THIS is AMERICAN IDOL!

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

IDOL IS BACK!!!

Thursday, March 31, 2011

The Top 11: Working it Rubbertoe Style

Much like Rubbertoe last week, I am operating a bit in the dark. I was unable to watch the show and the damned thing didn't record. So, I had to go and listen to the studio versions of the Elton John songs our Top 11 performed last night. I realize that these recordings are definitely not the same as listening to them live, but it's the best I can do. So, I listened and tried to envision how good or how bad they came across on stage. So, here are my rankings . . .

1. Pia
2. Casey
3. James
4. Scotty
5. Paul
6. Lauren
7. Haley
8. Stefano
9.Jacob
10. Thia
11. Naima

Therefore, according to my flawed listening, my bottom 3 is Jacob, Thia and Naima . . . however, here is what I am GUESSING America's bottom 3 will be . . .

Thia, Naima, and Stefano. . . assuming they do a traditional bottom 3. Since two are going home, my picks are Naima and Stefano.

We shall see if, being almost blind, I have any inkling of what America will do.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Idols Top 11: Pitchy seems to be the hardest word

Elton John week! Please let some of these songs be good....

Scotty - Country Comfort brilliant song choice, and could probably have a hit with that. Would be interesting to see how it does on ITunes this week. He's in the #1 spot, but I don't think he's going anywhere.

Naima - Im still standing - reggae version. Hmm, not sure about the accent?! Actually better than we thought it would be, stayed in tune. K says - now that Naima has made it to the tour, it seems like the de-pimping has begun (see judges' response to her performance).

Paul - Rocket Man I liked Paul's interpretation of the song, but can see that he is probably getting lost in the competition. K - says "I stand by my conviction that Paul is a far cooler guy off stage than he has ever been onstage at Idol".

Pia - Don't let the sun go down on me. K thought the super power note was good note on the song. He liked it better than Paul's song, but she didn't have a moment with it like she could have. I didn't like the choir behind her, that took me out of the song. It was beautiful song though!

Stefano - Tiny Dancer - Once again, Jimmy Iovine hates Stefano! K says - of the singers that have an affected style (Scotty, Paul, Stefano) - he would MUCH rather hear Scotty and Paul continue on in the competition. Not that he did a bad job, even when he is good - don't like the way he sings. All I can think of is 'hold me closer Tony Danza', not my fave performance so far. He is definitely improving week to week - lots of charisma and enthusiasm.

Lauren Alaina - Candle in the Wind - K says Jimmy either loves her, or has been told to love her! She can have a pretty voice, but she always seems to be ahead of the music. She was thinking about performing, and that took her out of the song. She acts like the teenager that she is. LOL Steven Tyler - we LOVE you!!

James - Saturday Night's Alright - Whoooo! I would hate to follow James tonight - that was a fun performance. Good voice control in addition to the dancing around. K says it is always enjoyable to watch him. He worries that people might assume he is a front-runner and might not be voting for him. He is very consistent - you don't ever feel like he is just half-assin' it .

Thia - Daniel. Heartfelt performance and I liked the arrangement of the song. K says - she did what Stefano shot for, and maybe missed. However, don't know if it is enough to keep her in the competition. I am guessing she will still be in the bottom three.

Casey - Your Song - That was exactly what he needed to do this week - the beard trim, the more understated performance - he really has a clear, sweet voice. I know he was probably tempted to do the growly thing - but this was much better. I hope he will continue along this path. Loved it!

Jacob -Sorry seems to be the hardest word - What is he doing in Heaven Can Wait? He's getting closer, but that arrangement pushed him to do that over-the-top stuff. Much preferred the first part of the song to the 2nd half.

Haley - Bennie & the Jets - didn't like that it started off all loungey…if it had been more funky throughout - it would have come off much better. K says - they want her to go - (see the over pimpage via the judges!) Complete cognitive dissonance on that one. Not sure how THAT was the best performance of the night.

Rankings:

James
Casey
Pia
Scotty

Jacob
Paul

Lauren Alaina
Thia
Naima
Stefano
Haley


Our bottom three:
Naima, Stefano, Haley

Stefano and Haley go home

America's bottom three:
Naima, Stefano, Haley

Stefano and Haley go home
Scotty - Is he a one trick pony? Well...Scotty did what Scotty does. It was a lackluster performance, but he played to his base. He played the "Grandma" card and it will pay off for him again. Rubbertoe 1-10 (5)...AI 1-10 (7)

Naima - Looked great in the gold dress. "I'm still standing"...one of my favorite EJ songs...but not sure how the Reggae is going to work...I liked it more than I thought I would...but I didn't love her fake Jamaican accent. I'm afraid this could very well be the end for Naima. RT (6) AI (3)

Paul - Vocals are horrible...he needs to enunciate. Paul demonstrated clearly why he is the pick of "Vote for the Worst" RT (2) AI (3). This could be the end of Paul,

Pia - Wow...the Scarlet dress is beautiful on her. Don't let the sun go down....Clay did this song incredbily in season 2. After hearing Pia...I have to say that Clay OWNS this song...it was ok, but nothing special. RT (6) AI (8)

Stefano - Tiny Dancer. My favorite EJ song...Stefano did well in the chorus...not so much on the verse. However, I think he did well enough to survive.
RT (7) AI (6)

Lauren - I'm still waiting for Lauren to live up to the Lauren of the early weeks.
and I'm still waiting. It was good...I liked the country vibe she gave Candle in the wind...but she needs to kick it up a few more notches. RT (8) AI (8)

James -Awesome. Showed exactly how it should be done. RT (10) AI (10)

Thia - Daniel...good song choice. I thought this was one of Thia's better performances. I'm not a fan...and I don't think she has any "it" factor...but better than many tonight. RT (6) AI (5)

Casey - A Million times better tonight. Tonight was actually the first time that I actually liked him. RT(9) AI (9).

Jacob - Good Job....I can't stand the faces that he pulls...but he did a good job tonight of not completely overdoing it. RT (7) AI (7)

Haley - Benny and the Jets...oooo...this could be a disaster. Wow...completely cornball.


Rubbertoe's bottom 3 - Paul, Naima, Haley

America's bottom 3 - Paul, Naima, Haley

Wow....America gets it right...and no judges save to screw it up this week.
Haley lives yet again...

Going Home...Paul and Naima

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Little Tasters Point Game: What The Fuck Addition

Hey Little Tasters . . . I think the title says it all.

I can't believe American actually got it kind of right, and then were brutally rebuffed. Not really surprised that Casey was saved, but was VERY surprised that America voted him out.

Here's what our standings from last week looked like.

J = 18 points
Rubbertoe = 14 points
Dr.L/&K = 11 points

Here's this weeks results

J: 2 out of bottom 3 correct (Thia/Stefano) = 2 points
Rubbertoe: 0 out of bottom 3 correct . . . Rubbertoe was operating in the dark this week.
Dr.L/&K: 1 out of bottom 3 correct (Stefano) = 1 point.

Updated results:

J = 20 points
Rubbertoe = 14 points
Dr.L/&K = 12 points

Hopefully we'll be better next week . . . two will be eliminated.

Motown Night: The good, the bad, and the weird

Alright, let's get this thing started...

Casey - Heard it through the grapevine
Very spirited performance. Gets too excited toward the end of the song, but he kinda-sorta tried to follow the producer's advice. About 65% of the way getting to a good performance, but then got derailed with some of the screechy stuff he does each week. Week after week - they seem to over-pimp the first spot as a buffer…wondering if spot #2 is the new #1 spot - as far as who TPTB want to get voted off?

Thia - Heatwave
She definitely stepped it up a few notches - i am constantly surprised that she sounds so mature when she sings. Great that she broke from the ballads. K says it was the move she had to make to stay in, but anytime he hears these songs, cant help but have shades of "Crocodile Rock" a'la …(J who was that guy??)

Jacob - can't wait to see if he can pull it back like Jimmy Iovine suggested….wacky movements when he sings, the diva certainly came out. Much better! so glad he controlled it at least until the end. K says much more like a performance rather than a gymnastic routine.

Lauren Alaina - loved her hair straight! The beginning was really good, but then she sort of ran out of steam, and kind of coasted till the end of the song. All that walking around took the wind out of her and she couldn't recover. K says they are working hard to keep farm-bot barbie in the competition.

Stefano - I will be deferring to K to review this song…I just loathe it. K says "I feel like we just got punked" - he is so delusional that he thinks he is some great singer with the 'i love you' at the end. Laughably worst of the night….

Haley Scarnato - mum, I mean Haley Lee Cook, or Haley whatever! LOL with the shorts, the stylists have been on notice to babe her up! Side note: nice douchebag moment by Ryan embarrassing poor Stefano's mom with the food critique by Gordon Ramsey of all people!! Arghhh! K says - "Legs -check, Cleavage - check, Hooker hair and outfit - check, BUT sane, competent performance - fail." She did perform a miracle however, which was to rival Stefano's absurd rendition of Motown. Too growly!

Scotty - how 'bout that leaning into the camera there at the end! LOL - Yikes, Steven comparing him to Glen Campbell! In a bizarre way - Scotty defied K's expectation that this was gonna crush him. Thought it was impossible for him to find anything Motown to sing, but he managed to pull the country gizzards out of the this song….but that doesn't mean it was good.

Pia - Wow! K says he must have been on Jr Idol for the last hour or so - until Pia came on stage. That was a beautiful performance! Right on with Steven's comment :) The de-pimpage is clear: she's leaving too many of the other competitors in the dust.

Side note: Out of control - pointing out Pia's ass - WTF, Ryan?? Please reign it back in a bit.

Paul - his backup singers were from the "Village of the Damned" . For K it didn't suck as much as last week, but that's like saying getting your ass kicked is better than being shot - it is still painful. L was pleasantly surprised with the performance - I like that the guitar limits some of the weird, jerky dance moves. I love all the tenderness - like what Randy was saying!

Side note: with the cougar joke, Ryan is now gleefully treading over into lunacy. If you catch him grinning and looking downstage @ Randy? you know he knows it too.

Naima - Started out pretty well, and then got kind of repetitive. What happened to the sort of funky reggae part that was initially there? She seemed like she was going through the motions to hurry to get to the dance part..which to me seemed weirdly tacked on. K thought that rather than just singing the song, she feels compelled to add on stuff to give it flava - as unnecessary as the bagpiper last year for Lee Dewyze.

James - Wow! way to end the night - love that song! Only genuine rock-n-roller in the bunch. Would loved to have been in the audience for that part of the show.

So another performance night is complete. On to the rankings:

Pia
James

Jacob
Lauren Alaina
Naima
Thia
Paul
Scotty
Casey
Haley
Stefano

DrL&K's bottom three:

Casey, Haley, Stefano
Stefano goes home

America's bottom three:
Naima, Stefano, Haley

Haley goes home

Looking forward to results night!

Idol House is HAUNTED!!!

(Click on title above to link to the TMZ story)

This season just gets stranger & stranger.

Picking in the dark

So I had to go to a work event last night and haven't seen the show yet.....I have it on DVR but probably won't get a chance to watch before the results show in time to post here...so I'm shooting in the dark based on what I believe America's voting pattern to be.


America's bottom 3: Paul (because I have to believe that America cannot embrace this freak.....he hasn't been in the bottom 3 yet, but I have to believe that he's been hovering very close)
Haley - because I think she's been in the bottom 3 every week...but I think she'll live to see another day
Naima - because I think America just does not get her......

Going Home: Naima....not because she deserves to go home...but because she doesn't fit the AI mold.....

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

The Top 11: Idol Is Livin For The Motown

THIS is American Idol . . .

Who will make it into the Top 10?

It's Motown night. Don't get me wrong, I love Motown music, but I was hoping for new, more contemporary themes. C'mon producers make Idol more contemporary.

Why is JLo in a sparkly bridesmaid dress?

And Mr. Tyler is in JLo's backup outfit... or is it the other way around?

Here are our Top 11!

1. Casey - He's singing "I Heard It Through The Grapevine". Here's hoping he recovers from last week's D-I-saster. I'm starting to agree with Rubbertoe. He is very Taylor Hicks. The screeching is back in the beginning . . . strangely . . . and I'm not sure how Casey is accomplishing this . . . I'm bored. He's picking it up a bit in the second half of the song, but he still isn't making me jump out of my seat.

Steven - He thinks that he is the perfect entertainer . . . um . . .
JLo - She doesn't think there is anyone out there like him right now.
Randy - He thinks he is a true original.

2. Thia - Might I just say that they are clearly pulling the Idol favoritism by putting this girl in bad positions every week. I'm not thrilled with Thia, but they don't want her around. She is singing "Heat Wave" . . .this could be a bit of a train wreck. I hope she proves me wrong. Strong start . . . this song seems to be in the right range for her. However, when she goes high she kind of loses it. I'm slightly less bored than last week . . . better effort.

JLo - She thinks it was great to see her let loose.
Randy - He thinks that she took a chance, but thinks she can dig deeper
Steven - He thinks she took a step out.

3. Jacob - He is singing "You're All I Need to Get By" . . . once sung by the OG Idol, Ms. Clarkson. I'm not excited by Jacob. Again, I hope he proves me wrong. He is definitely more restrained in the beginning . . . I still don't like his voice. This is a much better performance from him . . . they got him to tone it down . . . Why is Steven on stage?

Randy - Yo, He thinks that Barry Gordy is somewhere saying, "Oh My God"
Steven - He thinks he did it.
JLo - She was moved and thinks he made her beg . . .

Ok y'all, he ain't that good . . .

4. Lauren - She is singing "You Keep Me Hangin On" . . . Oh Lauren, I want you to recapture what I hear was your magic from the early rounds. I'm loving her hair flat-ironed (Ok, I will try and control the gay) - I'm loving the beginning . . . she's keeping the pace up nicely. Ok, that was much better than I've heard before. That performance could make me a believer.

Steven - He thinks she ripped that song a new beauty mark
JLo - She thinks she threw her head and her neck into it
Randy - He thinks she's got her swagga on high.

5. Stefano - Lionel? Really? We're in the commercial break, and I'm hoping he's not singing . . . anything I can think of. He is singing, "Hello" . . . was there any doubt . . .He's NEVER heard this song . . . this could be wonderful or cheesetastic. The beginning is dripping with cheese . . . his vocals are spot on . . . pitch perfect, but I think the fact that he hadn't heard the song before is making it ring false. I'm sure I'll be on the island of unpopular belief for this opinion.

JLo - She thinks his intensity is coming from the wrong place.
Randy - He thinks the connection is missing
Steven - He thinks he "ramped up" too soon

6. Haley - in the commercial break . . . I already like her better with the straight hair . . . She is going to sing, "You Really Gotta Hold On Me". Ok, not a bad beginning for Ms. Haley. There are some technical difficulties here during her performance. She is much better this week.

Randy - He thinks that she got better by the middle of the song.
Steven - He thinks she doesn't look a day over fabulous
JLo - She thinks she has effortless control in her voice.

7. Scotty - What the hell is he gonna sing? He's singing "For Once In My Life" . . . hmmmmm . . . I guess we'll see . . . Oh Sweet God. His voice is, as always, pitch perfect . . .my complaint is that he can't seem to get out of that same limited range. I did not love that arrangement . . . it was kind of yikesy for me.

Steven - He thought it was beautiful
JLo - She thought it was a great version of the song . . . but didn't think it was his strongest
Randy - He thought he was taking and chances and saying, "yo".

8. Pia - "All In Love Is Fair" - She's got the dramatic going on . . . She's got what Stefano didn't . . . a connection to the song. Damn, girl can hit the notes. It's not my favorite song choice, but damn she is turning it out.

JLo - She loved it but wants her to own the stage.
Randy - He loved that she incorporated more falsetto
Steven - He thinks she is the star in this American Idol universe

9. Paul - He is singing, "Tracks of My Tears" . . . I'm hopeful, Lambert did it up right a few years ago . . .this is already better than the previous two weeks. He made a smart move by bringing out the guitar. I'm happy with my Paul.

Randy - he liked that he did his thing with the guitar.
Steven - He thought it was very different in a Willie Nelson/Bob Dylan way.
JLo - She thinks he is the complete package.

10. Naima - She is singing, "Dancing In The Street" . . . she better bring it or it could be time for her to go. I'm scared . . . The vocals are already better than usual . . .I'm a little unclear on the dancing . . . but, the vocals were great.

Steven - I'm not sure what he said. She ate the stage.
JLo - Gave her goose bumps
Randy - Thinks all of her showed up tonight

11. James - He is singing "Livin for the City" - Good song for him. And boy is WORKING the stage. He's keeping his pitch going nicely . . .THIS is a nice performance. VERY VERY GOOD, sweet baby. :)

JLo - Thinks he is serious business
Randy - Thought it started a little bit rough but thought it was unbelievable when he hit his pocket.
Steven - Thinks sometimes it takes being a little crazy to make a difference in this world.

My Rankings

James (by an almond sliver)
Pia

Lauren
Naima
Paul
Jacob
Haley
Thia
Stefano
Scotty
Casey

My Bottom Three: Stefano, Scotty, and Casey
America's Bottom Three: Haley, Thia, and Stefano
Going Home: Stefano (in a slight shocker)

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Little Taster Idol Game: Week 2

Hey Little Tasters! It's time to update the points game!

Let's review our scores from last week:

J = 11 points
Dr.L/&K = 9 points
Rubbertoe = 8 points

Here's how we did this week.

J - 2 out of 3 in the bottom 3 (2 points) and Karen predicted to go home in the original picks (5 points) = 7 points

Dr.L/&K = 2 out of 3 in the bottom 3 (2 points) = 2 points

Rubbertoe = 3 out of 3 in the bottom 3 (3 points) and predicted Karen to go home (3 points) = 6 points. Perfect week for Rubbertoe! Congrats!

New standings:

J = 18 points
Rubbertoe = 14 points
Dr.L/&K = 11 points

I think I did it right this week, but let me know if I made a mistake . . . I could be having an Oops, I did it again moment.

See y'all next week.

Idol Top 12: WhatItIsNess

Hey y'all! Better late than never - here's the DrL/K recap of last night's event:

First off, we must point out that JLo is rocking something that the trendy circles are calling the 'Glunge' look…..glamour outfit + grunge hair (basically, teasing and frizzing the shit out of it) - ugh!!

First up - Naima 1984 (a great year, BTW! I miss you highschool). I liked the arrangement of the song - but K thought it took a personal song and made it into a kind of angry global anthem = Not so much. She had a kind of shaky start, but understandable with those funky boots traversing the staircase. She was placed in the KOD spot, but Idol needs her on the tour.

Side note: Randy, um that shirt is made from recycled upholstery!

Paul (1984) - takes on Elton John. Okay, his voice was shaky. K likened it to the intensity of Fruit-Stripe gum, i.e. weak and becomes bland and flavorless quickly. K said applying the Rubbertoe test - this is something he would never, ever want to hear again. For the RIGHT songs - Paul is great, but for this contest not really working.

Thia - CUTE as a little girl! Adorable pictures. Vanessa Williams song. Pretty solid performance, sounded the prettiest so far. K thought it was boring. DrL thought - too many ballads, she is gonna need to mix it up a bit to stay in.

Durbin (1989) - Bon Jovi tune. Pitchy and the song choice?? K says never that great of a song when it was new - not his best performance. L thought he needed to rock on out a bit more.

Haley - Could we PLEASE ban Whitney songs from Idol?? Yikes on the red lipstick mishap. Hey - what was up with Jimmy Iovine's "work ethic" comment to Haley??? Interesting….
K says worst performance of the night. Idol should help contestants steer clear of songs with rapid-fire lyrics. L is never clear on exactly WHAT she is saying/singing - can't recognize the songs.

Stefano (1989) - cover of Simply Red covering Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes (both great!) Like him, at least this kid gives 100% each performance! His downfall - he still thinks riffs trump melody and misses the part about the song telling a story. Iovine was a bit upset with him not taking time to get the lyrics right in rehearsal.

Pia (1988) - Another Whitney tune….but great! Not her personal best, but far better than anyone else. Miles above in voice and total package appeal. DrL was excited to see the outfit she wore to highschool graduation on the Idol stage (wish I could still wear that now!)

Scotty (1993) Iovine and Don Was had a great impact on him this week. He really seemed to develop his range. He and Pia are in it to win it. DrL thought it was better than Pia, but K disagrees.

Karen (1989) What was up with Judy Jetson hair and outfit!! J and Rubbertoe - LOVED both of your takes on her look as well - LOL!! Off key in the beginning of her song, clearly underpowered on this classic Taylor Dayne tune.

Casey (1991) NIrvana - loved the spirit of this, and that he tried it, but it confirmed you just really can't do THAT song on Idol. Weird, demented performance.

Lauren Alaina (1994) Melissa Etheridge - a great song, but Lauren just doesn't get it . The stylists are still not doing her any favors. She looked great during her sit-down with Iovine - why can't they let her look that on stage? K noted the judges were all reading from something on the monitors on the desk in their critique: producers REALLY want Lauren Alaina to stay in the competition. LOL that her mom has been getting extensions and makeovers each week too!

Jacob (1987) Alone - classic Heart tune. Pitchy all over the place, kind of tired of the vocal gymnastics, needs to learn where his range ends and build to that. Sounded bad - he shouldn't make fun of his mom's singing so quickly.

Here's our rankings (didn't seem like a 'big space' kind of week, because no one was really spectacular):

1. Pia
2. Scotty (island of unpopular opinion, but L thought 1 & 2 should be reversed)
3. Stefano
4. James
5. Thia
6. Naima
7. Jacob
8. Lauren Alaina
9. Casey
10. Haley
11. Karen
12. Paul

DrL/K's bottom three:
Haley, Karen, Paul
Paul goes home ( but that won't happen for a few weeks)

America's bottom three:
Thia, Karen, Haley
Haley goes home

Looking forward to the results show tonight!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

If you don't know them by now.....

Lets start off with the best of the night: Lauren, Pia and Stefano.
I can't really rank them because I think that they were all three equally good in their own ways. Pia hit the big notes and Stefano sang with all the passion with the beautiful tone that he has. And then there was Lauren....who of the three is the one that I would buy the single if it were out today...

And that is where I am judging them tonight, because ultimately we should be asking ourselves: "Would we spend money to purchase that single or their CD"

#4 - James Durbin - Yes...I think I would buy that single and I definitely would buy his CD. Was he as good as Bon Jovi tonight? Not really...but he was still pretty good.

#5 - Jason Lusk - He could be really really good, but he doesn't have the maturity level to find it. He oversings everything and needs to tone down his personality.
I could see me buying his CD because he does have the star quality and a good tone to his voice but the annoyance level goes up every week.

#6 - Scotty - Good...not great. He's got the classic country voice and I would probably buy his CD if it came out tommorrow.

#7 - Casey - I don't understand what people see in him. I seriously just don't get it. He comes across as someone who belongs in Department 95 (for the non-LA public defender crowd...that is our mental health court). He shows some elements of talent but not enough. Tonight, all he did was scream the song. It paled in comparison to the Nirvana original. He is absolutely this season's Taylor Hicks. People are not going to buy his CD. They might like his persona and personality...but ultimately he probably would sell of the level of Hicks. Seriously people, ask yourself the question, would you spend money on his CD if it came out tommorrow?

#8 - Naima - When you sing Tina Turner, its going to be rough unless you are amazing...and Naima was just not amazing. There's a slight chance I might purchase her CD, but I wouldn't have purchased this single.

#9 - Thia - Weak...yet again. I actually thought she was a little better tonight than she has been and disagreed with the judges critique, but it still reminded me of a high school talent school performance.

#10 - Karen - She came out tonight looking like Riff Raff in the Rocky Horror finale.
She sang the song ok...but it was just ok.

#11 - Paul - The guy struts around the stage like someone walking out of a bar at 2 in the morning....and he sings like it too. He seriously needs to go. I wouldn't take his CD if someone paid me 10 bucks to take it.

#12 - Haley - This years Kristy Lee Cook. She may survive because she has the cute looks that many of the young girl voters will relate to.

Rubbertoe's bottom 3: Haley, Paul and Karen and I think that Haley should go home.
America's bottom 3: Haley, Karen and Naima.
This is a really tough one to call.
Haley: although not helped by the lipstick on her face (can you believe that Ryan was using spit to clean it off....gross!!!), will probably survive with the young girl vote, although I'm hoping America will get it right.
Karen: How strong is the Latino voting block? Is it enough to keep her in another week? I suspect it will come down to Karen and Naima...and I predict that Karen will be heading home.

Little Taster Idol Game

Ok, so I made an error in the Idol game . . . Sorry Rubbertoe :(

Official Lil Taster Scores:

1. J= 11 points
2. Dr. L/K = 9 points
3. Rubbertoe = 8 points


Let's see how things change after tomorrow night.

The Top 12: Where Do Broken Idols Go? EEK and YIKES!

And we're back for another week . . . and J-Lo is bringin the Cray Cray hair . . .

This season I am purposely staying away from the song spoilers . . . I missed the days when I was surprised. :)

Here is our Top 12! WTF is up with Karen's hair - circa Madeline Kahn in Young Frankenstein?

We have songs from the year the contestants were born.

1. Naima - (1984) - She is singing "What's Love Got To Do With It" by Tina Turner. Her vocals better improve 100% from last week cuz she ain't gonna be doin any dancing this week. The beginning is VERY karaoke. The girl has a very good stage presence, but her vocals are just ok. . . very pitchy in parts. She is definitely a performer . . .btw, those background singers are not doing her any good . . . sounds like a backup track.

Steven - He thinks she did a great job
JLo - thinks she is consistently pitchy, but thinks her flava is crazy
Randy - thinks she is always under the pitch

2. Paul (1984) - Y'all know I love this boy . . . and on this blog I'm on the isle of unpopular opinion :) . . . He's singing "And I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" by Elton John. As per usual, this performance could be great or awful. I do love this boy's stage presence, and I'm glad he is singing a more recognizable song. He is very pitchy in places, but he is working the stage. I'm not in love with this song choice for him . . . and I don't think he is doing anything to endear himself to Rubbertoe. :) I liked it, but certainly didn't love it.

JLo - She thinks he has soul and star quality that overcomes his voice issues.
Randy - Thinks he was very pitchy in the first half of the song, but thinks he is like Ray LaMontagne . . . somewhere Allison is dying
Steven - Thinks he is a cool dude in a loose mood

An aside: I originally thought that JLo was the new Paula . . . I am now definitely sure that Steven is the new Paula.

3. Thia (1995) - Good Lord, she is a youngun. She is singing "Colors of the Wind" by Vanessa Williams. Hmmmm . . . She looks beautiful. Much like last week, I think her voice is lovely, but this is boring. She just doesn't quite have the energy to "bring it" for these ballads. I think she is going back to the bottom three.

Randy - He was bored and felt like he was at a pageant somewhere.
Steven - He thinks she sang it beautifully, but wonders if it is really her
JLo - Um, did she just compare her to Adele . . . blasphemy. She wants her to push out of the box.

4. James - (1989) - He looks hot . . . just sayin . . . He is singing "I'll Be There For You" by Bon Jovi. I've got to say, this performance has the potential to be EPIC. He was born to sing the power ballads. I'm really not digging the background singers tonight. I am digging James' stage presence. Honestly, he is a little pitchy, but he is much better than the first three. However, this performance did not blow me away the way I hoped it would.

Steven - Doesn't want James to get too "poppy" on him. Love that Tyler just got bleeped for saying "shit".
JLo - She thought he was great.
Randy - Thought it was a little pitchy, but made it his own.

I think Ryan is moist like a Duncan Hines cake . . .

5. Haley - (1990) She is singing "I'm Your Baby Tonight" by Whitney Houston. This performance has the potential to be a D-I-saster. However, I give her props for trying to reverse the boring trend she started last week. OOOOOH NO! This is a truly awful beginning. Ok, she has picked it up a little bit in the middle of the song . . . but still karaoke. Haley is not making a great case for her safety. Yikesies!

JLo - Thinks she looks great (uh oh) . . . She feels like she is a bit tense and unsure.
Randy - He is a little confused by her lack of consistency in song choice.
Steven - He thought it was sweet and tough . . . and compared her to Janice Joplin . . . huh? I think Steven smoked some shake before the show tonight.

Five performances and not a stand out amongst the bunch.

6. Stefano (1989) - He is singing "If You Don't Know Me By Now" by Simply Red. I am VERY hopeful for this performance. This could be an Idol moment for Stefano . . . but I won't hold my breath. FINALLY! Ladies and Gents, we finally have a vocally superior performance. That being said, it is a boring song, but he can blow. Bum note at the end . . .

Randy - He thought it was the best performance of the night so far
Steven - He thought he had beautiful phrasing
JLo - She thought it was a beautiful performance, and that he could "take this thing".

It was a good performance, but I think they are over the top because the first five were so-so at best.

7. Pia - (1988) She is singing "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" by Whitney Houston. Celine and Whitney back to back . . . this is ballsy. This girl has superstar written all over her. She's working her perfect pitch again this week. Wow! Go girl! Ain't nothin else to say.

Steven - He thinks she took it over the top.
JLo - She loves that she did something uptempo
Randy - He thinks that every week she is bringing amazing vocals. . . I agree.

8. Scotty - (1993) - He is singing "Can I Trust You With My Heart" by Randy Travis. I will try to keep an open mind. Honestly, I think if he didn't have a bass voice he wouldn't be here. He just doesn't have any energy . . . nevertheless, he will get a recording contract. He does his thing very well, but it's not my thing. Very good vocal.

JLo - She thinks he pushed it out there.
Randy - He thinks he can sing anything, and wants him to take chances
Steven - Loved it

9. Karen - Again, she looks like Madeline Kahn after she got fucked by Frankenstein. WTF? (1989) She is singing "Love Will Lead You Back" by Taylor Dayne. I LOVE this song. It has HUGE meaning for me. I wish Pia was singing it . . . She looks like she is wearing fish scales . . . Surprisingly, her voice sounds pretty good . . . but it doesn't have the umph that this song demands. I think she has saved herself from elimination, but I still don't buy her as a performer.

Randy - Yo . . . thought is started rough, but she found herself in the middle of the song.
Steven - Loves it when she breaks into her ethnic "whatitisness"
JLo - She thought she attacked it in the middle.

10. Casey - (1991) He is singing "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. He is taking a risk, but I think he will be ok. Um . . . I like Casey, but the beginning of this song is a little bit of awful. This is NOT good. Yikesies. Please make it stop. Wow, that was truly awful. . . and yet, I don't think it will send him to the bottom three.

Steven - He thinks he is crazy and talented. "It's the goop the good stuff is made from"
JLo - She thought he was a little screechy and screamy
Randy - Randy is pimping him by saying that he put art first rather than commerce.

That was truly awful.

11. Lauren (1994) - She is singing "I'm The Only One" by Melissa Etheridge. I LOVE this song . . . hopefully she will redeem herself from last week. A vast improvement from last week already. She sounds really good, and is definitely one of the best of the night. However, she is still a little shaky at times.

JLo - Thought she made it her own
Randy - Thought it was very nice
Steven - Thought she sang better with the sickness

12. Jacob - (1990) He is singing "Alone" by Heart. I admit up front that I don't like Jacob's nasal voice. It drives me crazy. The judges are going to love this performance, as they did last week. However, he continues to sing through his nose, and I think this is over the top awfulness. He is pitchy and all over the place . . . however, I fully expect to be on the island of unpopular opinion. HORRIBLY TERRIBLY WRETCHEDLY BAD!

Randy - Very nice performance
Steven - Thinks if the gospel had a baby they would name it Jacob Lusk
JLo - Thinks he gives himself to every performance

My ears are bleeding . . .

Rankings:

Pia
(Huge Space)
Lauren
(Space)
Stefano
Scotty
(Space) and the rest
James
Karen
Paul
This
Haley
Naima
Jacob
Casey

Josh's bottom 3: Naima, Jacob, and Casey
America's bottom 3: Thia, Haley, and Naima
Going Home: Haley

Friday, March 11, 2011

Little Tasters Idol Points Game

Hey Everybody,

I'm not sure if we want to play the points game this year or not, but I thought I would start it. Rubbertoe did post his picks prior to the first show and for that reason I think he should get a points bump. Here is how I'm laying out the point values.

Picking the bottom 3 correctly: 1 point each
Picking the person who goes home from your original list: 5 points
Picking the person who goes home that week from your review: 3 points

These point values were pulled straight from my behind and have no meaning whatsoever. :)

So, here we go . . .

Dr.L/K = 1 of 3 of the bottom 3 (1 point), eliminated contestant (3 points), correctly picking from original list (5 points) = 9 points

Josh = 3 of 3 of the bottom 3 (3 points), eliminated contestant (3 points), correctly picking from original list (5 points) = 11 points

Rubbertoe = 2 of 3 of the bottom 3 (2 points), eliminated contestant (3 points), correctly picking from original list (5 points), getting his picks in on time and STILL GETTING IT RIGHT (3 points) = 13 points

Week 1 Standings

Rubbertoe = 13 points
Josh = 11 points
Dr.L/K = 9 points

Good Job Everybody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Dr. L & K's Idol Season Ten Prediction from 13 to One

Okay, here is our list:

13.Ashthon
12.Thia
11.Karen
10.Hailey
09.Paul
08.Stefano
07.Naima
06.Scotty
05.Jacob
04.Lauren
03.Casey
02.James
01.Pia

It is interesting how similar our list is with J & Rubbertoe's and yet so different! We went back and forth with many of these; personally, I am not convinced Lauren can maintain the hype Idol has bestowed on her, but look at Jordin Sparks (a mediocre talent in my book) who Idol floated past MANY more talented contestants. So it's kind of a crapshoot.

In the next couple days I'll arrange everybody's list over on the right side of the blog so we can keep track. Good luck everyone!

-- K

Dr. L & K's more detailed breakdown of last night...

Master K here, transcribing Dr. L's hieroglyphics from last nite:)

We decided to watch the performances, pause and rate them, THEN listen to the judges, so as not to be swayed by any of their babble.

Lauren: Any Man Of Mine, Shania.
K-- walking back & forth is not a performance. She did a "good" job, not great by any stretch, a fail in terms of hype. Looks like 4H County Fair Queen next to some of her competitors.
L-- good performance, of good song choice. Wardrobe fail. Didn't connect to song. Nothing special about her version vs original.

Special K Note: 13 minutes have gone by, and only one performance. No wonder this damn show is two hours long!

Casey: With A Little Help From My Friends, Cocker (Beatles)
K--this is more like a real performance. Is his vocal mix better than Lauren? Sure can hear him better. Choir? Who decides who is choir/bagpipe/lightning bolt-worthy?
L-- a bit restrained, could have jumped out a bit more, but definitely seemed like his take on that tune. Stage presence.

Ashthon: When You Tell Me You Love Me, Diana Ross
K-- 2nd half picked up from shaky start. Disconnected. Almost seemed like sabotage to put Berry Gordy out there, I'd be $hitting a brick.
L-- Weak 1st part, arrangement too fast? Powerful voice, but not best choice. Did she do it because they suggested it to her last week?

Paul: Come Pick Me Up, Ryan Adams (wha?)
K-- He does have a unique voice, OK, but it's more of a recording voice, not stage, and what a weird performance.
L-- didn't know song, venue too big for him. "I hope they get it" -- what does that mean?

Pia: All By Myself, Celine (Eric Carmen)
K-- in it to win it. Seems like she's on a different show than Lauren. Complete package.
L-- beautiful tone to her voice. Great chord progressions, in a different league.

James: Maybe I'm Amazed, Paul McCartney
K-- like an eclipse when he and Pia sang, the rest of the pack fell into shadow. Real talent. Great to show he doesn't have to blow our heads off, bodes well for later weeks/themes. Unlike some to come later...
L--clear tone, control. So obvious he should be a frontrunner.

Hailey: Blue, LeeAnn RImes (pseudo Patsy Cline)
K-- Good, authentic performance, looked the part. Seems like she was included here for fodder but might pick off a former frontrunner before she's booted.
L-- Clear yodel, she went in a different direction. interesting take on this song. Good to change it up after James, Pia, hard acts to follow. Unintelligible at times?

Jacob: I Beweave I Can Fwy (Aw Kewwey) (Just kidding, wouldn't want to piss anybody off. Get it? R Kelley and...nevermind)
K-- working too hard, not as much WOW factor as he'd like to believe. Again with the choir. This is like vocal gymnastics, not a song.
L-- could have dialed it back from 11. Would like to see a more controlled performance.

Side note: again, it is up to Randy to kind of keep it real this year.

Thia: Smile, Michael Jackson (Charlie Chaplin)
K-- poor girl, this damn song might as well have been written during the Crusades for all she knows. 1st part better, pretty voice. Way to sabotage yourself on the exit video backstage (see Stefano for how to do it right). Too young.
L-- current arrangement is a plus. Just didn't care for it.

Stefano: Stevie Wonder tune (so rocked up I didn't recognize it)
K-- good performance, better stage presence than many.
L-- loved arrangement, modern youthful sound, catch yourself being entertained by it (some of these are almost a chore to get though, not this one)

Karen: When I Fall In Love, Selena (what a shocker)
K-- that's it? "Paging Gopher to the Lido Deck" Cruise ship level performance. 1976 called, they want Gladys Knight's dresses back. She will only stay alive because of the Latina sympathy vote.
L-- "Whatev" performance. Pitchy, song never went anywhere.

Scotty: BabyLockThemDoo--oops, some Garth Brooks song
K-- Fades in and out. Come on, he has no real power to his voice, when the band came in it was like a tidal wave, buried him. One-note, how's he going to tackle ANYTHING else?
L-- More relaxed look & presence on stage. Already over the Country music thang.

Naima: Umbrella, Rihanna
K-- smart to do newer, pop performance. Tough not to be pitchy when jumping around, doing reggae riffs. Wish whole song had been reggae.
L-- crowd pleaser, being able to sing and dance, need to find a balance.

Our bottom three, as mentioned before,
Ashthon, Paul, Karen

BUT, we know there's probably no way Karen is going anywhere, or Paul, so America's bottom three:
Ashthon, Paul (shocker! style) and Thia,
Ashthon goes home

J's Belated Top 13 Predictions

So, I'm working at a bit of an unfair advantage because I'm writing these predictions after the first show of the Top 13 . . . however, I haven't really seen these folks much, if at all, before last night. So, here it goes.

13. Ashton - That performance last night just wreaked of elimination. Her voice just doesn't seem quite strong enough to pull of the diva she wants to be.

12. Karen - Another weak voice . . . mixed with bad outfits . . . equals you will not be going on the tour.

11. Stefano - I think he has a strong voice, but he kind of reminds me of . . . what was his name . . . stripper boy who was eliminated first two seasons ago . . . I can see him producing a really subpar performance one night when he is slated to go third or fourth . . . just a gut instinct on this one.

10. Thia - This pick was a coin toss between Thia and Haley. I think which ever one isn't eliminated will actually make it a few week further . . . if that makes any sense. I think both of them have lovely voices, but are bound for Jasmine Trias land.

9. Naima - She brings an interesting flavor to the competition; however, the only other show I have watched all the way through was the wildcard show . . . and she should not have made it to the Top 13. . . big nose boy was robbed. Anyway, I think the Naima novelty will have worn thin by week 5.

8. Haley - I realize that I have picked a bunch of the girls to go first, but they kind of all sound the same to me with the exception of two. I agree with Rubbertoe that Haley is kind of Kristy Lee Cook in nature . . . with the face of Haley S. (from Jordin Sparks' season. . . the girl who wore the short shorts). Anyway, I can see her making it this far and impressing us once or twice, but . . . her Idol ride will end.

7. Jacob - It pains me to think that Jacob will last this far into the competition and I will have to withstand that Mariah like, upper register assault. I seriously find him painful to hear. However, the Idol audience likes a screaming, soulful male . . . think George what's his name from a few seasons back (Hercules guy) . . . I hope I'm wrong and he goes earlier, but I just don't think so . . .

6. Scotty - This boy has no worries. He is going to get signed to a recording contract from Nashville the minute he is done with Idol. At some point, a theme night is going to trip him up, and I think he is destined for a mid-competition elimination. I think America will get tired of the same George Jones rendition week in and week out.

5. Casey - I think Casey has amazing chops. . . and I originally had him in my Top 3 . . . and he might get there, but I'm smelling an upset. For me, this is upset #1. If he trims that beard up, I think Casey could find a niche in the music industry. I think he has an exceptionally strong voice . . . he just needs to figure out who he is

4. Paul - Based on last night's performance, I would not be surprised if he went home tonight. However, I think this boy has some swagga ... and he is one of the view I have heard sing before. He has a quirky voice and I think it could keep him around for a while . . . I could be very wrong about this one . . . but you gotta go out on a limb every once in a while :)

3. Lauren - Based on last night's performance . . . much like Paul . . . she should be much lower on this list. However, I've also heard her sing before, and I'm attributing last night's performance to nerves and a poor song choice. I think this girl could win the whole thing, but that whole sulky, whiney, crap from last night got under my skin. . . I think it could wear thin and hurt her in the end.

2. James - He definitely channels Adam Lambert in his performances. He is a really cute boy with a really big voice. That alone can carry him into the Top 5. I think his stage presence will carry him into the Top 2. This boy has a career ahead of him, but I don't think he'll quite make it to the top. . .

1. Pia - This girl's voice is infreakingcredible . . . I cringed when she said she was singing Celine Dion... however, she proved my cringe to have been unnecessary. She knocked it out of the park. I can see how she could stumble a bit, and she will need to mix up the ballads with some upbeat music, BUT, Idol is a due a female winner. Crystal was ROBBED last year and we have to go all the way back to Season 6 to find our last female winner - Jordin Sparks. For all of these reasons, and because as of right now, I think she is the most talented.

So, there are my rankings . . . we'll see how the season plays out.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Lucky 13: Idols Performance Night

Hey y'all! We will post our detailed review tomorrow - long day and too tired tonight! But great show and... WELCOME BACK J!! :)

DrL&K's Rankings


1. Pia
2. James
3. Casey
4. Stefano
5. Naima
6. Jacob


7. Haley
8. Thia
9. Scotty
10. Lauren Alaina
11. Ashthon

12. Paul
13. Karen

Idols do their idols

The Top 13:

Songs by their personal idol -

1. First up - Lauren (Shania Twain) - Came out sounding a little flat. This performance is not up to Lauren's level. Intensity level was way done. Not a great start.

2. Casey (Joe Cocker) - I Can't stand this guy...but he sang it well...probably one of his better performances...and his fans will appreciate this.

3. Ashton (Diana Ross) - Makes me wonder if she is singing Dianna because she really is one of her idols or because thats what the judges told her they wanted to hear from her. I would predict the latter. She's beautiful...but her voice is no Diana Ross. Her voice is too small to do someone like Diana Ross. (As I said before Ashton....you can't tell you that we love you...because we don't).

4. Paul (Ryan Adams - WHO?) - If Casey is a Freak...this guy is a SUPER Freak. I still say that he sounds like Kermit the Frog. He's singing a song that no one knows...and he sounds horrible doing it. There's no way this guy is going to last for very long.


Now a little Idol pimping....Why does Pia get a personal interview?..Answer...AI pimpage.

5. Pia (Celine Dion) - She's not great in the lower range, but she can belt it out in the higher register. Although...I don't think she hit the high notes that well...she kinda screamed them. I Liked it...I didn't LOVE it. JLo thinks she topped last week....not even close.

6. James Durbin (Paul McCartney) - James is hot tonight. I like that he is showing that he can do more than the total cream. Nicely done.

7. Haley (Leeann Rimes) - She sang well...but the performance came off very Kareoke. Shes a mediocre singer. She'll stick around for a few more weeks ala Kristy Lee Cook...but she won't go far.

8. Jacob (Art Kelly) - He sounds totally sharp to me....another over the top performance. Even more over the top that usual. He's good, but it would have been better a little more subdued.

9. This (Michael Jackson) - She doesn't even know who Charlie Chaplin is. She is much better than last week...but when it goes upbeat..it sounded really bad...problem with Thia is that she is just plain boring.

10. Stefano (Stevie Wonder) - He shows moments of brillance...and he's got a performance ability that many others lack. But his tone was off tonight....like he was trying too hard. I'm glad he's on the show though...and he'll stick around for a while

11. Karen Rodriguez (Selena) - Started off really weak. No lower register. I want to like her...but she keeps disappointing. She's going to be gone very soon.

12. Scotty (Garth Brooks) - wow...Scotty cannot do Garth. The song was too big for him and it lacked any real heart. It was like he was just going through the motions.

13. Naima (Rhianna) -

Best of the Night - James Durbin, Pia, Casey, Naima

Middle of the Road - Lauren, Haley, Jacob, Thia, Stefano, Scotty

Worst of the Night - Ashton, Paul


Rubbertoe's bottom 3: Ashton, Paul, Haley

America's bottom 3: Ashton, Paul, Karen

Going Home: Ashton

The Top 13: The Return of J!

Alright little tasters, it's been a rough few months for J. I have only been able to check in sporadically with Idol, but I am back. I watched a bit last week. I have missed you guys. I'm so excited to be back! :)

Here we go with our Top 13!

Tonight they are singing a song by their personal Idol.

1. Lauren - Her Idol is Shania Twain, and she is singing "Any Man of Mine". This song is risky because it is so fast . . . she's gonna have to keep up with the beat. She's got a good connection with the camera, and she's working the stage well. I think her vocals are on the good side. As Simon would have said, "I'm not jumping out of my chair". . . but she did a respectable job.

Steven - wanted to be a bit more kick ass
JLo - wants her to kick it into high gear
Randy - wants her to be that girl they first saw

2. Casey - His Idol is Joe Cocker, and he is singing "With a Little Help from My Friends". I wonder if he will do the Cocker physicality in his performance. . . Casey wants to be "felt". Oh no, here comes the choir . . . I always think the choir is an unfair adavantage. . . but damn this boy sounds good. He is really turning this song out! Casey? Yes, please!

JLo - Thinks she is watching somebody important
Randy - Thinks he is unbelievable
Steven - Thinks Casey is a rainbow of talent and a plethora of passion

3. Ashton - Her Idol is Diana Ross, and she is singing "When You Tell Me That You Love Me". This song is huge. Her opening is a very nervous sounding. She isn't quite getting up to the notes. Good for her, she hit the big note. The back half of the song was definitely better than the front half. However, thus far, neither girl even approaches Casey.

Randy - Thought it might be a safe song, but she did herself some good
Steven - Thinks there is a lot more in her than she is showing
JLo - Thinks there were moments when she went astray, but that she got it together well.

4. Paul - His Idol is Ryan Adams, and he is singing "Come Pick Me Up". Somewhere Allison has developed a case of the vapors. Not a good beginning for my boy . . . but I love this guys voice. It's kind of quirky and awkward. Y'all know how I am. The back half of the song was much better than the front.

Steven - Thought it was a little pitchy, but loves the character of his voice
JLo - Hopes America gets it
Randy - Loves who Paul is

5. Pia - Her Idol is Celine Dion, and she is singing "All By Myself". Yikes! Do not choose Celine people . . . my fingers are crossed for her. She's making some changes without going outside the boundaries of the original. WOW! I literally just got chills. STUNNING! Nothing more to say.

JLo - Got a little teary eyed and thinks it was beautiful
Randy - Thinks she has that quality of Celine, Mariah, and Whitney (pre-crack)
Steven - Thinks that she slammed it

6. James - His Idol is Paul McCartney from the Beatles, and he is singing "Maybe I'm Amazed". Hello cuteness. :) He is kind of Adam Lambert lite. He's got nice stage presence and connection with the camera. He's got a lovely voice . . . impressed.

Randy - James is one of his favorites. Yo, this dude can do anything.
Steven - Thinks he took everything he had and kicked it into the middle of next week.
JLo - Thinks he has a melodic quality to his voice

7. Haley - Her Idol is LeAnn Rimes, and she is singing "Blue". James is going to be a tough act to follow. This song has the potential to send her to the bottom three . . . we'll see. The twangy voice isn't my personal favorite, but she has a lovely voice and she is spot on with her pitch. However, I think it is a boring song choice and could cause her some trouble come tomorrow night.

Steven - Thinks she did a very good job.
JLo - Thinks she does things with her voice that are so diverse and unique
Randy - Thinks it was a little boring and sleepy

8. Jacob - His Idol is R. Kelly (Yikes!), and he's singing "I Believe I Can Fly". I don't love this guy. He just hit a really bum note. I think he is out of control. He's got a very strong voice, but it is certainly not among my favorites.

Steven - Thinks he can't even judge it . . . that's how good he is.
JLo - Thinks he is at the top of the list
Randy - Thinks he has a signature sound . . . thought he fell off a bit in the middle, but brought it back in the end.

9. Thia - Her Idol is Michael Jackson, and she is singing "Smile". She had better work this out because this performance could be very boring . . . lovely voice . . . she is mesmerizing me a bit. She has surprised me here. She has perfect pitch and is making this song entertainig for me. I think if she had done it acapella it would have been stunning.

Randy - Liked the first half, but didn't love the second half.
Steven - Liked the first half more than the end
JLo - Again, liked the first half better

10. Stefano - His Idol is Stevie Wonder, and he is singing "Lately". For those vintage Idol folks, he is bringing back a little R.J. Helton from Idol Season One. Bum note at the beginning . . . Oh Sweet Jesus . . . this mix is horrid. He is so much better when he just sings. His voice is quite good, but this mix is, in my opinion, butchering this song. I think I might be on the island of unpopular opinion . . .

Steven - Thinks he pulled it off
JLo - Thought it was really him, and he sounded great
Randy - Thought it started out rocky, but thinks Stevie would be proud.

11. Karen - Her Idol is Selena, and she is singing "I Could Fall in Love". This song is GORGEOUS! If she doesn't put her own spin on it she could go to the boring side of the Top 13. The opening is a little off . . . It is a little low for her range. She has a very pretty voice, but it is coming off on the really good end of karaoke. I did not love that performance . . .

JLo - Thought she was a little bit uncomfortable with some of the notes
Randy - Thought she was fighting the song, and it was a little sleepy
Steven - Thought it was lacking a bit

12. Scotty - I missed the beginning of this song . . . so I have no idea who Scotty's Idol is, nor do I know this song. The song is a bit boring, but he definitely has an amazing country voice. He will get a country recording contract, but he will not win this competition. I can see him having some difficulty with some of the theme nights. However, this performance was strong.

Randy - If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Ahhh, Garth Brooks!
Steven - Thinks he did the Garth justice
JLo - Thinks he is "taking us on the ride with him"

13. Naima - Her Idol is Rihanna, and she is singing "Umberella". She's gonna need to bring something new to the arrangement. She's a wee bit sharp . . . pitchy . . . ok, I kind of like this middle part . . . but when she goes back to singing she is still a little pitchy . . . I like her, but I'm not sure about the vocals.

Steven - Think she was a little pitchy, but brought flavor
JLo - Doesn't care about the pitchy because she brought the fire
Randy - Thinks she was a little rough but loved the reggae thing

I thought this was a really good night. I'm impressed with the first night of the Top 13. Here are my rankings:

Pia
(HUGE SPACE)
James
Casey
(HUGE SPACE)
Scotty
(SPACE)
Jacob
Thia
Stefano
Paul
Haley
Ashton
Naima
Lauren
Karen

My bottom three: Ashton, Lauren, Karen
America's bottom three: Karen, Haley, Ashton
Going Home: Ashton

Livin Large

Hey Gang,

Check out the Idol Contestants' new crib!
If you click on the link above, you can check out the full photo spread at TMZ. Looks like the Idols are going to have some nice acoustics when they sing in the shower...

Friday, March 4, 2011

You're a neo maxi zoom dweebie!!!

If you can decode what the f that statement means, then you are as old as dirt, like me, and can remember the classic yet incredibly EIGHTIES film that quote (and the new Idol exit song) came from. Way to keep it current, Idol.

Thanks, Rubbertoe for giving us the news on the new song. And even though Cookie does a good job on the update, I can never think of it without seeing Bender (Judd Nelson) in this picture.

NO WAIT! I meant this one:

The Breakfast Club lives.

-- K

Don't you forget about me

The Goodbye song for season 10

Countdown Graphic Has Begun!

Hey Guys,

just wanted to let you know there is a new graphic WAY at the bottom of the page to

a) remind you who these knuckleheads are

b) keep track of who gets the boot every week

We'll follow Rubbertoe's lead in the next couple days and post our Pre-Season Idol predictions; and when we hear from J
(Earth to J! We miss you!) I'll list them over on the right side, so we can see who is the best Nostradamus this season :)

-- K

Time to Rank and Predict the Top 13

OK Guys....Time to make our predictions

(BTW...what happened to J...he dropped off the face of the earth right before the finale last year..come back J, I miss your input. As well as TTown...and whatever happened to my friend Alison?)

13 Naima - I don't think America is going to embrace her. She was one of the better singers in the last round, however, she doesn't have the youthfulness that AI demands. She comes across too mature to be around for very long. She might go a little farther, but probably not much.

12 Ashton - She lived to see another day, however, he doesn't seem to have the ability to kick it up to the Diva level that her style requires. She couldn't even do when she was singing for her life. She stole the spot that Robbie Rosen should have gotten. The judges made the wrong choice in the wildcard here, but America won't keep her around for long.

11 Karen Rodriguez - It will be interesting to see whether the Latino community and America in general is going to embrace this latina. My guess is that she probably won't last much longer than this spot and could go sooner.

10 Paul - I'm afraid America that we are going to be subjected to a few more weeks of this spastic freaky guy. Get ready to be creeped out for a little while longer. He's got enough people that will probably propel him into the top ten...and you know what that means? America will be subjected to him during the tour (I know...frightening). America...do us a favor....please vote him off sooner!

9 Haley - There is nothing interesting or great about her. She's just another pretty face with an ok voice...aka...Kristy Lee Cook. She'll get the guys vote and the young girls vote for a few weeks, but ultimately her voice will sabotage her.

8 Stefano - Scotty and Stefano could flip-flop here...but I think Scotty's voting bloc will probably be just a little stronger than Stefanos. Stefanos boyband good looks will propel him to the #8 spot. He's actually got a good enough voice to go further, if he can be consistent. He hasn't been and probably won't.

7 Scotty - He's got the country/mid-America vote to himself. I actually like his throwback old country style, I just need to see if he can take it further than he has been able to. He's shown glimmers, but ultimately I don't think he'll fo much further than #7. However, he will quickly be signed and will be playing on country stations by late summer. He'll be on the County Fair circuit fer shure!

6 Thia - This is a hard one to call. America and the judges seem to love her, more than er talent would dictate. AI pimpage and the young vote might propel her into the top 5 and possibly even further. She doesn't have the stage presence/charisma in my mind to go much further than #6 and I don't think she has the confidence either.

5 Jacob Lusk - Another difficult one. His smugness and his ability to do anything other than take it completely over the top could do him in sooner. I think he has a great voice, but he's kinda weird...in a "gay christian" kinda way...do you know what I mean...like those guys who have gone through gay therapy and have been "Cured"...I'm just sayin....

4 Casey - God forbid that America gives us another Taylor Hicks. I hope that the Taylor Hicks voting bloc has moved on, because they are the ones that subjected us to him week after week...and could subject us to Casey winning it all.
He's a shoo-in for the top 5 and could win it. Will his momentum falter? Will people tire of his antics? I'm being optimistic that America will get it right and not put him further. But America has gotten it soooo wrong so many times before.

3 James Durbin - James could leave much earlier than this, if he proves that all he can do is the more rock/metal genre. People will continue to make comparisons to Adam Lambert...Adam was 1000% better and proved that he could mix it up. I'm not so sure that James can do this. I suspect that I have him ranked too high...but I'm sticking with it.

2 Pia Toscano - AI really wants it to be a woman this year. It's been a guy for the last 2 years. I suspect that a combination of AI Pimpage, talent, young girl voting block and the quirkiness of some of the other contestants will make it an all girl finale. ultimately Pia is one of the stronger women...and she's got incredible looks as well.

And who is going to win it all:

#1 -Lauren Alaina - She's already showing the polish that AI wants. After lackluster winners - Jordan, Chris and Lee...AI desperately wants another Carrie, Kelly...even going as far as to coming right out and saying that Lauren is a combination of Carrie and Kelly (even though I think it is true). We've seen clearly in years past the manipulation that AI plays and I think that THIS as well as the fact that Lauren is actually probably one of the most, if not THE most talented of the group...that will bring her the crown. Steven Tyler said, "We've found the one" during the auditions..and I think he was correct.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

The top 12 are picked

Ryan promises a lot of "twists and turns"....
Drama like you've never seen before is about to unfold.

Dim the Lights...here we go:

Scotty and Robbie - Center Stage - Scotty is in the top 10
Clint and Jordan and Jovanny - None of these guys should go through. None of them do.

Switch to the ladies:

Pia and Lauren A. - I'm certain that they are both through....and they are.
Tatynisa and Julie - My guess is Julie is in Tatynisa is out....neither is in.

Kendra, Ashton and Karen - Karen should go through..the others no. Karen makes it in..I'm surprized...America got it right

Jacob, Casey and Tim. I expect Jacob and Casey to go through. Jacob is in. Casey is in...Tim is not

Naima, Thia and Lauren T -...They all three should go through. I suspect that Naima won't. Ryan says only 1 is in. Naima isn't the one but she'll come back as a wildcard. Thia is in...Lauren T is not.

Brett and Paul - Paul is in...Brett is not (Yuck...we have to watch Paul for another week).

Haley and Rachel - Haley is likely in...Rachel is definitely out. Haley is in.

Stefano and James- James is definitely in.

Not a single surprise in the bunch.

Wildcards

Ashton - not good....guess what girl...you are going....we just don't love you.

Stefano - I love the quality of his voice. I definitely think the competition would be better with him there.

Kendra - She's not going to mae it on the basis of this performance

Jovanny - Seriously? They gave him another chance?

Naima and Robbie Rosen both did great.

But I think the Judges are going to choose Stefano and Kendra

The Wildcards.....after....the break.....

So Ashton and Stefano are in
and they surprise us with one more....Naima.

Rubbertoe's Top 10 and wildcard predictions

I've heard rumors that next week the contestants not in the top 10 are going to sing for two wildcard spots.
However, on last night's show, it sounded as if they are going to pick 2 wildcards tonight (I wish they would pick 3 and give each judge their own wildcard)....so I'm going to post my predictions:

So here is Rubbertoe’s guesses for the top 10 and 2 wildcards



Lauren A.
Lauren (the other one)
Pia Toscano
Thia
Julie Zorrilla
Casey
James Durbin
Jacob Lusk
Scotty
Paul
Naima (Wildcard)
Stefano (Wildcard)

Other possible wildcards: Brett Lowenstern/Robbie Rosen for the guys. Karen Rodriguez, Haley or Kendra from the girls.



Definite OUTS: Rachel, Tatynisa, Junbug, Jordan, Jovanny, Tim

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Ladies night: Great outfits, so-so songs

The women looked great tonight! I was surprised how dressed-up they were compared to the the men on Tuesday night. Here are our peformance notes:

Tatynysia - screechy, off key, and just straight-up awful. Weak during the verses and just painful during the chorus.

Naima - clear, strong voice, great arrangement to a song that is a bit overdone on Idol. Great that she designed her own dress.

Kendra - good performance, but a bit sharp. Looked great - really working it.

Rachel - off key, and a bit out of breath with all that running around. I love the original of this song - so not impressed with the song. Seems confident and she worked the stage - but did not love it at all. Uhh, what was with the cape??

Karen R. - so pretty, loved the dress! a bit ahead of the music at times. Loved the bilingual performance. Loved that she acknowledged her mom at the end :)

Lauren T. - big, soulful voice. not sure if it is current enough for Idol viewers.

Ashthon - very confident performance, great stage presence. song choice was a bit off - but overall very good.

Julie - she looked really cute - she has that princess look down. Song was way off - not sure what she was going for with that song choice, too big for her. Miss Kelly's song should be off limits! Didn't seem like she could hear the music?

Hailey - not sure about the melisma going on - what was that oohhwhooowhoo at the end? Doesn't seem authentic - doesn't seem connected to the song.

Thia - WOW! Was not expecting that from her - but she dropped a bomb on the rest of the girls - that was truly impressive.

Lauren Alaina - good, big fun song! K noted that it sounded a bit over-produced. Did she get lost in the song a bit? She didn't have a moment like she could have with the right song.

Pia - beautiful - got a standing ovation! Not sure I loved the song as much as the judges were lovin' it, but she does seem to have the total package. Good control in her vocals.


DrL&K's Post-Performance Ranking:

1. Thia
2. Ashthon
3. Pia
4. Lauren Alaina
5. Naima
6. Karen
7. Kendra
8. Lauren T.
9. Haley
10. Julie
11. Rachel
12. Tatanysia

Can't wait for tomorrow's results show!

What happened to the women?

Wow...the Ladies look beautiful toinght...it looks like the stylists have alrady gotten to them. It will be interesting to see what they do for the guys.

First up Tatynisa - I haven't been a fan of hers since Hollywood week. She looks great, but sounds flat. She doesn't have a strong enough voice to pull off this type of song. Completely forgettable performance. (3)
Randy got it right...What is it with JLo and Steven....they are WAAAAAAAY too nice.

#2 - Naima - Love the outfit. Singing summertime...this will be interesting. Fantasia kinda owns this song on the idol stage. She sounds great, but is this going to appeal to the younger voters...I don't think so. Shes a bit over theatrical
(7) I don't think she is going to be in the top 10, but will be a wildcard choice

#3 - Kendra - Weak in the low register....though she sounds great in the mid-range...also weak in the higher range. Overall...very weak. She's got the looks, but not the voice. (4)

#4 - Rachel - This years Cinnabon. Wow...she sounds horrible. Another overly dramatic performance. Her perfornacce is absolutely horrendous. Probably one of the worst I've seen at this stage. Sorry but this is a (1)

#5 - Karen Rodriguez - I love that she is singing bi-lingual...very cool...but the performance isn't wowing me. Even in the dramatic build...it was good, but she didn't take it to where it needed to be. (6)

#6 - Lauren (the OTHER Lauren...not the good one). I like the way she sang the song. She needs to work on stage presence though. Overall though...she was actually pretty good. (7). JLO's comments about getting in the camera's face with that type of song...is exactly what I was talking about.

#7 - Ashton - She has a nice voice. I wanna see her take a little more up tempo though. She's a little off on some of the long high notes. Not a solid performance, but it was aiiiiight. (5)

#8 - Julie Zorilla - Its always dangerous to do a signature song of a previous idol. ..and Julie showed that she isn't even close to Kelly Clarkson. Not a smart song for her at all....not horrible, but certainly not good (4)

#9 - Hailey - She looks extremely HOT!...and she's got a good ear for the bluesly style..and she certainly has the power behind her voice...but I wanted more. Overall though she was solid (6)

#10 - Thia -Singing one of my favorite songs from Fame. I absolute hate how she started it. The low key approach did nothing to showcase her voice. Irene Cara is 1 million times better. Second weakest performance of the night (2)
Wow...I heard this one completely different from the judges..

#11 - Lauren Alaina - Shes got the stage precense that the others lack. I felt that her voice was overpowered by the band...but overall, she is the first one that I could actually see making a CD. For perfomance a 10, for voice 7. Overall (8)
Exactly what Randy said...Kelly meets Carrie.

#12 - Pia Toscano - Beautiful girl...with a beautiful voice. She also sang it very smart. Powerful where it needed to be without overdoing it. A solid 8.
I thought her voice was vetter than Laurens, but Lauren had a better performance.

Rubbertoes Rankings:

1. Lauren Alaina
2. Pia Toscano
3. Lauren Turner
4. Naima
5. Karen Rodiguez
6. Haley
7. Ashton
8. Kendra
9. Julie Zorilla
10. Tataynisa
11. Thia
12. Rachel

America's rankings:

Lauren, Lauren and Pia are the shoo ins
I think America will also side with the judges on Thia...although I didn't see it
The final slot..although Naima and Karen should both be there, I'm going to guess that either Haley's looks or Kendra's looks push them through. I'm guessing Haley.

DrL&K's Top 12 Girl Predictions

DrL&K's Top 12 Girl Predictions

Hey y'all! Here are our quick guesses of how the Top 12 Girls might do (haven't watched performances yet). We will do a performance re-cap after the show!

1. Lauren Alaina
2. Naima
3. Ashthon
4. Pia T.
5. Tatanysia
6. Thia M.
7. Rachel Z.
8. Julia Z.
9. Karen R.
10. Lauren T.
11. Kendra C.
12. Haley R.

You Know That I Would Be A LIGH-YERRR

Boy's Top 24 Rundown:

1. Clint: Kiss of death spot. Superstition, seems like a safe Idol standby. Fun stage presence, good energy, a little pitchy. Harry Potter Glasses -- K wonders if Clint sticks around if this will be another Gokey Lenscrafter parade. But he probably won't.

Side note: along with the new director, the idol production has improved IMMENSELY so far. No weird camera angles, no sound flubs. Could it actually look like a professional broadcast this season?

2. Jovany: pretty song, blandly solid but 2nd half much better. Nice runs. Is it memorable enough to escape being buried this low, though? I don't think so. Looks like the Dawg is taking over the Voice of Truth role vacated by Simon.

3. Jordan: off key throughout? Said he agreed with JLo, this was not his type of music. Is this a case of the dread Idol Song Sabotage, i.e. Idol declares a song a performer has been practicing "off limits" at the last second, forcing them to half-ass a song suggested by TPTB? You know that this has happened many times, Taylor Hicks was the first to really mention it but it's one of Idols dirty little secrets. K says he doesn't really have much sympathy for this guy, seems douche-y.

4. Tim H: overpowered by the music in many spots. Song choice? He's probably history.

5. Brett: K says with those dance moves, he's one set of white platforms away from dancing on a bar in pee Wee's Big Adventure. He felt like he was being Punk'd. Definitely original, but is that good or bad? "FI-YERRRR!"

6. James: RAWKED, like he was expected to. Probably a shoo-in to go far of his facial tics don't alienate America.

7. Robbie: Just okay. Did a good job, pretty song, but...Kind of over-melismatic and bashed us over the head with the falsetto. K says the kid reminds him of Fonzie; will tweentards or housefraus keep him in?

8. Scotty: did a great job by completely staying in his wheelhouse. How long can he keep that up? I probably doesn't matter: with that performance (even though he was about to keel off the side of the stool) he satisfied the Country crowd, the Military families and the Christians (had that Big Old Cross on his neck). So, he got a shitload of votes.

9. Stefano: pitchy, right key? He's one of those "package" contestants the judges always talk about, and he's closer to the pimp spot, so he'll stand a better chance of being remembered. At least he was smart to pick a song that builds to a crescendo, voters seem to equate that with singing well.

10. Paul: interesting voice, strange stage moves. Thom Yorke Dance Academy? Kind of a weird song choice; he should probably pick something from the Kenny Loggins playlist every week ("I'm All Right" could be his "Baby Lock Them Doors") instead. Like Scotty, it is hard to imagine him branching out. Then again, this season is supposed to be different...

11. Jacob: looking like he'll be predictable (in a good way) week in/out: he seems like he's going to bring the "big ol' voice" that dominates Idol in most seasons until the Top 3. Great job, and he appears to pick songs that are just right. We agreed with Rubbertoe that he's verging on smug; K had a flashback to someone (Daughtry maybe? Cookie?) that always seemed to be "acting" humble during the judge's praise because they knew they had to.

12. Casey: I can see how he might strike some listeners with a Taylor Hicks Drunken Uncle vibe, but I liked Tay-Tay, and Casey, too. He's another weirdo in what seems to be a theme this season at Idol, but I think he pulls it off, very entertaining. He won't necessarily advance, but if he does, it will probably be more like 60% performance, 40% voice. But a lot of Idols have made it a hell of a long way on less :)

Dr. L & K's ranking:

1. James Durbin
2. Jacob Lusk
3. Casey
4. Scotty
5. Paul
6. Stefano
7. Jovanny
8. Clint Gamboa
9. Brett
10. Robbie
11. Tim Halperin
12. Jordan

K's note: This is probably wildly divergent from America's vote, and based solely on if I would ever want to hear that performance again. Dr. L trusted me to pick, and even she would probably disagree. The only ones I was pretty sure on were James, Jacob, Casey and then Jordan and Tim. And as much as I sort of despise Scotty, he did OK on the night. The rest ???

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

New Stage: I'm not sure that I love it. I miss the pit and I don't like the seats behind the stage.

First up - Clint Junebug Gamboa - Superstitious. Starting off really weak. Seems the wrong range for him. The band is overpowering him. He's good when he hits the high notes but overall performance on a scale of 1-10 (5)
(I'm surprized that the judges liked it)

#2 - Jovanny - one word.....meh....nothing there. Bland, flat and just plain boring.
This guy has the charisma of a turnip. rating (4)
Randy is the only one who got it right.

#3 - Jordan - He's definitely no usher. Started off out of his range. He's a cute guy and he has some stage precense and charisma. But weak voice. This is so far the worst performance of the night. I'm giving him for stage presence a 6, voice 2. total (4).
Strange - he admits right away that it wasn't him...that its not his thing...so WHY pick that song? poor judgmenet dude.

#4 - Tim Halperin - another weak start. He sounds off key...better during the chorus. Overall...not horrible, but nothing great (5)

#5 - Brett - Good luck for him. Again...very weak start. Sounds like he's singing out of range. Once it goes uo tempo...MUCH MUCH better. Overall - pretty good. Not great..but the best of the night so far. (7)
Once again...Randy was the one that was right on with his comments.

#6 - James Durbin - Wow...very strong start. Awesome stage presence. He's great in his upper range. Some of the lower notes were a little off. Absolutely the best performance of the night (9) I would even go as far to say the best performance by anyone at this stage of AI in the history of AI.
Randy was right on..about him not overusing the high range.
(He looks like a giant next to Ryan)

#7 - Robbie Rosen - Strong start. Song is perfect his range. He actually has one of the more beautiful voices of the guys. Some of the falsetto is a little strange. Needs to work on stage presence though (6)

#8 - Scotty McCreery - He's smart to pick a song that is in his range. I have to hand it to him for that...and the way he infused a little humor into the performance. I still say that his only gimmick is singing in the low voice. (7)

#9 - Stefano - weak weak start. He picks it up and now he's delivering it. However, his performance makes me think he would make a better lead singer of a boyband than a solo performer. He picked a song with high range...perhaps a bit too high. I liked it....didn't Love it...(7)

#10 - Paul. He's smart for picking a rod stewart song. It suits him well....but this guy is a total freak. I can't stand to watch him...but he's definitely going to win over those who like him based on that I'm going to give him a 7...personally I would give him a 5.

#11 - Jacob - He's great...but his performance has a little bit of smugness that could become very grating very quickly. (8)

#12 = Casey - Not a particularly strong start, but then he hits his element. However, he comes across like one of my mentally ill clients. Voice isn't particularly spectacular...not in the same level as James, Jacob or even Brett.
Seems like he screamed more than he sang tonight. (6)


Rubbertoe's rankings tonight
1. James Durbin
2. Jacob Lusk
3. Brett Lowenstern
4. Stefano
5. Scotty
6. Casey
7. Paul
8. Robbie Rosen
9. Clint Gamboa
10. Tim Halperin
11. Jovanny
12. Jordan


America's Top Five:

James Durbin and Jacob are shoo-ins
Casey is probably in due to the AI pimpage
The final 2 will be either Stefano, Scotty, Brett or Paul. I think Scotty is definitely in due to his unique voting block. The big question will be whether Stefano, Brett or Paul gets in. I'm going to go against my own judgement and say that Paul grabs the fifth spot.

Overall...not a bad first night for the guys...

DrL&K's Top 12 Guys

DrL & K's Predictions for Top 12: Guys

Here's our picks for the rankings for the Top 12 guys. We had to say that it was hard to pick among this group, because we didn't really remember some of them. It's a shame that some of these guys have been cast as 'villains' so early in the competition - it makes it difficult to overlook the personality issues and think about the singing!

1. James Durbin - he's this year's Adam Lambert - so he's gotta be here! Strong voice - hopefully he will be able to keep it all together during the performances each week.

2. Jacob Lusk - soulful, pleasant personality, one of the few 'big' voices in the competition. Expecting good performances from him!

3. Casey Abrams - quirky, good personality, sings and plays instruments

4. Robbie Rosen - cute, sort of a young 'Fonzie' - meets the criteria for the young demographic that Idol is looking for.

5. Paul McDonald - been getting some pimple - and nice voice. Will make the Top 12, but will drop out early - gets lost in the crowd.

6. Stefano - looks like a good one for the Top 12.

7. Brett L - Dr. L thinks Brett is Top 12 material without a doubt, and K doubts it - so we put him on the cusp of not.

8. Tim H. - great voice, could make it to the Top 12 - but could just be in the competition only a brief time. He will probably quickly disappear.

9. Clint (JunBug) Gamboa - presented as too annoying and he has been cast as a villain so far…so not in.

10. Jovany - not a lot of exposure. Beautiful voice - he could go either way for us.

11. Jordan Dorsey - also has been portrayed heavily as a villain. He has a great voice when he is on his game - but that could be overshadowed by personality issues or 'team player' problems.

12. Scott McCreery - Baby lock em doors while a tornado's ripping through the trailer park and he is outside! No disagreement here at all - he is at the bottom of the pack.

Looking forward to a fun week of performances! We will post our Top 12 girl rankings before Wednesdays' performances.
Cheers,
DrL&K