Roundup: Brock Zanrosso | Marianas Trench | NBC Late Night Mess

When we first met Brock Zanrosso, the fifteen year old Richmond teen was among the roster of contestants across the country, vying to become YTV’s ‘Next Star’.

While that title was eventually bestowed on one of Zanrosso’s fellow six finalists, the talented teen’s musical endeavors continue to carry him to new heights; having recently completed recording with Vancouver’s acclaimed Hip Joint Music, known for their work with such emerging Canadian artists as Kreesha Turner and Shiloh.

“They wrote and produced a song for me called ‘Push the Walls’, Zanrosso tells me. “We are all very excited about its release; it has been amazing working with these guys – Mike James, Troy Samson and Phil Lehman.” Released just this week, ‘Push the Walls’ is already pushing its way up the iTunes download chart; generating rave reviews in the process.

“I am very grateful about that,” he says, adding there will be more for fans to enjoy within the coming weeks.

“I will be in the recording studio to do another single,” says Zanrosso. “I hope to get enough done to put out a CD.”

With an ever-growing Facebook fan base, there are already well in excess of 9,000 fans who’ll be thrilled to hear that news. Well done!

While it only serves now as a distant memory to aspiring performers across our true north strong and free, Canada’s former annual talent search, ‘Canadian Idol’ did manage to propel a number of aspiring singers into the mainstream pop world during its time. Among them: Carly Rae Jepsen.

Since her third place, Season five finish in 2007 and subsequent tour, the 24 year old Jepsen has stayed active writing, recording, assembling a band, releasing her debut album, ‘Tug of War’, all the while generating national radio airplay in the process.

Currently touring Canada, Jepsen is drawing raves these days for ‘Sour Candy’; the surprising hit duet in which the young singer appears alongside rocker Josh Ramsey of the Juno Award-winning, Marianas Trench.

Surprising, given Ramsey was initially reticent to collaborate, knowing little about the Mission singer at the outset.

“When I first met with Carly I was skeptical because all I knew of her was Canadian Idol,” Ramsey tells me. “I wondered if she could sing at all, let alone write a song. But as it turned out, Carly is a wonderful singer and writer. She has an amazing vulnerability and character to her voice and her songwriting is top notch. I feel lucky to have been involved in her album - she's truly a great artist.”
Ramsey adds that the pair composed ‘Sour Candy’, “within minutes of first meeting each other. It was easy and fun. I'm not sure who came up with the idea of doing it as a duet, but I was honored to be asked, and honestly, when I sang my verse, I was just trying to keep up with Carly's amazing vocals.”

Marianas Trench is currently touring in support of their incredibly rich sophomore CD, ‘Masterpiece Theatre’.

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Meantime, while the ongoing exit strategy of Conan O’Brien and the subsequent retention of NBC’s ‘intellectual properties’; his long-standing characters: Triumph the Insult Dog, Pimpbot 5000 and the Masturbating Bear continue to remain sticking points of the contractual settlement with his soon-to-be ex employer, Movieline.com has posted what they say are a list of some ten celebrities who are unlikely to appear anytime soon on ‘The Tonight Show’, assuming Jay Leno indeed retakes the reins.

That is – at least until they have something to flog to the late night viewing public.

Among the ten is Norm MacDonald, whose history with O’Brien goes back to their SNL days, Will Ferrell; who dates back to the late 80’s, where Lorne Michaels discovered a then young Conan and hired him to write, Amy Poehler, Jon Stewart, Jim Gaffigan, Patten Oswalt and William Shatner.

As far as musical guests go, it’s suggested that Leno can say goodbye to Jack White and the White Stripes; who have enjoyed a long association with Coco after meeting while shooting a remote segment in a Detroit bowling alley, Pearl Jam; the Seattle rockers who were Conan’s first ‘Tonight Show’ musical act and are clearly no fans of a greedy corporate force, and of course Bruce Springsteen, as O’Brien’s house band leader Max Weinberg doubles as the drummer for the talk show host while performing touring duties alongside ‘The Boss’.

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