EXCLUSIVE: Taylor Hanson Feels Bieber Comparison Is 'A Compliment'; Talks New LP

Taylor Hanson is well-aware of “Bieber Fever” and the comparisons that some are making between the ways in which both Hanson and Justin Bieber have invigorated the same demographic in different eras of music.

“The comparison is fair considering the audience,” said Hanson, who called in to “The Ralphie Radio Show” on Wednesday. “I think it’s a compliment to be referenced for sure, because clearly he’s, I mean, he’s blowing up.”

The brothers from Tulsa, OK aren’t doing to bad themselves. Hard to believe it’s been 13 years since Middle of Nowhere, which spawned the infectious “MMMBop” and “Where’s The Love?” Hanson released Shout It Out last month, and are currently touring in support of the album and it’s first single, “Thinkin ‘Bout Something”, which certainly marks an evolution in the band’s sound.
---
Download the interview


"Thinking 'Bout Something" was featured as the Daily Download.

---
“You always have to be excited about what you’re doing and I think that turns in to evolution,” remarked Taylor. “In a way this record is a leap forward, but it’s also a homage to what we’ve come from.”

As the cliché goes, “You don’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been.” The Hanson brothers seem quite aware of their background. Taylor made it perfectly clear during the interview – they know where their headed – and in no way is it away from the music scene, as he says they will continue to write, record, and tour amidst growing older with their fans.

John Mayer's Big Decision

Looks like Mayer, not LeBron, was able to please everyone...

DAILY DOWNLOAD: DJ Earworm - 'Like OMG, Baby'

The DJ that brought us "United State of Pop 2009" is at it again, this time mixing up some of the biggest tracks of 2010 in to one track.

Earworm is offering the mix for free here.

CNN HEADLINE NEWS APPEARANCE: "$#*! My Dad Says"

Last night CNN Headline News' "Prime News" invited me back to discuss the title of a new CBS sitcom debuting this fall: "$#*! My Dad Says". Yes, there's a curse word in the title, but it will be bleeped and censored. The show is based on the super popular Twitter account and best-selling book (the former which doesn't sensor the word). William Shatner will play the father, and by all accounts, it looks hilarious.

However, The Parents Television Council does not find the title so funny... instead, more offensive to families nationwide. So, in typical PTC fashion, the non-profit released a statement to the press condemning the show, and is appearing on television screens to talk about how appalled they are, blah blah blah.

I sparred last night with PTC President Tim Winter on the subject. I don't think this is an issue: the curse word is not a "hate word" - like say, the n-word or f-word. It's censored and bleeped. Most importantly, it's a free country - you don't like it? Turn the channel.

Besides, I'm more concerned with other $#*!... you know, like the $#*! that is pouring in to the Gulf, or the bull$#*! we're getting from BP about it...

Liza Minnelli Murders Beyonce's Single Ladies (Not In A Good Way)

This is off the "Sex and the City 2" soundtrack... why Liza, why?

EXCLUSIVE: VerseCity's Micah Walker Reveals Details Behind 'Tik Tok Rok'

Download the interview

VerseCity front man Micah Walker calls in to "The Ralphie Radio Show" from Houston to chat about his band's version of "TiK ToK", entitled, "Tik Tok Rok." The group kept the basic premise of the song while changing a few lyrics and melodies - transforming a ladies anthem in to something a little more unisex.

Walker tells "The RRS" that 10 cents of every iTunes sale goes to Ke$ha's publishing company. He also found out that Dr. Luke, who wrote and produced a litany of hits, including "TiK ToK", heard the rock version and liked it.

Meet 5 Year-Old 'Toothless' Jack

You heard him belt these out on "The RRS"... here are the videos of adorable five year-old "Toothless" Jack... for crying out loud, a label needs to sign this kid STAT!

Train - "Hey, Soul Sister"

Adam Lambert - "Whattaya Want From Me"

DAILY DOWNLOAD: Cobra Starship - 'Living In The Sky With Diamonds'

Download the interview

Cobra Starship front man Gabe Saporta explains why the band shot a video for this song off of Hot Mess, why it cost the group next to nothing to release.

Lil Wayne Mash-Up With 'The Office' Theme Song

How ironic given that last summer, Lil Wayne kicked off his "America's Most Wanted Music Festival" in right here in NEPA at Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain. Anyways, enjoy (NOTE: NOT CLEAN VERSION!).

Big thanks to my homie DJ Woogie for putting me up on this.

Don't Cough While Interviewing Christina Aguilera

I haven't interviewed her yet, so I've taken note for if that ever happens...

EXCLUSIVE: Mayday Parade's Derek Sanders 'Not Surprised' By YouTube Music Video Removal

Is Mayday Parade lead singer Derek Sanders surprised that YouTube removed the band’s music video for “Kids In Love”? He can’t believe it even made it on to the site in the first place.

“I’ve never heard of a video on YouTube that had any kind of nudity, and there’s definitely a whole lot of nudity throughout the video,” said Sanders in an interview that aired Monday on “The Ralphie Radio Show.” “I was surprised it was up as long as it was.”

YouTube removed the video after too many users flagged it as inappropriate. To the view the piece, the site required you were logged in and over the age of 18. Still, a parental advisory ran before the beginning. Dailymotion still hosts the video, and fans of Mayday have been uploading it to other video sharing sites as well, such as Vimeo.
---
Download the interview

Anywhere But Here is in stores now.
---
The video is a departure from your typical “boy-meets-girl” treatment. Instead, the clip documents teenagers falling in and out of love. From road trips to every type of sex you can imagine, it can all be seen, uncensored and unfiltered, throughout the video. Its honesty has sparked some conversation centered on the band, but Sanders doesn’t seem to mind, deeming the controversy “cool.”

“It’ll be like a video that no one else has seen before, and we kind of like that aspect of it,” Sanders said of the band’s thinking before choosing to shoot the clip. “We were like, ‘Let’s go for something different, and this just seems like very cool and very real.”

Sanders and Mayday Parade will be performing the track all summer long, as the band heads out again on Vans Warped Tour, Mayday’s fourth trek on the festival.

EXCLUSIVE: Ryan Leander Doesn't Know When He'll Get A Hug From Taylor Swift

It started with a random idea hatched during class to score attention for YouTube videos. It’s safe to say that 22 year-old friends Ryan Leander and Michael Wekall have accomplished that, and by the time their mission is complete, YouTube hits might not be the only thing they have to show for their work. Leander and Wekall created AHugFromTaylorSwift.com. The goal is just that – be hugged by singer Taylor Swift. Yes, Swift knows of the website, and is offering challenges to the students via her own YouTube account. After completing the first task of helping senior citizens across the street, the duo will premiere a video that incorporates the number 13 in to good deeds. Leander told me on “The Ralphie Radio Show” that they’ll upload the clip on April 13. Yes, 13 is Taylor’s lucky number.

“We never saw it getting this big,” remarked Leander, who called in to “The RRS” from Alabama. Wekall is a student at Auburn University, while Ryan takes on-line courses. “It’s definitely hard to concentrate with school and this going on and just like a whole other separate life that you have to keep going.”
---
Download the interview

Visit AHugFromTaylorSwift.com.

---
Leander said that they keep in touch with a middle man who works with Taylor Swift, although he would not reveal the man’s identity or job title. It was this person that discovered Leander and Wekall on-line and alerted Swift. Apparently the songstress was flattered, and now the story is gaining national attention. Although their mission is now transforming in to a feel-good tale, Leander admits they were a little afraid of coming off as creepy.

“That was one of our major fears because I’m sure she gets a lot of that stuff,” said Leander. “We’re just two average guys, just wanting to have fun.”

But when will the fun come to a head, with a hug from Taylor? Leander has no idea.

“Your guess is as good as ours,” he replied. “Hopefully there won’t be too many (challenges), we’re both trying to graduate and get some jobs.”

In this day and age, that task might even be harder than scoring a hug from Grammy-award winning superstar. The students will surely find out soon enough.

Lindsay Lohan Sues The eTrade Babies

Lindsay Lohan's lawyer claims the actress has the same type of first-name recognition as Oprah or Madonna (pausing for laughter). So, La Lohan is suing eTrade because of the company's Super Bowl ad:

Lohan is seeking $100 million in damages (another pause for laughter) and the removal of the commercial from airwaves.

RRS EXCLUSIVE: Kid Cudi Apologizes To Vancouver Student He Punched

In an interview on “The Ralphie Radio Show”, 20 year-old Michael Sharpe says Kid Cudi reached out to him and apologized for punching the college student at a show over two months ago in Vancouver.

The original incident stemmed from a concert on December 11 of last year in Canada. Cudi played two events that night – as main support for Lady GaGa’s Monster Ball Tour and a solo set at another venue. At the second performance, a fan threw a wallet on stage, at the emcee. Cudder sent the wallet back in to the crowd. Moments later, footage on YouTube shows Sharpe toss the wallet back on stage. He caught the pass from Cudi, felt back keeping the wallet, and gave it back. Immediately after, Cudi removed his in-ear monitors, hopped off the stage, and punched Sharpe in the face.

Last week, Sharpe was back in school from his home in the Philippines and studying in the library. Suddenly his phone rang; the number unknown. He picked up, only to find on the other end Kid Cudi’s manager. The person told Sharpe that within five minutes, Cudi himself would be calling. An hour passed, nothing.

Then, as Sharpe walked back from the library, his phone rang – a New York area number showed up on the caller ID.

“I’m just going insane, because I knew right off the bat it was Cudi,” Sharpe reminisced, calling in to “The RRS” from Vancouver after a late night of studying. “(Cudi) was just like, ‘What’s up? You’re a hard guy to get ahold of!’”
---
Download the mp3


Photo courtesy of TMZ. Video of the incident is below:

---
Truth be told – Sharpe waited, patiently, for a call from Cudi for over two months. The college student decided that he never wanted to be “that guy” and press charges, or try to gain extra fame and publicity from the incident. He simply wanted people to know the truth, and for Cuddder to apologize.

“We spoke for like, 20 minutes,” continued Sharpe. “Like, straight up, a conversation I’d have with one of my friends. He was just really cool.”

Before the phone chat finished, Cudi extended more than just an apology to the 20 year-old.

“He was like, ‘Oh, is it okay if I fly you off to New York one of these days?’” Sharpe recalled, excited and stunned even as he retold the story. “’Yeah, you know, I gotta get back at you. You were all cool about the situation… I gotta fly you out.’”

Sharpe told me talking to Cudi on the phone was big enough – the pending trip is surreal to him. The emcee is currently in Australia and working on his second LP, but hopes to finally meet Sharpe soon after.

And yes, Cudi’s departure from GaGa’s tour, a story first reported on “The RRS”, did come up during their conversation. Sharpe would not divulge what was said – simply stating that the Cleveland-born artist did mention that the combination of a new album, his solo dates, and GaGa’s tour took its toll from a stress standpoint.

The Country Side of Ke$ha

Katy Perry sang gospel before singing about kissing girls... Lady GaGa channeled more Alanis before Madonna. Now comes footage of pop's newest princess... Ke$ha, seen below singing "Honky Tonk Song" with her brother in Nashville at an undisclosed dive bar.

Mariah Strugg-i-ling On Stage

Mariah Carey is no stranger to awkward live TV... matter of fact, she could be the spokesperson for it. Anyways, Tuesday night, she gets on stage at an awards show in California to accept an award for her performance in Precious... and well, the video will tell the rest of the story...

I'm sorry, but Mimi's ramble immediately conjured up memories of Joe Namath to me...

EXCLUSIVE: Alleged Kid Cudi Punching Victim Says He Hasn't Received An Apology

Michael Sharpe, the 19 year-old college student who says he received a haymaker from one of his favorite emcee's, Kid Cudi, now says he still hasn't received an apology.

Sharpe checked in from the Phillipines, where he's home on winter break. Just five days ago, the college student thought he did the right thing by tossing a wallet that wasn't his back on to Kid Cudi's stage. Cudder took the gesture as an insult - video that surfaced online shows the rapper remove his ear monitors, jump off stage, and land a hard punch to the face of a fan, allegedly Sharpe. But after our 10 minute conversation Thursday, it seems that the fan's feelings are hurt far more than his face.

Photo courtesy of TMZ. Video of the incident is below:

"Being home now, and talking about it with my family... it's different," Sharpe revealed in relation to his feelings on the incident. "Definitely, if he would have hurt me seriously, I'd be much more upset. I didn't really think about that though until I came home."

Sharpe also said he has been in touch with a man claiming to be Cudi's manager. The person kept insisting that an apology would be forthcoming, however that seems less likely as the days pass.

"How busy can he be, that he can't call me and apologize?" asked Sharpe. "If you punched someone at a bar, and you were sorry, wouldn't you make it a point to call and apologize? I'm not even looking for anything, other than just an apology. I'm just a fan."

It was in that vein that Sharpe sent his latest and thus far, last series of text messages to the rapper's alleged manager. After hearing news that Kid Cudi would no longer be on tour with Lady GaGa, a story first reported by The RRS, Sharpe reached out to make sure everything was cool. The "manager" retorted with a defensive, press release-like statement, noting that Cudi pulled himself off the tour, and was not asked to leave.

"I was like, 'Are you kidding me?'" recalled Sharpe. "Like, is he trying to make a statement through me? That was it for me."

DAILY DOWNLOAD: "A Holiday Benefit, Vol. 3" Spreads Holiday Cheer For Good Cause

Download the mp3

Singer/songwriter Benjamin Wagner checked in to The RRS to chat about "A Holiday Benefit, Vol. 3" - a compilation of seasonal songs that is sold with proceeds benefiting 826, a nonprofit tutoring, writing, and publishing organization with locations in seven cities across the country.

Check out 826 National here.
Purchase A Holiday Benefit, Vol. 3 here.
The video for the compilation single, a cover of "Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You" is below:

RRS EXCLUSIVE: Michael Sharpe Says Alleged Kid Cudi Manager Reaches Out

Download the mp3

Days after allegedly being on the receiving end of a haymaker from Kid Cudi during a show in Vancouver, 19 year-old Michael Sharpe called The RRS to explain why he won't press charges, and how Cudi's people may in fact be reaching out to him...

Video of the incident is below:

Lady GaGa Interviewed By John Norris

This is part three of five... very in depth, lots of substance. Love her thoughts on electronic music having soul. Much props to John Norris on this.