american idle

so we lost four...

2007-02-23T23:59:00.000-08:00

i guessed the guys, not so much on the girls...

or did i?

something tells me one of my girl predictions will come true before next tuesday.

i'll give you a couple hints as to who:

much more damming evidence here, where you can see an idol hopeful going PG-13 wild, and here and where you can see that same idol hopeful going XXX rated down.

***someone with a hell of a lot of time on their hands has perhaps 'debunked' the knob gobblin' pics here, and there's a story on it here.***

after the description above it should go without saying that the links are ABSOLUTELY NOT SAFE FOR WORK or for those that don't want to see her falsettoing some guy. (that's the technical term for giving head, right?)
so stay away if you don't want to see it. i warned you.

jim, click away.

ah, that was a lot better... a LOT better

2007-02-22T01:43:00.000-08:00

there really should be 8 girls and 4 guys in the top 12 this year. a lot of really strong performances tonight, but they definitely saved the best for last...

lakisha - and i'm telling you i'm not going
holy shit. i was gonna be all snarky and call this girl mantasia or fandisa, but fuck that. she's LaKisha!! this was just awesome... she put her all into it and delivered one of the best idol performances ever. a little weird when she was done - she seemed like a different person, quiet and looked even a little scared. girl, just a minute ago you brought the fucking house down! relax and smile...
simon said it best: "i am very tempted to say to 23 people book your plane tickets home...that was in a different league"

and i liked these three a lot:

stephanie - how come you don't call me?
there really were a bunch of great one tonight - this started 'em off and i hope it didn't get lost in all the goodness. total pro, great range and a very polished (in a good way) stage presence. i liked her a lot. again, simon sums it up best: "a million times better than any performance last night."

melinda - since you've been gone
this would have been my favorite of the night if lakisha hadn't kicked everyone's ass off the stage a few minutes later. huge controlled voice, great energy, this was really really awesome. oddly she reminds me of taylor in a weird way. and similar to lakisha, she's tearing up the stage, then when the song is over she gets all meek and self-concious. relax, you were frigging great!! paula not only thinks you're a frontrunner, but a firecracker too! man, paula sucks.

jordin - gimmie one reason
to quote kip winger... "she's only seventeen?" (i don't think he used the question mark.) another great performance. really really good... ended very strong. randy really wants her to challenge herself, 'cause he thinks no song would be too big for her. i hear him. she'll be a lot of fun to watch and listen to.

some of the rest, in no real order whatsoever:

sabrina - i never loved a man(the way i love you)
the judges and my wife really liked her... i wasn't that into it, but can certainly appreciate that she was pretty good (especially after last night). she was just kinda too shrill for me. not my thang, dawg.

leslie - you make me feel like a natural woman
i actually thought this was pretty good, decent voice and pretty energetic. she does have some crazy fucking eyes, this girl... simon made a comment that ryan had to translate as "you're out of your comfort zone". whatever. i liked it.

amy - i can't make you love me
damn, simon made me laugh out loud when he told her she has the personality of a candle! i'm laughing again now... decent enough voice, but a really boring performance.

gina - all by myself
um. i dunno. something about this girl rubs me the wrong way, i can't really explain it. started off kinda shaky but a huge finish helped her out. good job, i'm just not into her. oh well. i don't think she'll last too long anyway.

haley - it's all coming back to me now
another good voice, but not much inspirado behind it. chalk it up to nerves, maybe? did anyone else find it odd that she affected shakira's accent during the choruses? it was still a lot better than 90% of the guys last night. decent entertainment for a reasonably priced hotel, i guess.

nicole - stay
i kinda liked this... she's got a lot to her voice, even if she came across as trying a little too hard or something. i hope she sticks around for a couple more weeks, i want to hear her try something else...

and the two i think should go:

antonella - i don't want to miss a thing
what the fuck was this? remember that hot twin from last year that got booted before the top 12? she was cuter than this joisey girl and it didn't save her. this was just bad, period. not entirely painful, but bad.

alaina - brass in pocket
oooh, great song choice! and that was the only thing great about it. most karaoke-ish job of the night.

wow, we really have to pick six of these guys?!?

2007-02-22T00:36:00.000-08:00

ouch. rough, to say the least... not that fun to watch.
i couldn't pick 6 i really liked, so here are my top three for now. maybe next week i'll have at least 6 good ones to choose from?

phil - could not ask for more
freaky looking dude - if moby and moon unit had a kid it'd probably look like this - but after a rough start he picks it up and gives one of the best performances of the night. not that that's saying too much...
simon tells him that the beginning was monstrous. heh heh.

blake - somewhere only we know
nice voice - this was probably overall my favorite tonight. new vocal style enters idol - at least i don't remember anyone that's sounded like this guy in the past. weird that randy was missing the beatboxing... this is a singing competition, no?
he also seemed surprised that he liked it, saying it was "a really good job."

chris s - typical
strong voice, good performer, totally got the crowd into it. and then got to rag on simon for helping spawn the teletubbies and a 'popera' group... what's not to love? you know, aside from the fact that he looks like sideshow jack osbourne.
actual quote from randy: "i liked it; i love you!"
and this only seconds before the sweetheart brouhaha! looks like ryan's been rubbing off on those guys...no, wait, that came out wrong...

some of the rest (in no particular order)- there were some good spots, but it was pretty damn mediocre.

jared - back to one
so it wasn't too exciting, but it was pretty damn spot on. not the easiest song, but i thought he did a good job with it.

chris r - i don't wanna be
you gotta compare it to bo's version, and, well... there really is no comparision. good performance, weak-ass voice.

sundance - nights in white satin
oof. looked uncomfortable and out of place - i like the song, but it was a bad choice for the show. i heard good stuff about this guy, too.

brandon - rock with you
man, he shoulda stuck with the slow arrangement, it was working until it kicked in, if that makes any sense. i really like his voice though.

nick - now and forever
richard marx! they should get that guy on this year. this guy is from near my hometown - i think he has a good voice (that's the way to sing falsetto, paul), but a very karaoke delivery/stage presence. maybe he'll hang on for another week?

sanjaya - knocks me off my feet
he did bore me with it. he's like the bollywood ace - just watching the clips i wish his sister had made it instead of him, and i didn't even hear her sing.

a.j. - never too much
the choruses were really pitchy, but other than that it was good and had a lot of energy. mildly forgettable, though.

the two that i think should go:

paul - careless whisper
started out boring, then was approaching great in the middle, but fucked up the falsetto so bad at the end that the overall result was a trainwreck. but not an exciting one. (as i would imagine a trainwreck would be.)

rudy - free ride
i dunno...herky-jerky? something about this guy just seemed off or forced or something - maybe it was nerves? decent voice, but really forgettable performance + first spot of the night could send him home thursday

soul patrol!

2006-05-24T23:47:00.000-07:00

soul patrol! soul patrol! soul patrol! soul patrol! soul patrol! soul patrol!

and a big "woooooooooooo!"

congrats, taylor.

there can be only one!

2006-05-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

katharine - "black horse and a cherry tree"
randy: "you sang it better this time"
paula: "it was a fun opening"
simon: "good with a small g...the occassion tonight is bigger than that song"

ah, i disagree with randy, it was not as good as the first time she sang it. i agree with simon and paula though. it was fun, but i think at this point we're beyond cutesy. that performance didn't get her any new votes.

taylor - "living for the city"
randy: "you always make it your own...america, that was a hot one right there"
paula: "way to go, way to open up the show"
simon: "a great way to start the show...round one to you"

that was...funner than kats, and vocally better. oh yeah, and the song is a classic most everyone knows. i agree with simon, he's taken the first round of songs.

katharine - "over the rainbow"
randy: "you worked it out...that was hot"
paula: "you've made everyone proud...you owned it up there"
simon: "this was your best performance of the competition so far"

now this was better than the first time she sang it, and that's saying a lot. this was great, and easily her best vocal of the year. kudos for singing acapella in key with no guide, and handling it like a pro. she probably got some new votes with this performance.

taylor - "levon"
randy: "it was a little pitchy"
paula: "i don't think it was pitchy"
simon: "katharine has taken the second round"

i didn't hear any pitchiness here. this actually wasn't as good as it was the first time he sang it, but it still rocked. he seemed to be straining at times though... i'm sure they're both losing their voices at this point. again, i agree with simon, though she hardly won by the margin taylor took the first round with.

katharine - "my destiny"
randy: "you look amazing...you sounded really good...i did not like the song"
paula: "you are brilliant"
simon: "you went from brilliant to quite good within one song"

ummmm, judges? judge. no pitch comments?!?! she was off the entire song... if she wasn't off key, she was ahead or behind the music. plus the key was NOT a good one for her; how can it be the end of the competition and they haven't figured out what key to put her damn songs in yet? terrible vocal, MUCH, MUCH, worse song.

taylor - "do i make you proud"
randy: "no matter what the song is, you know how to make it into a taylor hicks vehicle"
paula: "i couldn't agree with randy more...soul patrol!"
simon: "assuming i was right and the show was tied, then you have just won american idol"

another fucking horrible song, but when he was singing the first few lines, taylor gave a grin that seemed to say he knew it. once it kicked in as a 'taylor vehicle', this was another great performance from him. he finally went all out like elliot had been doing all along, and shit, taylor sounded better doing it.

soul patrol!!! taylor had two and a half good performances to katharines one, and that's just counting this show. through the entire competition, taylor stayed true to himself, and managed to inject at least a little bit of soul into every song he sang. I love katharine's voice, but i don't think she was nearly good enough to win this thing... i'm sure the vote will be 'closer than it's ever been', but after last night, it should be taylor in a landslide.
(i still think it should have been between taylor and elliot, but now i sound like one of those chris fans that is still upset he's gone, so i'll shut up about that)
i know they need to sell their singles, but they really need to rethink this finale crap. throughout the entire season the judges harp on the song choices, and those choices certainly lead to some early exits from great singers.
after all that, they end the show by serving up two of the cheesiest pieces of shit i've ever heard, with the grand specatcle of a gospel choir serving as the silk hat on the pig. after the judges reaction to the songs tonight, maybe this will all change.

SOUL PATROL! SOUL PATROL!

ell-ee-ot!

2006-05-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

aw, man, i was really hoping for a sing-off between you and taylor.
you're the poster boy for how listening to the judges can get you far. took every bit of constructive (and not-so-constructive) criticism, and worked on it, and it made you a much better singer.

come out with a decent first album, okay?

the top 3 vs. clive davis, the judges, and themselves

2006-05-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

elliot - "open arms"
randy: "you worked it out...feel free to take chances"
paula: "excellent voice tonight...you did a great job"
simon: "you have got to loosen up"

this was an awesome vocal for a tough song, and i agree with simon, he seemed stiff again, like the first few weeks of the top twelve. nerves, i'm sure.

katharine - "i believe i can fly"
randy: "it wasn't quite the right thing for you"
paula: "you look beautiful"
simon: "you kind of created a bit of a moment for yourself"

well, she certainly made it her own. it didn't sound anything like the original. i thought the arrangement was terrible, though, and the band was loud as hell over her again.

taylor - "dancing in the dark"
randy: "that was hot"
paula: "you're incredible"
simon: "that was okay"

very cool, i enjoyed it a lot. but paula is no courtney cox.

elliot - "what you won't do for love"
randy: "you were a little sharp most of the song"
paula: "you've got amazing soul"
simon: "i thought you sang that pretty good"

whats up with the hating, randy? this was awesome. i love that he always gives it his all... he took the criticism and loosened right up for this one, too.

katharine - "somewhere over the rainbow"
randy: "the best vocal of the season for you...that was brilliant"
paula: "you tapped into your beautiful, natural self"
simon: "the single best performance of the competition to date"

amazing. maybe a little forced, but finally a showstopper from this season.

taylor - "you are so beautiful"
randy: "you did the song proud"
paula: "you are a star"
simon: "far and away your best performance...loved it"

my favorite performance of the entire season. i've been waiting for some cocker from him.

elliot - "i believe it to my soul"
randy: "you can definitely sing, man"
paula: "soulful...you're a funky white boy"
simon: "you are a great singer"

great, great vocal. i really wish the finale coulda been between him and taylor.

katharine - "i ain't got nothing but the blues"
randy: "this was okay..."
paula: "you still did a great job"
simon: "it was okay"

yeah, it was okay. maybe a little better than just okay. doesn't matter, somewhere over the rainbow was good enough.

taylor - "try a little tenderness"
randy: "your new name is 'have a good time funky taylor'"
paula: "i waited all season for you to sing this song and you did an incredible job"
simon: "good performance...i'll see you next tuesday"

this guy rocks. i want him to win it all... everyone performing music should have this much fun.

well, we know what's happened by now...
what i woulda wrote (and will anyway), is that i thought all three songs from both taylor and elliot were great; but the two standout performances of the night were you are so beautiful and somewhere over the rainbow.

shock and awwwww

2006-05-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

hey chris, i know you were surprised, but a little humility would have been classy.
maybe thank your millions of fans for getting you this far?

i really don't think idol treated you fairly - they pushed you so hard i think it turned some people off (well, least one that i know of), and made you think you were a shoo-in. america felt you were safe too, and didn't cast enough votes for ya.

i think elliot and kat have better voices, and taylor is a better performer, but dude, you got nothing to worry about. you'll be able to live in comfort with your wife and step-kids for the rest of your life thanks to idol. i can't feel that sorry for you.

again though, that whole lack of humility thing. not cool - a seventeen year old handled it better than you last week.

the top 4 vs. the king

2006-05-10T00:47:00.000-07:00

taylor - "jailhouse rock"
randy: "that felt good, didn't it?"
paula: "you were phenomenal"
simon: "a terrible impersonation of elvis presley"

terrible impersonation? huh? this actually sounded like taylor to me, singing an elvis song. you know, like they were supposed to do. i loved it, even though it's one of my least favorite elvis songs.

chris - "suspicious minds"
randy: "it was kinda nice"
paula: "see you in the finals"
simon: "i thought that was great"

how can you call taylor's performance karaoke, and not this one? at least taylor was mixing it up. this is one of my favorite elvis songs, and it sounded like a total karaoke performance to me. he's got a good voice, but this was boring. however, i'm tired of chris and am probably not being fair to him, as i've said before.

elliot - "if i could dream"
randy: "that was hot, baby!"
paula: "the best vocal performance you've done this entire season"
simon: "that was the best performance so far"

simon was right at the beginning of the season. elliot is the best male vocalist they've had on the show so far. this was outstanding. sure, he sweats a lot and ain't too pretty, but he can sing his ass off. and he does it every chance he gets, unlike some of the others.

katharine - "hound dog/all shook up"
randy: "what happened in the middle?"
paula: "it was really fun"
simon: "a desperate manic audition"

a decent idea, blending the songs... wasn't executed too great, though. she's at a disadvantage tonight, the only female left, and she has to sing elvis against a few guys. not her best vocal, but not her worst either.

taylor - "in the ghetto"
randy: "that was hot, america!"
paula: "showed how well rounded of an artist you are"
simon: "you have just sung your way into the semi-finals"

another of my favorite elvis songs, and i'd buy this single from taylor. awesome. my favorite performance of the night.

chris - "a little less conversation"
randy: "that was hot" (how much does randy get paid for this, anyway?)
paula: "i adore you"
simon: "i thought your first song was a lot stronger"

blah. and the rock screams at the end didn't help. at all. he also seems to be getting arrogant. it's probably just me...

elliot - "trouble"
randy: "that was your best performance ever"
paula: "this was your best performance ever"
simon: "you deserve to go through to the next round"

i love taylor, and i really wish he would go all out the way elliot is tonight. elliot is batting 1.000 with his game on the line. sadly, that probably won't be enough to save him. do the right thing, america, please? get this guy to the top three.

katharine - "can't help falling in love"
randy: "that was better than the first song"
paula: "you have a lovely voice"
simon: "it was too much"

yet another of my favorites (they sang my top three tonight, very cool). i thought this was a great vocal that was totally overshadowed by a loud, crappy arrangement. will being the only girl left help or hurt her?

if we're just going by tonights performances, then it should be the end of the road for katharine, (as much as i - and probably every guy that watches this show - would hate to see her go) or chris. I felt this was his worst week overall, but i'm afraid america will end up voting off the best male singer the competition has ever had. i'd love to see a taylor/elliot final, but i'll probably have to settle for a taylor/chris final.
you know who i'll be voting for.

i guess we won't always have paris...

2006-05-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

seeya, pipsqueak!

the top 5 vs. billboard & birth years

2006-05-03T10:22:00.000-07:00

elliot - "on broadway"
randy: "very nice dude, very nice"
paula: "you have such a rich voice...way to go"
simon: "it was a bit disjointed"

great song, great vocal. i think elliot has the best voice in the competition.

paris - "kiss"
randy: "i liked it"
paula: "i love it when you sing songs from a past era"
simon: "screechy and annoying"

she thought paula was giving her a compliment, but she wasn't. i wouldn't have either... fairly lame rendition of this tune. she has a good voice, but this just wasn't great.

chris - "renegade"
randy: "a hot one"
paula: "outstanding"
simon: "a great choice of song"

i'm not gonna be fair to chris anymore. sorry. i liked him a lot at first, but i've come to realize that although he's a rocker, he's not the kind i dig. i'm sick of his light shows and his goat-like vibrato. i know it's not his fault, but now i don't want him to win because the people behind the show obviously do want him to win. i also don't want him to win because i think elliot, katharine, and taylor have better voices.

katharine - "against all odds"
randy: "it got okay at the end"
paula: "not my favorite performance"
simon: "it was a mess"

it was a mess. she was playing catchup with the band, and when the arrangement is only about 45 seconds long, you don't have time to catch up. this was her worst performance in the competition.

taylor - "play that funky music"
randy: "i felt like i was in a bar and i had a couple"
paula: "the taylor we love"
simon: "like a horrible, horrible wedding performance"

fuck you simon. this was awesome... best performance of the night. elliot may have the best voice, but taylor is the best entertainer, hands down.

other than elliot and taylor, i didn't enjoy this first half at all. all the arrangements were too short and everything seemed rushed. i usually love the band, but the guitar playing in renegade was too loud and not all that great, and the mess of against all odds was due partly to the band as well.

elliot - "home"
randy: "nice choice baby, nice"
paula: "the richness of your voice can melt me"
simon: "i'm a little concerned"

don't know or particularly like the song, but it was a good choice for him. maybe not lyrically, as they all pointed out, but he sang it great.

paris- "be without you"
randy: "all in all...you rocked it"
paula: "i love your voice"
simon: "she did rather well"

i thought this started out pretty good, but she kinda lost it along with her breath by the end. i think she'll be leaving us tonight.

chris - "i dare you"
randy: "i'm not sure i love that song for you"
paula: "song wasn't my favorite"
simon: "it was not a great song...your voice is going"

wow. that song sucks. or was it just chris? or is it just this live/creed/staind vibe? blah. boring. lame. just not my bag, baby.

katharine- "black horse and a cherry tree"
randy: "that's the katharine i love"
paula: "i love the...intimacy"
simon: "it was a good choice of song"

this was great! maybe one of her best performances so far. she seems to have a lot more personality when there's someone else on the stage she can work off of and play to... could have something to do with being in musical theatre before this, where you tend to connect more with your co-stars than the audience.

taylor - "something"
randy: "a nice tender moment from you"
paula: "you just did it great"
simon: "you're a very good singer"

probably my favorite beatle song, definitely my favorite george harrison song. amazing job. he had the joe cocker thing going here... i want to hear him sing - no, perform! - with a little help from my friends, cocker style. that would be amazing.

the second half was certainly better than the first. i think taylor and elliot were the only two that were great both times.

paris is going home tonight (but i've said that before).

USA! USA! USA!

2006-04-26T23:11:00.000-07:00

i love you, america!

pickler the butcher is no more...

and the judges apologize to katharine? interesting. they pretty much touched on everything (except the popping buttons and paula passed out drunk at a club) that's been regurgitated by the media the past few days. damage control.

i'm sure we'll see you again soon, kelli.

the top 6 vs. love songs (feat. bocelli & foster)

2006-04-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

hmmmm. i'm not quite sure what to think of this week... paula was much more fucked up than usual, which is saying something. she seems to have been coached to speak negatively, but certainly not succinctly.
a while ago i hacked my tivo to add the '30 second commercial skip', but what i really want is a 'paula abdul speaking skip'.
i wonder about their negative comments sometimes. in previous seasons i never really felt like the judges or producers were trying to influence the votes one way or another, but this season, i dunno. sometimes it seems really obvious.

oh, and ryan, if you're worried about running on time, DON'T talk to the butcher before or after she sings. that's where it's getting eaten up. that, and paula trying to put together sentences...

anyway, on with the show -

katharine - "i have nothing"
randy: "i honestly think...it was way to big for you"
paula: "there were pitch problems"
simon: "quite cabaret...you went backwards there"

see, now i don't get what was up with the judges here... yeah, i heard a little pitchiness here and there, but i thought this was great overall. she sexed it up, buttons were popping, and her voice was powerful. not the last time i'd disagree with the judges tonight.

elliot - "a song for you"
randy: "you were the bomb tonight"
paula: "you...moved me" - while sobbing uncontrollably
simon: "that was like a vocal masterclass...it was superb"

this guy is the best male singer on the show. every week he picks a difficult song, and sings it well. this was probably the best performance of the night. he didn't make me cry though - get a fucking grip, paula, you're on national TV.

kelli - "unchained melody"
randy: "you think you butchered that one too, right?"
paula: "i don't see you raising the bar each week"
simon: "there was no heart, no warmth, from your vocal at all"

wow. that fucking sucked. won't matter though, bush sucks and he got re-elected. she should go home... she doesn't have nearly as much talent as any of the others that are left. it makes me sick to say it, but i think she'll be safe again.

paris - "the way we were"
randy: "i liked it"
paula: "you oversang the song a little bit"
simon: "very good vocal"

i love this song, and she did a good job with it. maybe a little too forgettable though? nonetheless, she's awesome.

taylor - "just once"
randy: "it wasn't half as good as the original"
paula: "wasn't my favorite song...you look handsome as heck"
simon: "it was not a winning performance"

it wasn't a winning performance, but i still think he brought it in the end. the band really seems to be overpowering everyone tonight... maybe it's just the mix?

chris - "have you ever really loved a woman"
randy: "amazing"
paula: "loveyouloveyouloveyouloveyouloveyouloveyou love YOU" this chick is fucking insane
simon: "a great performance"

you know, i haven't heard this song in probably ten years or so, and i'm still sick of it. that's how much it was on the radio back in the day (there used to be this thing called a radio - it was like podcasts with commercials and bad music). this was just okay for me, dawg. i'm beginning to find that i don't really like his voice as much as i thought i did. he sounds kinda like a goat when he's holding notes.

my favorites this week were elliot, katharine and paris. i think katharine is gonna get the sympathy votes pickler got last week - plus her dress popped open, and who doesn't want to see that again?!? - she'll be okay.

bottom three - taylor will be there for the first time, along with paris and chris.
paris is going home.

ciao, ace

2006-04-20T12:43:00.000-07:00

no surprise there.

big surprise that the butcher wasn't even in the bottom three. that fucking sucks.

the top 7 vs. the standards (feat. rod)

2006-04-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

finally. finally. finally.

a good week for pretty much everyone! pretty much...

it was all about the voices this week. the traditional arrangements let the vocals come through loud and clear, and again, pretty much everyone managed to put their own stamp on the song they chose.

chris - "what a wonderful world"
randy: "dude, you just slayed it...it was the bomb"
paula: "you did a fantastic job"
simon: "i have to take a certain amount of credit...a great performance"

i thought this was really good, although his vibrato when he holds a note is a little grating. I love the song and he did a great job on it. He ended up being overshadowed by a few of the other singers tonight, though. (and it wasn't as good as anwar's version)

paris - "these foolish things"
randy: "your greatest night ever...so the bomb"
paula: "if you made an album in this genre it would blow up"
simon: "i thought it was teriffic"

paula was right. she's got the perfect voice for this style of music. randy was right too, her best night so far. and so was simon, she does sound like minnie mouse when she talks...

taylor - "you send me"
randy: "that was hot that was hot that was hot"
paula: "the ending was superb"
simon: "lame cabaret, and then... magic"

finally he belts one out like we know he can! awesome. one of my favorites of the night.

elliot - "it had to be you"
randy: "very very nice...very nice job, baby"
paula: she couldn't manage to put more than a couple words together here, but she was positive
simon: "it was a good vocal...the performance lacked a degree of personality"

i dunno about a lack of personality, but the singing was kickass. i really dig this guys tone, and i think his style came through clearly throughout the song.

kelli - "bewitched, bothered, and bewildered"
randy: "definitely pitchy in spots"
paula: "you got it going on"
simon: "it was a boring song...you could have just done 'bewildered'"

she said it all herself, "ah butchered it". she did. if america decides to judge this on a night by night basis, she's gone. she doesn't deserve any points for knowing she fucked it up, this is a singing competition, and she sang like shit. she hit one of the worst notes an idol has ever hit at this stage of the competiton, and the judges were very easy on her, maybe to stave off sympathy votes? she'll get plenty of those anyway.

ace - "that's all"
randy: "you worked it out in the end...the false is your money"
paula: "this is a magical night...you did great"
simon: "it wasn't bad...a charming performance"

yeah, his falsetto is cool... he should have used it more throughout the entire competition. this was decent, probably one of his best, but if it wasn't for kelli's blunder, there would be no question who was going home tonight. we'll see. his new look reminded my wife of vincent vega. heh heh heh

katharine - "someone to watch over me"
randy: "i loved it...it was excellent"
paula: "you were elegant"
simon: "you made the others look like amateurs...you look like a returning pro"

she could have won the competition with this song. i think i was kinda hypnotized by it... reminded me of when bo sang the a capella song last season - it was a performance that set him apart from the rest of the singers, and i agree with simon, katharine managed to do the same tonight.

I felt katharine was head and shoulders above the rest, with taylor, paris and elliot close behind. i'm not sure what the bottom three will be, or if they're even going to do a bottom three... don't they usually start changing it up about now?

i'd guess elliot, ace and kelli will be in the bottom three. kelli should absolutely go home - you gotta bring it every week - but it'll most likely be ace.

aw shucks, bucky

2006-04-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

you were never the best singer, but i honestly think you were the most improved just about every week.

shoulda been ace.

the top 8 vs. queen

2006-04-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

bucky - "fat bottomed girls"
randy: "it was nice, man"
paula: "you did a great job"
simon: "quite mediocre"

i really think this guy gets better every week, and i applaud him for the song choice, but i agree with simon, it was mediocre.

ace - "we will rock you"
randy: "a 5 or a 6...just aiight"
paula: "i like what you tried to do"
simon: "a complete and utter mess...i really really really hated that"

again, i agree with simon. terrible. and was the preshow interview culled from the best footage they had with ace and queen? if so, was the part they left out brian may smashing ace over the head with his guitar? they couldn't have made ace look like more of an ass if they tried.
maybe they were trying.
or maybe he's just an ass. it sure seemed that way.
update: or maybe not. brian may speaks about all this...

kelli - bohemian rhapshody
randy: "i was entertained"
paula: "you worked it out"
simon: "i think it worked"

i dunno what was up with the lita ford outfit, but this started off okay. i thought she way lost it (along with her breath) at the end. it wasn't as good as constantine's version. like bucky, i was impressed with the song choice more than the actual performance.

chris - "innuendo"
randy: "you delivered, baby"
paula: "?" - she didn't really say anything coherent here - i think she was positive though
simon: "best believable vocal tonight"

great song, started off strong, but it got screamy, repetitious and boring, i thought. pretty seizure-inducing light show per usual though.

katharine - "who wants to live forever"
randy: "you did a good job all in all"
paula: "you did a great job"
simon: "almost the moment...one of the strongest tonight"

i liked this a lot, she showed some real emotion (the correct emotion - i'm looking at you, paris) and connected with the audience for the first time in a few weeks. one of my favorites of the night.

elliot - "somebody to love"
randy: "i loved you man...i thought it was really, really good"
paula: "the best vocal tonight"
simon: "you pulled it off"

scary song to try and sing (i was afraid we were gonna hear ace try it, after george michaels fucking amazing version from the freddy tribute concert), but he really nailed it. smooth, cool vocal - not trying to be freddy, just singing it like elliot sings it. another of my favorites.

taylor - "crazy little thing called love"
randy: "that was hot"
paula: "breath of fresh air"
simon: "i thought it was ridiculous"

i thought simon's comment was ridiculous. this was, all around, the most professional performance of the night - sans the missed micstand kick - he took a song a ton of idols have done a medicore job of, and sang the hell out of it. my favorite of the night.

paris - "the show must go on"
randy: "yes! you worked it out, baby"
paula: "you are the powerhouse"
simon: "i found it all a little weird"

i agree with simon. look, she has a great voice, but if you're a queen fan, i can't see how you would have enjoyed this. i think this song should have been off-limits. it's a deeply personal song about putting on a strong face while knowing you're in the last stages of life, written and recorded by the band while watching freddy rapidly losing his battle with AIDS.
...and you add some little hair-flip and gospelly "ha ha ha's" in the middle of it?
fuck no.

my favorites, in order, were taylor, elliot and katharine.

my bottom three? ace, bucky, and paris. i don't know if america's bottom three will be the same, but i think either way ace is going home tonight.

bye, mandisa

2006-04-06T16:34:00.000-07:00

i could make a joke about the door hitting her ass on the way out, but i'll take the high road.

too bad. she was a better singer than at least bucky and kelli, if not a few more of them. i didn't think she'd be in the top three, but did think she'd make it further than this.

psyched for Queen next week!!! - there's definitely a fat bottomed girl joke here, but i like the air up on this high road.

the top 9 vs. country (feat. the gambler)

2006-04-05T10:02:00.000-07:00

i'm gonna reserve my comments 'til the end, 'cause i don't really have much to say.

taylor - "take me home country road"
randy: "just okay"
paula: "just sang it as it is"
simon: "safe, boring, lazy"

mandisa - "any man of mine"
randy: "the last five seconds were great"
paula: "you can sing the phonebook"
simon: "what do you say to that? i mean, what the hell do you say to that?" (this was off camera to randy, but one of the more telling comments of the night)

elliot - "if tomorrow never comes"
randy: "you brought it down...that was hot"
paula: "you are such a breath of fresh air...you're fantastic"
simon: "a bit hesitant...the best so far"

paris - "how do i live without you"
randy: "front part was not good...just aiight for me tonight"
paula: "kind of a struggle for you"
simon: "i thought it was very good"

ace - "tonight i wanna cry"
randy: "really boring for me...that was boring"
paula: "a contemporary nice take on the song"
simon: "it was very good"

kelli - "fancy (don't let me down)"
randy: "i thought it was great"
paula: "this was a great night for you"
simon: "performance was very good"

chris - "making memories of me"
randy: "i really enjoyed it"
paula: "you showed versatility and still showed who you are"
simon: "the audience at home deserve better" (amen, simon.)

katharine - "you bring out the elvis in me"
randy: "you sang it very nice"
paula: "sexy hot cool"
simon: "that song was peculiar"

bucky - "best i ever had"
randy: "it was aiight...good song choice for you"
paula: "you and kelli shined the most"
simon: "it sounded okay to me"

i liked elliot, katharine, and bucky. i'm not a country music fan, but jesus christ, is that the best it has to offer? i know it's not. why taylor didn't go more bluesy is beyond me - it was his worst so far. chris and ace were boring as hell, paris and mandisa both seemed off, and kelli was good, i guess, but i just can't get past her song choices.

if this were the first season of american idol, i don't think there would have been a fifth. i like most of the singers, but the songs they pick? whatthefuck.

bottom three predictions? ace, paris, and mandisa

going home? i dunno, ace? paris? it's hard to guess at this point, especially after a long, boring night when no one really stood out.
i'll say paris.

lisa it's your bad day

2006-03-30T15:30:00.000-08:00

...happy bad day lisa

bottom three: lisa, katharine, and ace

lisa - out

i knew she'd be going, and i knew there'd be a surprise in the bottom three. I was just expecting mandisa rather than katharine.

the top ten vs. the 21st century

2006-03-28T23:37:00.000-08:00

the 21st century won.

lisa - "because of you"
randy: "...an okay version"
paula: "we all know you can sing your butt off, but..."
simon: "the song was too big for your voice...it was actually painful"

let's see, first on + hot popular song made completely forgettable and utterly boring = bottom three at best

kelli - "suds in a bucket"
randy: "...puzzled by the song choice"
paula: "you're way better than that song choice"
simon: "some gimmicky rodeo lassoing whatever..."

i've said before that country isn't my thing, but suds in a fucking bucket? huh? actually, it would probably be better if it was "suds in a fucking bucket"
her singing was harmless, i guess. suds in a bucket?

ace - "drops of jupiter"
randy: "you didn't sing it well...i did not like this."
paula: "wasn't my most favorite"
simon: "quite karaoke, actually"

exactly, simon. i wish i had been drunk so i could have enjoyed it the way good karaoke should be enjoyed.
drunk.
he sounded like constantine on an off night. too bad taylor didn't sing this song.

taylor - "trouble"
randy: "didn't let you show off...wasn't the best for me"
paula: "nice to see you just stand behind the mic and sing a song"
simon: "an excellent vocal"

paula was just articulate and accurate - my feet are getting cold.
i think all three judges sort of nailed this one. it wasn't his best and he didn't show off, but it was a very polished, professional sounding performance.
like randy, i was hoping for balls out singing at the end... i wish he had done that drops of jupiter song.

mandisa - "wanna praise you"
randy: "i dunno..."
paula: "40 million people have just joined the church of mandisa"
simon: "a bit indulgent...not for me"

i usually like her voice, but she was a little shrieky for me this week. given her obviously deep religious roots, do you think she might be getting a little worried about the whole idol worship thing going on here? after all, there is a commandment against that very thing. then there's that other one about not desiring your neighbors ox, or his ass...

chris - "what if"
randy: "you were sharp most of that song"
paula: "i'm one of your biggest fans"
simon: "i think you've gone too far with that song tonight"

this was better than a scott stapp vocal, i'll give it that. but creed? ugh. not his best, but they did have the lights going for him again. shiny, pretty lights. i'm wondering if randy and simon were a bit negative after feeling foolish for heaping so much praise on last week's 'tainted' performance?

katharine - "the voice within"
randy: "it was good but you didn't bring anything new to it"
paula: "i wouldn't have changed a thing"
simon: "the best tonight...almost as good as christina"

i enjoy her singing and the overall tone of her voice a lot, more so than any of the other girls this year. she and taylor have been the best so far vocally tonight, but neither performance was amazing. oh, and debbie gibson called. she wants her shirt back. and your boobs.

bucky - "real good man"
randy: "the right song for you"
paula: "be careful of your diction"
simon: "what i call winging it...it was okay"

i've said before that country wasn't my thing, but hey, i actually liked this quite a bit. i like the rasp in his voice, and now that he seems to have learned how to stay in tune for a whole song, he just might make it a few more weeks.

paris - "work it out"
randy: "best performance of the night"
paula: "that was awesome"
simon: "little girl pretending to be beyonce"

the vocal was awesome... everything else was a little mechanical-beauty-queen-creepy for me, even the rump-shaking.
oh, and vanessa huxtable called. she wants her outfit back, but said you could keep the bling.

elliot - "i don't want to be"
randy: "this boy can sing...another hot one tonight"
paula: "you are one funky white boy. unbelievable."
simon: "great song...good vocal"

elliot, paris and chris were the only three tonight that really fucking threw down and sang. thats all you got to do, is sing! he was easily the best of the three, and by far the best of the night. i don't give a shit what he looks like. some of the greatest singers in the world are ugly fuckers. the rest join boy bands, perform on broadway, or are already in bon jovi.

even though i felt paris and chris sang their hearts out, my favorite vocals of the night belonged to elliot, katharine, and taylor.

paula was probably innocently asking about ace's scar, but everyone else watching was certainly thinking something completely different when she said that.
chris looked a little embarassed about the whole live debacle when ryan brought it up. poor bastard.

bottom three? lisa, ace, and mandisa. i'm going out on a limb with her, but i'm not sure who else it would be. i'm always hoping kelli, but i've resigned myself to her sticking around a while longer. her schtick has gotten to be just as annoying as that brenna chick was. at least she didn't say much tonight.

lisa's going home.

you did what needed to be done, america

2006-03-23T01:09:00.000-08:00

don't be sad.

...i'm not

the top 11 vs. the 50's (feat. manilow)

2006-03-22T07:29:00.000-08:00

mandisa - "i don't hurt anymore"

randy: "classy, great, amazing way to start the night"
paula: "you're a thoroughbred"
simon: "i absolutely loved it"

this girl is just incredible. such an amazing voice...

bucky - "oh, boy"

randy: "perfect song for you"
paula: "good solid performance"
simon: "nothing more than a pointless karaoke performance"

i agree with simon. this was very weak and he seemed to be really straining.

paris - "fever"

randy: "blew it out the box"
paula: "vocals were impeccable"
simon: "the perfect voice for that kind of song"

a little creepy coming from a little girl, but it was just so damn good!

chris - "walk the line"

randy: "you're ready, baby"
paula: "you should be already touring"
simon: "the first artist...that's refused to compromise, and for that, a round of applause"

so either the rules are changing or just no one took advantage of them before? this was great, and i don't think i've ever heard that drastic of a change to a song before. if it's about making it your own, he did that. this could be a single, easily.
**** i just read that this wasn't chris' arrangement, it was a version of the song from a live (the band) album. that knocks this down a few notches for me, because instead of doing his version of a 50's song, he did a song from the 90's. not cool. plus, i hate live.

katharine - "come rain or come shine"

randy: "tough song to sing...you get props"
paula: "you're gonna be one of the contenders all the way through the competition"
simon: "tonight you turned into a star"

screw ace, that was the sexiest, sultriest performance of the season so far. her voice is amazing... and it's the second week in a row someone picked a song from my wedding CD. weird!

taylor - "not fade away"

randy: "i love you, man"
paula: "you're fantastic"
simon: "a complete mess"

not my favorite vocal from him, i wish he'd picked chuck berry or great balls of fire or something. it was a great performance as usual though, the boy can dance when he ain't flailing!

lisa - "why do fools fall in love"

randy: "it was just aiight for me tonight"
paula: "you have a big career ahead of you"
simon: "a bit cutesy...it was okay"

very blah and mickey mouse club-ish. she has a good voice, but is completely lacking that "it" factor. she sort of seemed behind the beat and trying to catch up the whole time. i think she's gonna be the one to go home this week.

kevin - "when i fall in love"

randy: "i like you dude"
paula: "another good job"
simon: "your audience is going to love that version"

i still don't like him and think he's way out of his league, but i will say that he improved from last week. i hope he's at least in the bottom three this week.

elliot - "teach me tonight"

randy: "loved it"
paula: "you moved me"
simon: "it was fantastic"

he's like the mandisa of the guys. he's got a really strong voice with a lot of control, and it seems effortless when he sings. this was awesome.

kelli - "walking after midnight"

randy: "yo pickler" (i was laughing so hard at that i didn't catch the rest of what he said)
paula: "you were awesome tonight"
simon: "it was just great"

this was easily her best performance so far. i liked it a lot. (i didn't want to, though)

ace - "in the still of the night"

randy: "you're back tonight, baby"
paula: "sexiest, sultriest performance this whole season"
simon: "one of your stronger performances"

you know, this didn't really do it for me, and i've liked his voice in the past. maybe it was the arrangement or something...

paula seemed all high and shit again tonight, and simon seemed completely fed up with her. she really annoys the hell out of me. she seemed to pull it together in the second hour though. maybe her buzz wore off?

barry manilow is the fucking man. it's great that he's so into helping them find their voices and the emotion the song should be conveying. two pretty incredible artists so far this season... could mccartney be upcoming? i hope so.

i'm guessing lisa, bucky, and kevin will be the bottom three.
if there's a surprise it will be katharine. no reason, i think she's great, but i just have a bad feeling about this.

i think lisa will be leaving.

the top 12 vs. stevie wonder

2006-03-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

ace - "do i do"

randy: not impressed
paula: of course she liked it
simon: of course he didn't like it

not bad, and not great. bad song choice, i think.

kelli - "blame it on the sun"

randy: boring
paula: she looks gorgeous, but didn't sing well
simon: she put america to sleep with that

wow. really blah, really bad. i'd been giving her the benefit of the doubt when it came to her 'naiveness', but now i'm convinced it's a put on, and it's getting very irritating. she's smart and she saw how popular jessica simpson got while being stupid, so she's working that angle.

elliot - "knocks me off my feet"

randy: liked it
paula: loves him
simon: good, but no "wow" factor

not his best vocal so far, but still a great job. this is probably one of my favorite stevie wonder songs, and it was part of a mix CD we gave as a wedding favor, so i'm clearly biased here.

mandisa - "don't you worry about a thing"

randy: best of the night so far
paula: gush
simon: best of the night so far

i was really hoping to hear her belt out signed, sealed, delivered, but this was great, she's just so comfortable up there. especially with her shoes off.

bucky - "superstition"

randy: liked it
paula: really good
simon: best personal performance so far

definitely his best vocal so far in the competition. he did a much better job than kelli did working out of their country 'safety zone". i hate to say this, but his voice actually was reminding me a bit of the boss...

melissa - "lately"

randy: forgot the lyrics, but she can sing
paula: loves her voice
simon: didn't even mention the lyrics, it was a very strong performance

even though she was cracking a bit on the low notes, she nailed the higher ones at the end, and it was a strong performance considering she'd apparently been losing her voice. good job singing through that. bit of advice though, when you're on national TV it's not really a good idea to pause for dramatic effect after saying you've been "swallowing and gargling...

olive oil."

lisa - "signed, sealed, delivered"

randy: the end was hot!
paula: good
simon: one of the best tonight

i don't buy her 'rocking out'. she has a great voice, but she has to get more comfortable when shes not singing a ballad if she wants to stay in the competition. she's all beauty pagent talent portion and no pop star.

kevin - "part time lover"

randy: interesting
paula: way to go
simon: apalling

interesting = he just doesn't belong on the same stage as the rest of the singers. please, please, let him be the one to go tonight.

katharine - "until you come back to me"

randy: hot one!
paula: her best ever
simon: "you're good."

she is good. really good. this was her best vocal so far in the competition, i think. amazingly, ryan was totally checking out her boobs after the performance. seacrest maybe not "out"?

taylor - "living for the city"

randy: hot and fearless
paula: loved it
simon: a drunk dad at a wedding that can actually sing

is it just me, or does the band step it up for this guy? maybe it was just the song, but it seemed a lot more powerful... maybe it's just the way taylor works the crowd and the stage. he's fucking great.

paris - "all i do"

randy: hot, unbelievable
paula: loved it
simon: very good, a performing windup doll

awesome. really, really good. after the past couple of weeks i wasn't expecting her to be one of my favorites. she is now... but please, no more singing the answers to questions. it's just as annoying as kelli's stupid answers.

chris - "higher ground"

randy: liked it a lot
paula: fantastic
simon: best of the night by a mile

okay, so whoever gets the last spot of the night gets the kickass stage show? speaking of the band stepping it up... this was really, really great. he completely made it his own, and it could definitely be a single. much better than the chili peppers version, even without flea on bass. however, serious points subtracted for being a fucking musician and not knowing that higher ground was a stevie song. jesus.

i was hoping for a better week with the stevie songs... some of the contestants seemed totally dwarfed by the stage, and gave a boring performance because of it. and some of the song choices were sketchy at best, i mean, it's stevie! where was sir duke? i wish? for once in my life?

griping aside, my favorites this week were taylor, chris, katharine, paris, and mandisa

my bottom three predictions, kevin, melissa, and kelli. i think you all know who i think should leave.

2006-03-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

taylor - "takin' it to the streets"

i don't remember an A.I. crowd reacting that positively to any previous performance at this stage of the contest. as good as he seems watching from the couch, he must really fire up the crowd in front of him. infectious, man. just an incredible voice, and he reminds me more and more of joe cocker every week.
and i really don't care if this guy's a spastic dancer... i don't think he has any "phat dance moves" he coreographs beforehand (as it's painfully obvious some of the others do), the music just moves him. as cheesy as that sounds, it's true.

kevin - "vincent"

the vocal chops this kid has are just inspiring... every week he gets better and better. and he's just so adorable! he's gonna go a long way in this competition!
okay, now i want the producers to send me a $15K watch and some top notch "pain medication". 'cause bribery is the only explanation for randy and paula's weekly lovefest for this kid.
randy, dawg, keep it real, please! this dude is wayyy out of his league at this point. he's got to fucking go.

seriously, the other two i really enjoyed this week were

gedeon - "when a man loves a woman"
old school is a good thing in my book. apart from a shaky start, i thought this was one of the best vocal performances of the night. and i'm getting over his weird way of talking... plus i liked his painting and the thought behind it.

elliot - "heaven"
i love this song. loved the bryan adams version, loved the techno version, and now i love elliot's version. he totally made it his own... this wasn't his strongest vocal, but this song wasn't as difficult as the other stuff he's done.
how many teenage girls do you think were wondering why he was doing a song by a girl?

chris - "broken"
he's still one of my favorites, and he sang the hell out of this song, but damn, was it boring. it was the songs fault, however, not his.

bucky - "wave on wave"
i'm not a fan of country, and i'm afraid if he makes it thru this week he won't go much further, but i thought this was his best performance so far.

will - "how sweet it is (to be loved by you)"
wow. this was fucking bad. it just shows that you can sing a whole song in tune and still suck. donny osmond/bobby brady/kid from surface has gotta go.

ace - "butterflies"
he started off shaky, and then was a little pitchy during some of the falsetto. BUT, it was a huge risk, the band was fucking grooving, and he nailed the break thru the outro. i admit, he's a pretty boy i don't particularly want to like, but i do love me some falsetto.

i hope this is the end of the road for kevin and will, but america getting it right two weeks in a row? i've been watching this show too long to think that will happen.

i think gedeon and kevin will be going home, with will rounding out the bottom three.

better than last week

2006-03-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

of course, superstar number one is

mandisa - "i'm every woman"

one of the greatest A.I. performances to date, easily. she kicked this songs ass, picked it up, dusted it off, and kicked its ass again. just awesome.

katharine - "think"

she's unbelievably gorgeous, and can sing the hell out of an aretha song well enough for randy to call out his "dawgs". hot one in here, indeed.

melissa - "what about love?"

this was awesome. she's got a great original voice... too bad she'll probably be voted off this week. she's gotten better every time.

...unlike, say, paris, who hasn't really been great since the first week. "conga" was terrible, and her 'melodic choices' sounded like they were in a different key than the band.

lisa - "where i stand"
i dunno, another one i felt was off-key more than it was on. i liked the hendrix riff though...

kinnik - "if i ain't got you"
ouch. i'm thinking she ain't got enough of america's votes after that performance.

ayla - "unwritten"
the choruses were good, but the verse just sounded kinda talky. i don't know the song, but randy seemed to nail it, it's just not the type of song you can use to showcase your voice.

kelli - "i'm the only one"
her best performance so far, and i agree with simon, she is better than carrie. i like the roughness of her voice, and even though some of her 'stage moves' are kinda goofy, they're preferable to just standing still, which carrie did through all of last season. mandisa was a tough act to follow, but "the minx" was able to pull it off.

i'd like to see paris and kinnik leave this week, but i'm afraid it will probably be melissa and kinnik, with ayla in the bottom three as well.

4 out of 4 ain't bad

2006-03-03T00:47:00.000-08:00

...but i wish kevin had gotten the boot instead of sway. i would've gladly gone 3 out of 4. it was a close one, though. america voted well. - for a change

brenna

heather

david

sway

okay... what the hell was up with paula? it's like she was incredibly stoned or something, and simon was taking advantage of that by getting her to say ridiculous things. In the hope she gets fired? we can only...

oh, and correct me if i'm wrong, but carrie's song was about a woman in a precarious driving situation who decides to simply throw her hands in the air and let jesus take the wheel?!? ...and this was #1 for six weeks on the country charts?
now i'm just as afraid of a car sporting jesus fishies and 'god is my co-pilot' bumper stickers with a woman behind the wheel, as i am of terrorists!
does this mean they've won?

not as boring, but not great either - the guys, week 2

2006-03-02T13:50:00.000-08:00

another kinda blah night, with a few very notable exceptions:

elliot - "moody's mood for love"

oustanding. i love how it looks somewhat effortless to this guy, and he just pulls off everything he's trying to do.

gedeon - "a change is gonna come"

wow. i loved this. he's george huff with a better voice. much better voice... i can't believe he's only 17!?!

chris - "hemorrhage"

godDAMN! this dude's got pipes. I usually turn this tune off when it's on the radio, but if he had been singing it, i woulda left it on.

taylor's version of "easy" was really good, bordering on great ~ unfortunately he didn't do enough with it. he's still one of my favorites; if not my overall favorite due just to his pure love of what he's doing.

ace - "if you're not the one". (thanks, beto) the judges were easy on him, i thought he sounded flat and was struggling through most of this. simon could tell. it doesn't matter though, the ladies and paula's guy frends will give him another chance.

kevin - "i heard it through the grapevine" I thought this was the worst performance of the night, and i don't know what the fuck randy was smoking, commending him on his 'run' at the end. he's the kelli pickler of the guys however, and he won't be going home tonight. simon is the only one to tell it like it is.

will - "lady" this wasn't as bad as i thought it would be, but this kid does not have the voice to pull off kenny rogers. he'll stick around though, and simon will make him cry eventually. What was up with ryan molesting him?

bucky - "the thunder rolls" this always sounded more like a meatloaf song than a garth brooks tune to me. bucky did his thang though, dawg. a little better than just okay for me.

i wish kevin would get booted for his shit performance, but he won't. i think these two will:

sway - "overjoyed"

it's too bad, i think this guy has promise, and i don't get randy telling him this was bad, but complimenting kevin. WTF?!?! this wasn't great and it was pretty shaky, though.

david - "the way you look tonight"

yawn. next!

boring idol - the ladies, week 2

2006-02-28T23:15:00.000-08:00

nothing impressive at all tonight.

i liked

melissa - "why haven't i heard from you"

i really like the tone of her voice a lot, and i hope she sticks around for a while.

mandisa - "cry"

i thought this was hands down the best performance of the night. none of them were great, but this was the only one that stood out to me. what was up with paula telling her she has "a pretty face"?

i don't think katharine - "all is fair in love" was as bad as the judges did, but she was wayyy better last week. she's still one of my favorites out of the ladies.

kinnik + gretchen wilson's "here for the party" = something i don't need to hear again

lisa has a good voice that was flat for most of this rendition of "who's loving you"

paris - "wind beneath my wings" has a good voice too, but she was kinda boring this week

ayla - "i want you to need me" she's good, but acts kind of like she should have switched the lyrics around to i need you to want me. something about her bugs me, but the fact that shes from MA balances that out. simon has her pegged perfectly.

kelli - "something to talk about" she's lucky she's so darn cute, i guess. this pretty much sucked. i thought the judges went really easy on her. big disappointment.

and the two i thought were the worst

heather - "hero"

i'm thinking this time tomorrow, she'll be feeling hope is gone. that's okay though, she'll look inside herself and be strong. until thursday.

brenna - "last dance"

'nuff said.

i hope they keep the new seating arrangement. it was nice to be able to hear an entire sentence of simons without the annoying whining or slapping!

the first cut is the deepest

2006-02-24T00:29:00.000-08:00

becky

bobby

stevie

patrick

the guys

2006-02-23T08:13:00.000-08:00

it started off slow... but there were five that i really liked.

sway - "reasons"

i wasn't expecting this at all... he blew me away the same way he blew paula and randy away. not perfect by any means, but very smooth and relaxed. I was really planning on not liking this guy.

chris - "wanted dead or alive"

i really dig this guys tone. song choice was as safe as safe could be, but i didn't mind hearing him belt out some bon jovi.

elliot - "if you really love me"

another guy that blew me away. i like what randy said, about some people having to try hard and some people just having it. he just has it, and this was probably my favorite of the night.

ace - "father figure"

great song choice, great vocals. he could probably get through on his looks alone, but he didn't need them tonight.

and
taylor - "levon"

elliot was my favorite of the night until taylor. this dude is infectious and outstanding. i don't know what america thinks, but talent-wise, i don't think many people compare to him this year.

i think these guys below should go home. neither seemed too serious, and both sounded really bad. much worse than the girls.

david - "crazy little thing called love"

was this a fucking joke?

and
bobby - "copacabana"

this was a fucking joke.

just like last year, the guys are better than the girls overall. they need to change up the 6 guys, 6 girls rule or something.

the ladies...

2006-02-22T08:43:00.000-08:00

the ones i thought were the best last night:

mandisa - "never"

awesome, powerful voice and great stage presence... plus she picked a fucking kickass song (and kicked its ass) - i like her a lot.

paris - "midnight train to georgia"

okay, she was a little too bouncy, but she got everyone into it, and she's got an amazing voice.

and
katharine - "since i fell for you"

my favorite so far - she surprised me. I don't really remember her audition.

the two i hope are going home early -

heather - so bland i can't remember what she sang

just bland. that's all. bland. she could have a future in crest whitestrips commercials, though.

and (please, please, please send her home, america!!!)
brenna - "sunshine of my life"

hell no do i want to be watching this pile of attitude for the next few months! i'm glad she sounded like shit last night, 'cause she was one of the better ones early on. hopefully no one remembered that. save the attitude for after you win.