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Thursday, August 6, 2009

Wow

http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSTRE5740V020090806


http://www.examiner.com/x-14278-SF-TV-Examiner~y2009m8d5-Paula-Abdul-American-Idol-and-the-willitstayempty-chair


Wow. Ok, honestly, we should have seen this one coming with that new addition last year. However, I really had suspected that an 11th hour deal would have been made. It's still possible, but doubtful at this point.

So how is the show going to fare without her antics? Is it really going to be worth watching? Supposedly the show is all about the kids but we all know the truth. If the show was all about the kids, those judges wouldn't be paid nearly what they are.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

New tunes out from past Idols

This is to be the first single off Daughtry's newest album that'll be hitting the store shelves soon. I can't wait!



This is going to be a big year. Bo Bice is working with another group and their album's due out soon. Soon we'll be seeing new cds from Michael Johns and Brooke White as well. This is gonna be a good year.

last bits of this year's press

Sorry y'all. I got sidetracked the last couple days and hadn't managed to get these all up. It didn't help matters that my IE has been a pain and I'm having to jump between it and Firefox to get things done. It really sucks to be honest. I'm deleting the AI blogs I read as I get them cleared out but I am following a couple of them on Twitter (yeah, I broke down and got an account...mostly to follow AI stuff and to find a way to broadcast my blips from http://www.blip.fm/) now so there should be more updates now and again.


Idolatry with Kris Allen (this interview has 5 parts)

Huckabee





VH1 Best Week Ever!








CBS


Today Show












Kris Allen on the Ellen Show


Last several days

This should be the last of it as Im dropping those 3 blogs tonight until the next season. I do have 2 of them on Twitter so if something really interesting comes up, I'll post. Otherwise, this blog is reverting right back to just a plain ol music site.

People's Star Talk featuring Kris. So, is it boxers or briefs?

People's Star Talk featuring Adam. So what IS his favorite guyliner?

American Idol Experience:
This first one is like a 7 minute commercial for the attraction. It does have a few nice moments with Kris though.




Adam's Idolatry interview (there's 5 parts to this interview)

VH1 Best Day Ever:




Disney World


The Today Show




Adam's z100 interview

And even with an ultrpacked schedule, Adam found time to go to the theatre:




More in next entry....

Thursday, May 28, 2009

even more

K.A. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon



US Magazine.com interview (no food or drink for this one, there is a funny comment and reaction in there...)

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

more press

A.L. Tv Guide:


K.A. Live with Regis and Kelly:




(I still don't like the song...reworked or not....sorry)

A.L. Live with Regis and Kelly




Larry King Live (Monday's show):






K.A. Morning Show with Mike and Juliet:


(nope, still don't like the song)

Cookie on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Friday, May 22, 2009

more related vids n stuff

I promise, this'll be outta my system in a few days...maybe. *laffz*



The Leno Show:



Phone in interview on Ellen with Adam:


Access Hollywood:



AP:

Thursday, May 21, 2009

more press

from Fox & Friends This Morning:





Jim Cantiello's Idol in 60 seconds:

Final Competition edition

Wednesday's Finale edition

Sorry, I was hoping to embed the videos but sadly, they're not playin nice today. Ah well.

Press

AIE runner-up pt1

AIE runner-up pt2

AIE winner pt1

AIE winner pt 2




Oh....and in the fantasy league on Buddytv? I ranked 124th out of 1603 players with a total of 13250 points. Not bad considering I didnt know about the game and so didn't start playing until a good 4 WEEKS after the leaders ;). Wait until next year.

What an AWESOME finale that was!!

Usually the 2 hours really kind of drags by and when you've reached the 30 minute mark, you're praying it would be over already. This finale was so good in parts that the 2 hours just freakin flew right by. I'm going to just post links to the video highlights of my favorite parts below. Oh and iggy, hun, you want a beach towel handy for one of these vids. Fair warning.

A Charity release This one is a must buy via ITunes. All the money from the sale of this song will be going to ABC squared to find a cure for cancer. Definitely a good cause.


Nick Mitchell wins the Outstanding Male in the Golden Idol Awards I am so damn glad they brought him back for one more performance. The look on Ryan's face....priceless. There's a petition going around to get him taken on the summer tour as the host of the show. Heh. He goes and he'll steal the damn shows.


Bikini Bimbo OWNED by Kara and she sang CIRCLES around her!


Killer duet The only thing that would have made this nicer is if Bowie was there too. Sorry about the video. Once a better one comes along in YouTube, I'll fix the link. No need to win, he's already a star. To be able to duet like THAT with an iconic band AND HOLD YOUR OWN....that's the way you do it baby!

another Killer duet If that last duet wasnt enough of a consolation prize, then this sure as hell was! Singing infront of yet another iconic group with the guy you roomed with and competed against. Awesome.

the win The look on Kris's face was friggin priceless. Then to have him go on to say that his competition deserved it (the win) and to give props to every other competitor! Love it.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

the finale

Is it me, or did this year's finale lack a certain... tension? I think Kris said it best when he said


" Me and Adam we said we weren't competing, we're just coming out to give a good show tonight. So, hopefully we did that."
That's exactly how it felt last night as I sat and watched my two favorites perform for the last time in competition. There was no tension, just a sit back and relax and enjoy the show. There was only 1 pantithrowing worthy performance the whole show and it came ultra early in the program so the ol' throwing arm pretty much got the night off. That's ok, I'm sure it doesn't mind.

According to what I'm seeing online, last night was the lowest rated Idol finale. No surprise there as TPTB had been promoting a Danny/Adam finale all year and since we didn't have that, many didn't feel the need to watch. A real shame because Kris has come a long way and really IS deserving to be on that stage opposite Adam.


Not to say that last night's competition was tight, but the last time Dial Idol had both finalists in yellow was during Season 4 when Bo Bice went up against Carrie Underwood. Actually, according to the Chart, last night's show was even closer in votes than Bo and Carrie. With Season 4 the Chart had them differing by 2.63%, last night the difference was an even slimmer 1.1%.


As you can see, Dial Idol has correctly called each and every winner of each season's finale... even, to an extent, Season 4 as they listed Carrie as the most votes. This Chart was enough to make me go against my better judgement and reluctantly switch my choices around in the fantasy league I'm in at Buddytv just to see if I could get more points.


However, when I woke up at 330pm and thought to check another site... one that has also called every single final winner correctly since Season 4... I nearly cried about my rash decision. What hurts the most is the fact that since I woke after 12pm, I won't be able to switch them back to the way I had them. This is the first time in 4years that these two sites were not in agreement.


Yeah, you see my dilemma. Both sites have been correct on this day for the last 4 years and NOW, for the first time, they aren't. *sigh* Maybe the Maps will help me? I mean the Maps have been correct more often than the Chart this year.
Hmmm. Winner Map. Adam 28 wins and 20 losses, Kris 20 wins and 28 losses. Still doesn't tell me anything because by all rights on the Maps Kris should have left the other week because he had a deficit of 11 states and we all see where he's at now.

How about if we pick according to the hot mess of a winner's coronation song? Man was that ever *BARF*. Certainly this song was picked out a couple weeks back, right? Oh sure, Adam can hit those higher notes easily but the song doesn't do any justice to his voice. Then there's poor Kris, why oh WHY did they not arrange it into a lower key for him?? Quite obviously the song was chosen by the judges when Danny was still a relative shoo-in for the finals as he and Doug Matt are the only ones I can think of that could pull off such a steaming mess and make it sound ok. *IF* they'd lowered the key, then Kris would have made it sound aiight. Let's not even go into the fact Kris dropped some lyrics. Who could blame him? I don't even wanna sing that crap.

Ok. So who wins? According to Zaba and the Maps, it's Adam...hands down. If you go according to the Chart, it's Kris by the slimmest amount of votes. The question is... what is America ready most for? I mean there's been alotta change. We have a black president for goodness sakes (something I didn't think would even happen in my lifetime)! We had a second year in a row with 2 caucasian males in the final 2 spots (something else I never really expected to happen). We had a year with duets and the judges' save. This has been a really unusual year. So who IS America ready for? Are they ready for a married Idol OR are they ready for a way out of the closet gay who knows who the hell he is inside? Neither of which has happened before, mind you. In either case, Idol is going to have a marketing nightmare. How to you market either of them? One's married and the other is flamin'... females really have no shot at either (unless Adam's actually ac/dc like I suspect, and likes 'em all...).

Who did you pick? The King of his castle? Or the "Queen"?

As for me, I don't much care who wins to be honest. Both are very deserving and both are hopefully going to go far afterwards.

Press

I really hope Fox isn't a dink and demands to have this removed from YouTube before others have had a chance to view it. How sweet of Adam to lower the mic to accomodate Kris' vertical challenge. I also liked how politically correct Adam was when asked about that horrid winner's single. It's awesome how when asked who will win how they pointed at each other. If I recall, the Davids were alot like that too. Either way, this year come results show, I'll be a happy camper.


Tuesday, May 19, 2009

VH1: Kris Allen Vs. Adam Lambert: A Week-By-Week Comparison by Jim Cantiello

I really should go back and see if my analysis was about the same. Really should have done it last night but I got stuck in one of those diversions that I mentioned in my Main blog page. Time to look it all up and see if I can't catch the songs on YouTube and see which "concert" I enjoyed more.


We look back at the 'American Idol' finalists' past 11 weeks and see how they really match up.

by Jim Cantiello

Tuesday night's
"American Idol" finale will have season-eight finalists (and roommates) Kris Allen and Adam Lambert going toe-to-toe in three rounds. Lambert is the odds-on winner come
Wednesday night's results show, but we say Kris still has a fighting chance. Taking a cue from "America's Next Top Model," in which Tyra Banks does a side-by-side comparison of the two finalists' portfolios, we thought we'd break down Adam Lambert's and Kris Allen's "Idol" repertoire week-to-week to help determine who's really in the lead.

Week One: The Semifinals
Adam: The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
Kris: Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror"
Winner: Adam

Adam pulled out all the stops for his first live "Idol" performance, turning the Rolling Stones' classic into a down-and-dirty sex shuffle that belonged on the Sunset Strip. His superhuman range was on full display, as were his memorable fashion choices. Kris, on the other hand, came off like the quiet cute guy at your office who wows everyone at karaoke.

Week Two: Michael Jackson Week
Adam: "Black or White"
Kris: "Remember the Time"
Winner: Kris

On the big "Idol" stage, Kris was allowed to bust out his guitar to great effect. The debut of Kris the Troubadour was a smashing success, and he proved that he was more than just a pretty face. Adam's "Black or White," while an audience favorite, left us feeling a little "been there, heard that."

Week Three: Grand Ole Opry Week
Adam: Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire"
Kris: Garth Brooks' "To Make You Feel My Love"
Winner: Adam

Kris' tender crooning-on-the-edge-of-the-stage rendition had tweens swooning, but it was Adam's brilliantly salacious Johnny-Cash-meets-the-Pussycat-Dolls mash-up that had America's water coolers bubbling with excitement.

Week Four: Motown Week
Adam: The Miracles' "The Tracks of My Tears"
Kris: Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)"
Winner: Adam

Adam stepped up his game for the second week in a row and convinced the haters (like me) that there was way more to Adam than just hair dye and Axl Rose wails. His "Tracks of My Tears" showed a sincere vulnerability and a stunning falsetto, while his savvy Young Elvis makeover also helped him win over older fans. Meanwhile, Kris did a competent impression of a sensitive frat guy. Yawn.

Week Five: Top Downloads
Adam: Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music"
Kris: Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine"
Winner: Kris

Adam returned to his hair-metal roots, while Kris showed up the competition by saying, "Look, America, I can play piano, too!" Your move, Lambert.

Week Six: Songs From the Year They Were Born
Adam:
Tears for Fears' "Mad World"
Kris:
Don Henley's "All She Wants to Do Is Dance"
Winner: Adam

Kris stumbled with a clunky Don Henley track, while Adam soared to new heights with the most buzzed-about performance of the season. It certainly helped that DVR viewers were forced to track down the show-closing ballad online, thus making Lambert go viral within hours. Admit it, by the time you woke up Wednesday, at least five people had forwarded you the clip with a "You gotta see this" note.

Week Seven: Songs From the Cinema
Adam: Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild"
Kris:
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova's "Falling Slowly"
Winner: Kris

Adam fell back into his "pick a lame rock song your parents like" groove and delivered his cheesiest performance to date. But Kris displayed impeccable taste by choosing the night's most contemporary tune, and he knocked it out of the park. Plus, anyone who turns on mainstream America to the "Once" soundtrack deserves a medal.

Week Eight: Disco Week
Adam:
Yvonne Elliman's "If I Can't Have You"
Kris:
Donna Summer's "She Works Hard for the Money"
Winner: Kris

Somehow, Kris sang "She Works Hard for the Money" like he really, really believed it. What could have been a throwaway wink at the audience turned out to be a show highlight. Adam tried slowing down the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack staple but in the process eviscerated the melody and put us to sleep.

Week Nine: Rat Pack Standards
Adam:
"Feeling Good"
Kris: "The Way You Look Tonight"
Winner: Adam ... by a note

Both Adam and Kris were outperformed by Allison Iraheta and Danny Gokey on Rat Pack night. Adam was given some serious pimpage by the producers, though. His performance featured a moving staircase, a cushy final spot on the show rundown and a high note that went on for days. Since Adam was responsible only for the latter, we'll give him points for that. But otherwise, this week was a draw.

Week 10: Rock Week
Adam: Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" and Foghat's "Slow Ride" (with Allison Iraheta)
Kris: The Beatles' "Come Together" and Styx's "Renegade" (with Danny Gokey)
Winner: Adam

Kris Allen was off his game in a big way. His Beatles cover was ho-hum, and his duet with Danny Gokey was the most awkward thing of the night (until Gokey's "Scream On"). But Adam came out with guns blazing, unleashing a swagger that had judge Kara DioGuardi proclaim him a "Rock GOD!" His final duet with Allison Iraheta was even more winning, with each of the singers pushing the other to mind-blowing, unstoppable levels of awesome. Don't even get me started on that adorable embrace.

Week 11: Judges' Choice/Contestants' Choice
Adam:
U2's "One" and Aerosmith's "Cryin' "
Kris: OneRepublic's "Apologize" and
Kanye West's "Heartless"
Winner: Kris

Adam's night was less-than-stellar. During his Aerosmith song, he was (somehow) overpowered by a background singer and his cabaret-headlining take on "One" felt as out of place as Steve Martin performing a five-minute banjo tune about skipping class on "SNL." The judges had been pushing a Gokey/Lambert finale since week one, and Kris underwhelmed during Kara and Randy's selection, "Apologize." But before you could count him out, Kris grabbed his trusty old guitar and strummed through a star-making rendition of Kanye West's sad robot anthem, "Heartless," a tune Kanye himself had "performed" on an "Idol" results show weeks earlier. It showed guts. It showed "artistry." And it showed Gokey the door.

Where does that leave us? According to my math, Kris Allen won five weeks, while Adam Lambert won five and a half weeks (the half point given to Adam's never-ending Rat Pack note). It's anyone's "Idol" crown this season, and it really boils down to the finish line. (Ryan Seacrest said himself during last week's results show that only a million votes separated Kris and Adam.) So, who will win "American Idol?" Until we hear these two talented performers sing Tuesday night, your guess is as good as mine!

This report is provided by
MTV News

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Whatta ride!

Holy cow, whatta night.When the spoilers came out, I suspected this was going to be a 2 thong night and I was right. I can't believe how quickly it went. Go figure Idol went overtime *AGAIN*. Someone needs to remind those judges that the stars of this show are SUPPOSED to be the kids competing and NOT them. We actually had two....yes 2 panty-flinging moments. What a surprise THAT was for sure. Let's just say that there's a distinct possibility the dark horse will sneak on by one of the favs into the finale next week due to just one amazing, totally unexpected performance.

I'm going to put both of their performances back to back, just to make it easier on myself. At this point, I haven't decided how I'm going to base my choice this week. Last week, for the first time in several weeks, the Maps were wrong. Then again, they never did say Allison had the lowest number of votes, they SAID that after a record setting 64 million votes, that Danny was safe and in the Top 3 and that they were saying goodbye to Allison. No where in that announcement did it say she was the lowest vote getter. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. This makes me suspect that the Maps were on the money again last week and Kris really should have been sent home. Ok, honestly after that shriek, Danny should have gone. Anyhow, we all know that the show's been plugging for an Adam/Danny finale so does Kris really even have a chance? Honestly, after that one performance of his, I do believe that he does have a chance and after the comments, I think Simon does too.

Danny was the first up this week. Usually, this would be the spot of death. However, this season has run pretty much against the usual. The beginning of the year, I said there was no way in hell we'd end up with a double caucasian male Finale this year because we had one last year. Surely we'd have a caucasian gal in the finale and they'd win. Fast forward to now and what do we have? A DEFINITE double caucasian male finale. This year, we've had people in the first singing position do really well and those in the last singing position (normally known as the "pimp" or "safe" spot) end up in the B3. Danny's first song was chosen by Paula. She chose for him Dance Little Sister by Terence Trent D'Arby. Although I agree with the artist choice, I'm not so certain this song really did him any favors. Maybe she chose it because it was one of the lesser known songs and if he really butchered it, no one would really know? I don't know. All it really did is show how limited his voice truly is. Why? Because Terence never had much range to begin with. Then there was the vocal duel with the sax, oh puh-leez. Ok, ok, so my GaSis thought it was good, personally I could have done without it. I also could have done without the dry heaves set to music. If you're going to do that, embrace the lack of rhythm and sing I Can't Dance by Genesis while you're at it (at least that would be truth in advertising). I do have to admit that this was an improvement over last week's ummmm torture session. Actually, if he just stood there and read the lyrics, THAT would have even been an improvement.

His second performance was a version of You're So Beautiful by Joe Cocker. Could you pick a more PREDICTABLE song?? Every. single. damned. week we've had the dead wife inspired picks. Well maybe not every week, but pretty doggone close! Yes, the artist was a perfect fit for his voice (some say Mr Cocker cant sing, some do, so either way my analysis is correct there), but I'm sure there are other songs of his that would have worked just as nicely without smacking of the "I'm singing this for my wife who passed away". Yes, we get it, you love her and miss her alot. Certainly she would NOT want you flying that flag all the time. I know I wouldn't want my hubby using my death like this. I'm willing to bet at least one of my usual readers (if not 2 or 3) would have been able to pick him out something suitable. In fact, I invite them to leave their suggestions below in the comments. I do not agree with the judges on their comments on this song at all. This was NOT a "master-class" performance, it was a far cry from it. Do I need to remind everyone of a certain past winner called Taylor Hicks ? Taylor's was far and away the most superior of the two... and NO, I WASN'T part of the Soul-Patrol or the Grey Charles stalkers. However, head to head, Danny pales in comparison easily. Danny's performances were the weakest of the night, in my opinion. The Chart has him listed in 3rd (27.1) and he rated a -13 on the Maps (6 wins and 19 losses). As much as I really want to call him as gone right here and now, we all saw what happened last week. Did you hear that noise after Danny's last set of reviews (stunning, amazing, master-class)? That was the Idol machine revving the bus to run over Kris.

Kris was second in the line up this week. His first song was picked by Randy and Kara and they chose Apologize by One Republic. Ok, this was a really good pick for his voice......however, I really hate the song. No offense but it got ~so~ over played when it first came out and if that wasn't bad...some damn movie used it in its trailers which were played ad nauseum the beginning of last year. I will admit though, that his version of the song was DEFINITELY better than this one. The only thing worse than that would have been Danny's song from last week. Kris outsang Danny's second song with this one and probably tied with Danny's first one. Kris definitely came out swinging tonight. No, he didn't exactly make it his own, but it was a very admirable attempt nonetheless.

His second song this week was Heartless by Kanye West. When I heard this choice, I thought... OH NO!!! So I listened to the original and simply cringed. I hoped that I was proven wrong....and shock of shocks...I was. Holy friggin cow! He took a song that I couldn't stand at all and made it into something extremely listenable. I actually LIKED the song!! It was definitely better than Kanye's and it was even better than The Fray's cover. Up to this point (remember Adam sang one song before we got to this performance of Kris's), I hadn't had a panty-flinging moment and NOW I HAD ONE!! *fwip* There went the purple panties with the silver sparkles on them. I couldn't help myself. It seems that I wasn't the only one that had "a moment" with this song. Simon actually SAID
" ...I had literally had written you out of this competition. That, however, has all changed after that performance."
Yeah, if Simon had a thong handy I think he woulda flung it.... This performance actually drove my GaSis to go vote, even if it was only for the last half hour. I keep telling her she needs to watch this stuff live. If he gets booted off, y'all have my permission to blame her. He Charted in 2nd place (27.99, .89 infront of Danny....it's a close race) and rated a 2 on the Maps (14 wins and 12 losses). At least he's on the positive side of the rating. Like I said, it's going to be a tight race for second. You'll see in my sidebar who I've picked to go on the Results night. With the exception of last week and the week Scott was booted, I've been pretty accurate since I started playing the Fantasy TV for American Idol on Buddy TV (184th out of over 1000 players only because I started late). I even had Matt picked to go on the week he was saved (no points because he didn't actually get sent home! Bummer!). His second song ran rings around BOTH of Danny's songs. If he goes home this week, it'll be a total disappointment. I think Simon was wrong, Kris definitely HAS the chops to take on Adam and possibly even win this if the conditions are just right. Did you hear THAT noise after his reviews (Simon's comment)? It was said bus slipping gears and swerving off course a bit.

Adam was in the pimp spot this week. YAY! Simon's pick for Adam was One by U2. Ok, it wasn't a bad choice. I do think Simon could have picked a better song. It was, disappointingly, not a panty-flinging worthy performance for me but it was still a high average showing. I think that if he'd done what he had been doing all season and chosen an arrangement that already existed that suited his voice instead of what we got, then it would have been beyond aweome. I'm thinking along the lines of Shinedown's version which was stripped right down. It would have been a moment for everyone.

His second song was Cryin by Aerosmith. Hell to the yeah. Show Danny how Aerosmith is SUPPOSED to be done. Excuse me as I go listen to this one again...*laffz*. Yeah, I had a SECOND panty-flinging performance!!! *squealz in that fan-girly fashion I have* *fwip* there goes the leather-look metallic studded panties. *fwap* and there goes the matching bra! The ONLY issue I had with his performance is that the back-up singer needed to remember that he was BACK-UP...not lead...not a duet....so BACK THE HELL UP. There were points where he was out singing Adam and I didn't think that was even possible. I ~loved~ the fact that he gave props to his competition. How very wonderful to see that. He Charted in 1st place (29.55... only 2.45 between first and last according to DI this week folks!) and rated a 14 on the Maps (24 wins and 10 losses). I really don't forsee him going anywhere this week. Not especially with Simon's pimping and numbers like that. Although, I did have problems while voting for him and Kris this week. Yep, you saw that right, I actually voted for the last half hour. I managed to get 32 votes in for Adam and 7 in for Kris. I think Idol ended up breaking their records again this week. Why? Because of the messages that were coming up. You expect the busy signals and to a lesser extent the "all circuits are busy now" messages. In addition to that, I also got " Due to the telephone company having trouble, you're call could not be completed at this time". Dang.

Who goes home this week? If you're name aint Adam Lambert, you're in danger. Yeah, it could go either way. If the world is in anyway right this week, then Danny's gone for sure. Last week's performance is gonna catch up to him, he got friggin lucky to make it to this week. I won't be overly surprised to see them toss Kris under the bus. It'll all depend on how well Simon really liked the Kanye number. We all know that the people running the show really have last say. If they think a Kris/Adam Finale will be better for ratings, they'll keep him. If not, then he's gone.




Wednesday, May 6, 2009

The Star, the teen, the wallflower and the Cringe-worthy earworm

So the folks at American Idol had one helluva week. Let me rephrase, they had a helluva show day. First their stage manager fell down a 20 foot staircase and THEN one of their decorative balls exploded. oh man that sounded bad...titters uncontrollably. As a result the kids didnt get to have their usual dress rehearsal and the stage looked a wreck for showtime. They not only had their own song to learn but instead of 2 solos, they had to work one of their songs as a duet as well. If that wasn't bad enough, they also had this to deal with. I have to laugh because I'd already picked out a video to link to for that earlier this morning and then found that one on that nefarious site. I suspect the ONLY reason he'll make it through this week is because of them.

This week had Slash as the kids' mentor. He was better than I suspected he'd be.

Adam (Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin): Ok. What can I say at this point? Nadda damn thing. He did his usual thang up there, enough to bring out the squealing-thong-throwing-at-the-tv-set fan-girly in me. So much so that my hubby threatened to toss me into an ice cold shower... Adam didn't do much with it, no reworking it, just a straight performance. It is precisely what he NEEDED to do though. He threw the gauntlet down and not many were able to come even close. Adam took the stage and owned it. Not as much as he usually does, but enough to get the job done. Well , we don't know what kind of condition the stage truly was in at that point so he may have backed off a bit just for safety's sake. He's the only one that Charted in green this week with a 1-2/ 1st listing. Adam got the lion's share of the states on the Maps this week coming in with a 23 rating (24 wins and only 1 loss).

Allison (Cry Baby by Janis Joplin): This artist was a perfect fit vocally for Allison. I'm not so certain on the song. Randy was right in that it needed a bit more than just the "cry baby" for the good part of the song. I disagree with Kara, I'm really glad that she did NOT pick Piece of My Heart because that one is so very over done. I still stand by my original thought that Me and Bobby Mcgee would have been an awesome choice as it shows a range in dynamics. It would have given some dimension to the performance. Her other choice had been Someone to Love by Jefferson Starship (which would have been an AWESOME pick for her, by the way). Simon thought it was by Queen, but that one's actually called Somebody to Love (and this song wouldn't have done her any favors because I don't think she has the upper range for it). The Chart has her listed as 2-4/dead last place and the Maps rate her a -3 (7 wins and 10 losses). It didnt help her any that they tossed her in front of the bus this week.

Danny and Kris (Renegade by Styx): Ok. You see this coming, considering my online nick, right? I absolutely HATED this duet (yeah, I thought it was really THAT bad). It started ok and in SOME parts the harmonies were ok, but this was a slaughtering of one of my favorites. They were pitchy and down right bloody AWFUL. Between the breathing where they shouldn't be (you simply do NOT break up a sentence with a gasp guys), the notes that should have been sustained that weren't and the fact Danny was screaming the last section of the song to the point you couldn't hear the harmonies if you tried (dude...it's a duet...that means BOTH NEED TO BE HEARD!). Thank goodness they didnt attempt my absolute fav. I would have had to change my nick for sure. Ugh! and Simon said DANNY was the better of the two???!!!??? Oh Fk NO! The look on Kris' face pretty much summed up how he felt about it. He stood about as far away from Danny as he could and when Danny reached behind him to be all buddy buddy with him, Kris patted him maybe once and stepped away from him and closer to Ryan. I think he pretty much knew that Danny screwed him over and forgot to use the KY ,never mind the warming kind... ANY version would have been great right about then!

Kris (Come Together by The Beatles): This was an adequate performance but on a night that you really needed to stand out, he failed. This definitely wasnt a good night for him. He didnt really stand out, he didn't look the part, he was shoved in the middle of the line-up AND he was stuck with the primadonna for the duet. Top things all off the judges tossed him infront of the bus right behind Allison. Kris said his other choice had been Revolution, but he really wasn't feeling it. I'm wondering which version he was listening to. Personally, I think he should have pulled out the laid back version from the white album, that woulda been absolutely HAWT and right in his wheelhouse. The Chart has him listed 2-4/3rd place and the Maps have him rated as -11 (4 wins and 15 losses). It's an extremely good bet that he's gone this week. A real shame because he really deserves to be there one more week.

Danny (Dream On by Aerosmith): Oh hell to the fk NO! There is NO ONE on this show that should even contemplate attempting ANYTHING by Steven Tyler with the exception of Adam. Let's just say the ONLY good thing about this performance was the fact we got to see what a blathering idiot Kara is. She makes Paula look like a friggin Einstein this year. I really do think the only reason why Paula is even lucid this year is because Kara has been using up her stash. If you're going to critique a contestant, please know your music. Crazy and Crying were NOT early Aerosmith, you damned idiot. They weren't released until the early 90's ('94 and '93 respectively)...I remember seeing their videos when they were "Brand Spankin New" on VH1. You don't get any earlier in Aerosmith than with Dream On. Ugh. And do I ~really~ need to remind anyone of that last note? I didn't think so, that's why I used a different one in that last link. The Chart has him listed as 1-4/2nd place (WTF???) and the Maps have him with a zero rating (11 wins and 11 losses). If he manages to squeak through, you can thank VFTW for doing their jobs and the judges for attempting to throw some SUTA when they knew they really shouldn't.

Allison and Adam (Slow Ride by Foghat): THAT.WAS. HAWT! "That was the BOMB" doesn't even BEGIN to cut it. Danny and Kris' duet was friggin amaturish in comparison. I really hope Simon's right and this duet squeaked Allison into the Top 3.


Ok, so who is in the B-2?

Based upon performance?

It should be:

Kris (less than memorable)

Danny (dryheaves-worthy performance!!!)

However, I deeply suspect that Allison will take Danny's place at the bottom. Why? Because she and Kris were tossed under the bus and the judges attempted to put a good spin on Danny's performance even though the faintest of praise was completely undeserved.

Again, Im going to do my pinkslip pick upon the info on the Maps. Yeah the Chart's really close, but I suspect just enough was done to save one, too much done to save another and as a result Kris will end up going home.



Monday, May 4, 2009

Matt on Ellen


Matt ellen
by krunkyou


Gotten from MJ's site. Normally I dont bother with the exit interviews and such but when MJ said in her entry
"Ellen got so excited, she jumped on the piano as he performed. Matt didn’t miss a beat…"
I KNEW I just HAD to share it. Ellen's such a trip and MJ's right, being the performer he is, Matt didnt miss a beat at all. In fact he added to the song in response to it.

You could be the first, right?


I just love how Adam lets him twist in the wind uncomfortably for a few seconds before giving an answer. You could see on his face he KNEW where the interviewer wanted to go and was just waiting for it BUT wasn't going to acknowledge anything if it wasnt stated directly.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The Standards, like we have never heard some of them...

I told my Idol-viewing buddy, Chicagolady that this was going to be a good week. When she pointed out that it's entirely possible that it was going to be a terrible trainwreck, I said that either way it would be a good week. I'd either gleefully write about all the wonderful performances OR I'd gleefully pick the crap out of them. Promising her that, I must make this post as gleeful as humanly possible. Knowing what I do after my analyzing, though, I do reserve the right to use one "oh noes!" moment though.

When I found out Jamie Foxx was going to be the mentor, I very audibly gave off a WTF. My husband very gently pointed out that he'd played the part of Ray Charles in that one movie (Ray) AND he'd been in "some other movie of the same type" (Dreamgirls). My response? Yeah so what, just because he played the parts does NOT mean he can walk the walk. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Mr Foxx was a very capable mentor this week (well at least until he got to Danny and Adam when he became a babbling idiot). When he suggested changes and the kids implemented said changes, their performances actually weren't that bad. I even ~liked~ (to an extent) Matt's performance. Yeah, I know. I'm shocked I had to type that one too.

The next WTF moment came when it was made known that there would only be one song each tonight. Hasn't it been SOP that the Top5 had to sing 2 songs a piece? Yeah, I thought so. However, since they added the 4th judge (who, personally, doesnt add much more than the OD'ed clapping seal does) AND since each judge is so egomaniacal in believing that their analysis is more important than anyone else's thereby blathering on and on about each contestant; plus the show would catch flak for eliminating the kids' packages... well I can see cutting a performance from each in an effort to come in on time. This meant we were stuck with LOADS of crap and commercials. Suffice to say, Idol was able to pay their bills (and then some) this week. Oh...and they STILL came in a good 2 minutes OVER SCHEDULE. Someone wanna explain HTF they managed that?? If they'd skipped the additional stool interview, they would have come in on time. Not many of us really wanted to hear from "Doug" anyhow.

Everyone lost states this week, some more than others. Everyone was also listed at 1-5 yellow B3 so I won't be adding that to the analysis (will this shorten the review... hell no). Again, I'll be relying on the Maps because the Chart just doesnt match up at all (a kid with the highest won states was listed as 3rd in Chart, you figure it out) and the Maps have been the most accurate of the two all season.

Kris (The Way You Look Tonight): Of the 5, Kris was the only one that J.F. expressed an interest (on air that is) in recording an album with. I'm not entirely certain how I feel about that because I'm really not so keen on the stuff he's put out to date, but we'll take the compliments where they come for now. At least it's good to know that there is definitely a future beyond Idol for Kris. Most especially since I'm not certain how big of a fan-base he has at this point. With him falling to the bottom of the Charts weekly yet doing well in the Maps, his fan base is kinda all over there; plus if MJ's any indication, he's splitting votes with Allison. How, I'll never know as they are like apples and oranges those two. I thought his song was nicely executed this week. I'm a bit worried about the singing position and the fact he chose one of the slowest flippin songs to do. With every chance that you're going to end up singing first (and you have to admit with each person that goes home those odds get higher) during a certain week, you need to pick something that's going to be a bit memorable. Something with a bit more something to it.... Fly Me to the Moon, I Won't Dance, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, Luck Be a Lady Tonight...there are plenty that were uptempo enough to cover some of the glitches he gets at times that would have grabbed everyone's attention. If he ends up in the B3 (and at this late stage of the game, it's very likely), it'll be because of singing position. He rated 4th in the Chart and scored a 2 on the Maps (7 wins and 5 losses). With a first singing position, Simon's lukewarm review AND those numbers working against him , it's highly possible he'll be in the B3. Although, now we're at the Top5 they may just make it a B2.

Allison (Someone to Watch Over Me): Way to go J.F. ! As if the judges weren't beating us over the head with how young she is (OMG...did y'all know she's ONLY 16..oops 17??? Damn!) YOU had to go and point out that she isn't old enough to have really experienced what this song talks about. Wait. Didn't I say that not too long ago ? I most certainly did. So what does J.F do? He suggests she think about the love from her parents to her flowing out to the audience... ok, yeah right. It was nice but I wasn't sold on it at all. I'm sure there were scores of other songs that would have been better choices for her voice. There was a bit of SUTA from Randy and the applauding seals but none from Simon. With singing in the second position of the night and Simon's panning, you'd think she's in danger right? I would suspect it too. However, she Charted at 3rd (which still puts her in the B3) and scored a 14 on the Maps (16 wins and only 2 losses) garnering the Lion's Share for the week. A surprise as it's been a position that Danny and Adam have been fighting over for weeks. I see a few (MJ) that are calling her as in danger this week. I'm going to go with my gut and call her safe this week. Do I think she deserved it? Nope, her performance wasn't all that.

Matt (Funny Valentine): J.F suggested a key change and for Matt to use his full voice. This was a wise choice as it could have been much much worse than it was. It wasn't nearly as good as this (even Randy liked this one and of the 3 Simon gave this one the highest praise) or even as good as this (he wasn't my fave, but he did perform this song well). Thank goodness he hid "Doug" tonight. That thing is distracting as all hell. Now that I'm listening to his song again, I don't even think it was as good as I thought it was last night. It started off really rough. That last glory note on the end was in tune though. Randy's 6 out of 10, was bloody well generous. If it was a freebee performance in a bar and I had a slight buzz going, I wouldn't walk out. I'd damn well want some of whatever Simon and Paula were noshin on last night though, for sure. Matt is listed as dead last on the Chart and scored a -8 on the Maps (5 wins and 13 losses). It's possible that for the first time in WEEKS the Chart may actually have it right. Matt's in highest danger of the B3 and I suspect he just may be going home this week.

Danny (Come Rain or Shine): Ok. I didnt get much out of the package with J.F. sorry. He babbled a bit and somehow managed to get Danny to do what he wanted. Whatev. It worked. I thought this was actually one of Danny's better performances. He didn't go full blast the whole time, kept it reined in until an appropriate point in the song and then ripped loose. Very nice but I think this one is actually a tad better (and I wasn't a fan of hers either so no hatin, 'k?). Randy's right about the fact Danny could do an album of standards and it'd sell big (hey, it's working for Barry Manilow and Rod Stewart). There was alot of SUTA for him this week. I hate to say it, it was pretty much deserved. I still don't like him much. The Chart has him in 1st place and on the Maps he scored a 9 (13 wins and 4 losses).I feel very certain he won't be in the B3 tonight.

Adam (Feeling Good): J.F. basically said if Adam sang this song the way he did during the mentoring session, he was going to knock everyone's head off. Is it me or does it look like Adam's put on a couple pounds? It's not really noticable in the full length shots because of the clothing, but when they tighten up for the close-ups, well he looks a tad puffier than I remember (by about 5-10 pounds). Ah well. Holy cow that glory note... he makes it look so effortless.... followed by a lower not so sustained note used as a punctuation mark, Im sure. I think Kara summed up best that he's shocking, in a good way.....confusing, shocking and sleazy. Yeah, that's Adam. I loved Simon's comment about how Randy complaining about Adam's theatrics was like complaining about a cow mooing. Better yet was him banning Ryan from the stairs because Adam had the best entrance all year. That strut...oooh. Ok, so this wasn't a throw the panties at the tv set while squealing like a fangirly performance for me, but I really enjoyed it. Actually even on a bad day, Adam out-performs most of the others on that stage. He's in a class all by himself. The Chart placed him in 2nd, HOWEVER the Maps tell another story. He scored a -2 (2 wins and 6 losses). Oh noes. Nope, Styxie's not a happy camper at all this week.


Ok so who truly belongs in the B3 based on performances?
Matt
Allison
Kris

Who will actually make the trip?
Matt
Adam
Kris

Home this week, if the Maps are right, Matt and his pet parasitic alien "Doug". If the show decides to go for a shocker (which we've yet to have)? Adam.




Saturday, April 25, 2009

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Wait! Where was the trainwreck?

So every year that Idol decides to do a disco or dance night theme, it's traditionally a trainwreck and then some. It's almost as fun as the total cacophony of the audition rounds. Although this week's show wasnt bad, I can't exactly say that it was completely dissonance-free either. Again, only two people stood out from among those that took the stage and neither really needs this show at this point. It would almost be a relief to see them booted because we all know what Idol will make them put out as their first albums. What was also most apparent were the weak links of the rest of the group. They were the weak links last week and they still are this week. Sadly, they are out of their element here and have been for a while now.

The DI Chart seems to be really wonky again this week so I'll be basing my picks on what the Maps tell us. You'll see why with the very first contestant. Everyone's listed in the B3 yellow this week, more than likely because 2 will be going home this week. Basically, DI's hedging their bets and calling everyone unsafe.

Lil (I'm Every Woman by Chaka Khan): I really liked her look tonight. She looked really pretty with some wave in her hair. It was one of her better performances but she was still off somewhat. Being off somewhat at this point of the competition is not a good thing though. By now you MUST be spot on, and she wasn't. Working against her tonight was being first to sing. Did you hear that *THUMP*? It was the bus the judges threw her under this week. That other *THUMP*? Was the bus backing up and hitting her again. There weren't even any skidmarks showing they tried to stop. Worse yet, Ryan gave her time to be her argumentative, whiny self. Lil really needs to learn to shut up. All she manages to do is make herself look ignorant. Things really don't look good for her this week; I don't care WHAT that stinking Chart says. The Chart has her rated as 1-6/ 1st listing. The Maps are a bit more telling and scored her at a -6 with 3 wins and 9 losses. Yeah, now ya see why I say the Chart's wonky. Working FOR her this week is the fact she's the VFTW poster child AND that Rickey from http://www.rickey.org/ has started a movement called Vote for the First in an effort to offset the deadly first position singing placement. I doubt that either will do any good as it seems like too many people want Lil gone. The Chart's been off for a couple weeks now but the Maps have been pretty close to accurate. I'm going to call Lil as a B3 with the highest possibility of going home.

Kris (She Works Hard For the Money by Donna Summer): When Ryan announced what Kris was going to be singing, I was thinking "Oh, no...WTH??" It was bad enough he was singing in the second position tonight (which means he really had to sell it this week) but that song???? However, he told it like the story it is and really worked it out. I ~LOVED~ this performance. It was fresh, it was original, and could be on the radio today. I won't be surprised if his studio recording gets some airplay this week. I wouldn't be surprised if it got as much spin time as Adam's. The Chart rated him a 1-7/6th listing and he scored a 5 on the Maps (7 wins and 2 losses). I don't believe he's going home this week. The only way he will is if there is a HUGE shocker this week. However, there were 4 that scored lower and only one that tied with him on the Maps. Of the two that tied, Kris' performance was the superior one.

Danny (September by Earth, Wind and Fire): What? No song about death or missing a loved one? Are we sure this is Danny on stage? Oh wait. When'd he meet his wife for the first time? If anyone tells me the 21 of September, Im gonna hurl. I was kinda meh on his performance. Yes, it's one of his better ones, but it still wasn't great. Im afraid he peaked too soon in the competition and is slowly making his way out the door. He just really lacks something. Well that and the smug/smarmy/whatever look he always seems to have on his mug. The Chart has him listed at 1-7/3rd place and the Maps rate him a 4 (5 wins and 1 loss). I don't believe he's going home either although there's a possibility they'll toss him in the B3 just to shake up the fanbase somewhat.

Allison (Hot Stuff by Donna Summer): I hated the outfit, she looked like she'd been attacked by a drunk Bedazzler fanatic. I'm still not sure if I'm liking this version of the song, although I will admit it was original enough to be remembered easier than Lil's performance. Ok, ok...so 3 people stood out....sheesh. Thank goodness no one mentioned she's *gasp* ONLY 16! The Chart has her at a 3-7/LAST listing and the Maps put her at a 5 (6 wins and 1 loss). Yeah. I told ya the Chart was messed up. We must remember that Kris sat in the last place for 2 weeks running and never went home. She's the one tied with Kris in the Maps and his performance was the better of the two. *IF* anyone with a Map rating as high as Kris and Allison was put into the B3, I suspect it'll be her turn at the trip to the stools. It would really serve her right for this though:
http://twitter.com/AllisonOfficial

hey for the countrys who are tuned in.. ALSO VOTE FOR LIL ROUNDS !....The judges were harsh...but prove em wrong keep her in ! wish me luck
Could you imagine if SHE ended up in the B3 and then voted out while Lil got to stay? Heh. Can ya say ironic?

Adam (If I Cant Have You by Yvonne Elliman): You know what was best thing about his performance? The fact he steered clear of any obvious choices. Ya know the ones I'm thinking of...ABBA or anything that had been touched by ANY of the Brothers Gibb (although of all the kids this year, I'm sure Adam's the only one who can sing those notes Barry used to hit). Ok, it wasnt Mad World or even Tracks of My Tears, but it was a very nice rendition of this song. He slowed it down so it was very tender and then wrapped it up into a real tear-jerker. Sadly, the song ended much too soon! I can't wait to hear the studio version of this puppy. As has been the norm, Adam got the lion's share of the states this week even though he did have some losses. The Chart rated him a 1-6/2nd listing and the Maps rated him a 9 (12 wins and 3 losses). A better arrangement on that song might have helped him out some there. Adam's was my second favorite performance of the night.

Matt (Stayin Alive by The Bee Gees): I promise, I won't rant about this one...this time. Yes, the guy can sing and he does stay on key for the most part. However, I hate when he butchers the hell out of songs and goes off-track with the runs he does (his voice has the runs, maybe...). As much as I want to say I really hated this performance, I can't, because there were a few moments in it that were really kinda nice. I stand corrected that Adam's the only one this year that could hit those Barry Gibb notes. Matt's biggest problem is that he tries too damn hard and when he really over-works it, like this week, he doesn't have the breath support to keep those sustained notes...well, properly sustained. I am thankful he chose to camoflage Doug tonight, though (oh yeah, I SO. went. there. ). The THUMPS you heard tonight? Yeah he was tossed under the bus as well. The Chart put him at 1-7/5th listing and the Maps rated him a 2 (5 wins and 3 losses). I'm pretty sure he'll hit the B3 this week. The only thing that is up in the air is if he'll go home with Lil (yeah, Im really sure Lil' Ms Attitude is gone this week).

Anoop (Dim All The Lights by Donna Summer): Not bad, not great. That last note was horrendous. I like the scruff. I guess it probably hides that lip sweat he tends to get when his performances are viewed on an analog tv. It did nothing to hide it on the HD though. It's a toss up on which performance was worst, his or Matt's. With the Chart putting him at 1-7/4th listing and the Maps rating him a 2 (4 wins and 2 losses), I'm certain he's in the B3 again this week. The second one going home is going to be the hardest to pick this week.


Who belongs in the B3 this week? The same ones from last week. Nothing changed there. All of them are pretty much out of their leagues here.

Lil

Matt

Anoop


I said last week that it was possible that one would be a given and one might be a shock so I'm going to toss Allison in there too. Why? Because she's sitting at the bottom of the Chart right now and the only ones that would be a shock to go at this point are Allison, Kris or Adam. She also got some mixed reviews on her performance. Although the ones that had anything critical to say were Randy and Kara and we all know that no one really listens to those idiots.

Who goes home?

Lil: Absolutely sure on this one. With a -6 rating in the Maps and 9 lost states, plus the tire marks on her back courtesy of the judges tossing her under the bus AND the snarky attitude she's always giving off these days....this pick is really a no brainer.


The hard part is going to be picking the second to go home. Matt or Anoop? Of the two, Matt's performance (according to the Maps) was better. However, Anoop rated higher in the Chart AND had the coveted pimp spot. I've never known a pimp-spotter to go home. They hit B3 now and again (Lil...last week), but to go home is almost unheard of... at least that I can remember. I'm going to throw caution to the wind and call Matt as the second out this week.