The Divas, Dawg, & Dude from Down Under Do Chi-Town

Premiere part Two, Chicago. 

I like how they toss around Jennifer Hudson's name like she WON Idol LOL.

Nikki looks even more ridiculous -- how will she keep this up in the weeks ahead? I guess she'll be nude, on fire, or both.

The opening -- continuing the theme of ridiculing the delusional. 

Mackenzie from Tennessee -- sweet voice, pretty girl. Makes the inclusion of Ms. Minaj even more absurd here -- what world does her "talent" match up to this girl's natural ability? Something else to think about -- Dr. L wondered if this girl was a plant.

OMG -- Kiara from Chicago continues the in-your-face lovefest for Mariah!!! I love it! Nikki has to be seething inside. This girl can sing, and has a nice stage presence. 

Stephanie -- nervous but had a pretty, breathy voice. Good lord, the crazy comments from NM. I'm sick of this psycho already. The season has barely begun!

Shiny Massage Therapist -- Dr. L wonders if the contestants have to sign a waiver that says you may potentially be humiliated. I'm sure they do -- but they don't read it. One of these days, I fear one of these savaged folks is going to go postal.

Nigel alert! First time we've seen at these? Dr. L said he's really a puppet master :)

Gabe the Baker/Rocker -- could have gone the other way. The shrieky rocking actually had a good voice behind it. I wonder how he will fare In Hollywood?

Kevin the spaz animator. Wow, the cavalcade of the delusional has begun. It really seems like Idol is shooting for the lowest common denominator Idol viewer this season. I'd like to hear the good singers, not watch the (obviously planted) bad singers crash and burn. 

Isabelle -- this is what I'm talking about. Nice, can sing and is a pleasant person. She could be a contender. OMG 15!!! They have to love that. But --Why would Randy say no to a girl who can actual sing? wtf.

Lucky Keith gets to skip town. He will be missed the rest of the day...

Griffin -- eye candy -- and an Aiiight voice. He gets the pass because the ladies like him. I thinks some guys will too!…

Curtis -- charter school tutor. Seems like a nice guy. One of those "hope he can sing" intros, because he's so nice. Wow, he took them to Church! Good for him. 

Mariah -- recovering from anorexia. A sad story, but damn Idol, how they love to pimp the pain. She's though to Hollywood -- Dr. L said Nigel's back there pushing stories like this. I wonder how these fragile people will handle Hollywood.

Day Two --

Sob story Brandy from KY. She didn't need it -- she can really sing. We think she can go far. Is it me or have we NOT seen a White Guy With Guitar yet?  Maybe this is the year to break the cycle.

Josh from TX -- Singing Brian McKnight. I liked it up to the falsetto. And his hair looked like a raccoon. But he's through anyway -- we didn't get it.

Courtney -- Nice voice, boring performer. Knock on Wood guy is the opposite. They both go thru.

Clifton -- parents never heard him before. Could have been the setup for a train wreck. But he was good. Nice to see Keith tear up for the family angle. It's almost like KU is too nice for this insanity. 

Iesha -- when she said she was a professional dancer I think it's clear that meant -- stripper. Wow -- that was painful singing. I like how Randy has done this so long he's just brutally honest. 

Hey -- Hunky Johnny Keyser from last year! This was not the best song choice. I remember him sounding better than this. But they seem to like him. My memory is Hollywood killed him. If J was here he'd remember. Dr. L wondered, do THEY come back or does Idol go GET them?

Kez Ban -- she's a freak, but the kind of freak whose CD I would probably buy and love. I hope this gives her the attention she needs to get a break. She'll never go far on Idol, but I liked her sound a lot. I love that she was so self-aware of her strangeness.

Another stupid montage of bad singers. Then they fake us out with the twin Ashley. I thought they were setting us up for good singing -- but hell no. Holy crap, they had to kick her out. 

AAANnnd -- the incredible Idol moment. Hey, have you seen Hunger Games? I feel like Idol has become that. It's not enough that you can sing, you have to have a flaming dress, and some incredible sob story, that you can pander for votes with? This guy is a stutterer, with an angelic voice. But we all know he'll get ripped to shreds down the line. 

Next stop -- Charlotte! And NM has another meltdown. Sigh.

Can't wait to hear what RT thought of Chi Town!

Dr. L & K out :)

A talent showdone in Chi-Town

Night 2 starts off with a really stupid skit. I don't know what they were thinking there....Lame attempt at humor. AI is in Chicago...one of my most favorite cities in America. McKenzie Wasner - cute girl. Pretty voice. Kinda sounds a little like a young Dolly Parton. I think she is a great possibility for a top 12. The judges agree! Kierra Lanier- Sang for President Obama. She looks like a giant next to Ryan. I don't think that she is all that. I don't know how she got picked to sing for the President. I wouldn't even put her through to Hollywood...but the judges seem to disagree with me on this one. Stephanie Schmiel - We get our first "Throwback" singer...we get one of these every year and they never go too far. I agreed with Nikki on this one. They put her through. .....and then we get more Diva Drama. Boooooorrrrrring. Melissa Bush - This is going to be bad. You can tell by the pink costume and she seems slightly mentally ill. Yep.... Gsbe Brown - Baker from Iowa. He's a screamer...but surprisingly screams with at least some musicality....but when he turns it down, it definitely shows his weaknesses. They surprisingly put him through...but we won't last past the first round in Hollywood. Kevin - Ninja Rap....another freak show....and a collage of broken hearts, which at least showed a little heart. Isabell Parell - Voice is too wispy and weak....and he outfit is hideous. She's a trainwreck. Nikki told her she is like a star...what? All the judges liked her, except Randy. Randy is the only one who got this one right. She won't last past Hollywood round 1. Griffin Peterson - HELLO....I would put him through before a note came out of his mouth. He isn't much of a singer. He has some musicality to his voice, but it was weak. With Keith gone to do a concert in Vegas....the chicks put him through. Curtis Finch Jr. - He has a good gospel voice, but I don't think he has what it takes for AI, but he's a shoo-in for Hollywood. Mariah Pulce..... anorexia recoverer.... decent voice but not likely to go far. She sings with a lot of feeling, but the she doesn't have the package. Brandy Neely - Backgrownd story...adopted by her aunt. very strong and powerful country voice. I like her a lot. Gotta little bit of a raspy undertone to it. Josh Holiday - Good voice, but nothing special. Good enough though Courtney Williams - Good..but not likely to go far Clifton Duffin - Neut he isn't going to ever sang for his parents. Decent but not strong enough to make it far in Hollywood. Johnny Keiser back from season 11 - I remember him being better than this. Good enough for Hollywood...but I'm curious to look back and see what I thought of him last year. Kesban - Fire performer. - She can actually singing.....unique performer for sure. Not AI material, but talented. In a squirrel nut zippers kinda way. I would say yes. Is it me....or has Ryan been hitting the gym....seriously. He's look kinda Buff. Ashley - whenever people say "my voice is like something people haven't heard before" it usually means it is going to be really bad. and it once again proves to be true. Lazaro from Cuba. Really cute guy. Serious stuttering. Pretty good singer...but I'm not sure that he is good enough to go very far. I wanted him to be a little bit better than he was. I love the story and he's obviously had such a hard time in life. I was happy to see him make it through.

Letter to AI producers

Dear American Idol Producers: I am writing this letter to say, PLEASE cool it with the manufactured drama. We don't tune into AI to watch fake diva fights between the judges. We tune in because we LOVE the REAL drama that is always created by the show. We tune in to watch the REAL zero to hero journeys of the contestants. We tune in for the talent, not the "stars". If you haven't learned this after 12 seasons, then I'm afraid that all of your efforts to keep the show "fresh" and to keep viewers from dropping off are in vain. Stick with the unscripted talent and leave the manufactured stuff out of it. There are plenty of other X-Factors out there for those who want that type of stuff. But please leave American Idol to us fans. Sincerely, Rubbertoe.

I'm Back.....

So, Season 12. AI starts in perfect AI fashion. I always look forward to the season opening montage. This is what we have been waiting for for the last 7 months. I loved the Phil Phillips audition to star story...although I was remind why I didn't like Philllip very much last year. We we finally get to the auditions one thing becomes Crystal clear. They are trying waaaaaaaaaay too hard to play up this Mariah/Nikki diva drama. It was so obviously stages....and yet, it continues after the commercial break. I hope to God that they don't continue this all season long. Staged drama is just not attractive and it doesn't sell with most of us. Tenna Torres - Good enough for Hollywood, but a little too much fluff without substance. Some of the runs were good, others were not and it lacked depth for me. Shane Spade or was it James? - America wants a character. Justin Bieber meets William Hung. I knew this was going to be bade when we was wearing Real 3D glasses. Christina Isabelle - Struggled with weight. This girl has some serious pipes. Definitely heading to Hollywood and probably quite a bit further. Evan - one legged tape Dancer, diagnosed with cancer. First Cancer story of season 12. Had to have his leg amputated. Weird choice of audition song...I'm yours. I would have said no based strictly on voice...much better with Bon Jovi. Good enough for Hollywood with Bon Jovi dead or alive...but couldn't get past the first impression. Jessica Kartalis - Better singer than guitar player. They should have let her sing another song. THEY are the ones who pushed her to play an original on guitar. I think she might have been ok, but they never gave her the chance. Shirah Gavrio;ov - From Isreal. I really like her voice. Very nice tone to her voice. She's through to Hollywood. Frankie Ford from Brooklyn New York. Sings on the train to make money. Sweet Dreams...sounded awesome to me. My favorite of the night so far. Mariah says he has an inner glow that can't be reproduced because it is so honest. I agree. Frankie Goes to Hollywood.....I love it. We get a Michael Jackson clown. Rosanna - sings for her parents, but not usually for other people. Now we know why. Knew it was going to be bad strictly by the parents. Sad thing is, with people like this, is that they are not obviously clowns...they really think that they can sing well. Next up...Jersey Girl - Sarah Restuccio - Decent voice. Don't know if it is good enough to go far. But good enough at this stage. Albert Chang - Phantom of the opera....better range than Mariah....according to Nikki. This time Mariah looks honestly a bit peeved. Angela Miller - Hearing loss girl. She is really good. One of the better singers tonight. Brent Home - Knows more about America Idol than anyone in America. Has auditioned 7 times... Maybe 8 is the charm? Maybe not. The Turbinator - Gurprit Sareen - He has a pretty good voice. Better than a lot, they put him through barely. but he isn't going to last very long. Ashley Feliciano - Family adopts medically complex children. Wow...great story. I like her...I really like her. Nice quality to her voice. Nice balance of tone, range and power. I was skeptical at the beginning of tonight....but tonight was AI at its best. I have great expectation for season 12.

Season Twelve is off (its rocker) with a bang

Random notes from Premiere Part One:

Of course, they play up the catfights between Mariah and Nikki. It's having the opposite effect on me -- this shit is getting old fast.

Keith seems like this year's nice guy, the rock in the insanity.

The Dawg, as usual, is almost a non-entity.

Dr. L said, only Nikki M. can wear that shade of lipstick, what a shame.

Seems like last year, maybe last two years they didn't show as many freaky failures? Well, they're back now. 

Christina from GA seems like a contender for the "pipes" that get knocked out way too early. It's got to kill Nikki that everyone worships Mimi.

Annnnd -- the sob stories begin. Cancer Boy gets the extensive backstory. Meanwhile, outside Ryan says he's been tired for ten years -- must be exhausting buying yachts. Wow -- they said no -- cold-hearted bastards.

WTF -- Dawg is on the Staten Island Ferry to punk some girl? What kind of lame stunt is this? Then they ambush her to play guitar, and she's off-key. It's a special kind of torture -- this is like some of those high-school nightmares where you find yourself on stage naked. Idol is off to a twisted start.

And now -- the WTF love-fest for the Israeli girl. Idol does this every year -- they gush over somebody that sounded meh on TV. These are the ones that make me wonder, did they sound better during the REAL judging, with the producers, before the "audition" on-camera? 'Cause it didn't really happen here.

Frankie from Brooklyn -- 2nd sob story. He's so likable -- I really want him to sing well. He has a shaky start -- and pulls it out big time. If he holds it together through the cauldron of Hollywood Week, he could go far. 

Day 2 -- seems to be full of Nos. But isn't that the way? They set it up so that the end of the day has some SPECTACULAR singer. Let's see if my theory holds up…

Sarah the Jersey country girl -- is she an OMG 17 contender? Idol has to have them. She's cute and she can sing.

BTW I love how Mariah rocked the mega-boob look Day One, and then Nikki came in Day Two to compete -- and Mariah covered the puppies up. Funny.

Holy shit, now we have a montage of crappy singers and Nikki's British accent. 

Wow, Deaf Girl can really sing. Mariah actually said "cool beans" -- her stock just rose in my book.

Sleepy Idol Trivia Guy -- Dr. L said, one year they should just let a whole batch of these crappy guys go to Hollywood and battle it out. How cruel is it to show him fantasizing that he made it? Idol is really bizarre this year.

Turbinator -- nice guy with a Lite Jazz voice. No way in hell he goes past Hollywood, but should be fuel for some more mildly racist Muslim humor.

Ashley -- great backstory. What a sweet family. I hope she can sing! Of course she can -- is she the last of Day Two? Hell yeah! 

HA! Made it through the first ep. More insanity to come. We saw a couple of the Final 24, maybe? Let us know what you think.

Dr. L & K

Dr. L & K checking in!!!

Hey RT!

This should be a so-bad-it's great drama-filled Idol season!

J, are you out there? Earth to J!!!

BTW, has anybody read this book:

It's supposed to be the dirt on the Scotty McCreepy season. I would love to

hear if anybody has checked it out.

Dr. L and K reporting for duty!

2013 check in

15 days away.....checking in.....hopefully more than just Dr L and K and I this year....!!!!!!

Dawg Days Are Over!!!

http://www.tmz.com/2012/08/31/american-idol-randy-jackson-judge-nicki-minaj-mariah-carey/


Check out this article from TMZ, it says Randy Jackson will no longer be a judge on Idol, but will instead be a "mentor".  Not that he's got any credibility as a judge, but compared to the incoming judges he's a freaking genius.

From what I have read of the new judge lineup this year, it seems to me that Idol will suck even harder than any year before, which is saying a lot. Mariah Carey? Could be OK, but she's the best of the bunch -- how much empathy could she have? Nicki Minaj? Hopefully that's a scary rumor with no basis.  Kanye? He's out, thank God, but it shows the bottom-feeder direction Idol is going. Flash and bullshit, to try and grab ratings.

We'll be back again to give it one more go, but maybe we should join J and start watching/blogging the Voice instead?

--- K

ARGHHH!!!!

Just got an email from Idol saying we have tickets for the Finale: but we have to be there @ 2:30 PM Pacific Time. It's 12:55  now...WTF, Idol? Even if we hauled ass up the 110, found parking, and got in line, it would be a mile long and... screw it.
We've been trying to get tickets all season, and the one day we absolutely can't go, we get 'em. Oh well, it should be a fun show.

-- K

Season 11 - Please Remember me? Sorry....this is a season that I want to forget

Round 1 - Whitney v. Stand by me Jessica - I thought it was probably one of her best performances of the season. Perfect song for her to show off her range and her power Phillip - Classis Phillip. Destroying the melody of a classic song Phillip style. If you like Phillip you'll love this. If you are a fan of music, it wasn't anything special. Round 1 - Jessica by a mile Round 2 - Jessica - The Prayer. Boring. She sang it beautifully...but it was just a plain boring song. Did nothing for me. Phillip - Oh...no....not his trainwreck Movin out. Horrible. Again....the fools that like Phillip probably love his mutilation of a classic song. Me? I'll take Billy Joel's version a million times before I would ever choose to listen to this garbage. Round 2 - Jessica by an edge (only because Phillip was utter garbage..Jessica was just boring) Round 3 Jessica - "Change Nothing" - At least it was a better song than "This is my now"...or "Do I make you proud"...but not much. It sounded screechy to me. Not a great song and Jessica sound sharp on a number of the high notes Did they just throw Jessica under the bus? Jessica wanted to do something more Urban? God...I hope not. Phillip - "Home" - Song written perfectly for him....hmmmmmmm I wonder who is going to win? But Good luck AI...selling this single and selling this clunker of an Idol. He MIGHT sell more records than Taylor or Lee...but probably not by much OK....really AI? Really? Can you be any more over the top predictable...a marching drum line? Round 3- Phillip. Overall...Jessica was better...but Phillip will win. Jimmy looks defeated I hope AI pulls it out better in Season 12.

Worst Idol Finale Ever

Hey Dr L and K....you got me thinking....is this the worst Idol Finale ever? So I decided to rank the Idol finales from Best to worst Starting the the Best Season 2 - Reuben v. Clay Season 4 - Carrie v. Bo Season 1 - Kelly v. Justin Season 8 - Adam v. Kris Season 7 - David v. David Season 10 - Scotty v. Lauren Season 3 - Fantasia v. DiGarmo Season 6 - Jordin v. Blake Season 9 - Lee v. Crystal Season 11 - Phillip v. Jessica Season 5 - Taylor v. McPhee So, no...this isn't the WORST idol finale ever...but its awfully damn close *emphasis on DAMN"

Is It Me, Or...

Is it hard to care who wins this season on Idol at this point?

I feel like there were a few contestants in weeks past that were Lil Taster favorites, but they're gone and
we're left with these two.

RT, if you are still out there, let us know if you are tuning in! We would love to hear how you think it came down to these finalists.

-- K

No More Drama is right

Flying Solo tonight -- Dr. L is at a conference in another time zone! I'll try to represent.

2 Hrs again?!! This is just abuse, Idol. So you can have three contestants take the same time to perform as 12? No wonder ratings are down.

Phil Phil looks like a PA next to Bb Chez and Joshua, they are all dolled up. Ironic he will win. Top 12 in the crowd. HeeJun acting a fool -- I kind of miss all these people. Can we get a Re-Do?

Is that Pricilla Presley with Nigel? She looks like a wax figure.

ROUND ONE: JUDGE'S CHOICE

This is the point where the "judges" pick a song for the Idols to coincide with the trip home. Randy can't even read his script Nigel wrote for him, what a numbskull. But he "picked" Etta James for Joshua:

This is Joshua's go-to vibe, old soul. He can sing, but this gets as old as any of the other one-note Idols. At least Adele, Wineheezy, Duffy etc. put some kind of modern spin on the old classics. This kid is kind of a simple-minded singing Savant, he'll never be original, just someone's puppet.

JLo picked BB Chez' first song: Mariah Carey? Smoke pimpin' on stage. Smart of them to slow BB Chez down --and yet, is she ahead of the song? A little off-key? It sure sounds like nerves to me. I am not loving this… Joshua was better. It got better in spots, but it was too freaking' melismatic to me -- it sounded like Elise. 

They are trying to put a positive spin on it, but I am beginning to LOVE how Steven Tyler infuses double meanings in his critique. "People hang on (Jessica's) every note" -- yeah, they do, especial when they are cringe-worthy.

I was not familiar with Steven T's pick for Phillip. Wow, this actually sounds like a song we'd hear on the radio, imagine that. This was the most entertaining of the three, to me. He's going to win, no doubt, right? How funny he gives the finger to them week after week. After Taylor Hicks and Phil, Idol is going to ban the color Gray.

ROUND TWO: CONTESTANT'S CHOICE

Joshua goes home to Louisiana. All he talks about is his dad (a preacher), his Church, and Son of a Preacher Man plays behind it. Then he sings "Imagine"? WTF? It's a song about humanism/atheism at it's core, Joshua. Regardless, it's another cookie-cutter performance, good but forgettable. Now it's Randy's turn to couch the truth ("what does this song mean to you?) in a rambling critique. Is Idol Punking us?

Jessica hasn't seen her friends and family in months? Frickin' San Diego is a two hour drive from LA, tops. At least she had a better turnout than Katherine McPhee. She's doing a lame 90s Aerosmith tune. Did she flub the lyrics up front? Wow, this devolved into a shrieky mess to me. The judges should all win Emmys for the bullshit they're selling.

Phillip: irony here is, the guy with the rotten-gut medical condition gets a greasy plate of Nachos free for life. Love how they have his fans corralled in a Dog Run at the airport. Love that his Dad is packing heat in the Pawn Shop! Hot Sax Chick alert! A Matchbox 20 song. Again, a FAR better fit than the others. How out of touch are the judges? The AUDIENCE gave him a standing O, then they want to slam him. So contrived and scripted.

JIMMY'S CHOICE

Joshua gets Mary J Blige. Thank you Jimmy, this FINALLY sounded like a modern song. Too bad Joshua seemed lost for most of it. Do people really just want to see him go batshit on the end of a song? It was a bit anticlimactic. Even the judges couldn't muster the fake standing O. Still, they heap praise on him. What I don't get is, what do TPTB hope to achieve? 

Jessica, with the plug for A T & T. This time, Jimmy goes old school, Jackson's I'll Be There. The song is right in her range, no doubt. Best of the night for her. She needs sing these melodic songs! Jimmy just bought her a few million votes. Jessica gave Randy a great Bitch Face.

Phil: Jimmy picked Bob Seger. Wow, another great pick. Phil truly surprised me -- that was amazing. So tender, and he had a kind of moment. I think he has this thing sewn up. Not much to say, for whatever it's worth, he was consistently good tonight.

Watching the recap, it looks like the Phillip - Jessica show. I don't know if she has the votes, but it's my bet Joshua is gone. 

 -- K

California Dreamin

So...I'm a little unsure of the theme tonight - Songs about California or done by people from California? That seems like a real stretch, I just get the feeling that you can manipulate any song to fit one of those two. Wow...have we really run out of themes? First up - Phil Phillips doing CCR AND he's doing "Have you ever seen the rain", one of my favorite songs..and surprisingly enough I don't hate it. I like the fact that he actually stuck to the melody for the most part...although he was stretching in parts, showing that he doesn't have much of a range. However, the song really showcased his personality which is his #1 selling point. Second - Hollie - Journey - Faithfully. My initial though was this is a great song chice for her, however, when she starts singing, it sounds shaky to me and way under her range. She's struggling. It gets better when we get to the more power ballad elements but overall it was not great. The judges LOVED it....I didn't Third - Joshua - Josh Groban "You lift me up". Total AI type song, although I"m not sure if its been performed before, allthough I have to believe it has. This is a great song and a great choice by Joshua. Perhaps because it is such a Groban iconic song, I don't love Joshua's version...it comes across waaaay too gospelly for me. Fourth - Jessica doing Etta James. Really stupid song choice for her. AI is not a venue for this type of bluesy/jazzy song. She sang it great, but it is going to get lost by most of the AI crowd. I actually thought that she was great, but I'm going to place her second in Round 1. Round 1 rankings - Phillip (Yes....believe it or not, I'm giving round 1 to Phillip), Jessica, Joshua and Hollie Duet #1 - "This love" - Joshua is perfect for this song....not so much for Phillip. Duet #2 - What is this? Reminds me of Dolly Parton in the 70's from her variety show with the swings on the stage. Not as good as the guys. I thought it was quite funny when Joshua and Phillip came out and got in the swings. Round #2 - Phillip - It was good...but not as great as the judges wanted it to be Hollie - By and large I agreed with the judges...it was classic personality-less Hollie doing a big ballad song. I disagreed with Randy though...I thought the song choice was perfect...I just wasn't buying it. In many ways the song told the story of Hollie's journey "I can't make you love me....if you don't". In THAT sense, I think she sold the song. Joshua - absolutely outstanding....THAT was an Idol moment. Jessica - a bit oversung...but still pretty damn good.... Round 2 - Joshua, Jessica, Phillip, Hollie Overall - Edge to Joshua, Jessica, Phillip and Hollie. Hollie is a goner... America's bottom 2 - Hollie and Jessica Computer about to die....so I gotta rush the end here....Rubbertoe....out!

Sing Hard With A Vengeance

Songs from California/Songs You Wish You Wrote? Again with the wacky nebulous themes. Just sing anything, OK? Don't pretend this is a theme. Otherwise, what would Phil and Josh sing?

Phil: CCR , Have You Ever Seen The Rain. First a shout-out to Hot Sax Girl LOL. This arrangement sucked. Phil was Phil, so his core couldn't care less. What's up with JLo's hair and Randy's jacket? Scary. I love how week after week Steven makes back-handed compliments to Phil that actually slam him.

Hollie: wait--did they pull a fast one on us in her audition? I recall the crying rejection was played THIS year, and Dr. L did not remember her wearing a hat. That's some blatant manipulation, Idol, jeez. 

She's doing Journey, Faithfully. When will Idols stop picking these songs that waste half the time on no build? This was shaky and boring for 80 percent, then decent for the end. They praised her, why? JLo is totally reading a script-- and I swear, her emotion is knowing Hollie just blew it.

What's with everyone wearing a "6" pin?

hm, BB Chez gets pimp spot again? Also, what's with Jason D's neck brace? His Coke song still sucks, regardless. 

Joshua: clueless, I suspect, when it comes to real music bizness. He talks like a 10-year old kid, with "feelings"-- get busy winnin' or get busy goin' home, Joshua. A Grobin song. Maybe the best thus far but that ain't saying much. They praise it-- again, weepy JLo and script reading.

Jessica: Hm, over singing even at age 5. Etta James Steal Away. Hot Sax Girl alert!

Incomprehensible lyrics. And, holy shit, could she pick an older song? I think this was a bad choice. They WANT her to stay, but apparently aren't going to help in any way. Now it's Randy's turn with the back-hand compliment: the sing the phone book comment--doesn't that mean 'this song is crap but remember the voice'?

Round Two:

Duet 1: couldn't say, we FF'd past it. I'm tired of the padding.

Duet 2: they slam them? Idol, you won't have a girl win if you don't pimp them.

Adam Shankman seems like a tool. Seacrest's GF has a big part in his film? Then he's a corporate tool! I do want to see this film, though. 

Great fake out with Ryan and the note!

Group song-- FF'd.

Phil: Volcano. Jimmy loved it. I have to agree. The closest to a real moment, maybe all year. I think Phil just won this thing. Randy even spoke wisdom: sometimes the smaller moments speak louder.

Hollie: I Can't Make You Love Me. It was good-- and we cant tell what she's doing any worse than BB Chez-- but they're throwing her under the bus. So, she's gone.

Joshua: yeah he's wacky. HOT SAX CHICK! Ha. James Brown song. Good song choice. He's definitely a throw-back guy. Phil & Josh definitely got the memo this week. He's like a musical savant.

BB Chez: something from Dreamgirls. Oh Jesus, this looks like it could be awful. Parts are good, but a whole lot was shouty. I've heard 3-4 versions on Idol better than this. It would be my dream come true if she DID go home after singing this LOL. But she won't.

B2: Hollie and Jessica. Going home: Hollie.

Gimme A Ticket For An AeroPLAAANe

Idol -- what the hell is the theme? They used to pick easily recognizable ones. This was something about British Pop and whatever.

Little Steven was so fun with Jimmy. I always expect him to whack somebody now, though.

First Round

Hollie: River Deep, Mountain High. Usually, I hate this song, because Idols like it and usually butcher it. I actually liked Hollie's take on it a lot. She really showed the stamina that is lacking in virtually all the remaining contestants, because she shook her money maker and never lost breath (see Jessica). But they put her in the KOD spot, so even though they praised her, she could get forgotten.

BTW, do we have to have this be TWO HOURS, Idol? Didn't they start paring it down by now in seasons past? This is a lot to ask of us, assholes.

Phil: The Letter. We actually liked this. It was in Phil's groove. Funny how Little Steven responded to his don't-give-a-shit attitude as "artistry". But here it clicked.

Skylar: Fortunate Son. She was working her ass off to over-perform a song that she had no idea was about. Total disconnect for me. I told Dr. L she could have been singing the alphabet, and it would have sounded the same. I didn't like it, but maybe it resonated with the Southern voters. She worked it like it was a hoedown, not a protest song.

Jessica: Proud Mary. Ha! This sucked, but was entertaining in the way she hopped around like she was stepping onto a bed of blazing hot coals in those ridiculous heels. It was screechy, and she was completely phoning in a Tina Turner dance thing. Just laughably bad, and you know it when Randy tries to throw the first comment to someone else.

Joshua: Ain't Too Proud To Beg. God Almighty, that outfit is crazy. It's a totally Karaoke performance, not especially bad, but completely forgettable. I will never forget that jacket, however. They praise him as if he's the second coming of Marvin Gaye or something. I don't get it.

BTW, I got a good look at what was on the judges tables, that they read every night now. It's typed up, so it's definitely not "notes". It's Nigel's script, no doubt.

Round Two:

Hollie: Some Leona Lewis song. Dr L says this is very popular, so maybe it's a great choice. I think she did another fantastic job. If the award goes to consistency, then Hollie wins the night. But we all know it's down to personalities now, and she'll be hazily forgotten after the "big" moments coming after this.

Phil: Time of the Season. This is not one of those moments. I applaud Phil for actually toying with a melody for once, but holy crap that was uncomfortable when he tried to hit the highs. The judges were trying not to comment on it it but, I think everybody felt the pain. If he didn't pull the usual Phil faces when he did it we wouldn't be grimacing as hard. Mostly a Fail.

Skylar: You Don't Have To Say You Love Me. The first part was actually good. She can sing, damn it. But then she couldn't stand it, and had to screech out the "power" section. Ironically, she had more real power when she was restrained. Still, far better than her first number. Some medium pimpin'.

Jessica: You Are So Beautiful. Wow, reminded me that she can actually sing. Even though she tried to ruin it at the end with the overblown melisma, she built up so much good will on the front end, it was forgivable. Great song choice TPTB made for her. She should forget the stupid Beyonce/BB Chez bullshit and just try to sing. JLo tried to do a mea culpa about using the save on her, as if this justified it. Yeah, this was great, but we had to suffer though weeks of shitty songs from her to get here again. This, with the smoke, candles, and the reclining pose wins the pimp award of the night.

Joshua: To Love Somebody? Another attempt at a "moment". MUCH better than the first song, but he's been better than this. He and many of the Idols this year degenerate into predictable tics at the end of songs, the same runs, etc. This was no exception. He just throws some generic soul-scat on the end and calls it a day, as his eyeballs get red from the strain. Then they fawn all over it: best singer of the last 50 years? I want some of that crack you're smoking JLo, it's powerful stuff.

Bottom three? Should be Phil, Josh, and BB Chez.
Probably will be Hollie, Skylar and Jessica, though, with BB Chez going home (or maybe that's just my fantasy at this point).

A Tale of two cities: Phillip and the Pimp

Tonight was a clear example of a very good singer and a very poor one. It couldn't have been any more obvious tonight. First up....Hollie. I like the advice that they give her "Act as if the judges don't know anything and that you don't care what people think". This is the best advice that they could give Hollie....and she brings it out and brings it on. Excellent on all levels. Although...the little Hollie sashay is about the only dance move that she knows. Phil - What can I say...Phil does his one note version of a song again....completely bastardizes the song and shows zero originality...just another Phil Phillips version of a classic song. The routine is old. America is getting this one way wrong. I'm also getting really tired of the same face pulling that he does everytime they preview him before the break....Really Phil? Come up with something new....and Randy keeps talking about how "original" this guy is?....two words....c'mon. Skylar - Skylar is the "rebel" in this group? ...um....ok. She seems to be trying too hard in her performance. This is not her genre and is shows. This is not good.....Skylar is going to have to really kick it up in round 2 or shes a goner for sure....wow...the judges praised her. I completely disagree with their assessment here. What...Randy....no "She's gotta have it"? Joshua/Phillip Duet; Um.....this is going to be interesting. Wow....its so obviously in this song that one of these guys can really sing and the other not so much. Was this song picked to expose Phil's lack of musical ability? Jessica - Proud Mary...wow...don't know about this....LOVE LOVE LOVE this dress. This song is starting off very badly for her. oh no...this is really really bad. I love the back up singser and the horns, but this is just not a good song choice for her. There is nothing good about this song...her vocal is bad and her performance seems completely forced. Joshua - This is completely his genre. Joshua has to whole package here. Perfect vocals and he's showing a lot more stage presence each week. I think that he is probably the most talkented one in the competition, but he's not going to win. Round 1 (Best to Worst) Joshua Hollie Phil Skylar Jessica Second Round Hollie - wow...Hollie is on tonight. Beautiful vocal. Very strong performance and a nice contrast to his first song. Great job. She's reminding me of a young Celine Dion tonight. Randy is 100% correct. Hollie has been a dark horse all year, but tonight she seems to be peaking. It will be interesting to see if tonight was the peak. Phil - Time of the season - Ok...people....turn your head and LISTEN to the music without watching how cute he is. THAT was probably the worst singing ever on AI. Absolutely horrendous. That performance alone should send him packing. Skylar - Much better than round 1. What were those two weird people sitting on the bench...ok...that was just weird. Overall performance was good, but probably enough to redeem her here. Jessica - Much better than the first performance. Vocally it was very good. But I think that Jessica is going to be in big trouble tonight. Joshua - Major pimping of Joshua tonight....from the pimp spot the the heaping of praise. I actually liked his first song better. However, he clearly was the best of the night Round 2 - (Best of Worst) Joshua Jessica Hollie Skylar Phil Overall (Best to Worst) Joshua Hollie Skylar Jessica Phil Bottom 3 should be Phillip, Jessica and Skylar America's bottom 3 - Skylar, Jessica and Hollie Going Home - There is no mercy...and America clearly has Zero taste. Should be Phillip by a mile. However, it will either be Skylar or Jessica.....I'm torn...but I'm going to say Jessica. The Best of times....the worst of times.

NEW POST!!! Just wanted to give our Blog buddies the head's-up on how to make posts like the old days :)

FYI: Just learned what was going on with the freakin' suctacular new Blogger layout.

It seems the DEFAULT Blogger setup is "HTML" -- if you look in the upper-left corner of the Post screen you have HTML and "Compose" as options. 

If you select Compose, it has a more normal sized screen, and whatever you type will have normal spacing, too.

Who is designing this new shit, Google? Have they ever USED a blog before?

Anyway, at least we won't have to post giant blocks of text anymore LOL.

-- K

P.S. This new blogger layout SUCKS

what's with the no-spacing thing?

We Will Rock You (Not So Much)

The award for best blog post title goes to Rubbertoe, we died laughing when we read it. Tonight's mentors: Queen! You could tell a couple Idols (Jessica, Joshua) had no idea who these old British dudes were. Wow, Ryan looks rough, but he's earning those millions. Jessica: Bohemian Rhapsody. Weak. Rock is definitely not her strong suit. Kiss of Death spot could hurt her, especially since this was bleh. They didn't know what to say. Skyler: this was fantastic! Who knew she could rock out like this? Made Jessica eminently forgettable. Maybe I'm just amazed she can sound slightly different, unlike some other contestants... Joshua: Crazy Little Thing Called Love: I was kind of whatever on this one. He did FAR better than Jessica, but still paled next to Skyler. What was with the praise? This "judging" is all so obviously dictated from above tonight. Elise: I Want It All. definitely in her element. She should do one of these every week. Maybe still 2nd to Sklyer, but very close. Anytime she scales back the overblown runs is aces with me. Phillip: Fat Bottom Girls! He was cracking up at the beginning. Honestly, it was okay, but subconsciously I had already forgotten it when I wrote this up and left him out. I had to go back and type this. That isn't a good sign is it? Hollie: Save Me. (Not the best song to potentially get voted out on).why did she pick this song? It's just so dull compared to the others. She did okay, again, no one was as bad as BB Chez, but she's bringing up the rear. Anybody notice how much the judges are reading from notes this week? It's like you don't even see their eyes for 2/3 of the judging. Nigel must me pulling the puppet strings hard. Personal Choice: Jessica: Dance With My Father Again. We honestly can't say how she did, because Holy Shit, I can't listen to this damn song again on Idol. We fast-forwarded. I'm sure she did fine, it's her wheelhouse. They slathered praise on her. Give it up, fools. Skyler: Tattoo on This Town? Who knows, some unknown Kountry Song. A little TOO twangy for us. She can sing, but this was a little "indulgent" as Simon would say, for me. Not her best. At least Steven called it right. Two hours is just too long, Idol. Don't be so greedy. Joshua: I'm Ready For Love. Wow, a beautiful song. This was one of his best. Standing O was deserved. This is the kind of moment all the others should be striving for. Makes up for his B-level 1st song. Good styling on him, too. Elise: Bold As Love. I LOVE this song from Hendrix. She sang about 1000 too many runs on it, but it was okay. Only Randy (imagine that!) spoke the truth. Side note: sweet that Idol is letting these contestants bring up bandmates. Philip: Some DMB song. Sounded just like it, I guess, but I didn't know it. Sounds like the judges didn't either. Except Randy who throws in the Nigel praise. Ryan's girlfriend wants to jump him, so he's got that in his back pocket. Hollie: singing Miley. Probably a smart move. It's funny to me, so many Idol wannabes want to sing this song, and they're aways better than Miley to me. But the tweentards probably creamed their jeans when she sang it. Loved watching her dance her little jig when she got the standing O. She really did a good job. Jessica could be in trouble. This is getting to the last few, so anybody who didn't make the top two is in trouble. That's anybody but Skyler and maybe Hollie, and Phillip is the last "cute" guy, so… B3: Jessica, Elise, Joshua. Jessica, this could be it.

6 Idols and a little Queen (and we're not talking Ryan)

So we start tonight's show with a medley of Queen Songs. It was awkward especially for Phil. Phillip just cannot sing anything outside his limited genre and this medley really exposed how limited he really is. First up - Jessica - Bohemian Rhapsody. She was good. Vocal was excellent but the performance seemed awkward. For me...it was just aiiiight. I'd give it a 6 Second - Skylar "The Show must go on". I wasn't sure what to think of this performance. I loved parts, but parts seemed forced to me. Could Randy have fallen over himself more praising the performance? His heaping on the praise seemed entirely forced to me. I'd give Skylar a 7. Third - Joshua "Crazy little thing called love". I actually didn't like this performance at all. It was just weird to me. The genre and him did not mesh with me at all. Obviously the judges disagree...I completely did not get this performance. For me it was vocals 2 checks...performance 2 checks...overal 6. Fourth - "I want it all". This is much more her genre. She looks the part. Vocals are great and performance was very appropriate. My only criticism is that I felt it was a little retrained. 8. Fifth - Phillip. For me this was just painfully bad. He seemed to be straining the entire song. For me...this was one of his worst. I would give him a 3. Sixth - Hollie "Save me" - Is Hollie sending a less than subtle message? I thought the vocals were good but the performance was a bit boring. It was ok....not great. 6 Round 1: Elise, Skylar, Jessica, Hollie, Joshua, Phillip Round 2 Jessica - "Dance with my father". More hit and miss for me. Parts were incredible but parts were overly sentimental to me. 8. Skylar - good...this was classic Skylar 9 Joshua- Song seemed very heartfelt but did nothing for me. Another standing O from the Judges. I thought it was good, but not worthy of being called "speechless" by Randy. 7 Elise - I agrred with Randy on this one. Elise completely oversang that song. 6 Phillip - Much much better than the first song. This is phillip in his element 7. Hollie - Good...but plastic. Another Standing O...really? It was ok...but nothing great. 6 Now I'm convinced that the accent is fake. It totally explains why you can't understand her when she talks yet when she sings, she's all of a sudden completely clear..... The Verdict: Jessica (14), Skylar (16), Joshua (13), Elise (14), Phillip (10), Hollie (12) Rubbertoes bottom 3 - Phillip, Joshua and Hollie Americas bottom 3 - Hollie, Joshua and Elise Going Home: Hollie (Should be Phillip).

Queasy Ryan, not Cheesy Ryan?

Just read an interesting story here about how Seacrest was REALLY sick at the taping tonight, and didn't make rehearsal. We haven't seen it yet here on the West Coast, so it remains to be seen if Ryan does the actual show. Maybe he got a good look at the new Kardashian contract, and started puking his guts. -- K

Yep, Shoulda Held Off On That Save

HA! Bet they didn't see that coming. So, Colton has an "off" night and the Tweetards
throw him to the wolves? Jeez, that is a fickle demographic.
I'm no Colton fan, but when I heard it the first thing I said to Dr. L was,
Idol will be a little more boring next week...

Brilliantly Awkward

First songs: modern soul?

Hollie -- great performance of Adele. KOD spot, so they really want her gone, but to us, once again she sang on the level that they hype Jessica as reaching. This time, they actually praise her -- wonder if this is to thwart the backlash against their slamming of her every other week.

Colton -- weird outfit, cheesy performance, the fact that he had to force the lows so he could reach the highs -- this was pretty boring. He doesn't have 1% the absurd persona and bombastic skills of GaGa. Why does he look like he's wearing a frickin' jester costume every week? He looks like Heat Mizer. Just sing, kid. I think they buried him in 2nd so we'd forget this performance. He's so safe though.

Elise -- Jimmy spoke at length why he thinks Elise is in the B3 every week. I personally think it's the weird, affected jazz-run bullshit she does, because it's her "thang", and America thinks it's off-key singing (because, technically, it is). This was obscured in the Zeppelin song, because she a) didn't do it as much, and b) it was a loud rocker. She should sing Barracuda from Heart or something. This Alicia Keys song was boring already, but it was better than Colton. Wind Machine pimpage.

Side Note: JLo and Randy are constantly looking down all night as they "judge" -- reading from Nigel's notes, much? And JLo's Boob-tacular dress looks kind of slutty sci-fi, like she should be in John Carter from Mars or something.

Phil -- love how his costume shows he doesn't give a rat's ass. Wow! This was great. I don't usually dig his shtick but this all clicked. Standing O from the judges. I could listen to this song again. Randy's "originality" comments are nonsensical. But White Guy With Guitar is probably safe.

Lots of stars in the crowd tonite.

Jessica, she gets the BETTER Alicia Keys song. And, the reminder of the DRAMA from last week. She looks like Oh Mighty Isis in that outfit. What's with the umbrellas -- did they think she was singing Rihanna? She's getting a lot of help from the backup singers, isn't she? Man, Elise would have killed this song. It was okay, but a little scatt-y. The audience is buying the hype, and the judges lay it on thick.

Skyler -- I like how she's amazed when Jimmy has a good suggestion LOL. Hey is that Hot Fiddle Guy -- or a NEW HFG? Skyler shows how to do a GaGa song if you aren't GaGa. This was perfect for her. She could still win this thing! And they do the Idol Winner sparks behind her. I suspect they didn't stand up because it would threaten their pimping of Bebe Chez. But this was the best of the night so far.

Joshua does Fantasia. This should be his week -- I don't know if he has the mental firepower to step it up a notch, though. He's got good pipes but he's even more one-note than Phil in some ways. Dr. L said he looks out-of-it. This was not his best by any means.

Second songs: Old soul?

Hollie -- she's so cute! And how sweet to get the shout-out from the Brits? Too bad soccer doesn't mean shit to Americans. Maybe this means she'll have a career in the UK? Wow, Don Cornelius and SOUL TRAIN! I used to watch this as a kid, even more than American Bandstand. Son of a Preacher Man -- a good idea, maybe not as good as her 1st. I feel like the arrangement was ironically a little soul-less, and it didn't help her sell the song. They are praising her again -- this is definitely Simon Cowell 101 -- an attempt at a psych-out.

Colton -- Earth Wind & Fire? I love this song , but Colton's Coldplay-ish version is pitchy as shit. Wow, I don't like this at all. Deandre would have torn the roof off with this! They're giving him the tough love. Note to Idols -- please put another color streak in you hair besides magenta. ANY color. Thanks.

Elise -- Let's Get It On! Working the boobs -- too bad straight men don't vote. This is actually a great song for her voice. I don't know if she's just dripping with sex like you have to for this to work, but it was okay. Another gutted arrangement. When JLo starts with "Okay baby" then it isn't going to be high praise. This season the mantra seems to be about "personality". Randy is right on with the over-singing though. B3 again for sure.

Phil -- Midnight Hour. This seemed like it went on for 20, 30 minutes. Why pick a song like this that doesn't go anywhere? Aw, who cares, everybody seems to love PP. I would probably enjoy him after 4-5 beers at a bar on Bourbon Street.

Hey, Kris Allen! Generic McCardboard is still alive.

Jessica -- Try a Little Tenderness. Wow, for the most part the 2nd half has been a Bag of Fail. She's screechy and pitchy. WAY oversung. Even the audience shows tepid love. Jesus the judges are reading the notes! Nothing you can SAY can help her, fools.

Skylar -- The California Raisin Song! Fiddle Guy sighting. This is a little busy, but she has the best stage presence of any of them. Is it me or do these arrangements blow tonight?

Joshua -- A Change Gon' Come. The absolute perfect song for his voice. He did a good job, but there was still a disconnect. He's only putting in 70% or so. They're praising it like it's actually Sam Cooke up there.

Best of the night, Hollie and PP's first songs, and maybe Skylar's. Worst, Colton in both songs, but he has a voting block. Jessica was pretty bad too.

B3 -- Elise, Joshua, Jessica

Who goes home? Jessica, "psych"!

The top 7 redux

Ok....so I have to begin this week with a caveat....I feel asleep in the second half and don't think I'll have time to catch up before the results show, so this is based only on the first performance and my overall season projections.



Hollie - I was a little afriad of her doing Adele...but Hollie actually pulled it off. She, for the first time, actually showed some personality

Colton - Bad Romance, Lady Gaga....was a bad choice. I thought it was horrendous. It lacked the vibe that Gaga brings to it. Wow...the judges are being way too nnice to him here.

Elise - With the dress and the wind...it reminds me of the Stevie Nicks videos from the 80's. Jimmy states that she doesn't have the week to week fan base...and he's absolutely right. Elise probably has one of the weakest fan bases. She can't afford any slip ups and even without a major slip she's very likely out this week. This performance I thought was good. She look beautiful and she seemed to be having a lot of fun with the song. Great Smile. Did they REALLY just pimp her dying dog? Seriously? Well...that's gotta be worth a few votes.

Phil - Doing Usher? This is a more polished and refined Phil. I liked it because it wasn't just Phil's one version of a song. He showed a little more a little more diversity here. I still would never buy an album of him...but it was pretty good.
Did Randy actually praise his "Originality"? I'm sorry, but if there is something that Phil is not week to week is original.

Jessica - I didn't like the song choice here. I think this is the genre of music that got her into trouble the last week. Again, she sang it beautiful just like last week, but the result may be the same.

Skylar - Born this way. First question (Where is hot fiddle guy?) The new guy was ok, but not as hot...HFG was on earlier this year, but he's been gone for a while. Awesome version of the song here. Skylar had the energy and personality that really made this song.


Joshua - Might be a big mistake trying Fantasia's signature song....and it was. His version didn't even come close to Fantasia and exposed him as someone who is not worthy of being in the finale. The judges give him a standing O? I'm shocked.



Round 1 (Worst to Best)

Colton
Joshua
Elise
Jessica
Hollie
Phil
Skylar

Round #1 goes to Skylar with Phil a close second.

Rubbertoes Bottom 3: Colton, Joshua and Elise

America's Bottom 3: Joshua, Elise and Hollie.

Going home (If only 1) : Elise

If two: Elise and Hollie

Interesting Analysis About BB Chez' Future On Idol

Article here from TVOverMind -- they make the case that Jessica will hit the bricks Thursday, like America wanted last week.
If I recall, however, Casey The Growler was bestowed The Save last year, which ultimately led to a booted Pia two weeks later, right? We'll see how it shakes out this time.

Wha -- ?

Did we just get bamboozled? That "shocker save" for B.B. Chez looked like the biggest con job Idol has ever pulled.
Randy pretty much admitted it when he implored that America "vote for the best".
Call me crazy, but there are six other contestants who have just as much a shot of winning, if this
thing is fair. He can't tell us who we think is "best" -- we'll vote for the Taylor Hicks all we want LOL!

Randy the Fish Singer Slayer

Songs of the Last Two Years: I'm afraid this is going to be Songs I've Never Heard Of, because I don't listen to a lot of the crap on terrestrial radio. On satellite I get to live in the past, when music was awesome :)

Guest Mentor: Akon: A guy I know mostly for singing "woo-hoo" in back of Gwen Stefani -- and apparently Idol does, too.

Skylar: Southern Idols always have a cousin with some sports bar, don't they? She's singing a Pickler song, and it really is a great performance. Kiss of Death spot, but she's probably fine. She's going to be a big star, it's so clear, Idol or not.

Colton: my hometown of Murfeesboro! They didn't show enough of it for me to recognize it, which was saying a lot, because it ain't that big. Doing an unknown song. The kid really can sing, and this performance was much better than the past couple weeks. Not all "wow" but had that bridge.

Duet: Elise and PP, they are so cute. Dr. L said they should only sing duets, LOL, because then she can stand them.

Jessica: I missed much of hometown as I was typing this, but it was some San Diego pimping. She definitely is working the Pinoy vote. Her song: I thought it was a too-busy arrangement, and she was trying the vocal gymnastic BS that often derails Idols. Did she almost bust her ass on the piano? They obviously love her, and I decoded their comments to mean they thought she was better than tonight. She'll probably skate by on past triumphs, but 3rd best of the night so far for me.

Joshua: he's 20? Seems older. Cute shout-out from Fantasia!!! Wow, 3 of the last 4 Idols were from the South, LOL. Nice, a catchy tune. I like it. (Wait, does he have a go-go dancer? Wild!) Dr. L said he sure picked a good song. I liked it a lot better than the over-wrought ballads. The band could have dropped back some though. Probably won't go home -- judging by the crowd.

Oh Randy, your new catch-phrase sucks. Dick-head Ryan pisses off Skylar by hinting at S/C romance again. She seems like a GCB if you know what I mean, and his hair probably freaks her out.

Duet: Sklyar and Colton. We heard this song live when it was new, last year. Colton's no Jason Aldean and Skylar's definitely no Kelly Clarkson. My God, Randy actually keeps it real! It was not great.

Hollie: from Texas but sounds like Eliza Doolittle. This is probably costing her. Pink's Perfect. We thought she did a beautiful job! WTF?!!! the "you look beautiful" comment? Holy crap. They are throwing her under the bus big time. The only thing I can think is that she is competition for TCO, whoever it is. I truly don't know how they can read this script with a straight face.

PP: ANNDD -- another Southern Boy. Love the Sanford & Son theme. Jimmy and Akon take him to school. Maroon Five. I like this song -- he's not doing his DMB thing as much. Hmmm -- a little more bus-throwing? Looks like Idol is gunning for a Skylar/Colton or maybe a Jessica/Colton finale? We haven't seen Elise so maybe SHE'S the one they're pimping. She is in the pimp spot…

Trio: Josh & Hollie are so cute. This is not good -- the three sound like shit together. Hollie, Josh not bad on solos. Jessica not so much. Was she in the wrong key for most of the song? Josh was definitely the standout.

Elise: Awww -- what a sweet shout-out from Jason Seigel. Seems cool. She's from Charleston? Saw another Idol dive bar watch party. I am glad that Jimmy told her not to wing it as much. Hmmm...This was pretty good, but I wasn't jumping up and down. I cracked up at her new move, I call it the "card-catalog", like she's reaching out and plucking them LOL. Usually she just does the Poopy Dance and the "orchestra conductor" with her hand. WOWWW -- they are pimping the PHUQUE out of her! I guess they know how to market her, Dr. L said. Not that I don't like her, but it's kind of shameless how they manipulate things. Her overworked "jazz" thing gets old.

SO -- is another guy going out? probably not. Since Idol "judging" has so much sway, I'll say Hollie is doomed.

Dr. L & K bottom 3: Jessica, Phillip, Elise.

America's bottom 3: Hollie, Phillip, Johua


-- Dr. L & K

The Hens deliver the goods? For me tonight it was the Roosters.

First up - Skylar. Did her Grandpaw REALLY have to say that they were going to go kill that big deer? Just sayin. Skylar was right on. Perfect song choice for her. I liked the class country flair that she brought to the song. As Steven said....the crows crow but the hens deliver the goods.....Skylar delivered tonight.

Second up - Colton. I sense no love lost between Colton and Phillip based on his reaction of being compared to him. Coltons practice session sounds horrible...and again...I can't stand the faces that he pulls when he sings. The actual performance starts out really strong though. His falsetto is really really weak though. I liked his version of the song though. The string section accompainment was great. Aside from the falsetto...I thought this was one of Colton's best performances.


Duos again - Elise/Phillip - this dues is painfully bad. Sounds extremely amateurish. This one is worse than a high school talent show. Even the way it was filmed came off looking like a bad telethon number.

Third up - Jessica. She sang it great, but I really did not like the song. Its not my choice of genre and therefore this week did nothing for me. Randy was correct...she did an amazing "Fish slaying" job...just not my cup of tea.

Fourth - Joshua. Its nice seeing a different side of Joshua. He looks very comfortably on the stage. I loved the go go silouhettes....or however you spell it. This is the first week that Joshua didn't over sing the song. Joshua showed that he is very versatile with this song.

Wow...did could the lack of chemistry between he and his preacher father be anymore obvious? They brought his father up...the father looked completely like he didn't want to be there...and Joshua looked embarassed to have his dad up there....weird.


Duet #2 - Colton and Skylar - Once again Colton is out of his element. Skylar is right in hers.

Fifth - Hollie. Jimmy is right....she needs to turn the gas up. She needs to have the believablity factor that he is missing. This week.....still lacking. She's got a good voice...but she's missing a big piece of the complete package.

Sixth - Phillip. Wants to do a little something different this week...really Phillip....the man who pretty much does the same song week after week. I liked the female saxophonist! Phillip comes across as a cute nice guy...and for once he actually doesn't look like he is in pain when he is performing..he looks like he is having fun. This was probably his best performance for me, but still not enough to keep him out of the bottom 3 for me.

Duet #3 - actually a trio...Jessica, Joshua dn Hollie. Another weak group number. Joshua stood out over the other two here. Arrangement was just weird.

7th - Elise. Wanted to sing and play drums...seriously....have these people not watched previous seasons. Only one person pulled that off. Elise would have been a disaster. At the piano works. The outfit is bad....she's no Gaga..and the outfit doesn't work. The performance was better than last week...didn't seem as forced. Not up to the level of two weeks ago though.


Tonight from Best to Worst:

Joshua
Colton
Skylar
Jessica
Phillip
Elise
Hollie

Rubbertoe's Bottom 3: Phillip, Hollie and Elise


I think America is really going to get it wrong this week. All of the performances were pretty much equally as good as each other this week...all in all good. So America's bottom 3 is not going to be the worst 3, but those with the weakest voting blocks.
I suspect that Colton, Jessica and Phillip have the strongest voting blocks. Skylar probably has a strong block in the country vote..but is likely to be hurt ultimately by the country duo finally from last year. So we get to the 3 weakest voting blocks and hence...America's bottom 3.


Joshua...who for me was the best of the night will be in the bottom 3 as a result.
Hollie....who deserved to be in the bottom 3
and Elise
Joshua will take the place of Phillip who SHOULD be in the bottom 3.

Going home: Hollie

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

That 80's Show

Idol taking us back to our high school days....at least MY high school days......

First off....what is up with Ryan tonight? He looks a little strange....makeup is off a little, his mouth seems super enormous tonight and his lips extra red.....and then he seems overly peppy....

80's night and what the idols miss from home

First up...Deandre. His misses his car. I can relate. It would suck just getting your license and then not being able to drive....but get over Deandre....you're on IDOL! He does a GREAT job with Debarge. I liked this performance a million times better than last week. I enjoyed the use of his natural voice with just a little bit of the falsetto. I only would have suggested a little bit less of the falsetto. I think he overplays it.

Elise - misses her band...they used to ROCK OUT. Foreigner. Good Smart song choice by her, although I liked her version of Hallelujia. Although...I'm not loving this performance. It sounds a little flat and it lacks the energy that should be there.
It should have been much better than it was. I'm actually surprized that the judges got this one right. I expected them to fall all over praising her. Right on judges.

Duet #1 Colton/Skylar - I liked it pretty good...but I'm really starting to get a little bothered by watching Colton. He just comes across a little freaky and the faces he pulls are just weird. The song was much more in Skylar's domain...but Colton did pretty good with it.


Phillip - misses his brother guitarist....wishes that he could perform up on stage with him. Hmmmmm...this seems a little too staged Idol....if he's there......Of course he is....so predictable and dull Idol....so contrived.
Horrible in the beginning. He kicked into it half way through though. He seems to be having a fun time with it. I didn't like it the same as last week....


GREAT NIKE AD....That was incredible....LOVED IT!!!!!!

Duet #2 - Hollie and Deandre- Pointer Sisters. I'm so excited. I LOVED this song in the 80's....specifically 1985. The song was kind of a weird fit for Hollie...but perfect for Deandre. Strange pairing here.


Joshua - Misses his family. If you don't know me by now - simply red. Mentors tell him to be more simply....good advice. Joshuas problem is that he oversings everything. I'm also not loving all his sports jackets..he comes across as a past generation Vegas singer. He SHOULD have done fine young cannibals...suspicious minds or Johnny....this was just another of the same performane that we've seen from him several times before. It was good, but it didn't show us anything new.

Jessica - Misses...boys and nails and shopping. How will I Know - Whitney. For me...this wasn't her best performance ever. Maybe she's set the bar too high and we are judging her against herself...good...but not Great.


Duet #3 - Phillip and Elise - Stop dragging my heart around. This pairing makes sense. A better choice would have been "Love lift us up"....Phillip totally reminds me of Joe Crocker that way he pulls faces when he sings. But this was actually pretty good.

Hollie - Misses...family, friends and her dog. What a feeling - Flashdance. Jimmy is right...she needs to bring "feeling" and "personality" which are the two biggest things that Hollie lacks. She seems to be rushing it....the timing seems way off at the beginning. She showed more personality than normal here, but still it doesn't feel natural. However..it was a solid performance...I'm not jumping out of my seat but I enjoyed it.

Duet #4 - Jessica and Joshua- Knew you were waiting. This one was worth the wait...I thought it was definitely the best duet of the night.


Colton - misses face painting. Time after Time. Missed opportunity again here....Howard Jones...Colton....Howard Jones. I liked the fact that he did a modern update to the song and make it different. I thought it worked.

Skylar - I wasn't paying attention, did she say she misses her guns? Wind beneath my wings - Bette Midler. I LOVED this. I Loved how she took it and gave it a country twist in much the same way Whitney took a Country song in "always love you" and made it pop. Skylar carried this one well.


Elise
Hollie
Phillip
Colton
Jessica
Deandre
Joshua
Skylar

Tonight...we are going to find out how strong Phillip's voting base is, because he should definitely be in the bottom 3. If he isn't, THAT will be a good indication that he's getting some strong votes and we could be getting the next Lee Dawyze/Taylor Hicks idol that goes no where. My bet is that Phillip isn't in the bottom 3.

Rubbertoe's Bottom 3: Elise, Phillip and Hollie

America's Bottom 3: Elise, Hollie and Deandre (Only because I can't think of a third person).


Going Home: Hollie. She just doesn't have the personality to connect with the audience and this week it will do her in. But I half-way expect the judges to save her.

I Can't Be The Only One Thinking It

-- K

Better Late than Never: Top Nine Review

Sorry for the late review - we are back in SoCal and just turned on the DVR. Here is DrL & K's recap of the Top Nine.

Shots of the crowd, Jordan 'fail' Sparks & Marlee Matlin - who will no doubt enjoy many of these contestants more than we will! Ryan's poof is in full effect this week!

Style time with Tommy H - 'create your own style' Gives them style advice when he is rocking Shawn Cassidy's hair-do from 1976!

Ooohhh, Jimmy Iovine & Stevie Nicks - Jimmy looks so cute!

Colton's dead beaver is looking worse than ever, but Stevie loves it….okay, so rocking a church tune - he knows his base. Not my cup of tea - but seemed to be heartfelt, if kind of schmaltzy. The judges seem like they've gotta throw softballs since this was about Jesus & worship. We didn't know this tune but seems like he did well.

Skylar - doing Miranda Lambert. And now we're headed straight for hello…..to quote Miranda! Catchy tune -but Skylar is getting too twangy & over-singing. This southern gal can't understand her…hmmmm. She's too excited about the performance & has lost the song. K says he absolutely hated the performance. I thought she looked good - K completely disagrees - says she is wearing Dil's jacket from 'The Crying Game'.

Trio interlude with Colton, Elise & Phillip - giving them some practice for the Idol tour.

Heejun - One of the most absolutely beautiful Leon Russell songs….Heejun did it justice. K says every one of the judges made such a point of reminding everyone they corrected him - the song got lost in the comments.

Hollie - Jesus take the wheel - heartfelt performance, sung beautifully - but some of her operatic pronunciation of a few of the words made it a little stiff. Not really a country kind of girl. K says he can't believe Randy & Steven praised Skylar - and are throwing a monkey wrench in Hollie's comments. He thinks that '19' management would not know how to market Hollie - so they don't want her to go too far.

Deandre - speaking of marketing - I think they could market him for the R&B market. Wow - he got the personal style message! Clearly compared to the Billy Joel week is much more comfortable & he wants to do this. DrL: loved it - I listen to a lot of R&B -and would totally add him into my daily mix of artists.

Jessica - Beyonce tune - Great! becoming a Jessica fan. She has really great control with her voice, nice interpretation of the song. Her maturity is incredible. Interesting point that Randy makes that she is a great singer -and not just comparing her to the Idol group - present or past.

Trio - interlude with Joshua, Deandre & Heejun - good selection of MJ tunes!

Phillip - Johnny Lang tune. (love the banter between Jimmy & Stevie). Wow…what a compliment for Philip about Fleetwood Mac. This song is perfectly suited to him and doesn't let him run off the tracks with it. Great choice! K says he always gives 150%!

Joshua - Harry Nilsson tune - Can't Live without You. K says - wow the stagehands are working their asses off tonight - all the props! DrL says - I can live without that jacket. Nothing really compares to Miss Kelly's version of this song…..Joshua is trying, but is trying to overcome the guts needed for the song with vocal gymnastics and it's not working. Not worthy of a standing ovation. He connected with audience much better on the MJ tunes in the group number.

Trio - Hollie, Skylar & Jessica - weakest of the trio performances. Poor Skylar - what a horrible outfit. Boring. The look on Jennifer's face says it all.

Elise - Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love. Jimmy & Stevie loved it. They finally got Elise's look right - she looks great tonight. That was worth a standing o! Must have sounded fantastic in studio. K says she should do more rock. Love the matching pants with Steven :) Great choice to end the show.

K says looking back - Colton is like a piece of dry white toast. Deandre was just fantastic - totally in his wheelhouse. Jessica's arrangement was fantastic. Philip needs a blues-rock band - sounded the least like DMB.

I know we are late - but if we had to pick a bottom three:
Heejun, Joshua & Skylar. We would have picked Heejun - even though we liked the song, just because without the humor - what would his voting base be? The rest are clearly singing to certain groups.

Fun week to watch!