The Next Great American Band News

The Clark Brothers were named winners of The Next Great American Band last week.

Congratulations to Austin, Ashley and Austin!

With the series premiere of The Next Great America Band out of the way, let's take a look at a few of the 12 finalists from the show...

Tres Bien
One of the guys in the band said they were "Raised by Records" during the introduction. That's not a bad band name, actually, is it? The group had a nice, retro-style that seemed like it could fit right in with some of the bands trying duplicate that old sound today. We approve.

Light of Doom
This band of precocious preteens and a 13-year-old were probably one of the most fun acts of the night. The boys said they were influenced by Iron Maiden... as well as ninjas, boobs, and explosions. You cant deny these guys have talent and are a welcome addition to the program.

The Zombie Bazooka Patrol
Can't say we're a fan of that ridiculous zombie makeup. Are all of the group's songs morbid in nature? If so, that sucks. If not, the look won't translate to other material.

The Muggs
The self-proclaimed "ugliest band in the world." We like the self-deprecation, especially in light of the ego on many professionals out there. Solid snippet of song on the show and we hope to see more of these guys.

Did we not include your favorite? Let us know. We'll also be reviewing more bands as the week goes on.

Nigel Lythgoe produces The Next Great American Band and American Idol.

So, the question becomes: How are these shows different? Here's what Lythgoe had to say in response:

"Basically you've got three judges that are chosen, a top 12 and America's going to vote on who they like best. It's a talent opportunity rather than a talent contest, I'd say, these bands have been formed, some are professional, some are semi-professional and some are amateur.

We are not putting the band together in that sense, but we are also going to ask them to play their own material, which we don't do on American Idol. And the first week we are doing Bob Dylan songs.

We're not asking them to change their style, but to take Bob Dylan songs and put them into their own styles. So if we get a bluegrass band you're going to get a bluegrass Bob Dylan, you're going to get a country Bob Dylan, a rock Bob Dylan..."

The Next Great American Band premieres this Friday night.

Our friends at BuddyTV recently sat down with Sheila E., a judge on The Next Great American Band.

With that American Idol spin-off premiering Friday, here's what the musician had to say:

Sheila E. says that she's going to be as honest as she possibly can and just be herself. How come? Because that's all she can do.

She adds that while Ian Dickson can be Simon Cowell-esque, she loves him. She also says that Dicko is an encyclopedia of all things music.

To read the full article, click here.

With less than two weeks to go until the premiere of The Next Great American Band on FOX, here's a partial list of some of the bands you'll have a chance to vote for, along with their home towns:

The 440 Alliance - Arlington, TX
The Alaskan Breakdown - Ormand Beach, FL
BabyBrutha - Chicago, IL
The Black Tie Gala - Oak Lawn, IL
Cloning Cooper - Saranac Lake, NY
Dova Grove - Memphis, TN
FIFI Larue - Long Beach, CA
The Grannys â€" Unknown?
Mezcal - Visalia, CA
Nothing More - San Antonio, TX
Pull - Raleigh, NC
Red Halo - Birmingham, AL
Suspended Reality - Land O' Lakes, FL
Syndicatte - Fort Lauderdale, FL
Zombie Bazooka Patrol - Nashville, TN

The Next Great American Band will premiere with three special two-hour episodes.

The extended episodes will air on Friday, October 19, Friday, October 26 and Friday, Novever 2 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT. Beginning November 9, the show will air in its regular time period on Fridays from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT.

Move over Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest.

FOX has released the following judges and host for its American Idol follow-up, The Next Great American Band.

Judges:

• Singer/songwriter John Rzeznik (pictured, the Goo Goo Dolls)
• Legendary percussionist and performer Sheila E. (The Glamorous Life, A Love Bizarre)
• Australian TV personality Ian Dickson (Australian Idol)

Host:

• Dominic Bowden (New Zealand Idol)

The show premieres on Friday, October 19. The network's press release read:
"From the auditions, the judges will narrow down the hopefuls to 10 semifinalist bands who will perform weekly in front of a live studio audience. The judges will have their say after each performance, but viewers will vote for their favorite bands to determine who stays in the competition. Voting begins immediately after each show, and the results will be announced at the beginning of the following episode.

"Each week, the bands will perform either original music or covers of varied styles. The season finale brings the ultimate battle of the bands, with the last three groups competing to secure a contract with 19 recordings and the title of Next Great American Band."

Fox has announced that The Next Great American Band, the network's new American Idol-like reality competition series that will search for the country's best up-and-coming musical group, will premiere with a special two-hour episode on Friday, October 19.

The Next Great American Band will follow a similar format to Idol, which shouldn't be a surprise since both were created by Simon Fuller and are productions of 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia North America.

The Next Great American Band will scour the country for musical groups of all ages, styles and genres, and following a round of auditions, yet-to-be-announced judges will whittle the hopefuls to 10 semifinalists who will then have the opportunity to perform in-front of a live studio audience.

Home viewers will be able to vote for their favorite acts each week, as each band will perform either original music or covers of varied styles designed to challenge their musical abilities as well as their relationships. The Top 3 acts will then compete against one another for a recording contract during The Next Great American Band's finale.

Beginning with its second broadcast on Friday, October 26, the show will serve as a lead-in to Nashville, a new Laguna Beach-like docu-reality series that will follow a group of young people trying to make their mark in Nashville's music industry.

We've uncovered a bit more about the FOX follow-up to American Idol.

Those behind The Search for the Next Great American Band say the reality competition will borrow elements from Idol in launching a musical group to stardom.

"Because we're dealing with groups of people the storytelling will be different," Cecile Frot-Coutaz, one of the executive producers of the show, said.

"There will be tension between members of the bands... There's always that weak link... that allows great potential for drama."

"What makes these shows work is the audition phase when we scour the country," she continued. "It gives people the chance to get to know the contestants from the very beginning."

The 10-episode show, likely premiering this fall, will use the American Idol format (one host, three judges) to audition, critique, eliminate and eventually launch a musical act chosen by viewers.

"There hasn't been a band like the Beatles or Rolling Stones to break on that scale in a really long time," Frot- Coutaz said. "We're hoping to break that cycle."

During the American Idol results show, Ryan Seacrest pointed out that Barry Gibb said that the four American Idol finalists should perform together as a group.

The metrosexual host's response? He said that was interesting because the producers were actually looking for a band... to be unearthed on a new reality TV show.

Seacrest then played a clip that said the American Idol team was looking for the best undiscovered group in America.

In the clip was an address where bands could send their DVDs and videos. The address was The Band Show Casting, 8391 Beverly Blvd, PMB #464, Los Angeles, CA 90048.

On the official American Idol website there is more information that spells out how the band must have at least two members and include some form of musical instruments.