American Idol latest news 11/15/08

Pop Quiz: David Cook
Let’s be honest. The latest season of “American Idol” didn’t really get exciting until David Cook and his pointy hair shot ahead of the competition. The Oklahoma rocker, 26, handily defeated his warbling 17-year-old nemesis David Archuleta in the finals, marking a victory for stalwart grunge fans everywhere. Now the two get to face off again on the charts.

Cook’s first album, “David Cook,” arrives Tuesday, a week after Archuleta’s self-titled CD was released. Cook’s record was produced by Rob Cavallo, who not only oversaw the past five Green Day discs but also Kid Rock’s “Rock N Roll Jesus” and My Chemical Romance’s “Black Parade.” via SF Gate

David Cook vs. David Archuleta: American Idol Battle Part Two?
David Cook and David Archuleta were far and away the most talented performers on American idol last season. The show tried to tighten things up a bit after the previous season’s disaster that included Blake Lewis in the finals and the way too long stay for Sanjayah Malakar. So when it became obvious that it would be the David and David show for the finals, it was a bit refreshing. via National Ledger

No surprises emerge from Cook’s kitchen
The streets of America are littered with former “American Idol” contestants, making it increasingly difficult for them to set themselves apart from each other in their quest for post-show stardom.

Most recent winner David Cook attempts to stand out by being blunt and loud on his new self-titled release. Cook is an archetypical rock singer on a show dominated by divas and pop vocalists, so at least he’s got a slight stylistic distinction going for him. However, “David Cook” is so formulaic, it might as well be labeled simply “Rock Singer” (no title, no name, no photo) and deposited directly into the discount racks at Wal-Mart. via scrippsnews

David Cook debut rocks ‘Idol’s’ pop music world
American Idol, the reigning pop cultural king- and-queen-maker, is so tightly controlled and aggressively packaged that it’s difficult for any of the contestants to break free and develop their own personalities.

There are exceptions, of course, although they tend to be largely female — Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood have each demonstrably broken free from Idol’s bonds. Chris Daughtry is, arguably, the only male to have accomplished much of note (OK, and Clay Aiken) and the lone rocker spawned by the show. Most other male contestants — Taylor Hicks, where have you gone? — have slipped almost completely out of the public consciousness. via DFW