I'm A Little Bit Country

American Idol elimination night started with a Rascal Flatts performance. They sang “Unstoppable”, which is not one of my favorite songs of theirs, but it doesn’t matter. I love Gary, the lead singer’s voice. He’s got a nice sounding twang and he puts some stank on some of his runs. Carrie Underwood introduced the band Sons of Sylvia as her writing partners and says she’s a big fan of their music. I love me some Carrie Underwood so I sit up and pay attention. After the first thirty seconds, I lost interest in Sons of Sylvia, but immediately had the urge to watch The Dark Crystal or a vampire movie. Lady Antebellum was up next. They sang their song that I love, “I Need You Now“. The male singer (not the one that plays the piano) has the better voice, but I’ve got to give the girl props because she writes the majority of the songs. What is Shakira doing on country night? Apparently she has a song with Rascal Flatts. I don’t think those two are a good mix, but whatever. Shakira is so cute. The song was okay, but the vocals…not so good.

Siobhan got kicked off. I called it. My psychic powers are still pumping strong. Her Mary Poppins tattoo is pretty cool.

Throw Mama From The Twain

Last night was Shania Twain’s turn to mentor the remaining Idol contestants. The show opened with two of my favorites….Lee DeWyze and “You’re Still The One I Love”. Finally, I’m enjoying the show. I’m literally sitting in front of my TV smiling…then here comes that bloated Magila Gorilla. (Smile fades) I can’t even imagine what Shania Twain song he’s going to butcher. During the rehearsal, Shania gave him the perfect advice…unlike the previous week’s celebrity mentor which was absolutely no help to the contestants and should remain nameless. (Alicia Keys) He shouldn’t just rest on having a good voice and get cocky about it. You’ll touch an audience if you feel the emotion in the song and bring that to your performance. I think that’s my issue with him. He’s very conceited and believes he’s better than he really is. Maybe I wouldn’t give him such a hard time if the emotion he tried to portray during his performances seemed genuine, but to me it’s just too dramatic. He’s acting as if he’s singing the hell out of the song when he’s not and the judges are falling for it. If he can take the advice Shania’s given him to heart, maybe I’ll lighten up on him. Not so much. He started the song with that damn lip licking he always does and that funny look on his face that he thinks is sexy. News Flash: It’s not sexy!! Please stop. OMG Becky! (Clutch the pearls) No the judges did not just compare Big Mike to the great Luther Vandross. I almost threw the remote at the TV. I said it before and now I am certain the American Idol judges have lost what little credibility they had left. Luther must be rolling over in his grave. The only thing Luther Vandross and Big Mike have in common is about 300 lbs. The only reason Shania Twain was crying after that performance was because Big Mike messed up her song.

Moving on…

I loved Casey’s performance. The first line he sang was absolutely perfect. He had me at hello. Crystal Bowersox, you can pressure your boyfriend to marry you on your own time. Don’t bore us with that mess. Reminder: this is a singing competition, not an open platform for your couples counseling. That was her worst performance to date. Chicken Little did pretty good this week. He hit some really good notes. Then he reminded me how gay he was when he dedicated that song to his mother. Siobhan always sounds good in rehearsal than not so good during the live show. That’s a problem. I’m putting her and Big Mike in the bottom two this week. In thirty minutes I’ll see what America decided.

Buyer Beware

Remember last post when I was talking about Justin Timberlake and I said I would buy anything that boy was selling? Well I did….and you should too. Justin has a new artist on his record label that is an old friend of his from his Mickey Mouse Club days. His name is Matt Morris and if you don’t want to buy the entire album, I’ll tell you which three songs you really should have in your music library. “Live Forever” is a great song with a nice feel to it. “Bloodline” is another good one. If you liked Jim Croce’s song “Time in a Bottle” you’ll like this song. You absolutely have to have “Money”. It’s so funky. Click here to check it out for yourself.

Totally unrelated….but if you’re looking for something else to add to your play list, check out Corrine Bailey Rae’s latest release “The Sea”. I loved her first CD and was a little concerned about her coming back from her husband’s death, but the sophomore album is just as good as her first. Some of the highlights are “Closer”, “Are You Here”, “I’d Do It All Again”, “I Would Like to Call it Beauty” and ….just get the whole thing because I pretty much am naming every song on the CD. They are all good. Click here to see her performing “Closer”.

Give It Back

Who knew Idol was giving back last night? I thought it was just going to be another boring elimination show. I really haven’t been paying attention this season. Any how….let’s recap what happened. The Black Eyed Peas performed first. You know, I liked the idea of the Peas when they were first introduced to us by Justin Timberlake, and maybe that’s why. I would buy anything he’s selling. Now they just seem like some multicultural superheroes. Yeah, they make some good dance hits, but Will.I.Am’s voice and hair irritate me and the more Fergie sings, the worse she sounds. Man, Idol sure knows how to squeeze blood out of a turnip. That story about the pregnant wife dying made me pick up my phone to donate the little piece of money I had left. That cuff on Jeff Beck’s arm was way too small. Thank you Joss Stone! Finally someone that sounds really good is singing on Idol. Click here to watch her performance if you missed it. Carrie freakin’ Underwood killed it. I haven’t heard this girl sing a bad note yet. She’s been on about a hundred shows since she won idol and she sounds good every time (which is more than you can say about most of these established artists running around out here now). I was hoping that Alicia Keys would change my mind but she started her song with that airy, whiny voice and then after that I was just so distracted by that silk garment riding up her butt. Ok, this is the second time Idol’s had Elliott Yamin sitting in the audience without having him sing. How rude! All that talent sitting right there at your disposal and all you do is wave to him? They have all these other fools singing on the show with their weak voices (Season 7’s Brooke White with that boy looking like rejects from the Twilight cast) and their whack songs (Orianthi) when they could have Elliott Yamin grace us with his beautiful voice. Don’t even get me started on Yamin. I’ll get back to him on another post. I don’t really know what to say about the Mary J. Blige performance, but I will say that Travis Barker was great on the drums. I love me some Elton John, but his voice is completely gone. Looks like my psychic powers are working again. Swoopy hair boy went home.

Fallin' .....out of love

Maxwell was on Dancing with the Stars last night singing “Fistful of Tears” and the first note he hit in that falsetto voice was so pretty. I love when he uses that part of his voice. He really has mastered the skill of going back and forth from high to low. Not many people can do that. I think Prince is also great at that and so is Raheem Devaughn. Let me tell you who is not great at it. Big Mike….aka Magila Gorilla. Which brings me to my American Idol recap, as much as I don’t want to talk about it, I just have to.

Last night Alicia Keys was their guide through a selection of inspirational songs. Though the only thing the contestants were inspiring me to do was change the channel. The boy with the long blonde curly hair (aka Casey) was kind of boring and I did not agree with his song choice, but I still like the tone of his voice. The paint salesman (aka Lee Dewyze) chose a Simon and Garfunkel song. Come on Lee, this was a bad choice, but I still like him so I’m going to try to ignore this performance. The judges seemed to think it was his best performance ever. I beg to differ. I’ve decided the judges are no longer credible and they are the reason we are in this predicament (being the worst season of idol ever). I’m just ready for this season to be over and bring on the X-factor already. Swoopy hair boy (aka Tim something) chose a GooGoo Dolls song. It was a complete waste of time. He needs to go home…and I think this week he just might. Chicken Little (aka…Fivel the mouse) decided to sing R.Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly”. Last night he looked like one of the creatures from the Dark Crystal series (mixed with Fivel the mouse and Chicken Little, of course). I really think this song was way too big for him and I was just wishing he would fly away already. My favorite part about Siobhan’s performance was the butterflies on her hand and shoulder. OMG, I really cannot handle watching this bloated dude, licking and pursing his lips, with that tiny banjo he calls a guitar. Enough already! Come on Crystal Bowersox, give me a break. The crying was a bit dramatic for my taste. Hopefully Swoopy hair boy or Magila Gorilla will go home tonight. I’m assuming Alicia Keys will perform, but I’m not that excited about it. Is it me or have you noticed that ever since she got with Swiss Beats her voice has gotten really high and kind of whiny? I used to love everything she did, but I’m not loving some of these breathy high-pitched songs. They’re kind of irritating.

Father Knows Best

After years of debate, I am ready to admit defeat. Daddy, you are right. Jennifer Holiday’s rendition of “And I’m Telling You” is way better than Jennifer Hudson’s. Though I think out of all the people out there in a position to make an attempt at even coming close to taking on the role of Effie White on the big screen, Jennifer Hudson did a great job. Of course Jennifer Holiday did the best version ever. It doesn’t get any better than that. Really what I was trying to debate more was to acknowledge the great job that J-Hud did with such an impossible task, which my father refuses to notice. When the movie first came out there was a lot of discussion over which version was the best, but I really don’t think it’s fair to compare the two. Click here, to see Jennifer Holiday’s legendary performance and decide for yourself. Take the poll on the right and let me know who you think has the better version. Click here to see Hudson and Holiday together.

Watch Your Tone

Let’s quickly recap tonight’s American Idol elimination episode. Just because you put on an MJ jacket and a Billie Jean hat doesn’t mean we should scream for you, yet this misguided audience did. Give me a break Jason. Come on Kara! What song did the dude write that was so great? Not the song he was singing. When is somebody new going to come out that I can get excited about? Aw, little David Archuleta is back singing the song he sang on his season of idol that made me sit up and pay attention to him. I was wondering why no one sang my other favorite Beatles song “Imagine” ….and know I know why. Why didn’t Ri-Ri sing “Rude Boy”? That’s what I wanted to hear. I give her props for the hair and the cat suit…but not for the guitar. Who does she think she’s fooling? She can’t play the guitar. I could strum those two chords she used and I only took lessons for two weeks back in 1989. Oh well, looks like I’m not psychic after all, but I did get an early Christmas present. I’m not going to have to watch Big Mike stuff himself into tiny clothes anymore. Oh no, they’re letting him sing for his life. Did you hear the falsetto in the beginning of the song? He didn’t hit it. Nor was the rest of the song that impressive. I’m convinced these people have never heard Maxwell sing “This Woman’s Work” because they seem so impressed with Big Mike’s version. Ok, just kidding. Looks like there’s coal in my stocking. They decided to save him just as I realized who he reminds me of. Wait for it…




Replace the banana with a microphone and you know that looks exactly like him with the tiny hat and the bow tie.

BTW - I had a lively debate about music with my in-laws recently and we ended up on the topic of tone. There are a lot of great singers out there that can hit all the right notes, but there is something about the natural tone of the voice that can’t be taught or rehearsed that can set you apart from the rest. Here are two examples of great tone for you to enjoy. Click here for Jasmine Sullivan. Click here for Adele.

Let It Be

Yippee!! I was all excited because it’s Beatles night on American Idol. I was thinking it should be really good, because they’ve got a lot of great hits, but I should’ve known these kids would ruin it for me. Chicken Little sang “Long and Winding Road” and it was a long and painful road for me. At first I thought Chicken Little was gay and he just didn’t know it yet, but tonight it seemed he was beginning to embrace his orientation. Man oh man, “Let It Be” is one of my favorite songs and the young girl did not do it justice. I’m starting to think there’s something going on with this girl’s voice, because she sounds very nasal or flat…just kind of off. Wouldn’t you know, the judges said that was her best performance? Maybe things sound different in the theatre than they do on TV. “Can’t Buy Me Love” is another favorite of mine, but the performance by Garcia was lackluster. Ok, they are clearly hearing something different in the studio than we’re hearing on TV. Big Mike was not good. He continues to try to sing in his falsetto voice and he can never hit those notes. The rest of the song was just shy of okay. “Come Together” is such a funky song. I love the Michael Jackson version. Crystal did a good job with it; though she didn’t quite hit some of the power notes, but let’s face it….she doesn’t have much competition. When the said the guy with nine lives was going to sing “All My Love” I thought that was the perfect song for him to continue with the corny performances he usually gives with bad vocals. But you know what? He actually did better than usual…but still who cares. I’m not even sure what song Goldilocks sang, but I liked it! He sounded great. There was a very nice feel to the song. Siobhan is putting me to sleep. I like her boots though. Wow. Ask for a bag piper and ye shall receive. I like “Hey Jude” as well and I really like the paint salesman, but this wasn’t my favorite performance of his.

Okay, let’s see if my psychic powers are still working this week. I’m thinking either the girl that sang Let It Be or Garcia is going home.

Gospel Sunday

The trumpet Awards were on TV One last night. In case you missed it, here are the highlights. The old group, After 7, started the evening with a medley of their songs. I can’t tell if those are the original members or if some have been replaced because the only one I ever paid attention to was Kevon Edmonds. Kevon still sounds good. Rachelle Farrell sang “America the Beautiful”. She’s got quite a large mouth and she stretches her face in the most peculiar positions to get those notes out, but good golly miss molly she sang the hell out of that song. Jay Moss, The Clark Sisters and Kiki Sheard did a tribute to Frankie Beverly & Maze. I am speechless! The freaking Clark Sisters are amazing! I can’t even verbalize what they just did. You have to watch it for yourself. Click here to see.

The new season of Sunday Best started last night. It’s the gospel version of American Idol. They began auditions in Lagos, Nigeria to find one contestant to represent Africa. Catch it every Sunday on BET at 8pm. It’s worth watching.

OMG

OMG…Is Reuben Studdard getting smaller or are his clothes just way bigger? No, he’s definitely smaller. Good for you Reuben! He may even be smaller than Big Mike. I like his single “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like You No More”. I’m not sure if him touring with Clay Aiken is a good idea, but its good to see him back out there.

OMG, Usher, what is going on? I’m not sure why he chose to sing, “OMG” on American Idol because the song is pretty whack. I guess he wanted to dance and bring out his little friend Will.I.Am (who had on an outfit even weirder than Usher’s). Speaking of his dancing….uhm, is he trying to tell us something? What was up with all that feminine choreography? Those must be his favorite boots because he keeps wearing them at every appearance.

OMG….Puffy Combs, give me a break. I’m still trying to figure out what his song was about. It had like two phrases….”Hello” and “Good Morning”. Look, if you have a nice track you want to use and you can’t come up with any lyrics….hire a writer. He can afford it. And what’s up with his two sidekicks? He’s got the last standing member of Danity Kane and Estelle’s long lost twin sister dancing and singing some oohs and aahs. What’s the point?

This week’s theme was R&B/Soul music and this is what we get? Was Maxwell busy? I know he’s on tour with Jill Scott right now, but they could’ve sent a private jet for him. What about Anthony Hamilton? I know he wasn’t busy. I understand they are booking talent that is promoting a new project, but I just don’t see how Diddy falls into the R&B/Soul category. What about Monica? She’s got a new CD out. They should’ve invited her. Anyone would’ve been better than Diddy and the twins.

BTW, looks like I am psychic. They sent DiDi home as I predicted.