Totally tubular! 80s night on Idol!

Yay - we were in highschool in the 80s too!! There was a LOT of great music in the 80s…not that you will ever hear any of it on Idol.

We have to agree with RT re: Ryan. K's theory is that because of Ryan's schedule, every season for about the past 3-4 years - there are days that Ryan seems drugged. He makes inappropriate comments or weird facial gestures, in general just seems out of it. Might not be amphetamines, maybe coffee or Redbull - but it is something!

Deandre - good job with Debarge, but not as great as last week. Any week with less falsetto is a plus. Loved hearing his natural voice. Too bad he's in the kiss-of-death spot, because he was far from the worst tonight -but it could hurt him.

Elise - did everything wrong that she didn't do last week - by adding so much melisma to this Foreigner song. DrL says she should have sung 'Betty Davis Eyes' or another Kim Carnes tune. All the weird runs in the song, and that prom dress might cost her.

First duet: Colton/Skylar - we actually thought it looked painful for Colton to be up there. Notice how he was supposed to be singing to her, but took every opportunity to sing to the camera or anywhere else. DrL hates this tune, so it was hard for her to be objective! Worst duet of the night?

Phillip - Weird rendition, DMB version of the Phil Collins song. He gets so contorted - and every song has some pent up anger in it. No wonder he is having some gut problems.

Note to self - why does Idol like so many country singers? Is there an angle here?

Second duet - enjoyed it! Too bad Holly couldn't have sung this way on her own song. Deandre did great and seems like a good-natured guy.

Joshua - Totally agree with RT that Fine Young Cannibals would have been great!! This was a better Joshua than we have seen in recent weeks. The problem was that he wrecked the song at the end by over singing it. The judges were going crazy for it - but to me it sounds more crazy train!

Jessica - or BB Chez? Whitney song - good performance, okay song - but sounded like better than average karaoke to K. She always looks cute and stylish - not DrL's favorite song of hers.

Third duet - Philip & Elise with Tom Petty song. K's vote for best duet of the night - loved it! Good match of their voices. Boy - Phil sure does need his guitar on stage, he looked like he was trying to contort himself into a ball on stage.

Hollie - she did seem to be conscious of having to do more - and she wanted to have more fun. We thought it was actually pretty good - not as bad as the judges stated. Suspect that this might be some bus-throwing by them, as she is clearly not someone they want to win this competition.

Duet 4 - Jessica & Joshua - call us crazy, but we weren't falling over in amazement about this performance like everyone else seemed to be. It was just what-ev from our POV.

Colton - Totally agree on the Howard Jones suggestion - we have thought that from the beginning! You are right on with the suggestions tonight RT! It was interesting in parts - but the repetitive parts of the tune made it kind of boring. K is a little weirded out by the Christian-rock/faux enthusiasm that he seems to throw into every performance.

Skylar - best choice of the two songs she selected, but it was funny how she still couldn't hold back from trying to jump up and down at the end of the song! This was not the 'moment' we were promised. DrL thought the first part of the song was great - the more controlled singing, less twang. Side note: wasn't it funny earlier how adamant she was that she is NOT Colton's girlfriend?!


Elise
Hollie
Phillip
Colton
Skylar
Jessica
Deandre
Joshua


DrL/K Bottom Three: Elise, Hollie, Phillip

America's Bottom Three: Elise, Deandre, Hollie
Deandre goes home

Top 8 . . . The Results: America FINALLY gets it right.

THIS is American Idol . . .

Is it just me or is Kara grating on anyone else's nerves . . . really kinda gettin on my nerves. Paula, on the other hand, is surprisingly spot on. . . maybe she needs Kara around to keep her sharp . . . ish

Frankie Avalon suprises Simon and let's us know that he's (Simon) about to turn 50. I don't think that's a shocker.

The Elite 8, as Rubbertoe calls them, will be singing from the year of Idol's birth . . . a little Kylie "Can't Get You Out of My Head". This is truly one of the worst performances . . . on the up side, I think they're singing. On the down side, someone was VERY VERY flat.

I would assume that we're headed to the Ford Focus commercial . . . and, I'm right . . . as opposed to the group number, that was the best of the commercials.

Let's do a little group chat . . . Adam was honored by Simon's gesture. Matt G. is being visited by the mayor of Kalamazoo, MI. Ryan's pimpin tix for the finale. Here come the results . . . Adam, Kris, and Anoop are up together. Adam is, of course, SAFE. Anoop is in the Bottom 3, and Kris is SAFE. I'm surprised . . . very surprised. Kris wasn't in my bottom three, but I sure thought he would be in America's.

Here comes Flo Rida . . . doin a little Right Round . . . I heart this song . . . Flo got some guns, yo .

The Gokey is up next, and he is SAFE . . . duh. Matt G is up next and he is SAFE. Scott is next and is clearly in the Bottom 3. Allison and Lil are next . . . one of them is in the Bottom 3 . . . Allison is SAFE and Lil is in the Bottom Three . . .

Ttown Idol fan was the only one among us who got the Bottom 3 correct! Congrats!

Here comes La Pickler . . . I hope she does well. I've seen this video and the song is good. The song actually features Taylor Swift on guitar.

But wait, will they send someone back to safety first . . . nope, here comes La Pickler . . . Girl still has a very nasal voice, but I like the song, and she looks SO MUCH better than she has in a while. Good for her . . .

Here comes the Bottom 3 . . . who's going back to safety . . . Lil is SAFE . . . that puts Anoop in the Bottom 2 for the second week in a row. Here we go . . . out of 34 million votes only 30,000 seperated the two of them . . . lowest number of votes goes to Scott. I hate to say this, but it's time for that boy to go HOME. I'm happy with this result. He's just never lived up to the potential. He was going good until he hit that horrific high note . . . lord love him . . . but it was time for him to go. I believe the girls want him to stay and the boys want him to go. Simon's gonna send him home . . . duh . . . I just don't think they are ever going to save anyone who they don't think has a shot at winning.

Alright, another week is gone and then there were seven. Five boys and two girls . . . what will the theme be next week? Will our spoilers be better informed? Will our picks get better? THIS is A Little Taste of AMERICAN IDOL!

Birth Year Hits and Misses

Hey y'all! Wow - the 'songs from your birth year' episode certainly had its hits and misses. Far and away - the standout of the night for us was Adam - wow!! Allison was also great - and we really thought Anoop did a good job. Matt was interesting - personally - L just hates that song, and she was singing along w/Matt, so he must have done something right!

Misses - well, Scott! It was awkward and really, of all the songs?! It is to the point that he is just trying too hard and it shows. Lil - her version was very karaoke-ish, and we were glad when it was over. Someone - please talk to her about leaving out the 'power note' at the end each song. Probably in the minority here, but we didn't think Kris was very good. It is distracting when they have the Idol groupies gather 'round the contestants -and the song was just kinda dull.

Our picks for tonight:

Bottom three: Kris, Anoop and Scott - Scott goes home.

America's bottom three: Scott, Anoop and Kris - and Kris goes home.

An Early Song Spoiler Post

The good folks over at Idol Blog Live have posted the following spoiler about tonight's Top 8

Top 8 RUMORED Song Spoiler*
Kris Allen - Heaven*
Lil Rounds - Let’s Hear It For the Boy*
Adam Lambert - Edge of Seventeen*
Scott MacIntyre - You’re the Inspiration*
Anoop Desai - Who’s Johnny*
Matt Giraud - Part Time Lover*
Allison Iraheta - Tears in Heaven*
Danny Gokey - Crazy Little Thing Called Love

If the above spoilers pan out, I'd say that my boy Kris, Adam, Danny, and Allison have chosen wisely. A big Yikes goes out to Lil Rounds, Anoop, and Matt G. And, as usual, a big YAWN goes out to Scott McIntyre.

What do y'all think?

Top 8: Songs from the year of their birth

EW is reporting that next week's theme will be "Songs from the year you were born" . . . these years range from the early 80's all the way up to the early 90's. . . yes, y'all, Allison was born in the early 90's . . . I'm feelin some hair bands coming on . . . and, the requisite weird song choice from Lil . . . What do y'all think they will choose. . . .

The Hotness: An Exit Article . . .

TV Guide has posted an article about Michael Johns surprise exit . . . sniff sniff . . . from American Idol. The article lists Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, and The Dolly as fans of The Hotness. The article goes on to report that The Hotness talked to The Dolly about collaborating on a duet. Also of note, the article includes a poll about whether or not we think La Seacrest was cruel in his dismissal of The Hotness. . . 93% say YES!

Read more about the exit of The Hotness!

In Memoriam of The Hotness

Sniff, sniff, I'm still in mourning . . . I can't really discuss it . . . sniff, sniff.

To pay homage, I think we all need to see The Hotness sing a little Bohemian Rhapsody . . . sniff sniff

A Sucker Punch Down Under

Wha-?
Did that just happen?
It was a shocker to say the least. Lisa was excited that her bottom three played out, but we were both stunned that Aussie Mike got the boot. With all the predictions from Dial Idol and Tivo to the poll here pointing to Syesha, it seems like some shenanigans are afoot. Was Mike thrown under the bus, as they say? It sure seemed surreal.

Top 8 Results: Um . . . EXCUSE ME!

So, I couldn't do a live blog because Idol came on at 7pm . . . when it always comes on at 8pm . . . UGH!

Anyhoo, I came in when Ms. Sparks was getting her platinum record! Hooray for Jordan! I am very happy for her! Ttown Idol Fan said that she and Chris Brown sounded really good!

When I arrived, Lil David, Rocker David, and The Brooke were sitting on the Couch of Glory!

Up next, The Cuteness and a recap of his little ukulele . . . sooooooo cute! And, of course, he is safe.

Next up, The Comeback Kid (KLC). . . Ryan toys with her a little bit, but she looks confident . . . no "Kristy's Seat" note tonight. As she should be, The Comeback Kid is SAFE!

That leaves The Hotness, Carly, and The Breaker of the Cardinal Rule in the Bottom Three. Carly immediately raises her hand when Ryan teases the commercial with the question "Who has the lowest number of votes?" Not a lot of confidence in tattoo land . . .

Let's skip to the meat . . . Randy thinks that America doesn't really have it right . . and neither does Paula. Simon thinks that he and America are finally seeing eye to eye.

Ryan says that after the nationwide vote, Syesha and Carly are safe . . . um, clearly listening to my ipod for eleventy hours per day has tainted my hearing . . . surely that did not just happen. Ryan tells us that The Hotness has the lowest number of votes . . . But wait, now La Seacrest is reminding us that last year on Idol Gives Back that no one was sent home . . . but this year . . . The Hotness has been eliminated.

Let me just say, I was watching the results with TtownIdolFan, and he was so mad that he turned off the television and slammed the remote down. I cannot possibly express just how cruel La Seacrest was with the teaser that The Hotness could be safe. It was unnecessary! It was just down right mean! Did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Did his flat iron have a short? Did he stumble into some unflattering light? What could have possible prompted him to be like that. I realize I shouldn't be so quick to criticize Ms. Seacrest . . . she was probably just reading the script as she was directed, but, I gotta tell ya, it was pretty damned awful.

Hrrrmph! That sucks! The Hotness should have been good on into the Top 5. I'm not happy with America.

Like Allison's sister, LT, I am bitter.

Very, very bitter.

Revisiting the Inspiration!

On the eve of the Top 8 elimination show, I thought I would refresh y'all's memory on my Top 3 picks from Tuesday! Thank goodness for the wonder that is youtube!

1. David Archuletta "Angels"



2. Kristy Lee Cook "Anyway" (Still feels weird to have her in this position)



3. The Cuteness "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"



Here's hoping that these three are safe! Good Luck to all our Idols this evening . . . except maybe Syesha . . . I don't dislike her, but STOP BREAKING THE IDOL COMMANDMENTS . . . someone give this girl a copy of the rules . . . STAT!

P.S. Couldn't post youtube clips without paying homage to . . . .

The Hotness!



Holla, y'all!

Friendly Little Competition - Week 5: A Trip to Inspiration Point

A little reminder of our scores as of last week . . .

1. Rubbertoe - 9
1. Josh - 9
3. Allison - 8
3. L - 8
3. K - 8
6. TtownIdolFan - 7

We have a tight race here, folks . . .

Here are this week's predictions:

Rubbertoe: Bottom 3: Brooke, Syesha, and Carly. Eliminated: Syesha
Josh: Bottom 3: Carly, Syesha, KLC. Eliminated: Carly
Allison: Bottom 3: Carly, Syesha, The Hotness: Elimnated: Syesha
L: Bottom 3: Carly, Syesha, The Hotness: Eliminated: Syesha
K: Bottom 3: Carly, Syesha, and Rocker David. Eliminated: Syesha
TtownIdol: Bottom 3: Syesha, KLC, Rocker David. Eliminated: Rocker David


Remember to give back . . . to someone . . . that you took from . . . and stuff :)

J/K - I hope that Idol Gives Back produces a ton of money! I'm glad the Idol Machine is trying to do some good! :)

L&K weigh in on the Top 8

Hey y'all! We have not had a chance to read the recaps or the lists for this week in-depth - just briefly glanced at them for now, but can't wait to dig into them later this afternoon :) One thing, I think I saw - we all have some different takes on the performances and the bottom 3.

Here we go, first up K's List:

1. Jason
2. Aussie Mike
3. David A.
4. Kristy Lee
5. David Cook
6. Carly
7. Brooke
8. Syesha

America's Bottom 3: David Cook, Carly, Syesha
Syesha goes home

And now, L's List:

1. Jason C. - beautiful!
2. Aussie Mike - yay! he went for the big notes :)
3. Kristy Lee - total package tonight, song, look, voice and no weird, squinty, eye thing
4. David A. - nice piano, and I LOVE Robbie - but thought he kind of phoned it in at the end of the song
5. David C. - what's up here? But still better than the rest of the girls....
6. Carly - looked better, but no on song, and she yells/screeches too much for me
7. Brooke - kind of lackluster, very nervous? should have played piano
8. Syesha - yuck!

America's bottom 3: Carly, Syesha, Aussie Mike(due to placement in the singing)
Syesha goes home

Update from Lunch Review

So ok. Maybe Brooke is not quite as bad as I initially thought, but it still wasn't good for me. Brooke obviously was very emotional over the song, and I felt her emotions when she was talking to the judges, but the performance was lackluster.

Josh still isn't with me at all on the lack of sincerity. So trying to be more concrete -- The hair and dress seemed like a costume to me. Her stage presence felt contrived. Brooke obviously sang the song well, but to use a famous Simon phrase, if that was the first time I heard her I wouldn't get it. And I would really be shocked that she was Top 8 on Idol.

I like Brooke, but I thought this was a weak performance during a night when she could have really shined.

Also on second review, I am more convinced that Syesha is going home.

And, KLC's performance was really good.

You're the meaning in my life, you're my inspiration

Idols do life anthems. Hmm. I am not completely sure what these song choices tell us about the idols' lives, but we did get some pretty nice performances last night. Here's my run down:

1. Little David -- love to see him at the piano, great voice and song choice. Josh and I had a lively discussion about whether or not he was passionate enough in his performance. I wanted MORE passion. Josh thought the understatement was spot on. As I told Josh, by his number one ranking in my order CLEARLY the lack of passion did not seem to hurt him. Perhaps Little David will develop some more passion as he gets more experience in being an artist. That's what is missing for me. But still a "head and shoulders above the rest" performance from our favorite 17 year old.

2. Jason C. -- I will admit, I was a little worried for Jason C., but I think that the exchanging of the guitar for the ukulele made a HUGE difference in this not being just another signer songwriter night for him. Loved the performance, I would sit for hours in a bar listening to him sing and strum.

3. KLC -- the girl is going to be a country star. Last night proved it. She is beautiful, she has the look, and that song showed off her voice. Sorry Josh and Shep -- I think this girl is SAFE from the bottom 3 tonight.

4. Aussie Mike -- He is just hot. good song choice, pretty good performance. He had a LOT to live up to from last week and I think that his effort was good enough.

5. David Cook -- by no means his strongest performance. Vocals were a little weird for me. But he is a rock star. The jacket got mixed reviews at our idol watching party, but I was ok with it. And I still HEART the haircut.

6. Brooke -- I really hated this performance in its entirety. I know I had a bad attitude going into it because I don't like the song in the first place, but it felt insincere. Until now the one thing I love about Brook is the authenticity she brings to her performances. This did not work for me. Josh COMPLETELY disagrees. We are going to watch it again at lunch today so maybe after a second opinion I will feel better about it. she is ranked 6 for me because her vocals were good and in tune and she did not scream. She won't be in the bottom 3 because she went last.

7. Carly -- As Paula Abdul's traditional "I'm getting ready to tell you that I hated the performance" line, let me start by saying Carly looked great. She was pretty and edgy without looking dated. She is a good performer, but this performance did not work. Probably because the vocals were a little rough (I agree with Josh that there may be something up with her voice).

8. Syesha -- Don't break the rules. Lakeshia almost went home with that song choice last year. And I don't think this girl is going to be so lucky.

America's Bottom 3: Syesha, Carly, Aussie Mike*
Going home: Carly

*My choices for the last spot came down to Aussie Mike and David Cook. I went with Aussie Mike because he was first and because I think the Daughtry fans from season 5 like David Cook and won't let him go to the bottom 3 because they are still bitter about Daughtry's top 4 exit. I know my sister, LT, is still bitter.

Very, very bitter.

She still has not quite recovered from that upset to this day.

Overall Rankings

1. Lil David - Far and Away the number one performance of the evening for me. As I have previously stated, probably the clearest, cleanest voice ever to grace the idol stage. Not my overall favorite from seven seasons, but simply amazing. Great song choice.
(Pretty Decent Sized Space Here)

2. KLC - No one is more surprised than I am. . . This girl gets a little better every week, but, I gotta give her a wow for this week's performance. Perfect song choice . . . Perfect look . . . Great, and I do mean Great, vocal. So very impressed. That being said, #2 and #3 could easily flip flop for me.

3. The Cuteness - The boy may have picked up his contender status with this absolutely precious and genuine performance. The Cuteness, the ukulele, and the pulled back dreds made for one fantastic performance. Excellent!

(Massive Yo Sized Space)

4. Brooke White - again, I figure I'm on the island of unpopular opinion here, but I really enjoyed her performance. She is the top of the middle group for me because she was the most vocally sound. Fewer pitch problems than the other idol in this category . . .

5. The Hotness - Don't get me wrong, y'all, The Hotness is still in tact. . . And, I loved his song choice . . . and his charisma, BUT, their were some pretty decent sized pitch problems several times in the performance.

(Lauren Hutton Tooth-Gap Space)

6. David Cook - The white jacket, the arrogant performance, and the behind the music (Not VH1) vocals all worked together to put Mr. Cook in my bottom three (Not America's mind you, but, mine). I just didn't dig it . . . but, I still love him.

7. Carly Smithson - Ugh! I wanted to like this one. I love her. I love her tattoo. I loved her new look. I did not love the performance. The beginning was good, and then she went into a kind of hoars-y screamy, pitchy thing. Did not love it.

8. Syesha Mercado - Broke the cardinal rule. Nothing more to say.

America's Bottom Three (READ: NOT MY BOTTOM THREE) - Syesha, Carly . . . do I have to have a third . . . Kristy Lee Cook (make note, she does not deserve this position, and, if she ends up here, she will be first to go back.

Eliminated: Carly Smithson . . . in a shocker!

Brooke White, Pimpin it Carole King style

Brooke White in the Pimp Spot!

Brooke gonna be bringin it home mellow style with a little "You gotta friend".

I'm feelin like I might be hangin out on the isle of unpopular opinion here, but I'm kind of feelin this performance. I know I ride the Brooke train, but I just kind of dig how this girl, almost better than everyone else really understands her boundaries, and knows exactly what her vocal range is. Not the perfect performamnce, but very solid.

Randy wasn't thrilled . . . Paula connected to Ms. Brooke . . . and Simon thought it was very pleasant.

Overall post to follow . . . Overall, a pretty good night. More hit than miss for me . . .

Lil David and the Massive Yo Factor . . . with a Side of Robbie Williams

Next up, Lil David and Brooke in the Pimp Spot!

Here comes Little Bitty David . . . who gets loud when he practices . . . He's gonna sing some Robbie Williams . . . um, love me some Robbie Williams! Sorry, got distracted . . . here is Lil David on the piano . . . I hate to repeat myself . . .

Wow . . . just simply amazing. He just kind of rules the house for me tonight.
Randy thought it was hot, and, am interpreting here, complete massive yo factor . . . Paula agrees!

Simon nitpicks but basically thinks it was the best performance of the night. Gots to agree here, the most pure voice in the competition, hands down.

Carly, Looking Like a Queen, And Sounding Like . . .

Ms. Carly is gonna rock her tatoo and some Queen.

Good, good start for Ms. Carly. But, OH MY LANTA! What happened in the middle of the song. I am wondering if she is hoarse or something. . . She kind of screamed that in the middle. I'm not really feelin it . . . and neither are the judges . . . Randy didn't feel it. Paula and her cleavage didn't feel it. Simon thought she looked good, but didn't feel it.

I gotta agree. I'm thinking she's in trouble.

But she did look better . . . much, mubh better.

Rocker David, The White Coat, and the Not So Rockin Diddy

Here comes Rocker David jammin on some Our Lady Peace. The song speaks to him . . . maybe he's off his meds . . . Here we goes . . . and, er, um, what in the name of Tom Ford, is he wearing. I gots to say guys, for the first time in a while, Our Rocker David is a touch off vocally, and a little behind the music. He has recovered a bit in the middle of the song. I liked his performance because I think he is a good performer, but, this one fell a little short for me.
Randy thinks he didn't quite make it as "yo" as last week. Paula disagreed and thought he was rockin. Simon thought he was a wee bit pompous . . . I gotta agree . . . I hate it for our resident rocker boy, but it didn't quite rock my world. . .

KLC kicks it into High Gear! Seriously, Girl Kinda Rocked!

KLC's gonna be pimpin some of her own personal inspiration, next!

KLC is on the block! She is singing some Martina Navratilova . . er, um, I mean McBride. As has been happening the last few weeks, Ms. KLC is looking very nice this evening.

Again, prior to the judges critique, KLC ROCKED THE HOUSE! I don't think I can remember her singing quite that well. She really got her country on. . . I'm impressed.

To the judges: As per usual tonight, Randy Jackson has to give at least one negative comment, but he really thought she did a good job. Paula and her cleavage think that KLC was great, and La Cowell thinks that KLC did great, made a smart song choice, and looked like a star. Sorry to the Rubbertoe, I think KLC is safe on that one.