american idol: top 24, results

Just a quick blip about the results. I am quite content with who got cut. I still wish Haeley and Jermaine had been ousted based on their horrible performances, but this was the best way to be rid of Tyler Grady early on. I'm afraid that a close call would have garnered him more support, and he didn't deserve to go too far.

It was great to see Allison Iraheta and Kris Allen perform. Allison's "Scars" is a song I've liked since it came out, so hearing it live was nice, and it was good for her to get some publicity.

My last gripe is that I think Fox missed a big opportunity. "American Boy" was a mess of a group song. Why not play to the strengths of a group, and particularly a group of soloists? Why not promote one of the best new shows the network has? Why not have the Top 24 sing a Glee song? It seems like a no-brainer to me. Promote the best non-reality show using the best reality show, use tried-and-true arrangements meant for a group instead of the hashed together mush that came out. It would still work for the Top 20 and the Top 16. Why hasn't Fox thought of this?

american idol: top 24, guys night

There are only a scant few male contestants that have caught my ear this year.

Todrick Hall started things off. He's a bit of a controversial figure, but he has the experience, the style, and the chops to go places in the competition. He overdid it with his funkified Since You Been Gone, though. It showed flashes of brilliance obscured and muddled by a heavy arrangement and a near-nonexistant melody. He's got guts, but his riffs aren't as flexible and clean as he thinks they are.

Aaron Kelly strikes me as the kind of kid that producers put through because he's a cute, young guy that can be fodder for the first few rounds of cuts. However, he sang better than I would have given him credit for. I doubt he'll have any original arrangements or ground-breaking sounds, but he's strong enough.

Jermaine Sellers almost made me cry. He was SO BAD. His pitch was EVERYWHERE, and his high tone is disGUSting. He shouldn't try to sing high, and I hope he gets cut fast, because that was abysmal.

No one on Idol has ever chosen Apologize for themselves. David Archuleta (season 7) sang it with OneRepublic for the finale (non-judged), and even he, with an incredible sense of pitch and decent high range, had problems. OneRepublic can't sing Apologize in tune live most of the time. Kris Allen did an admirable job of it last year when it was chosen FOR him, but he didn't try to sing the highest part every time. Anyway, Tim Urban couldn't pull off the song. His voice lacked depth, he couldn't reach the high notes reliably, and only his underdog status might keep him alive.

Joe Munoz sounded shaky to me, but the judges didn't comment on it. His performance came across as a bit karaoke to me, and the scarf didn't work for the outfit, but his voice was better than I was expecting.

I'm embarrassed for Tyler Grady. Not enough grit in his voice, a predictable song, not enough star power, not enough genuine rock, not enough edge.... That was the type of performance that, if he 'makes it' one day, he'd look back on and be embarassed by. He tries too hard to it some style that he really can't match, and I personally can't wait until he gets cut.

Lee Dewyze wins the dubious prize for the most out-of-tune note I've ever heard on Idol. The whole thing was rather pitchy, but that note was GROSS. It's a shame, because stylistically that was a fantastic song choice for him. Also, SIMON OPEN YOUR EARS WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR SENSE OF PITCH?!

John Park picked a key too low for his voice, and the first few lines sounded like gobbledegook. Dude, you talk like an American with only a hint of accent from upbringing. You shouldn't be slurring stuff into unintelligible mush. After hearing LaKisha Jones (season 6) do God Bless the Child, this was very underwhelming.

I've been a Michael Lynche fan since the beginning, and I liked his interpretation of Maroon 5, aside from the fact that he was physically bouncing the whole time, and you could hear it in his voice. That and he didn't show off much vocal range - the song stays in the same pocket the entire time, and he didn't mess with it enough to show himself off.

Alex Lambert sounded great, vocal-wise, but looked incredibly uncomfortable. Like a bunny rabbit in a high-powered rifle's sights. Maybe it was the mullet. :P I'm a fan of the voice, though, and I hope he pulls through.

Casey Jones surprised me. I wasn't a fan beforehand, but he did a really good job on that song. It wasn't reinterpreted, really, but it's a song that doesn't need to be. I wish the Kara/Casey thing would stop being hyped, though. It's unbecoming of everyone involved.

Andrew Garcia...I've been a fan of his from the beginning, too. He's refreshing and new. That being said, while his interpretation was cool, the song choice was weird for me. This week wasn't fantastic, but I still have high hopes.

So. I'm hoping that the bottom three includes Jermaine, and I wouldn't be surprised if Tim, Tyler, Joe, or John end up down there with him. Overall I still think a girl could win it all, but with a few male standouts (using the term loosely), it should at least stay interesting. It won't be three girls going into the finale, anyway.

american idol: top 24, girls night

Anyone who knows me knows that I've been pretty heavily into American Idol since season 5 started. I caught most of season 1 and was impressed with Kelly Clarkson, then I was serving an LDS mission for seasons 2 and 3 and the beginning of 4. Unless you live under a rock (or outside of the US, perhaps), you know that American Idol's live shows started off last night. It was the top 12 girls' first chance to really perform for America, and the first opportunity for the public to vote. I have a feeling it's a girl's year this year, though there are some real male powerhouses. Anyway, I have my opinions about yesterday.

Paige Miles started, and while her performance was a good opener, I don't think it did her talent much justice, and anyone in the first spot of the night is at risk of being forgotten. I'm also guessing that her 'big voice' carried more weight live than over the television, because she was merely good to me.

Ashley Rodriguez really disappointed me. You shouldn't take on Leona Lewis unless you really know what you're doing, and she really didn't. It came across as very karaoke. To me, a karaoke performance is one where you are familiar with the song, the melody, the words, and the original performance, having sung along to it in the car, but you haven't actually practiced it, getting the nuance down, getting it to fit with your voice, and working muscle memory on pitch and such. Ashley's runs were sloppy, her voice inflexible as she tried to imitate Leona's effortless acrobatics, and I was underwhelmed.

Similarly, Janell Wheeler should understand her limitations and know that her voice lacks the depth and power to take on anything by Heart. If she'd changed it up entirely and put her own spin on it she might have done alright, but it came across as a shallow take on a classic.

Lilly Scott was the first singer to impress me, but that more with style than overall execution. She has a definite Hanne Hukkleberg/Regina Spektor indie vibe to her, and her interpretation worked, but it's definitely a bit of a niche market she's appealing to. The regular teenage radio-listener might not 'get' her. If I were her, I would take a very popular and current song, then rework it in the indie style. That way she's touching the melodies that are already in the public mind, but taking them in new directions to set herself apart. Indie-fied Lady Gaga? I think so!

Katelyn Epperly really surprised me. First of all, her pitch was spot on. She did get a little bit shrieky for a moment or two, and I thought she looked like a trashy hooker wearing a trash bag, but her voice was among the best of the night.

Haeley Vaughn was a surprise in the worst possible way. I was expecting something more, possibly because she acted like she knew what she wanted to accomplish and possibly because she reminds me of Paris Bennett (season 5), but she was HORRIBLE. Shrill, shallow, oversung, with wide vowels and pitch all over the place; I almost walked out of the room.

I have high hopes for Lacey Brown. I don't think that she ruined Fleetwood Mac, nor did I think it was as pitchy as Randy claimed, but it was a bit indulgent. I don't think she won over many people who weren't already on her side, though.

I always say not to take on Alicia Keys' Fallen, but Michelle Delamor almost did it justice. She just didn't put her own spin on it. I'd like to see her branch out a bit, but her voice is promising.

Didi Benami reminds me of a cross between Brooke White (season 7) and Megan Joy (season 8). Ingrid Michaelson is one of my favorite singer-songwriters, so it was a nice first having one of her songs on AI. I hope Didi can make her mark and go far, but it will be a stretch given the strength of her competition.

Siobhan Magnus was haunting, with a robust and rich sound that worked well as she moved up and down her range. She was overly nasal from time to time, and her face is so Demi Lovato that I kept doing double-takes, but I think she'll go far.

Crystal Bowersox was great, but copied the tone and timbre of Alanis a bit too closely. That and the harmonica seemed entirely too self-indulgent. She wasn't quite good enough to pass off as an expert, and it didn't really add much except for throw our minds into a subway entrance, which is exactly where Simon took his comments. Still, she's unique enough that I think she'll make it to the top 12.

Katie Stevens is a bit of a producer's darling with her youth and backstory, and that was emphasized as she nabbed the last spot of the night (a spot almost guaranteeing a week's survival, at least in the beginning of the season). I think there aren't enough women trying to go the crooner route in the industry right now, so I don't think she was making herself out to be too old, per se, but she did take the song at far too slow a tempo. She didn't really leave her own mark on it, either. She's got a voice, though, so she should be back to change her own fortunes.

So. I was underwhelmed overall. No clear leader of the pack, but some glimpses of greatness. I suspect that the three in danger will come from this pool of four: Paige, Ashley, Janell, and Haeley. I am often wrong, though.

a creative outlet

I should have known that I needed more structure in my life. Graduating from university has left me with a hole, rather on the large side, that I haven't been able to adequately fill. It's coming to a head (hence the blogging) as I try to fill the gaps with various endeavors that generally keep me occupied. I've started exercising, but with remnants of post-nasal drip I don't like venturing outside to go running, so I keep it all indoor-friendly stuff. I've always liked cooking, but I don't relish going shopping for new materials. I still create new concoctions and try out recipes I come across on TV or online, but the whole cooking thing hasn't been enough. Lately I've had music and lyrics running through my head, so I've been trying to take stuff down in case anything is worth actually working with, and that has helped soothe things, but I feel like I have to do something that actually goes somewhere. I guess I need school again. Good thing I've already applied to a bunch of law schools. :P

--brandon

to blog or to not blog?

Sometimes I think I'm so full-to-bursting with outlandish and overgrown ideas and opinions that I need some venue to vent. I'm not unconvinced that that's fairly normal, and likely healthy, but the need to get everything out and down has been gnawing at me recently. Therefore, in an attempt to calm my intercranial cacophony, I will blog. Hopefully blogging will do its job and quell the craziness, but I'm capable of coping with my own drivel should it fail.

Voicing my mind to the mindless and casting my thoughts to the ether, I'll probably look for some outside affirmation that what I'm doing has some worth, so I invite anyone who stumbles upon my blog, by my prompting or otherwise, to comment. Heckling and snide remarks are welcomed and encouraged. I don't really intend to hold back my opinion, so why would I ask anyone else to do otherwise? If I'm that offended by your remarks, I'll just delete them. It is my blog, after all.

I also warn anyone and everyone that I sometimes wax needlessly and stupidly eloquent. That's what sometimes happens when my fingers meet the keyboard. Sometimes I'll be zany, sometimes I'll be incomprehensible, sometimes I'll alliterate (mostly when my mind is fast enough to think ahead of my fingers), and sometimes I'll sound overly formal. My voice, typed out, is much different from my voice, heard. I think my mouth is faster than my fingers, and my mind can't keep up. That's why I try to keep quiet whenever any quasi-intellectual babble is going on. I'd rather think things out before I voice my thoughts.

Oh, and I babble. A lot. Deal with it. It's part of my stream-of-consciousness writing style that comes in handy for journaling or blogging. If I didn't do it, I'd do too much self-censoring. Maybe the world would be a better place if I did it, but I stick my tongue out at the world. :P

--brandon