Past 'Idol' hopefuls release new CDs

In 'Idol' withdrawal since the season finale last week, Daniel Bubbeo and Ronnie Gill were enlisted to rate and review past 'Idol' hopefuls' recently released CDs for Newsday.

The rating system:
1. That was absolutely dreadful
2. It was a little karaoke
3. Song selection is so important
4. A little pitchy, but you're a star
5. Yo! You're in the dawg pound!

Here's a sampling of their thoughts on the new tunes...

CHRIS DAUGHTRY, "Daughtry"
He said: With more than 2.5 million copies of this disc sold, Daughtry is surely the valedictorian of last year's class. Staying true to his rocker roots was a smart move, and his gutsy vocals give muscle to the hit "It's Not Over" and the gritty "What I Want." Still, the disc also points up the problem I had with Daughtry on "Idol" - a failure to bring much distinction to his songs. But since the guy's disc has already gone platinum, does he really care what I think? 3.5

She said: The fourth-place finisher's debut effort is rock solid and likeable on the first listen. Daughtry's voice ranges from hard and loud on "What I Want" to honey-dripped on this season's "Idol" elimination ballad, "Home," and "What About Now," probably my favorite cut. It's no wonder that the CD's first release, "It's Not Over" quickly rose to No. 1. Yes, it is that good. Hard-rock purists might dismiss the entry as not distinctive enough, but I brand it near-perfect. 5

ELLIOTT YAMIN, "Elliott Yamin"
He said: Yamin channels his inner Donny Hathaway on this super debut. The funky "Movin' On" and the soulful "Wait for You" are made all the sweeter thanks to Yamin's honey-coated vocals. But dawg, what's with the words "train wreck" peppered throughout several of the track? 5

She said: Not being a big fan of vocal runs - it's like nails on a blackboard for me - I wasn't a supporter of Yamin's R&B "Idol" stylings. Still, I found his CD more likeable than expected. I wasn't enamored with his cover of Donny Hathaway's "A Song for You," but the upbeat "Alright" was a pleasant surprise, as was my other favorite cut, "Find a Way." 3

Read reviews on Katharine McPhee's latest and more right here.

'My American Idol' monopoly

Things that make you go hmm....

There is now an 'American Idol' monopoly game. Ronnie Gill explores the new form of 'Idol' worship in her Newsday article. Here's how the game works:

Before the game begins, 22 of the customizable set's 57 removable labels - which bear the images and names of all past 'Idol' finalists except Corey Clark, who was disqualified in Season 2 - are applied to the board's property tiles and title cards. In other words, it's your decision whether Kelly Clarkson is a cheap
honky-tonk singer placed where Baltic Avenue would otherwise be, or becomes an expensive diva situated where Boardwalk normally is.

While four traditional board squares - Go, Go to Jail, In Jail (or Just Visiting)and Free Parking - remain unchanged, other variations include:

The four railroad properties become music genres: country, soul, rock and pop.

Paula Abdul replaces the Electric Company.

Randy Jackson subs for the Water Works.

The Chance and Community Chest cards become Being an Idol and Judge's Comments.

Instead of Luxury Tax there is a Host Fee space with Ryan Seacrest's mug, while Pitchy Performance is swapped for the Income Tax square.

Houses and hotels are renamed singles and albums, respectively.

To read the full article, go here.

You can purchase the board game at usaopoly.com, amazon.com and other retailers.

'Idol' Graduates: The Standings

To lighten things up from last night's show, check out a photo gallery of the 'Idol' graduates and where they are now.

Just click here or on the photo below.

'Idol's' Cowell denies V.T. insensitivity

Early today, the 'Idol' team went into overdrive to try and quiet online chatter that Simon Cowell dismissed Chris Richardson's words of support for those mourning the Virginia Tech shootings.

Newsday's Steve Snyder wrote of the on air specifics:

As the "Idol" cameras cut back to Cowell, the grumpy judge could be seen looking away and rolling his eyes, leading bloggers to take to their keyboards within hours late Tuesday night, decrying what they saw as an insensitive gesture that dismissed the pain being felt by Virginia Tech students.

By early Wednesday morning, Cowell was being interviewed by fellow "Idol" personality Ryan Seacrest, in an interview that was scheduled to air on E! News at 7 p.m. Wednesday night, distancing himself from the controversy and what he said was a misunderstanding.

"I couldn't hear what Chris had said," Cowell reportedly said in the interview. "My rolling of my eyes was to what he had said previously, that singing nasally is a form of singing...I've never heard so much rubbish."

To read the full story, go here.

And look for a possible explanation tonight.

New season, new poll

Ah, the first day of spring. The sun is shining, there was no traffic on the LIE this morning and there's another 'Idol' elimination tonight. Tell me -- what could be better?

What's that? A new poll? Well, we've got you covered there too. Eureka!

Although to some it may seem a bit generic, we're looking for who YOU think will win this season of 'American Idol.' Your top pick not in the mix? Write about it in the comments section.

And, not to leave that last poll hanging...

Looks like 41.3% of an incredible 4,532 votes think Melinda Doolittle has the goods to one day reach the success of 'Idol's' own Jennifer Hudson. But does that mean you think she'll win too?

Have an idea for an upcoming poll? Ask and you just may receive.

Don't forget to check back later for the picks of who we think is going home tonight. I know you're on the edge of your seat. Our accuracy has shown you all -- we are not psychics here at Newsday. Not at all.

AP Photo of Melinda Doolittle by Phil McCarten

On to Hollywood

Glad we got see Lakisha Jones, although there isn't much to say about her that the judges didn't already say - her voice was fantastic, one of the best - I think what will make or break her will be her performance and likability - will she be a personality America will love? Will her story pull at America's heartstrings? Only time will tell.

I'm just so looking forward to getting to know these contestants. All we've seen so far are these short snippets of their lives - I want to be able to pick a favorite, have someone to root for, someone to vote for. Plus, I really enjoy the group auditions - it's the first time we get to hear some harmony - I get a bit bored with the a cappella auditions.

172 people made it to Hollywood - can you believe it? I feel like we only saw maybe 15-20 really great people. And so next wekk, the competition really begins.

"If I Ever Fall In Love" ... I think I just did

Wow... when Paul Kim, the Asian pool boy who talked about how Asian people don't get a chance in the entertainment industry, started to sing... wow... I'm still trying to cool off.

He sang "If I Ever Fall In Love," by Shai, which is one of my favorites, and oh my goodness, I nearly swooned. His voice is sexy, it's seductive... it's just yummy. Even as I type this, I'm replaying the audition for the third time, it was so good.

It seems like the judges always say the words I can't quite formulate in my head. Olivia Newton-John said the perfect word - smoky... that's the best way to describe his sound - it was hot. Cannot wait to see him in Hollywood. Wow.

No gimmicks, just a voice

Not really sure why these people are considered the best of the rest, but I suppose it's early still.

The first girl - forgot her name already - the one who came in with the weird outfit and the funny black hat thing - she was bad, but not so bad that she merited the first spot on tonight's episode. I thought "Eccentric" was way crazier than she was - would have loved to wtach him start tonight's show instead.

And Tami Gosnell, the Colorado girl with the piercing in her lip, can sure sing - her voice has a Janis Joplin kind of sound to sound to it - very raw, raspy. I liked her a lot, but again, she didn't stand out so much that I would have saved her for this episode.

She's cool, though. She's earthy and natural - not painted up, not in some slutty outfit... just jeans and a shirt, she let her voice carry her and it did...

I'd get rid of the piercing though... I found it a bit distracting - it's like right in the middle of her mouth... I don't know - I wasn't crazy about it and it just left me wondering what purpose it served - is it just decoration? Does she derive any pleasure from it? Just seemed weird to me.