Top 12 Profiles: Didi Benami

Name: Didi Benami

Hometown: "A little place I like to call...Los Angeles." (or as those stupid commercials from Disney Channel & the Brothers Who Must Not Be Named proclaim, "LA, LA, bab-ay...")

Age: 23

Place: 10th (gah!), eliminated during R&B/Soul Week

Best Semifinal Performance: Her intimate, delicious Top 16 week take on "Rhiannon" beats out her fine version of "The Way I Am" during Top 24 Week. It catapulted her into the finals, showed her smooth, distinctive vocals, and really just rocked (in an acoustic fashion).

Best Finals Performance: "Play With Fire" during Rolling Stones Week (wow, so far the first 3 finalists eliminated have had their best performances during the night where they all took on the Stones. Who would have thought?). Fiery (haha, pun :) ), committed, perfect. It really showed what Didi was capable of (sadly, that made things to come much, much more harder...).

• The Early Days: The audition rounds were nearly devoid of Didi's sparkling presence and loads of talent...that is, until the quite-glorious "The Best of The Rest"/"Road to Hollywood" episode where the producers actually decided to give us an hour of singing that was primarily good. (What a concept...)  Didi's audition of "Hey Jude" was beautiful...her tone was quirky but excellently controlled, her phrasing was unique but not awkward, her pitch was next to flawless, and she really made a strong impression with just a short snippet of a song. (The fact that Simon was unmoved by this, and flippantly gave Didi a "very small 'yes'" was nothing short of criminal. It's times like these that remind me that having Mr. Cowell gone now is not so bad.) Didi did end up bursting into tears afterwards, and her audition segment did end up feeling like it was dragging on too long, but that's the darn judges/producers' fault, and not poor Didi's (hello, she was auditioning for something that could change her life...and her friend just died, and she was singing for her...I definitely was willing to cut the girl some slack). Things only got better with Didi's truly revelatory take on "Terrified," a gorgeous Kara DioGuardi/Jason Reeves-penned tune that Katharine McPhee had released just a little bit earlier. Didi took no prisoners with her confident, stunning rendition. Finally, her last Hollywood Week performance, "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan, was not as flat-out terrific as her other two previous tunes, but it was still a nice choice by Didi, and it continued her 3-for-3 record going into the semifinals.
• Top 24 Week ("The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson): Beautiful, assured, and wonderfully nuanced, with a nice, intimate arrangement. (I don't even want to think what this would have been like with a 'full-band' treatment...aieee...) A little tiny bit flat at some points, but I thought Didi really nailed it (and introduced hopefully a good segment of the public to the terrific songcraft of Ingrid Michaelson...VIVA LA INGRID!), and the fact that it was a very current song choice was very wise on her part. Simon's whining about the number being 'indulgent' (oh, please let his replacement NEVER utter that pointless word) and a little public disdain about how it wasn't all that and a bag of chips definitely soured a bit of the momentum Didi should have gained, but she still moved on to the next round, and it was an excellent way to start off her semifinal run. 
• Top 20 Week ("Lean On Me" by Bill Withers): OK, just listened to this again on YouTube for the first time since March...and I was surprised at how much better I liked it than back then. I still noticed Didi had a few pitch and control issues (she went flat and a bit all over the place at a few moments) this time around, but her performance sounded much more cohesive and it worked a lot better hearing it again. So I actually like it now. It showed a different side of Didi's vocals (a side that she polished and presented much more effectively two weeks later with "Play With Fire"), and it was miles better than quite a few of the other contestants. The fact that the judges tore it to shreds (example: what was with Randy's stupid, patronizing "Hey, how ya doin', it's American Idol, yeah!" intro to his critique? ugh...) was lamentable. Then, I kind of agreed with it, sadly. Now, I look back on it with sadness as well...but because I didn't quite give it enough credit then. What were you 4 guys on behind the table? (Danny Gokey juice? OK, sorry, I couldn't resist...)
• Top 16 Week ("Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac): For once, I actually don't have much to say beyond what I said that week. Roll the tape:  "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." So, to recap, it was an excellent return to form for Didi, I loved it to pieces, and to add, it was just at the right time...it propelled Ms. Benami to a well-deserved spot in the Top 12. Definitely a "moment" for Didi.
• Top 12 Night/Rolling Stones Week ("Play With Fire"): To this day I can still distinctly remember, with no effort at all, Didi's top-notch version of this Stones tune (one that, like nearly all of the songs that night, I did not know)...granted, I've listened to both the recording and the studio version quite a bit since then, but still, Didi really made her mark with this performance that really had its fair share of fire. Her vocals were spot-on. She attacked her lines with the fury of a cobra (let me know if that analogy doesn't quite work...), yet it sounded effortless. And her phrasing was brilliant. BRILLIANT, I tell you. (OK, I'll try to keep my fanboy urges down a wee bit...) With the previous week's excellent take on "Rhiannon," Didi made a case for herself as a top 12 finalist. With "Play With Fire," Didi made a case for herself as an "American Idol" winner. (These were the glorious days when a Siobhan/Crystal/Didi final three was still a grand possibility, as I noted in my recap then. See below for how that wonderful dream fell apart, due to the unbearable cruelty of Idol's voting public. :/ )
• Top 11 Night/Billboard #1 Week ("You're No Good" by Linda Ronstadt, most famously): Like I began my revisiting of Paige Miles' semifinal trainwreck of "Smile" during last week's profile, I shall start off this section with the phrase, "and this is where things got ugly." But this time, I'm not talking about the performance...I'm talking about the judges. Didi pulled off a fine version of this (admittedly 30+ years old, but still dang good) Linda Ronstadt hit, complete with an excellent, swing-driven rearrangement, and very convincing and charming interplay with the bassist, and yet the judges attacked her for it. I thought it was a strange but still very good song choice (it fit Didi's voice like a glove), and she performed it extremely well. Kara, Simon, Ellen, and Randy going to town on it (and Simon even went for the obvious, unfunny pun that it was "no good") was highly unwarranted. And it only was a sign of things to come...
• Top 10 Night/R&B-Soul Week/The Week That Brandon Wept ("What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" by Jimmy Ruffin): Like this. The week that it all ended. The week that Didi, by far one of the best voices in the competition that deserved nothing less than a 3rd-place finish (and perhaps even more than that), was eliminated without even a tear by a merciless voting public obsessed with scratchy Lee, "cute" Tim, and high-schooler Aaron Kelly rather than actual talent and vocal ability. OK, so I'm going off on a tangent right now. Let's return to what I thought of the performance, shall we? I liked it. Back then, I was a bit ambivalent on it. But listening to it now, and listening to it afterwards (on my iPod, baby), and all that...it just clicked. I saw it as emotionally powerful and committed rather than over-the-top and dramatic. I saw her liberties with the melody as artistic rather than demonstrations of how Didi was supposedly 'lost.' (And let's not forget that this was the infamous critique where Simon decided to bash the hard-working "Dancing With The Stars" singers. For the third time in this recap, I must proclaim that I am glad to see that bratty little Brit gone.) The pitch was there. The emotional investment (which definitely was missing from a lot of performers this season) was there. The distinctive, powerful vocals were there as well. Didi laid it out all out on the stage, and yet she was roundly criticized for it. And on top of that, $#%!ing Ryan Seacrest had to go and hunt for Didi's tear ducts with an awkward, painful, bordering-on-cruel Q-and-A afterwards when he kept digging at Didi, asking why she had picked that particular song (Didi, for her part, wisely and impressively chose not to give in and resisted any crying/fishing for votes). Next night, America sent her home, and even after a beautiful reprise of Didi's shining moment with "Rhiannon," the judges refused to save her (yet they used the save the very next week on Michael Lynche...ugh). Shameful, "Idol." Simply shameful.

Do I think Didi should have made it to the finals? Um, I think you might have been able to gather the answer to that by now...

Do I think she deserved the place she got? Ya think??? Nope. Didi's way-too-early ouster was yet another criminal moment in Season 9. (Plus, she was the third girl in a row to get sent home. What is with teeny-bopper's irrational hatred of female vocalists??)

Will I buy her CD, whenever it comes out? Like heck I will. And it had better come out soon. Didi deserves nothing, and I repeat NOTHING, less.

Top 12 Profiles: Paige Miles

Name: Paige Miles

Hometown: Naples, FL

Age: 24

Place: 11th, eliminated during Billboard #1 Week

Best Semifinal Performance: All 3 of them weren't that great, but I would probably say it would be the performance that opened the live shows of Season 9, her take on Free's "All Right Now." I panned it mercilessly then, but now, looking  back at the lamentable 2 weeks she had afterwards, it sounds actually kind of good, in a certain way.

Best Finals Performance: Definitely "Honky Tonk Women," her Rolling Stones Week selection. Even though it had major issues (and Paige was, you know, kind of suffering from laryngitis...), it was still miles, miles, MILES (for once, that was an accidental pun :) ) better than the trainwreck that was "Against All Odds," Paige's second and last performance in the finals.

• The Early Days: Paige was one of the poor souls who didn't get a whiff of screentime (save for an unfortunate few seconds as part of one of the dueling "Bad Romance" groups during Hollywood Week) prior to her live show debut (and they made her go first, no less), but in her interview package before her Top 24 performance, they did show a little of her final Hollywood solo, a fairly solid take on "Living For The City" (though not as amazing as Siobhan Magnus' version of the same number during the same stage of the competition...but that's for later...).
• Top 24 Week ("All Right Now" by Free): Not the best way to make a first impression...and I'm referring to both Paige and "American Idol" season 9 in general. Like I said above, listening to it now, it sounds much better and a little less all over the place, but still...Paige's low range was about 10% vocally accurate, and she didn't quite have control over her notes. It was a fairly interesting song choice (yeah, then I didn't dig it, but I've changed my tune a bit), but it didn't quite click with me, and it was, unfortunately, a foreboding sign of things to come...
• Top 20 Week ("Walk Away" by Kelly Clarkson): Another number that sounds much better now than when I heard it previously (I definitely don't remember Paige hitting this many notes, but I guess my memory was faulty, as usual), but also another number that was 1-800-Underwhelming. Some parts were actually kind of good, and then some parts (like the unwieldy ascent to should-have-been-a-glory-but-it-didn't-really-get-there-note towards the ascent) were bordering on painful. Yet again, Paige displayed major vocal control issues (something that may, as I have learned since then, have been because she was battling vocal health issues...yikes).
• Top 16 Week ("Smile", the jazz standard): And this is where things got plain ugly. The song started off pleasantly enough...with some tasty jazz piano and (I don't usually notice these things, but it stood out to me at first) a nice look by Paige. But then she started singing, and it didn't go well at all. She went flat almost every other line. She sounded thin. There were a few scandalously botched melismas. There was a weird shift into a bossa-nova feel (that Randy, of all people, correctly identified...I almost wanted to hug him at that moment). And she stayed chained to her mike stand, looking as if she was about to cry. (That part was sad. On a few levels...) It was literally hard to watch (also on a few levels), which, given the fact that the song is called "Smile" and its lyrics are meant to be somewhat uplifting (sure, it can be sad and introspective, and great versions in that vein have been done, but in the end it's telling everyone to "smile"), was a pretty bad sign. The fact that Paige gave this kind of lackluster, ghastly performance in the deciding week of the semifinals should have made her elimination the next night a no-brainer. She simply hadn't done much of anything in her 3 chances to wow the voting public that merited an inclusion in the Top 12. Sadly, she went on instead of Katelyn, and the world wept.
• Top 12 Night/Rolling Stones Week ("Honky Tonk Women"): Who'd have thought Paige would have given one of her best performances on a night that she was battling laryngitis? But she did, and while it was not even close to approaching amazing, and the fact that she landed in the Bottom 2 the next night was still fairly deserved, it was probably her shining moment in the competition. She worked the stage well, she coaxed a few more correct notes out of her lower register (and a little more of a soaring, on-pitch quality in her upper register), and it actually kind of worked. (Emphasis on "kind of." Small steps, small steps.)
• Top 11 Night/Billboard #1 Week ("Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)" by Phil Collins): It's nice that Paige had a chance to shine during Stones Week. Because in her following performance, she subsequently crashed, burned, and flat-out bombed on an uninspired Phil Collins tune (one that has been oft-covered on the "Idol" stage). Even listening to it now, I'm pretty sure Paige hit a total of about 10-12 notes the whole song, tops. (That's not much of an exaggeration.) Randy (oh, heavens, why is he the only judge I've mentioned so far?) actually had a moment of conciseness and accuracy when he said that it was "honestly terrible." Again, since that night I have watched Paige's fascinating "Idolatry" interview on EW.com, in which she explained her voice wasn't in good shape at all and thus it affected her performance, but still...ouch.

Do I think Paige should have made it to the finals? Nope. She wasn't impressive, consistent, or just plain good enough to earn her spot. The fact that she did end up getting it over much more talented singers (Katelyn, Lilly, and Janell, anyone?) was rather lamentable, and was one of the first injustices of a long and awkward season.

Do I think she deserved the place she got? Actually, to tell the truth, no. Although "Against All Odds" was indeed her worst performance (and one of the worst in "Idol" history, while we're at it), and Paige hadn't really delivered at all so far, she at least had an intriguing voice under all that inconsistency, bad song choices, pitch issues, and vocal health problems. The guys, on the other hand, for the most part...didn't. So the fact that America sent yet another female packing for the second week in a row was not that great.

Will I buy her CD, whenever it comes out? It depends. Paige actually got a prime chance to show off her recovered voice on Finale night, when during the girls' Christina Aguilera medley, she sang the heck out of "Fighter." It was by far her best vocal on "Idol," and, in a first, I actually loved it. (Her "Living For The City" performance on "David Letterman" deserves honorable mention as well.) So I'm curious to see what she comes up with in the future. Unfortunately for Paige, given her 11th-place slot, exclusion from the tour, and general downward trajectory on "Idol," that might be a while coming.

Top 12 Profiles: Lacey Brown

Name: Lacey Brown
Hometown: Amarillo, TX
Age: 24
Place: 12th, eliminated during Rolling Stones Week
Best Semifinal Performance: Definitely "The Story" during Top 16 Week.
Best Finals Performance: It's a hard choice here...OK, obviously she only had one chance to sing during the finals, and that was her pleasant, string-quartet-a-licious take on the Stones' "Ruby Tuesday."

• The Early Days: Lacey showed some great promise early on with her beautiful audition of "Over the Rainbow." It was twangy, soaring, and warm, and it showed off the kind of distinctive vocals that don't usually get very far on "Idol." It was kind of a cross between a jazzy tone and a folky one, if that makes any sense. She was a bit breathy and I wasn't completely on board with her phrasing choices, but when I first saw Lacey sing this song during the "Road To Hollywood" episode (AKA The Episode That Actually Had More Good Than Bad Auditions For Once :) ), I was very intrigued. Lacey only built on that potential & promise with a simply lovely take on "What A Wonderful World" during the Hollywood rounds. Way back when I made my post summarizing my takes on the Top 24 and what they had done so far, I wrote that it was "truly mesmerizing." When I watched it over again just now, that's pretty much the same impression I had. Pitch-perfect, unique, and heartfelt...just how it's supposed to be.
• Top 24 Week ("Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac): Lacey Brown and "Landslide." By all accounts, it should have worked. Lacey's earthy instrument, in my mind, totally looked like a perfect fit for this Stevie Nicks-penned classic. But for whatever reason--nerves, monitor issues, etc.--Lacey just cracked. She was off-key, thin, and...it was disappointing, to say the least. Back then, for some reason, I still held a candle for Lacey. And she made it through to next week. Listening back on it now, it sounds about the same. Full of potential, but not quite there.
• Top 20 Week ("Kiss Me" by Sixpence None The Richer): Not much better than the week before. Flat and thin, but still brimming with potential. Lacey was wise to take Ellen's suggestion the week prior to cover this type of song...and admittedly, though it wasn't a perfect fit, it kind of worked (the fact that SNTR lead singer Leigh Nash and Lacey have a good deal of vocal similarity both helps and hurts). Still, Lacey would have been better off taking on something more stripped-down. And the next week, that's exactly what she did...
• Top 16 Week ("The Story" by Brandi Carlile): Back then, I was kind of surprised Lacey dodged a bullet once again and made it through to the third week of the semifinals...her first two performances were underwhelming, and all the Internet comments I saw about her weren't even close to kind. Knowing that many talented girls were left, and with only 6 spots, there would have to be hard cuts (they ended up being MUCH harder than I wanted them to be...stupid America... :/ ), I was ready to give up on Lacey as a contestant. Well, she definitely made things much harder on me after this lilting, committed take on Brandi Carlile's gorgeous ballad, which I've loved for quite a while. It was exactly the kind of top-notch singing I'd been expecting from Lacey, except it felt like it came two weeks too late. Still, the fact that she made it into the Top 12 the next night helped to soften the blow that Katelyn and Lilly's elimination was on my "Idol"-loving heart. (I shall avenge them!!!)
• Top 12 Night/Rolling Stones Week ("Ruby Tuesday"): Like I said in my Top 12 recap months ago, I'm a sucker for strings. So even if Lacey's mic had been off the whole song, I still probably would have called for her to move on to the next round. (Hey, there were 11 other people to go home. Well, sort of.) But really...the string quartet was a nice touch and a fairly radical rearrangement of the Stones' original, and it fit Lacey's voice very well. Lacey was a bit all over the place at points (hello, much larger stage...) and a bit flat too, but for the most part, she made some great phrasing choices, and it really went a long way (in my view) to define Lacey as an artist. The fact that America didn't see it that way...and sent Lacey swiftly packing in the process...was kind of a bummer. It was just the first chapter in a season-long, painful saga called "Idol Voters Not Giving ANY of The Women A Chance To Grow, Because They Think Tim Urban Is Hot and Lee Sounds Great, Ugh." Or something like that. :)

Do I think Lacey should have made it to the finals? Yes. Although I wouldn't have been as torn up about her not making it as I was about Katelyn & Lilly (VIVA LA KATELYN & LILLY! Though Lilly, you should stop swearing so much in the music you have on your MySpace page...), I think she deserved to go through.
Do I think she deserved the place she got? Nope. While her making it to the Top 3 or something would have been a stretch even in my eyes, she definitely deserved a few more weeks to grow, or at least so we could have a few more excellent iTunes recordings of hers.
Will I buy her CD, whenever it comes out? Sadly, the odds don't look good for Lacey getting one out anytime soon...Alexis Grace, who last season got 11th and was viewed much favorably than Lacey, still has yet to release even a single...but when that day hopefully comes, and as long as I'm not off on my mission, I'll be there. If life is good to us, Lacey has a bright future ahead of her.

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.

Top 12 Guys Night (+ Results): Sugar, We're Going Down

OK, so I'm exceedingly late on this. No one reads this blog as of yet, however, so I think I am excused. Anyways, since the results show has already gone forth and eliminated, I will discuss the performances of the Top 12 guys (oh my, this was like an even-worse sequel to a disappointing girls' night), and when it comes to those axed by America's cruel phone-dialing/texting fingers, I will elaborate on my feelings about their departure. (At the end, I'll talk about the two girls' eliminations. Ashley and Janell, we hardly knew ye. In the case of the former, thank goodness...and as for the latter, methinks you suffered a total eclipse of the Heart. :) )

• Todrick Hall: My words to my roommate (who was catching a little bit of the show while eating at the table, reluctantly, of course) after the performance said it all..."That was...interesting..." Todrick is to be commended for his wildly creative song-rearrangement skills, and his vocals were pretty well on-key, but besides that...wow. (And not a good wow either.) I'm probably the world's biggest proponent of radical, crazy reworkings of songs (see Andrew Garcia below, for example), but even I thought Todrick twisted the melody and structure of "Since U Been Gone" a wee bit too much. The spoken-word intro at the beginning was pretty dang awkward, and the whole performance just didn't fit so well together. That said...Todrick showed he was brave, and that his deliciously unique take on "I'm Yours" during Hollywood Week was no fluke. Still...he needs a heck of a lot more consistency if he's going to keep changing up numbers like this. Otherwise the judges (who were asking the girls THE SHOW BEFORE to give more creative takes on songs) may not be very happy, again.
• Aaron Kelly: I'm still not a fan of the young gun (16, people, 16...) that I think the judges let through way too early, but I have to admit his performance of "Here Comes Goodbye" was a pretty good choice. The bombastic country-pop stylings of Rascal Flatts (a group who I have eternally mixed feelings about) were a perfect fit for Aaron's somewhat soaring pipes. Did the performance wow me? Not really. I found it dull and he pushed a little too much at many parts, and his tone wasn't the greatest. But was it a performance that showed he deserves to be in the semifinals? Yeah, pretty much.
• Jermaine Sellers: Now, I love "Get Here" (I was introduced to it junior year when we almost sang it in our chamber/jazz group), and think it's a beautiful song (it's NOT karaoke, people!). That said...may it rest in peace, because Jermaine sure as heck murdered it repeatedly on Wednesday night. The performance started off pleasantly enough, and Jermaine treated it with (his own slightly overblown version of) respect. Then he got into the chorus, and there went the melody, the song, and any artistic credibility Jermaine might have had left. It was truly just painful. The segment after the judges critiqued him...where he momentarily had no idea who "Idol" music director Michael Orland was, was embarrassing and should have sealed Jermaine's fate, but unfortunately, America is not as merciful as they should be.
• Tim Urban: Another clunker, another missed opportunity for America to send home the right person. While his ridiculous hairstyle (did a Dust Bunny from "The Big Comfy Couch," wearing black because no one watches that show anymore, take nest on his head? yes, I did just combine an obscure 90s PBS reference and a withering yet lame insult in the same sentence :) ) would be worthy grounds for elimination on its own, his uneven, lackluster take on "Apologize" was even worse. His falsetto was weak and the shifts to it were awkward, and his tone was shallow and nervous-sounding. Simon's harsh words afterwards that they made the right decision in the first place by leaving him out of the Top 24 was sharp, but somewhat true. Please, America, put both us and Tim out of our misery. We need no more of  this. (Side note: What kind of lemon keeps the fact he made it into the semifinals from his FAMILY? Kind of fun, but mostly just stupid.)
• Joe Munoz (in italics because America...italicized him? :D): Poor Joe. Only 10 seconds of Hollywood Week screentime to his name before he was forced to take the stage for an all-or-nothing performance on Wednesday night, and then what do "Idol" voters do? Give him the ax. His performance of "You and I Both" was pretty good, I thought (so good, I didn't recognize it as a child of the annoying Jason Mraz...I mean, Mrubbish...until the admittedly kind of flat chorus), and Joe displayed a smile that could light up a city, along with an ease for performing that quite a few "Idol" hopefuls this season could take note of. It wasn't completely memorable, as Simon duly pointed out, but it was very solid, and definitely not deserving of the early exit Joe got on Thursday.
• Tyler Grady: His performance of "American Woman" was a bit unwieldy, for sure...the vocals weren't completely on point, and the whole thing was a bit off...but the judges' critiques afterwards just didn't compute. You spend all of Hollywood Week (and most of his audition) raving about Tyler's 70s vibe, not to mention the intro package being all psychedelic, and then you tear him down for that very atmosphere that you praised? I would call that 1-800-Messed Up, especially Kara's bordering-on-vicious comment that he's obsessed with the 70s and must have Jim Morrison posters plastered over his walls. Um, what the crap? Unfortunately, I wasn't wowed with his performance and didn't vote for Tyler (expecting him to sail through into next week anyway). Now the contestant who I gushed about in my Top 24 recap, the one I said "just may be the first 'Idol' male contestant that has my vote from my start," is gone. Ugh.
• Lee DeWyze: It seems that "Idol" always has to have at least one contestant that everybody loves, but I just don't get. Last year it was Adam Lambert and the Screamer Who Must Not Be Named (if you need a reminder as to who that is, let me evoke these painful lines: "Dreeaaam on! Dreeeeam on! [Painful shrieking, sound of cats dying] :) ), and this year, methinks it's Lee DeWyze. His tone is reminiscent of David Cook's and Daughtry's, for sure...after it's been run through a sausage grinder. It's just plain grating. ("Get ret-ty!" OK, I'll stop the horrid Screamer references...) He is to be commended, certainly, for starting off his take on "Chasing Cars" in a very raw fashion...just him playing guitar and singing, and virtually nothing else...but he was pushing way too hard at so many points, and did very little with the song. Sadly, he's one of the judges' ordained front-runners now, but in my minority opinion, I don't mind if he gets an early ouster. (The earlier, the better.) (Side note: Randy, since when does Kings of Leon qualify as a harder-rocking group? Harder than Snow Patrol, sure, but you played with Journey. You should know your rock music a wee bit better than this.)
• John Park: John gets major points for being both a smooth baritone (baritones unite! :) ) and picking a jazz standard ("God Bless The Child," baby!), but unfortunately, both of these excellent elements failed to combine into a good performance. His vibrato was rather all over the place, his tone wasn't completely steady, and he did little to interpret the song. Sure, he didn't have to be a Billie Holiday, but he could have put some semblance of emotion into it (after all, he explained afterwards that the song had special meaning to him). Like Shania said, John has a nice bottom end (his VOICE, people, his VOICE!), and if he gets a heck of a lot more consistent, he can work wonders with that low tone, a low tone that many of the other male contestants certainly do not possess. Otherwise, pretty much the only calls he's going to get after "Idol" will be from Carnival, the Disney Cruise Line, and Mikalah Gordon's cousin's uncle's wedding.
• Michael Lynche: Time for another one of my concise moments. And...go! OK, I like Michael. But his take on "This Love" was unimaginative, flat, and just not consistent enough. And I severely doubt he was playing that guitar that much. It had energy, but it didn't quite cut it. (Kara saying it wasn't "outrageously great" was shockingly right on the nose. Kara getting a critique right? We should treasure this moment.) Michael shall stay in for quite a while, but I hope he steps it up in the process. (If he had done the whole song a la the last line...simmered down dramatically...I had a feeling he would have knocked it out of the park. Tis a shame.)
• Alex Lambert: Well, that last one wasn't very concise, was it? Let's try this again. Alex's nerves certainly got to him here (I doubt a lost puppy in a Disney movie could have had a more scared face than he did during his song), and his performance was little more than a very pale imitation of James Morrison, the very artist Alex was covering. It was boring, plodding, and uncreative. And he stayed instead of Tyler how, exactly?
• Casey James: As much as this still-continuing "ooh! Kara LIKES Casey!" thing is starting to get old, and this is a SINGING competition, I have to admit it made for some pretty unexpectedly funny lines behind the judges' table ("We were both cursed with good looks," Simon drolly quipped). Still, it was distracting, and it kind of bugged a bit. Since they largely failed to talk about Casey's performance (except for a few small breaks from the jokery), I shall...his take on "Heaven" (by Bryan Adams, ehhh)  was good and solid, and I didn't hate Casey's tone half as much as I thought I would, but it wasn't completely there. I recommend Casey goes the David Cook route and changes things up a bit. Because aside from "Idol" to stop playing up the Kara-Casey thing, that just may be exactly what he needs.
• Andrew Garcia: Where was the freaking love???? While the judges (and most of America and my fellow recappers) found Andrew's inventive midtempo cover of "Sugar, We're Going Down" to be disappointing, I personally loved it. Now, that might be because I hate the original (thank the Lord that Fall Out Boy is no more!), and also because I'm a sucker for interesting harmonies and I audibly squealed (no joke) when I heard the chord progression in the chorus, but I thought this was really good. His vocals were smooth and soaring, and it just sounded like a vastly better song. Really, Simon, it was a disappointment? Really, Kara, the risk he took didn't work? Really, with Seth and Amy? (SNL reference...score!) Anyhoo, I hope this country wakes up and notices how amazing this cover was, and until then, I'll keep listening to it frequently on my iPod. Take that, suckers!

The Other People Eliminated: I'm not too sad at all that Ashley's gone...her flat, lifeless performance of a Leona Lewis number was painful to sit through...but I'm somewhat annoyed that America sent Janell a pink slip. True, she was way too overstretched on Heart's "What About Love," and her final Hollywood solo of "Love Story" was subpar, but she really had potential, and the classy way she took her elimination on Thursday (interviews and all) showed that she wasn't a brat. This is one of the few cases where I'm rooting for  an early semifinal castoff to get some semblance of a career after "Idol." Janell certainly deserves it.

And that's a wrap. My schedule this week should be more conducive to "Idol" watching, and for the love of all things Allison (I STILL want to find a video of her results show performance, dang it!), please let the Top 20 performances be much better than the crap we got this week. It was BAD, folks...really bad. And with that, I bid adieu.

Top 12 Girls Night: Wicked Game

OK, I have 21 minutes until the Top 12 Guys show (which I will actually be able to watch tonight, I had to catch last night's performance episode via the very, very helpful Rickey.org), which means I have 21 minutes to recap 12 ladies' performances. Can I get a "Aaah!!!"? Overall comments: This was kind of painful to watch. While there were some bright moments (you'll see me type...hopefully briefly...about them below), it was a roundly disappointing night of "performances" (so bad, I put performances in needless quotes :) ). So dive in with me, quickly, like a bunny, and relive the horror and joy that is...the American Idol semifinals.

• Paige Miles: To quote "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" (oh, yes, I am going there): "Je suis 'ow.'" Poor Paige got saddled with the first slot (AKA death) and I haven't seen her sing a note before now, but she did herself no favors with this exceedingly messy and awkward performance of "All Right Now." It was BAD. Yet the judges said it was good...and this is why they often drive me crazy. Paige is in major danger--unless America has suddenly been brainwashed by Simon Cowell. While I won't cry if she leaves...methinks she should be given another chance, a chance she hopefully won't waste as badly as she did with this performance.
• Ashley Rodriguez: I've heard Leona Lewis...and you, Ashley, are no Leona Lewis. Ms. Rodriguez attempted to tackle another heavyweight ballad (last time it was Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield," this time it was the aforementioned Lewis' "Happy"). I only like the song because of Leona's powerhouse voice, and with Ashley's not-half-as-strong pipes phoning in a weak showing, it really fell flat (especially when HALF HER FREAKING NOTES were thus). Sorry Ashley, but I really don't care if America (deservedly) votes your unimaginative self off.
• Janell Wheeler: Another bad song choice, another promising contestant with a horrendous performance. "What About Love" by Heart...really, Janell? What about changing it up a bit, so your more acoustic-suited voice wouldn't get swallowed up? What about staying on key, so you wouldn't sound like a dying cat (or Taylor Swift)? It just didn't work at all...it was certainly more on par with her dismal performance of "Love Story" during Hollywood Week than her alluring take on "American Boy" a few episodes earlier.
• Lilly Scott: Crap, 9 more minutes, and 9 more contestants (and if you've read a shred of my recaps, you know I don't write concisely enough to take a minute per contestant :) ): Anyways, Lilly's quirky acoustic spin on "Fixing A Hole" by the Beatles (why does it remind me of "A Day In The Life" for some reason? Probably the holes...) was enticing, but not entirely consistent. I liked it (and now have it for my own, thanks to Rickey.org), but it was also somewhat awkward. Lilly might need to expand her musical horizons a little more to gain the favor of a wider swath of Idol voters, or she could end up like Megan Joy last season...talented and spicy, but capable of imploding in a live setting.
• Katelyn Epperly: Is it time for brevity? Sure. Her vocals were excellent, but her look and personality were not. It was good, and she demonstrated a heck of a lot of control over her instrument, but it just didn't blow me away.
• Haeley Vaughn: Country + wonky vocals + a Beatles number? No, you didn't stumble back into Season 7 and Kristy Lee Cook's horrific murder of "Eight Days a Week"...that would be Haeley Vaughn's precociously awful butchering of "I Want To Hold Your Hand." Points for totally turning the song on its ear. Points promptly taken away for being on key about 5% of the time.
• Lacey Brown: I love Lacey, and I voted for her quite a few times. That is why I saw her disappointing, flat performance of "Landslide" as not a lackluster effort by a not-so-talented pretender, but as a low point in an otherwise spot-on trajectory so far. Lacey seemed to be pushing when she should have pulled, shaped, and nuanced her voice like she totally can. I fear for her safety in the competition now--she's doomed to be one of the first 2 castoffs on Thursday--but I hope America gives her another week, and she gains some confidence in her personal artistry, so she can show what she's most certainly got.
• Michelle Delamor: (Writing this during the commercials of the Top 12 guys episode. I got close to finishing this in time, though! :) ) Michelle fared much better than Paige in the "I hardly got any screen time before now, so here goes nothin'" department, and she showcased some impressive vocals, but her performance was a wee bit too by-the-numbers to show anything special. Put those large pipes into something constructive and unique, Michelle, and you've got yourself a deal. For now, I think you've earned yourself a ticket to next week, another chance to show Idol voters unfamiliar with you (AKA, pretty much everyone) what you can bring.
• Didi Benami: I love this song ("The Way I Am"! Viva la Ingrid Michaelson!), and I love Didi and her voice. And guess what...I liked this performance. She was a tiny bittle flat at some points, but I thought it was assured, smooth, and beautiful. Kara (Kara??!!) was right (right?!?!?) in pointing out (point...OK, I'll stop :) ) that Didi did play with the melody a little bit, and it worked out well. Where was the love from the other judges, then? Does Simon see it his duty to be a Didi hater? Well, to heck with the judges. America is likely to put her through, with such a nice performance on a night full of pain, misery, and endless woe.
• Siobhan Magnus: Well, someone surprised me tonight. Not only did I learn that Siobhan's an apprentice glass-blower, I learned she can nuance a performance pretty darn well. Her final Hollywood Week song, "Living For The City," was loose and soaring, but this reined-in, mysteriously delicious version of "Wicked Game" (a Chris Isaak tune, who woulda thunk it?) was a breath of fresh air. Siobhan has really caught my eye, something I really didn't expect.
• Crystal Bowersox: Me likey some Crystal. OK, how about I type in actual English? I thought it was very good. And how many contestants have pulled out the guitar AND the harmonica? (Apparently Taylor Hicks did. Well, I didn't watch his season, and haven't really had the urge to look his old "Idol" performances up on YouTube.) Her vocals were confident, strong, and had an interesting (but not EEnteresting...as in interesting but horrible) tone that I really liked. Plus her teeth look better, which should please the brats that were complaining about them. All in all, Crystal is one frontrunner that deserves the hype. (Side note: I didn't think she came off as cocky or "above American Idol" in her awkward conversation with the judges, but she just may need to become acclimated to the show a little bit more.)
• Katie Stevens: I'm a big fan of this talented teenager, as you saw from my slightly stilted praise in the last recap...and I really liked this performance, but she did indeed try too hard. The confidence and maturity she's displayed up to this point turned too far into pretense and not being genuine, and with someone as bright and promising as Katie, that's kind of a shame. I do take issue, though, with people comparing this to Adam Lambert...a) He was covering the Muse version of the song, and b) He slaughtered it, and not in a good way. How about you compare Katie to Nina Simone (who originated the song with a killer version decades ago) or Michael Buble (who revitalized the tune for a new generation)? It's a jazz standard, folks. Don't go trumpeting a caterwauling glam-rock wannabe from last season like he owns the song. Anyways, back to Katie...it was good, but not entirely original or consistent. She needs to step it up a bit and bring all the talented pieces she possesses together.

So there you have it. The Top 12 ladies of American Idol. I would tack on something here like a "who was good, who wasn't" thing, but I'm already running late on this, and I think you got enough. See you (anyone? anyone? cricket, cricket?) soon with a recap of the Top 12 guys. Adios!