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American Idol Season 9 Girls Night 2

2010-03-07T08:04:00.000+07:00

Before I begin this terrible mess of an episode, let me ask:

Where are Michael Castro? Margo May? Jess Wolfe? Are these groups of boys and girls the best Season 9 could offer? Do you expect me to believe that?

Yes, I've been stalling for two days. CSI:NY, CSI:LV, and The Mentalist are definitely worth my time rather than reliving this mess. I also watched this with my mother and thank goodness for that zinfandel that kept me sane. It's like every episode, every time Ryan Seacrest says "the best in America", American Idol is becoming a farce. You can blame this on Adam, Kris, Allison, and the whole Season 8 but you can put these Season 9-ers against the likes of Kristy Lee Cook and Kellie Pickler and they will still PHAIL.

Of course, there are exceptions. But they are definitely not "instant winners" to me. Usually, you can tell a potential winner this early. I called Fantasia, Taylor-Katharine, Kris-Adam, Kelly Clarkson, and Carrie Underwood as early as the semifinals. The closest to that with this bunch is Lee DeWyze of the boys.

Crystal Bowersox, Long As I Can See the Light
There's a couple of things I have to be thankful for: first is Crystal being okay; second, for putting her first up tonight; and, CRYSTAL, THANK YOU FOR AUDITIONING THIS YEAR. THIS COMPETITION NEEDS YOU! I love these kinds of arrangements, where the song starts off with almost no backing music and it's just the singer's voice. That's when you can really hear the quality of it. What I love about Crystal is that it so natural to her. She doesn't have to push too hard. She has control over her instrument. Crystal, if ever I happen to pass by someone who sings like you at the subway, I'd definitely stop and take a listen. Raw natural talent here, guys.

Haeley Vaughn, The Climb
Holy mother of the heavens. I am about to dislike the only Miley Cyrus song I willingly listened to and even considered singing. Look me in the eye and tell me that Haeley is better than Jess Wolfe or Margo May. I dare you. But then again, how can you fuck up such a simple song? Easy, if you don't have the voice for it. On paper, Miley songs would've worked well with her, age-wise and everything. But she didn't connect with the song at all. Nor sang it well. Doesn't matter now. She was eliminated. Thank you, America. I don't have to listen to her ever again.

Lacey Brown, Kiss Me
Oh god another one. And way to take a critque seriously. Kara suggested her to do Sixpence None The Richer songs last week; she mentioned this song even! And guess what... Lacey listened. Positive: this does suit her voice better than last week's song. But she doesn't sound any better. At least she did something different to it. The performance had a karaoke-ish vibe (Randy picked that up). And I get what Simon was trying to say. Lacey was like singing for survival and not for the win.

Katie Stevens, Put Your Records On
Megan Joy's song. Sorry, this will forever be Megan's song. Here's the thing, if Haeley and Katie exchanged songs... it would've worked better for both of them. To Katie's credit, she did a much better job than her fellow sixteen-year-old. The thing with her is that I feel she is an old soul. I imagine that if she goes younger than this song, she'll be singing nursery rhymes. What else is out there? Disney Channel shit? Beibernation? Simon will surely rip anyone who does that a new one.

Didi Benami, Lean on Me
Whut? Uhm, song choice fail. Second part of the song completely left her. She couldn't get her notes. I don't get it. She did something right by going indie with the Ingrid Michaelson song. WTF happened here? I don't get it. Randy once again was spot on. Didi was trying too hard to show she could do the stuff she actually cannot instead of showcasing the aspects she's good at. It wasn't good.

[I seriously had to take a break after this. Putting on a Bonnie & Clyde song before going forward.]

Michelle Delamor, With Arms Wide Open
Holy crap. I just DO NOT FUCKING GET IT. Why?! *headdesk* Honey, it's like you were trying too hard. None of it made any sense. Too bad, you were better than Lacey, vocally -- she stays and you were eliminated. Nothing more to say on this one.

Lilly Scott, A Change is Gonna Come
I'm coming clean. When Adam Lambert did this... I didn't like it as much as the Adam-public did. I'm not going to compare this one to Adam's version though. I like this one. It has the sound that I often gravitate to when looking for cover versions. Lilly's with Crystal in my book - she's real and she's believable.

Katelyn Epperley, The Scientist
Wow she looks awesome. This reminds me of Natasha Bedingfield's Radio 1 Live Lounge performance. [Simon mentioned it in his critique.] I'm with Ellen, it's a bit on the very slow side. But the vocals are great. She controls her voice so well. And oh song choice win!

Paige Miles, Walk Away
By Kelly Clarkson, co-written by Kara DioGuardi. For some reason, I really dig Paige's voice. But I often forget about her. Maybe that's what she needs to work on. That aside, I like this performance. She seems to put soul in anything she sings.

Siobhan Magnus, Think
It's awesome that American Idol is setting up the dark horses, having them perform last. Lee for the dudes and Siobhan for the girls. I really like Siobhan. She's "Kris-Allen-boring" when not singing but whatever. I don't think she knows how good she is compared to these other girls. Oh man, forget the others!

Overall, it was a painful night. Sure there were good ones but the bad ones were SO FUCKING BAD they made me hate the whole night. Is this is America? Wow, a far cry from last year's talent.

----
* Note: I started writing this review last night. I was distracted by the CBS shows mentioned earlier, American Idiot Broadway cast pefroming at the USA/Vanity Fair event, and the London cast of Avenue Q. And also, I just didn't want to do this. I'm just in too deep to quit.

American Idol Season 9 Boys Night 2

2010-03-05T13:32:00.000+07:00

As the second results show wind down for us here in the West Coast, I shall relive the Boys Performance Night #2. The top 10 boys of Season 9 (seriously?) go at it again for America's votes.

For a change, I watched this when it aired on TV. My mom made me do it. Figured she didn't want to go through it alone so I joined her. Now my question is do I really want to relive it one more time? Er, not really but for the sake of reviewing the awfulness, here I am. The girls should've gone first but contestant Crystal Bowersox was hospitalized. The guys were informed the morning of Tuesday that they will perform that night instead. Oh-kay. Let's do this.

"Fear of the unknown..." -- Kara DioGuardi. [Heh. After last week, it's fear of knowing what's coming up that's bothering me.]

Michael Lynche, It's a Man's Man's Man's World
Oh he's like a real-life Finn Hudson! Doing musical theatre and football. I like him, I want him to do well. The song showed his range but it stayed there in the higher register. So to me, it seemed a bit monotone. Randy gave him a standing ovation. Well, I wouldn't but then again, this fits Michael more than "This Love" (geez, I had to look it up; CRS). He did own the stage with that song.

John Park, Gravity
John Park singing John Mayer. Purple Haze, his music group in college, want him to lose so they can have him back to sing with them. They got their wish! John was eliminated tonight. Why? Pitch problems left and right -- once he lost the note, he lost the song. Gosh, that was boring. Better song choice, sure. But John didn't connect at all with the song.

Casey James, I Don't Wanna Be
Oh man, Mr. Distracting on electric guitar. Okay - covering the video window now. I happen to LOVE this song. My favorite Idol version is from Bo Bice. Shit, that was HAWT. The thing with Casey, you don't need to watch him to enjoy his performance. He has the voice to perform for him. (Of course, watching him has its benefits.) Comparing this to last week, I have to say, he's consistent.
"Heaven" is a rock-ish song. "I Don't Wanna Be" definitely is one, too. It's a great performance. Fangirl votes + actual talent votes will take him to Top 12 for sure.

Alex Lambert, Everybody Knows
Mr. Lambert playing the gee-tar too. The tone of his voice still surprises me. He has the indie, Newton Faulkner-ish vibe. The number one improvement I saw in Alex is the stage presence. He has it now! Maybe it's the security having his guitar with him. He is definitely one of the better singers of the whole pack. And whoa, to have Simon say he wants to pick a song for you -- that's HUGE. Remember last season? Simon handpicked two songs for that other Lambert? Yeah. Look at how well it worked for him.

That is one of the reasons why I absolutely LOVE Simon Cowell on that Idol panel. Sure, he's straight-forward and [to others] a bit mean, but he speaks the truth. He knows the industry. He knows what he wants - or what will make him the most money. Tsk, and 95% of the time, he's right. Moving on...

Todrick Hall, What's Love Got to Do with It
Honey, stick to the dancing. You're obviously better at it. Also, you are no David Cook or Adam Lambert. (Coincidentally, Adam Lambert has a version of this song.) Sure, you want to change the arrangement of songs but unlike the two previously mentioned, you're not good at it. The song got lost in the styling. It came across as yet another indulgent and pretentious performance. It's like Todrick had to change a song in order for it to work for him. What's wrong with just singing? Have your voice do the work. Maybe Todrick doesn't have much to work with. Whatever. He stays for another week. Want to bet that he'll be singing a song plain and the judges will complain about it being boring? [More on that in another post.]

Jermaine Sellers, What's Going On
No. GTFO. No. This will go down in my Idol History as one of the most annoying performances ever. Auditions included. Jermaine simply does NOT get it. Nuh-uh, not at all. While he was being critiqued, he had a barrage of smartass comments. I shall get to it one by one later. As for the singing, WHY THE FUCK WAS HE IN THE TOP 24 to begin with? The judges are nice enough not to outright say it's BAAAAD. Okay, on to what Jermaine said:

"If I pull it back anymore..." -- like with Todrick, maybe Jermaine does not have much to work with. He needs to force the song to work for him.
"I want you to come to church with me..." -- or some crap like that. Listen dude, AMERICAN IDOL =/= CHURCH. Hell, church people don't even sing like that. How many previous Idol contestants came from a church background? A lot. Did they sound as outrageous(ly bad) as that? No.
"What should I sing next week?" -- why should they give you a specific song? So if it fails, you can blame them? It's a good thing you won't be around next week.
"I know God." -- yes, and He is telling you that singing ain't for you, son. I just HATE it when... nevermind.

Andrew Garcia, You Give Me Something
Forgive me, fangirls, I am not feeling him. But I love this song so let's see. Maybe this is a song he won't mess with as much. I like it. Sure, he's tons better than most of the dudes. Yeah, he's okay. I sort of agree with what Ellen said about him setting the bar so high with "Straight Up". I hate to mention Adam Lambert so much in this post but that was one of the concerns for him last season. Week after week, he gives awesome performances. People were worried that he'll never top "Whole Lotta Love" but he came on with Simon's pick, "One" and blew it out of the water. Andrew needs to do the same. ONE amazing performance to trump "Straight Up". Maybe it won't come during the semis. He's surely into the Top 12 anyway. Worry about it then.

Seriously. The judges look like they don't know what hit them. Well, you guys chose them. Suffer with us.

Aaron Kelly, My Girl
This is one of the songs I want Stark Sands to sing. The younger dudes are actually better than the older ones. This song is another one of those you can't change too much. I really like Aaron's voice. If Alex fits the indie mold, Aaron is more on the mainstream pop side. Ran out of breathe on that last "my girl..." hee! As Kara said, he's been consistent. Simon didn't like it, saying it's a bit old fashioned. Yet again, "My Girl" is one of those "so simple yet so hard" songs.

Tim Urban, Come On Get Higher
Why is he still here again? Oh, because he's cute. Joe Munoz > Tim Urban. Just sayin'. Geez louise, first line in, he went terribly offkey. Seriously judges, WHY? Mr. Producer, who was #14 for the boys? Fuck, that last word/note, offkey x 10. Well well... Ellen suggested he tries acting instead of singing. "You can also sing a little." Shit man, a little! Is that a hint, Ellen? Kara, "You look the part, play the part..." but? One positive here -- and probably why he wasn't eliminated -- this performance was better than "Apologize".

Lee DeWyze, Lips of An Angel
GAHD! I flove this song! I like Lee. Something about him - even if he looks like Danny Gokey - I like a lot. I love that he closed the show. I mean, after the barrage of voices from plain to terrible, his unique tone is refreshing. And this song! Guys, this is the one to beat. And he didn't have to do a lot to take control of the stage. He was so believable. He owned it. To note, in the recap montage, I actually liked what he did in that better than what he did during the performance proper.

It's very good that the night ended with Lee. It made the night bearable. And to be honest, his is the only perfromance I remember. Oh and Jermaine's shenanigans. Short-term memory kicks in when the performances are blah.

Holy fuck. I tried remembering what the dudes did last week and for the life of me... I CAN'T REMEMBER SHIT. See! Last week's were fucking awful. The judges more or less told 3 dudes to quit the singing gig. As they should. I'm glad the judges are at least hinting to stuff like that now. In the previous seasons, they wouldn't even suggest another track for a contestant. Well, Paula might have something to do with the sugarcoating. I miss her though.

And I miss talent.

American Idol Season 9 Girls Night 1

2010-03-03T08:46:00.000+07:00

Yeah, yeah. I'm exactly a week behind. But hey, better late than never.

When Season 9 started, I tried watching the auditions. I got through the first two - and Victoria Beckham - then lost interest. They stopped being funny or amusing. Even the "good" ones weren't that good anymore. I also wanted to watch Kristin Chenoweth but apparently she had less than ten minutes screen time. Meh. I have x number of "Wicked" videos to sate my Cheno love. Then Joe Jonas?! WTF. I never approved of guest judges during auditions anyway. They're more useful and amusing during the competition proper.

Unlike the boys and the hype some of them got, the girls had none. So I have no idea who these girls are nor have heard them sing anything prior to my viewing of their performance night. [Well, I saw that Portuguese girl's audition but it was more sob story than actual singing. Surprise.] In the past, I never rooted for a girl to win Idol unless she was really the best of the roster (ie Carrie Underwood). Let's see if we have a winner here.

"On this stage right now, the competition begins." - Randy Jackson. [Yes. Because on the semifinal stage, that's where a huge chunk of fanbase is created.]

Paige Miles, All Right Now
She started off okay. I mean, coming on first is huge. The backup singers overpowered her a bit during the chorus but she took on the riffs well. But the banging on the microphone. Please don't do that. Her voice reminds me of Allion Iraheta for some reason. It has that raspiness and the range (and they start all the words with an H). She could've chosen a different song though.

Ashley Rodriguez, Happy
Geez. To take on Leona Lewis in front of Simon Cowell. The guy wrote a song for her! And personally, Leona Lewis should be in the "Do not even attempt to sing" list together with Beyonce, Mariah, and "My Heart Will Go On. Ashley fell apart on that first glory note and to the chorus. It was all over the place. She was too loud and her notes were sharp. I agree with Randy when he said that she'll be compared to the original singer. She didn't do squat to that song. It was predictable - she has the look and probably the sound of Leona-ish singers. [She got eliminated. Well, between her and another girl that will come later, I would let her stick around longer.]

Janell Wheeler, What About Love
Simon said no during the auditions based on her voice. Uhm, that can't be good. Isn't this a singing competition? Heart (band) songs are HUGE. Ann Wilson's voice is so powerful. And Janell's wasn't. It's so thin and weak. The acoustic-y song she did during Hollywood week worked because the style meshed well with her voice. Going from that to a power ballad, didn't work at all. Instead of her conrolling the song, it overpowered her. [Like Ashley, she also got cut. Oh well, would they need another Haley Scarnato?]

Lilly Scott, Fixing A Hole
First of three Beatles songs (in a row). She has this Indie vibe to her voice which I like. Her phrasing is interesting. She's definitely different but believable. I think she actually knows who she is musically and ran with that. She didn't try to sing some well-known big diva or female rock song to impress. She just did her thing and it paid off really well.

Katelyn Epperly, Oh! Darling
Ooh that promotional photo of her is pretty. With the second Beatles song, Katelyn brought with her a loungey vibe. Her whole get-up reminds me of Madonna in the "Crazy for You" video. This girl can sing! She has control over her instrument. And I see a little Megan Joy in her. That quirkiness and showmanship. Like Randy said, the other girls were concerned of impressing the judges (really, it's for the judges) with huge songs and vocals. Katelyn kept it to the level where she's comfortable. I like her.

Haeley Vaughn, I Want to Hold Your Hand
Dear Lord. I liked the two previous renditions of Beatles songs. But this? I happen to like this song the most out of the three but if we're talking about the girls' performances... I hated this one. I called it a "horror" in my previous post. Well, IT IS. It was so painful to listen to this. (I did this same song but in the style of the "Across the Universe" OST. I imagine if she used that instead of the original mix, it would've fared better for her.) I think she couldn't hear herself or the backing music. It was terrible. DX [Between her and Ashley, I'd go with Ashley.]

Lacey Brown, Landslide
Oh! I actually remember her from Season 8. She was the one paired with Megan Joy in the faceoff. I voted for Megan to stay and she did. Lacey was eliminated. And now she's back. So she's the redhead of Season 9. It seems that ever Idol season, there is a redhead. Erm... the moment she started singing reminded me why I wanted Megan Joy to stay instead of her. Was she trying to sound Indie? It's not a good fit. I didn't get her version.

Michelle Delamor, Fallin'
Girl looks like Jordin Sparks a bit. Hmm, she changed the key. It works for her. Yet, Alicia Keys is once again one of those "untouchable" artists unless you do something drastic to the song. The key change helped her. The glory note in the end was nice. The performance was pretty clean; as Simon said, "professional".

Didi Benami, The Way I Am
I like Indie Pop. And I love Ingrid Michaelson and this song to bits! This Didi girl reminds me of Brooke White. She probably has the same sound. I mean, that's probably the only possible way you can sing this song. (I did. And it still sounded indie.) Her take on "Terrified" was great -- it sounded contemporary pop ballad. I don't get why she's boxing herself into the indie sound. Well, I did like her performance. But it is not something I'd remember. I'm with Ellen when she said that the song is not a frontrunner song. It's just a part of a set.

Siobhan Magnus, Wicked Game
I love this Chris Isaak song. (How many girls are with nose piercings this year?) She's a bit nasal. But geez, this song is so sexy! Here's a positive, her stayed on key the whole time. I like this low-key performance. Dark horse? Too early to tell but she's good. (Will she be like the early Kris Allen? Lots of talent, no personality.)

Crystal Bowersox, Hand In My Pocket
Interesting. A harmonica + guitar combo. And she sings! Very well, I might add. Oh man, I am liking this. I like her phrasing and her whole vibe is just so cool. Like the other girl, Crystal is believable and original. She knows who she is. She's definitely different and interesting. I want to see her in the Top 12.

Katie Stevens, Feeling Good
This is the Portuguese girl, right? Oh I watched her audition and sob story. She looks so much like... wait for it... Tatiana del Toro. Oh god, you can say it's the Michael Buble version but ever since Season 8, it's an Adam Lambert song. Big voice. But isn't she what... 17? The song, get-up, performance made her seem old. Maybe it's one of those "big song to impress" kind of performances. Meah.

So Ashley and Janell were eliminated. Shit, I don't think I can stand another week of Haeley Vaughn.

The girls definitely are more interesting than the dudes. Is season 9 for the girls? Maybe. Don't rule out the "cute/hot" votes. Like in my previous review, I still don't have a winner. As I type this, Boys Night #2 is airing over at the East Coast. Reading tweets about it, it's another painful one. As Youtube personality, Michael Buckley tweeted about ten minutes ago, "It's "Something you may night know about me night" on American Idol. I'm waiting for one of them to say " I CAN SING"."

Ouch.

American Idol Season 9 Boys Night 1

2010-03-03T07:29:00.000+07:00

Hiya!

I am about a week late and totally ignored the whole audition process of this American Idol 9. Yes, I'm afraid Season 8 spoiled me. Writing up a review of this season's performances should be interesting. I have no idea who these people are and how well they did in the previous rounds. This will be what Simon says, "If I'm living under a rock and this is the first time I heard that performance/song..." -- complete the sentence.

I'm quite active on Twitter and I follow a shitton of Idol fans. For the first performance night - the Girls - the response wasn't so good. [I did watch the Girls' night already; review to follow]. My mom caught a portion of it and walked away after that horror, I Want To Hold Your Hand. Then the Boys' night. My mom said it was better than the Girls' but the Twitteratti begged to differ.

So let's see, shall we?

It’s totally different here [live show] than at home… you hear every single flaw [at home]. So if we’re saying you don’t sound so good here, you sound worse at home.” -- Ellen Degeneres.

Todrick Hall, Since You've Been Gone
One word: PRETENTIOUS. Like Randy said, the song was unrecognizable. I love the original from Kelly Clarkson. So I was trying to sort of sing along with this and man, I kept of thinking, "Is this the same song?" Simon had a better word for it: murdered. It was. I dare you to tell me it was not. Did I like it? The chorus part was out of place with the whole song. But hey, at least he thought of changing it. Performance-wise, sure. He had presence.

Aaron Kelly, Here Comes Goodbye
A sixteen-year-old. Yipee. [I feel mighty old.] I love the quality of his voice. A bit nasal but his Angel performance sounded great. Aaron let his voice do the work for him, unlike the previous one who danced and jumped around. It was kind of boring if you're watching it but if you're just listening to it, it's pretty good. His reactions to critique reminds me of David Archuleta, only less annoying and less ass-kissing.

Jermaine Sellers, Get Here
I love this song. My unofficial title for it is "Railway", dating back to my Center For Pop Music days. Anyway, Jermaine started off sharp and lost me when he did the riffs -- not even ten seconds in the song. And it was downhill from there. Ouch. Just ouch. It's a simple enough song to be safe. But it's easy to mess it up as well. The riffs and the falsetto just wasn't doing it. When the judges begin the critique by praising the way you look, it's not good for your vocals. You know, that "throw the man under the bus" bit he did was better than the whole song.

Tim Urban, Apologize
Ah so he's the replacement for that guy who got disqualified, right? He's cute. But then again, "cute" stopped becoming a selling point for Idol in Season 6. For the record, when Kris Allen did this song live, I loved the performance but not so much the studio recording. Tim, what's the the falsetto? You do not have that, dude. Whoo-ouch. I wish he went with a Train (the band) song or at the very least, Owl City's "Fireflies". As per Simon, I agree. They made the right choice of cutting him the first time. Having said that, why is Tim #25 in the roster? Why is he the first in the waiting list? Like I've said, I have not watched the auditions so I have no bet as to who would be a better replacement. What do you think?

Joe Munoz, You and I Both
Okay, it's tough to sing Mraz. I like how fresh his vocals are, how easy it seems for him. He was in the moment and very confident. But if I don't already know the words to the song, I couldn't understand a word he was singing. It was good but it was SAFE. Now, I know that Joe was one of the 2 boys who were eliminated. Yet based on these first 5 so far... America, you got it wrong.

Tyler Grady, American Woman
Holy shit, you're 20?! Out of all the guys, he was the one who got the most buzz, the most hype. My twitter timeline saw a lot of him. I did see his first audition and he reminded me so much of Mika. The judges sort of liked him. The fangirls loved him. I didn't get him. So okay, he was sent to Hollywood. But did he deliver on the big stage? Or is he another one of those image first, talent second? This song is not really a "singer" song. it's a rock and roll, rock out song. Erm, what the hell was that? The image thing didn't work. Neither did the "vocals", which were next to non-existent. I hate to say this but he came across to me as a poseur. Simon mentioned: cliche, pretend, unnatural, gimmick... all of those. "Style over substance," as Randy said. At least Season 8's Nick Mitchell had a voice. [I know he was also eliminated. You redeemed yourself, America. Sorry fangirls.]

Lee Dewyze, Chasing Cars
Dude, you look like Danny Gokey. Just putting it out there. Ooh, his voice is interesting, raspy. Reminiscent of well... Snow Patrol (haha), Kings of Leon (edit: Randy, I typed this out before I watched you mention them) and erm... sort of like Gokey. The chorus got waaaay off key. Nerves maybe? Because that instant he went off, it went all the way through the song. But I do like his voice a lot. With the right song, he's going to be great. I hope he goes into the Top 12.

John Park, God Bless the Child
Very deep voice. Very unbecoming of his look. Eh... he started off the song flat. And kept at it. It's as if he could not hear himself. He kept searching for the right key but goes right back to that initial flat note he started with. The song is too low for him. And also, work on your diction, dude. It was just so boring. And it was just all over the place.

Michael Lynche, This Love
They call him "Big Mike". Big guy. Aw, he's a new daddy. Well, congratulations on that. And the song, wow I didn't expect that from him. I like it! Very fresh. The guitar-playing, dude, it's what I call the "Kris Allen Effect". You play the guitar but it's not heard at all. I think this is what the first performer was gunning for: making the song his own. Big Mike pulled it off. Todrick didn't. I love Mike's personality. But I'm afraid, he'll be fodder.

Alex Lambert, Wonderful World
I must admit, the first time I saw his name in the spoilers list, I snorted. Seriously, having a Lambert after Adam Lambert last year. Haha dude, I know it's not your fault but wow. Well, well... I didn't expect that voice coming from him. He's a bit uncomfortable to watch. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights (oh fudge you, cliche). Alex reminds me of Elliott Yamin voice-wise. Raw, natural talent... the tone of his voice is awesome. He just needs the polishing and performance.

Casey James, Heaven
Oh this is the hot guy everyone's in the Idolsphere is talking about. He looks like Max Hodges of TMZ. And yeah, you're right. He's good-looking. A bit distracting, yes. But anyway, I do like his voice too. It seems easy for him. And I actually heard his guitar while he was playing it! [Yes, it matters to me.] Oh man, he is distracting. [So for the second half of the song, I covered the screen and just listened.] He did an okay job on the song. I mean, with Heaven (Bryan Adams), you can only do so much with that song. It was a great song choice for Casey. He'll stick around for a long time, I'm sure.

Andrew Garcia, Sugar, We're Going Down
Ah the one who garnered the MOST hype. I have people on my Twitter going absolutely batshitcrazy over him, searching out his youtube videos and all that. I checked one or two videos, they were good but not exactly my cup of tea. But hey, Idol is different. I can hear his guitar so that's a plus. It was nice. At least, he somewhat justified the hype surrounding him (unlike Tyler). But that's it. Nothing more to say about this performance. A downer, really.

So that's it. American Idol Season 9 boys. Unlike last year - and the years before that - I have no surefire winner. Same with the girls. I don't know; maybe it's because Season 8 left me spoiled and jaded. Though, I am not alone. MTV news producer and American Idol superfan Jim Cantiello tweeted, "I hate to sound like a crazy fanboy, but wow. So far season 9 is making me miss...talent. #RIPIdol". For him to say that is huge. After sitting through this first round, I sort of agree. Try and you might, you cannot help but compare Season NINE with the previous seasons. I know it should be a clean slate every time a season starts but after last year, it's will take a gargantuan effort to top what Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, et al. did.

NEW VIDEO: Black Eyed Peas - Imma Be Rocking That Body

2010-02-16T15:41:00.001+07:00

Here's the BEP new music video, featuring two of their tracks from The E.N.D.

iTunes All-time Downloads Chart

2010-02-15T16:37:00.002+07:00

I think the list speaks for itself, so I just post it. And FYI there's a contest for the 10 billionth download. Anyone who did it, will get a 10.000 $ gift card.

iTunes' most-downloaded songs of all time, as of February 11, 2010:
1) "I Gotta Feeling," Black Eyed Peas
2) "Poker Face," Lady Gaga
3) "Boom Boom Pow," Black Eyed Peas
4) "I'm Yours," Jason Mraz
5) "Viva la Vida," Coldplay
6) "Just Dance," Lady Gaga & Colby O'Donis
7) "Low," Flo Rida (featuring T-Pain)
8) "Love Story," Taylor Swift
9) "Bleeding Love," Leona Lewis
10) "TiK ToK," Ke$ha

11) "Disturbia," Rihanna
12) "So What," Pink
13) "I Kissed a Girl," Katy Perry
14) "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," Beyoncé
15) "Hot N Cold," Katy Perry
16) "Stronger," Kanye West
17) "Live Your Life," T.I. (featuring Rihanna)
18) "Hey There Delilah," Plain White T's
19) "Right Round," Flo Rida
20) "Party in the U.S.A.," Miley Cyrus

21) "Don't Stop Believin'," Journey
22) "Bad Romance," Lady Gaga
23) "Use Somebody," Kings of Leon
24) "Fireflies," Owl City
25) "How to Save a Life," the Fray

Starstruck Movie

2010-02-15T16:18:00.002+07:00

As you all know, Disney do this year 3 musical movie. The first in the row is Starstruck. It got a lot of publicity, due to Sterling Knight's vocals. I won't complain about it, it just a reminder that Disney Channel aired the movie last night. And I think maybe you want to see it, outside of US, so here's a link from you can download it.

And you missed our posted about OST you can find it here.

NEW MUSIC: Kate Nash - I Just Love You More

2010-02-15T16:07:00.002+07:00

There's a new track from the British singer which has been released over her web page. I love her album 'Made of Bricks' 'cause its catchy tunes, and her charming voice. But I hate this new style of her. It's contains too much rock-styled sound in it, and I can say that it's everything that her previous tracks not. I only can hope that you'll like it, or her new album 'Crayon Full of Colour' doesn't follow this kinda music. But to decide in this question, we have to wait until 19th of April.

You can download it at her homepage after an e-mail address registration or I uploaded it HERE. Enjoy!

NEW VIDEO: Play - Famous

2010-02-12T15:52:00.001+07:00

MEET: Crash Kings

2010-02-12T02:09:00.003+07:00

CRASH KINGS
Visit: Myspace, Official Site, Youtube, Twitter
Audio Streams: Live in Studio @ KROQ

"...charging the stage later in the evening are rock squires Crash Kings... with an earth-shaking assault of sound, the brothers Beliveau and Jason Morris of Crash Kings make their move on the urban indie scene, wielding keyboards, a bass, and a drum kit in battle." – Jorge Barriere, Flavorpill LA

Highly tuneful, very aggressive, hard-hitting rock. Crash Kings take the three-man-band concept to their own unique level, quite often surpassing guitar-driven bands. When siblings and music collide it makes for what we so casually call “undeniable chemistry.” Channeling their passion, they create music so powerful it’s almost a crime—a crime that has been aided and abetted by nothing other than fate itself. Two brothers and one hard-hitting drummer come together to form an ivory-driven power trio firmly rooted in right here and right now; this is Crash Kings.

Crash Kings is made up of vocalist-keyboardist Tony Beliveau, his brother and bassist Mike, and drummer Jason Morris. They were formed in 2006 in Los Angeles, California and are signed to Linda Perry record label, Custard Records. Their self-titled debut album was released 26 May 2009 by Custard/Universal Motown. The album reached number 36 on Billboard's U.S. Top Heatseekers albums chart.

Their debut single Mountain Man was released 12 April 2009 for digital download, peaking at 21 on the US Alternative Songs and 41 on the US Rock Songs charts. The song reminds me of songs by The White Stripes. It is fresh and very listenable. The piano at the chorus is reminiscent of Train and I think fans of either band might like Crash Kings' music.

(Special mention: Their song 1985 is awesome!)

Crash Kings are ecstatic to announce their tour with Australian rockers JET. The North American trek will begin in Toronto, ON on March 5 at The Opera House. Crash Kings have previously toured with Chris Cornell, Stone Temple Pilots, The Bravery and Rooney. Their current single Mountain Man is currently #19 at Alternative Radio and the band will be showcasing at SXSW.

TOUR DATES:

3/5 Toronto, ON The Opera House
3/6 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights
3/7 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
3/9 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
3/11 Richmond, VA Hat Factory
3/13 Columbia, SC St. Patrick’s Day Festival
 3/15 Little Rock, AR The Village
3/16 Baton Rouge, LA The Varsity Theatre
3/23 Seattle, WA The Showbox at the Market
3/24 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
3/27 Las Vegas, NV Rock N Roll Wine Festival at Caesar’s Pool
3/29 Aspen, CO Belly Up Aspen  
3/30 Colorado Springs, CO The Black Sheep
4/2 Kenosha, WI The Brat Stop

OUT NOW: Starstruck Soundtrack (2010)

2010-02-10T08:21:00.004+07:00

OST STARSTRUCK
1. Starstruck Performed by Christopher Wilde
2. Shades Performed by Christopher Wilde and Stubby
3. Hero Performed by Christopher Wilde
4. Something About the Sunshine (Duet) Performed by Christopher Wilde and Anna Margaret
5. What You Mean to Me Performed by Christopher Wilde
6. Party Up Performed by Stubby
7. Got to Believe (Bonus Track) Performed by Christopher Wilde
8. Hero (Unplugged) Performed by Christopher Wilde
9. Something About the Sunshine (Solo) Performed by Anna Margaret
10. New Boyfriend Performed by Anna Margaret
11. Welcome to Hollywood Performed by Mitchel Musso
12. Make a Movie Performed by Jasmine Sagginario

OUT NOW: Valentine's Day Soundtrack (2010)

2010-02-10T08:14:00.004+07:00

OST VALENTINE's DAY
1. Taylor Swift - Today Was A Fairy Tale
2. Michael Franti & Spearhead - Say Hey (I Love You)
3. Jools Holland & Jamiroquai - Im In The Mood For Love
4. Willie Nelson - On The Street Where You Live
5. Sausalito Foxtrot - Everyday
6. Jewel - Stay here Forever
7. Ben E. King - Amor
8. Amy Winehouse - Cupid
9. Maroon 5 - The Way You Look Tonight
10. Joss Stone - 4 & 20
11. Diane Birch - Valentino
12. Nat King Cole - Te Quiero Dijiste
13. Taylor Swift - Jump Then Fall
14. Black Gold - Shine
15. Steel Magnolia - Keep On Lovin You
16. Leighton Meester Feat. Robin Thicke - Somebody To Love
17. The Bird & The Bee - Im Into Something Good
18. Anju Ramapriyam - Signed Sealed Delivered Im Yours

NEW MUSIC: 2NE1 - Trying To Be Like Me

2010-02-09T09:23:00.003+07:00

2NE1 - Trying To Be Like Me
DOWNLOAD
(or anything the title you translated to)

JPOP OUT NOW: BoA - Identity (2010)

2010-02-09T08:02:00.006+07:00

IDENTITY (2010)
1. This Is Who I Am
2. EASY
3. BUMP BUMP! feat. VERBAL(m-flo)
4. LAZER
5. interlude#1
6. is this love
7. まもりたい～White Wishes～
8. interlude#2
9. ネコラブ
10. THE END そして and・・・ (album ver.)
11. Possibility duet with 三浦大知
12. Fallin'
13. my all

DOWNLOAD // Identity

NEW VIDEO: Amy MacDonald - Don't Tell Me That It's Over

2010-02-09T07:57:00.001+07:00

NEW VIDEO: Helping Haiti

2010-02-08T22:44:00.001+07:00

REMIX: Lady Gaga - Telephone

2010-02-08T22:40:00.003+07:00

:: Telephone (State Of Emergency Remix) ::

REMIXES: Cheryl Cole - Parachute

2010-02-08T22:26:00.003+07:00

Parachute (Buzz Junkies Remix)
Parachute (Self Taught Beat Remix)

NEW VIDEO: Carrie Underwood - Temporary Home

2010-02-02T18:11:00.004+07:00

Here's the new music video of Carrie Underwood for her 2nd single of album 'Play On'.

Taylor Swift and her awards

2010-02-02T17:48:00.003+07:00

As you all know, on Sunday she has won 4 Grammy's Award (Album of the Year, Best Country Album, Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song). Unfortunately it was more than she can handle :)

Simon Cowell helps Haiti with a single

2010-02-02T17:08:00.002+07:00

Everybody's favorite judge (American Idol, The X Factor UK) will be release the single via radio play tomorrow. The track is REM's Everybody Hurts.

It definetely got a huge line-up for it. The single was singed by 21 artists: Leona Lewis, Rod Stewart, Mariah Carey, Cheryl Cole, Mika, Michael Bublé, Joe McElderry, Miley Cyrus, James Blunt, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Jon Bon Jovi, James Morrison, Alexandra Burke, Susan Boyle, Aston Merrygold, Marvin Humes, Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams.

It goes to sale on Sunday, but you can pre-order it from Amazon UK or US.

The 52nd Grammy Awards Winners

2010-02-01T21:35:00.010+07:00

As you all now, yesterday was the annual Grammy gala. Here's the list and sum of the artist who recieved the award, focused mostly on the Pop categories. (Later today or tomorrow, I'll post the best performances)

General

Record Of the Year: Use Somebody – Kings of Leon
Album of the Year: Fearless – Taylor Swift
Song of the Year: Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) – Beyonce
Best New Artist: Zac Brown Band

Music Video

Best Short Form Music Video: Boom Boom Pow – The Black Eyed Peas

Pop

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: Halo – Beyonce
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: Make It Mine – Jason Mraz
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals: I Gotta Feelin’ – Black Eyed Peas
Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals: Lucky – Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat
Best Pop Vocal Album: The E.N.D – Black Eyed Peas

Dance

Best Dance Recording: Poker Face – Lady Gaga
Best Dance/Electronic Album: The Fame – Lady Gaga

R&B

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) – Beyonce
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Pretty Wings – Maxwell
Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocals: Blame It – Jamies Foxxx & T-Pain
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: At Last – Beyonce
Best R&B Song: Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) – Beyonce
Best R&B Album: BLACKsummers’night – Maxwell
Best Contemporary R&B Album: I Am…Sasha Fierce – Beyonce

Country

Best Female Country Vocal Performance: White Horse – Taylor Swift
Best Country Collaboration with Vocals: I Told You So – Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis
Best Country Song: White Horse – Taylor Swift

Film/TV/Visual Media

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Score Soundtrack Album: Up – Michael Giacchino
Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media: Jai Ho (From Slumdog Millionaire)

NEW VIDEO: Top 'BIG BANG' NEW Solo Song (FanCam

2010-01-30T11:21:00.001+07:00

POP REVIEW: Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment (2009)

2010-01-30T01:54:00.003+07:00

It has been a year since American Idol season 8. Personally, that is my favorite season and I have emotionally invested a lot of time, money, and effort into it. Kris Allen won the title with Adam Lambert as runner-up. I do like Kris but Adam...

Today is 29 January 2010, Adam Lambert's 28th birthday. And to mark this date, I shall review his debut album, For Your Entertainment released 23 November 2009.

[I am a huge Adam fan but I am not affiliated with ANY Adam fan groups. I am completely sane. Personal bias might show here and there but it happens to everyone.]

TRACKLISTING

1 Music Again (Justin Hawkins, Rob Cavallo) 3:16
2 For Your Entertainment (Claude Kelly/Dr. Luke) 3:35
3 Whataya Want from Me (Pink, Max Martin, Johan Shellbeck) 3:47
4 Strut (Adam Lambert, Kara DioGuardi, Greg Wells) 3:29
5 Soaked (Matthew Bellamy, Rob Cavallo) 4:33
6 Sure Fire Winners (David Gamson, Alexander James, Oliver Leiber, Rob Cavallo) 3:32
7 A Loaded Smile (Linda Perry) 4:04
8 If I Had You (Max Martin, Johan Shellback and Savan Kotecha) 3:48
9 Pick U Up (Rivers Cuomo, Greg Wells, Adam Lambert) 4:00
10 Fever (Lady Gaga, Jeff Bhasker) 3:26
11 Sleepwalker (Ryan Tedder, Aimee Mayo, Chris Lindsey) 4:25
12 Aftermath (Adam Lambert, Alisan Porter, Ferras, Ely Rise, Howard Benson) 4:26
13 Broken Open (Greg Wells, Adam Lambert, Evan Bogart) 5:03
14 Time for Miracles (Alain Johannes, Natasha Shneider, Rob Cavallo) Bonus Track 4:43

Let me start with the cover. To be honest, I don't like it. I thought it will grow on me but it hadn't. There are better photos in the liner notes so why he chose this particular one, I have no idea.

Starting off the CD is Music Again. From the first time I heard this song, I immediately thought about the band "The Darkness". Then I read who wrote it: Justin Hawkins, the front man of The Darkness. (Music suggestion: The Darkness - I Believe in a Thing Called Love.) This song has tons of energy; from the intro, transitioning to the chorus. Also - maybe it's because I'm familiar with The Darkness - I felt that I already know this song. I remember riding the bus to work and I was already singing along to it. If that happens, then it's not a bad start to a CD.

The title track, For Your Entertainment, is probably the most different debut single out of ALL the Idols since the first season. It's definitely pop with a hint of glam and electronica. Over the years, I've expected Idol singles to be your typical run-of-the-mill pop, bordering to bubblegum and/or cheesy inspirational. This is something I would willingly listen to. Just... don't ever EVER watch his live performance of this song on the American Music Awards. EVER. I recommend you watch the music video for this instead.

Whataya Want From Me was penned by Pink, Max Martin, and Shellback. And it does sound like Pink. I like this pop-rock sound. I'm not much of a fan of Adam's earlier rock works but this one works perfectly for him. The guitar riff at the beginning is awesome! The lyrics are so good, "It's me, I'm a freak. But thanks for loving me 'coz you're doing it perfectly." I remember that this was the first song from the album that I put on loop. I am also in LOVE with the video. A complete 180 from "FYE".

One of the four songs Adam co-wrote is Strut. He worked with Greg Wells and American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi on it. When the track list leaked, a lot of people went batshitcrazy over this song. When I read "Kara DioGuardi", I had my reservations. Don't get me wrong, she does have really good songs (Music suggestion: Taking Chances). But sometimes she uses wacky lyrics or words that don't fit well with the song (from Taking Chances: "on this planet they call earth"). What do I love with "Strut" is the beat. It's perfect for... wait for it... strutting.

I was really excited when I found out that Muse's Matthew Bellamy will be contributing a song. Soaked is DEFINTELY has a Muse vibe. I am just so in love with this track. The strings are just divine. Adam did "Starlight" during the tour and from there, I wanted to hear more Muse songs from him. Now this... a song given to him by Matthew Bellamy! [I shall stop Muse fangirly-ing now haha.] I'm not that fond of the next track, Sure Fire Winners. Dare I say it, it's a bit forgettable. Clever lyrics though, "I was born with glitter on my face/ My baby clothes made of leather and lace." Other than that, it's an okay song. The second part is better than the beginning.

Halfway through the album and we get a slow song. Loaded Smile is penned by renowned songwriter Linda Perry who also produced this track. Adam maintains his falsetto all throughout the song. It's a nice break from the high energy of the previous tracks. Take a close listen to the lyrics and it's amazing. It's a sad, emotional song about a relationship about to end. And when I read the lyrics, it began to take on a different meaning for me (but that's what personal blogs are for, right).

Next is If I Had You. Very, very danceable. Adam really carries these kinds of songs very well. This is his kind of pop and it's very timely thanks to the likes of Lady Gaga and Ke$ha. "Life would be a party, it'd be ecstasy." Definitely on my party music playlist. Pick U Up is probably my favorite track from the album. Adam co-wrote this with Weezer's Rivers Cuomo and Greg Wells. I love the composition of the song and the build up. The key change towards the end shows Adam's mastery of his voice. From this album, this track has the most plays. No everyday do I gush like this over a 4-minute song but "Pick U Up" is just awesome.

And I mentioned Lady Gaga. Fever was co-written by teh Lady Gaga herself. Take a listen and it does sound like something she would sing. In fact, she did a demo of this (Matthew Bellamy did the same for "Soaked".) And like every Gaga song, it's fabulous. I wish one day, they take the stage together. Sleepwalker is a song penned by Aimee Mayo, Chris Lindsey, and OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder. It's a slower song - another break in tempo but not in intensity. Like in "A Loaded Smile", Adam keeps to his falsetto range. I would like to note that Orianthi provided the guitar solo on this track. When I first listened to this song, I didn't particularly like it. But it did grow on me. It's a very nice song. I love the layers in it.

The third song that Adam co-wrote in the album is Aftermath. This is an effort with his friends Ferras, Alisan Porter, and Ely Rise. If you are familiar with Alisan Porter's work, it definitely shows in this song. Powerful rock with deep meanings. Ferras and Alisan Porter performed this song at their recent Hotel Cafe gig where Adam is in appearance. (I was there too, but I didn't get in even if I could. I was with my family.) Broken Open was also co-written by Adam. This time, with Greg Wells and Evan “Kidd” Bogart. It's a haunting song to close out this CD. I'm not a huge fan of the song, though. I do love the vocals, Adam's falsetto is just so beautiful.

As bonus track, this album includes Time for Miracles from the movie "2012". This is Adam's "unofficial" first single. And quite frankly, the only reason why I sat through 3 hours of the movie. The song's pretty epic. Choosing Adam to do this was perfect. He gave it the emotion and the spot-on vocal power.

Speaking of bonus tracks, there are two more. One if you purchased from iTunes and another from his official website. Down the Rabbit Hole should be a party music staple. RIGHT THE EFF NOW. I dare you not to dance when you hear this song. Master Plan... I don't know, I find the intro riff so sexy.

Definitely one of the better albums of 2009. But hey, I'm an Adam fan. There is ALWAYS be bias. (If ever I review Adam's other "debut CD" then bias might fly out the window haha.) Experience FYE for yourself.

So that's it! Happy birthday, Adam Lambert!

And happy listening, people! It's for your entertainment.

NEW MUSIC: Play - Girls

2010-01-29T21:22:00.001+07:00