rockstar supernova Eh.

[Angrius]

Alright being a Canadian it does kick ass that we've won the show two times in a row now. I have to admit though, I was voting for Dilana. The band just seems like it's Def Leppard with the singer from Sum 41. I give them 8 months before they crash and burn. We stand on guard for thee Lucas just the same.:thumbsup:

[david jerome]

I really thought they were going to pick Dilana. My favorite was actually Ryan Star. It does look like an interesting mix.

[Thomas J. O'Hara]

oh man...I was semi-keeping up with this show, but lost track in the recent weeks...

so lukas won?

they DIDN'T pick Toby?!?! I thought for sure he was their man...getting naked and running around all crazy like.

[n8ture]

I think Dilana was the best singer by far.
Everytime Lucas would sing I thought he was having an epileptic seisure. That and he sounds like his mouth was full of what my dog left on the lawn this morning.

Dilana ran naked around the pool too ya know. :)

[Ming]

Dilana was by far the best choice, no contest. Lucas's voice is nothing special and his stage presence is flat. The two songs they played were about as exciting as cold toast.
Dilana's voice is far more dynamic (and just pleasant in comparison) and she's got that eye of the tiger that can't be faked. The musicians, Tommy Lee, Gilby, and Jason made (and Dave for that matter) their fortune supporting awesome vocalists. Now they've got a mediocre vocalist. Dilana could have given them a shot at something. Oh well.

[hawkmankt]

I agree that Dilana should have won. I do think that Ryan Star was the perfect fit for them because of his versatility.

Lukas??? Come on.

[They are Them]

i kind'a watched this show a little, mostly when my wife would have it on.....i TOTALLY thought that Dilana should have one, amazing "pipes" that girl had

[morten]

this show is the reason why the music biz is going down. the labels are all putting all their money in "bankable" established artists in the failed belief that already established artists are cheaper to promote. The reality is the exact oposite: the so called "bankables" - that is actors, old stars, friends and family of actors, singers or old stars etc - actually cost more because over the long run they sell less albums than new and interesting bands even with all the promotion. Good examples of bankable stars that have had dismal sales are Mimi Driver, Ashlee Simpson, Hillary Duff, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Keanu Reeves, Eddie Murphy, Bruce Willis, Russell Crowe, the list goes on and on.

This is all a part of the huge reogranization of the "5 big ones" - the five companies that used to control the record industry: Sony, BMG, Warner, EMI and Universal. Now there are only 3 big ones. Sony ate BMG and is now called "Sony/BMG", and Warner and EMI have merged (dunno who bought whom). At the same time there was a huge change in marketing strategy for all 5 (or 3): In the past the requirements for being signed was that you were one of three things: New, Best or Different. The only other way you could get signed was if you came in and showed that you had a huge following that would buy your CD and come to your shows if you were to get signed (Kid Rock is a good example of the latter one: after the Vanilla Ice disaster he was turned down by all the labels untill he started putting on shows all by himself that were attended by thousands of screaming fans).

This policy was changed around 2003/04 to "We will only sign you if you can guarantee a sale of at least 30.000 copies" (quoted from an unnamed source within the industry). The small writing also says that if you already have an established fanbase and promotions in a different feild (say acting for instance) you will be considered. As a result few new bands have been signed and the labels have started relifing their old failed bands (like Backstreet Boys, Motley Crew, Jane's Addiction and hybrids like Stone Temple Roses (sorry...Velvet Revolver) and Rage Against the Soundgarden (Audioslave). The idea is that people like that don't need a lot of marketing to sell albums. The problem is that in the case of actors and or siblings of actors don't necessarily know anything about music (Paris Hilton famously said "I know a lot about music. I listen to it all the time") and there is often a reason why old bands broke up or stopped selling albums (usually alcohol, drugs, lack of talent or a combination of them all).

In addition to this you also have a few other major factors that are killing the music industry:

- monopolization of the airwaves - ClearChannel owns almost everything and their playlists are based on promotional deals and little else
- carbon copies - based on the belief that if one band sells well a carbon copy will sell as well is ludicrous and proven to be false yet the labels still operate under this assumption.
- the tween factor - most popular music today is aimed not towards serious music lovers but towards the fastest growing consumer group in the world: the tweens. and they wouldn't know good music if it hit them in the face
- "Everyone can be famous" - an idea sold by tabloid rags, reality TV and the sudden fame of completely incompetent and uninteresting people like Paris Hilton and Kevin Federline. This belief has been further compounded by shows like American Idol and the "artists" from these shows oversaturate the airwaves with overproduced, computer generated, politically correct crap disguised as music pushing out the real artists. Rockstar is but another version of the same thing that appeals to a different crowd and gives away the illusion that if you're lucky you can end up performing with your favourite band. I'm afraid the reality is very different.

The only good news in the music biz is that more and more independent labels are refusing to get bought out by the bigger ones and choose instead to stand their ground and use the internet for promotional purposes. Unfortunately all the big 3 (and even the US army) have realized the potential of sites like myspace and they are now being drowned out by the big corporations to ensure that only their crap is being listened to and sold.

Funnily enough this new policy of bankable bands and carbon copys have lead to a whole slew of new genres. I've taken the liberty of naming them:

Boyband Punk - the only difference between Good Charlotte, Simple Plan and the Backstreet Boys is that the latter have better makeup. The formulas, harmonies and songs are the same.

Country Metal - born out of the hidious carbon copies of Pearl Jam (read Creed) the post-grunge genre has generated a huge number of country metal bands. Spearheaded by Nickelback, Three Doors Down and Theory of a Deadman these bands play country with fuzz on their guitars. The best example is Theory of a Deadman's single "No Surprise" which could have easily been recorded by Shania Twain.

Glam Goth - In the wake of the huge success of bands like Marilyn Manson and Coal Chamber bands realized that the group generally referred to as "posers" was a good market to cater to. In response Glam Goth was born: it looks like goth but has unoffensive content and a cleaned up look (more hairband, less graveyard if you know what I mean) that even deeply religious parents can accept. Best example of a Glam Goth band is Evanescence.

Skop - Claiming to be Ska and Punk but is actually pop with ugly clothes and whiny singing. like No Doubt.

Whore-Hop - Aimed primarily towards strip clubs and white chicks who mistake gyrating half naked in front of their webcam for intimacy and love this awfull crap was pretty much invented by Pharell when he wrote Britney's Slave For You. This type of sexual moaning to music has taken on new heights with the skyrocketing popularity of the Black Eyed Peas ... I mean Fergie (she just used them as a stepping stone to further her own career). Other players in this category include ex-burleque troupe Pussycat Dolls. Basically stripping camouflaged as music.


I bet youre all thinking "where does he get all this crap from" right? Well, I've been a music writer for about 6 years now and I have far too many friends in high places. My oppinions are based on meticulous research and many torturous days listening to the horrible crap the labels want me to write about.

As for Supernova I have only two things to say:

1. The name SUCKS both because it's pretentious and because it literally means "the explosion of a star, possibly caused by gravitational collapse, during which the star's luminosity increases by as much as 20 magnitudes and most of the star's mass is blown away at very high velocity, sometimes leaving behind an extremely dense core." - in other words an astronomical disaster that leaves behind dense people.

2. The band members are all remnants of disasterous bands: Gilby Clarke was hired by GnR after Izzy Stradlin left because of Axl and Slash's drinking. Jason Newsted quit Metallica for the same reason. Tommy Lee is... well Tommy Lee - a man more interested in getting laid and being on TV than in making good music. They all have more baggage than a 747 can carry and all have egos that will crush any creative input anyone else might have (read new lead singer). and did I mention that their "new" songs sound like discarded material from a bad band from the early 1990s?

Side note: Sources tell me the only reason Dave Navarro is hosting the show is to plug his new and very unsuccessful band The Panic Channel.

Don't believe the hype. It's nothing but hype.

mor10
Good luck to Lucas but don't expect this band to stick together for any length of time.

[morten]

Oh... one more thing:

The reason why they didn't pick Dilana even though she was by far the best performer was obvious from the get-go: The infighting ensuing from Tommy trying to get in her pants and the other ones being jealous and/or trying the same would be the end of the band even before it began.

that said Dilana was by FAR the best singer and will hopefully have a solid career. She just has to learn how to deal with the media and herself.

[Rick Meyer]

No doubt Dilana was supreme. I mean, she has a contemporary Janis Joplin voice...you cannot dismiss that. Her voice AND her performance for that matter was/is top notch. But, she'll be fine. The guys all promised to hook her up with the production of an album. So, she'll be fine...

To me, Ryan Star had two gears...mid-range and screaming off key. I do NOT understand everyones fascination with him.

Toby...I thought for sure he'd be a solid second pick. But he lost. And he took it like a man and was very classy.

Lukas....he will be great. Whatever anybody says about Dilana being robbed (me included) is really a moot point.....at this point. Dilana is sexy/can perform and can sing great....but it just wasn't meant to be in this way. They wanted Lukas for whatever reason. Maybe they were telling the truth. Maybe the public DID pick him first? I kind of doubt it considering the undeniable GASPS we ALL heard when they let TOBY go...but who knows WHAT their deal is...

But I will say, as much as I really loved Dilana...I thought Lukas was absolutely NO slouch. He was/is a great performer. Who cares if his movements are like a clucking chicken?

Having said that...I have tickets to go see them at the Pepsi in Albany in January....it should be a lot of fun no matter WHO is there!

[Thomas J. O'Hara]

dang...i don't get why everyone loved dilana...i mean she was a good singer, but her style just killed it for me.

i felt like she belonged in a gypsy/clownish funhouse or something. i just couldn't take her seriously, plus all those piercings just grossed me out.

Toby had great prescence, personality, he was cool and fun, all the ladies loved him, he has a great voice, he can sing nicely and rock it just as hard. i think he would have made a far better frontman than lukas.

even the dude from iceland (can't remember his name) would have been better thank lukas. he freaking rocked - if anyone makes it with a band, i'd put my money on him.

[Ming]

Oh... one more thing:

The reason why they didn't pick Dilana even though she was by far the best performer was obvious from the get-go: The infighting ensuing from Tommy trying to get in her pants and the other ones being jealous and/or trying the same would be the end of the band even before it began.

that said Dilana was by FAR the best singer and will hopefully have a solid career. She just has to learn how to deal with the media and herself.

Yeah, they actually did her a huge favor. She got a ton of exposure and is -as far as I know free from any obligations.

[zoostory]

It was clear from about week 6 when Tommy slipped and said "You're proof that a woman could front Supernova" that, from the start, they wanted a guy.

The thing that sucks for them is, their songs suck. The songs created by the contestants are better. But unlike the year before, when JD wrote Pretty Vegas to INXS music... the contestants wrote the music and the lyrics to their original songs. So... they are not supernova songs... but they are the songs we will remember. Not those two crappy songs they played in the last show.

That and they can't even keep the name of their band Supernova, for legal reasons.

And the houseband were more talented musicians than Supernova.

Anyway, for those reasons I knew it would be Lukas over Dilana. I'm happy that he's a rags to riches story. Seems like a pretty honest guy, even though he does look like a troll midget. He can also write music, Dilana's one big flaw was that her writing was cheesy crap. She could sing and peform, but her own song was cheesy, both times, and sometimes her dance moves looked like she was crushing grapes in a winery.

morten, your post was sooo long I couldn't read it. It's just a show people. Just a show.

[Angrius]

Well whatever the outcome, Canada wins 2:0. My God we're awesome.

[Ming]

Don't make us invade you.

[Tom Marshall]

It was pretty anti-climatic when Lukas was announced the winner. I don't think he has what it takes to front the band. When he sang the song with them at the end, you could just tell there was no chemistry between him and Gilby or him and Jason. That Lukas guy is going to have the biggest ego now...

Everyone! With your hey hey hey... and your ho ho ho!

[n8ture]

My iPod doesn't have video so I wouldn't see what Dilana looked like anyway. I'd just be jammin to her awesome voice! :)

[morten]

morten, your post was sooo long I couldn't read it. It's just a show people. Just a show.

the real world is complicated and requires a thorough explanation. but for you lazy people here's a summary:

the music biz is struggling because the big companies are putting all their money in so called "bankable" (meaning already famous) artists and carbon copies. As a result there is little new music coming out and everything seems recycled.

at the same time radio and TV is suffering from monopolization (read clearchannel, ticketmaster and House of Blues)

new artists are not even considered unless they already have a "guaranteed fan base" of at least 30.000.

even though myspace and other "social networking sites" are giving alternative bands a new outlet the big companies are quickly taking over and drowning out the underground.

TV shows like American Idol and Rockstar contribute to the false impression that anyone can make it in the music biz - thus flooding the internet with music that should have been left in the moldy basement where it was created.

the main focus group for all the big music labels has gone from 16-35 year olds to 12-16 year olds - the tween factor.

conclusion: there is no hope. music as we know it is gone

was that short enough for you?

mor10

[Rick Meyer]

She could sing and peform, but her own song was cheesy, both times, and sometimes her dance moves looked like she was crushing grapes in a winery.

Ha! That's hysterical. I couldn't put my finger on what her dancing reminded me of...but you nailed it. I will re-iterate...Dilana was by FAAAAAAAAAAAR the most gifted performer. She is funky, she has major sex appeal and she can sing with the absolute BEST of them. I downloaded her version of "Cats in the Cradle"....simply awesome.

As far as her not getting in the band because Tommy wanted to poke her...I really doubt that. Of course he'd want to poke her....shes pokable....but come on....these guys can go from super-model to super model...do you really think they would NOT pick her because of this? How would that conversation go down?

whisper whisper..."Tommy: look guys if you don't mind...I want to pick Dilana and poke her."
Gilby Clarke: "ohh, man, you put the fun in being in a band...but thats just not cool man."
Dave Navarro: "Dude...you NEVER bag on your female singer man!"
Jason Newsted: "thats cool man, just dont clench up your throat when your doing it."

I mean seriously...that just seems ridiculous. If they wanted to, they could probably poke her if they did or didnt pick her....so that argument just seems cheesy to me.

As for Lukas...he can definitely front a band. Look at Mick Jagger...hes a legend...and rightfully so...but hes not the most average-joe dancer...

Rick