The End Of An Era

I'll try to make this brief, and not too sappy.

Effective immediately, ralphieaversa.blogspot.com will no longer be an active blog. I've moved my content to Wordpress and the newly revamped ralphieaversa.com.

I think for now, I'll be leaving this site up solely for archiving purposes. All blog posts here are imported on to the new site, which is still a work in progress however live and functioning at the moment.

Thank you for visiting, and please, head on over to the brand new RALPHIEAVERSA.COM!

Thanks,

Ralphie

TMZ'S NICKI FERTILE: Speidi Divorce Set For Valentine's Day 2011

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TMZ's Nicki Ferilte insists that the divorce between Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag is real, citing a number of different occurances as to why.

Catch Nicki on TMZ TV, local listings here.

RT America: Weighing In On 'Snooki-Mania'

I was happy to accept an invitation from Alyona Minkovski to appear on her show, "The Alyona Show", which streams live at 6 p.m. world wide on RT.com/USA and airs in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C.

Alyona and I spoke about the emergence of MTV's "Jersey Shore", specifically "Snooki", as a symbol for America, and what it might say about our country and its culture to those who don't live here.

Big thanks as well to Patrice Innocenti for helping to book the segment!

CNN Headline News: Chatting About Fake Deaths, Facebook, and The Bieber

On Tuesday evening I was honored to be invited back to CNN Headline News' "Prime News", with newly minted host Vinnie Politan. The panel of four I joined conversed about a plethora of topics - from Justin Bieber to a man in Salem, MA that faked his death to escape a traffic violation (can't make this stuff up).

Funny behind-the-scenes story: I was only briefed on ONE (the Salem story) of the four topics that were discussed. So, on live national TV, I had to be quick on my feet. Very, very quick.

Some of the highlights are below:

Big thanks again to CNN HLN for having me on!

New 'RRS' Logo Needed...

Last week I tweeted about this, but for some reason I didn't blog about it... anyways... I'm on the hunt for a new "RRS" show logo, one that will be used on microphone flags, websites, backdrops, promo photos, mugs, and much more. The current logo is cool, but with the various new methods of branding, I want to be sure this is a logo that I'll stick with for a hot minute. So, any ideas, suggestions, or sketches... drop me a line here. But I'd hurry, as I've already gathered a handful of designers who have until Wednesday at midnight to deliver something to my inbox.

Lady GaGa's 'Telephone' Meets 'The Office'

What more can you say about this video besides well done? Loved that GaGa tweeted it out to her followers as well, that certainly legitimizes the piece.

TMZ'S NICKI FERTILE: J-Lo or Shania To Judge 'Idol'

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TMZ's Nicki Ferilte explains that Shania Twain is the plan B for "American Idol" if Jennifer Lopez falls through as a third judge.

Catch Nicki on TMZ TV, local listings here.

WINGMAN WEDNESDAY: The Phase

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Visit The Wingman on MySpace, Facebook, & Twitter.

Awkwardness on 'Today Show'

Things get awkward in a hurry on NBC's "The Today Show" when Hoda and Kathie Lee ask an author of a love-stimulating food book about her co-author, who is involved in a murder plot and about to accept a plea deal!

How about that life raft that Kathie Lee threw the poor woman? Geez.

EXCLUSIVE: Switchfoot Divulges Details on 2011 Album

Switchfoot lead singer Jon Foreman knows that the band’s next album, Vice Verses, will be released in 2011. That’s about all Foreman knows about the next album.

“We’ve got like, 20 songs… well, 40 songs, 20 that we’ve cut it down to (with a) bunch of songs left over from the last session,” he revealed, referring to the tracks that didn’t make Hello Hurricane. “It’s a matter of trying to figure out whether it should be a double record or what it looks like.”

The boys from San Diego are currently touring in support of The Goo Goo Dolls and Hurricane. Foreman admitted that writing and recording in bulk, followed by the task of whittling down your beloved songs to the best of the best, is difficult.
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The guys, currently on tour with The Goo Goo Dolls, also chatted about playing the U.S. Open of Surfing recently back in their home state of California.

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“(Hello Hurricane) was the hardest record we’ve ever made,” said the front man. “It was pretty near-impossible to cut. The idea that you record this song that means a lot to you, and you know that there’s 60 of those songs that no one is ever going to hear.”

Foreman insists Switchfoot will implement a more selective and proactive approach to writing, recording, and choosing material for Vice Verses. Although at least he and the band know this much is selected: the title and its title track are already chosen.

“In the song ‘Vice Verses’, there’s a line that intimates the idea that every blessing is a curse,” Foreman said, referencing the band’s independent record label, studio ownership, and distribution deal with a major label. “So the curse of having your own studio and free time is recording all these songs that you believe in.”

And if Foreman knows anything else, it’s that this curse of his is a blessing.

EXCLUSIVE: The Goo Goo Dolls Offer Differing Opinions on 'Home' Music Video

If The Goo Goo Dolls can’t call the shots after 17 top-10 singles and almost 9 million albums sold, at the very least, the band’s lead singer can express his honest opinions about the Dolls’ new music video.

“I don’t like the video,” front man John Rzeznik revealed, referring to the music video for “Home”, the first single from The Goo Goo Dolls’ forthcoming album, Something for the Rest of Us. “I think the song has a little more gravity to it, and I think the way they put it together was just a little fluffy. But that’s just my opinion, it doesn’t matter.”

Whoa, wait a minute. It doesn’t matter? I looked a little baffled, so Rzeznik continued.

“I mean, at that point, it was just like, ‘Whatever,’ yunno what I mean?” he said. “We were done arguing with everybody about everything.”
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The Goos also chat about the band's partnership with USA Harvest and a special promotion with US Weekly.

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Drummer Mike Malinin likes the video, while bassist and vocalist Robby Takac may have summed up the video’s attributes the most succinctly.

“I think it’s a good commercial for the record… which is pretty much what a rock video is.”

Rzeznik hasn’t exactly been hiding his disenchantment with the treatment for the video. In a clip posted to The Goo Goo Dolls’ official YouTube account, Rzeznik is talking to a camera inside the grocery store where part of the piece was filmed.

“Shopping… practicing a little guitar,” joked Rzeznik when asked by the camera person what he was doing at the store on that particular day. “(We’re) shooting the video for ‘Home’, and we meet in a Japanese super market which (shrugs his shoulders, pauses)… I feel like I’m just going along with it, going for the ride!”

On a lighter note, the lead singer said he that went for a ride, literally, when filming a scene where he walks across a table in the Japanese restaurant. Rzeznik walked across actual food, making an actual mess in the process.

“I slipped on a piece of, I think it was sashimi,” Rzeznik said. “There was a camera woman right over here (points to his left). I grabbed her (reenacts by pulling Malinin’s hair) to hold myself up, and I grabbed her and started pulling her hair, and she starts screaming… it was real.”

It seems almost everything The Goo Goo Dolls do, or say, is. Something for the Rest of Us hits stores August 31.

TMZ'S NICKI FERTILE: Mike Tyson Sued

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TMZ's Nicki Fertile filled us in on the ridiculous reason why Mike Tyson is getting sued.

Catch Nicki on TMZ TV, local listings here.

EXCLUSIVE: Lights Over Paris In Studio!

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Lights Over Paris stopped in to "The Ralphie Radio Show" - and lead singer Robb a.k.a. "TaLLLLL" became one of the first artists ever pranked live on "The RRS" - check out the interview to hear how it all went down. LOP also chatted about Kevin Rudolf's thoughts on the band's success and LOP's forthcoming fall tour.

Plus, check out an acoustic version of the Rudolf-produced "Turn Off The Lights" below!

EXCLUSIVE: Kris Allen Approves of Steven Tyler as an 'Idol' Judge

The debate is on: is Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler a good replacement for Simon Cowell as a judge on “American Idol”? Season 8 winner Kris Allen thinks Tyler can sit in the chair, and perhaps add even more of an intimidation factor to the show’s contestants.

“(Tyler’s) a great singer himself, so, you didn’t have to deal with that with Simon,” Allen noted. “You know, Steven Tyler can go, ‘Hey, I’m better than you.’” You can say, ‘You can’t do that Simon,’ but you can’t say that to Steven Tyler.”

Allen sat next to Tyler once at a concert, and only has high praise for the Hall of Famer.
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“I definitely think he’s been in the business long enough to do it,” said Allen, approving of the notion that Tyler would sit at the table this season. “He’s an interesting person… seemed like a nice guy.”

The “Idol” alum isn’t such a bad guy either – 2010 has seen him travel to both Haiti and Rwanda on charity missions. I informed Allen that Wyclef Jean would probably be running for president of Haiti (he ended up officially declaring his candidacy later in the week).

“I think he cares about it. I think he cares a lot,” said Allen. “Maybe it’d be a really great thing, I mean, I know that their government was really messed up before so, I think he probably has the vote considering his popularity.”

In the States, its Allen’s popularity that has kept him busy this summer – touring with Barenaked Ladies and Keith Urban while promoting his new single, “The Truth”, which features Train lead singer Pat Monahan. Allen informed me on “The Ralphie Radio Show” that he’s been too busy to even commence construction on his new home in Arkansas.

EXCLUSIVE: Vampire Diaries' Kat Graham Gets 'Sassy'

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Sure, you may know her as Bonnie Bennett on the hit CW show "The Vampire Diaries", but after this year, Kat Graham is hoping you'll like her for more than just what you see.

She's no stranger to music - working as a backup dancer for the likes of Missy Elliott and Bow Wow - as well as singing on the hook of The Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am's hit, "I Got It From My Momma." But now Kat is prepping her debut album with the release of the critically acclaimed first single, "Sassy." Kat talked about her many projects on "The Ralphie Radio Show."

DAILY DOWNLOAD: Kat Graham - 'Sassy'

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Kat Graham talked about her debut, Perez Hilton-endoresed first single, "Sassy", on "The Ralphie Radio Show."

TMZ'S NICKI FERTILE: LiLo To Rehab, Michael's Swan Song

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TMZ's Nicki Fertile updated us on Lindsay Lohan's jail sentance and rehab stint, and also spoke about a song Michael Lohan wrote and had produced for Lindsay.

Catch Nicki on TMZ TV, local listings here.

EXCLUSIVE: Jessica Jarrell Reveals 'My World' Tour Backstage Shenanigans

Sure, they may be a group of talented and popular artists who comprise the lineup of one of the hottest tickets this summer. But don’t think for one second that the performers on Justin Bieber’s “My World” tour aren’t having the time of their lives.

“We do a lot of fun things before the show, like today we’re thinking about playing ‘Hide and Seek’ around the venue,” said 15 year-old Jessica Jarrell in an interview Wednesday on “The Ralphie Radio Show.” Jarrell met Bieber about a year and a half ago, and now calls him a tour mate in addition to a friend. “(We have) like water fights and stuff, it’s been awesome.”

Bieber and Jarrell aren’t the only ones in on the shenanigans – fellow artists Sean Kingston and Iyaz also partake in the fun.

“We got them in the water fight just a few weeks ago,” Jarrell excitedly revealed. “Me and Justin teamed up and attacked Sean and Iyaz and all of them. We won!”
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Jessica's single "Up and Running" featuring Travie McCoy was the night's Daily Download.
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Of course, touring with one of the biggest pop acts in the world at a young age can have its downside, but Jarrell seems to be acclimating herself just fine.

“Me and Justin went to Mall of America and we started running – and hid in the Macy’s beds and then they ran right past us,” the singer recalled, as her and Bieber avoided a group of fans who spotted the two at the biggest mall in the country. “It was so funny, it was so cool. We just started cracking up.”

Jarrell is unaware if she’ll continue on the second leg of the “My World” tour this fall, but said it’s “highly possible.” Her duet with Bieber, “Overboard”, appears on My World 2.0 and will also land on Jarrell’s debut LP. The lead singer from her album, “Up and Running”, features Gym Class Heroes front man and “Billionaire” emcee Travie McCoy.

DAILY DOWNLOAD: Jessica Jarrell f. Travie McCoy - 'Up and Running'

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Jessica called in to "The Ralphie Radio Show" and revealed that it was record exec L.A. Reid that sent her the track "Up and Running", which also features a cameo from Gym Class Heroes front man Travie McCoy.

RRS AUDIO: Meeting John Mayer

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So John Mayer didn't go back on his initial response to an interview request from "The Ralphie Radio Show", but despite no photographic or audio evidence, did chat with yours truly for a few minutes. I explain the series of events to recent Syracuse University grad/current job-seeking radio host Mark Zito, who has the biggest man crush of anyone you know on Mayer.

Check out more about our buddy Mark here.