American Idol 2010 -- The Top 10

Well, you won't be reading this until Wednesday morning, 'cause my bloody DSL line has been out (yet again) for a day and a half, so I'll have to save it to my thumb drive and upload it at work. Jeez, modern technology sucks, doesn't it? Actually, it doesn't ... what sucks is our dependence on it. I've even been thinking about dumping my blogs altogether out of frustration, but not to worry ... I'll probably come to my senses sooner or later. Thank goodness I have "Idol" to give me the mood enhancement that I need.

Siobhan ("Through The Fire" by Chaka Khan) -- Well, a couple of creaky notes here and there, so it's not her best performance, but it's still Siobhan, and there are few singers in this competition better than her.

Casey ("Hold On I'm Comin'" by Sam & Dave) -- I've gotta say, that was perhaps this guy's best showing yet! I've really never been more than lukewarm on this guy, but Randy said it -- tonight's performance was hot!

Michael ("Ready For Love" by India.Arie) -- Sometimes I wonder why they don't just call it a season and give Big Mike the title of "American Idol" ... and this is one of those times. Wonderful job, as we've come to expect!

Didi ("What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" by Jimmy Ruffin) -- I liked it, but I can't say I loved it. Maybe it could have been helped by a slower tempo or a more interesting arrangement ... not her best, as much as I hate to say it.

Tim ("Sweet Love" by Anita Baker) -- It was an okay performance, but I think I know now what bugs me about Tim: his eyes. He's trying to do the meaningful gaze thing, but it seems more like a semi-vacant glare. Sorry, but not great.

Andrew ("Forever" by Chris Brown) -- I've been waiting for a performance like this from Andrew since "Straight Up" in Hollywood week!! Just when I thought he was all but gone, he's come back in a big way! Yay, Andrew!!

Katie ("Chain of Fools" by Aretha Franklin) -- This was another strong showing, and like Andew, her best in weeks. The judges want her to pick something more current, but as long as her vocals are this great, I don't mind!

Lee ("Treat Her Like a Lady" by the Cornelius Brothers) -- This may be as close as I've come to actually liking Lee as a singer ... a great performance with really strong vocals! Am I loving him? Not yet ... but almost!

Crystal ("Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight) -- Like Ellen said, she's "never not good"! She shook things up by showing us a softer side, and it was beautiful! This is turning out to be a strong night for the Top Ten!

Aaron ("Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers) -- As Simon pointed out, this song is done so many times on "Idol" that it's seldom special. But Aaron did as well as he could with it, and his natural charm made up for the rest. Not his best, but a very nice job.

My most favorite performances of the night: Andrew, Michael, and Lee (color me surprised).

My least favorite performances of the night: Didi, Tim, and Siobhan (it hurts to say).

Who I think should be eliminated: Tim.

Who I think will be eliminated: Didi.

I'm Two For Two

Now where was this Paige Miles last night?!? If she'd sounded like she does now, she probably wouldn't have even been in the bottom three, let alone gotten the boot! Oh well, I guess in a way it can all come down to the choice of song. But I think, at least in her case, it's just that her voice is better when it's stronger than when it's soft. At any rate, I'll miss her.

I was a little surprised to see that, for the second week in a row, Tim was in the bottom three ... so I guess his charm is kind-of wearing off on the audience, and that they're finally seeing that he is definitely not one of the stronger singers in this year's lot. I was equally surprised to see that Andrew wasn't in the bottom three, as I expected him to be.

It sounds like next week is R&B ... I'm a bit worried at how some of the contestants will do, especially Tim and Aaron. We shall see...!

American Idol 2010 -- The Top 11

No offense to any Miley Cyrus fans out there -- and I myself have nothing against her at all -- but I almost laughed when I heard that she was going to be a "mentor" for tonight's show. She's probably a perfectly decent artist (I wouldn't know, really), but isn't she a bit too young to be a "mentor"? I don't know, folks ... the further we get into this season, the more I'm feeling like this will be my last one as an "Idol" watcher. Let's see how this week's performances go....

Lee DeWyze ("The Letter" by The Box Tops) -- Well, it's about time this guy did something to impress me! I loved the jazzy/big-band arrangement, and his voice was the best I've ever heard it! Definitely a great, great performance!

Paige Miles ("Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" by Phil Collins) -- I like this girl, but she's been inconsistent. Last week she was great, but her voice was really shaky again tonight like it was two weeks ago. I think this might be it for her, but then again I said that before.

Tim Urban ("Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen) -- As soon as I saw he was doing this song, I was afraid for him ... and for good reason. It wasn't bad ... but then it wasn't great, either. I'm actually surprised Simon didn't use the word "karaoke" to describe this one.

Aaron Kelly ("I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith) -- This kid has so much charm and likeability, and can soldier through a double-whammy of laryngitis and tonsilitis, and turn in a great performance of a great song ... fantastic!!

Crystal Bowersox ("Me and Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin) -- Wow!! This is why she's been in the competition for this long, and why she'll be around for weeks to come ... a magnificent showing, probably the best of the evening!

Michael Lynche ("When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge) -- It was fantastic, as we've come to expect from Big Mike, but I can understand some of the judges' comments that they've heard better from him before. Still, though, he's the guy to beat.

Andrew Garcia ("I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye) -- Hmmm ... as much as I like this guy, it felt like he was totally going through the motions. His voice was fine, but I couldn't hear any passion in his singing ... disappointing, quite frankly.

Katie Stevens ("Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie) -- She started out as one of my favorite ladies this year, but she's started falling behind in my rankings. This performance was good, though a bit pitchy here and there. Still pretty good, but not excellent.

Casey James ("The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News) -- I liked it well enough ... but there was something keeping me from loving it. Maybe it was the fact that he chose that song that made it just not feel quite right. Better luck next week, Casey.

Didi Benami ("You're No Good" by Linda Ronstadt) -- I got the same feeling with this performance as with Andrew Garcia's ... she just sang the song, and didn't feel it. Like Ellen said, there seems to be a rash of bad song choices tonight. I still like Didi, though.

Siobhan Magnus ("Superstition" by Stevie Wonder) -- I could have done without that slightly screechy note near the end, but otherwise I totally loved it! Every week that goes by, Siobhan climbs higher on my list of favorites this year. Dynamite!!

My most favorite performances of the night: Crystal, Siobhan, and Aaron.

My least favorite performances of the night: Andrew, Paige, and Didi.

Who I think should be eliminated: Paige.

Who I think will be eliminated: Paige.

Final thought: I wonder what I'll have for dinner tomorrow night...?

Lacey's Last Stand

Well, it's about time they got it right ... although I do wish Lacey Brown all the best. I was surprised, though, to see Tim Urban end up in the bottom three. I actually thought, for a few minutes, that he might even get the boot. It would figure ... just as soon as Tim begins to show substantial improvement, he'd be voted out. But of course that ended up not being the case.

Now the question remains: how long until Lee wears out his welcome and gets sent home? (Hey, at least Tim has shown improvement ... I've never found Lee's voice appealing.) But at least there's nothing to be outraged about like there was last week. So ... on to next week's round!

American Idol 2010 -- The Top 12

Well, believe it or else, the Top 12 is upon us! It seems like the whole darn season just started, doesn't it? I probably sound more excited about this than I am, 'cause after the dreadful results last week, I'm actually a little surprised myself that I'm sticking around ... but since I've already invested so much time in the season, I figure I might as well keep going. Ready or not, here we go. Oh, crap, that goofy "talking head" is introducing the judges again ... sigh.

Since it's "Rolling Stones Week", all songs are originally by The Rolling Stones ... like, duh.

Michael Lynche ("Miss You") -- Yay! Once again, Big Mike delivers a fantastic performance! And once again (not that it's happened all the time), Simon's comments perplex me. Ooh ... Ryan's out for blood, confronting Simon nose-to-nose like that ... gotta love him!

Didi Benami ("Play With Fire") -- Well, we're on a roll tonight so far ... that was quite possibly the best showing I've seen from her yet! This could be a single from her, 'cause I thought she really made that song her own. Very, very nice!

Casey James ("It's All Over Now") -- A great performance, although I wasn't quite wowed by it ... I don't know if it's just because two great performances came before it, or if it was something underwhelming about his performance. Great, but not quite fantastic.

Lacey Brown ("Ruby Tuesday") -- Hmmmm ... I like this song, and I like the arrangement she used ... but I didn't care for her voice in it. The verses were a bit warbly and off-key, to be honest. I'm sorry to say I wasn't loving this one.

Andrew Garcia ("Gimme Shelter") -- I liked it a lot, but like with Casey's song, I didn't quite connect with it and felt there was something missing. I don't know what Randy heard, though, 'cause I sure didn't hear any pitchiness ... certainly not compared with Lacey.

Katie Stevens ("Wild Horses") -- I have to agree with the judges in that it was an excellent song choice, and it led to an excellent performance! I've seen better from her, but this was great!

Tim Urban ("Under My Thumb") -- Wow ... is this really Tim Urban? This was actually ... really good! I don't know why the judges had such a problem with it, 'cause I thought the reggae arrangement gave the song an interesting twist.

Siobhan Magnus ("Paint It Black") -- Damn!! I don't know about you, but I just saw the show being stolen! I tell you, I am loving this girl more with every week that goes by! And thank you, Kara, I thought it was just me who was reminded a bit of Adam Lambert (in the best way)!

Lee DeWyze ("Beast of Burden") -- What can I say? I've tried time and again, and have yet to hear the "incredibly good voice" that Simon seems to believe Lee is capable of. A better-than-average performance from him, but I still find him the most boring of the guys.

Paige Miles ("Honky Tonk Women") -- Well, she couldn't help but be better than last week, and she was a helluva lot better! Possibly her best showing yet, and one of the better ladies' performances this evening.

Aaron Kelly ("Angie") -- Just like Didi, Aaron could take this song and make it a single all his own ... a fantastic performance! And I totally agreed with Simon's comments ... a perfect song for his voice. Excellent!

Crystal Bowersox ("You Can't Always Get What You Want") -- Alright, Crystal! Did we expect any less than a superb performance from her? No, and that's what we got!! A very fine way to close the show indeed!

My most favorite performances of the night: Siobhan, Michael, and Crystal.

My least favorite performances of the night: Lacey, Andrew, and Lee.

Who I think should be eliminated: Lacey.

Who I think will be eliminated: Lacey.

And, just for the heck of it ... who I'd like to see in the Top Four if they were being chosen this week: Crystal, Michael, Siobhan and Aaron.

American Idol 2010 -- The Dirty Dozen Is Revealed

I never thought I'd say this about "American Idol", at least not this soon ... but this show is really starting to suck. And I'm not just talking about those group numbers ... those have sucked for a good long while now (and I muted the TV 'cause I couldn't bear to hear them slaughter my favorite Michael Bublé song). I'm talking about the truly preposterous results this week -- quite possibly the most disappointing I have ever seen in the two-and-a-half years I've been watching. The shockingly eliminated Lilly Scott echoed my thoughts exactly when she said, "A lot of incredible talent is going home tonight; I don't know what America wants to hear."

Since I ended up being correct in my prediction that Katelyn Epperly and Alex Lambert would be eliminated, I didn't think Alex's departure would shock me so much, but it did. Obviously it stung the rest of the hopefuls, too, enough for Ryan to call that commercial break "the most intense few moments on the show" he's ever seen in his "Idol" career. Lilly's departure was the most disturbing this week, since I thought she had a huge following, but Todrick Hall's ouster wasn't far behind on the holy-crap-ometer, since he gave what I thought was his best performance.

Sure, Lilly and Alex didn't have the best voices, but they each had a more unique vocal style and a genuinely likeable presence than most of the rest of the pack (even if Alex still hadn't really broken out of his shell yet). I suppose I wouldn't have minded Alex's elimination quite as much if Paige Miles -- who gave the worst performance by far this week -- had been sent home too. And as for Tim Urban ... I know I said I wouldn't be upset if he made it into the Top 12, but that was before Alex and Lilly were given the heave-ho. I almost would have been okay with Aaron being sent home if it'd meant that Alex or Lilly had gotten to stay.

On an entirely different note (no pun intended), it was fun seeing last season's Matt Giraud and Scott McIntyre again! Although, I wish it were Matt who'd put out an album by now (and not just an EP like he says he's working on) ... I'd so buy a full-length CD from him!

I tell you, it's looking more and more like this is going to be my last season as an "Idol" watcher ... it seems to be less and less about the singing anymore. Sigh.... Okay, on to next week, for what it's worth....

American Idol 2010 -- The Top 8 Guys

I can't possibly need a new computer already ... but then, I guess this one is nearly five years old. It's taking almost ten minutes to get going whenever I boot it up ... sigh. But let's forget about that techno stuff and get on with the second half of the Top 16 ... here come the guys!

Lee DeWyze ("Fireflies" by Owl City) -- Okay, I'm still not as crazy about this guy as the judges seem to be, but this is as close as I've come yet ... his best showing thusfar. It still feels like he's trying to be David Cook, though.

Alex Lambert ("Trouble" by Ray Lamontagne) -- Ahhhh ... a perfect song choice, and a great performance!! Ellen is so right ... he's getting better and better every week, and I'm loving him more and more.

Tim Urban ("Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen) -- I'll give him points for using the right lyric ("ya" to rhyme with "hallelujah", instead of "you" like is often incorrectly used) ... and for the first time, I won't be upset if he's voted through ... a decent performance from him, finally.

Andrew Garcia ("Genie In a Bottle" by Christina Aguilera) -- Hmmm ... I find myself agreeing with Kara and Simon, except that I did like it more than they seemed to. He was so great early on that he's having a tough time maintaining.

Casey James ("You'll Think Of Me" by Keith Urban) -- Excellent! I don't particularly dig country, but I dig Casey James. He's been one of the most consistently good competitors amongst the guys this season!

Aaron Kelly ("I'm Already There" by Lonestar) -- A very good performance, and he definitely sounds best singing country, but he's had better weeks. I too had the feeling, like Ellen did, that the song was just a little "too big" for him.

Todrick Hall ("Somebody To Love" by Queen) -- Wonderful! I loved that he gave it an almost "gospel" feel with the ladies singing backup. He really took this song and made it his own, better than anyone else tonight!

Michael Lynche ("This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush) -- Damn, I'm loving this guy!! Simon was right ... I don't think I've seen a performance this good since the live shows started!

My most favorite performances of the night: Michael, Todrick, and Alex.

My least favorite performances of the night: Andrew, Lee, and Tim.

Who I think should be eliminated: Lee and Tim.

Who I think will be eliminated: Alex and Andrew.

Final thought: Hmmm ... did I say last night that the girls were the strong ones? I have to say I had more trouble picking my favorites amongst the guys, at least this week. We'll see who makes it and who doesn't, tomorrow night.

American Idol 2010 -- The Top 8 Ladies

Oh gosh, they've taken the performance shows down to one hour apiece ... kind-of pushing it with eight contestants in each pack, isn't it? I hope they don't run over on time, which was a chronic problem of theirs last season (or was it the season before?). Obviously they're not wasting any time ... let's go!

Katie Stevens ("Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson") -- Oh, this hurts, 'cause she's one of my favorite contestants among the ladies ... but I found this to be her least impressive performance yet. With any luck, she'll get a chance to come back next week.

Siobhan Magnus ("House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals) -- There's something about Siobhan that I've started to like ... and this great showing is making me like her even more! Two great performances in a row ... this girl is hot!

Lacey Brown ("The Story" by Brandi Carlile) -- Very nice, though it started out a bit pitchy. I guess one thing that makes me not quite love her is that her voice sounds the same in every song she sings ... could get old quickly.

Katelyn Epperly ("I Feel the Earth Move" by Carole King) -- Hmmm ... a great performance, but she's done better. The judges, particularly Simon (weird, eh?), basically said just what I was thinking ... in a nutshell, she was missing something.

Didi Benami ("Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac) -- I was afraid she was about to drop off the map, and then comes a performance like this! I really liked this one, and now I'm kind-of hoping she sticks around!

Paige Miles ("Smile" by Charlie Chaplin) -- ...Uh-oh. I like Paige, but I'm afraid this was a flat-out bad performance. Her voice trembled, like she was nervous, and she even looked a little scared. I'm afraid this might be it for her, much as I hate to say it.

Crystal Bowersox ("Give Me One Reason" by Tracy Chapman) -- It's almost gotten to the point where we expect a great performance out of Crystal every week, and so far it's working for her! I think she's the one to beat right now. (I wrote that before Simon said it, honest!)

Lilly Scott ("I Fall To Pieces" by Patsy Cline) -- It wasn't perfect ... a bit more pitchy than I was really comfortable with ... but still, I liked it. Is it enough to keep her in the running? I sure hope so, 'cause I know she's yet to have her best moment.

My most favorite performances of the night: Siobhan, Didi, and Crystal.

My least favorite performances of the night: Paige, Katelyn, and Lacey.

Who I think should be eliminated: Paige and Lacey.

Who I think will be eliminated: Paige and Katelyn.

Final thought: Simon was right ... the ladies are stronger than the guys this year, and I think it's very possible that a lady will be crowned Idol for the first time since 2007.

American Idol 2010 -- Takin' It Down To 16

You'd think that I'd remember by now to wait to tune in to the results show until about six or seven minutes into it ... in order to avoid those downright hideous group numbers. Seriously, "Idol" producers, can't you see the nearly crippling pain and embarrassment that some of these poor singers are going through when they do them? There are far more watchable things that those few minutes can be devoted to, trust me. I kid you not ... I actually squirm in my chair with discomfort while the group numbers are going on. It's time for them to end, if there's a merciful bone in your body.

Okay, now that I've got that out of the way ... the results. I did get it a bit wrong, but I can't say I'm terribly surprised ... certainly not as surprised as I was last week to see Tyler Grady and Joe Muñoz leave. I still wish, though that the viewers had given John Park a bit more time to prove himself. (He leaves, but Sanjaya -- I mean, Tim Urban -- stays ... go figure.) Jermaine Sellers, Michelle Delamor, and Haeley Vaughn were fun while they lasted, and I wish them all the best.

Oh, and it was fun seeing Danny Gokey again ... may have to get that CD of his, even though I'm not big on country. But anyway, next week we do it all again...!

American Idol 2010 -- The Top 10 Ladies

I've got a grudge against technology again, 'cause our goddamned DSL line can't seem to stay up and running (I almost wasn't able to post this tonight). But I got a CD in the mail that I was waiting for, and I've got "American Idol" to watch, so instead of turning off anything and everything of a technological nature and wallowing in my grumpiness like I was just about to do, I decided to wise up and remember that music is the thing I turn to when I need a mood adjustment. So ... bring on the "Idol" ladies!

Crystal Bowersox ("Long As I Can See The Light" by Creedence Clearwater Revival) -- Great way to open the show, and I'm glad to see she's back on her feet after her illness. A wonderful and natural performance!

Haeley Vaughn ("The Climb" by Miley Cyrus) -- Hmmm ... I can't say I was thrilled ... she was awfully pitchy in places. Randy and Ellen pretty-much said what I was thinking ... just not a good showing from her tonight.

Lacey Brown ("Kiss Me" by Sixpence None The Richer) -- Kara was right ... that was the perfect song for her! It was wonderful and totally fit her voice ... the best performance of the evening so far!

Katie Stevens ("Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae) -- It started out sounding like a Corinne impersonation, but she was able to "come out" a bit at the end. I really like this girl, and I hope she shows us more next week.

Didi Benami ("Lean On Me" by Bill Withers) -- Hmmm ... I wanted to like it, I really did, 'cause I like her ... but it was awfully pitchy through most of it. Still, though, I hope she comes back next week.

Michelle Delamor ("With Arms Wide Open" by Creed) -- A curious song choice, for sure ... and a very good performance, one of my favorites of the night, in fact. A bit pitchy, maybe, but quite good!

Lilly Scott ("A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke) -- Like Simon, I wasn't "in love" with her performance like the other three judges were, but I did like it. Best of the night, though? I'm not quite sure....

Katelyn Epperly ("The Scientist" by Coldplay) -- Wow! I kind-of like Coldplay, and I'm always curious when I see a male-female switch-up (like Michelle did) ... I think I might have a new favorite performance of the evening!

Paige Miles ("Walk Away" by Kelly Clarkson) -- Another fine performance! (Oh, I didn't know it was a Kara song!) It really fit her voice, which was spot-on, and she really had fun singing it. Yay!

Siobhan Magnus ("Think" by Aretha Franklin) -- Three good performances in a row ... the night really went out on a high note (figuratively and literally -- how's about that high note?)! I was afraid for that song, but ... wow!

My most favorite performances of the night: Katelyn Epperly, Lacey Brown, and Paige Miles.

My least favorite performances of the night: Haeley Vaughn, Didi Benami, and ... hard to pick a third, but it'd probably have to be Lilly Scott.

Who I think should be eliminated: Haeley Vaughn and Didi Benami.

Who I think will be eliminated: Haeley Vaughn and Katie Stevens.

American Idol 2010 -- The Top 10 Guys

Well, here we go with round two. Bear with me, 'cause I'm not all that enthused about this week (yet?) ... I hope it's just 'cause I'm tired tonight. Oh ... things are looking up a little, 'cause I didn't know the guys were going first this week...! (No, I'm not sexist ... I just like male singers a lot more than female ones.)

Michael Lynche ("It's a Man's Man's Man's World" by James Brown) -- The guy's got some serious soul, and I'm enjoying him more every week. The bad part: all nine other guys have to follow him.

John Park ("Gravity" by John Mayer) -- It's probably my favorite J.M. song, and he did better than I thought he would. He still has yet to blow me away, and I'm afraid enough people might feel the same that it could get him kicked this week.

Casey James ("I Don't Want To Be" by Gavin deGraw) -- I still like the guy, and it was a really good performance, but there was something that stopped him from being "great" ... probably the stiffness Ellen was talking about.

Alex Lambert ("Everybody Knows" by John Legend) -- Well, we know who wins the award for the best improvement since last week, by a country mile!! I'm so glad this guy's still here ... I'm loving him!!

Todrick Hall ("What's Love Got To Do With It" by Tina Turner) -- It was a good performance, but not great ... I hope it wasn't just because he followed Alex. I think there was just something missing from his voice this time.

Jermaine Sellers ("What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye) -- Hmmm ... not unlike Todrick, I wasn't thrilled ... a bit pitchy here and there, for one thing. I understand what Randy was trying to say ... just something missing.

Andrew Garcia ("You Give Me Something" by James Morrison) -- I for one liked his song last week, but this one left me a little cold. The guy's still very good, but (at the risk of repeating myself) I wasn't feeling him tonight.

Aaron Kelly ("My Girl" by The Temptations) -- I didn't agree with Ellen, 'cause I thought it was a great song choice ... in a way, there's nothing more fitting for a 16-year-old potential heartthrob to sing. One of the best of the night!

Tim Urban ("Come On Get Higher" by Matt Nathanson) -- I do kind-of resent this guy for usurping Joe Muñoz's spot last week, but it was a whole lot better than last week. Still the pitchiest of the night, though, and "very karaoke", as Randy said.

Lee DeWyze ("Lips Of An Angel" by Hinder) -- I'm still not won over by this guy yet, and I wonder why Simon's so crazy about him. But this was his best performance yet, and for once I'm kinda hoping he isn't voted off.

My most favorite performances of the night: Alex Lambert, Michael Lynche, and Aaron Kelly.

My least favorite performances of the night: Todrick Hall, Tim Urban, and Casey James.

Who I think should be eliminated: Tim Urban and Todrick Hall.

Who I think will be eliminated: John Park and Todrick Hall.

My parting thought: The judges should stop saying "I hope we see you back next week" or "I hope America votes to keep you another week" ... they're not supposed to be picking favorites, and that comes a little too close. Besides, the contestants are supposed to be the ones appealing for your votes.

Another parting thought: Get well soon, Crystal!