"Idol" Top 11, Then 10: Through The Fire

Once upon a time, I did my "Idol" recap on time (more or less...OK, maybe not on time, but at least that same week :) ), and I made it the quickest recap I've ever done (again, more or less). Well, this time around I have to cover two weeks in a row, and I have probably less time than I did two weeks ago, so let's get this recap rolling. (And preemptively, since the results show is about to start...SAVE DIDI!)

• First off, Paige Miles's ouster last week was rather imminent. Paige truly didn't do well at all with Phil Collins' languid hit "Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)," and with the fact that the previous four weeks were also ranging from "fiery trainwreck of doom" to "well, I guess you did OK, since you had laryngitis," I'm not too sad that Paige missed out on the tour. (I am sad, however, that Tim didn't miss out...see below for evidence of my contempt towards the hopeless waif.)
• Siobhan Magnus: Last week's "Superstition," I thought, was dang good. People may have derided the return of the "Siobhan Scream" for yet another week, but I thought it really fit, and Siobhan just really owned the song (scatting in the coda! heck yes!) in her own special way. This week, I wish I could say the same, but I can't. While one of my roommates who's not quite sold on Ms. Magnus (or "Idol" in general) was sitting right next to me, to my horror, Siobhan failed to hit a majority of her notes, and her performance was rather ghastly. I hope she's not in danger (after all, the judges even took time to point out she's been stellar EVERY week up until now), but then again, when Siobhan got the dreaded first slot, and this is the voting public that gave Allison Iraheta a deeply unfair fourth-place finish, I can't help but worry a bit.
• Casey James: Last week, I have to admit I didn't exactly watch Casey's performance all the way through. Sorry. But from what I've seen, it was good but bland, as Casey usually is. Same this week...why were the judges so excited? It was the same middle-of-the-road, competent rock that Casey has been delivering every week. The song was horribly repetitive ("Hold on, I'm comin'"...it would have normally been fine, except Casey didn't variate his lines very much at all), and Casey lacked a lot of soul. I'm smelling a 6th or 7th place finish for this guy if he doesn't significantly be...somewhat interesting.
• Michael Lynche: Last week started off great ("When A Man Loved A Woman," for those of you who missed/forgot it), all smooth and intimate and reined-in, and then Big Mike went all overblown-Vegas lounge singer on us. This week was better, I have to admit, but I still thought his version of India.Arie's "Ready for Love" (which I need to listen to, I've never heard it but I'm a recent fan of hers) was still a bit too overcooked for my taste. It didn't grab me as much as it should have. Hmmm....I think I might have fallen off the Big Mike Bandwagon.
• Didi Benami: I fear for Didi. I fear for her a lot. Last week's performance of "You're No Good" was excellent, I thought (I must have bought her supposed 'vamp' act, I thought she seemed very comfortable on stage and interacting with the bass player and stuff), but it got torn apart by the judges. This week was even worse, turnout-wise. I have to admit, Didi's take on "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" was too overdone and she was straining far too hard for some of the notes. (And why did she pick that song anyhow? The last person on "Idol" who covered it was utterly forgettable season 8 semifinalist, and strangely, the first person I ever saw perform live on an "Idol" live show, Kai Kalama, and he sucked it up.) But is she "lost," as the judges perplexingly intoned? Does she deserve to go home in any way, shape, or form? Was her performance a trainwreck? Lord no. Once again I shout with all the energy I can, SAVE DIDI, DANG IT!
• Tim Urban: Now if you're looking for a prime candidate for elimination, here's your guy. From Tim's flat, flip, and cruise-ship-esque (I know I hate Simon for repeating "cruise ship singer" constantly, but it actually would have applied very well in this case) 'performance' of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" to his deer-in-the-headlights look on his soulless "Sweet Love" (hmmm, two "love" songs in a row, random), he is decidedly dead weight to the Season 9 "Idol" finals. He flippantly laughs when the judges rip him apart (yay, Ellen stopped calling him adorable!), he looks like he's about to ask for a dog treat when 'singing,' and I just want him to GO. NOW. Please?
• Andrew Garcia: Concise moment time! I think. "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" was cold and awkward. Andrew didn't sell it at all. This week, Andrew is back! For the first time since the sadly underappreciated "Sugar, We're Goin' Down" in the semifinals, Mr. Garcia played to his strengths and delivered a soulful, committed, and heartwarmingly good acoustic reworking of a popular song NOT by a female pop princess. ("Forever" never sounded so good.) I loved it. (I loved his mom's delightful and distinctively Latin antics just as much. :) ) I was about ready to give up on Andrew for failing too many times, but he's won his way back into my heart.
• Katie Stevens: Her version of "Big Girls Don't Cry" last week may have been current, but it was often tuneless and devoid of life. I didn't really go for it at all. This week, "Chain of Fools" was a muddled mess...I literally was begging for it to be over only about a minute through. Sure, Katie hit significantly more correct pitches than she has in probably the last four weeks combined--but it was incredibly "robotic," like Simon correctly noticed, and it just didn't live up to Aretha at all. (A very astutely hilarious commenter at USA Today shared my observation that Katie singing the lyric "for 5 long years I thought you were my man" meant that she apparently has loved a man since the age of 12. :) ) Katie, if you end up going home tonight, which because you 'improved,' you probably won't, I still won't shed a tear. Not one. Sorry.
• Lee DeWyze: Crap, running out of time. I didn't dig either of his performances these past two weeks, though I admit they were improvements. He's ironed out his pitch issues, but even his supposedly breakthrough performance last night of "Treat Her Like A Lady" was still unbearably scratchy and overshot, and his personality is still nonexistent. If Lee makes it to the finals, I just may be driven to drink. (Orange juice?? Well, I indeed haven't consumed that in a while.)
• And Crystal Bowersox, who was amazing, and Aaron Kelly, who was certainly not, will just have to wait until after I return from an engagement I am heading off to attend. I may create a separate post for them (combined with my reaction to the results...SAVE DIDI, PEOPLE!...of both "Idol" and "DWTS"). Or I'll just delete this and add them to this post. We shall see. For now, adios!

DWTS Weeks 1 & 2, Part II: They're Still Standing??

Part II has arrived. No introductions needed, I would think. Let's boogie!

• Nicole Scherzinger & Derek Hough (25 for Viennese waltz; 28 for jive): Well, I can definitely say I was surprised in this case. Nicole is DANG good at dancing. Her Viennese waltz last week was captivating, and I really loved it. That said...I'm not quite a fan of her, for two reasons... A) The four live shows she spent obnoxiously living in her own dream world as a 'judge' (Ha!) on "The Sing-Off" have not been forgotten...the woman's completely mad, and B) She needs dramatically more clothes and tact. Her jive last night was full of energy, content, and precision...but she wore next to nothing. I understand asking for modesty on "DWTS" is like asking for lactose-intolerant people to eat only cheese, but really...tone down the ho-ness, Nicole. I might like you a bit better for it.
• Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy (21 for cha cha; 23 for foxtrot): (Good Lord, Maksim's name is hard to spell...still...) I didn't get the chance to catch Erin's rehearsal footage last week, but I thought her dance was a'ight. This week, I had the pleasure of watching her and Maks practice their foxtrot, and I've fallen under Erin's spell. She's a charmer, and her foxtrot (although she had the bad luck of being saddled with a decidedly un-foxtrot-y number, "Love Story") was rather delightful. She needs a bit more finesse in terms of technique, but I really like her and her dancing abilities. Hopefully she'll go far...and not become this season's Natalie Coughlin (the rapidly improving sporty girl who gets eliminated way too quickly...oh bother, I'm sensing a pattern with these...).
• Pamela Anderson & Damian Whitewood (21 for cha cha; 22 for foxtrot): Oh, Pamela. What are we to do with you? She's both completely crazy and completely...awkward, but I have to admit, this week she proved she's more than just a run-of-the-mill scandal. Her cha cha last week was little more than (I quote Bruno for once here) "sex, sex, sex" (I kept expecting a stripper pole to appear at any time), but her foxtrot this week, while still leaving a lot wanting in the content and fluidity department, was surprisingly classy for a woman mainly known for posing nude in various magazines. (And her...oh, I won't even go there.) And her outfit last night was probably the longest dress she's ever worn in her life...and it looked mighty stylish. (I'm no fashion enthusiast, but it looked nice and actually covered...things... :) ) So she's making progress, I suppose. (Side note: Between Len's use of "titivating" and Bruno's "Oh, and the dancing was good too," I couldn't stop laughing my head off during the judges' critiques. It was very entertaining. :) )
• Chad Ochocinco & Cheryl Burke (18 for cha cha; 16 for foxtrot): That Chad Ochocinco (used to be Chad Johnson, same name as my home ward bishop, for those of you well-versed in Mormon culture :) ) is a character. His cha cha last week was pretty promising and full of charm and personality, and his rehearsal footage this week was vastly entertaining. He gained himself a follower. That aside...his foxtrot was a bit wooden and Clyde Drexler/Master P-esque. It wasn't so good. Hopefully (yet another comparison to last season, sorry, folks) he's not going to follow the same trajectory of Michael Irvin...that of charming personality and great potential at the beginning, but landing with a thud afterwards. Viva la Ochocinco! (For once, one of my "Viva la ____!" was actually all Spanish! Sort of...)
• Kate Gosselin & Tony Dovolani (16 for Viennese waltz; 15 for jive): Oops, I have to be really quick. Kate's rehearsal footage this week (what the "To Be Continued"???) was painful to watch. (I won't go into the nitty gritty, but it was way too drama-filled.) And her dancing is quite dismal/boring/wooden/please eliminate her this week, America. You made me endure the 'dancing' of Kathy Ireland last season for three dang weeks. So you owe me. :)

I hope Kate, Aiden, or Jake goes home this week. That is all. And once again...viva la DWTS!

DWTS Weeks 1 & 2, Part I: Fly Me To The Moon

I had a week to recap last Monday's season premiere of "Dancing With The Stars," and what did I do? Fail to get it done. So I'm splitting this week's (hopefully concise, like my last "Idol" recap) entry into two, and talking about both performances, in advance of tonight's results show. Let the dancing begin! (Couples recapped in the order they performed last night, not last week.)

• Shannen Doherty & Mark Ballas (18/30 for Viennese waltz; 20/30 for jive): Shannen, she of "90210" diva fame, still has traces of brattiness slightly evident in her rehearsal footage, but she's still a pretty good dancer. I loved her waltz (OK, mostly because of the captivating song choice, Nouvelle Vague's version of "The Killing Moon", but also because of her full-of-potential technique and gracefulness), and her jive was pretty good last night. She's a contender...but I fear unless she steps up her game she'll become like Mark's last partner...promising, but a victim of an early exit.
• Aiden Turner & Edyta Sliwinska (15 for cha cha; 19 for foxtrot): Well, here's someone I don't mind leaving. First, he's paired with Edyta, who wore probably her worst outfit yet (and that's saying something) last week (followed by, ironically, what must be one of her most modest outfits ever this week), and is a general skank, to be frank. (Yes, that rhymed. :) ) Second, his cha cha last week was wooden and uninteresting, and this week's foxtrot still left a lot to be desired. If Aiden ends up going home tonight...which he very well might (gosh, what is with the rhymes?), I won't be unhappy in the slightest.
• Evan Lysacek & Anna Trebunskaya (23 for Viennese; 24 for jive): I loved that Evan won the gold medal in men's figure skating for the U.S., but call me crazy, I'm not exactly a fan of him on "DWTS." His personality slightly rubs me the wrong way for some reason, and on the comparison scale, his style is a bit more Aaron Carter/Lance Bass than Drew Lachey/Gilles Marini. I might warm to him as a contestant, and I'm not calling for his elimination yet, but for now, it's just not my thing.
• Niecy Nash & Louis Van Amstel (18 for cha cha; 21 for foxtrot): Oh, how I love Niecy. She's lively, hilarious, energetic, and just a joy to watch. Her cha cha last week was charming--the steps were a bit off, but it was still fun, and the falling on Louis at the end (that looked almost impromptu at first glance) was a nice touch. Her foxtrot this week was even better...smooth, sultry, graceful, and full of musicality and personality. (Yet again with the rhyming...) I'd love for Niecy to go all the way, and I hope she won't be another David Alan Grier (off-kilter comedian with some fine dancing skills that ends up getting an unfortunate axing way too early). Viva la Niecy!
• Jake Pavelka & Chelsie Hightower (20 for both the Viennese & jive): If I was lazy enough, I would simply put "snooze" for this couple. Because I'm sorry, but Jake (the latest "Bachelor") is just not interesting at all. His Viennese waltz last week was stilted and dull, and his jive this week was 1-800-WAY Too Cheesy (why didn't Len call him out on it? Or did he...I wasn't able to watch the judges' critiques in his case). The word around is that he could be one of the couples in danger. As much as I (used to?? :/ ) love Chelsie, her partner is dead weight. America, feel free to send Jake home.
• Buzz Aldrin & Ashly Costa (14 for cha cha; 12 for foxtrot): Full disclosure...you are reading a recap by a man who loved all the following 'older' contestants: George Hamilton, John Ratzenberger, Tom DeLay (well, mostly...and not as a person) and Cloris Leachman. Really. I did. A lot. So my opinion on Buzz probably won't surprise you...he's a horrible dancer so far, but I love him, and I definitely want him to stay. He's charming as all get out (he called Ashly...YAY, ASHLY'S BACK!...a "babe" last week, which prompted a quite hearty chuckle from yours truly), he's dedicated to the competition, and hello, he's EIGHTY and going through with a nationally televised dance competition! I'm not calling for him to win the Season 10 crown (with two highly dismal weeks so far, he's probably already burned that bridge), but I'd love for him to stay as long as possible. And with other dancers being less beloved and just as bad as Buzz was, I think he may have the chance to do just that. Yay for Buzz!

The last 5 dancers to come toot-sweet (a little old-fashioned phrase in honor of Buzz's coolness :) ). Viva la DWTS!

"Idol" Top 12 Night In A Nutshell: Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday

Well, it's been a week since Tuesday & Wednesday and I still haven't delivered you (whoever you are...are you out there???) a recap from last week's Top 12 performances (and subsequent elimination of one unlucky soul) on "American Idol." Since I am rather pressed for time, and I usually write too much anyway, I am going to attempt an experiment in typing very little for each contestant. (I considered putting all of them in my Twitter box and making sure they stayed under 140 characters, but thought better of it. That would be too annoying... :) ) So here we go. Brandon being concise. This should be interesting. :D

• Michael Lynche, "Miss You": This was kind of fun, but also kind of bland. Michael still sounds a bit flat and stale. And I still haven't become attached to him or his vocals. This is worrisome for him...he could end up an early casualty, after the love wears off.
• Didi Benami, "Play With Fire": Dang, I don't have the time to gush about this. Didi really rocked it last Tuesday...she showed to all those stupid haters that she has a powerful, unique instrument, and that she's here to stay. Her take on this Rolling Stones classic was pitch-perfect, passionate, and just wow. Didi for the win! Or at least for the Final 3. (Crystal, Siobhan, and Didi in the Final 3...I would dance in utter and indescribable joy. :) )
• Casey James, "It's All Over Now": OK, so I did gush about Didi anyway. Casey's guitar playing once again outshined his vocals here. I find little to remember about his performance, except that it didn't really catch my eye. Sorry, Casey. You're just not amazing enough. At all.
• Lacey Brown, "Ruby Tuesday": Poor Lacey. She definitely wasn't the worst this week, and I actually liked her performance a lot. (Maybe it was the spicy string-quartet intro that drew me in. I'm a sucker for strings. :) ) Her vocals were a bit reminiscent of the semifinals' first two weeks' flat-and-pitchy-fest, but they still weren't too bad. So dang that Lacey got sent home. I wish her the best, and hope her and her fellow Southern early-castoff Alexis Grace (from last season) get the dang record deals they deserve.
• Andrew Garcia, "Gimme Shelter": What happened to Andrew? He started off good (I STILL love his semifinal take on "Sugar, We're Going Down", dang it!), then he quite royally tanked. Last Tuesday was no different. It's gotten to the point where I no longer look forward to his performances, when before I awaited them eagerly. He really needs to find his vibe...because otherwise, I won't mind if he gets sent home.
• Katie Stevens, "Wild Horses": Against all odds, I actually kind of dug this. Sure, Katie's low range was neglected like a redheaded stepchild, and she still seems to be a bit pretentious. But those glory notes she hit in the chorus were hints of the goodness she used to bring in Hollywood Week and her audition. I'm not re-attached to Katie yet, but this performance was a vast improvement over the crap she's been delivering lately.
• Tim Urban, "Under My Thumb": Oh my heck, this was dismal. Full disclosure: I'm not familiar with the original song at all, so I'm not as scandalized by Tim's wonky reworking of the (apparently very chauvinistic) Stones song, but that didn't stop me from thinking this performance was quite worthy of elimination. It was sleepy (and I listen to quiet, supposedly 'boring' songs on a regular basis), flat, and disjointed. It was like a poor man's Jason Mrubbish with the flu. For the love of all things Megan Joy, America, SEND THIS BROTHER HOME.
• Siobhan Magnus, "Paint It Black": STOP COMPARING EVERY FREAKING CONTESTANT IN THIS SEASON TO ADAM. The world did not begin and end when Mr. Lambert stepped onto the stage. He was not by any means perfect (he screeched like a wounded crow with a throat infection), and y'all really need to just let him go. As for Siobhan's performance...it just gets better with every listen. The music box-esque waltz beginning was brilliant. The pitch problems I so worriedly noticed while watching the telecast seem to disappear each time I hear the song on my iTunes, and even the "holy crap, did she REALLY sing that???" note at the end, which originally I thought was a good deal less healthy and shouty than Siobhan's similar glory note on "Think," gets less and less out of place. It was truly a fiery take, and while I was unsure of it on Top 12 night, right now is hands-down one of my favorite performances this season.
• Lee DeWyze, "Beast of Burden": It's time to be concise again. He still went horribly flat on long notes. His take was so bland I can't remember much about it. I STILL don't get why people love this hack, and I doubt I ever will. Go figure.
• Paige Miles, "Honky Tonk Women": My mouth pretty much dropped open in shock when she told Ryan she had freaking laryngitis and was still singing, and I have to admit, shockingly, she did better Tuesday. But it was still quite a bit off, and I definitely wouldn't have minded if she had gone home Wednesday.
• Aaron Kelly, "Angie": Boring. Bland. OK. Vocally unimpressive but not a mess. There. That's Aaron's performance in a nutshell. Yawn...
• Crystal Bowersox, "You Can't Always Get What You Want": Very good, though I kept wishing for a gospel choir (a la the original recording) to jump out and jam with Ms. Bowersox. Still, I really enjoyed it. A fine performance by a fine contender for the crown, nothing more, nothing less.

And that was probably the fastest recap I've ever done. Sorry if I missed anything (I'm sure I did). Adios, and my "DWTS" recap along with more "Idol" recapping is to come at a later date!

DWTS Is Back! (And So Will I...)

Just a quick post (to the MANY readers this blog has :) ), letting whoever stumbles upon this here blog o'mine know that I will be getting up both an "Idol" recap from last week's Top 12 performances (the finals are upon is! farewell, dear Lacey...), and a "DWTS" recap for tonight's highly entertaining premiere ("Bailando con las Estrellas!"), sometime tonight or tomorrow or soon-ish. Over and out...and if anyone ends up reading this, spread the word!

Top 8 Girls Night: The Story

Well, I thought I was recapping with less than an hour to go before the traditional Wednesday night "Idol" episode, but it turns out it's at 8. (Fox really needs to stop confusing me with its back-and-forth schedule.) So I have time to ramble. But I shouldn't. (But I probably will. :) ) Tuesday night was thankfully only an hour (two would have been badly stretched-out overkill), and it was thankfully pleasant to watch (afterwards on Rickey.org, for the THIRD DANG WEEK in a row I had something during the girls' performances...is this a curse??), but I'm kind of worried about the eliminations on Thursday. This could turn rather ghastly.

• Katie Stevens: There was a time when I was an enthusiastic fan of Katie. I was excited to see what she would do in the semifinals. I really enjoyed her vocal stylings. I even, I kid you not, compared her to last season's similarly teen-aged redheaded phenom, Allison Iraheta. That time has passed, and after Katie's third successive lackluster performance last night, I regret to say that I take that all back. The 17-year-old Ms. Stevens has gone from OK (a fiery but robotic "Feeling Good") to middling (a disappointingly flat take on "Put Your Records On") to just plain depressing, with this week's sadly out-of-her-element performance of "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson. Her notes weren't quite on pitch. Her personality was sorely lacking. It was quite nearly painful to listen to, and a horrible note on which to begin the show. The entire 2 minutes, I kept audibly asking, "What's happened to her?" Where did the girl with a powerful voice and an excellently balanced sense of maturity go? The girl who knew how to pick songs (during Hollywood Week) that both showed some brassy pipes and also some age-appropriate personality? That girl has left the building, it seems, and I can no longer make any excuses for Katie. Her struggles at song choice & following the judges notwithstanding, she has failed to bring a compelling performance in her three weeks in the semifinals, and that's a shame, but it's also shameful. If America has any sense, they will send Katie packing, so she can have time to truly find herself as an artist. Because if she was to end up staying and making the Top 12, we all know that it would be painful for all parties involved. (Side note: Simon threw a curveball when he put a long pause between "You just sucked" and "...the life out of the room." I thought for a second he was going to get all bratty teenager on us. That would have been kind of entertaining. :) )
• Siobhan Magnus: Simon, I don't quite know where your comments that Siobhan was "weird" and "boring" came from, but I suspect it's probably from the same place that your "indulgent" critiques when you're not familiar with a song reside. What do you want Siobhan to sing? A big-band swing version of "Happy Birthday"? An electronic take on "Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted"? A sunny love song to Randy? Honestly, there was very, very little wrong with Siobhan's hypnotic take on "House of the Rising Sun," and whatever was wrong with it, it was certainly not that it was "weird" and "boring." The a cappella fashion in which Ms. Magnus started off the proceedings was pure brilliance, as it gave us a chance to hear her haunting, beautiful, unfettered vocal instrument. When the instruments came in, things got even better, as Siobhan continued caressing and nuancing the song, giving a highly compelling vocal performance that many of the other contestants (even Crystal) would be hard-pressed to match. On top of all that, it showed that we have here an incredibly versatile contestant (Chris Isaak to Aretha to The Animals?!?!?) that, as Kara astutely (and surprisingly) pointed out, does indeed need to demonstrate just what kind of artist she'll be, but for now, is doing a heck of a job giving whirlwind, unique performances. I'd rather have all that than some of the crap that a few of the other contestants are bringing. Wouldn't you?
• Lacey Brown: Just when I was about ready to give up on the once-excellent Lacey, here she goes and makes my life more complicated by giving a pretty dang good performance, and subsequently making the possibility that she may be headed for elimination anyhow infinitely more painful. Sure, her performance of "The Story" (a song which Randy likes? Really?? If so, he just scored major Brandon points) last night wasn't perfect--she wasn't entirely on top of the beautiful Brandi Carlile-crafted melody, and I wish she would have explored the song's rockier side a little more (though it was probably wise to cut all the roaring guitars in the original's chorus out, seeing as Lacey's had issues with even the slightest of backing-band accompaniment these past two weeks) rather than keeping it firmly acoustic, but all that aside, it was beautiful and an excellent return to form for Lacey. It's probably good that she pulled out a good vocal this week rather than the last two (see Katelyn...viva la Katelyn!!...below for a sad case of the opposite), but after being a viewer punching bag for the past two weeks, chances are she's definitely not out of hot water yet.
• Katelyn Epperly: What kind of cruelty is this, life? (Sorry for that drama-king moment. :) ) The very week after I finally warm up to Katelyn and she gives a killer performance, she stumbles with a lackluster performance and immediately puts herself in serious danger of elimination? This calls for one big "WTF???". I'm a huge fan of both Carole King and "I Feel The Earth Move" (I was raised on "Tapestry", brothas), but I do agree that Katelyn didn't quite bring anything to it, with an uninspired vocal and lack of much discernible stage presence. But she does NOT deserve to get voted off on Thursday, not after "Oh Darlin'" and last week's severely beautiful take on "The Scientist." That the judges went through their (totally jank) critiques without even mentioning how stellar Katelyn has been in the two weeks before, as if to suggest she's been this middling throughout the whole competition, is near criminal. Save Katelyn, America, or I might stage a full-on revolt. (I'm not entirely kidding.)
• Didi Benami: I'm not of the persuasion that thinks that Didi should stick herself in a guitar-slinging 'coffeehouse' corner and stay there (haughty pigeonholing is strictly verboten in my book), but I have to admit tonight's return to her cozy acoustic roots was very welcomed on my part. Her finger-picking, delicious cover of "Rhiannon" was truly excellent, driven by smooth, almost perfectly on-pitch vocals and a subtle reimagining of the tune. Like her very good take on "The Way I Am" two weeks ago, Didi fiddled with the melody in the best way, and adding onto the skills displayed in that performance, she really brought some understated life into the song. I audibly expressed my joy at multiple points while she was singing. Kara and Simon (whoa, this doesn't happen often) were very much correct that this was definitely a "moment" for Didi. That it didn't wow Randy (who had some highly ridiculous and laughably inarticulate critiques tonight, "dawg") wasn't much of a surprise. Who cares about him? Now hopefully the "Idol" voting public was sufficiently convinced that Didi deserves a slot in the Top 12, because anything short of that would be a traveshamockery.
• Paige Miles: Now, I feel sorry for Paige. Her only screen time prior to the semifinals was an unfortunate stint in one of the obnoxiously catty groups that performed "Bad Romance" during Hollywood Week. Hence, definitely an obstacle to overcome. But after tonight's truly painful butchering of "Smile," coupled with two decidedly mediocre performances the past two weeks, I definitely don't feel sorry enough for Paige to want her to stay in any way, shape, or form. No matter how much Simon has proclaimed he loves her voice, or that she's better than she knows she is, she has simply not delivered anything of substance during the semifinals. Tonight was no different. The arrangement was dismal...it's not the fact that the shift into bossa nova (which Randy correctly noticed...I think either the Apocalypse is coming any day now, or Mr. Jackson actually does possess some actual music knowledge) was involved, since bossa nova is quite amazing...it's the fact that Paige utilized it in a setting where she's accompanied by a budget-level backing band led by Rickey Minor. (If Claus Ogerman, Vince Mendoza or Sergio Mendes were there with a lush orchestra or jazz ensemble, then it would be vastly different.) It really just sounded cheap. Ellen was also incorrect that it needed to be peppy and inspiring, as the song isn't entirely so, nor is it ineffective when it isn't done in a cheerful way (two examples are top-notch, depressing versions by jazz vocalists Tierney Sutton and Holly Cole). What the judges did (more or less) hit right on the nose was the fact that Paige's vocal was simply not good. It was flat, wandering, and darn near excruciating. Paige, as much as I'd love to keep giving you more chances, to give you more opportunity to find your "Idol" foothold, you simply haven't cut it. If America is merciful and Vote For the Worst (hopefully) fails, you'll be saying goodbye on Thursday night, and quite frankly, the Top 12 will be better for it.
• Crystal Bowersox: (My goodness, I'm writing a lot...) Crystal gave another winning, solid performance this week. But I highly take issue with Simon's major pimping. Crystal is not far and above all the other female contestants (what are Siobhan, Lilly, and Katelyn? a duck? Yes, I did just pull out a "Princess Diaries" quote :) ), she is not perfect, and the competition is not, Mr. Cowell, "hers to lose." She's simply a very good performer, with a powerful, distinctive instrument, who has not slipped up yet. To do all but crown her the Season 9 winner already is both idiotic, and demonstrates how far out of touch Simon can be (anyone remember the Adam/Danny/Lil fiasco last season? I still do, and it still bothers me) when he fixates on one promising contestant and fails to let go. Crystal brought a committed, soulful spin to "Give Me One Reason," and really sold the performance. But it was not quite the best performance of the night, and it was not a sign that Crystal should just be declared the winner already. There are still weeks and weeks of competition to go, and although I love Crystal and think she's excellent, Simon's constant cheerleading for her is definitely rubbing me the wrong way, and there's more to Season 9 than Crystal's brilliance.
• Lilly Scott: Here's my weekly 'concise moment.' Lilly did well. Her pitch wasn't entirely there, much like last week. And it was (even for me) a strange way to close the show. But I think this Patsy Cline number ("I Fall To Pieces") was a good venue for her entrancingly unique tone, and I think she had better make the Top 12. I'll take weird but a little pitchy (oh, dear heavens, I used a Randy adjective) over boring and solid any day, thank you very much.

And really quick, my predictions of how Thursday may go, and my picks for who should leave "Idol" and never come back:

• Paige and Katie should be the ones heading home. Both of them have failed to bring anything amazing to the table three weeks running, and although I don't hate either of them or their vocals, with a female field this deep and interesting, I wouldn't be too sad at all to see them packing.
• As for predictions, I fear for Katelyn and Lacey. Lacey's musical epiphany might have come too late in the game (she's already built up a sizable level of hatred among viewers, and judging from comments about last night spread out over the blogs and other recaps, not everyone was in love with her improved vocals last night), and the notoriously short memory of "Idol" voters may spell doom for Katelyn, despite her one-two punch of solid performances the past two weeks. I'm not ready to admit that Katelyn will be going home on Thursday, but if she was to (please, no! that would be horrible!), it sadly wouldn't surprise me in the least. My prediction (with wishful thinking leaving Katelyn out) is Paige and Lacey, since Katie may be too much of a lingering favorite to miss out on the Top 12.

And that's how the Top 8 Girls' cookie crumbles. In half an hour, once again I will be forced (I mean, I will have the opportunity) to watch the Top 8 Guys live. Look for a recap hopefully tomorrow, but possibly Thursday. For now, adios.

Top 10 Girls Night: A Change Is Gonna Come

After the travesty that the guys' performance night was once again this week, it was a huge relief to see quite a few of the girls knock it out of the park on Wednesday. Was it all amazing? Not exactly, and there was some disappointment. But it was miles better than Tuesday night and the guys, and it shows that Simon is probably right when he predicts that a female will win this year (finally!). And with that, we dive into the recap of the Top 10 Girls...plus results.

• Crystal Bowersox: After an intense brush with sickness-related elimination this week (Crystal was taken to the hospital for diabetes-related complications, and had she not been able to perform, she would have likely been axed from the competition), Crystal came out and gave a solid, gospel-infused performance of "Long As I Can See the Light." I have to admit I'm not familiar with the original, but I think Crystal sold it pretty dang well. I wouldn't rave about it like the judges (somewhat inexplicably) were, as it didn't always pop as much as it should have, but it was very good, and one of the best of the night. MamaSox is definitely a well-deserved front-runner.
• Haeley Vaughn: Haeley was sweet, but her personality always trumped her vocal talents (or lack thereof), and her supposedly radiant smile was never enough to distract me from her wonky notes and decidedly off performances. Thus, I'm not too torn up that she has left the "Idol" stage. Her take on "The Climb" was nearly worse than a live performance than the original 'artist' herself, Miley Cyrus, and that's definitely not good, seeing as Ms. Cyrus has severe trouble singing a note anywhere close to the correct pitch. It lacked the bare-bones confidence Haeley brought to her awkward and messy, yet assured cover of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" last week, and it was painful to listen to. So sorry, Haeley, it was time for you to go. Good luck in the future,  though, and once you have a few more years under your belt, you might be able to go places.
• Lacey Brown: Lacey, why do you disappoint me so? Last week's performance of "Landslide" was sadly flat and nerve-wracked. This week Lacey displayed more confidence, but little more control over pitch, while singing "Kiss Me." She was wise to take up Ellen's suggestion from last Tuesday, but very unwise to keep the song largely as it originally was done. It was dry and very karaoke. (Oh dear, I used a Simon adjective...that is rather troubling...) Where's the Lacey that p'wned "Over the Rainbow" and "What A Wonderful World" with a deliciously twangy, self-assured, smooth tone? We need to find her fast, because right now, I'm afraid that Lacey's time is up, and she's not on my shortlist to make the Top 12, and that's a crying shame.
• Katie Stevens: Here comes another past favorite that I'm losing faith in for the second week in a row. I love "Put Your Records On." I love Katie's voice. I love kittens. (Wait, that had nothing to do with her performance, did it? :) ) But I didn't love her take on it. It wasn't quite there...it was unimaginative, and Katie just seemed to be singing by the numbers, rather than injecting her own personality and uniqueness into it. I highly disagree with Ellen (oh no, that's a sad day!) that Katie needs to pick something even younger...I've liked the songs she's picked the past two weeks, it's just the disjointed performances I've had an issue with. Katie needs to find her niche, and she's not going to by singing the work of teenagers (Justin Bieber, for example? Lord no!). I hope she's able to get her sea legs, but as it stands right now, I wouldn't be horribly sad if she didn't make the Top 12. (Again, a shame.)
• Didi Benami: Thank the stars above that Didi stayed, but I fear she's in danger now after her kind of out-of-her-element performance of "Lean On Me." I thought it wasn't a complete mess--her vocals were still smooth and unique, and the pitch wasn't all off--but it definitely wasn't a very good song choice for Didi, at least not with the cookie-cutter arrangement Rickey Minor and Co. brought to the table. But really, commenters? One of the two worst voices in the competition? Were you LISTENING prior to this week? Her smooth voice has been on-point and beautiful up until now. So let this excellent lady make the Top 12, or I will sue. As for you, Didi, please pick a song that plays to your strengths next week. It doesn't have to be typical, but it should be your own. Over and out.
• Michelle Delamor: Poor Michelle only got 2 weeks and a December "Idol" promo of total screentime this season, but her slightly off Creed number this week was, in my view, fair grounds for elimination. Sure, a week more might have been nice, but she really wasn't displaying potential to do well in the Top 12, or even win it all. She just sang well, and on Wednesday, "With Arms Wide Open" wasn't even that the entire time. It was too big a song, and Michelle didn't change it up enough to suit her style. So Michelle, we hardly knew ye, and I wish you the best, but this wasn't a terrible decision on the voters' part. C'est la vie.
• Lilly Scott: I love Lilly quite a lot still, but I have to admit I wasn't completely sold on her committed acoustic-influenced "A Change Is Gonna Come." While I chafe at those who stupidly compare it to Adam Lambert from last season (there was a little guy named SAM FREAKIN' COOKE who it did much better, and FIRST, folks!), even with that pointless comparison aside, Lilly's vocals weren't entirely perfect. It was a little off at parts. Still, Lilly went all out on her performance, she rearranged it just enough to make it her own without gutting its heritage, and it really showed. Thank goodness the judges gave her some love, and I think Lilly has nowhere to go but up. Viva la Lilly!
• Katelyn Epperly: Katelyn gave a fiery performance of "Oh, Darling" by the Beatles last week that showed she ain't no cannon fodder (forgive my momentary lapse into Southern dialect, after all, it's no longer National Grammar Day :) ), and this week, she earned her way right into my "Idol" voting heart. Who cares if Ellen and Randy whined that her take on "The Scientist" was slow? It was exquisitely so, and her vocals were beautiful. It was the kind of emotional, heartbreakingly excellent performance that you don't expect "Idol" to deliver. But Katelyn did, turning the already great Coldplay tune into an even more heart-rending number. The judges should have given more love, but no matter. Katelyn is most certainly on a roll, and she's become just like Alex Lambert--an unexpected talent that I never thought I could love so much.
• Paige Miles: I'm not quite as frustrated with the judges' lovefest with Paige as I am (see last recap) with Lee DeWyze, but I'm still confused. Exactly why are you praising her so much? She has a good voice, sure. But it's being laid waste to by truly horrendous song choices. Last week's "All Right Now" was a mess, and this week with "Walk Away," Paige fared little better. Yet the judges are eating it up. Why??? Simon hit it right on the nose by pointing out Paige has picked dismal songs the past two weeks. Unfortunately for Paige, it's too late in my book for her to catch up...there are only 6 female spots in the Top 12, and I don't have her pegged for any of them. Her personality kind of rubs me the wrong way, and she isn't bringing her all. It's time for her to say goodbye, next week.
• Siobhan Magnus: And finally, Siobhan. She was good. DANG good. It takes major gumption (as a few of the judges pointed out) to take on an Aretha Franklin number, and it takes even more than that--namely, a heck of a lot of talent and performing style and skill--to sell said Aretha song. And when you chose one of Ms. Franklin's most iconic and challenging tunes, "Think," it's a recipe for disaster. But not when you have the fearless, ferociously good pipes of Siobhan. I loved her performance, and this was with me still having Noteworthy's sassy version on "The Sing-Off" still firmly in my memory, along with Aretha's original. Doing the whirlwind 2 minutes Siobhan was on the stage, I completely forgot about those versions. All I saw was a masterful voice doing its work. That note at the end...freaking wow. Siobhan did more than sell "Think." She OWNED it. And with that, she's one of my definite favorites. On to the Top 12, Ms. Magnus! :)

And that's the women for this week. Hallelujah for talent! I'll be back soon on this blog with a recap of how I see the Top 16, and who I want to/think will make it past the last semifinal eliminations this week. For now, over and out. :)

Top 10 Guys Night: What's Going On

Well, once again I find myself recapping (for no one?) after the results show aired. It's probably good I waited on finishing this particular recap (I had the first few paragraphs drafted way back on Tuesday night), as this area was previously filled with an intense, rambling, angry rant about how far "Idol" has fallen. You'll still see some of my wrath manifested (Lee DeWyze...grrrr....), but the fact that I've forgotten some of the judges' wonky comments, that two guys have been eliminated, and that since the rather dreadful spate of male performances I'm about to discuss, the girls took the stage on Wednesday and actually made me remotely happy, should temper my frustration and anger just a bit. And oh, let's not forget the fact that oh, this is a REALITY SHOW. Anyhoo...let's recap, and once again I'll put the eliminated folks in italics, as well as talk about their ouster.

(Side note: I changed my blog title. Feedback would be nice. Ironically, it's inspired by the title of Jason Mrubbish's last album...he's not my cup of cocoa in the music department, but that title is admittedly pretty fun. :) )

• Michael Lynche: I don't quite know what happened between me and Michael. Hollywood Week, I was raving about the guy and his fun personality + delightful vocals. But in the semifinals so far, the lovable big guy hasn't done much for me. To be sure, his performance of "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" (by James Brown, ambitious...) was vastly better than last week's flat karaoke take on "This Love." That said, it wasn't completely there. Sure, Michael owned the song, but he still sounded flat at points and his excessive vibrato was ultra-distracting, and oddly reminiscent of a Vegas supper club 'singer.' It simply didn't catch on for me. And the judges going crazy over it, like it was the best thing since sliced bread (when in reality it was closer to the sliced bread than the best thing since it), was the icing on the disheartening "I'm not sure I like Michael anymore" cake.
• John Park: This may seem strange, but John's elimination is the one I'm most disappointed about. Sure, his performance of "Gravity" (by John Mayer, if only he did the Sara Bareilles song) on Tuesday was a bit bland and by the numbers (and "God Bless The Child" last week was a frustratingly sad mess), and to be truthful, if given the choice between John and Todrick (who were both brought to center stage during the results show), I would have picked the latter, as Todrick at least is abundantly creative. Still, he had a good voice, he was a FREAKING BARITONE (baritones gotta stick together! there aren't THAT many of us), and I don't know, I just thought he was cool. There were some moments of glory on Tuesday night, and John also showed off some interesting cultural connections--English is his second language, for example--as well as the fact that he's a member of Purple Haze, a college a cappella group. Looks like I'll be checking out their music so I can see more of John's beautiful bottom end. (For the last time...his VOICE! :) )
• Casey James: Kara must be on something, because in that world is "I Don't Wanna Be" a quality song? Gavin DeGraw's original is grating and repetitive, with a pointless, rambling melody. Thus, it wasn't entirely the best choice for Casey at all. His rock-crooner-esque voice got lost in the Hendrix-wannabe arrangement, and while his guitar playing was pretty impressive, his stage presence once again was not. It was an unqualified mess, to be frank. It looks like after last week's fairly good performance, Casey is once again back on my "ehh" list.
• Alex Lambert: If you've seen any of my previous words about the Lambert Who Doesn't Shout And Scream, this next sentence will rather surprise you. I loved his performance--and it was the only Top 10 Guys song I downloaded. Really. Yes, this was as much a surprise to me as it may be to you (all you imaginary blog readers?), but after last week's James Morrison copycat performance of doom, Alex gathered his nerves, refrained from upchucking, and delivered a nicely changed-up, genuinely soulful version of John Legend's "Everybody Knows." Alex's deliciously quirky tone, fiercely trampled last week, really shone through on Tuesday. There were a few tiny moments of strange pronunciation and slightly flat pitch, but overall, the performance was a revelation, and I really dug it. Bring the goods next week, Alex (and lose the dang mullet already!), and you may have yourself a new voter.
• Todrick Hall: Whatever you may think about Todrick, you have to admit he's got style. His reinventions the past two weeks have been interesting, to say the least. Completely on point? Um, not really. But Todrick's mad passion for creating wild rearrangements of his songs is a much better trait to have than being boring and by-the-numbers, as the aforementioned guy eliminated instead of him, John Park, learned the hard way. About his performance of "What's Love Got To Do With It"--it's rather ambitious to take on an iconic Tina Turner tune (alliteration!), since Ms. Turner stylized her hits so much. The vocals were a bit off, and the arrangement once again didn't quite work. Still, what are the freaking judges playing at?? They tell EVERY OTHER DANG PERSON to be artistic and change up their songs. Yet when Todrick does exactly what they ask, they rip him apart for doing so. Crazy people behind the table...how about you take him to task for the quality (or lack thereof) his performance, rather than focusing your criticism on the very thing you're requiring of all the other semifinalists? What you're doing at the moment is called a double standard. STOP IT. And Simon, Todrick did not change the song too much...in my opinion, he didn't change it enough (and not in a very good way), doing little more than shifting the song into minor and slowing it down a bit. Todrick, you ignore those stupid judges and keep making your songs ultra-interesting. But next week, try to make it interesting AND good. I know you can.
• Jermaine Sellers: Finally, an eliminated contestant I'm truly happy about! (This is really the first time. Long live Tyler, Joe, and John! We hardly knew ye.) Sorry. But really, Jermaine needed to go. Badly. Between his strange love for onesies ("I rocks the onesie, y'all"), his awkward and slightly sacrilegious "I know God" statements, and his truly awful caterwauling, Mr. Sellers truly rubbed me the wrong way. His 'performance' of "What's Going On" on Tuesday was an overblown mess. The arrangement, recycled almost in full from Kris Allen's studio version of the tune from last season (he really owns it, by the way), wasn't completely ghastly, but the excessive runs, wonky pitch, and general suckitude that Jermaine tacked onto it certainly were. It wasn't quite as painful as "Get Here" from last week, but at the same time it was. It stained the Marvin Gaye name. It ruined the song. And, thank the stars above, it sent Jermaine Sellers home. (That's quite easily the best part of the whole thing.)
• Andrew Garcia: I still firmly stand by my love of "Sugar We're Going Down" from last week (the reharmonization in the chorus background vocals still gets me, in the best way), and I still hate the judges for being so stupid ("It wasn't as good as 'Straight Up'! Thus, it must suck!"), and I still think Andrew is the bees' knees...but even I have to admit, his take on "You Give Me Something" this week was painfully safe. He sounded a bit flat at parts, something that has never been a problem, and it did little more than color in the lines of James Morrison's solid original. There were so many good things Andrew could have done with the melody, the arrangement, or the song in general, but he didn't, and that's a crying shame. Losing the guitar might have seemed like a good choice--after all, one doesn't want to seem like a one-trick pony--but in the end, it didn't quite work. Andrew, you're better than this! His song last week was amazing, and y'all better realize that, but this week was certainly a depressing step backwards.
• Aaron Kelly: Last week's solid vocal notwithstanding, I'm still not quite on board the Aaron Kelly train, and his decidedly off version of "My Girl" this week certainly did the teen no favors. My roommates were somewhat in the room during his performance on Tuesday, and all two or three of us were cringing--literally--at the wonky vibrato, countless pitch issues, the strange and awkward country-soul arrangement, and just the general gruesomeness of it all. It was not the right song at all. (AT ALL.) Sure, Aaron displayed a heck of a lot more confidence, but confidence isn't really a redeeming factor when the performance plain sucks as...pirin. (Nice save? :) ) What's more, the judges went largely gaga (and not the "Speechless"-esque Lady variety) over it. Do they just dream of ways to make sensible, music-loving viewers angry? Because they're doing a heck of a good job at it.
• Tim Urban: And he stayed WHY?!?!? Stop looking at his freaking abs, people (if you weren't aware, shirtless pics of Mr. Moptoppington have made it onto the web...well, more like endless copies of the same dang shirtless pic), and vote this lamentably lame singer off, darn it! His performance of "Come On Get Higher" (by Matt Nathanson, who I have never bloomin' heard of) was better than last week, sure, but I'm pretty sure even a performance by Simon himself could have accomplished that feat. Tim's pitch was still largely off, and his tone was decidedly bland and nearly nonexistent. Ellen slipped in one too many "you're adorable" statements into her critique, but she was pretty spot-on when she said Tim might be better suited to acting. Simon was harsh, but even more on point, when he said a Tim Urban acting career should not involve singing. Because really, when he does, it's like something akin to Hel...sinki.
• Lee DeWyze: Here comes the ranting and potential sentences in all caps. Like this: WHY do people like Lee? His voice is so grating I almost want to scream. He picked one of the crappiest, most annoying songs in the world ("Lips of An Angel"? Freakin' really?). And he is NOT, I repeat NOT, the best male vocalist in the competition right now, not by a long shot. He's a poor man's Daughtry, and any comparisons to David Cook (whose voice I'm not completely in love with, but at least he stayed on key...right?) are bordering on criminal. Lee went off pitch repeatedly yet again tonight. He did little to reinvent the song. He looks like he's bored. And the idiotic judges FREAKING SAID IT WAS GOOD. Just like that, it sadly seems, I've found this season's Adam Lambert--the contestant that everyone seems to love but I just can't stand.

Well, there you have it, the Top 10 (well, now Top 8) guys. For the love of all things Kris Allen, please let them be better next week. Sure, there are a lot of good women to (likely) beat them later on down the road, but if I'm spending one or two hours of my Tuesday or Wednesday watching these people sing, I want it to be remotely good, not of the horribly painful variety that makes me contemplate ditching "Idol." (I seriously had those thoughts on Tuesday.) Recap of the girls, who were much better and much less annoying than the guys, to come posthaste.