Gather.com

In a recent interview, Siobhan Magnus, the 19-year-old Cape Cod native who is making waves on American Idol this season, has announced that her influences are varied and pretty intense and include the venerable train wreck Courtney Love, ex-HOLE frontwoman and Mrs. Kurt Cobain, RIP.

Her musical influenecs include “Janis Joplin and Billie Holiday. A lot of older, standout singers have been the biggest influence on my voice and the way I approach singing. … I adore Courtney Love. And not even just her voice but her in-your-face, ‘I don’t care what you think about me because I’m me’ presence.”

Her first musical interest was sparked by a rather pop-ular group–“I was in the first grade, the first tape that was mine was the MMMBop single by Hanson. I still adore them wholeheartedly. I am the biggest Hanson fan. I’ve seen them four times. I cried every time.”

She said she is willing to give country a shot and would really enjoy a jazz theme or big band night. “I thought about doing My Way by Frank Sinatra because it’s my grandfather’s favorite song. I just feel it’s a song Simon would say, ‘That was indulgent,’ because it’s a song you’re supposed to sing when you’re an accomplished performer.”

She isn’t scared of the judges and seems to be very mature and in control, even during Hollywood week to the chargrin of the judges. “In the first round of Hollywood Week, they said I’m too serious and act too old for my age. As much as it is important for me to remain composed and be mature, I can’t forget I should be having fun.”

How good are her chances? Who’s her stiffest competition? What do you think Courtney Love would think about Siobhan’s American Idol run? Do you think Courtney would make a great guest judge??

While you’re thinking about that, enjoy this clip of her singing in a local theater production of BARNUM on the Cape.

Idol Chatter USA Today

Age: 19

Hometown: Cape Cod, Mass.

Resides: Marston Mills, Mass.

Audition: Love of My Life, Queen

First Hollywood solo: A Woman’s Worth, Alicia Keys

Hollywood group song: Bad Romance, Lady Gaga

Second Hollywood solo: Living for the City, Stevie Wonder

Musical influences: “Janis Joplin and Billie Holiday. A lot of older, standout singers have been the biggest influence on my voice and the way I approach singing. … I adore Courtney Love. And not even just her voice but her in-your-face, ‘I don’t care what you think about me because I’m me’ presence.”

First music purchased: “When I was in the first grade, the first tape that was mine was the MMMBop single by Hanson. I still adore them wholeheartedly. I am the biggest Hanson fan. I’ve seen them four times. I cried every time.”

Theme night she’d enjoy: “Maybe a jazz theme or big-band.”

Theme she’d be anxious about: “Maybe country. I’ve never really done that. I think I could do it if I had to, but it’s not my favorite.”

Song you’d love to sing but isn’t a good fit: “I thought about doing My Way by Frank Sinatra because it’s my grandfather’s favorite song. I just feel it’s a song Simon would say, ‘That was indulgent,’ because it’s a song you’re supposed to sing when you’re an accomplished performer.”

Best judge’s compliment: “Simon referred to me as a possible dark horse in the competition, meaning that I came out of nowhere and surprised them. To me, that means I’ve improved already.”

Criticism she needed to hear: “In the first round of Hollywood Week, they said I’m too serious and act too old for my age. As much as it is important for me to remain composed and be mature, I can’t forget I should be having fun.”

Most proud of: “Who I am right now, because I’ve been through a lot of hard things where a lot of people take situations like that and turn it into ‘That’s my excuse to give up.’ … I’ve been able to make that a reason to try harder and to not become a victim. … I had to grow up really fast, and I’ve had to take care of my little sisters a lot and be like half-sister/half-parent to them. That alone has made me mature a lot more than any other thing I’ve been through.”

Why should she be the next Idol? “It’s really important for me to be able to show other young people (that) if you’re not happy with your situation then you can change, and it’s in all of us to be able to work that hard to reach our goals.”

MTV Newsroom

“Saturday Night Live” has always been a haven for young comics and hot musicians, and there have been the rare occasions where the show takes its focus on youth very literally. On April 10, 15-year-old Candian singing phenomenon Justin Bieber will take the stage at 30 Rock and serve as the musical guest on “SNL.” (By the time he sings on the show, he will have turned 16 — his birthday is March 1). Bieber immediately makes history as one of the youngest performers to ever grace the “Saturday Night Live” stage, joining the elite group below.

Hanson
Before we had the Jonas Brothers, we had Hanson, a trio of siblings from Oklahoma. They played “Saturday Night Live” on December 13, 1997, when the oldest member of the band (guitarist Isaac) was only 17. Frontman Taylor Hanson was 14, and drummer Zac Hanson was an astonishing 12 years old when he pounded out “MMMBop” and “Merry Christmas Baby” live at 30 Rock.

Chicago Now – Outside the Girl Box

Flying up the stairs to my room, I shut the door, put my favorite Hanson CD into my stereo and turn the volume way up. (Hanson was kind of like the Jonas Brothers when I was 12. I admittedly still love them.) Flipping to track two, “MMMBop,” already makes me start to feel a little bit better. Maybe I dance. Maybe I throw my pillow at the floor over and over again. Maybe I hug my pillow close, and even cry a little bit. But somehow, as the song comes to an end, I feel better.

This was a pretty typical scene for me when I was a tween. And, okay, I’ll admit it. I still turn Hanson up really loud and dance around my house, or sing really loud in my car. Why? Because they are my favorite band. Hearing their songs reminds me of spending time with close friends, seeing them in concert, even my wedding day! All of those happy thoughts help me to push out stress, sadness, or worry.

You probably get stressed sometimes for all kinds of reasons. Lots of girls (and boys, too!) your age worry about friends, school work, family problems, sports and activities, and more. The problem is that if you just keep that stress bottled up inside, it can lead to even more stress! Scientists have found out that if we stay stressed for long periods of time, our brain makes chemicals that make it harder to learn new things or pay attention in school. If you’re already worried or stressed about something, having a hard time at school certainly won’t help.

So how can you get rid of that stress? Sometimes, you can’t control the situation that is causing you stress. You can always control how you respond to it. The key is to find things that help you unwind or calm down. Everyone is different, and everyone has different ways to relieve stress. Check out the photo gallery below to see how other tweens get rid of theirs. Try out a few, and you’ll be on your way to finding the one that works best for you.

RollingStone Rock & Roll Daily

Hanson have been striving to integrate the smooth music they grew up on — Billy Joel, Steve Winwood and classic Stax and Motown records — into their pop-rock sound, and on their upcoming fifth album Shout It Out (due June 1st) the trio of brothers push their love of soul and R&B to the next level. Michael Jackson’s horn arranger Jerry Hey and funk brother Bob Babbitt guest on the record, which they laid down in El Paso, Texas, last April and finished up in studios in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Hollywood.

“The album title stood out early on in the record process as a phrase that helped put all those elements into one simple statement,” Taylor Hanson tells Rolling Stone. “The record is built like a lot of records from ’60s and ’70s. From the beginning of the writing process, it felt like the kind of record we could have old school horn parts on.” Working with Hey was a reunion of sorts since he’d also arranged horns on their 2004 release Underneath. But when it came time to team with Babbitt, Hanson says the band benefited from a few “lucky calls” made by industry vet/drummer Steve Jordan and former Michael Jackson music director Michael Beardon to hook them up.

Hanson says Babbitt helped the band add movement to the record, which reflected their larger goals for Shout. “I want to be able to talk about changing the world through your actions and being a generation that is aware and a force to be reckoned with — and at the same time be dancing,” Hanson says, adding that the band’s last LP — 2007’s The Walk — was tied to the band’s experiences in South Africa and its fight to raise money for AIDS awareness. “This record is more buoyant.”

To kick off Shout It Out, Hanson are performing each of their albums in chronological order over a five-night stand in New York City at the end of April. The sold-out shows will be streamed online, and Hanson says the band has locked in guest appearances from musicians who have played on previous Hanson records — a pool that includes blues guitarist Jonny Lang, Sly & the Family Stone member Rose Stone and singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet.

“By going back for a second, it creates a platform that allows you to hear the new record in perspective. In the end, you’ll hear how the songwriting and who we are has never changed,” Hanson explains. “With the new record, we’ve set forth the path we’re on and we’re really comfortable with it. We’re not trying to add anything new. For better or for worse, this is a written, performed, composed by Hanson album.”