THIS is AMERICAN IDOL!

<i><b>THIS</b> is AMERICAN IDOL!</i>

IDOL IS BACK!!!

Monday, June 30, 2008

The Bottom 2 and Elimination!

Alyson Gilbert and the duo of Sophie and Laura are in our Bottom 2. I'm a little surprised by L & S being in the Bottom 2. Last week was the first time that I really thought they deserved to be around. So, they both perform . . . yikes . . .

Alyson's up first . . . she's singing "This One's For the Girls" . . . John Rich tries to give her some mentoring to improve her performance from the previous week. . . she listened . . . but didn't sell it. Man, this girl has got a voice in there somewhere . . . and it comes out when she relaxes in her upper register . . . her lower register is a big ole mess. The judges agree . . . of note . . . Jewel ripped her a new one . . . but for some reason, her critique does not come off as . . . er, um . . . assholey (yeah, I made up a word) as John Rich's critique. She basically is telling her to get some life experience so she can sell her vocals . . .

S&L are up next. . . They are going to sing, "I'm Walkin On Sunshine". Er . . . . I'm not really sure about this song choice. I mean, the big criticism of this duo is that they act so young and are very high schoolish on stage. This song does not help. They looked awkward on stage and their harmonies were WAY flat. However, they do seem to sound much better singing individually than together. The harmonies were off . . .

Jewel and John Rich think they are sweet girls but just not for this competition.
Jeff says he's proud of them , but . . . .

So, now, it's time for the elimination. After BRC reads his lines off the teleprompter and gives the obligatory eleventy thousand seconds of silent suspense . . . we find out that Alyson Stewart is going home. In pagent form, she cries and blows a kiss to the crowd. Overall, I liked her. She's got a good voice there, and I hope she keeps going.

The girls look relieved and sing one more song . . . Yikes . . . They are REALLY gonna have to get it together next week. I wonder if they are fighting. Something is just not right here.

Another episode concludes with the knowledge that 2 people will be eliminated next week. Who do y'all think it will be . . . I've got my opinion . . . and I will post those rankings later.

See y'all later!

I Want Gabe Garcia Around Next Week!

Gabe Garcia is the next to avoid elimination. Gabe hangs out with his family and then gets to the business of singin some country . . . sort of . . . Gabe tells Jewel that he wants to sing a Bon Jovi song, "Wanted Dead or Alive". I'm not totally stunned by this song choice. I can so totally see how this song could be countrified.

Wow. after an off week last week, Gabe has come back. He sounded great. . . I'm so pleased with his performance. He sounded country . . . he was on pitch and the tone was great. Great, great job.

John, Jewel, and Jeff think that he was quite good, and that he had recovered from last week. They believe he is the best male singer in the competition and could go very far.

Next up . . . The Bottom 2

Shaun Mayer Channels Her Inner Faith

The next person to be safe is . . . Shaun Mayer.

She is not my favorite contestant, but I'm glad she is safe. I like her adventersome spirit. . . . the girl likes to take a risk . . .

Tonight, she is choosing to sing "Breathe" . . . I kind of love this song, and I think it could be a git for her. On the other hand, she could struggle with a little vocal control . . . I'm not sure. . . . Here's hoping . . .

She has done a very, very lovely job, indeed. She kept her voice under control and was quite steady. At the points when she could have lost control of the song, she reigned it in and kept control. I'm impressed.


Jewel – Thought she did a good job, but still worried about the consistency
Jeff – Thought she did a good job, but clearly didn’t love it.
John – Thought she was good, and was shocked based on her past performances . . . backhanded compliment

Overall, I thought she did a very good job. She needs to reign in her consistency level from week to week, but overall, this week was on target.

This One is For Melissa Lawson!

Next to be safe . . . Melissa Lawson. Thank goodness she is not one of the last ones to perform . . . AGAIN . . .

So very touching to watch her with her husband and children. She just seems so very genuine. I heart her a wee bit. . .

Melissa is gonna sing a little "This One’s For The Girls" - This performance has the potential to be wonderful . . . Absolutely BRILLS! The girl was just wonderful . . . the vocals were directly on target. . . the performance was wonderful . . . She is just phenomenally good!

Jewel – Loved it . . .
Jeff – Just amazing
John – thought she would win if the end was tonight

Thank Goodness for Pearl Heart

My girls from Pearl Heart are the next to be safe. Y'all know I love these girls. Hopefully, they will be able to lead us from the land of mediocrity . . . They're gonna be singing "I'll Be Yours Until the Sun Doesn't Shine". I love this song . . . and, I'm very hopeful . . .

They hit a couple of sub-par harmonies throughout the song, but overall, their performance was quite brills . . . Their harmonies were tight and, for the most part, on target. We have certainly taken a step up to the next level with this performance.

Jeff – Thought they did a fine job
John – Thinks they made most of the harmonies
Jewel – Loved when they went from sitting to standing

I have such an affinity for these girls . . . . I thought they did a great job.

Pimping Out Sailor Tommy

Tommy Stanley is next on the list of safe folks. Sailor Tommy makes it through despite forgetting that he was in a country competition last week – He’s gonna sing “Tiny Dancer” . . . I’m a little worried.

Ok y’all, his pitch is all over the place, but his tone is very nice. I don’t love his choice of song here, but I think he had a better night that it might have seemed on first glance. First of all, he didn't sing Tiny Dancer, and I don't really know what it was that he did sing. Second, although his pitch is all over the place, he has this really lovely, rich tone to his voice. For the first time, I believe that he might actually get it.

John Rich – Thinks he is in the wrong place.
Jeff – Has had his doubts this entire time, but saw something tonight that he really liked. Thinks that Tommy needs to keep going . . .
Jewel – Is pulling for him . . . thinks he looked uncomfortable wants him to get back to the free spirit .

Sailor Tommy's buddies from the USS Kittyhawk have shown up to support their friend. I love that his buddies showed up . . . I love that he served our country . . . BUT, I think this could present an unfair advantage which may cause someone to get voted off who doesn't deserve it. .

It's only my opinion.

Coffey . . . I Just Can't Find Any Clever Words . . .

Who's next . . . Coffey is safe . . . hmmmm . . .

Seriously . . . Really . . . Y’all . . . I don’t want to be ugly, but this boy was NOT good the first two weeks. He’ll be singing “Hey Good Lookin” this week. Ms. Jewel is worried that this is not a very vocally challenging song. He's gonna sing it anyway. I'm worried.

Here he goes . . . the vocals are better this week, but someone needs to represent Independence Day and light a sparkler underneath his denim clad ass. Absolutely no energy in that number. . . and the cheese factor is quite elevated.

Jeff thinks that he just isn’t it. . . well . . . just isn't . . .

John Rich – Thinks he needed to go to American Idol . . . um, again, didn’t the judges, including
Mr. Rich, put him through to this round . . . just a thought

Jewel – Trying to play mediator . . . voice was steady, and she wants him to stick around and sing a ballad next week.

His second song is "Take me home" I've gotta say, more of the same . . . not awful, but not good.
Better performance than the first, but he still needs to be voted off the island.

Its Time for Nashville Star! Who's the First to be Safe?

Nashville Star – We’re down to nine . . . Who is staying and who is going home?

Tonight is family night on Nashville Star . . . do we have a theme?

Who’s first to go through?

Ashlee Hewitt is the first to be safe . . . .

Ashlee wants to sing “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. She and John Rich are talking to her about playing piano and guitar for this number. Sounds like a tall order, but I bet this one can figure it out.

Here she goes on the piano . . . and she’s off the piano and onto the guitar . . . Huge points to Ms. Hewitt for her multiple instrumentation . . . . her voice is still not winning me over, but there’s no denying the girls gives great stage . . .

Jewel – Liked the instruments and the singing, but thinks that she is still way too clinical. Needs to stop thinking.

Jeff – Compares her to Barbara Mandrell . . . I think he was positive . . . not really clear on what else he is saying (channeling his inner Paula Abdul)

John – Thinks she did great and that she is on a slow steady climb to the top of this competition.

Next up, Ashlee croons "Help Me Make it Through the Night" – Much more purely country performance . . . very good steady vocal. Shortened version – perhaps giving them a blip to perform actual country music.

Here’s a thought . . . why don’t they have them sing actual country music during the show . . . . just a thought . . .

David and Kimberly sittin in a tree . . .


TMZ is reporting that our current reigning American Idol David Cook (AKA Rocker Boo) is indeed cavorting with former American Idol contestant and current TV Guide channel hostess Kimberly Caldwell. Click the link to check out the story and video.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

d

TV Guide is reporting that Ricky Minor and the band from American Idol are suing the Idol Machine. . . . Be careful boys, the MACHINE can be a very dangerous entity with which to screw. However, kinda sounds like they've gotta genuine beef. So, Ricky and co. say that they are owed residuals because the Idol Machine chooses to replace their live music with taped clips from other people when creating clip shows and airing American Idol Rewind. Hmmm, the Idol Machine trying to pinch a few pennies so their pockets can be fattened . . . I can't imagine. Click the link to read the story.

Lil Boo Films A Myspace Message for His Fans

Lil Boo (AKA David Archuleta) has recorded a message for his fans on his myspace page. He has taken a lot of guff both during and after the show about Daddy boo (AKA: Daddy Archuleta). Daddy Boo was reportedly very much a stage father on the Idol set, and was even banned from backstage during the show. Therefore, Lil Boo has recorded a message for his fans on his myspace page . . . Lil Boo is defending Daddy Boo . . . just kind of precious . . . click on the link to watch the youtube clip. . . . Leave some comments if you like!

Brooke White Tries to Save the World!

Tv Guide is reporting that Brooke White is trying to put her no found fame to good use. Brooke is teaming up with the folks from Idol Gives Back in an attempt to inspire the youth of America to . . . . well, give back. She has helped start a program that encourages school children to use their summer vacations to raise money to help fight malaria.

Good for Brooke . . . I'm glad to see that the very giving and genuine persona that she put foth on Idol is actually . . . . well . . . genuine! Good for that Brooke. Here's hoping that her quest is successful and that some record label signs her quickly!

Click the link to read the story

Thursday, June 26, 2008

American Idol: Season 8 Auditions!


Well folks, seems like just yesterday that the Davids were battling it out for Idol glory . . . However, it is now time for the auditions for Season 8 to begin! Fox is reporting that Season 8 auditions will begin in San Francisco on July 17th. Other auditions sites include: Phoenix, AZ, Salt Lake City, UT, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Kansas City, MO, Jacksonville, FL, and East Rutherford, NJ.


Looks like the Idol Machine is trying to grab some more David on David action by visiting both Salt Lake City and Kansas City.


Click the link to read the story

The Velvet Teddy Bear is Getting Hitched


USA Today is reporting that Reuben Studdard, the 205 wearing velvet teddy bear, from American Idol 2 is getting married. Further, they report that he is also working on a new album. Congrats to Reuben! Click the link to read the story.

Sony Shoots Blake Lewis Through the Heart: Is Idol to Blame?


Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Sony Records has chosen not to pick up Blake Lewis' option for a second album. Blake is reported to say that he was "glad" to be released because he did not believe that Sony did much of anything to promote AudioDayDream.


Poor Blakey . . . I hope somebody picks his talented ass up. I believe that boy has the talent to be successful in the music industry. Click the link to read the story.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Nashville Star Week Three: The Rankings

Alright, here we go. I'm gonna rank the Top 10 performances - last week's ranking in parentheses.

1. (2) Melissa Lawson - by a mile.
(Space)
2. (3) Pearl Heart
(Space)
3. (9) Lauren and Sophie - yes, yes, I ranked them in the top 3
(Space)
4. (5)Shaun Mayer
5. (6) Ashlee Hewitt
(Huge Space)
6. (8) Justin Gaston
7. (7) Tommy Stanley
(Massive Space)
8. (1) Gabe Garcia
9. (4) Alyson Stewart
10. (10) Coffey

Man, this theme was rough on our potential Nashville Stars. The top 3 were SO MUCH BETTER than everyone else. And, I think Coffey was SO MUCH WORSE than everyone else. Wow, I hope next week bodes better for our contestants

The Bottom Two: Who Stays and Who Goes?

We're down to the bottom two . . . Justin and Tommy. I think Justin will go, but I'm curious to see how they perform.

Justin Gaston – “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” – Oh Justin, Justin, Justin . . . I hate that you were eliminated, but I need to review your last performance anyway. One last look at The Hotness, yo. I agree with Jewel . . . no telling what John Rich is gonna say about this one. Ok, ok, vocals are still a little weak, but they are on pitch and he sounds country. 1000 times better than either of his other two performances. I think that of these ten, for tonight, he was right in the middle. However, I think we all know that he was not going to win this competition.

Tommy Stanley – “Maniac” – Sounds like a strange song choice to me, but I’m willing to have an open mind. I like this guy . . . and he did stop wearing the sailor suit, so, I’m all in. Vocally, a decent performance. He was on pitch for most of the song . . . screamed a bit, but overall good vocal. I have to agree with the judges, not very country, but good vocally.

Now, I kind of hope that Justin stays . . . But, alas, I am wrong. He wasn't gonna win anyway . . . another week is done. I'm gonna rank em this week, I promise.

Thank God For Melissa Lawson

Melissa Lawson – True Colors – Ms. Lawson was SHOCKINGLY in the bottom two last week . . . then she came out and gave a good, if shrieking, performance of “Natural Woman”. Even before I hear her, I think she has made the best song selection of the evening. I have very very high hopes for this performance. THERE ARE NO WORDS . . . yes, there are. Wonderful, beautiful, amazing . . . the girl is back. That performance took any shrieking memories of last week out of my head. She’s back and head and shoulders above everyone else.

Shaun Mayer is N'Sync

Shaun Mayer – “Bye, Bye, Bye” – Another ballsy choice by Ms. Mayer. I have not loved her in the first two performances, but I have been impressed with her ability to think outside the box. I’m very interested to see how she countrifies this song. . . really, JT has quite a little twang to his voice at times, so maybe it will flow well. Alright, ok. . . I was actually kind of feeling that one. First, the beginning was GENIOUS . . . I loved how she slowed it down and made the beginning an actual opening that was distinguishable from the rest of the song. The remaining two thirds were quite nicely sung. I could have done without the dancers, but overall an impressive transformation of a major pop hit.

Lauren and Sophie Are More Than Pretty Young Things

Lauren and Sophie – “PYT” – Once again, I want these two girls to win me over. First off, I’m confused – this has nothing to do with the girls – in all of the other clips we have seen, the performer comes in with what they want to sing . . . however, in this clip they are showing Jeff pitch an idea and an arrangement to the girls. The reason I am pointing this out is that if they are not the only group/performer who is getting this much assistance from the judges, then they are being unfairly portrayed by the editing department. Anyway, on to the performance . . . Ok, adult sized, matching, JonBenet Ramsey dresses aside, the performance was pretty, darn good. I’m not gonna lie, these girls are still not my favorite performers, BUT, for me, by far their best performance. Their harmonies on the chorus’ were tight and they looked at the audience MUCH more than their prior two performances. More impressed this week . . . good job, girls.

Coffey: LEAVE RHIANNA ALONE!

Coffey – “Umbrella” - Ok, I love this song. I love Rhianna’s version . . . and I love Mandy Moore’s version. However, this contestant, who was SO promising during the auditions, has just fallen flat during the competition. I’m a little worried. Hopefully, Jewel has spoken with him about the Belinda Carlisle vibrato that was SO prominent last week. THERE ARE NO WORDS . . . for how absolutely terrible I felt that was. I know from watching Idol that the judges and audience definitely hear things differently live than we do watching on television . . . but, man oh man. I just don’t know what to say. The actual vocal . . . no, no, I just can’t. I know he had good intentions here, but man, there may be an all out bitch fight for next week’s bottom 2.

Did Ashlee Hewitt "Drive You Crazy"

Ashlee Hewitt – “You Drive Me Crazy” – Gots to say, this girl choosing Britney Spears does not shock me in the slightest. On the surface, it may seem like a weird choice . . . but could be brilliant if performed correctly. She has to sing it better and could place a very original spin on it. First ballsy choice for Ms. Hewitt. . . . Overall, I think she did a good, solid performance. She definitely turned the song country. For me, she sang it better than the previous two weeks . . . but, for me, she was juuuuuust shy of a GREAT performance. Something was missing . . . but for me, she gets major props for taking a chance.

Alyson Gilbert May Feel Alone . . . Next Week

Alyson Gilbert – "I Think We’re Alone Now" – Why oh why would the contestant who was called over the top pagenty in week one choose to sing a version of a song covered by the mall queen. Don’t get me wrong, I heart me some sweet, velveeta, rich Tiffany . . . but come on, girl . . . you just got your mojo last week. Ugh, just as I feared. Performance was kind of all over the place. Yikes. I sort of have a soft spot for this girl because she bounced back so fiercely last week, but she could be headed for the bottom 2 again after takin on some Tiffany . . . Why not try a song like “Could’ve Been” . . . also Tiffany . . . also rich tasty goodness . . . but, unlike the one she performed, is a song just DYING to be countrified . . .

Pearl Heart Fills Their Love Shack With Country

Alright, alright . . . . I know, cheesy title . . .

Pearl Heart – "Love Shack" – I thought this was a very interesting choice. I had a hard time envisioning this song being countrified, muchless bluegrassy. However, I got to tell you, this version really works. These girls’ harmonies get tighter and tighter every week. There stage presence is getting better, but still needs some work. They’re still not working the audience, but they sure are working those vocals. Very, very good job girls

Nashville Star: Week 3 . . . Who's Up First?

It's another week of Nashville Star, y'all! We are down to the Top 10 contestants, and this week's theme is "Pop goes country". Billy Ray says, "Ten have arrived, but only nine will survive!" . . . I needed to credit BRC with that line . . . Here we go . . .

First up, we're gonna find out a little important info . . . They're gonna pull out two contestants . . . one is in the top 2 vote getters, and one is in the bottom two - and could be going home tonight. Billy Ray tells Tommy Stanley and Gabe Garcia to step out . . . I think this one is pretty obvious . . . and, yes, Gabe Garcia is in our Top 2 and will be performing first. . . leaving Tommy to wait until the end.

Gabe Garcia – "Livin La Vida Loca" – I’m a little worried about this frontrunner this week. I think he is the most genuinely country performer of the bunch, but I’m not sure about this song choice. . . . And, we have back up dancers . . . er, um . . . not sure . . . yeah, I am. I heart G2 , but I’m just not feelin his rendition of the ultimate bon bon shaker. I fear for Gabe with going first and this horrendous performance. This week will test just how much of a frontrunner Mr. Garcia actually is.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Reviews of Nashville Star

The folks over at Zap2it.com have written a review of last night's episode. Click the link to check it out!

Melissa Lawson's Our Natural Woman And Third Town Hits the Road Jack

Melissa Lawson and Third Town are our two remaining contestants . . . one will stay and one will go. To be honest, Third Town's presence in this position doesn't really surprise me, but surely this is not our bottom 2. Melissa Lawson was quite frankly, awesome last week. Surely they're manipulating the phrase Bottom 2 . . . just a wee bit. Anyway, as would be expected, Third Town is gonna hit the road.



Probably for the best . . . they were not gonna win this competition. There harmonies were pretty tight, but they just didn't quite gel for this show.

So, now, we have Melissa Lawson. She's gonna make us feel like a Natural Woman.




For the most part she was on target, except those high notes . . . girls got a killer voice, but ain't no need to scream those notes . . . otherwise, she is on target. Hopefully, she'll recover her first week mojo next week.

Overall, a good show. Most everyone improved. Rankings to follow.

What did y'all think?

Waiting on Coffey to Change




Coffey is up next. I remember him from the audition rounds. He was so good. I loved him. Then, last week, eh . . . good performer but vocally a little subpar. Hopefully this week he will live up to his early potential. Jewel tells him not to engage in vocal gymnastics for no reason. Don't do something on stage if it has no meaning. . . . Ok, so Coffey kind of sounds like he’s combining John Mayer and Belinda Carlisle . . . . that vibrato is a bit much for me. Once again, I have to say that his stage presence is much better than his vocal. He's gonna have to improve things quickly, or he could be gone.

Shaun Hearts George Jones


Shaun Mayer is up next . . . another person who I thought was potentially at risk for elimination. Last week, this girl showed that she's got some pipes, but was not very convincing that she knew exactly how to use them. This week, girl is gonna try and take on THE George Jones and sing a little He Stopped Loving Her Today. OOOOhhh, girl is takin on a tough tough challenge. She says that she is reversing the vocal, in that, when George would go down she will go up . . . so on and so on . . .

Vocal was . . . good . . . ish . . . again, I hear a good voice there, but so often it seems to be projecting out of her nose. She's got the pipes, and it might just be me, but the tone of her voice just kind of rubs me the wrong way. She gets points for being gutsy . . . but, her vocals were just so-so.

The Refreshing Gabe Garcia


Gabe Garcia is next in the lineup. Jewel likes Gabe but wants him to step up and take command of the stage a little bit more. For me, Gabe was one of last week's best singers. I, personally, do not love his style of singing, but there is no denying that he is quite good indeed at what he does.

This week is no exception. Gabe came out and did his thing just as well as he did last week. I'm all over this guy because he's no flash and no flare . . . he just comes out and sings. Good Job, Gabe.

Save a Horse Ride a Sailor?


Tommy Stanley, our resident sailor, is up next and is singing one of Big and Rich's big songs, Save a Horse ... Ride a Cowboy. We'll have to see if this is a good idea or not . . .

I'll give him this . . . the boy has got some energy. . . some of his energy translates kind of like he needs to go to the bathroom, but, I will say, his vocals are kind of on fire here. I'm loving the vocal. John Rich seems to like it as well.

All of the judges were on top of this performance and John Rich said . . . ahem . . . Maybe what you were really saying was Save a Horse Ride a Tommy Stanley . . . I can't make this stuff up, folks.

Pearl Heart Won't Go Home


I did love these girls last week. I thought they were spot on with the vocal, but needed a bit of work in the performance area. They are singing You Can't Go Home. I like this song, so, I'm interested to see their interpretation. Looks as if they listened to the criticism from last week . . . our middle girl is trying to put herself out there as a lead singer a little more. Once again, their vocals are spot on . . . harmonies are very tight and they sound confident. Still haven't mastered the art of performing, but their vocals can make me overlook some of the performing. Two weeks in a row, very, very good.

Alyson Gilbert: Beauty Queen or Country Queen


Last week, Ms. Alyson came out and put on her best beauty queen performance. I actually thought her vocals were good, but her performance was kind of strangely wide eyed. Hopefully, this week John Rich will have a positive affect on her performance.

First, I'm quite surprised that she survived the elimination. I really thought she was likely to go . . .

Her performance was SO much better this week than last. Singing Every Step You Take . . . also, kind of a strange song choice . . . and doesn't really translate, but her vocals are spot on. Much better vocal this week . . . Good Job . . .

Hey There The Hotness


The Hotness is up next and is singing Hey There Delilah. First of all, why this song. Whiney, emo music is not gonna translate well here . . . and, it doesn't. Jewel is right, here. She said that there was pain in these words and he needed to find a weigh to - Not sure about the performance . . . . song not supposed to be sung at this fast a pace . . . Jeffery and John really don’t like him, and John Rich says he shouldn’t be on the show . . . BTW, aren’t the judges responsible for who is on the show? Hmmm . . . just a thought . . . Anyhoo, Jewel thinks he was shaky at the beginning and nailed it at the end. Thinks that he can sing, but needs to get more control.

Side note: Should tonights episode be titled Nashville Star: The Pimping of Jewel . . . just a thought

Ashley's Ring of Fire


Next up, John Rich's charge . . . Ashley Hewitt. I just kind of thought she was ok last week. Clearly the potential for some good stuff from her . . . and clearly the judges loved her look and her sound. I'll be interested to see how she does this week . . . particularly with this very interesting choice of Ring of Fire.

Hmmm . . . first half of the song was much more a ring of sparklers than a ring of fire, BUT, the second half of the song was MUCH better. She picked up her vocals and really hit some strong notes. Thought this was a much better performance from Ms. Hewitt.

Nashville Star: Week 2 - First up . . . Laura and Sophie


We start this week's episode of Nashville Star by learning that John Rich has been paired up with the girls, Jewel has been paired up with the guys, and, much to his country lovin chagrin, Jeffrey Steele has been paired up with the groups. They show all the hugs and the initial reactions and we are ready to go . . .

Now, all the groups are on stage with their mentors. Might I just say, that Jewel looks hot. Loving the dress . . . but I digress . . .

It would appear that they are going to find people safe . . . one at a time from each group . . . and then have them perform. When we are down to two . . . they will both perform, and one will be eliminated.

First to be safe this week . . . From Jeffrey Steele's group, Laura and Sophie. I must watch these two girls very closely as my dislike for their PERFORMANCE last week did not ring popular amongst the masses. I say PERFORMANCE because I think these two girls are very sweet . . . just wasn't thrilled with the duet from last week.

Here we go . . . Ok . . . they are trying to incorporate some of the suggestions given to them last week . . . But, I'm spending a second week on the island of unpopular opinion . . . I still don't quite get it. FOR ME, their harmonies just don't quite gel . . . and, they just don't seem very comfortable on stage. There's no denying that these girls have good voices . . . just not wowing ME as yet.

Monday, June 16, 2008

More Nashville Star fun!

Hey ya'll!

In case anyone who reads this is also a subscriber to XM Radio - you can also tune into XM Radio Channel 16 for Nashville Star updates and recaps on Thursdays 8PM Eastern Time.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

4000, yo!

In all of the hubub going on in all of our respective lives, we have neglected to note the 4000th hit on our little blog. So, in response to this milestone, I thought I would post two different youtube clips.

First, I thought I would post the one single performance on American Idol this season which represented "The Turn Around". This performance was the only one of the season, IMO, that was a Holy Shizz moment. A moment where you were like, wow, I was wrong, maybe you can sing . . .

May I present, Kristy Lee Cook singing "Anyway"



Next, I will post one of the better performances on Nashville Star this past week.

Let me present, Pearl Heart with "Wide Open Spaces"



Thanks for reading . . . .

Meet the Nashville Star Contestants


Hey y'all!

I stumbled upon this link at About.com where you can scroll through the pictures of each of the Nashville Star contestants and learn a wee bit about them. Click the link to enjoy the story.

P.S. I'm including the pic of Pearl Heart because their aunt commented on our blog, and I thought it was a nice shout out!

Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

A Little Taste of Jewel vs. John Rich

So, it appears that Nashville Star has its own Simon vs. Paula dynamic with Jewel and John Rich. I mentioned last night that they got into it about "pitchy" performances and Mr. Rich told Jewel that SHE was pitchy when SHE sang . . . Oooooh, she went a wee bit nuts on his country lovin ass . . . Here's a clip from the auditions that highlights the dynamic between these two judges. Click the link to see the clip

Monday, June 9, 2008

An overview and an elimination

Coming up next, we’re gonna have the judges deliberate and send someone home.
Major dramz up, peeps . . . it’s time to announce the bottom 2 . . .

Charley Jenkins and Alyson Gilbert are the bottom 2 from the judges . . . . Jeffrey voted for Charley to go home . . . John Rich wants Alyson to go home . . . so, it’s up to The Jewel . . . she’s gonna send Charley home . . .



And, he’s gonna cry. Ugh. I hate to see people go. Charley wasn't great, but I didn't think that any one of the acts was really that bad . . . BUT . . . only a couple were really several steps above the rest.

Overall, for the first show, I’m kind of impressed. The talent is good and the concept is Idol like . Next week the contestants get split into men, women, and groups and are paired with a judge. Kind of like this concept a little Idol meets the X Factor . . .

Gimme some comments, y'all . . . Did anybody watch?

The Looks Hotness and The Singing Hotness



The Hotness is up next . . . He is SOOOO cute . . . one Mr. Justin Gaston . . . gonna need to try and look beyond the cuteness . . . . Rut ro . . . there’s a very pleasant voice there but man, somebody needs to light a firecracker under his ass . . . PICK ME! PICK ME! . . . Just kidding . . . he needs to pick it up or The Hotness will not last long. The male judges didn't heart him, BUT Jewel defended him hardcore.



Mother of five, Melissa Lawson is up next . . . very Wynona Judd . . . her audition was quite good. She is singing a little Bonnie Raitt and givin up something to talk about . . . Girls got some pipes, yo. Far and away the best of the night . . . to quote Randy Jackson, “We’ve got a hot one here . . . MOLTEN HOT!”. The cute Hotness followed by The singing Hotness. Man oh man she had a good first week.

Ashlee Wants to Crinkle Your Toes and Charley Hopes You Wants Some More of It.


Side note: It will be really interesting to see who the judges eliminate because some of the ones that they have loved . . . . not so much for me.

Next up, Ashlee Hewitt singing . . . that Cobbie Callet song about crinkling your nose and toes and stuff . . . the judges are gonna love her but I’m not sold quite yet. She is a beautiful girl, and if she wasn’t, they wouldn’t love her this much . . . On a second look, she is a very pleasant singer and could have some potential. She's definitely safe tonight . . . maybe she'll grow.




Charley Jenkins is on stage next . . . good ole boy wanting to sing good ole country songs . . . daddy died and wants to make him proud. He’s singing “I like it, I love it, I want some more of it” . . . clearly a Big and Rich song cuz John Rich is grinning from ear to ear. Judges didn’t love him . . . I didn’t love him . . . A decent voice there . . . with a kind of yodel in the vibrato. The judges are very mixed on him . . . he could be very good but I'm not sure he will be given the chance.

Gabe Wows and Alyson is Miss America!



Here comes electrician Gabe Garcia. The judges thought he could be a “very important act for country music”. We add a touch more diversity with this Hispanic contestant. Singing “All my exes live in Texas” . . . . very old school country . . . . very, very good. A little old school for my personal taste, but very good at what he did. He is very today's country meets Clint Black. I kinda dug it. All the judges heart his stuff.




Next up is Alyson Gilbert from Tennessee. She definitely has a country look to her. She is studying animal science at the University of Tennessee – Martin. Lower register is kinda pitchy, but her upper register is brilliant. Her eyes are VERY WIDE when she sings. The judges kinda thought she was a bit pagenty in performance, and are worried about her tonight. I'm a little worried bout her as well. She's got some pipes there, but her stage presence just kind of makes me want to get that cheese in a can . . . you know the stuff that looks like whip cream . . . and fill my mouth til I choke . . .

Laura and Sophie with a Side of Coffey



Next up is a single dad with a single goal (credit for cheese whiz to Billy Ray Cyrus). His name is Coffey. Our one and only African-American Nashville Star. He has a very good stage presence. BUT, he’s got a much better voice in the auditions than he showed in this performance. And the judges are fighting . . . Jewel called John Rich a no singing son of a gun . . . she so wanted to say mo-fo . . . .



A little underage duo here . . . Laura and Sophie . . . singing “Stand By Your Man” by Tammy Wynette. Something a little strange about two 16 year old girls singing this song. I can see the appeal of them, but I'm not really sure that I love them. They kind of annoy me in a PLEASE MAKE THAT PIXIE RAMIELE STOP SINGING kind of way. The judges, as on Idol, are not being consistent . . . they said that they were great, but that Third Town was not marketable in today’s country because they sang Alabama . . . hmmmm . . . .Tammy Wynette vs. Alabama.

Shaun Mayer and Third Town Try Not to Develop an Achy Breaky Heart



Next up is Shaun Mayer from some place in Iowa with population 45. From the auditions, this girl looks like she could win. Let’s see what she’s singin . . . doin a country version of “Piece of My Heart” by Janice Joplin. Rut ro, yo . . . she is a wee bit nervous and singing straight through her nose. . . . and a strange arrangement. Not really sure I got this one . . . very nervous feelings seem to cause her to sing Janice Joplin in a chipmunk kind of way . . . She could be in trouble . . . and the judges think so as well.




Trio, Third Town is up next . . . they have a cute little gothy country boy in their group which makes me HEART them prior to hearing them sing . . . singing “Elvira” by Alabama. I kind of love this song. . . reminds me of being a kid. Very good harmony . . . a wee better than the girls who went first. Very, very good song choice and very very good performance. The judges are not with me here . . . they want them to pick a lead singer and a sound . . .

Pearl Heart and Sailor Tommy kick off the night!




First up, Pearl Heart. They are a trio of sisters whose parents moved them to Nashville. Very Dixie Chicks meets Wilson Phillips. Let’s see how it goes. They’re singing “Wide Open Space” by the Dixie Chicks. Nice harmony . . . a little sharp at times, but overall very lovely performance. Very good job for the trio. They were a wee bit pitchy in their upper register, but overall good job. The judges kind of heart them. I look forward to hearing them perform again.



Next up, sailor Tommy. He serves on the U.S.S Kitty Hawk. He has been wearing this sailor suit 4EVER! Please take off the sailor suit dude . . . Thank you, we’re in a normal, cute set of clothes. Very David Hernandez from American Idol (read: long sleeve shirt, vest, cute skinny tie, and jeans) He’s crooning a little “Walkin in Memphis”. He’s doin a little odd blue-grass version of this song. The boy’s got a good voice but the arrangement is weird for me. Judges loved him but want him to not oversing it. I think he's pretty safe for now.

Here comes Nashville Star, y'all!


Nashville Star

So, our Idol replacement for the summer begins. We’ll see how this goes for us here at A Little Taste of Idol. So, tonight, in our two hour premiere we are gonna take 50 and go down to a final twelve. Sounds like they are trying to repeat the Idol formula. I really hope they do well. I’m jonesing for a little idol right about now.

Here comes Billy Ray, yo . . . or should I say y’all!

They are showing us a quick and dirty of the audition process.

Overall, this group is a pretty good group of singers. We have soloists, duos, and trios all competing for the title of Nashville Star. I’m gonna say, there are some VERY good singers here, and one boy I will already label “The Hotness” . . . . whew. Not as good as the Idol singers, but a good start overall.

Velveeta Moment 1: They have, of course, included the requisite military boy (see Josh Gracin circa American Idol Season Two) who was in his sailor suit during the auditions . . . as well as tonight. We’re gonna need to get him out of the suit, pronto, y’all!

Here comes Taylor Swift to perform for us.

Ok, so, the kids are gonna perform tonight and the judges are going to eliminate one performer and then, we are going to eliminate one performer.

In Between Idol Days: Nashville Star!



Hey yall! We miss the weekly blog work - are we still on for Nashville Star?

We miss chatting with y'all and look forward to getting everything going again. The title is a link to the NBC Nashville Star website, and I think it said a 2-hour premiere tonight! Whoohoo!

C'mon, let's get our country vibe on!