THIS is AMERICAN IDOL!

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

IDOL IS BACK!!!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

A Pre-Top 6 Elimination Post

Ok, so, I'm a little concerned about tonight's elimination. I have picked Aaron, Mike, and Lee to be in the bottom 3 . . . with Mike going home. I think these are the safe picks to go with . . . however, in my heart, I feel that Siobahn should be in the bottom three . . .even worse, I think that MamaSox could be in the bottom three. I need to try and understand America . . .I just don't get America's fascination with Siobahn (and I think I echo my Idol compatriots in this sentiment). This post is really going nowhere, but I. JUST. DON'T. GET. IT. There is a weird part of me that thinks that Aaron will be safe and MamaSox will go to the bottom three . . . a strange Idol fact . . . only two Idols have gone to the bottom 3/2 and actually won the title . . . Rueben Studdard and Fantasia. . . no other Idols have gone to the bottom 3/2 and actually won . . . could this year be a throwback to Season 2? Just throwing things out there. . . Kelly, Carrie, Taylor, Jordin, David, and Kris all avoided the bottom tier . . . wonder what will happen this year . . . Just a rambling post . . .

Here's a little look behind the scenes of last night's Idol Shania Extravaganza via EOnline! . . . Click the link to read the review

It only hurts when Casey and Crystal aren't singing...

Hey Y'all - I was just too tired last night to weigh in on all the performances - so just a few tidbits here and our rankings!
Faves of the night: Casey - he really was into the performance and maybe it helped that he just had the rhythm guitar and was seated - LOVED it! Crystal - I thought that was such a sweet and sincere take on the song - and obviously she was singing to her beau :) Was surprised the judges were not digging it...

Meh: Lee: Probably not a popular opinion here, but I didn't like it. I thought he was trying too hard to make sure he worked in the raspy vocals throughout. Siobhan - you are really disappointing me! I am soooo over the power note at the end of the song. The one Shania song that I know fairly well, and it was just overdone.

L/K's rankings:
Casey
Crystal

Aaron
Big Mike
Siobhan
Lee

Our bottom three: Big Mike, Siobahn, Lee
Big Mike goes home

America's Bottom Three:
Lee, Big Mike, Aaron
I know we have guessed this EVERY week for weeks, but Aaron goes home

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

The GOOD, the BAD and everything in BeTwain

OK....bad attempt at a Southern Drawl.....my apologies.....

Lee - Was not good tonight. He got the "AI wants him to stay on" push from the judges. Completely unearned props. At least he took Shania's advice.

Big Mike - Mike was actually elly good onight. Until the falsetto....which was weak and just silly. He annoys me to no end....but I have to give him his props tonight.
I understand what Simon meant by "wet". Mike is just always a little too "staged" and forced....which is why I find him incredibly annoying.

Casey - was Hot tonght. Heard his high range for the first time really. I think he was smart to take this number and give a stripped down performance.

Crystal - Solid performance....but not to the level of last week. I guess that's the problem with setting the bar to high. Last week Crystal was head and shoulders above everyone else. This week...middle of the pack.


Aaron - Really good vocal...but his immaturity showed in the performace. As I have said all season...he has the voice....but lacks the package.

Cinnabon - Weak version of a great Shania song. She gave none of the attitude that Shania suggested she show. Her traveling kareoke act was only outdone by the Cinnabon squeal. Complete Cheese.

Rubbertoe's rankings (based on vocals): Casey, Aaron, Big Mike, Crystal, Lee, Cinnabon.

Rubbertoe's ranking tonight based on tonights vocals, package and overall season: Casey, Crystal, Aaron, Mike, Lee, Cinnabon

Rubbertoe's bottom 3 - Cinnabon, Lee and Crystal
America's bottom 3 - Aaron, Lee, Mike

Going Home: Either Lee or Aaron. It should be Lee based on tonight....but I'm going to predict Aaron.

The Top 6: "Don't" . . . miss Casey James.

Six lives hang in the balance . . . THIS is AMERican Idol.

45 million dollars raised by Idol Gives Back . . . pretty cool.

I CANNOT believe that we are having Shania Twain night . . .

I love that Lee and Crystal are arm in arm

1. Lee DeWyze - He's singing "You're Still The One" . . . I think this could be really good. He's made some minor changes to the melody which is nice. He's so in his singing element when he gets to belt those gravelly notes . . . he still has some of those pitch problems, but I think they are just part of his charm. A very solid performance from Lee. Randy thinks it's one of the best songs ever written . . . he thinks he did a pretty good job. Ellen thinks he made it his own, and that he looks cute. Kara thinks he sounded relevant, and that he's come a long way. Simon thought it was the perfect song choice for Lee.

2. Big Mike - Oh Lord . . . I fear that he's going to do some sapfest of a song and squeeze every last bit of sap out of it . . . He's singing "It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing". I love Big Mike's voice, but I'm ready for him to move on . . . he just wrings the sap out of every song . . . that being said, Big Mike is singing this song very well with a nice falsetto ending. Good, solid, job. Randy loved it. Ellen thinks he showed good emotion. Kara thinks he "goes to that place". Simon thought it sounded like Luther Vandross, but the performance was a little bit "wet" . . . I'm leaving that alone.

3. Casey "My Baby" James - Swoon . . . He's singing "Don't" . . . Shania wants him to remember to tell a story . . . His vocals are spot on, and this is much more a Casey vibe. He has really made this a Casey James song . . . I think he has pulled himself out of bottom three oblivion. Simply beautiful. Randy thinks it is one of his best performances. Ellen thought it was his best performance. Kara thinks he was vulnerable and raw. Simon thinks it is probably his best performance so far. Casey gave Shania hug on Simon's request.

4. MamaSoxx - I wonder if she'll get Shania to sign her guitar . . . Oh she already did sign the guitar . . . Crystal thinks that there is an aura of positive energy around Shania . . . She's singing "No One Needs To Know" . . . I think that's what it's called. I heart Crystal. I love the whole set up with the stage and Crystal's rug. Her voice sounds great, as per usual . . . it's a simple song and she is bringin the Crystal vibe to it. The upper register to her voice is nice to hear. Another solid performance from MamaSoxx . . . Randy loved seeing her doin her thing. Ellen thinks she's brilliant, but it wasn't performance. Kara thinks it's impossible for her not to be good. Simon thought it was limp and very coffee shop-esque.

5. Aaron Kelly - I missed what he is singing . . . oh, "You Gotta Way". To give him credit, he's found his niche and he's sticking with it. That being said, this is the second week in a row that I think he's fallen short of the mark. His voice sounds nice, but he's just missing some of the notes and his voice sounds a bit stressed. Randy thinks this is his "wheelhouse". Ellen thinks he showed some maturity and emotional depth. Kara agrees with Ellen. Simon thinks the last two or three weeks he has struggled; however, tonight, he was like a different artist.

6. Siobhan - What was Shania's first number one hit? Oh Lord, is she singing, "Any Man of Mine"? . . . yikes . . . Oh Sweet Lord . . . This was the wrong song for Siobhan . . . she needed to pick one of the soaring ballads . . . Like From This Moment . . Acapella . . . NO NO NO. . . even the end which was better, missed the point of the song . . . I thought it was a hot mess . . . Randy loved it. Ellen thought it was great. Kara thinks she's back. Simon thought the end sounded like she was giving birth.

The rankings:
1.Casey,
(Tiny Space)
2.Crystal,
(Huge Space),
3.Lee,
4.Aaron,
5.Big Mike,
6.Siobahn

My Bottom Three: Aaron, Big Mike, Siobhan
America's Bottom Three: Aaron, Big Mike, Lee

Leaving Tomorrow: Big Mike

A note: I don't dislike Siobhan . . . I just don't think that one big note at the end of the song makes up for a red, hot, pitchy mess throughout. That's all . . .

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Allison Iraheta In The News



Here's a link to an LA Times article about Ms Allison being a cover girl for Latina magazine next month.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Idol Points Game: A Banner Week for Rubbertoe!


The above picture was described as a "rubber toe" . . . I was trying to provide photographic props to our own, beloved, Rubbertoe. :)

When last we left our Idol points game, here were are standings.

1. J - 16 points
2. Rubbertoe & Dr. L/K - 13 points


Here's how we all fared this week . . .

J - 2 of the bottom three correct (2 points) and correctly predicted Tim to go home (1 point) = 3 points

Rubbertoe - 2 of the bottom three correct (2 points), correctly predicted Tim to go home (1 point), and correctly predicted Tim to be 7th in his original picks (2 points) = 5 points

Dr. L/K - 2 of the bottom three correct (2 points)

The Current Standings:

1. J = 19 points
2. Rubbertoe = 18 points
3. Dr. L/K = 15 points

We will continue our Idol Points War . . . er, um, I mean game, next week. :)

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Quickly My Predictions

OK...so last nights show was supposed to inspire us? Yeah....not so much.

I'm trying not to be a "hater"...but this years lot of contestants has to be the weakest in the 9 year history of Idol.

Best of the night by a mile - Crystal. She is in a league of her own. Last night no one even came close.

Second - Lee. Didn't love his arrangement of the song. But he is coming into his own, getting more comfortable and coming on strong. He could be in the finale.

Third- Casey. I don't care what the judges said, he wasn't on the level of Crystal or Lee...but he was way better than the rest of the lot.


SUPER HUMONGOUS SPACE

4. Aaron - Voice is good...but I've said it before, he lacks the package

5. Big Mike - I like the fact that he's toned down since being knocked off his cocky perch. I can't stand his wife. Every time they show her in the audience I cringe.

6. Cinnabon - What was with the butterfly outfit?

7. Tim - He wasn't bad....but he's reached his limit.

America's bottom 3: Aaron, Cinnabon and Tim.

I think Tim's time has run out........

Anyone else think...


--K

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Don't Stop...thinkin' about a better song choice!

Casey - Don't Stop Believin' - needs to step out of the comfort zone. Not bad, but kind of a 'paint by numbers performance'. He is so good, but worried that if he doesn't step it up a bit in the performance department he will be leaving us.

Lee - The Boxer - A bit of split here for L/K - L thought it was good, and a solid song choice. K didn't think he gave anything more to the song than Casey did on his, but the judges went overboard praising him.

Tim - GooGoo Dolls song - Liked this - he seemed to connect with his song this week, a few strange notes here and there, but overall pretty good.

Aaron - I Believe I Can Fly - (LOL Ellen's comment!) He did tackle a huge song with this choice - he is really working hard to stay in this competition. Probably not the best song for him to connect to, bu

Siobahn - When You Believe - She has really had some song choice problems - she sounded okay in parts, but continues to pick songs based on which ones have the 'power note'. This is sad because she has a good voice, but it is wasted in these weird songs/arrangements.

Big Mike - Hero - Surprised by this choice, but I thought he put his own spin on it, and did a nice job. Seems like he also was playing to stay in the competition

Crystal - People Get Ready - WOW! Best of the night, hands down...superb! The only performance that was right on all levels, song choice, vocals and connecting to the theme. I felt like I was watching last season.

Rankings

Crystal
SPACE IN A DIFFERENT UNIVERSE
Lee
Big Mike
Siobahn
Casey
Tim
Aaron


L/K's Bottom Three: Casey, Tim, Aaron - Aaron goes home

America's Bottom Three: Big Mike, Tim, Aaron - Aaron goes home

The Top 7: People Get Ready . . . for Crystal and Lee

Alicia Keys is our mentor . . . I'll bet she is a little ball of awesome. I'm curious to see what type of music they are going for tonight . . . Tomorrow night is Idol Gives Back . . . which makes me wonder if they will actually eliminate anyone . . . I believe the last time Idol Gives Back was on a Wednesday was during the Jordin/Blake season . . . and that week they didn't eliminate anyone . . . we'll see.

Tonight is Idol gives back "Songs of Inspiration" . . .

BTW, they did Idol Gives Back during the season of the "Davids", but they did it on a Thursday night . . .

1. Casey James - He's singing "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac. Alicia wants them to remember him and not the song . . . Now, if Andrew Garcia were performing this song, it would be cheesetastic, however, Casey brings a genuine vibe to it . . . he's not really messing with the melody, and I think that's a good thing. He's rockin the guitar, and I think he's done a bluesy, solid interpretation of the song. Randy thought it was good, but not his best. Ellen liked his guitar playing, but doesn't thinking anyone will be talking about it tomorrow. Kara thinks he was like everybody else tonight. Simon didn't think it was particularly inspiring . . . does he know this song?

2. Lee DeWyze - He's singing "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel - Alicia told him not to lose sight of the lyrics . . . He's having a few pitch problems at the beginning, but I'm feeling this performance. He seems to have taken La Keys words to heart, and is really feeling the lyrics. I'm believing him when he sings . . . Lee is bringin it tonight. Randy thinks that he is a great artist. Ellen thinks he has a lot of soul and depth. Kara thinks he had his moment tonight. Simon thinks he was sincere and inspirational.

3. Tim Urban - He's singing "Better Days" by the Goo Goo Dolls - Alicia is a sucker for the lyrics and that's a good thing . . . for Tim especially. If he's not feelin it, he's gonna fall flat. He's started the song a little low and pitchy. For me, he's never quite found the right note . . . I like the song, and I think he's "feeling the lyrics", but I don't think he's quite "feeling the notes". Randy thought it was okay, good, karaoke. Ellen thinks he's like the soup of the day, and today she didn't like it. Kara thinks he's found his "lane", but that this wasn't his best performance. Simon thinks it may have been a step too high for him in terms of performance, but thinks that he has definitely improved.

4. Aaron Kelly - He's singing "I Believe I Can Fly" - Alicia's worried that the song can be overkill for some folks. BTW, I heart Alicia Keys. Something's missing for me . . . it may be the arrangement, but he pulled it together at the end. Not a fan of the first half, but the second half kind of sold me. Randy thinks the arrangement was strange and thinks he did a good job. Ellen thought he handled a big song very well. Kara thinks the end was good. Simon thinks he gave it his all, but would have turned it off had he heard it on the radio.

5. Siobhan Magnus - She's singing some scary combo of Whitney and Mariah . . . I'm unclear . . . She's singing "When You Believe" . . . Alicia has told Siobhan to milk her money shot . . . er, um, moving on . . . She has butterflies on her shoulder . . . just sayin . . . The beginning of the song started a wee bit pitchy, and the arrangement is a little bit odd . . . the notes towards the end were beautiful and pitch perfect. Randy thinks she picked the toughest song, and it was just okay. Ellen disagrees and thinks it's more confirmation why she is here. Kara still doesn't know who she is. Simon thought the arrangement was old fashioned and a bit all over the place. Siobhan . . . stop talking . . .

6. Big Mike - He's singing "Hero" by I think Nickleback??. Alicia thinks he is making the song his own. . . I'm not really sure he made it his own. I liked the first half of the song better than the last half. It was pretty good. Randy thought he held his own with it. Ellen thought he did a great job. Kara didn't like it. Simon thinks he sang it pretty well, but didn't think the song fit the theme.

7. Crystal Bowersox - For the first time this season, she's not playing an instrument. She's singing "People Get Ready". Alicia likes her and thinks she is special. Here comes our girl. Starting out acapella . . . you go, girl! She broke into tears at the end of the song . . . simply amazing . . . stunning performance. Randy gave her the standing ovation. Ellen thinks she has never looked more beautiful, and thought it was amazing. Kara thanked her for taking a risk, and thinks she took it to another level and schooled all of the contestants. Simon thinks that was inspirational, and happy to see her emotional.

The Rankings
Crystal
(Space Beyond Recognition)
Lee
(Big Space)
Casey,
Aaron,
Big Mike,
Tim,
Siobhan

In my opinion, the only two relevant performances were Crystal and Lee . . . and then there were the rest.

My Bottom Three: Big Mike, Tim, Siobhan
America's Bottom Three: Aaron, Tim, Siobhan
Eliminated: Tim

Idol Points Game

Ok, so, I forgot to post the latest standings . . . it's a bit tricky because they eliminated two last week . . . so, here's what I thought . . . if any of our original predictions for #9/#8 were the same as who was eliminated last week, we get 2 points for each correct prediction . . . does that make sense . . . in addition, we will receive one point if we predicted correctly on the week. Whew . . . that was a keyboard full . . .

To review, here are our current, tasty, standings:


1. J - 13 points
2. Rubbertoe - 12 points
3. Dr. L/K - 10 points

Points from last week . . .

J - Correctly predicted Andrew going home (1 point) and correctly predicted Katie would go 8th (2 points) = 3 points

Rubbertoe - Correctly predicted Andrew going home (1 point)

Dr.L/K - Correctly predicted Andrew going home (1 point) and correctly predicted Katie would go 8th.

Updated Standings:

1. J - 16 points
2. Rubbertoe & Dr. L/K - 13 points

We seem to be off kilter with America's 2010 voting habits ... we all thought Andrew would be gone weeks ago, AND we were ALL sure that Aaron would go this last week . . . As we say every year, I'm just not sure what America is thinking . . .

See y'all tonight.

Crystalgate


Interesting article, even though it is from Fox News, it is regarding Fox' biggest show: about MamaSox' recent "moment of weakness" (her words) almost leaving Idol.
Seems she feels like Ryan betrayed what she told him in confidence, and he capitalized on it for some press.

Idol Gives Back...


...and Kris Allen gives some Front! Thanks to TMZ.
Your move, Tim.
-- K

Monday, April 19, 2010

The Dunkster


After the hijinks from RyRy last week (explained, in his words, here) our old pal Brian Dunkleman has a bit of fun with his post-Idol career.
-- K

Friday, April 16, 2010

Ryan "Coke"(d) out or Crazy? (too much caffeine, my ass)



Lots of articles calling out SeaCrust on his wack behavior. Here's just one of them.

I totally called this a couple weeks ago! (thanks to VFTW for the AWESOME "Ryan Montana" pic!)

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Top 9: Predictions

A quick post from Philly . . .

I want to say again that I thought last night's performances, for the most part, were stellar . . . I was quite pleased. . .

That being said . . .

My Bottom Three: Katie, Aaron, Andrew
America's Bottom Three: Katie, Aaron, Andrew

Headed home: Andrew/Aaron

Something to think about: I wonder if they will do a bottom three tonight . . . maybe three groups of three or perhaps two groups of four with the ninth person deemed safe . . . I'm curious as to how they do it . . .

A Little Less Animation

Elvis really has left the building.

Crystal - Saved - loved how she picked a non-traditional Elvis tune! LOVED it! only complaint - hard to hear her guitar - that would have been fun!
K says, maybe didn't need guitar...so many of these performances would have been better had the SINGERS moved around more.

Andrew - HoundDog - didn't listen to a word that Adam said! boring, and again with the weird inflection on some of the words. 
K said maybe he wants to "clock out", seems like a performance that wouldn't convince anyone to vote

Tim -Can't Help Falling in Love - I was really hoping he was going to go with the falsetto at the end...but it was beautiful the way he did it. I thought he connected and it was a sweet, simple rendition of a classic tune. 

Lee - A Little Less Conversation - good arrangement of the song, and it was a little less restrained than the usual Lee performance. 

I am totally hearting Adam as a mentor! Love the straight-up, no BS comments!
K says, best Adam comment of the night, that "nothing going on here" in Lee's face; I don't get all the praise for Lee, what's he doing vocally that Casey isn't thrashing him on week in/out?


Aaron - Blue Suede Shoes - thought he gave it 110% - fun performance. He tried to do something different in terms of song choice. Not sure that it was the best choice if he wants to stick around for another week...
K says another pretty good performance that was over-cheesified by the arrangement. Some of the blame for these performances has to rest with Ricky Minor & crew.

Siobahn - Suspicious Minds - pretty good until she changed it up at the end. I didn't like the slowed-down part, maybe a strange song choice for her. Show your individuality in your performance, not by sassing the judges. 
K says she never recovered after that week (3 weeks ago?) that the judges slapped her down.

PS from K -- is Seacrest drunk? So many weird moments(making awkward sexual innuendo w/Adam, dancing w/Sarver during Tim's song, telling that Grandma in the crowd something would "suck", etc), culminating in an especially cruel slam against poor, forgotten castoff Brian Dunkleman. Seacrest is a d-bag extraordinaire.

Big Mike - In the Ghetto - thought it was smart to sing this song, did give him a chance to connect a bit -without all of the posturing he usually does. K thought it was kind of meh - song started at one level and never went anywhere beyond it. 

Katie - Baby What do ya want me to do? - sort of sassy-lite - I know she is trying, but  I imagine it would be hard for her to be as 'frustrated' as she would need to be to do this song proud. 
K thinks if she would come out just one week without the 1990 sorority bad-girl costume she might get some respect.

Chicken LIttle alert! Just saw Kevin Covais, Didi and Elliot Yamin on the promo for the 11pm newscast!

Casey - Lawdy Miss Clawdy - classic tune that is worth a listen (Elvis 68' Comeback Special version) I thought Casey did a great job with it! LOVE to hear him sing - to me, he has the best voice in the competition. I thought it was better than the judges gave him credit for...
K says this is a prime example of the band effing the singer: go back and listen to Casey ripping it up for Adam, solo. He would have KILLED it by himself, just w/the guitar.


Rankings 

Crystal
Tim
Casey
Lee

Big Mike
Katie

Aaron
Siobahn
Andrew

L&K's bottom three:  Aaron, Siobahn, Andrew 
Andrew and Aaron go home

America's bottom three:  Katie Aaron Andrew, Andrew and Aaron say adios

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

A little less satisfaction....

First of all...I thought that Adam was a great mentor and gave them all really good advice...much better advice than most of the other mentors have and better than the judges.

Crystal - Solid as usual. What is there to say. Having the electric guitar gave it a nice change.

Andrew - Horrible. He should have listened to Adam's advice. It was BORING. When Adam told him to take it up a little, he sounded pretty good...but then he went back to the boring version. Bye Bye Andrew.

Tim - Simon said it: Zero to hero. Very nice performance that showed off his vocal ability.

Lee- Lee was awesome tonight. For probably the first time, I saw some star quality in her.

Aaron - completely Kareoke.

Cinnabon - One word - Schizophrenic. Its ok to not want to be pidgeon-holed, but she is all over the place.

Big Mike - I have to say...as much as I dislike him, he was great tonight. He was off his cocky perch and he allowed his vocals to shine. I think being almost elminated was good for him. I hope he learned a lesson.

Katie - Wow...rocked it ronight. I thought she sounded better than ever and gave an energetic performance. She took Adam's advice and ran with it.

Casey - Great bluesy performance Judges are off the mark on him. He was one of the bet of the night.

Rubbertoe's rankings:

1-2-3: I'm going to call it a tie between Lee, Casey and Crystal

4. Tim
5. Big Mike
6. Katie

HUGE SPACE

7. Cinnabon

EVEN MORE HUGE SPACE

8. Aaron
9. Andrew


America cannot possibly get the two eliminations (Andrew/Aaron) wrong.
However, America will put Tim in the bottom 3 wih them.

The Top 9: The Elvis Show Has Brought About the End of the World . . . I Ranked Tim Above Casey???? WTF?

The pressure is on . . . Are you ready? This is American Idol.

Here are our Nine Finalists!

I think Aaron borrowed Lee's jacket . . .

Tonight we are going to experience Elvis' songbook . . . I'm just going to go ahead and predict that Andrew Garcia is going to serve up some mozzerella cheese sticks . . .

I love Glambert, but I'm not sure how he warrants being an Idol mentor for Elvis night . . .

Did Ryan just tell Adam that "he had an extra 2 inches tonight"? Er . . . Um . . . anyway . . .

And did he just say, "My tongue isn't nearly as talented as yours" . . . Seriously! LOVES IT!

1. Crystal Bowersox - She's singing "Saved" . . . I'm lovin this gospel vibe with the electric guitar . . . Blow it out, Ms. Crystal. A big, ball of awesome from Ms. Crystal. SHE NAILED IT! Randy thought she has energy and it was dope. Ellen thought it was fantastic. Kara thought it was solid and uptempo. Simon thought it suited her and she put her own slant on it.

2. Andrew Garcia - I'm scared . . . Stop talking Andrew . . . He's singing "Hound Dog" . . . Is that changing things up? He has stolen my wallet chain . . . Oh Andrew . . . this is slow and slightly boring . . . Just ok for J . . . nothing too exciting . . . Randy thought it was not good karaoke. Ellen wanted more swagga, and thought he pulled it off. Kara didn't think he owned it. Simon thought it was lazy and didn't feel like the star performance. . . Andrew is in trouble.

3. Tim Urban - He's singing "Can't Help Falling Love" . . . this could be gorgeous or it could be horrendous . . . Turban? It's definitely a stripped down version of the song . . . that was kind of beautiful . . . I'm a wee bit impressed with Mr. Urban. . . that was lovely. Randy actually liked it. Ellen is comparing him to taking many shots of tequila. Kara thought it was her favorite Tim performance. Simon thinks he's gone from zero to hero in two weeks.

4. Lee DeWyze - Singing "A Little Less Conversation" . . . Adam correctly perceives that Lee doesn't give good face. His performance was very good . . . very solid. I continue to be impressed. Randy is impressed. Ellen thought it sounded current. Kara thought he went for it vocally. Simon thought he nailed it.

5. Aaron Kelly - Singin "Blue Suede Shoes" . . . this could be wonderful or . . . I'm just not sure . . . It's got a cheese tinge to it, but his vocals sound good. He showed much more range in his voice . . . but again, with a side of cheese. Randy thought it was better in the second half. Ellen thought it was a big song to take on, but didn't think he got all the way there. Kara likes that he was out of his comfort zone. Simon thought it made him older . . . like at a high school concert.

6. Siobhan Magnus - She's singing "Suspicious Minds" . . . She has her back turned to the audience . . . Performance was boring until she hits the slow down at the end . . . I like the end. Randy liked the back half of the song. Ellen liked the second half of the song. Kara is confused and wasn't crazy about it. Simon thought she was a completely different person and very erratic.

7. Big Mike - He's singing "In the Ghetto" . . . A very solid vocal performance from Big Mike. He sang it well and it felt genuine. Much, much better than last week. Randy thought it was a little sleepy, but HOT. Ellen is glad they saved him. Kara thought it was beautiful. Simon thought it was a terrific choice of song.

8. Katie Stevens - She's singin "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" . . . Adam wants her to get "throaty" . . . She's got the neck roll going on . . . Her pipes are improving each week, and I like the vocals. Randy thought it was entertaining. Ellen thought it was a very horny song. Kara thought she showed the judges. Katie thought it was loud and annoying.

9. Casey James - I so don't know this song . . . Loudy, Ms. Cloudy . . . or Lordy Ms. Clordy . . . or something like that . . . He just looks like he's already won . . . Both he and Crystal have that look about them . . . like they've already won and are just singing . . . I wanna yank his pony tail. Randy thought it was solid. Ellen wasn't excited, but thinks he's always good. Kara thinks it fell short. Simon thought it was a wasted opportunity, but his vocal was good.

J's rankings

1. Crystal,
(space)
2. Lee
3. Tim
4. Casey
(space)
5. Big Mike
(space)
6. Siobhan
7. Katie
(big space)
8.Aaron
(Massive Space),
9. Andrew

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

The Top 9: Idol Points Game

Alright, Lil Taste Contributors . . . here were our standings going into this week.

1. J - 11 points
2. Rubbertoe - 10 points
3. Dr.L/K - 8 points

We did not fare terribly well this week, yo . . . Here's how we did.

J - 2 of bottom 3 correct (Aaron and Andrew) = 2 points
Rubbertoe - 2 of bottom 3 correct (Aaron and Andrew) = 2 points
Dr.L/K - 2 of bottom 3 correct (Aaron and Andrew) = 2 points

None of us predicted the "exiting" Idol correctly and none of us predicted the #9 Idol correctly in our pre-idol rankings . . .

Even more bizarre to me, we each picked a different bottom 3 person to go along with Aaron and Andrew . . . Tim, Katie, and Lee . . . AND NONE OF US GOT IT RIGHT! How is this possible, Idol nation. I think I can speak on behalf of my fellow Lil Tasters when I say . . . WTF!?

Current Standings

1. J - 13 points
2. Rubbertoe - 12 points
3. Dr. L/K - 10 points

See ya next week . . .

The Top 9 Results: What the F*&^?




Ok, so, I'm not really sure what I'm WTFing about . . . let's break it down.

WTF #1: Kara's prodigy is a total queen . . . and that song kinda sucked.

WTF #2: Why didn't we have the traditional three/three/three in the Top 9 results?

WTF break: Lil David was back and I still heart him

Crack me up moment: The look on Tim's face when he was told to join Casey/Lee

WTF #3: Why oh why can't America be consistent . . . you never agree with me America, and suddenly, now, you decide to pick my personal bottom three as the bottom three. Ughs.

WTF #4: Dear RiRi, stop sucking so hardcore.

WTF #5: Why is RiRi pretending to play the electric guitar?

WTF #6: ANDREW IS SAFE????????? WTF?

Ok, I'm done WTFing . . . I'm not surprised in the least that they used the save on Big Mike . . . two will go home next week . . . and I'm thinkin Tim, Katie, and Andrew had better be on their game, yo. . . .

J's Top 9 Picks: What to do . . . What to do . . .

Ok, so, I have lamented over these picks throughout the day. There are several different scenarios that could play out. I think America's votes will put Katie, Tim, Andrew, and Aaron in danger. Although, I think that Katie shouldn't be in that group and Big Mike should . . . . but that's another conversation.

I'm sort of with an earlier post of Rubbertoe's, and am starting to think of Tim Urban as Kristy Lee Cook . . . slowly getting somewhat better, but still shouldn't be here . . . but America likes him enough to keep him in. Therefore, I think he will be safe, but I'm not convinced he's safe from the bottom three.

Then, there's Katie who I think should be safe, but has been in the bottom three two weeks in a row . . . which in a normal season would almost guarantee her safety this week . . . but this is not a normal season, and I am still convinced that voting totals are WAY DOWN this year.

Another thing to consider . . . where do Didi's votes go?

Yet another thing to consider . . . America loves little Yoda . . . Aaron, and they love Lee's boyfriend, Andrew.

Who to pick . . . Who to pick . . .

Ok, here it is

Bottom Three: Tim, Aaron, Andrew
Going Home: Andrew

We shall soon see . . .

Idol Need Contestants Like THIS










...if it's a singing competition, as Simon and crew sometimes protest.

-- K

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

The long and cheesy road

Aaron - The Long and Winding Road: sort of a Byran Adams -ish sound to this version. A bit sleepy sounding, maybe? A safe, middle of the road performance.

Katie - Let it Be: Way to go Katie! liked this version of the song - kind of on the country side? Really thought it suited her voice and it had a 'current' vibe to it. She had some nice sass to the pre-performance sit-down with Ryan.

Andrew - Can't Buy Me Love: Hmmm, well he had a lot of energy - and he seemed to have fun. Not really my fave, I think the judges pinned it with the 'corny' comment. K - thought old-fashioned.

(Looking at Katie's pink dress and Andrew's yellow shirt - was there an Easter Peep theme going on tonight?)

Big Mike - Eleanor Rigby: Wow! that was a new take on this song, with the R&B vibe. K - says, Big Mike has really exceeded his expectations the past few weeks, - thought he was a one trick pony, but he is much more than that. Maybe the secret to Mike is to not watch his grandiose gestures as he performs because his personality is pretty obnoxious at times. Idol sure wants him to stay: Swoop-O-Cam and the on-stage string section.

Mamasox - Come Together: She didn't need the band backing her up on this one - too much stuff going on. Would have been better with her, the digeridoo guy, and some bongos. Good solid performance, but I don't think she was good in the way that Casey was good this week, though.

Tim - All My Loving: Ahhh - his intro package was sooo cute!! Randy was echoing Kara's smarmy condesencion from last week - but everyone else seemed to give credit where credit was due. We both thought that was great - I really love the tone of his voice. Had a fun and current vibe! He has a certain appeal in this competition - not just visually :) K says, contrasted with Andrew, his song choice and performance was right on - with the early Lennon-McCartney material.

Casey - Jealous Guy: No words... goosebumps here! That was beautiful! LOVED it! Best of the night - no doubt!

Siobahn - Across the Universe: Exactly what she needed to do this week - a softer performance, and reigned the big note back in. Hard not to love this song no matter who sings it. Hated the hair and the outfit though, very distracting.... This was the clearest example of the judges cutting a female contestant a break for a mediocre performance tonight.

Lee - Hey Jude: what was up with the bagpipe thing? I wasn't sure if that worked, but he seemed to happy about it. Not my fave Lee song, but pretty good overall. It is hard to judge a sing-along song, but it would be fun to hear in a concert.

Overall, K says it seemed evident to him that the judges were throwing softballs at the girls to keep them in another week, at the expense of a guy. TPTB are afraid that this is going to become a sausage fest.

Rankings:

Casey
Big Mike
Tim
Katie
Mamasox
Siobahn
Aaron
Lee
SPACE
Andrew

Predictions:
L&K Bottom Three: Aaron, Lee, Andrew Andrew goes home

America's Bottom Three: Katie, Aaron, Andrew Andrew goes home

The Top 9 - Money can't buy him love or save him this time

Opening shot...Redhead in the audience (I've already forgotten her name)....oh..yeah. Lacey.

Idol makeovers look good. I love what they did to Tim's hair. And Casey looks hot as always.

Lennon/McCartney -

First up...Aaron- Long and Winding Road. His upper register is not his strength. Thus, it started out really weak. He's a cute kid. But this performance was jus't....blah. Nothing bad, but just kinda boring and bland. (BTW...he must be about 5'3, considering Ryan is either 5'5" or 5'6")...

Katie - "Let it be". All I can say is Girl....let it be. She did nothing with the song. She looks cute though. but she's definitely overstayed her welcome.
Randy? Her best performance ever? Ellen? Amazing? Kara? Great vocal and you never sounded better? Simon - You got it right. Wow....I'm definitely in a different camp than the judges. I found it boring and meaningless.

Andrew Garcia - Can't buy me love - I HATE what they did with his hair. He looks like PAT from Saturday night live. He's put a little Rockabilly twiston it. I don't really care for the version. Andrew is on his last legs. He seemed to have fun, but it was just ok.

Michael Lynche - Eleanor Rigby. So Far...this is horrible. This is all the annoying Mike..without the generally good vocals. At the nd...it got better, but not enough to save it. This was definitely his worst performnce to date. Randy is on drugs...Ellen as well. Kara? Fire? These judges are wacko tonight. Simon - Didn't love it. OK...he's just annoying. He thinks he could do that on the radio? Mike's in for a rude awakening.

Crystal Bowersox - MamaSox. Love the nickname. Come Together. This is the perfect song for her. I like the understated way she is doing this song. I'm trying to decide: Is Crystal really good because she IS really good OR Is she good because everybody else this year is so bad (save for a couple)? That Judges finally got it right. What is the Digerdoo? I have to say that Ernie on the Digerdoo was better than Big Mike tonight.

Tim Urban - All my Lovin. He looks great and his vocals are good. Not super exciting. But one of the few solid performances of the night. THAT was something that I could hear on the radio today.
Randy - so condescending...especially when praising Michael and Katie. Simon was right...judging not on Randy's "Tim standard", it was a good performance.

Casey James - Jealous Guy - I loved this. I loved how it was so stripped down that you really got to hear the quality of his voice and see the "vulnerability".
Simon says "Best performance of the night so far" - I agree. He looks HUGE next to Ryan.

Siobhan - Across the Universe - Starts off horrible. What is that dress...the makeup...? This arrangement is GOD AWFUL. Talk about a pretentious and cheesily dramatic performance. She actually made Big Mike sound good. I am shocked by how bad this was. (I can't believe the judges this year - The are all over DIDI in weeks past for being overly dramatic...and they give Cinnabon a pass on this? They are all so inconsistent this year).

Lee - "Hey Jude" - I don't like the "Cleaned up" look they gave. He looks more confident tonight, but his vocals are not as good as in the past weeks. What was with the bagpipes? Ths is all getting a little cheesy?
I've been defending the show all year from people saying "Its jumped the shark"...but now I myself am starting to think that it may have "jumped the shark".

Best to the Worst:


Casey
Crystal
Tim
Lee
Aaron
Katie
Andrew
Michael
Siobhan

So...Rubbertoe's Bottom 3: Andrew, Michael and Cinnabon
But America's will be very different.

America's bottom 3 will be: Andrew, Aaron and Katie
Going Home?: Andrew

The Top 9: A Guaranteed Siobhan vs. Crystal finale . . . Not if Casey, Lee, and who'd a thunk it, Katie have anything to say about it!





Here's Ryan in the central nervous system of the show, the judges, and our Top 9 . . . THIS is AMERican Idol!

Here are our Top 9 . . . and for once, Katie isn't dead center. Our theme tonight is . . . the Lennon/McCartney songbook. Now, this could be wonderful or it could bring loads of horror . . . recall Season 7 when we had back to back weeks of the Lennon/McCartney songbook . . . Week 1 was amazing and Week 2 sucked ass.

Sir Paul sent the Idols some love.

1. Aaron Kelly - If Aaron is smart he will choose one of the more simple love songs . . . his nickname is Yoda . . . He's singing "The Long and Winding Road" . . . hmmmm . . . I think this could be a good choice for him . . . I think he sounds pretty good, as per usual, he is much better in his upper register. His country twang adds a different sound to the song, and the end note is stellar. Overall, it was a little better than okay for me. Randy likes his voice, but didn't like the arrangement. Ellen thought it was a big song to take on. Kara thinks he still hasn't found a great performance. Simon called him sweetie . . . I love that. He thought it was old fashioned and boring.

2. Katie Stevens - Ok, she's showing a little personality in her interview . . . she's singing "Let it Be" which is dangerous since she is walking in the footsteps of Kris Allen's performance earlier in the season. Nice start . . . Who'd a thunk it . . . I thought that was down right beautiful. I'm quite impressed with week with Ms. Stevens. Randy thought it was her best performance ever. Ellen thought she changed it just enough to make it her own. Kara thinks she is blossoming on stage. Simon thinks she got it right tonight and that she leaned more country . . . I agree with Simon.

3. Andrew Garcia - Andrew is Big Mike's main P.I.C. . . . He's singing "Can't Buy Me Love" . . . this has the potential to be quite cheesetastic . . . 1. What is he wearing . . . 2. NO! . . . 3. NO! NO! NO! . . . don't get me wrong, his voice sounds fine, but it just sounds cheesy . . . and was that a Gokey screech I just heard? Definitely a yikes for me. . . Randy thought it was solid, but a little corny. Ellen thought it was a lot of fun and she loved it. Kara thought he could have done more with his interpretation. Simon thought the band overpowered the performance.

4. Big Mike - He's singing Eleanor Rigby . . . Hmmmmm . . . I'll have to see this one to figure it out . . . This is not thrilling me . . . Of all the songs in this songbook, why oh why did he choose this one. His voice is good, particularly in the upper register, but it just had a weird vibe to me. I didn't get it. Randy thought the parts that worked, worked well. Ellen thinks he can do anything. Kara thought it was FIRE! Simon didn't love it as much as the other three because he thought it sounded too much like a musical. I'm not as much on the Big Mike train as the rest of them, but I think his voice sounded good. Big Mike needs to be careful about being too cocky . . . it doesn't read well on the screen.

5. Crystal Bowersox - MamaSox . . . I like it . . . She's singing "Come Together" because "it has a fun groove" . . . I love Crystal . . . I love Crystal . . . I love Crystal . . . I feel better now. She's bringin the funk even with the cold . . . Randy thinks it was another solid performance. Ellen is running out of ways to tell her how great she is . . . Kara thinks it's one of her favorite performances of Crystal's. Simon thinks that is a performance he could hear on the radio.

6. Tim Urban - Tim wants to sing with a smile, so he's singin "All My Lovin" . . . is it my imagination or has this boy's voice gotten better . . . still not the strongest, but he's hittin the notes quite nicely. His performance is a little boring, but his voice sounds good . . . I'm sayin he was better than at least 2 other contestants tonight. Let the bloodbath begin . . . Randy thougt it was a much better performance. Ellen thought it was the perfect song choice for him. Kara thinks he's at his best when he has a guitar. Simon thought he did really well tonight with that song.

7. Casey James - oh yes, my baby, is a little playboy . . . tonight he's singin "Jealous Guy" . . . He looks really good tonight. I thought that was just plain wonderful . . . solid as usual, but also with some nice emotion. Randy likes the whole sensitive vibe, and thinks he took a leap. Ellen believed him, and thougt it was his best performance to date. Kara thought he showed a vulnerability, and it was tasteful. Simon thought it was the best performance of the night . . . agreed.

8. Siobhan Magnus - The Idols think she is amazingly, unique. She's singing "Across the Universe". I think her voice sounds absolutely beautiful . . . I have always thought the song was odd, and I think this arrangement was equally odd. However, I think her voice was just beautiful. Randy thinks she screams artist more than anyone else. Ellen likes that she marches to the beat of her own drummer. Kara thought from a singing perspective it was good, but thought it was very restrained and polite. Simon thinks it was much stronger this week.

9. Lee DeWyze - He's the resident worry wart . . . Ok, the jokes about Lee and Andrew getting married and having little Danny Gokey babies cracks me up . . . He's singin "Hey Jude" . . . whoops, his pitch problems have reappeared. I'm not sure about this song choice . . . he's a little all over the place vocally. It was a little small bar-ish . . . but I still heart him. Randy thought it was another hot one. Ellen thought he was more confident tonight. Kara thinks he feels better tonight, and can hear him on the radio. Simon thought it looked like the bagpipe player turned up on the wrong show.

A much, much better night on Idol tonight. For me, there was a clear line between the good and the not so good . . . here are my rankings . . .

1.Casey
(space)
2. Crystal
(with a slight edge over),
3.Katie, (with a slight edge over),
4.Siobhan,
5.Lee
(Huge Space),
6.Tim,
7.Big Mike,
8.Aaron,
9.Andrew,

Back later with predictions . . .

Monday, April 5, 2010

Carrie Underwood On Idol Gives Back


Just saw a link from TMZ that Carrie would appear on the April 21st show, known affectionately by VoteForTheWorst as "Idol Gives Head". I was wondering why we haven't been hearing about IGB (much), they usually promote the bejeezus out of it every week leading up to it. Maybe that's all about to begin...

-- K

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Anyone else think...


Hey guys, a few things are bugging me this season, and I thought I'd throw them out to the blog to see if any resonated. I keep meaning to bring them up, but always forget in light of all the train wrecks and teflon, and -gasp- good singers.

First, wtf is up with Ryan this season? He's acting kind of demented, what with his weird detached delivery & mechanical sentiment towards the contestants (going so far as to goad poor Didi to reveal something personal she obviously did NOT want to discuss) to his creepy badgering of Simon (who is CLEARLY over it, and even turned to Kara last night and said "what's the matter with him?"). And don't forget the Twitter blunder where Ryan FORGOT the West Coast hadn't learned the results last week. There are too many more odd moments to mention here. Is he stretched too thin?

Second, what's up with all the AutoTune? Seriously, EVERY group number is now AutoTuned, and 95% of all Guest Star performances are, as well. I expected Diddy, but Usher? Gotta give Ruben props for keeping it real. Am I some dinosaur who remembers the good old days when people had to actually SING, for better or worse, on a live TV show? Damn, this makes lip-syncing look better, at least the sound wouldn't appear to emanate from some alien robot approximating a human voice. (Ever hear of the Uncanny Valley Effect?) The Bud Light Super Bowl T Pain commercial really makes great fun of this over-saturation.

Finally, how can the # 1 show on TV have such horrible production value? Every week you are guaranteed to see: a)amateurish editing, to poorly aimed cameras, b) bad sound, from the performances or judge's mikes (sounds like they're holding rubber mallets) or c) this season's oft-seen screw-up, crew members running around in the shot. d) Can they get the frickin show to END on time? Ryan literally engineered a SECOND round of criticism (from all 4 judges) for Siobhan Tuesday; how is that fair, for one, and how did he expect to make up the time? Week after week, season after season they can't get it right.

Any thoughts?

-- K

Idol Points Game: The Top 10 Edition

Here's an update from last week:

1. J: 8 points
2. Rubbertoe: 7 points
3. Dr.L&K: 6 points

Here's what happened this week.

J: 2 out of three of the bottom 3 correct (Didi and Tim), and correct prediction of elimination (Didi) = 3 points

Rubbertoe: 3 out of bottom 3 correct (Didi, Katie, and Tim) YAY! = 3 points

Dr.L&K: 2 out of bottom 3 correct (Katie and Tim) = 2 points

Nobody's original #10 pick was correct :(


Here are the updated standings:

1. J: 11 points
2. Rubbertoe: 10 points
3. Dr. L&K: 8 points