Taylor Hicks, dumped by J Records earlier this year, is set to release a new album via the indie route in February, 2009.

Hicks, going on a national tour of “Grease” to sing “Beauty School Dropout” as Teen Angel starting December 2, will be releasing the still-untitled album through the indie company Artist to Market with an assist from his own label, Modern Whomp Records, to “connect more directly with audiences,” according to [E! online.]http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b32785idolstaylorhicksgoes_indie.html)

Tommy Lee, Dolly Parton and Sinead O’Connor have used Artist to Market.

-Jennifer Hudson sold a very solid 225,000 copies of her album “Spotlight” her first week, more than Jordin Sparks did her first week and quite respectable, according to hitsdailydouble.

-David Archuleta has signed with Azoff Management but his dad Jeff will be comanager. Azoff also reps the Eagles, Christina Aguilera and Neil Diamond, according to [ew.com]http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/10/david-archuleta.html?xid=rss-hollywoodinsider-20081007-David%20Archuleta%20signs%20with%20Azoff%20Management). 19 Entertainment passed on him, as it did on several other runners up. As MJ noted, 19 Entertainment no longer reps any runners up.

-Elliott Yamin, who sold more than 50,000 copies of his Christmas EP last year at Target, is tilling that field again with “My Kind of Holiday,” which is basically a fatter version of the Target release. And this one’s available everywhere.