tour, and a nomination in Music Album Group for "Lines, Vines, and Trying Times", which got knocked out of the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 today by fellow nominee, The Black Eyed Peas.

The Teen Choice Awards air August 10th on FOX.

Boys Like Girls "Love Drunk"

We now have the first single from the new album by Boys Like Girls (January 6 - 13, 2008). "Love Drunk" is the title track of their long awaited follow-up to their self-titled debut in 2006. The new album will be released on September 8th. This new song is just as good as their biggest song "The Great Escape". You can buy it right now on iTunes. We would have posted up a link to the song from something like zShare or Mediafire, but we're not illegal music pirates.

Demi Lovato's New Music Video For "Here We Go Again"

Two days until I get to hear this live in Lafayette, Louisiana!

Vanguard Records

Okay, the nominees have been selected, the new poll has been created, and the vote is now open. Here is the lowdown on this week's EdgeMusic Artist of the Week poll.

EdgeMusic Artist of the Week Poll (Week 76)

This Week's Theme: Vanguard Records

Who should be the EdgeMusic Artist of the Week from July 5 - 12?

Matt Nathanson
The Alternate Routes
Pictures and Sound
Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers
Shawn Mullins

View Results

Myspace polls

Week 75 Results

Okay, the poll has been closed, and the votes are tallied. It's time to reveal who won last week's contest.

It was a close vote. Two artists tied for second, and one other artist beat them both by one vote. After receiving 28% of the 63 votes cast...

CARTEL IS THE NEW EDGEMUSIC ARTIST OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Cartel on the win, and thanks to everyone who voted. Cartel will be featured on EdgeMusic from now until Saturday July 4th. The new poll will be up shortly.

Final Results:

CARTEL - 28.57%

Collective Soul - 26.98%

Manchester Orchestra - 26.98%

Holiday Parade - 17.46%

Kanye West - 0%

Both Our Artists of the Week & Demi Lovato Release New Singles

It was an interesting week for EdgeMusic on iTunes. This past Sunday, we name Ashley Tisdale and KSM our EdgeMusic Artists of the Week after tying for 1st place. This past Tuesday, both of them have released new singles on iTunes. Ashley Tisdale released a song called "Overrated", which is off her upcoming album "Guilty Pleasure". iTunes is apparently counting down to the album release by releasing a song off her album every 2 weeks leading up to the week her album drops. They already have "It's Alright, It's OK" and "Masquerade" out. On July 7th, they will release "What If", and "Acting Out" will be out July 21st. This song isn't as good as "Masquerade", but it's a lot better than her 1st single "It's Alright, It's OK". Definitely check it out.

KSM released a song called "I Want You To Want Me". As we count down to seeing them Wednesday with David Archuleta and Demi Lovato, they cover a song from Cheap Trick, who we'll also see when they open up for Def Leppard (May 11 - 25, 2008) on August 18th. The song will be featured in the upcoming ABC Family show "10 Things I Hate About You". It certainly sounds better than all the 89 covers of this song.

Also this past week, Demi Lovato (April 26 - May 3, 2009) also released her 1st single "Here We Go Again", the title track on her upcoming second album. This is the only song on the album that Demi Lovato has not written, as she wrote all the rest. Whatever the acoustic rock style that will be displayed on her new album sounds like, we're glad there's at least one song that keeps the sound from her superior debut album, "Don't Forget". Buy it on iTunes, and request it on the radio so that it does good on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was #23 on the iTunes 100 Songs until Michael Jackson's death resurged song downloads and took over the chart. It's at #45 right now, but it could still debut good, since the Billboard Hot 100 doesn't allow old songs to re-chart.

Paying My Respects To Michael Jackson

Although I grew distant from his music over the past few years, I will always remember the brief time that I considered Michael Jackson better than any other artist. It was back in 2001, when I was actually watching specials about him on VH1, and I was drawn to the song "Black or White". I remember seeing the video for "Thriller" back in 1998, and it scared me back then to the point that I didn't know if it was a good idea to like this guy. But I actually watched his videos when I was younger, although I had no memory of them at the time. I knew that my mom was a giant fan of him. If you played "Ben" during a game of "Name That Tune", she'd guess it instantly. Then in August 2001, I bought my first Michael Jackson album, "Dangerous". I remembered listening to "Black or White", "Remember the Time", "Jam", and "Who Is It" simultaneously, and I sought out to catch up on Michael Jackson's career.

I recorded his final music video "You Rock My World" when it premiered on VH1, and I was tuning into this channel to get a better feel for his music, which got me into seeing videos for "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", and "Billie Jean". I also got around watching the "Thriller" video, and I even got to see a 40 minute long version of the "Smooth Criminal" video. VH1 helped me a lot on liking Michael Jackson's music. I remember turning it on there every time that they aired the miniseries on the Jacksons.

On the day that his final album "Invincible" was released, I got in my mom's car and finding that she got it for me while I was at school. Then, the peak of my Michael Jackson obsession came in Halloween 2001 when I dressed up as Michael Jackson. I had no idea who to dress up as for that Halloween until I came across a mask listed as "Plastic Man". I instantly identified that it was the white skinned Michael Jackson. So I came up with a combination of white shirts and black pants to resemble the 90s style of Jackson. I didn't have a glove that had the diamonds on them, but I did have a black glove, because I knew it was something useful. I had a good time playing that character.

My Michael Jackson obsession came and happened so fast that I caught up with Michael Jackson's chronology by the time that he started dangling his son, doing a bizarre special for ABC, and getting tried for child molestation again. After a while, I fell out of my interest for Michael Jackson. Not because of his behavior. It's because I didn't find anything relevant about his music anymore at the time. Also, I felt that his career has been responsible for the careers of many rap, hip-hop, and R&B singers that I did not like. I was in a stage that I kept labeling him into my least favorite genre of all time.

But looking back on it yesterday, I figured out that even though he was a soul singer from the beginning, there was a reason that he was the "King of Pop". He actually crossed over into the unlikeliest genres that would suit him. That's why the "Thriller" album is the best-selling album ever because he made the pure pop sound blend in and work well. He was willing to cross over into pop and even rock music, as evidenced by "Beat It". It became clear to me why these R&B/Hip-Hop amateurs like Chris Brown, Rihanna, and Soulja Boy Tell 'Em weren't selling albums as Michael Jackson would. They have really contributed to the decline of the music industry and even the US economy because of one factor: they were failing to sell music using the sound that was only made for one musician. They can get far in this business by doing that, but they know that they'll be considered as D-list celebrities compared to him. Usher could have even been listed as an opening act for Michael Jackson if the concerts in London had ever happened.

Few artists have achieve the success that Michael Jackson had who wanted to be artists like him. Only Justin Timberlake, my real favorite singer, has come close to being like him, and I hope he never goes down the way he did. Britney Spears was a reflection of Michael Jackson's career. She had the same career success as him and the same scrutiny as him. But at least she still has a shot at longevity as of right now. But more importantly, they had put themselves in a different league and leaders of their own generation. For that, Britney and Justin are the exception, and everyone else is the rule. It's tough nowadays in this music industry to sell records like him. They have a legacy to live up to and a career too extreme to top.

He has shaped up this entertainment lifestyle to the way it is. From the music to the television (particularly MTV). Even the media paparazzi had been impacted by him. In these times, we see TMZ, US Weekly, and OK Magazine becoming street smart when it came to digging up the dirt in this business. They wouldn't be this notorious without scrutinizing Britney, Amy Winehouse, Lindsay Lohan, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, and Paris Hilton until there's nothing left of them. But no one got it worse than the guy they dubbed "Wacko Jacko". When someone has become the most successful person in entertainment, the media is ready to strike. They probably started when his head got burned while shooting the Pepsi commercial in 1984, which could be an appropriate start to his mid-life crisis. Then they went even further and harsher when Michael changed skin color, opened up Neverland, and got married twice. Michael unfortunately fell for their tricks like a chump. That's probably how his career declined in the first place, because he was trying to honor every command that came his way while trying to enjoy life for himself on his own.

Michael became just another person that passed before their time, and it always happens to the more successful and more talented stars. Those careers give you every reason to go down the path that they took, and they give you every reason to avoid the path that they took. Michael was different, because he held on longer than anyone expected. It made people believe that he could defy the odds again and continue to make music. It's tough to balance the things you like and hate about being a celebrity, and it has to take a lot of skill, faith, and patience to do that. Michael has been able to try to shut out scrutiny to his best abilities to work on what he does best and was able to become one of the biggest celebrities of all time. He has succeeded in what most of the other celebrites can't accomplish as high as he did, and I thank him for what he offered.