Chris Daughtry

With the upcoming debut of Breaking Artist She and Him (the collaboration between actress Zooey Deschanel and indie rocker M. Ward) and the forthcoming album of Scarlett Johansson singing Tom Waits covers, RollingStone.com takes a look at the brief and odd history of famous people making an attempt at rock stardom. For a look at the musical dalliances of Johnny Depp, Russell Crowe, Toni Collette and others, click here.

[Photo: Getty]

On the heels of a flamboyant performance of “Tainted Love” and news of an angsty Christmas-themed YouTube clip, Rock Daily favorite Danny Noriega was booted from American Idol last night, along with Britney Spears impersonator Kady Malloy, a cappella pro Luke Menard and “second-rate Whitney Houston” Asia’h Epperson. (The full list of the twelve finalists is after the jump). Before the tearful eliminations, season six’s Blake Lewis performed, reminding the hopefuls of the possibility of runner-up stardom and his inability to sing on pitch while making ridiculous noises with his mouth. Next week the finalists will take the the big stage as Idol finally hits its stride.

David Archuleta
Jason Castro
David Cook
Kristy Lee Cook
Chikezie Eze
David Hernandez,
Michael Johns
Ramiele Malubay
Syesha Mercado
Amanda Overmyer
Carly Smithson
Brooke White

• Scarlett Johansson On Waits Album, Bowie
• The Police Plot Final Tour
• 1988: The Year Hip-Hop Exploded
• On the Charts: Jack Johnson, Sheryl Crow
• Breaking: Crystal Castles
• Moby Offers Free Remixes of New LP
• New Fest Features DMB, Mayer, Snoop
• News Ticker: Lil Wayne, Shakira, Thom Yorke

Top stories from the last three days:

• On Tour: Radiohead, Kanye West, Mars Volta
• Beck Reflects on “Odelay”
• STP Reunion Confirmed for Ohio Fest
• Jackson Celebrates “Thriller” Anniversary
• Winehouse, Hancock Win at Grammys
• Behind the Scenes at Grammys
• Neil Young: “Music Can Still Save”

Scroll down for full news stories, commentary and much more in Rock Daily.

Since forming in 2004, Alice Glass and Ethan Kath of Crystal Castles have taken their 21st-century noise-dance experiments and honed them into bursts of raw, glitchy energy that blow minds and dancing feet. For more about Toronto’s latest great musical export, click here.

[Photo: Ren Rex]

1988 was arguably hip-hop’s biggest year, featuring a stack of seminal releases from some of the game’s most important MCs that helped mutate rap (and all of pop music) into something entirely new. For the complete guide to all the best ‘88 albums from the likes of Public Enemy, Run-DMC, N.W.A and others, click here.

Class Act
Opening for Blonde Redhead and the Raveonettes at a recent New York show, School of Seven Bells, founded by ex-Secret Machines guitarist Ben Curtis and featuring twin-sister singers Alejandra and Claudia Deheza, slipped easily between epochs — medieval polyphony, laptop sorcery, the rhythmic turmoil of Public Image Ltd.’s 1981 album, Flowers of Romance — with smart hooks and the Dehezas’ alluring vocals, liberally greased with reverb. The group’s 2007 EP, Face to Face on High Places (Radium/Table of the Elements), is as addictive to look at — twelve-inch clear vinyl with a laser-etched image on one side — as it is to play.
[Photo: Amanda Merten]

• Amplive’s remixed version of Radiohead’s In Rainbows has finally gotten the green light from the Oxford quintet after the band initially denied its release. Rainy Dayz is available for free download here.

• Oklahoma State University has surrendered the names of eleven students who illegally downloaded music to the RIAA in compliance with a court order issued after the RIAA sued several universities.

• Fat Boy Slim and Underworld have been tapped to headline this year’s O2 Wireless Festival, taking place in London on July 5th.

• The Eagles will headline the third day (May 2nd) of the country music-filled Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California. The fest also features Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood and Big & Rich.

Be Kind Rewind, The Whitest Kids U Know and a guide to cursing in sixty-nine languages are among the highlights of the new version of the Rolling Stone Top 10. For the complete list of everything Rolling Stone’s editors are currently obsessed with, click here.

[Photo: Courtesy New Line Cinema]

Moby’s new album Last Night doesn’t come out until April 1st (no fooling!), but he’s providing a taste of the new project via a free DJ mix. The diminutive dance maven has teamed up with online music site RCRD LBL to serve up a gratis download of an eight minute dance mash-up of highlights from the upcoming record. Last Night, a dance-focused four-on-the-floor album, represents something of a return to form for Moby, whose last two albums have been relatively laid back affairs. To get a taste of what’s to come from the mind of Moby, click here.