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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Where Did the Love Go?

Last night, the judges could  neither see nor hear a wrong note, a schmaltzy performance, a tired arrangement or anything remotely not fabulous about the boys.  Wake up call.  America voted.  And if dialidol.com is accurate, Nigel ripped the judges new ones today for not giving the audience more *direction* in their comments. The voters did NOT cooperate with their plans and there will be some surprises on Thursday.  So, the ladies take the brunt of the judge's dereliction of duty last night and almost none escaped the judges without at least a tiny criticism.

First up is Chelsea, one of the THREE country gals in the top 12( the producers have Lauren Alaina holdover even though she was not country when it was not cool).  Chelsea is pretty, wore a top that pushed her boobs up and did an ok job with a Carrie Underwood song (Cowboy Casanova) that was not really designed to strike much of a chord in anyone who is not a fervent Carrie Underwood or country fan.  My prediciton is  Chelsea won't see Friday morning in Idol land.

Erika Van Pelt, for whom I had high hopes, sings *What About Love*.  Its a decent enough job but not a *moment*.  I think it is Randy who says she has an Adele vibe. I don't know if she will survive the vote.  I hope she does. 

Speaking of Adele, why didn't they just give each girl a song from the Adele CD because clearly the judges and Nigel are obsessed with Adele (or at least her record sales).  I'm late to Adele love and she deserves all the accolades and record sales and fame but if I want to hear Adele I will play Adele and not someone Idol has packaged to be an Adele copycat.  We have had three Adele songs in two nights and that is enough copying Adele.

Jenn Hirsch sings Adele's One and Only.  She has a good mix between power notes and restrained singing and I like her but she is not very showy and I'm not sure America will like her.  She SHOULD be in the top six girls and I hope she is.

Next up is Snookie Brielle.  And her mother.

 
Brielle is a cheerleader too!  I wonder how many girls mama had to intimidate to make that happen?  

Brielle starts off too low and enunciates drunkenly.  Then she gets up and tries to bluesy it up.  She got way too much praise for this mess.  I hope she is gone after tomorrow night.

One of my early favorites, Hallie Day, is up next singing *Feeling Good*.  I really wish she had done a different song because all I could think of was the Jennifer Hudson Weight Watchers Commercial and how I need to sign up for Weight Watchers.  I think she did a very good job with it and hope she stays but she may not attract a following as despite her amazing good looks, she is rather low key.  Randy pulls the same crap on her he did on Haley last year asking her *What Kind of Artist Are You Going To Be?*  I really wish she had said *NOT Adele*. 

Skylar Laine is the second of the country gals and she is the real deal.  I loved her manic jumping around on the stage!  I think she is going to get the country vote over Chelsea and Baylie.  She is really authentic...love her or hate her.

Poor Baylie Brown.  What is she doing there?  She was another one who *came back* after being cut in Hollywood several years back after a disastrous group round with Antonella Barber and her sidekick mean Jersey girl.  I think the country folk are going to vote for Skylar or Chelsea and Baylie had her last performance.

I love Holly Cavanaugh but Randy was right..that song was awfully big for her.  I hope she makes it.

Haley Johnson sings Sweet Dreams and I didn't think it was as bad as Randy thought it was although it doesn't have a lot of range to it.  She tried to add some range to it and that is where she got into trouble.  It sounded worse to me when it was replayed at the end.  She is just one blonde too many and I think she is going home.

Shannon Magraine, whose father is a former pro baseball pitcher who pitched in a World Series awhile ago, comes out in her virginal white pageant dress as if she is a finalist for Junior Miss Palm Beach (or wherever the mansion she lives in is located).  There was no doubt in my mind  she was going to sing some *We Are The World* big old ballad and she did.  Shannon thought it was a risky song choice.  Yeah, about as risky as Kristy Lee Cook singing *God Bless the USA*.  If she progresses she will sing only ballads and only feel good ones.  Randy thinks her vibrato is just marvelous.  A few weeks ago, he said he hated vibrato when  Angie Ziederman had one but now that some waspy blonde has one, vibrato is a good thing.  Randy doesn't like quirky...it makes him wonder *what kind of artist* you are.  He probably would have cut Adele in Hollywood because he  couldn't figure out what kind of artist she was.  Maybe, Randy, you just don't know s*!& from shinola when it comes to women singers.  Shannon will probably make it through but I won't be happy about it.

Jessica Sanchez had voice problems all week so we are told by her not to expect much.  Then she blows it out of the auditorium.  I didn't like her song choice but she can sing and at least she doesn't come out wearing a pageant gown.  I think she will make it through.  If not, she will be a wild card.  Randy mentions vibrato again. 

Finally, Elise Testone.  I'm sorry I said she was manly and looked rough.  She is not manly but she does look a little rough (or as we used to say *earthy*).  Did she sing the same Adele song as Jenn Hirsch?  I like her and hope she stays but really...if they are going to repeat Adele songs why didn't one of them sing *Set  Fire to The Rain* so we could at least hear it (as the only thing I heard when Eben supposedly sang it was the band).

Maybe its just me but I think the girls overall were far superior to the guys.  That doesn't mean a girl will win.  

And, a bit of gossip which may or may not be true.  The contestants didn't really pick the songs they sang.  They came up with a list of songs they might like to sing but the Producers told them which song they had to sing.  

So, tomorrow we see what is up.  I will give you a hint based on the Dialidol results for the men. I think we will be disappointed in the ones voted in, if Dialidol is accurate and therefore at least 2 of the wild cards will be men.  Let me just say this...Nigel isn't going to be pulling any *surprises* for awhile. 


Cut it already, I'm over you.

Well, the judges thought everyone was pooping rainbows and unicorns.  But for the rest of America it was, for the most part, a brutal 2 hours.  I'm ready for most of these yahoos to take off.

Reed Grim - Takes my 2 year old's favorite song and turns it into something that sounds like it belongs in a porno movie - bow chicka bowwow.  Ever seen the horror movie Monkey Shines?  Does he not look just like a cymbal playing monkey on those tiny drums?!  No, no, no Randy.  He is NO Casey!!


Gokey 2.0 - Pulls out the "large black woman"/"white chocolate" self-promotional-label and then sings Aretha.  I actually don't mind an emotional man (I like to see a "good heart"), but even I can't get over his sobbing. 


DeAndre Brackensick - Bad singer, Good hair.  A picture is worth 1,000 words:

Colton Dickson - Certainly didn't "shock" anyone used to seeing him at a piano, and it was FAR from "risky", but it was a breath of fresh air after the 1st 3 guys.  Keep it up and I might be able to overlook the fact that he's living his sister's dream.  


Jeremy Rosato - I hate to send him back to the infectious disease center so soon, but he's not gonna last.  It wasn't terrible, I guess.  


Aaron Marcellus - I couldn't get past the silver astronaut jacket.  


Chase Likens - Even the judges (who are praising EVERYONE) had a hard time complimenting him on his vocals.  They talked more about his looks, because, you know, this competition is about "showing America who you are"?!?


Creighton Fraker - What a weirdo, right?  Never in a million years would you think he'd be my favorite of the night!  And the judges seemed a bit shocked that he was, huh, pretty stinkin' incredible!


Phillip Phillips - I rolled my eyes once or twice when it started, but I think I might have been captivated by the end, and I think I might like him.


Eban Frankewitz - There are 2 women I'd leave my husband for.  Adele is one of them.  How dare you, Eban, how dare you.  You have earned a spot on my list:





Heejun Han - I think I'm the only person in America who thinks he's more annoying than funny.  But damn it, he pretty much killed Angels.  Fantastic!  (Did J-Lo say, "you can blow"?)  How did the judges give HIM, of all the shitty guys tonight, mediocre comments?    

Mantasia - How does he have a nickname when this is the 1st we've seen of him?  Mr.KK thinks he'll be another Jacob, but we still liked him ... for now.  If he starts to dance like Jacob, I'm out.

"Gentle Giant Jermaine" - The nickname really rubs me the wrong way.  But it doesn't matter because I don't think he'll be around much longer (even though his song was sweet and his mama hug was sweeter.)