Sanjaya, the bouncy-haired American Idol un-winner from Federal Way, is releasing a new album and a memoir(!) later this month. If you want a shock to the eyeballs, you should look at Dancing to the Music in my Head's cover art. Here: more ›

Say what you want about American Idol's biggest success story, Ms. Carrie Underwood—including that she can't dance, bless her heart—but it can't be said the woman doesn't have a strong set of pipes. She'll be the last major performer during the Puyallup Fair's final weekend. If there's anything in the show that remotely resembles her performance from last year's Grammy Awards, we'll just die: more ›

While Seattlest Editor Kim prefers this past season's American Idol local train wreck, we'll always have a soft spot for pony-hawked local Sanjaya Malakar. Sanjaya it seems, is taking his AI fame for all it's worth (and more probably) by filming a Nationwide Insurance Commercial. According to the AP report, Sanjaya visits a wise man in the commercial who tells him he needs a retirement plan and a haircut. For once, truth in advertising. more ›

Remember Kristy Lee Cook—the Seattle-born Oregonian who rocketed to "15 Minutes of Shame" during last winter's American Idol? Well, she has a record coming out on Sept. 16. And we give you the album cover: more ›

CMT is reporting that American Idol's semi-local country darling Kristy Lee Cook has been signed to Aritsa Nashville. Actually, we initially got the news from dlisted, who verbally ripped Cook a new asshole and made all kinds of anti-hick slurs. We get it—Kristy Lee didn't shine as bright as fellow country chanteuse/hottie mctottie Carrie Underwood on the Idol stage, but she did deliver some far-better-than-average performances toward the end of her stay on the show. She was hardly a Sanjaya-ish performer. And she mastered the art of song choice—a gift that will likely serve her well in Nashville, where choosing the right songwriters is more than half the battle. more ›

Rolling Stone is reporting that Bothell-born beatboxer B-Shorty (aka Blake Lewis) was dropped from his deal with Arista Records—the folks who brought you Whitney Houston and other stars. These developments just go to prove that no damn American Idol contestant has the skill or staying power of Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood. The show clearly peaked with Underwood's win, and has been hard pressed to find an actual star since. Oh well, we guess it's back to slumming in Seattle clubs for Blake Lewis. It's a shame, since he actually has some formidable talent to speak of. Here's hoping he'll do better as an indie artist. more ›

We didn't know Neil Diamond has a new album (Home Before Dark, out May 6th), and we don't care that he has a new album (even though it is his second collaboration with uber-producer Rick Rubin). We're just glad to hear that this September, Neil Diamond is coming to town. Even after he whored himself on this week's American Idol, it's hard to hate on the legend. more ›

We know even Kristy Lee Cook was kind of a stretch each week when it came to locals on American Idol. But, we figured since we've fallen in such deep love with every single note that's escaped Carly Smithson's lips this year—and she's from San Diego, which makes her the second most local contestant on the show—it sort of bears mention. Anyway, we won't bore you with a recap. We'll just say we no longer have a reason to watch this season of Idol, and we may not even bother with tickets to Idols Live when it comes through Tacoma on July 12. All because, before the Top 5, they had to eliminate the most gifted artist the show has ever seen...well, the third most gifted. There's still a Carrie and a Kelly in the world. more ›

It's Wednesday, which means we'll have to sit down for American Idol results tonight (after getting home from the Ani DiFranco show) without any local hottie to be nervous for. It's probably for the best. It's Andrew Lloyd Webber week, after all, and Kristy Lee Cook was supposedly planning on doing "Don't Cry For Me Argentina." That would probably not have gone very well, if the other Cook's creepy performance of "Music of the Night" was any indication. more ›

According to E! Online, Mr. Kristy Lee originally proposed to her after her first foray into the bottom three. How romantic. The fella really knows how to charm, apparently. Or at least he really knows how to cheer up his girl. more ›

Somehow we were shocked last night when our stupid friend who finds these things out ahead of time let it slip that Kristy Lee Cook would be eliminated from American Idol. We're not sure why we were so shocked. We'd speculated about her elimination for weeks. For weeks, she made us scratch our head as she delivered mediocre-to-bad performance after mediocre-to-bad performance. more ›

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We’ve sung Green Leaf’s praises in the past, and it’s still one of our favorites with fabulous food and sweet service. This time, we especially enjoyed the vermicelli with grilled beef in lop leaf. But what’s that in the background of the photo? Is that a nautical theme? more ›

Our friend with whom we were watching this week's installment of How Eight People Slaughter Good Songs noted that Kristy Lee was one of the only people on American Idol who didn't do something to make us angry. In fact, she seriously brought it this week (if you can forgive one or two pitchy moments in a 90-second version of a Martina McBride song). KLC's choice: "Anyway." more ›

It's Idol Gives Back week on American Idol this week, which means tonight's theme is "Songs That Inspire You." We know it's too late for Kristy Lee Cook to choose a song—if she doesn't have a good one in the pocket already, she loses. But, we have a brilliant idea for her, even though we know Randy "The Dawg" Jackson wouldn't be too thrilled with us. Here's our suggestion for what our local cutie can pull off tonight and save herself a place in the Top 7: more ›

It could've gone either way last night. Lord knows, in American Idol history, rockers have been labeled rockers only to blow rock week, country singers blow country week, R&B singers blow disco....but not this year, nosiree. Kristy Lee Cook, who our friends have started calling this year's Sanjaya-in-waiting, delivered on country week. more ›

Okay, granted it was a song we hate, but we're glad we held out some hope for Kristy Lee Cook so long. She finally picked the perfect song for her. As Simon noted, "God Bless the USA" was a very interesting song choice. It will nail her the veteran vote, the redneck vote, the rural vote. We feel confident that, if Hillary could sing like that on that song, she would nail the nomination. But, we all know Hillary can't sing. more ›

Well, America, it's starting to look like Kristy Lee is the new Sanjaya, albeit with about 100 times more actual talent. She keeps winding up in the bottom two or three, and then getting spared. We're not sure how much longer that can possibly go on, but we're happy to keep filling you in on the drama. more ›

For the second week in a row on American Idol, a handful of young-and-pretties hacked away at some of the best rock songs ever written--songs they, apparently in most cases, had never even heard before. more ›

Since we speculated yesterday that our only regional tie to a reality show at the moment--Selma, Ore., resident Kristy Lee Cook--was about to get axed, we figured we'd update. Just to put your minds at ease as we head slowly into the weekend, Kristy Lee Cook was in the bottom three on American Idol last night, along with Syesha Mercado and David Hernandez. But she gets one more shot. more ›

It was Lennon/McCartney Songbook night on Idol last night, and our quasi-local cutie pulled out a country version of "8 Days a Week." She looked nervous and uncertain of how it was going to go, despite her vocal prowess, which wound up iffy as a result. Witness: more ›

Augh, we don't know, dawg. It was kind of weird for us, dawg. We don't know, man, she almost kind of worked it out, but not really. It was just alright for us, just alright. more ›

We're not really nutty about most of the American Idol contestants this year. We're pretty convinced cutiepie David Archuleta will win the whole thing, but he's not from here, so who cares? That kid is so incredible, we wonder what's in the water in his small Utah town. Paula wants to hang him from her rearview mirror, and we don't blame her. more ›

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The Seattle Weekly's Rick Anderson pointed us to what may be the greatest unintentional comedy festival in Internet history. more ›

Kristy Lee Cook may be the closest we get to a local hand in the pot this year. Which basically means Blake Lewis might get to keep his crown. (Did he get a crown for coming in second?) more ›

Blues legend Robert Johnson supposedly sold his soul to the devil to get his guitar skills. more ›

American Idol Season 7 started last night, in case you've had your head in a hole this week. The first episode recounted the folks and freaks that turned out for auditions in Philadelphia, so we're not surprised that no one from Seattle showed up. more ›

Sunday was the first time we'd ever been to Fircrest. more ›