American Idol - Week Two_ The Big Stage (Country week already?)
Sorry so late with the update but my TiVo tanked and I had to searh out the performance online. Amazing how easy that is to do…now, thanks iTunes. Well we have arrived at Country Week earlier than usual this year. I guess Simon wanted to get it over with..Country week is notirious for claiming an early favorite, will this year be any different? Only time will tell.
Danny Gokey-Jesus Take the Wheel- Nice to hear Danny sings in a softer voice, His tone is perfection to me. The song is not one of my favorites but somehow when he sings it I like it. Actually I’d buy his version.
Matt Giraud- So Small- Matt at the piano again, he stepped it up a notch this week. Seems more comfortable and kept the vocal runs down to a minimum. Matt is the first contestant on Idol that I feel playing an instrument actually enhances his performance. He became a viable contender this week and he is my dark horse pick for the season
Megan Joy- Walkin After Midnight- Well when I heard she was singing this I already hated it. I just don’t think she has the attitude to pull this song off. It’s supposed to be sultry and smokey; and I don’t see her going there. She of couse missed it and went for cabaret and it didn’t work for me. Still she was better than last week, but it’s not hard to beat that “Caw caw” thing she did on Rockin Robin. Also, her tone was off for me. I think she was going for bluesy on those riffs, but missed.
Anoop Desai- Always on my Mind -Now this is one of my favorite tunes, and, Anoop breathy though he was, did a really great job on a standard that everyone knows. In fact this week’s performance went a long way in getting last week’s debacle out of my head. You know with all the word plays on his name I actually forgot that this guy can sing. I think he should stay on the serious side for a few weeks and he will stick around. Another singer with a great natural tone, he is growing on me.
Alexis Grace-Jolene- I love this song and Alexis is like a chameleon, an new look this week more mature. I love Alexis’ voice, most of the time, although she didn’t pull of the high notes in the middle of the tune, at least to my ear; for me it seemed too contrived, not natural. But other than that she was strong this week. Listen, like I said last week. For me it’s between her and Lil. The only strong female voices this season.
Scott MacIntyre- Wild Angels- I could not find the video for Scott before I did this review. But I have heard the audio. Did he loose the lyrics for a second?. Scott is stronger every week but still not there. I think he can sing but honestly, I’m not over impressed with his vocals as of yet. At times he seemed a little off pitch or flat. I don’t agree with Paula, I think he should stay behind the piano, it gives him more confidence.
Adam Lambert- Ring of Fire- Brave Adam taking on the “Man in Black”. Right from the beginning I’m anticipating the performance. No other Idol this year makes me feel that way. Like the performance almost eclipses the actual song performed. David Cook did that last year and two years back Hicks, and Daughtry had that magic as did Fantasia before them. For the first time this week, listening to and watching Adam, I thought Freddie Mercury. I don’t know if the kind of performance Adam gave this week will win him any fans it was defiantly not mainstream textbook pop. But I liked it more than last week, in fact, I loved the way he used his voice. I guess if I had one complaint it might be that he was too theatrical this week, at least by Idol’s standards, but I enjoyed it thoroughly .
Lil Rounds- Independence Day- Lil looks beautiful this week. I like her outfit much more than last weeks. I’m worried about her, because, Country week always takes a favorite away. She was totally out of her comfort zone and almost kind of spoke the first verse. She picked up a bit in the chorus but it was nothing spectacular. For Lil I think the right approach would have been to go for a soulful country sound. Wynonna Judd would have been a good model. But honestly I have not heard her do that yet. I have heard her sing R&B but not old school “Muscle Shoals” soul music. This would have been the time change the arrangement on this tune and to break that out. I hope she makes through.
Kris Allen- To Make you feel my Love- My initial thought was, no guitar for Kris this week and I hope that he gets more close-ups than last week. Kris was really a welcome surprise with this weeks performance , he sang a nice tender soulful ballad, great tone to his voice and a great falsetto at the end, his stock just went way up. And, as I had hoped for in last weeks review, he got the Jason Castro close-up camera spinning treatment. And it worked.
Allison Iraheta- Blame it On Your Heart- Country week would have been a good time to slow it down a bit. But Allison went for a faster paced song, kinda Honky-Tonk sounding tune. Vocally she seamed to be straining in many parts and it didn’t work for me. Plus I didn’t really like the song it was too old for her.
Michael Sarver- Ain’t goin down til the Sun Comes Up- I like Michael and this is a good genre for him. Although I know he has that soulful vibe he could be the darling of the Idol country fans this year, as there is no real country singing Idol for them to root for. All things point to success for Michael tonight but he kind of played it satirical to me; and actually his country sound isn’t as strong as his soulful sound. Kind of sloppy as Simon pointed out. Still he may have gained a fanbase. He will be safe.
Who will go home this week? I don’t know but maybe Scott or Allison
American Idol The Big Stage -Week one the top thirteen
Lil Rounds- (The Way you Make me Feel) I liked Lil’s rendition, she flipped the script and personalized a song that frankly is hard to imagine anyone but Michael Jackson singing. Good strong performance out the gate, the hardest position to be in on the first week. I am looking forward to her singing a bigger song in the near future because she has a great soulful voice that needs to be shown off as often as possible.
Scott McIntyre- (Keep the Faith) Okay I have been waiting for Scott to get to play, and he did not disappoint me. I enjoyed his performance it was the best I have heard him, but it wasn’t electrifying, I think he has to bring more vocally. As far as song choice, although the song was not one of the more well known ones from the MJ catalog it was the right one for Scott to showcase his talent.
Danny Gokey- (P.Y.T.) I loves Danny’s vocals. I think he can sing just about anything. Somehow he managed to “take it to church” while singing P.Y.T?? I think that’s just who he is, and it comes out naturally when he sings; I loved it. In a way he reminds me vocally of Elliot Yamin, just a natural soulfulness in his timbre. He has been my favorite male contestant all along and I hope he goes all the way.
Michael Sarver- ( You are not Alone) I really like Michael he seems like such a genuinely nice guy. He impressed me in the early rounds and he is what Idol use to be all about, an unknown with no experience, that has a gift and has yet to be discovered. His rendition was powerful and pleasant and as Simon said, showed a lot of heart. I think he will be safe this week, but right now I don’t know if he can win it all.
Jasmine Murray- (I’ll be There) This is the first time I have heard her. A nice delivery but really safe and not spectacular. Not really memorable until the last ten seconds. Jasmine has a great stage presence and she is cute as a button but we have yet to see her personality and on Idol personality gets votes. I’d like to see her stick around for a bit because I think she, more than any other contestant could really grow as a performer as the competition moves along. I am worried though that she may go home, but she may also be this years Syesha Mercardo.
Kris Allen- (Remember the Time) Kris is another contestant that I have not heard before. Weird song for an acoustic guitar. Kris has a strong voice and a funky little vibe that sort of reminds me of Dave Matthews. Unfortunately he could not display his guitar playing on the tune he choose tonight as he was drowned out by the band. He also needs to work on stage presence as he seemed dwarfed by the size of the stage, of course true to AI they didn’t do him justice visually, choosing to go with mostly wide shots. I think if he had stripped down, close-up performance and went for the daring, different thing he would have stood out more. I hope he gets the Jason Castro camera- in-face, treatment next week.
Allison Iraheta- (Give in to me) This was the perfect song choice for her voice and her personal style. Impressive pipes for a sixteen year old. Right now I like her but she will have to diversify a bit as the weeks go by. As we know Rocker girls who refuse to compromise, have not faired too well in the past on Idol. She should take a page from the Kelli Clarkson handbook and show her range as a performer if she wants to go all the way. For me right now it is a two woman race between Allison and Lil.
Anoop Desai- ( Beat It) This song was too big for him. I think he was going for Michael Jackson but ended up doing Weird Al; and that is another reason why he should have stayed away from that tune, the comparisons are inevitable. Anoop has a good voice but for “Beat it” you need stage presence, and he is not there. A mid-tempo song would have been a better option. He has a huge following and a winning personality so he will most likely make the cut this week.
Jorge Nunez- (Never Can Say Goodbye) Well, this was slowed down too much for me and it left me with an feeling ambivalent about the performance. I mean I hear a really nice voice but a horrible arrangement that gave him no place to show off what he could do vocally. That coupled with unfortunately no stage presence, made for a lackluster performance. My other question is why did AI ask him to tone down his accent? I think it makes him uncomfortable not being able to be himself vocally. He should not listen to them on that point in fact if he sticks around he should sing in Spanish next week.
Megan Joy Corkrey- (Rockin Robin) Another contestant that I have never heard before tonight. Another pretty girl but Rockin’ Robin’ really? From the first note I’m thinking this cannot bode well for her; and unfortunately I am right. That is a song for a ten year old or an acapella do-wop group; and that “caw caw” thing at the end was hideous. Despite all of it she will be somehow be safe.
Adam Lambert- (Black or White) The ready-made rock star. Now I know he has the ability to pull of this song off but I so wanted him to do “Dirty Diana”. He has the most stage presence and also the only contestant with camera presence so far. Now I don’t know if I want to hear that end note every week and that may be his personal challenge in this competition; to diversify his performances enough to keep people engaged for the entire season, but as of now he is the early favorite. Right now everyone else is playing catch up with this guy. There are others with great vocals but no one else has the total package as of yet.
Matt Giraud- (Human Nature) The Musician...One of my favorites of the night one of my favorite songs as well, a wonderful choice for Matt as it gave him a chance to play and sing. He is a very subtle performer but if you listen he’s pulling off some very impressive vocal acrobatics, an no Randy he was not pitchy! The piano playing was impressive and his falsetto was flawless.
Alexis Grace- (Dirty Diana) Again I have not heard her before. I like her look, but this song should have been arranged differently for her. More sexy, sultry and slower at the beginning. I mean they gave her the whole sexy look and lighting but then didn’t slow the song down at the beginning. She has big voice and could get better and better as the weeks go by. I think Alexis could be in trouble for a really strange reason.. Her dial in number is totally different than the rest. If that becomes a factor that would be a shame
Predictions to go home: Jasmine and Jorge
New Taylor Hicks CD out today
So the new Taylor Hick CD “The Distance” is out today. He was one of my favorite Idol contestants and I enjoyed his first CD entitled “Taylor Hicks” but after hearing his fantastic independent release ,“Under the Radar“, it wasn’t exactly what I expected. That being said, as Post Idol Winner CD’s go it was definitely the best debut but somehow, maybe unfairly, I wanted more.. The best way I can describe it was I wanted a dirtier sound, less polished and studio perfected. In places, especially when Taylor was allowed to really just sing, it was brilliant. I’m no expert on how CD’s are made but my sense was that the first post Idol CD was aimed at the adult contemporary market and was thus, too formula-matic and toned down for my taste. But, I think Taylor has a uniqueness and a musicality that doesn’t categorize well and honestly that is in direct contrast to how the mainstream record business works. So for this new release Hicks has formed his own label and gone the Indie route, a fantastic move on his part. This gives me hope and means on his new CD he will have control over the material and how it is presented. I recently read an article where Taylor breaks down the new release track by track , you can check that article out here. The diverse material, the musicians Bassists’ Nathan East and Abe Labroiel Sr. and Drummer Abe Laboriel Jr., as well as Texas Guitarist Doyle Bramhall II. Some of my favorites for sure, and this bodes well for the musicality of this offering, should be a great listen. Most anticipated tune: The Bobby Womack remake “A Woman’s Gotta Have it” which is a duet with another Idol favorite, Elliot Yamin..Will it better than the original..? no but still a brave move there for sure.
Phish will be @ Bonaroo… it’s gonna be a good one.
2009 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival Confirmed Artists:
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Phish (2 Shows)
Beastie Boys
Nine Inch Nails
David Byrne
Wilco
Al Green
Snoop Dogg
Elvis Costello Solo
Erykah Badu
Paul Oakenfold
Ben Harper and Relentless7
The Mars Volta
TV on the Radio
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Gov’t Mule
Andrew Bird
Merle Haggard
MGMT
moe.
The Decemberists
Girl Talk
Bon Iver
Béla Fleck & Toumani Diabate
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Galactic
The Del McCoury Band
of Montreal
Allen Toussaint
Coheed and Cambria
Booker T & the DBTs
David Grisman Quintet
Lucinda Williams
Animal Collective
Gomez
Neko Case
Down
Jenny Lewis
Santogold
Robert Earl Keen
Citizen Cope
Femi Kuti and the Positive Force
The Ting Tings
Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Kaki King
Grizzly Bear
King Sunny Adé
Okkervil River
St. Vincent
Zac Brown Band
Raphael Saadiq
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Crystal Castles
Tift Merritt
Brett Dennen
Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue
Toubab Krewe
People Under the Stairs
Alejandro Escovedo
Vieux Farka Touré
Elvis Perkins In Dearland
Cherryholmes
Yeasayer
Todd Snider
Chairlift
Portugal. The Man.
The SteelDrivers
Midnite
The Knux
The Low Anthem
Delta Spirit
A.A. Bondy
The Lovell Sisters
Alberta Cross
I’m Back…
After a long, long hiatus I am back to blog..and in order to be in full gear for the upcoming Idol season I will be posting regularly..Yes, I will endure my third season of Idol and I’ll blog about the performances before the results show..just like last year. Last year was a big disappointment, I never really loved any of the contestants. A few were passably interesting but all were just a little too perfect for my tastes. I hope this year someone a little less pop-star perfect makes the big show..but I’ll be watching either way, I can’t help it, Idol is my guilty pleasure. (smile)
Singer-composer-guitarist Raúl Midón
Singer/guitarist Raul Midón is a contemporary soul singer whose impassioned acoustic guitar playing — a mix of rock, classical, and flamenco — has gotten him just as much attention as his smooth voice. Blind since birth, Midón was born in Embudo, NM, to an Argentine father and American mother. His major-label debut, State of Mind, released in 2005, featured a guest appearance from Stevie Wonder. World Within a World followed in 2007.
Midon has a lovely voice, a beautifully controlled tenor that can express anything from tenderness to passion. When he needs an additional instrumental colour, he imitates a trumpet. It could seem like a gimmick, but he does it so well, with such confidence and fluidity, that his Dizzy-like “vocal trumpet” solos become a highlight of the set.
Incredible guitar talent. And the vocal trumpet thing? Awesome. I first heard of Midon via a stream from the North Sea Jazz Festival. There are a couple of tunes worth checking out below. “Ain’t Happen Yet” has a real Take 6 vibe to it, which comes across as more of a homage and less like an imitation.
Sunshine (I can Fly) from State of Mind CD 2005
Ain’t Happen Yet
Cresent City Boogaloo
My absolute favorite mashup of musical styles is probably soul/jazz/funk. The take on this style is as arbitrary and varied as the practitioners of the sound. Here is one to check out. 
Crescent City Boogaloo, the band, it’s self is a mashup consisting of great individual artists and led, by the B3 master Dr. Lonnie Smith on organ. Donald Harrison, the masterfuly wonderful, New Orleans Sax player, once considered a “young lion” when he was paired with Terrence Blanchard back in the eighties. The master drummer Herlin Riley, also a native New Orleanian, who I first heard as part of the Wynton Marsalis Quartet. Peter Bernstein, the guitar virtuoso who has previously paired up with saxophonist Eric Alexander and also worked with another giant of the B3, the late Charles Earland.. Rounding out the group is the current young lion on the jazz scene the amazing Christian Scott, who has already garnered a Grammy nomination for his debut CD, Rewind That. I had the pleasure of hearing him live at a small club in Milwaukee and was quite honestly blow away..he is amazing.
From time to time the lineup varies a bit..probably depending on the members availability, but here is the core group..
Dr. Lonnie Smith (organ), Donald Harrison (alto saxophone), Peter Bernstein (guitar), Christian Scott (trumpet), and Herlin Riley (drums).
NPR Interview and Performance can be found here
about 30 minutes in length..
Blake Lewis dropped by Arista Records
With yet another Idol front runner loosing a record deal so soon after appearing on the show, you have to wonder what the viability is of Idol as a venue for finding new talent..or is it just good TV? I guess Simon is serious when he says, “is all about finding a superstar”. But is it possible to crown a champion year after year that can be a million seller and has the talent and appeal necessary to go from obscurity to superstar status overnight? As I see it, that is an unrealistic goal, and unattainable for most artists. What ever happened to record labels developing artists.. The Microwave “ready to go in minutes” approach to artist development is the reason we don’t have career performers anymore. And frankly the reason Pop music sucks!! Everyone is here today gone tomorrow, one or two Cd’s and on to the next big thing. Has anyone noticed that there are no new Stevie Wonders’, Aretha Franklin’s, Elton Johns’ or Neil Diamonds’ being groomed? I guess you could make a case for Alicia Keys or maybe Josh Groban having that kind of sustainable career pop icon status, but only time will tell if that will be the case. Does anyone believe that the talent well has dried up? I don’t. I just think that record companies are business, interested not in the art of music but mainly in the bottom line…”REVENUE”= selling music. If an artist signs a standard distribution deal and after a few years figures out the “music business” side of things, they will want a bigger piece of the pie… (publishing rights; larger share of the royalties) besides touring, that is where the real money is. And they might also want, the real taboo words to big labels “creative freedom”. So fiscally it makes sense to have a revolving door of artists who hit big and then move on..and if they don’t strike big right away, they are out the door. Many labels no longer even have artist development departments.
Quote:
“As record labels have come to see artists as products in recent years, some artist development departments have been renamed “Product Development.” Many insist that this is because the emphasis in the current music business is to promote artists very heavily in the beginning of their career, as opposed to long-term planning.”
Source http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/record-label1.htm
You know I’m not even a Blake Lewis fan and I certainly don’t personally think of him as pop icon material. For my taste beatboxing is a sound that is better off left in the eighties..But, there had to be something that excited folks enough to cast millions of votes for this guy. Certainly there was enough fervor to warrant at least two releases before canning him..
Creepy Elvis Toy
This is undoubtedly one of the creepiest things I have ever seen..but that is just one womans opinion, you be the judge.
Features
Alive (Taking care of business) mode: Elvis animates autonomously, tracks movement and makes the occasional famous Elvis remark.
Song mode: Select a song and let Elvis entertain you.
Monologue mode: Hear about the life and times of Elvis, in his own words.
Sing through (Share the spotlight) mode: Plug in a microphone (not included) and song cartridge to sing along with Elvis, or turn his vocals down and sing along with the track.
Elvis comes alive, recounting 37 monologues about his life and singing eight of his best loved songs, including:
Thats All Right
Hound Dog
Heartbreak Hotel
Love Me Tender
Jailhouse Rock
Blue Suede Shoes
Trouble
Baby What You Want Me To Do
Today I was thinking about
The sound of Bobby “Blue” Bland.. I remember the Malaco Records commercials from childhood. I wanted to buy all those records so bad back then..but I was nine and I had no money..anyway; I have always loved Bobby “Blue” Blands’ voice. (especially that trademark growl) Mr. “Blue” Bland is one of the greatest pure Blues vocalist, he always delivers the most expressive vocals, full of everything the Blues is about for me.
Bobby “Blue” Bland and Kenny Neal 2006