Tom's Music Continuum

Matt Wertz

2011-04-20T20:54:00.001-07:00

MATT WERTZ
"WEIGHTS & WINGS"
(Nettwerk, 2011)

I consider it a favorite album of mine, but the fact that half of Matt Wertz's 2006 Nettwerk release "Everything In Between" was replicated on his major-label effort "Under Summer Sun" less than two years later, plus the relative lack of appeal of any of the latter album's new tracks, gave me very little reason to buy it. So it's mostly understandable that his name wasn't high on my new release watch list another two years on. But, curiosity (and a couple of catchy song clips) got the better of me, and I decided to give his new album a try. Two listens in, however, I'm still only lukewarm to this album.

The overriding theme is love and relationships (although, when you think about it, that can probably be said of the majority of albums out there), and the songs tend to sound similar more often than not -- though I don't know if one of those characteristics necessarily has to do with the other. "Nobody's You" is the first track off this set that I came to love, possibly because it's reminiscent of "Over You", my favorite cut from his '06 album. I've also started warming to "Running Back To You", with its broad, almost power-ballad feel, and the lilting bounce of "Someone Like You", but none of the other tracks have made an impression on me yet.

Still, even though the ingredients seem the same, the snap, crackle and pop they created on "Everything In Between" is absent on this disc, or at the very least not as evident. If you were looking for a continuation -- a "disc 2" of sorts, with b-sides and outtakes -- of that album, or just another excuse to hear Matt Wertz's charming and likeable vocals, this album will satisfy you nicely; it'd be great for something to play in the background and not necessarily call attention to itself. But if you're looking to have your ear truly grabbed, you may need to look elsewhere.

Buy it digitally on iTunes
Buy it on CD from Amazon

The Posies

2011-04-10T13:09:00.001-07:00

THE POSIES
"BLOOD/CANDY"
(Rykodisc, 2010)

A couple of years ago, I stopped actively seeking out new music -- hey, it's not like I don't have enough CDs already, plus I've always got a shopping list I'm trying to catch up on anyway -- and decided that, if I'm meant to discover an artist that I'll grow to love, their music will find me. Here's a perfect example: my brother was having trouble with his computer's speakers one day and asked for my help. After re-starting the machine and launching iTunes to test the speakers (he's not a digital music person, so I didn't expect to find anything at all in his iTunes library) I saw a couple of tracks by a group called The Posies. I double-clicked on one ... and not only did the speakers work, they showered me with a sound so delightful that I wasted little time in buying their two most recent albums, "Every Kind of Light" and "Blood/Candy".

The majority of The Posies' longtime fans consider their earlier work to be superior, but this is my first exposure to the group, and I for one am loving their Rykodisc years. Most of the tracks on this set, particularly "The Glitter Prize" (featuring Letters To Cleo vocalist Kay Hanley) and "So Caroline", remind me of the glory days of so-called "jangle-pop" like the early-'90s work of bands such as the Gin Blossoms, R.E.M., and a particular favorite of mine, The Connells. "Accidental Architecture" smacks (in the best possible way) of '60s psychedelia, and "Notion 99" seems to borrow a bit from British Invasion pop. Other standout tracks include the engaging "Take Care Of Yourself" and the vaguely Flaming Lips-ish "Holiday Hours". There's very little filler here, if any at all.

My discovery of The Posies can only be described as fate: I found out soon after that Microsoft pre-loaded Windows Vista machines with two tracks off the band's 2005 album, "Every Kind of Light" (which is a pretty decent album too, by the way). With music seemingly coming at us from all directions -- numerous other blogs, radio, TV, and in the case of most of us bloggers, emails from artists or their promotional teams -- it can very easily feel like we're drowning in a sea of sounds. Plus, if you're anything like me, the more music you hear, the more difficult it is to hear something that truly sets itself apart. So, with sincere apologies to the bands whose promotional emails I ignore, I'm perfectly content with just stumbling upon music all by myself ... especially if the results continue to be artists as appealing as The Posies.

Buy it digitally on iTunes
Buy it on CD from Amazon

from the bookshelf: The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music

2011-03-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

Guess what? Tomorrow is the fourth anniversary of this blog! (Like, yay, and stuff!) Since I haven't gotten around to writing up my thoughts on any more of the new albums I've acquired lately, I thought it would be somehow appropriate to write an all-encompassing sort of entry befitting this blog's overarcing, music-without-borders theme ... besides, it's high time that I wrote about another book anyway.

"THE BILLBOARD ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MUSIC"
by PAUL duNOYER
(Watson-Guptill, 2003)

Not being much of an actual reader, I tend to gravitate more toward "coffee-table" kinds of picture books and the more concise, browse-worthy reference volumes; this title fits neatly into both categories. It's quite literally everything (basic) you always wanted to know about all varieties of music, organized sensibly and attractively, with sections covering all the general genres (rock, jazz, country, etc.), each broken into chapters by subgenre (prog rock, jam bands, bebop, acid jazz, bluegrass, honky tonk, and countless others). Did you know there are almost a dozen types of reggae music alone? This book covers eleven of them!

Each chapter of this work provies a brief history of the subject genre, lists key artists in each field, provides entertaining and enlightening quotes from music luminaries, and even prints a bar or two of music from a typical work in each subgenre to illustrate its composition. As if that weren't enough, the book includes a glossary of musical instruments, and even a primer on how to read sheet music. At only 448 pages, it can't possibly go into a whole lot of depth, but it does cover an impressive amount of territory.

Since this book is strictly an encyclopedia and not a history of music, its coverage might seem a bit uneven -- dance music, which has been around for only a few decades, gets almost as many pages devoted to it as classical, which has existed for over three centuries. And then of course comes the categorization issue ... for someone like me, who knows how very blurred the lines between genres have become in recent years, the classifications of certain artists can seem somewhat arbitrary, if not downright inaccurate ... but that's a moot point to an extent, since specific artists aren't often mentioned except in short lists in the margins of each chapter, cited as rough examples of their respective genre.

The odd melange of items under the "popular and novelty" section can be a little irksome (Shouldn't Contemporary Christian be a part of the Gospel section? Why isn't Easy Listening at the beginning of the Pop section? And what exactly defines "Nostalgia"?), but that's a small complaint, given the wealth of information in the book as a whole. For anyone who's even a little curious about all the different kinds of music out there, or is otherwise unafraid to broaden their musical knowledge, this is a handy resource to have around and casually thumb through. Hey, music is a "continuum", after all.

Nick Carter

2011-03-05T09:41:00.000-08:00

NICK CARTER
"I'M TAKING OFF"
(Sony/Japan, 2011)

When you have to wait nine years for an artist to release their next album, especially if you loved their previous one as much as I loved Nick Carter's solo debut, "Now Or Never", it's nearly unavoidable that you'd raise your hopes and expectations to absurdly high levels. I got off on that album so much because it was such a departure from the squeaky-clean pop he'd been doing with the Backstreet Boys, and also because Nick's raspy, ballsy voice seemed tailor-made for good ol' guitars-and-drums rock. He was ready to burst out as the next Bryan Adams, and I could totally see it happening and was all set to follow him along for the ride ... but the album's sales fell flat and he put his solo career efforts on hold.

Unfortunately, much like McFly's latest effort, shifting gears from rock to R&B has also removed most of what made Nick's previous album so distinctive and enjoyable. He's even tamed his voice back to the milder and more inoffensive timbre heard on his Backstreet Boys recordings. While there's certainly nothing wrong with that in itself, since pop-R&B is of course BSB's home turf and calls for a smoother voice than rock, it essentially makes this sound like nothing more than just another Backstreet Boys album -- only not as good, since it lacks the vocal synergy that A.J., Brian and Howie bring to the group. Has rock somehow gone out-of-style in recent years? The synths and beats of R&B have always seemed colder to me than the warm and organic sounds of guitars and drums.

Lest you think I totally hate this album, I have to say it does have a few good moments, and it's already begun to grow on me a little. Several of the songs have fun grooves and good lyrics, particularly the energetic "Addicted", the power-ballad "Falling Down", the initial single "Just One Kiss", the fine ballad "Great Divide", and the title track. And then there's also the fact that it is, after all, Nick Carter's unmistakable voice which, though it lacks the grit and attitude of its rock persona, is still perfectly pleasant to listen to. If you still love Backstreet Boys, you'll love this album ... but if you're looking for more of the energy that made "Now Or Never" so special, you'll be disappointed.

Buy it from Nick Carter's official site
Buy it on CD from Amazon
Buy it on CD from ImportCDs.com

Teddy Thompson

2011-03-01T12:57:00.000-08:00

TEDDY THOMPSON
"BELLA"
(Verve Forecast, 2011)

You know what I like about artists like Randall Bramblett and Teddy Thompson? It usually takes awhile for me to get to like their albums ... and yes, I mean that as a compliment. You see, with the attention spans of the American public whittling away more with every generation (and my patience for them seemingly eroding just as quickly), the music business appears to be preoccupied with grabbing the listener by the ears as quickly as possible with the catchiest nugget of ear candy that mathematical formulas and test audience feedback can cook up.

That's not to say that Teddy Thompson's southern-tinged (you'd never know he's British by listening to him) folk-rock is never energetic. Indeed, the upbeat tunes may even outnumber the tranquil ones on his latest album. "The Next One" seems groomed for AOR radio play, and there's a jaunty syncopation to "The One I Can't Have" which, together with the equally lively opening track "Looking For a Girl", show that his wry humor is still in fine form. Jenni Muldaur lends her vocal talents to the duet "Tell Me What You Want", and the album's more subdued moments come in the fine ballads "Delilah" and "Over And Over", and the delicate acoustic number "Home".

While I'll never outgrow the appeal of a fun pop tune that hits me over the head with its hook, I'll always appreciate the gentle and gradual pull of a singer-songwriter's subtle melody. Not only is it refreshing to hear an act that seems to want to take its own sweet time in turning on the listener (these kinds of artists are few and far between in my library, at least for now), but their "time-release" tunes serve to remind me not only that I've still got some patience, but also that patience is a virtue ... and can often be rewarded with songs that one grows to enjoy fondly.

Buy it digitally on iTunes
Buy it on CD from Amazon

McFly

2011-02-15T14:04:00.000-08:00

McFLY
"ABOVE THE NOISE"
(Island/UK, 2010)

I can't remember the last time I had such mixed feelings about an album. When I first heard that McFly were taking a departure from their lovely and lively Beatles-esque pop sound and diving headlong into electro-pop/R&B territory, even recruiting the likes of Taio Cruz and Dallas Austin to help with songwriting and producing, I was puzzled and dismayed. Still being unclear as to why they've all but tossed aside the guitars and drum set (I can even picture poor Dougie and Harry standing in the background during a performance, not knowing what to do with themselves!), I can't help but feel like they've sold out to the latest trend.

That being said, however, they're still McFly, and that's the only reason I bothered to give the album a chance, figuring that whatever McFly do they'll probably do well. For the most part, I was right. Their songwriting is still pretty good, although we've seen better (I consider "Wonderland" to be their best in that regard), and of course their voices are as great as they've ever been. I actually find more to like on the second half of the album, like the cool neo-soul breeze of "This Song" and the bouncy old-school pop tune "I Need a Woman"; it doesn't help that McFly sound more like their old selves on these tracks.

As it turns out, though, McFly can lay down a good dance-pop tune with the best of 'em -- just listen to "Party Girl" and the '80s-tinged "iF U C Kate" for evidence of that -- although it's still the fact that this is McFly we're talking about that keeps me from enjoying them more (well, that, and the fact that I've never been big on dance-pop to begin with). Call it a nit-pick if you must, but I have to wonder if it might have behooved them to adopt an alias for this project, kind-of like Garth Brooks billed himself as Chris Gaines for his brief foray into rock. As a pop album in general, it's pretty darn good (up there with some of the best post-millennium R&B-flavored boybands), but as a McFly album I'm afraid it's just "okay" at best.

Buy it digitally from Amazon UK
Buy it on CD from Amazon UK

At Last ... My 2010 Countdown!

2011-02-02T17:17:00.000-08:00

I really didn't have my crap together last year, seeing as how I'm already more than a month late on posting my annual favorites countdown. It sure wasn't because of lack of devotion to music; I bought as much music last year as I do every year -- that is to say, adjusted for the slight "budget cut" I've been trying to make each year. I just was so preoccupied with building a particular part of my music collection (which I hope to share with y'all sometime soon) that I didn't pay as much attention to new music as I usually do -- and consequently, I didn't buy a whole lot of 2010 releases in 2010.

As a result, this countdown isn't going to be what I, and probably some of you, would expect. For instance, I rather suspect that the latest Take That and McFly albums would have appeared on the list ... if I had gotten around to buying them in time (and no, shame on me, I still haven't). Other worthy but unfortunately absent contenders: The Posies, whose latest album is fantastic but whom I didn't discover until around New Year's Day; and Jamiroquai's fresh disc, "Rock Dust Light Star", which I added to my want list thanks to the clips I listened to just the other day.

But all was not lost, as I was able to find enough titles to warrant a 15-item countdown ... though it did involve bending my own self-imposed rule of a one-year, December 2009 through November 2010, release date window. But everything on the list is something I didn't know about until 2010 (though it might have been released in 2009) and bought in 2010, so as far as I'm concerned, that's close enough. So, such as it is, and as seriously (or not) as you want to take it ... here's the list of My Top 15 Favorite CD Purchases of 2010!!

#15 ~ BJØRN JOHAN MURI ~ "Airwaves" (Universal/Norway)
The latest Norwegian "Idol" alumnus to draw me under his spell, he conjured up a dreamy batch of lush, '80s-inspired, electronica-tinged pop tunes for this stellar debut. Not perfectly up my alley, but close enough to make me a fan.

#14 ~ JUSTIN NOZUKA ~ "You I Wind Land And Sea" (Coalition)
He set aside the bluesy sound of his first album in favor of a more pop-rock vibe on his sophomore disc, but that's not at all a bad thing -- his soulful voice and his knack for a tune are in as fine form as ever.

#13 ~ TOM LEHRER ~ "The Tom Lehrer Collection" (Shout! Factory)
A "Weird Al" Yankovic for the more intellectual set (and also a big inspiration for Al), Lehrer has finally gotten the career-spanning compilation he's deserved for decades, complete with a bonus DVD ... a real treat!

#12 ~ JOHAN PALM ~ "My Antidote" (Columbia/Sweden)
Sweden's 2008 "Idol" fourth-place finisher surprised me in a big way with a platter of ear candy that's jockeying for a place in my top five favorite albums ever from an "Idol" alum. His homeland must be proud!

#11 ~ JOHNNY MATHIS ~ "Let It Be Me: Mathis In Nashville" (Columbia)
He's got a voice that, even on the muzak in a crowded, noisy restaurant, grabs my ear and is instantly recognizable. He sounds as wonderful as he ever has on this disc of classic country favorites.

#10 ~ NELLIE McKAY ~ "Home Sweet Mobile Home" (Verve Forecast)
I'll admit this is the first album of her's that I've bought since her debut -- but only because her second was packaged cheaply, and because her third was a Doris Day tribute -- but she's still one of the best female artists around. The overtly political bite and broad sonic variety of her first album are mostly absent here, but her vibrant and airy voice, her gift for a good tune, and her sardonic wit (evidenced by the album title) have never been better. Listen to: "Beneath The Underdog".

#9 ~ RANDALL BRAMBLETT ~ "The Meantime" (Blue Ceiling)
After owning and enjoying one of his discs for a few years, I finally collected the rest of this guy's back catalog last year and have grown to love his music in recent months. This latest disc is a change of pace for him, a subdued acoustic set in contrast to his dynamic and layered full-band albums. But it's no less enjoyable -- his keen songwriting, instrumental finesse, and achingly roughhewn voice give this album (and all his others) a beautiful texture that few other artists can match. Listen to: "The Grand Scheme Of Things".

#8 ~ HANSON ~ "Shout It Out" (3CG)
I'm rather surprised this album fell out of my top 5, as big a Hanson fan as I am. I'm not sure how to account for its low ranking. The horn accents and Motown influence give the album a fresh and upbeat sound and, this being Hanson and all, there's no shortage of deft songcraft and musicianship. Perhaps it's just because it was a bit short on the truly grab-your-ear-and-never-let-go hooks, coupled with the fact that last year's Tinted Windows side project made me not totally ready for the next Hanson album. Listen to: "Give a Little".

#7 ~ MATT WHITE ~ "It's The Good Crazy" (Rykodisc)
I'm really starting to like the Rykodisc label. Aside from just generally putting out good music, they rescued Matt White from label-limbo after he was unceremoniously dropped by Geffen after one album (and a pretty darn good one, not that it matters). His first release won me over unexpectedly, so I was afraid I had my expectations too high for this one -- but I needn't have worried. This follow-up has the same unabashed charm as his debut, its stylings nimbly hopsotching between Paul Simon, Elton John and Jason Mraz. Listen to: "Colorblind".

#6 ~ TONY LUCCA ~ "Rendezvous With The Angels" (Rock Ridge)
Since a Tony Lucca album I'd briefly owned several years ago never grew on me and I ended up trading it in, I had few expectations when I found this one in the $2.99 rack at Rhino Records and half-heartedly bought it. Much to my surprise, this talented folk-rock troubadour's latest disc has grown on me so much in the four months that followed, that even the songs that first made me cringe I now find myself tapping my toe to or humming along with. I guess that means I'm going to have to go buy "Shotgun" again...! Listen to: "Anchored".

#5 ~ DAVID ARCHULETA ~ "The Other Side Of Down" (Jive)
I hadn't realized how much I'd missed hearing new material from my favorite finalist from my first year of "American Idol" until his sophomore studio album arrived. I was just as happy to see that he mostly stuck to the same young-adult-pop sound that graced his first album, but with a perfectly natural bit of maturity added here and there. It was also nice to see him have the chance to stretch his songwriting wings. But the best part of all? Getting to hear that beautiful, soaring voice of his again. Listen to: "Parachutes And Airplanes".

#4 ~ MATT MORRIS ~ "When Everything Breaks Open" (Interscope)
I've always had a soft spot for artists and albums that are a bit hard to define, a bit all-over-the-place. By that token, it would stand to reason that I'd find this one enjoyable. The listener hears some Jack Johnson here, a bit of Justin Timberlake there, and even dashes of Paul Simon and Randy Newman on other tracks. There's so much variety on this one, everybody's bound to like something. (Trivia note: this happens to be the second "Mickey Mouse Club" alum on this year's list, Tony Lucca being the other.) Listen to: "The Un-American".

#3 ~ BOYZONE ~ "Brother" (Polydor/UK)
It was supposed to be their big, triumphant reunion album, but after Stephen Gately's sudden and untimely death in the midst of its recording, it took on the guise of a tribute. But aside from the poignant highlight of Gately's angelic vocals on a few tracks, as well as the beautiful tear-jerker of a eulogy, "One More Song", the album is their brightest and liveliest -- which, in a way, is entirely fitting -- and just might be their best yet. It's as if their friend's death gave their music a new infusion of life. Listen to: "Gave It All Away".

#2 ~ STEVE APPLETON ~ "When The Sun Comes Up" (RCA/UK)
I took a gamble (well, if you can call five bucks a "gamble") buying this unknown (to me) singer-songwriter, and I ended up winning big-time. Not only is the cover reminiscent of Ryan Cabrera, but he also has the same breezy, tuneful style ... just with a heaping tablespoon of funk and a teaspoon of hip-hop blended in. Each and every song makes me tap my toes, hum along, and like it a little bit more each and every time I hear it. His music is hard not to love, and just as hard to get out of your head. Listen to: "That's Life".

#1 ~ THE YEAH YOU'S ~ "Seeing Through You" (Island/UK)
If you love The Feeling and have been waiting for their next album as much as I, then you'll love these guys too. Mike Kintish and Nick Ingram are a pair of Londoners who have crafted the most Supertramp-a-licious '80s-inspired electro-pop since Dan Gillespie-Sells and company. I came to love it so quickly that I had to stop myself from listening to this album too much too soon for fear of it losing its appeal. Word has it that they're no longer recording, at least not under this moniker ... a real pity, but at least the one album we did get from them was heaven. A special thanks to KulPop for bringing them to my attention. Listen to: "If I Could".

#0 ~ RON JONES ~ "Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Ron Jones Project" (Film Score Monthly)
I simply couldn't let my annual countdown go without mentioning this one. It's a box set -- make that an enormous box set, at 14 discs -- packed full of music from some 40 episodes of "Star Trek: TNG", much of which I'd been waiting to hear, uncluttered by dialogue and sound effects, for over 20 years. In every way, measurable and unmeasurable, it just wouldn't be fair -- either to itself or to the other releases -- to compare it to the rest of the titles in this countdown, so that's why it's in the "number zero" position, which leaves it mathematically ambiguous, so I'll let you decide whether it should be at the top or bottom of the list. Call it an "honorable mention" (I'm sure Worf would be proud).

Well, I hope you enjoyed my Favorite Purchases of 2010 countdown, despite its tardiness. The new year is already looking up, with spankin' new Teddy Thompson and Nick Carter albums just days away, as well as an unexpected opportunity that I seized to obtain the three albums I mentioned at the beginning of this post, all of which are now on their way to me. Here's to 2011 being an active year for this blog, even though it's gotten off to a sluggish start.

Vinyl Resurgence

2010-12-13T13:02:00.000-08:00

I've probably never mentioned vinyl records on this blog, except maybe occasionally in passing. It's not that I hate the format ... I've always had at least a handful of LPs in my music collection, and almost always have owned an apparatus on which to play them, and I don't even doubt the people who claim that they hear or feel a certain indescribable "warmth" and fullness to the sound of vinyl records that they say doesn't happen with any other format.

The main reason I don't give much attention to vinyl, and almost never buy it, is purely circumstantial: its convenience, or (arguable) lack thereof. I'm a practical guy, you see, and the ubiquity of CD drives in most every computer, the instantaneous accessibility of any track on the disc with the touch of a button, and the ability to quickly rip a whole disc into a folder of neatly separated MP3 files that I can tote around on my iPod, are all factors that have made CDs my format of choice by a very wide margin. And then there's the relative fragility of records compared to CDs: they can easily get warped by heat, or get scratched and develop a skip ... at least more easily than their digital cousins.

But there is now an outside chance that my neglect of vinyl records could soon change. You see, at a garage sale recently I happened upon a stack of about 30 LPs, all in excellent condition, and most from the early- to mid- '80s. It was a dandy little haul: multiple albums each by The Commodores, Lionel Richie, Eagles and Air Supply ... and even one each by Wham!, Phil Collins, and Peaches & Herb. I have yet to fire up my turntable and delve into them, but I'm somewhat anxious to. This one acquisition has more than doubled my library of vinyl LPs, and the other evening I actually sat down and organized my record collection for the very first time, only because I hadn't needed to before.

These newly-acquired titles now intermingle with the handful that I already had -- some inherited from my parents, but the rest I'd bought myself over the years -- and all are now neatly alphabetized by artist and separated by genre. Will I become as avid a collector of vinyl records as I am of CDs? I don't quite see that happening. For one thing, I'm not nearly the audiophile that the majority of vinyl devotees are, and I'm happy with the sound quality of CDs and of MP3s of a decent bitrate (128Kbps and higher), which give me all the fidelity that my conscious ear discerns or requires. But I rather doubt that these will be the last records I ever buy.

The Sing-Off

2010-12-08T08:26:00.000-08:00

I probably wouldn't have bothered watching "The Sing-Off", since I've broken up with "American Idol" and didn't otherwise have the slightest inclination to get into "another singing show" (as my friend put it, with an exasperated "Agghhh!" in front, fearing I'd talk his ear off about this one too). But that all changed once I found out that the University of Oregon's totally awesome male a cappella group, On The Rocks, was slated as one of the ten competing groups. Besides, I've always liked a cappella music (though I can't quite say I'm an ardent fan), partly because it takes a lot more talent and artistry when you don't have any instruments backing you up ... not to mention group cohesion -- if just one singer is off, it can make the whole group sound sour.

I was going to do a beat-by-beat review of the season premiere, like I've done with "Idol" in the past, but then I quickly changed my mind and settled on a more "free-form" approach for a couple of reasons, one of which is that only the judges unilaterally (or, since there are three of them, would that be "trilaterally"?) decide the eliminations all the way up to the final round -- not that my play-by-play of "Idol" was any less pointless, right? Don't get me wrong, I know they're all professional musicians and know their stuff, and the season has to move quickly (with just five episodes, all airing within a month), but what's wrong with at least some audience participation, like multiple-choice "clicker"-type gizmos that the studio audience can use to vote on their favorites?

Speaking of the judges, I like them. I've tried and failed to become a fan of Ben Folds' music, but the guy himself is still likeable (and not just because he produced William Shatner's last album) and has a good sense of humor. Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men is just as much fun to listen to, can also be pretty darn funny, and like Folds is a fount of musical know-how. Nicole Scherzinger ... well, she's kind-of the Paula Abdul of the group, although I feel guilty for selling her short like that ... she's not nearly as incoherent, for one thing, but she also doesn't get very deep with her critiques. And I love that their commentary is so much looser and wittier than that of the peanut gallery on "Idol". Nick Lachey, however, could take a lesson or two from Ryan Seacrest about relaxing a bit.

The format of the show is a little puzzling, too, in how they seem to randomly divide the ten first-round groups into two halves and eliminate one from each half. It begs the question: What if the two worst groups were in one half, and one of the better ones was forced to be eliminated just because they were in the wrong half? I have to wonder not only why they don't evaluate all ten groups at once and hold both eliminations until the end of the two-hour show, but also what determined which groups were slotted into which half. But, maybe that's picking nits (and maybe it's not).

Another concern I have is how varied the participants are. On one extreme we have a group of high-schoolers (Eleventh Hour, from Kettering, Ohio), and on another we have a group led by a veteran professional singer of 60-plus years (Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town, led by a founding member of a cappella pioneers The Persuasions). And then there are the relative sizes of the groups, which range anywhere from just five members to well over a dozen, and that must certainly have an impact on the results. But then, maybe that's just the point: having the playing field so uneven makes it a competition for them all, and the smaller groups have to work hard to sound "bigger" just like the larger groups have to work hard to not overpower their sound. Bigger can be better, just as much as less is more, and determining the right song arrangement and approach to the performance is just as big a part of the competition.

One of the biggest reasons I chose not to do a play-by-play commentary is because I can't help but admit that I'm biased as hell in favor of On The Rocks. I knew about and was watching and listening to these guys ten years ago, and they were just as much fun when they started out as they are now. They're talented, energetic, and one can clearly see how much fun they have doing what they do. Then again, that can be said for nearly all the groups we saw on Monday night's show. To be placed in the same class of performers as the venerable Whiffenpoofs is a big damn deal (their rendition of Mika's "Grace Kelly" was positively amazing, by the way!), but it also means that On The Rocks has got some serious competition. The only possible drawback I can see is that they have a potentially unwieldy size of 15 members (which makes me wonder if the show shouldn't set a limit on the size of the group ... say, 10 or maybe 12).

Will they make it all the way to the final round? I of course hope so, but I won't take anything for granted. After all, I thought Pitch Slapped (whose name I totally love!) was one of the better ones, but they somehow were given the boot. Personally, I think that The Backbeats (the collegiate "supergroup" from L.A.) and Groove For Thought (the jazzy Seattle group with the father-daughter duo) should have been the ones to go. But one thing's for sure: nearly every voice we heard on this show was more talented than 90% of the comparatively sorry crop of "American Idol" singers last season, which makes it all but inevitable that I won't be watching it ... unless my 2% doubt convinces me otherwise.

Kendall Payne

2010-11-28T14:34:00.000-08:00

KENDALL PAYNE
"JORDAN'S SISTER"
(Capitol, 1999)

Ten years before "Glee", co-creator Ryan Murphy started out in television with "Popular", an hour-long comedy-drama, also set in high-school and with a similarly larger-than-life style, that ran for two years on the WB network. Chosen for the theme song to the series was the track "Supermodels" from Kendall Payne's debut album "Jordan's Sister". It was the perfect choice: a pointed commentary on body image versus self-worth, a struggle that the majority of teenagers go through at some point, and one of the ongoing themes of the entire series. I loved the show and its theme song so much, that I decided it was worth giving the album a try.

For a debut album by a nineteen-year-old, "Jordan's Sister" is a remarkably mature work, and sees Kendall Payne following in the finest singer-songwriter tradition of her contemporaries like Paula Cole, Joan Osborne, and Sheryl Crow. Sure, she's got an assist from veteran, award-winning producer Ron Aniello, but listening to this album, one can easily get the impression that she probably didn't need his help. Just check out the tuneful, upbeat tracks "Hollywood", "Closer To Myself", and "It's Not The Time", or the beautiful, delicate ballads like "Honest", "On My Bones", and "Wonderland".

The album may not be perfect -- her lyrics are often straightforward instead of subtle, and can therefore tend to seem out-of-place alongside such keenly composed melodies -- and her strong religious faith occasionally forces its way into the songs, and I much prefer my music to stay cleanly secular -- but the songs as a whole are catchy and enjoyable enough that I can look past these arguable shortcomings. This was Ms. Payne's only major-label release, but she's kept recording on independent labels since then, her fourth and most recent album appearing in 2009.

Buy it digitally on iTunes
Buy it on CD from Amazon

Welcome To The 24th Century

2010-11-17T10:20:00.000-08:00

Holy crap! Holy crap! Did you know about this? I didn't until yesterday! Holy crap!! If I'd known about this earlier, I wouldn't have bought the last dozen or so CDs I did buy (well, not necessarily the last consecutive dozen, but a dozen) and would have saved up for this instead! But I still bought it anyway, 'cause I just gotta have it. Seriously, I honestly don't know how I would be able to go on living without having this in my possession as soon as humanly possible. Want to know what it is? Maybe you'd better sit down, 'cause I myself had a geek-out on a transphasic level when I found out about this.

It's a limited-edition box set of not four, not six ... no, not even eight ... no, keep going ... would you believe a whopping 14 -- yes -- FOURTEEN CDs jam-packed with never-before-released music from dozens of episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation"! Devoted solely to the work of Ron Jones, who traded off scoring duties with Dennis McCarthy through the first four seasons of "TNG", "Star Trek: The Next Generation -- The Ron Jones Project" includes nearly every note written and recorded for 42 of the series' first 94 episodes (the score for "The Best of Both Worlds" two-parter is already available on the GNP Crescendo label, so just some bonus tracks from it are included here) plus numerous outtakes, as well as a disc devoted to his work for a pair of "Trek" video games released later.

The panicked evacuation of the Enterprise in "11001001" ... the tearful farewell of Tasha Yar in "Skin of Evil" ... the appearance of the Romulans in "The Neutral Zone" ... Riker's escape from the Mintakans in "Who Watches The Watchers" ... the terrorist attack on the ship in "The High Ground" ... Lal's tragic demise in "The Offspring" ... the perilous journey across the arid wasteland in "Final Mission" ... they're all cues that I've been waiting 20 years to hear unobscured by dialogue and sound effects, and now's my chance! With this doozy of a package being limited to a production run of just 5,000, I couldn't waste any time in seizing the opportunity to add it to my collection, since the price is certain to only start going up on the aftermarket.

Widely regarded as the best composer that "Star Trek: The Next Generation" ever had, Ron Jones was known for delivering sweeping, attention-grabbing, feature-film-worthy scores for countless episodes. The problem was that "TNG"'s producers didn't want attention-grabbing music; they wanted the episodes' scores to lay quietly in the background. So after almost four full years of flying in the face of the producers' demands, Jones was fired and replaced by Jay Chattaway (quite a dandy composer in his own right, to give credit where it's due). But I always thought the "Trek" producers were not only making their episodes just a bit less memorable by taming down the music, but they were also forsaking a perfectly good merchandising outlet. Fans have been clamoring for Ron Jones' scores to be commercially available for years, and I have to wonder how many CD sales they missed out on by missing that opportunity and never licensing retail releases until all these years later.

If you can't live without it, like I couldn't, this incomparably amazing Trek-a-thon of music will set you back a healthy $150 (plus shipping), but at 14 CDs that ends up coming out to less than $11 per disc, which is a great price, especially for something that's a limited-edition collectible like this. It's available for purchase now at SAE and at Intrada, and further information is available from the Film Score Monthly website (and thanks to them for the links to the audio clips!). A friend of mine has all but challenged me to bundle it up in giftwrap when it arrives and not open it until Christmas morning ... but that's gonna be a really tough test of my will.

A. J. McLean

2010-11-14T18:20:00.001-08:00

A. J. McLEAN
"HAVE IT ALL"
(Avex/Japan, 2010)

As far as his image and appearance are concerned, I never cared much for A. J. McLean, but I've always thought he had one of the best voices out of all the Backstreet Boys. So I was understandably pleased when I found out that he had released a solo album while I wasn't looking, and I didn't waste a whole lot of time in getting around to buying myself a copy.

By and large, A. J. McLean's solo debut sticks fairly close to the core Backstreet Boys sound: a mix of sweeping pop balladry ("London", "I Hate It When You're Gone") and energetic electro-tinged blue-eyed R&B ("Teenage Wildlife", "What It Do"), with a bit more of a leaning toward the latter. But at the same time, he does put just enough of his own mark on this set to make it unique. A. J. gets his Prince on with "Gorgeous", puts out a heartwrenching piano ballad on "Sincerely Yours", lays down a first-class Motown groove with "Love Crazy", and gives an entertaining try at a cross between Billy Joel and Gavin deGraw on the cheeky "I Quit".

As if that isn't enough, this album is a fine showcase of A. J.'s songwriting talents, since there isn't a song on it that he didn't have a hand in -- and, interestingly, two were co-written with one-time rival boyband singer-turned-solo-artist (and fellow two-initials-for-a-first-name guy) J. C. Chasez. I am a bit puzzled as to why this album wasn't released in the U.S., since I would have thought the domestic BSB audience is still strong enough to support one more of its members' side projects. But at any rate, with a debut this good, I sure hope this isn't the last we hear from a solo A. J.

Buy it on CD from Amazon

The Track 4 Hypothesis

2010-11-09T13:14:00.000-08:00

Allow me to introduce you to "The Track 4 Hypothesis". A friend of mine once told me that, when he browses or shops for music, he pays particular attention to the fourth song of an album when checking out audio clips. It seems to have been a reliable gauge for him; a good track 4 bodes well for the rest of the disc. Ever since he shared this strategy with me, I've been tempted to put it to the test ... and now, some two years later, I've finally remembered to.

As it turns out, it's not an entirely half-baked theory. The other evening I perused my CD collection, surveying quite a few of my favorite albums and several other titles at random, to see just which songs lay in that normally unremarkable position in the track list. Many of the ones I found were more-or-less representative of the albums they're on, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how many favorite songs of mine just happen to reside on track 4. Among the most noteworthy, in no particular order:

"Everything We Are", on The Shore's self-titled album
"Boy Meets Girl", from Bleu's album "A Watched Pot"
"Racing", Erik Faber's duet with Marte Wulff on his album "Passages"
"Don't Say Sarah", that scrumptiously Hall-&-Oates-y tune on Wave's album "State of Mind"
"Ghosts In My Machine", from Annie Lennox's album "Songs of Mass Destruction"
"I Gotta Move", on Ben Kweller's self-titled album
"Over You", by Matt Wertz on his album "Everything In Between"
"It's Gotta Be You", that should-have-been-a-single on Backstreet Boys' opus "Millennium"
"You Make Me", one of my all-time favorite "Weird Al" Yankovic tracks from his "Even Worse" album
"That Girl", perhaps the best song on McFly's debut "Room On The 3rd Floor"

There are more, but I figure ten examples was more than enough. (I could have listed Ben Lee's "Catch My Disease" off his album "Awake Is The New Sleep", but since nearly every song on that album is great, finding a good one on track 4 was pretty-much a given.)

Of course, every rule has its exceptions, so there were a few albums I came across from which I can remember most of the songs, but in which case track 4 ended up being one of the forgettable ones (but not necessarily one of the worst), such as:

"Tail of the Sun", on Stroke 9's album "Nasty Little Thoughts"
"Kettle's On", from The Feeling's debut album "Twelve Stops And Home"
"Save The Day", on Train's album "My Private Nation"

And then there were the ones that are memorable, but only for how unimpressive they were compared to the brilliance of the rest of the album:

"Hollywood's Not America", from Ferras' album "Aliens & Rainbows"
"Curly's Train", one of the less-appealing George Huntley penned songs by The Connells from their album "Still Life"
"I'll Sue Ya", "Weird Al" Yankovic's bland nu-metal style parody on his album "Straight Outta Lynwood"
"Just Got Paid", one of the duller gems (and one of two covers) on NSYNC's tour-de-force "No Strings Attached"

... and I've saved for last the most stunning example of all ...

"Always In My Heart", the least impressive track by far on my favorite album ever, The Moffatts' "Submodalities"

So, the conclusion I've reached is that my friend's theory is pretty sound (no pun intended), as the average or outstanding examples seem to significantly outweigh the bad. I'm not sure if it'll change my shopping habits or not -- I usually take the time to sample as many sound clips of an album as I can before making a decision on whether or not to buy a title -- but I might end up paying a bit more attention to what's on track 4 than I used to.

David Archuleta

2010-10-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

DAVID ARCHULETA
"THE OTHER SIDE OF DOWN"
(Jive, 2010)

"I've always been your token nice guy," sings David Archuleta on the track "Stomping The Roses", from his sophomore studio album "The Other Side of Down". That's not any great revelation to those of us who have followed the terminally adorable kid during and since his rise to runner-up of "American Idol" season 7. So it also shouldn't surprise us that there isn't any bitter heartache or sullen melancholy to drag down the mood of his latest release; instead, as with his debut, it's mostly either lightly wistful tunes about young love or optimistic anthems about the good things in life. But thankfully, none of the tracks are as off-puttingly adolescent as his first post-"Idol" single, "Crush".

He is still just nineteen years old, though, and with his boy-next-door demeanor and the sweetly husky voice we all fell in love with two years ago both still intact, it would seem wrong to expect any bitter heartache or sullen melancholy out of him quite yet. David has, however, jumped with both feet into the songwriting process, having co-written all but two of this album's songs, and just like he wowed us with his vocals, these first writing efforts show just as much potential. Some of my favorite tracks here are the lighter-than-air toe-tapper "Elevator", the soaring ballad "Parachutes And Airplanes", the soul-searching "Who I Am", and the rocking "Stomping The Roses" (co-written by Bryce Avary, better known by his artist name The Rocket Summer). The only thing I don't care for is the overuse of wordless refrains in the choruses of most of the songs on the first half of this album ... a trend whose popularity I trace back to (or, more to the point, blame on) Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber.

Most "Idol" artists follow a pattern in their album progression -- the first album is heavily commercial, professionally written and produced; the second is a comfortable step away, with a good amount of the singer's own input, but still very similar to their debut; and usually by the third album, the artist is able to deliver a sound that is fully of their own choosing, cutting the "Idol" strings once and for all. What do I hope to see David Archuleta do on his third album? By then he should be ready to move away from the white-boy-R&B that this album is peppered with, and more toward a pop or pop-rock style. Seeing as how he plays piano, he could easily take after Daniel Powter or Gavin deGraw.

Buy it digitally on iTunes
Buy it on CD from Amazon

Babies Got Back ... Covers!

2010-10-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

I've probably touched before on why I enjoy CDs more than MP3s. Mostly what it comes down to is the tangibility, the "realness", of them. A digital music file isn't something I can hold in my hands and appreciate, or become sentimentally attached to and pull off the shelf to look at fondly several years later, or (not that I necessarily have this in mind when I shop) trade in for a little store credit should I lose interest in it at some point. Even better, my CDs won't vanish into thin air if my computer's hard drive ever crashes or my iPod gets lost or stolen. Not to mention the thrill of the hunt, the rush of the catch, and the pride of owning a hard-to-find title that often come with anything of a collectible nature -- and I do consider my CD library a "collection".

Another reason I like CDs is for their sometimes beautiful, sometimes provocative, sometimes amusing front cover art -- and their often underappreciated or flat-out unappreciated back covers. I just recently was reminded of this while I was consolidating some of my home-burned discs from separate, single-disc jewelcases into the space-saving double-disc cases -- a chore which, more than coincidentally, went hand-in-hand with re-designing said covers, which is just as fun a part of the mix-making process for me as assembling the track lists and burning the discs. I was about to consolidate one particular series of homemade compilations (now numbering eight volumes, so it'd save a fair little chunk of real-estate), but looking at the back covers I joyously toiled over so many moons ago, I couldn't bring myself to get rid of them.

Which brings me to the reason for this post: an ode of sorts to the rear cover art of compact discs. While their main purpose is of course to provide the track listing for the CD, perhaps in an attractive font and with a picture of some sort for a backdrop, the more imaginative designs take it to the next level by giving the track listing an interesting visual twist, or maybe even going so far as to make it a work of art in itself. A few of the more appealing designs I've come across in recent years include:

NSYNC's "No Strings Attached", which carries over the carnival-like motif from the front cover by displaying each song's name in a variety of whimsically ornate typefaces ...

Duran Duran's "Wedding Album", which stylized the title of each track to look like labels or clipped-out newspaper headlines ...

Landon Pigg's debut album, "LP", in which the artist laid out a grid and gave each song title the "Pictionary" treatment ...

Johnny Mathis' latest release, "Let It Be Me: Mathis In Nashville", featuring a beautifully nostalgic design of textured block letters in various heights, weights, and colors ...

and (if I may be permitted to toot my own horn) the back cover design of my own that I'm perhaps most proud of, Volume 2 in my "I Love Music" series, made to look like the selection board on an old-fashioned jukebox, complete with a charmingly imperfect manual-typewriter look to the font.

Obviously, when I compact two or more discs into one jewelcase, it means twice as many songs to list, so I have to make far more efficient use of space in the layout, usually requiring me to eliminate my unique, "panoramic" designs in favor of the simplified, columnar listings that are my more practical fallback scheme. That's not to say that less artistic designs are any less appealing; sometimes the old saying "less is more" is totally true. Track listings can be laid out in neatly arranged columns or in the more flexible method of paragraphs, and they can be written in a minimalist sans-serif, a formal serif, or a casual script font.

But anything, in my opinion, is better than the cold, unartistic, bland and lifeless "system" font in which the track listings appear for each and every album in each and every user's iTunes library ... all of them exactly the same. Sure, iTunes gives us a JPG image of the album's front cover art (or we have to go hunt for it on the web ourselves), but that's only half the artwork. The back covers are oftentimes just as fun to look at as the front covers, because they're part of the graphic designer's vision ... and they're one of the things I'd miss most in a world without CDs.

Teddy Geiger

2010-10-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

TEDDY GEIGER
"UNDERAGE THINKING"
(Columbia, 2006)

As big a Teddy Geiger fan as I am, I didn't bother checking out the 2008 movie he starred in, "The Rocker", until last night. Turns out it's a pretty decent movie, and Teddy a pretty decent actor ... and, of course, that is what prompted me to spotlight his major-label debut album today. I still remember being instantly impressed with this album back when it was released, and hoping that enough people would see beyond his "pretty-boy" exterior and his tender age to recognize the genuine talent he possessed.

From the dynamic debut single "For You I Will" and the earthy ballad "Thinking Underage", through the energetic "Air Dry" and soaring "Seven Days Without You", to the blue-eyed-soul bounce of "Possibilities" and the subdued anthem "Gentlemen", Teddy Geiger's softly raspy voice -- a pleasing blend of John Mayer and Ryan Cabrera -- and his all-American musical style -- which can at times sound as big-city as Billy Joel or as small-town as John Mellencamp -- never cease to charm and endear the listener. The beauty of Teddy Geiger is that he can be sweet without being saccharine, and he can be earnest without being naive ... which is tough for a boy of 17 to pull off.

The initial, March 2006, release of "Underage Thinking" was apparently enough of a success that Columbia issued a deluxe edition, with bonus tracks and an accompanying DVD, in October of the same year. I don't know if it was disappointing sales of the deluxe version (When will they learn that only the most die-hard fans will be willing to buy an album twice?!?) that caused Columbia to drop him from their roster, or if lackluster performance of the "Rocker" soundtrack (I was disappointed in it myself ... though the songs were sung by Teddy, they weren't written by him, and as such they lacked any real charm.) was to blame, but I've been left hanging ever since, hoping to see another album from him. Maybe I will ... eventually.

Buy it digitally on iTunes
Buy it on CD from Amazon

The La's

2010-10-10T19:10:00.000-07:00

THE LA'S
"THE LA'S (DELUXE EDITION)"
(Universal, 2008)

I was about to write a review that slathered on the superlatives and waxed snobbish about how anybody who didn't recognize how great this album is just can't truly call themselves a music fan ... but then I realized I'd be a bit of a hypocrite if I did. I'm actually a relative newcomer to The La's, at least as a serious listener. I'd had the cassette of this album back in the day, but didn't listen to it very much, and I might have picked up the CD once since then as an afterthought (so much of an afterthought that I still can't be sure I did) ... but when I found the recently released, 2-disc deluxe edition of the album at Rhino Records a few weeks ago, I finally decided I had to give them my full attention. I could now kick myself repeatedly for taking two whole decades to do so.

Few things in this world break my heart more than when an artist releases a truly brilliant album that could justifiably and without hyperbole be called a "masterpiece" -- and then abruptly ceases to exist as a recording artist. In the case of British jangle-power-pop band The La's, it was (according to the liner notes in this package by Ian Harrison) the intense perfectionism and arguable eccentricity of frontman Lee Mavers that all but doomed their discography to only one album, which itself was almost never released at all. This deluxe package contains both the original release of the album, produced by Steve Lillywhite; and an earlier, nearly-lost version, produced by Mike Hedges but aborted by Mavers.

Everyone has heard "There She Goes", one of the biggest singles of the early '90s, but that's hardly all this album has going for it. The irresistibly infectious and utterly hummable nature of each and every track make it little wonder that dozens of current bands cite The La's as an influence. There are so many heavenly songs on this damn-near-perfect album that I can't hope to single out any. In any sane world, this album would have been enough to keep this band from being consigned to the one-hit-wonder status that they now seem to forever be entombed in. Sigh ... so much for not slathering on the superlatives ... but once you hear this album, you'll understand.

Buy the deluxe edition digitally on iTunes
Buy the standard edition digitally on iTunes
Buy the deluxe edition on CD from Amazon
Buy the standard edition on CD from Amazon

The Big Reveal...

2010-09-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

Hey, look! It's the new judges lineup on "American I..."

...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

from the bookshelf: Record Store Days

2010-09-22T07:03:00.000-07:00

I'll admit that I'm not much of a reader, but I've come across a handful of great books about music lately, so I figured I should chip away a bit at this blog's overwhelming dominance on audio and occasionally mention a book I think y'all might like. Here comes the first one...

"RECORD STORE DAYS: FROM VINYL TO DIGITAL AND BACK AGAIN"
by GARY CALAMAR and PHIL GALLO
(Sterling Publishing, 2010)

I was browsing the neighborhood B&N one day, idling in the aisle and talking on my cellphone -- something I almost never do in a store but maybe twice a year -- when I ended my call, nonchalantly glanced to my left, and saw this book staring me in the face. After thumbing through it for less than a minute, I knew I absolutely had to have it. Hey, a thick, attractive hardcover book about music stores, and for only twenty bucks? How could I not snap it up? It took me a couple months to finish reading it (mostly 'cause I'm not in the habit of regularly picking up a book, so I kept forgetting it was there), but I immensely loved every page of it.

"Record Store Days", by Gary Calamar and Phil Gallo, is an illustrated history of how changes over the years in technology, business, and culture, have shaped the evolution of American recorded music retailers, from their beginnings alongside the birth of the phonographic industry a century ago, through their grassroots groundswell and explosion into the mainstream in the '60s and '70s, up to the recent collapse of the mega-stores and the die-off of independents that brought about the creation of Record Store Day, the annual celebration that has galvanized the tenacity between the remaining retailers and their fiercely loyal customers.

What it might lack in atmospheric and enthralling narrative -- though it's well-structured by chapter and does share plenty of commentary and insight by a multitude of artists, record label insiders, and record retail veterans, it reads kind-of like a history textbook -- it makes up for in its snappy layout, which boasts hundreds of rare, exciting, and revealing black-and-white and full-color photographs, as well as some entertaining sidebars throughout. It features a foreword by R.E.M.'s Peter Buck (who, like many musicians, worked in a record store in his youth), and regularly mentions some of the most beloved and influential stores in the country, past and present ... a few of which I've patronized, which makes it all the more fun.

So, whether you're old enough to remember the glory days of record stores, or young enough to not get what all the fuss over them is about, whatever method you use to shop for and discover music, chances are this book will either re-kindle an appreciation for the past, or make you long to dip your toes into a world you might never have explored before ... a world that, in my opinion, every music lover should.

Hanson

2010-09-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

HANSON
"SHOUT IT OUT"
(3CG, 2010)

Hanson really had me worried with this one. Everything I'd read about "Shout It Out" suggested I'd love it, so I hurriedly bought it when it was released a few months back, eagerly popped it in and listened ... and for the first time, I came away from a Hanson album underwhelmed. Did the purely incidental fact that they're married and are starting families (consequently bringing attention to the fact that they're getting older) make the album's sound -- decidedly of a more youthful pop bent than pretty much every album since their debut -- seem forced? Because of my nonplused reaction the album went unheard, sitting on my shelf, for several weeks ... until a few days ago. What a difference a month or so makes!

Apparently it just needed time to sink in ... not just the album's subtle charms, but also the realization that musicians don't always need to act their age. Indeed, with the weighty themes and moody textures they gravitated toward on "This Time Around" and "The Walk", and even to a lesser degree on "Underneath", one could argue that it's about time they let loose again. But then, this is Hanson we're talking about, and with the sophisticated sense of melody and structure they've always had and have only refined over the years, they can only make themselves sound so young anymore. The liberal use of a horn section helps, and what says "fun" more than adding a cowbell to the percussion? As if to illustrate the two extremes of the album, my favorites happen to be the syncopated pseudo-Motown bouncer "Give a Little" on the youthful side, and the sumptuously gospel-ish love song "Kiss Me When You Come Home" on the grown-up end. And "Voice In The Chorus" is one of the best anthems I've heard in quite a little while.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you dismissed Hanson as a bubble-gum pop act with their first album and the ubiquitous single "MMMBop" and haven't given them a second thought, you really don't know what you've been missing in the twelve(!) years since. Hanson have yet to fail in delivering a thoroughly listenable album, or in impressing me with their songwriting skills and musicianship, so take it from me: they deserve a listen.

Buy it digitally on iTunes
Buy it on CD from Amazon

Thomas Ian Nicholas

2010-09-12T15:47:00.001-07:00

THOMAS IAN NICHOLAS
"WITHOUT WARNING"
(self-released, 2007)

Like most everyone else, I'm always skeptical when I see someone known for his or her acting try their hand at music by releasing an album (emphasis on the word "try"). That's why I hesitated buying this CD when I saw it in the Amoeba racks on my previous visit a couple of years ago, and why I ended up being so pleasantly surprised after listening to it. It turns out that Thomas Ian Nicholas (most notable for his roles in such films as "Rookie of the Year" and the "American Pie" movies) is a pretty darn decent musician and singer, too. Mind you, he doesn't break any new ground or particularly stand out as a musician, but that certainly doesn't mean this album isn't worth listening to.

On his debut "Without Warning", Nicholas delivers a set full of well-written and well-played songs in the tried and true tradition of the pop-rock-oriented "everyman" singer-songwriter. He rocks out like Springsteen on the opener "Wasting My Time", carries a mellower Mellencamp vibe on "Frequency", reminds me a bit of Billy Joel on "How Does It Feel", and gets all John Mayer sensitive on "Cry While Smiling". That's not to say he's entirely unoriginal; one can tell he's giving an honest effort to find his own voice, and even though he doesn't quite accomplish the goal on this album, his obvious potential keeps us interested and assures us that he'll get there in good time.

In my opinion, this album is good enough that it could have been released on a major label. Nicholas is a low-enough-profile actor that he probably would have avoided the "wannabe" stigma that (often justifiably) haunts bigger celebrities with recording-artist aspirations -- but it's probably just as well that he chose the independent route to avoid any questions that he might have used his notoriety to "buy" a major label contract. Apparently I hit something of a stroke of luck, finding this CD on the racks. I've been looking on the web and can only find it in digital form everywhere except on Nicholas' official site ... where, incidentally, his band's latest album is now available (which I actually didn't know until after I had decided to write this post).

Buy it digitally on iTunes
Buy it digitally on Amazon

Out With The Old...

2010-09-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

This week I said goodbye to a dear and cherished companion. We had a valued and mutually fulfilling relationship that lasted more than four years. I'll never forget our countless strolls in the sun together, our huddling close under the umbrella in the harsh winter weather, or those cozy times alone when there was nothing else to do because the power went out. She was always there to brighten my days and whisper lovely things in my ear. But your heart need not be heavy, because our breakup isn't a sad one. She's still happy and healthy despite having outlived her usefulness, and was even graciously understanding when she realized I had found a more attractive, intuitive, and versatile model to replace her.

Okay, I hope by now that you realize I'm not talking about a person, but rather about a music player ... specifically, my old Sony NetMD player. When I first looked at MiniDisc players, I was quite fascinated by the concept of being able to carry around five CDs worth of music on a gizmo that was less than half the size of my CD player. Purely digital MP3 players (the MiniDisc used a "magneto-optical" storage system) were a very new thing at that point, and since it was still a year or so before I really dove headfirst into music obsession, an iPod would have been overkill for me -- not to mention the fact that at the time I didn't have a computer that could support iTunes (let alone a bank account that could support buying an iPod).

The NetMD MiniDisc players were the next best thing to the iPod. Users had a choice of two software programs which came along with the player. One was kind-of like iTunes in that you could rip your CDs to your hard drive and then "check" them into or out of a MiniDisc (this odd system was designed to limit copying of any given MP3 file), but I opted for the simpler approach of just putting my CDs in and ripping them one by one directly to the MiniDisc. It was a lot slower than iTunes, and not nearly as elegant a method ... plus, if you only had a limited number of MiniDiscs at your disposal, you had to get out the CD and load it all over again if you had erased the MiniDisc it was on previously.

For its time, it was quite handy and versatile, even though the technology's shortcomings are evident now. MiniDiscs were like CDs in that you could customize their contents and instantly cue up whatever track you wanted; they were like CD-RWs in that you could record, erase, and re-record thousands of times; and they were like 3.5" floppy discs in how they looked and functioned -- the disc was encased in a rugged plastic housing with a sliding aluminum shutter through which the player read the media. Don't get me wrong ... I totally love my iPod and can't imagine getting along without one, but there was something about that clunky old system that I look back on fondly and will even miss in a way. I hope it's happy with its new owner, 'cause for as well as it served me over the years, it deserves to be.

Oh, by the way ... how do you like my new header graphic? Spiffy, eh?

Steve Appleton

2010-09-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

STEVE APPLETON
"WHEN THE SUN COMES UP"
(Sony UK, 2009)

Okay, so I'm flipping through the used CD racks in Amoeba and I come across this Steve Appleton guy. I've never heard of him before, but the cover's got the whole Ryan Cabrera "Take It All Away" thing going on, it's a Japanese import with 17 tracks on it, and it's only $4.99, so I decide to take a chance and stick it in my basket. I shudder to think that I almost got rid of it along with the three or four other items I yanked in my last-minute pre-checkout basket thinning, because I can now confidently call this the biggest and best coup I scored on my whole vacation ... not just because it's become one of my favorite purchases of the year, but also because of how spendy the Japanese version of this CD can get online, unless one finds a sleeper lot on eBay.

Have you ever wondered what a cross between Jason Mraz and Daniel Bedingfield might sound like? Wonder no more. Steve Appleton is a pop singer-songwriter who's got the gift for a killer hook and the agile lyrical delivery of Jason Mraz (if not necessarily his gift for wordplay), and a bit of a vocal resemblance to Daniel Bedingfield. Not only that, but Appleton's song stylings strike a fun and interesting balance between the easy-going semi-folksy pop of Mraz and the drum-and-bass dance beats of Bedingfield. I honestly can't begin to name my favorite songs here, because they keep changing. But at the moment I'm particularly keen on "Seeing Stars", "Funky Joe's" (can't pass up a good saxophone!) and the endlessly hooky title track. Most of the album is upbeat, but Steve shows his softer side toward the end of the album with the jazzy "London, Tokyo, Paris" and the Paul Simon-ish "Seems a Little". And topping it all off is how Steve's adorable British accent comes through regularly in the lyrics.

These are the kinds of things I totally live for -- when an album I pick up on a whim, never even having heard of the artist, ends up becoming one of my favorites ... how can I not love the serendipity of it all? By the way, don't let the forementioned cover resemblance to Ryan Cabrera scare you away; lest you think this is some hack producer's effort to slick-up a cute young blond troubadour for teeny-bopper radio popularity, it should be noted that Steve Appleton wrote, performed, and produced the entire album himself. The UK version of the album is pretty easy to come by, so even though the two Japan-only bonus tracks are worth having, the rest of the album definitely shouldn't be passed up. A lot of people would enjoy this ... and I can think of one person in particular!

Buy the CD on Amazon UK

The Puppini Sisters

2010-08-29T10:45:00.001-07:00

THE PUPPINI SISTERS
"THE RISE & FALL OF RUBY WOO"
(Verve, 2007)

I've always had a passing interest in "close-harmony" vocal groups of the '40s like The Andrews Sisters, so when I saw the debut album by The Puppini Sisters as I was passing by the racks in a local store a few months ago, I made a mental note to check them out online when I got home. I was intrigued right away, but my want list was long enough that I put off buying either of their albums until I was on vacation last month ... and I came home with both their debut, "Betcha Bottom Dollar", and this, their sophomore release.

Their first album was made up entirely of cover tunes, some of them faithfully remade period classics by their progenitors like The Chordettes, The Ink Spots, and of course The Andrews Sisters, and some of them retro takes on more contemporary tunes such as Blondie's "Heart of Glass", Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights", and Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive". But this time around they've thrown five self-penned songs into the mix, while at the same time taking more interesting liberties with the classic tracks. The Duke Ellington chestnut "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing" starts out with its traditional arrangement, but halfway through it slows down into a slinky, seductive sway that draws the listener's interest right in. The country-bluesy "Jilted", the samba-like shuffler "Soho Nights" (with gorgeous vocal scattery), and the hauntingly beautiful waltz "And She Sang" show off the ladies' songwriting and arranging skills wonderfully, not to mention fitting in completely naturally with all the cover songs. Beyoncé's "Crazy In Love" and Barry Manilow's "Could It Be Magic" get the Puppini treatment so well that anyone who isn't the wiser would almost assume they were '40s tunes.

The only tune that (in my opinion) doesn't really work here is "Walk Like An Egyptian" -- perhaps the "oh-eh-oh" vocals being kept so close to their original arrangement are what break the deal for me; rearranging them into the close-harmony style like the rest of the vocals would have made the song more interesting. But that's a small complaint since the rest of this album, as well as their first one, are so darn enjoyable. Word has it that the trio of Marcella Puppini, Kate Mullins, and Stephanie O'Brien will be filling their next album with all-original tunes, and I for one am already eagerly looking forward to it.

Buy it digitally from iTunes
Buy it on CD from Amazon

a Blast(er) From The Past

2010-08-17T14:48:00.000-07:00

This might entertain you. While visiting with my sister and brother-in-law during vacation, she invited me to borrow a boombox from their office so I could listen to some of the CDs I had just bought. Well, imagine my surprise when the boombox in question struck me as looking strangely familiar ... it turned out to be one I used to own! If I remember correctly, it was actually the first device I had ever bought that was capable of playing CDs ... at least the date of manufacture stamped on its backside (November 1989) seems to confirm that presumption.

It was dusty, scuffed, and tired-looking, but to my surprise that old JVC beast sprang to life as nimbly as I remember it doing back in the day, and played CD after CD without the slightest glitch. Sure, the sound was a bit tinny, as those players couldn't help but be, but there wasn't any of the hum or crackling or distortion in either of the speakers that the machine's condition made me expect to hear. After twenty years, a good 16 of them under what I suspect was decidedly less TLC than I give my electronics, it still runs perfectly. I'd like to see the consumer electronics they manufacture nowadays stand the test of time so well.

Oh, and on a totally unrelated note, I thought you might want to know that I spent a recent evening updating all the links that had gotten broken when I changed my blog's URL a year and a half ago. I know, I know, it's about time, right? Well, it was just one of those things I'd never gotten around to. All the MP3 links, most of the YouTube videos, and many of the pictures I posted back in the day are dead or gone, but at least you can navigate to other articles in my blog.

JJ72

2010-08-14T15:58:00.001-07:00

JJ72
"I TO SKY"
(Lakota, 2002)

Before I go any further, let me say in no uncertain terms that JJ72 are not for everyone. Indeed, with their often cryptic lyrics and the at-first startlingly androgynous voice of lead singer Mark Greaney, this Irish rock band is definitely an acquired taste. You see, several years ago, shortly after their self-titled debut came out, I picked it up on a whim and listened to it several times before eventually trading it in; it had grown on me some, but apparently not quite enough. But while in one of the half-dozen or so music stores I visited on vacation a few weeks back, I picked it up (again on a whim), and something about its familiarity struck a chord with me, prompting me to seek out their 2002 follow-up album as well.

While their debut was largely made up of subdued semi-balladry not unlike early Coldplay, the trio boldened and broadened their sound for their sophomore release, with their fuzzier guitars, thicker bass and heavier drums regularly approaching U2's more arena-like moments. The energetic songs "Always And Forever", "Formulae", and "7th Wave" should appeal to anyone with a taste for early- to mid-'80s Brit-rock like Big Country and the forementioned U2, or even their new-millennium aural descendants like Blur and Travis. Greaney's falsetto might seem odd in the rockier numbers, but it's right at home on the ballads such as "Brother Sleep" and the compellingly atmospheric tracks like "Sinking".

One of the problems with JJ72's first album was that a few of their songs tended to sound the same -- not just similar, but actually borrowing from each other's melodies at points -- and those unfamiliar with the band might come away from this album having the same feeling, but trust me that it's not nearly as much of a problem here. (The track "City" is worth hearing ... it's kind-of like a Radiohead/Keane mash-up.) Neither of JJ72's albums are perfect, but I've come to appreciate them and the band despite their idiosyncrasies. Just remember that, if you do decide to give them a try, you'll need to also give them some time to sink in.

Buy their first album digitally on iTunes
Buy "I To Sky" on CD from Amazon

Top Of The Shops

2010-08-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

I'm back from vacation ... and boy howdy, did I have some fun!! In fact, as far as my credit card goes, I probably had a little too much fun ... but I'd been behaving myself over the last several months, so you could say I was entitled. I'll probably be sharing some of my favorite new acquisitions with you in the coming weeks (gonna try and get back to at least a semi-regular posting schedule ... but, as usual, I can't make any promises), but for now I thought I'd share with you some of the amazing stores I visited on my travels. Now, some people like stores based on the ambience or the friendliness and forthcomingness of the staff (with regard to exposing their customers to artists they might not have known about before), but what I look for when I go into a store is the selection. I usually have oddball stuff and imports on my want list, so the more stock a store has, the more likely I am to find what I'm looking for (or, all too often, a lot of stuff I wasn't looking for). Here are some of my new favorite stores in California:

Rasputin Music (6623 Pacific Ave., Stockton) -- Rasputin is a chain of nine (and counting) stores stretching from Vallejo to Fresno, but they're still independent of the corporate machine. I'd never been in one before, but I had to check out the Stockton location, which is housed in what used to be a Tower Records, and that gives you an idea of how much square footage they have. The selection really impressed me ... they have two big racks of 50-cent CDs on the wall, a whole aisle of budget CDs ($5 and less), and a massive main section, divided up into nearly every genre imaginable. I only had a little over an hour to spend in the store, and I could have spent twice that long and still not seen everything. I've been thinking about taking a weekend trip down to Berkeley to visit their Amoeba and Rasputin locations, and now I'm all the more eager to do so. If you live in Northern California or are planning to visit or even just pass through, pencil this one in.

Rhino Records (235 Yale Ave., Claremont) and Mad Platter (1223 University Ave. #160, Riverside) -- Long before the Rhino label was bought out by Warner Bros. Records in the '90s, they also ran this store, which has led to the erroneous impression that it's corporate-owned; in fact, Rhino sold this store way back in 1981, and it's been independent ever since. The owners opened a sister store, the Mad Platter, later on in the '80s. I'd been into Rhino a couple of times before, but hadn't visited Mad Platter until this trip. They're not the biggest stores, and they don't even have the biggest selection, but the racks are packed plenty full and you'll always find some obscure item that you forgot you were looking for or didn't even know existed, and sometimes at a really good price, so that makes both of these stores a whole lot of fun to go into.

Record City (3757 6th Ave., San Diego) -- Another store I hadn't seen or even known about until this visit, Record City is almost deceptively small-looking from the outside, and is hidden on a side street in the Hillcrest area of San Diego. But inside is an impressive selection of CDs, with just as much vinyl occupying the other half of the store. Again, not the best selection in the world, but I found a few things not on my list that I just couldn't resist picking up -- especially since half my purchases came from the dollar section! It's a good enough shop that it's now on my list of regular stops in San Diego.

Amoeba Music (6400 Sunset Blvd. [at Cahuenga Blvd.], Hollywood) -- This is the granddaddy of them all ... nearly a whole city block of CDs and records of every imaginable genre and subgenre, and an upstairs crammed with DVDs (and even VHS tapes!). I must have had my expectations a bit high, because I didn't find as much on my list here this time as I hoped to, but I still came away with a whole bag full of stuff that came to nearly $150 (after $30 credit for the bag of CDs I took in for trade). It'd be easy to spend half a day in this store, and it's an absolute must stop for any music fan, no doubt about it. They also have locations in San Francisco and Berkeley, so you don't have to be in the L.A. area to get The Amoeba Experience.

Best of all: every one of these stores is independently owned and operated, so you can be assured that by patronizing these fine businesses you're helping to keep "the little guys" in business.

Matt Morris

2010-07-24T20:43:00.000-07:00

MATT MORRIS
"WHEN EVERYTHING BREAKS OPEN"
(Tenman/Interscope, 2010)

Just when I was starting to give up hope of finding anything unique and remarkable in music this year (one of a few reasons why this blog has been so inactive lately), along comes singer-songwriter Matt Morris and his debut album, "When Everything Breaks Open". Since it's produced by Justin Timberlake and Charlie Sexton, it stands to reason that the album would sound like a blend of the contemporary R&B stylings of the former and the semi-bluesy folk-rock of the latter ... which it more-or-less does, but such a simple comparison would sell this album short.

I love artists like Matt Morris, who seem to effortlessly weave from one style of music into another from track to track, but still manage to make their albums sound like a cohesive whole. One moment, he's laying down a funky, layered, R&B-ish jam on "Don't You Dare", then he gets his Jason Mraz on with "Money". A bit later, he wraps a political statement in wry humor on "The Un-American", then breaks for the tender acoustic ballad "Let It Go", only to kick it into high gear once again with the foot-tapping "You Do It For Me". And just wait until you hear the sumptuously soulful closer, "Eternity".

This album was released independently back in January, but somehow I missed it until it was picked up for wider release by Interscope earlier this month. I'm just glad I finally caught wind of it and let it work its charms on me. This album is on its way to being my favorite of the year, and at this rate Matt Morris just might become one of my new favorite artists.

Buy it digitally from iTunes
Buy it on CD from Amazon

Come On Kid

2010-07-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

Hey! Guess what!?! While browsing Google for news on "American Idol"'s hunt for a possible successor to Simon Cowell, I stumbled upon news that I'd been waiting so long for that I'd almost given up on ... almost. But lo and behold ... JOSIAH LEMING'S NEW ALBUM COMES OUT ON SEPTEMBER 14TH!!!!

A Long Time Ago, In a CD Box Set Far, Far Away...

2010-07-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

Well, here I go again ... nothing reeks of laziness more than writing one post that will update two blogs at the same time. Well, maybe waiting a freakin' month to make said post is just as lazy. But I warned you not too long ago that this blog was probably going to get quiet. I honestly haven't been in a blogging mood much lately. But with any luck that'll turn around after my vacation at the end of this month (during which, yes, it'll be really quiet ... but not like that's a big change, right?). Anyway, I hope you enjoy my latest topic, as it's close to my heart....

Before Greedo shot first ... before Han stepped on Jabba's tail ... before the digitally-botoxed "Special Editions" turned them into Episodes IV, V, and VI -- in other words, before George Lucas got all full of himself -- they were just "Star Wars", "The Empire Strikes Back", and "Return of the Jedi". As relatively recently as those days were, it's already getting hard for me to remember them. It's also hard to believe that, until the 1993 box-set release of "The Star Wars Trilogy: The Original Soundtrack Anthology", most of the music from this phenomenally successful movie saga had never been available on CD before.

The original CD issue of the "Star Wars" soundtrack was a generous, two-disc, track-for-track replication of the vinyl release, but the "Empire" double-LP's run time was chopped nearly in half when squeezed onto a single CD, and "Jedi" only ever saw a skimpy one-disc release on any format. And those were the only compact disc releases that these awesome scores saw for nearly ten years, until this lush cornucopia of audio bliss came along. Sure, there had been a few other albums featuring music from all three films, but those were re-recordings by other orchestras ... and as any film music buff or "Star Wars" fan -- both categories in which I freely admit that I belong (albeit to different degrees now than I did back then) -- could tell you, they just don't hold a candle to the actual soundtrack recordings.

Not only did this release give us the second Cantina Band song in its entirety for the first time, as well as the haunting male chorus during Luke's final furious duel with Vader under the catwalk in the Emperor's throne room, but it's noteworthy for other reasons too. It was the last release of the original soundtrack recordings before the "Special Edition" revamping of the movies in 1997, which means that the Jabba jam "Lapti Nek" and the original tribal-drum vocal version of the Ewok Celebration got their final album appearances here before being usurped by the silly "Jedi Rocks!" and the tepid instrumental "Victory Celebration" (sorry, John Williams, I love your stuff, but the original source music was better).

But there's a more subtle aspect to this release that makes it a bittersweet one. Since 1997, the "Star Wars" soundtrack releases seem to have been preoccupied with delivering the music in an "as heard in the film" fashion, which to my ear makes the compositions flow much less gracefully. I don't know if it's the obsessive film music snobs out there who are to blame or if it's Lucas, but I find so much more beauty in the thematic structure of the pieces on these earlier discs. Who cares if they're arranged more for a concert hall performance than for accompaniment of the visuals in the movies? That's kind-of what I buy soundtracks for in the first place: to hear the music in a way I didn't hear it in the film ... after all, it'll still remind me of the fun I had watching the movies, which is the real point in a soundtrack release.

For a while, I did own the two-disc releases of the "Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition" soundtracks, but I found them far inferior to the music on this collection and I ended up trading them in. For those of you who don't have the "Star Wars Trilogy: The Original Soundtrack Anthology" box set, believe me that you'd be doing yourselves a favor picking it up ... it's out of print, but still reasonably available from third-party sellers on Amazon and eBay. After all, nobody doesn't like "Star Wars", and anybody who doesn't like the music of "Star Wars" -- well, they just shouldn't be taken seriously about anything, now should they?

Mostly Live

2010-06-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

I don't watch very many movies, but when I come across one like this it makes me wonder why I don't, and how many more jewels are out there that I haven't discovered yet. This one is an unassuming little documentary, originally produced for British TV and receiving only a limited U.S. theatrical run before its DVD release in the fall of 2008. Titled "Young@Heart", it follows a chorus of the same name, formed in 1982 in Northampton, Massachusetts.

What's different about Young@Heart is that its 20-odd singers range between 73 and 93 years of age (at the time of the film). But that's not the only twist -- instead of singing the kind of stuff they grew up with, like Sinatra, Bing Crosby, or Perry Como, their director Bob Cilmi has assembled a repertoire that includes contemporary and classic rock and pop tunes made famous by artists ranging from The Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, and James Brown, to Coldplay, Outkast, and Sinead O'Connor.

It would have been tempting to make this a warm and fuzzy "feel-good" movie from beginning to end, but the film's director Stephen Walker instead chose a much more substantial approach, giving equal time to the happy moments -- the triumph of a fine performance, the sharing of a good age-related joke -- and the not-so-happy -- the frustration of trying to learn a difficult song, the tragic reminders of how precarious the health of the elderly can be.

Movies almost never make me cry, but this one did, more than once. I cried tears of joy at the outpouring of appreciation, complete with handshakes and hugs, that the chorus received from an audience of inmates after a performance at an area prison, having heard just minutes before showtime about the sudden death of their fellow singer, Bob Salvini. And I cried tears of sadness when Fred Knittle (the irrepressibly witty and charming bass of the group) took the stage during a concert highlighted at the film's finale to sing a solo rendition of Coldplay's "Fix You", which was to have been a duet with Salvini but was instead dedicated to him.

The Young@Heart chorus members might not always sing on key, or even in time with the music, so you'd think that the movie's soundtrack album wouldn't be enjoyable. But the exuberant joy, the playful fun, and the tender poignancy they seem to effortlessly bring to every song make any of the shortcomings they may have in rhythm and melody totally beside the point. I can't help but smile when I hear Dora and Stan belt out their best James Brown cries in "I Feel Good", and I feel along with them the payoff of their aggravating rehearsals when they finally nail the lyrics to The Pointer Sisters' "Yes We Can Can" ... but on the other hand, I don't think I'll ever be able to listen to Coldplay's "Fix You" again without feeling a lump in my throat.

One of the greatest things about the end of the movie, and the live in-concert tracks on the soundtrack album, is the age range of the audience in attendance ... there were people ranging in age from 6 to 90, and they all had fun. I had a lot of fun, too, especially listening to the younger members of the audience erupting in approval and recognition when Young@Heart started in on their adventurous rendition of "Hey Ya". All in all, the more you like music, the more you need to see this movie ... and the more likely you'll end up buying the soundtrack, too. (I myself had to spring for the 2-disc deluxe import edition, which was well worth it!)

The Next Best Thing

2010-06-03T19:55:00.001-07:00

I was wondering what to write about next in this blog (what with "American Idol" being over), when there it was, sitting in the used rack in the little independent music store I frequent, as if it were waiting for me to find it ... a particular type of digital disc that's rarely seen and virtually unknown in the U.S. and Europe: the Video CD, or VCD. What exactly is a Video CD, you ask? The easiest way to describe it is as a simplified DVD, except that it's written on conventional CD media (as its name implies).

Popular mostly in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Island countries for over a decade (although I imagine by now that DVD has begun to push them aside in popularity), Video CDs have some advantages, and some disadvantages, compared to DVDs. One nice thing about them is that they're not subject to region encoding, which means they can be viewed with any VCD-capable player anywhere in the world -- including most (but not all) American-marketed DVD players ... and with the right software, your computer, even if the only optical drive you have is a CD. Also -- though I definitely don't endorse illegal copying of discs -- they almost never have the copy-protection defenses that DVDs have.

However, as you can imagine, there's a downside to putting movies on the less-capacitous media of CDs. The picture clarity isn't a whole lot better than VHS (a high-quality VHS that would never degrade, but VHS nonetheless), and there's no 5.1 surround sound -- two-channel stereo is as good as you'll get. And you might as well forget about alternate language or commentary tracks, or optional subtitles; if you get a VCD that has subtitles, they're on the screen whether you want them or not, in whatever language they were written in. And then there's the matter of run time: a Video CD can hold about 80 minutes of content at best, so basically any theatrical film will be split over two or more discs.

But when we're talking the the shorter-length content, like concert films or music video collections, where none of those extra bells and whistles really matter, Video CDs fit the bill nicely. Indeed, if you like import pop like I do, VCD may prove to be your only option in certain cases -- a DVD may be unwatchable due to foreign region encoding, and with a little luck, the artist is popular enough in the right country that they've warranted a VCD release. Oh, and if you're techno-savvy enough, you can even copy out any of the disc's "chapters" and use them with other applications, since each chapter is in its own individual file on the disc, essentially in MPEG-1 format ... none of that shady DVD stripping-and-ripping software needed! (Again, I don't endorse the practice ... I'm just sayin'.)

I've accumulated a few Video CDs over the years: a companion volume to Five's "Greatest Hits" (even with a matching cover) that includes all their music videos ... a concert film by The Moffatts during their "Chapter I" days ... an A1 disc featuring interviews with the boyband as well as a handful of their videos ... and my newest addition, a 1998 assemblage of Duran Duran's music videos, released in conjunction with their "Greatest" hits compilation. Oh, and I can't forget the disc of videos that piggy-backs Gil's "Best of" audio CD ... and there are probably one or two that accompany various-artist compilations I have, too.

Sure, Video CDs aren't as pretty to watch or as graceful to navigate as DVDs (heck, some of them don't even have a menu to speak of), but their novelty makes them fun to experience, and their scarcity can make them enjoyable to collect. Not to mention, since they're housed in ordinary CD jewel cases, they fit nicely in amongst your CD collection. Go ahead, search eBay for "vcd" (or visit retail sites VCDCD.com and VCDGallery.com, though please note I haven't shopped at either of these sites so I can't personally vouch for their service -- caveat emptor) and see what you might find ... but check the compatibility of your DVD player or computer first to make sure you'll be able to watch what you buy!

Was He "DeWyze" Choice?

2010-05-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

Well, that was quite the star-studded, two-hour, ho-holds-barred, tour-de-force, music celebration of a finale, wasn't it? Imagine ... Alice Cooper, the Bee Gees, and Michael McDonald in just the first half-hour! Was last year's finale this jam-packed with music legends? If so, I'm sorry I missed it. Between them, Hall & Oates, Chicago, and Joe Cocker, last night's array of talent was not only fantastic to watch, but I can only hope that it exposed "Idol"'s young audience to some of the genuine classics of rock and pop music ... and that the kids in the audience liked what they heard and might explore it more.

My favorite performance was probably Siobhan and Aaron teaming up with the brothers Gibb ... oh, the way those two "Idol" Top-Twelvers started it off with that delicious harmony was likely the single most blissful "Idol" moment I experienced all season! Somebody needs to sign both Siobhan and Aaron to record contracts, like, NOW. And I also dearly loved the big farewell to Simon, in which a whole darn stageful of "Idol" alumni sang lovingly to him! All the "Idol" winners (except David Cook, who had a charity event going on that night), and over a dozen runners-up and other finalists ... so much fun to see them all again! (And gosh, has Ruben been shedding the pounds or what ... lookin' good, Rube!!)

There was no shortage of surprises during the show, with a parade of the most outrageous auditioners in the show's history -- some of which, like Renaldo ("We're Brothers Forever") Lapuz, we were fine with seeing again ... and others, like the beyond-obnoxious Ian Benardo, who resoundingly proved, as the producers hurriedly cut to commercial, why he never should have been invited. And what would a celebration like this be without General Larry ("Pants On The Ground") Platt? I have to say, he's still got the moves for a guy his age! And, of course, they couldn't very well have left out William Hung, now could they? And of course, the highlight that beats them all was the too-sweet appearance of former judge Paula Abdul.

Now, as for the results ... I'm not in the least bit surprised that Lee won the title, but I am a little disappointed. (Of course, I might have said I was disappointed even if Crystal had won, but I suspect not.) The main reason is that we've now got three "Idol" winners in a row who are prone to blurring together in the eyes of everyone except the show's devotees: they're all generic-looking, white rock-pop boys with indistinct, good-but-not-great voices. Adding Crystal to the list of winners would at least have shaken the mix up a bit. But I'm not worried, and I know she'll do quite well regardless ... and she must know, too, 'cause she wasn't fazed a bit by hearing Ryan crow out Lee's name after opening the envelope.

As I said previously, Crystal is unique enough that she's already got a following, just like Adam last year. And if the track record of many previous "Idol" runners-up and finalists is any indication -- not only have Adam Lambert and Clay Aiken enjoyed more success than the guys who snatched the title out of their grasps, but just look at Chris Daughtry, Jennifer Hudson, and Kellie Pickler -- Crystal has very little to worry about, aside from the implicit obligation of rewarding her fan camp with a great debut album later this year ... something else that I'm not very worried about her pulling off. Of course, it can be a double-edged sword: plenty of "Idol" winners have had clunky careers at best: Kris Allen and Taylor Hicks saw just mediocre sales of their debut albums ... and what's Justin Guarini been up to lately...?

All in all, it was a bumpy ride of a season that came to an adequately satisfying if bittersweet end. It was a bit of a struggle for me to stay tuned in -- and for many others too, I suspect, from what I've heard about the decline not just in viewers but also in votes ... notice how Edward Boddington (or, as I like to think of him, "Mr. Personality") didn't mention how many votes were tallied in the final round? I also found it curious how they avoided "final thoughts" from the judges ... although I'm sure the main reason they skipped that was 'cause they were running short on time, I can't help but think it was also because the judges would have had trouble heaping praise on this lackluster season.

I tell ya, though, Simon Fuller and company will have to find an unbelievably tremendous successor to Simon Cowell if they hope to get the viewers (myself included) even thinking about tuning in next season. Of course I'll keep an eye on the happenings on that front, but I'm not holding out a whole lot of hope. Godspeed, Simon ... we're all going to miss you terribly.

Random thought: for some reason, all morning I've had this vision in my head of Lee doing "Big Yellow Taxi" on solo acoustic guitar ... wouldn't that have been a completely awesome performance?!? Oh well, a missed opportunity.

American Idol 2010 - The Final Conflict!

2010-05-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

This is it, blah blah blah ... the final showdown, yadda yadda ... not that I'm not at least a little excited. Although, frankly, I really don't care who wins this season, 'cause I've come to like them both quite a lot. I'm sure it could go either way, really, probably more so than last year, though maybe not quite as much as Season 7. One thing's for sure, though: I'm imposing a moratorium on my web browsing tomorrow night, 'cause as you might recall I inadvertently found out the winner last year a couple of hours before he was announced ... though I was kind-of asking for it, having gone to Wikipedia's Idol Series Winners page. (You'd think that Wikipedia would block updates on time-sensitive stuff like this until after all U.S. time zones have viewed the program ... but, whatever.) Anyway, in a USA Today article I read this afternoon, the writer said that although who'd win it is very much up in the air, who'd stand to have more to gain from a win was without question: Lee, because Crystal's already got that "built-in" audience who will buy her albums regardless, kind of like Adam was good to go no matter whether he won or not. So anyway, now that the first commercial break is done with and we're finally getting on with the show, here we go.

Lee ("The Boxer" by Simon & Garfunkel) -- A repeat performance, and far as I can recall it was better than the last time he sang it. I wonder, are the contestants encouraged or even required to do repeat performances in the finale? If not, I'm puzzled as to why they do so. Why not give them something new to sing? But anyway, I agree with the judges ... good, but he needs to bring more passion than that in the finale.

Crystal ("Me and Bobby McGee" by Roger Miller) -- Yay! This is why Crystal is in the final round! I've said before that I probably wasn't going to buy her album, but I've been reconsidering lately ... and if she keeps bringing the performances tonight like this here, then I'm sold for sure. It looks like round one goes to Crystal!

Lee ("Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M.) -- Definitely better than round one, and I wonder why he hasn't done that song before ... seems right up his alley in my opinion. I'm not sure about the choir (one or two backing singers is one thing, but I always balk a bit at the presence of a whole chorus), but I liked his performance ... not perfect, but more than good enough for me. But will it be good enough for the voters...?

Crystal ("Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles) -- Hmmm ... I don't know about y'all, but it felt to me like she got a little carried away in places, and sort-of got lost in the arrangement. She gave it her all, but there's something to be said for holding back a bit. On the other hand, she does seem to be showing a lot more passion in her performances than Lee.... Compare her passion to Lee's artistry, and I'd have to call this round a draw.

Lee ("Beautiful Day" by U2) -- Interesting that the artists' prospective singles aren't original songs ... maybe it has to do with the bad reviews they got of last year's winner's song. Anyway ... hmmm ... a good performance -- and I like the song, both the original and Norwegian/World Idol Kurt Nilsen's cover of it, but for some reason Lee just doesn't seem to be giving his performances nearly the energy that Crystal is. Still, though, a good performance for what it is, and he deserves to be here in the finale tonight.

Crystal ("Up To The Mountain" by Patty Griffin) -- Wow ... just, wow! Far as I'm concerned, we're looking at the American Idol right here. Strictly in terms of stage presence and quality of performance (I guess that kind-of takes care of most aspects, doesn't it?), Crystal absolutely takes the competition tonight. But then, I thought Adam did last year, so who knows what's gonna happen, right?

HEY! It's Will Young!! Right there on stage, on American TV!! Yes, I knew it was his song we were hearing each week as contestants left, but I didn't think we'd see him on the show! And he's got an album coming out here in America! It's about damn time, 'cause he's had four freakin' albums in the UK, which are all really good! ...What the heck? It's just eight tracks? Can't they be bothered to put more songs on the damn disc, especially since it's essentially a "greatest hits"? Sheesh, that's the American record companies for you ... stingy bastards. But I digress....

Who do I think is gonna win it? As I said, it really could go either way, and I'm definitely staying offline tomorrow night (look for my reaction post sometime Wednesday). Who should win it is definitely Crystal, but I have a feeling the votes for Lee will be overpowering. I really would like to see a woman win it for the first time in three years, though. But then, Lee would benefit more from the notoriety of the title. Yeah, I think it'll go to Lee.

Down To The Wire

2010-05-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

Well, thankfully this season of "Idol" is shaping up more-or-less as I expected it would. Casey James, as resoundingly meh as he was, put up a good fight but has been bid goodbye ... best of luck to him. The hopefuls most certainly weren't eliminated in the order I envisioned they would be (or in the order they should have been), but in the long run we've got the showdown on tap next week that I was hoping for: Lee versus Crystal. Who's gonna win? I'm starting to think that Lee has the slight edge in terms of enthusiastic fans, but we can't underestimate the "girl power" that may be quietly rallying behind Crystal to give her the momentum to push through. Goodness knows we've had unexpected come-from-behind victories before, most notably just one year ago, when we all thought Adam was going to walk away with it. So, let's tune in next week, shall we?

American Idol 2010 - The Top 3

2010-05-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

I might be repeating myself here, but if Casey doesn't go home this week I'll be miffed. I'm rather surprised he's gotten this far, quite frankly. I don't have anything against him personally ... I just think that as an artist he's rather boring and hasn't really evolved much at all, at least not nearly as much as the others. But he does have two chances to sway me instead of just one, so you never know what's going to happen. Here goes....

Contestants' choice:

Casey ("OK, It's Alright With Me" by Eric Hutchinson) -- I like the song choice, and except for a bum note or two, he sang it competently. The trouble is, competent isn't good enough ... like Ellen said, tonight is the night that the contestants need to bring it, and Casey didn't ... yet. And sorry, Kara, but your comment that he should have sung a more popular song is crap.

Crystal ("Come To My Window" by Melissa Etheridge) -- Hmmm ... again, a great song choice ... but maybe I was expecting too much from her performance. If anything had been learned from Casey's feedback, Crystal should have rocked the stage more. The harmonica arrangement was a bit iffy, too ... but I love Crystal just as much as I ever have.

Lee ("Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd) -- He changed it up with an unconventional song choice, which I like ... but strictly in terms of singing on key I have to say he wasn't all that great. Performance-wise, though, he pretty-much made up for it, just like the judges said. And hey, when Simon gives you a positive critique, you know you did something right.

And those silly twits who scream "WE LOVE YOU, LEE!!" need to just flat-out shut the hell up. No, girls, you don't "love" Lee, one of the many reasons being that you friggin' interrupt him while he's trying to speak. Seriously, the ushers in that auditorium need to be armed with gags to muffle these goofy little twerps' mouths. Sigh ... yet another reason I'll be happy to let go of "Idol" after next week.

Judges' choice:

Casey ("Daughters" by John Mayer) -- Hey, I just heard this song this evening! Fancy that! As for Casey ... it was pretty good, I'll give him that ... though it almost felt like he was trying to do a John Mayer impersonation. I have to say, this was almost too obvious a song choice, especially since Kara all but admitted that it was specifically for his target audience: the ladies.

Crystal ("Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney) -- Well, the song choice earns points with me, 'cause I've always liked that song. And boy, did she nail it!! Even though I'd be more inclined to buy Lee's album than Crystal's, I've still kind-of been hoping that she'll win, even if it's just because it's been three years since a woman has been crowned Idol ... and I think she's just gone a step closer to putting it in the bag!

Lee ("Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen) -- Why did Simon choose one of the most over-done "Idol" songs for Lee? Maybe to see if he could make it memorable, that'd be my only guess. The result: he did! I think they might have gone a bit over-the-top with the choir at the end of the song, though, but otherwise it was fantastic! That pretty-much puts the nail in Casey's proverbial coffin.

Who I think should and will be eliminated: Like I need to say it? Buh-bye, Casey.

We've Lost Our Teddy Bear

2010-05-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

Well, the only reason I'm not sorely disappointed that Michael Lynche was eliminated last night is because Casey actually performed well this week ... though I don't know if I'd necessarily say he did better than Michael. Michael has been consistently great, far more so than Casey, who in my book has been not as consistent, and mostly just okay. I won't comment further on that because I'd just be re-hashing the stuff I've already said.

But how can you not feel heartbroken at Big Mike's departure while watching the clip reel at the end of the show? There's something about a hulking bruiser like Mike holding a tiny newborn baby that just makes you all warm and fuzzy inside, isn't there? And talk about an adorable little baby girl! Anyway, I know we haven't seen the last of Michael, and that he'll be a popular recording artist. See you soon, Big Mike!

American Idol 2010 -- The Top 4

2010-05-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

Okay, bring on the movie songs. I can't really say much more, 'cause you've all read my post from last Wednesday unequivocally saying that "American Idol" is kind-of just there for me now. Could that change between now and the showdown May 25? Maybe, but I won't hold my breath. Here goes nothin'....

Lee ("Kiss From a Rose" by Seal) -- It may or may not be a secret that Lee has pretty-much grown to be my favorite of the remaining Idol hopefuls, and his performance of this song reinforces that. Maybe he could have done more with it as Randy said, but Ellen and Kara have a point: he's still great.

Michael ("Will You Be There" by Michael Jackson) -- Hmmm ... he started out a little shaky (was trying to sing in too low a register, I think), but it ended well. Not his best performance, but very good. The way he was all but saying "please give me votes so I can get into the Top Three" could end up coming back to bite him in the ass, though.

Duet: Crystal & Lee ("Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová) -- This may have been the best performance of the night so far ... a nice little song, sung by what I have a feeling will be the Top Two, and Randy's right ... it could and should be a hit! If the producers know what's good for them, they'll record it together and it will appear on one of their albums.

Casey ("Mrs. Robinson" by Simon & Garfunkel) -- Okay, I have to say I enjoyed that performance ... the first of Casey's that I've liked for several weeks now. The only bad thing about it is that I'm thinking it'll push Big Mike out of the running. Okay, there are two bad things about it: the dopey banter amongst the judges -- they need to drop it and get on with the show.

Crystal ("I'm Alright" by Kenny Loggins) -- Once again, they saved the best for last! I'm kind-of wondering why they don't just cancel the rest of the season and give Crystal the title right now. I'd have to do some research to see who was the furthest outnumbered finalist, gender-wise, to come from behind and win, but it'd be funny if Crystal were it, wouldn't it?

Duet: Casey & Michael ("Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" by Bryan Adams) -- Another fine duet! These guys harmonize well, and the guitar playing was wonderful. I think I might like the first duet better, but they were both fantastic!

My most favorite performance of the night: Crystal.

My least favorite performance of the night: Gosh, I hate to say it ... Michael.

Who I think should be eliminated: Michael (and yes, I still hate to say it).

Who I think will be eliminated: Michael.

Okay, I guess I did get into the show a bit tonight as it went on ... maybe the rest of the season won't be as laborious as I fear.

That's The Straw...

2010-05-06T07:47:00.000-07:00

Am I disappointed with last night's results? Of course. Am I surprised? Not really. All things considered, this is actually about the point at which I'd imagined for awhile now that Aaron Kelly would leave the competition. He's never quite had the raw talent, natural charm, or stage presence of David Archuleta, so I never had the feeling he'd win or be the runner-up, but he was definitely a talented young singer who undoubtedly belonged firmly in the Top 12.

But the problem here is that all things were not considered -- specifically, this week's performances. After Casey James sang with all the snap of a stale, soggy Saltine cracker, he should have gotten the boot, or at least been in the bottom two. Compare that to Aaron's solid performance ... not his best, I'll admit, but still miles ahead of Casey. Not to mention the fact that Aaron has demonstrated more potential for growth than Casey, whose performances over the course of the show have, for me, all been blurring together.

Add to that the fact that Big Mike actually ended up being the second-lowest vote-getter, and you have my official announcement that this season of "American Idol" will be my last as a viewer. I've invested a lot of time and emotion in this season already, so I'm going to see it through, but I'm just getting tired of how flighty and flaky the audience seems to have gotten this year. (Or have they always been this way and it's just taken me two years to notice?) All the wrong people have been voted off the show at all the wrong times -- Lilly, Alex and Siobhan way too soon ... and Casey and Tim not nearly soon enough.

So, for what it's worth -- and I tell ya, it ain't much anymore -- I'll trudge ahead into the final three weeks of "American Idol" Season 9. Who do you think are going to be the Top Two? Right now I'm seeing Crystal and Lee for the finale ... but, of course, as we all know, that could change. Hell, with my luck Casey will somehow make it to the end.

American Idol 2010 -- The Top 5

2010-05-04T21:08:00.000-07:00

Enough of the newcomers like Adam Lambert and the young 'uns like Miley Cyrus ... now we're talking a mentor: Harry Connick, Jr.! And the theme is "songs of Frank Sinatra". This doesn't bode well for Casey, if you ask me ... but then I'm also worried about how some (well, actually, most) of the others will do this week. Let's see how things go....

Oh, interesting ... I didn't realize that Connick had ever scored a movie, let alone "When Harry Met Sally". And I also didn't know that it's only been about 12 years since Sinatra died. Funny....

Aaron ("Fly Me To The Moon") -- Very nice! He should have gotten off that "country-ish" pose -- the leaning on a straight leg while bouncing on a bended leg thing -- that he usually takes on the stage, and his vocal was a tiny bit shaky at the very beginning, but otherwise a really nice showing. Oh, and I like his hair like that, too...!

Casey ("Blue Skies") -- See? Told ya. I was totally unimpressed with this one ... more than a few off-key notes. Why are y'all booing so much at the judges? Can't you see that they're telling the truth? Sorry, Casey, I wasn't feeling it at all. But I've got a terrible feeling he'll be back next week anyway.

Crystal ("Summer Wind") -- Wow, I liked it more than I thought I would! We've seen her rock enough (maybe a little too much), so it's always refreshing to see the softer side of 'Sox. (Hey, I just made that up!) Very nicely done, I thought, and I can't imagine that she's in any danger of getting the boot this week.

Michael ("The Way You Look Tonight") -- Fantastic! It's one of my favorite old standards, and Big Mike did it justice ten times over!! Of all the Top Five, I had the most faith in him that he'd do well in Sinatra week, and my faith was well-placed. Bravo, Michael!!

Lee ("That's Life") -- Hmmm ... I wasn't a big fan of the arrangement -- it seemed a bit awkward in places and made it sound like Lee was off-tempo -- but I loved his vocals, and that's what the competition is all about! I was particularly afraid for him this week, but he just buried those fears!

My most favorite performances of the night: Michael and Lee.

My least favorite performances of the night: Casey and Aaron (hey, there were just three others to choose from, y'know).

Who I think should be eliminated: Casey.

Who I think will be eliminated: Aaron ... perish the thought ... I mean it, please perish the thought.

In Memoriam: Will Owsley

2010-05-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

I just received a shocking bit of news from a friend. Alabama-based musician Will Owsley, power-pop singer-songwriter, engineer and producer, as well as session and touring guitarist for artists such as Amy Grant, Shania Twain, and Faith Hill, died yesterday of an apparent suicide. Very few people, especially people who read this blog, are likely to have ever heard of Owsley outside of my occasional mention of him here, but he was a fantastic musician, deserving of far more recognition than he received.

Following the one-and-only album with his first band, The Semantics (released only in Japan even though it was a Nashville-based group), he released his self-titled debut album in 1999, which is one of my favorites. If you haven't checked this album out I urge you to do so, especially if you like anything remotely of a power-pop bent, from The Beatles all the way through to recent practitioners of the genre like The Click Five.

Here's an excellent article I found on the web, written by someone who was clearly a devoted fan. I must admit I wasn't very fond of his last album, 2004's "The Hard Way" ... but now I'll forever wonder what he might have recorded next....

You've Gotta Be Freakin' Kidding Me

2010-04-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, so here's the thing ... the other day I was watching an "Ellen DeGeneres Show" that I'd had buried on my DVR for several weeks, and one of her guests was then-recent "Idol" cast-off Alex Lambert. It was so much fun seeing and hearing him again, and of course I was naturally reminded of how bitter I felt the week that he and Lilly Scott were booted from the competition. I was also reminded of the teasing he got for his hairstyle of choice: the much-maligned (and for good reason) mullet -- although strangely it seemed to work for him, and in fact added to his charm, at least for me.

Now I'm feeling bitter all over again, with the far-too-early elimination of my favorite female contestant, Siobhan Magnus. And just as was the case with Alex, it's not only because I thought she was more talented than half the rest of the contestants, but I also can't help but wonder if she lost the votes because of her slightly offbeat appearance and personality. I realize that "American Idol" is about finding a pop star, and that looks have been inexorably tied to pop music for decades, but honestly ... do all pop stars have to be magazine-cover beautiful, with perfect teeth, perfect hair, and a perfect face? I for one don't give a damn what a singer looks like, I just care what they sound like. Indeed, the more attractive they are (or are made to be), the less interesting I tend to find them.

I'd be flat-out lying if I said I've never been drawn to an artist more for their looks than for their music -- probably all of us have been guilty of that at one time or another -- but that's something I outgrew years ago. I suppose the attractive ones getting voted through ahead of the musically talented ones is just a pitfall of the "American Idol" viewer demographics being what they are (the people -- usually teenage girls, at the risk of seeming prejudiced -- who value looks above musicianship), not that our obsession with beauty doesn't carry over into other areas of American life as well (How else can the success of "America's Next Top Model" be explained?), though that's a whole different subject unto itself.

Am I outgrowing "American Idol"? That's probably part of it ... and the fact that I've become a jaded listener in general lately, let alone to music of a highly-commercial pop bent, can only have added to my "Idol" melancholy. My enthusiasm for the rest of this season -- as well as the likelihood that I'll bother watching the next -- are dropping more and more each time that a hopeful with genuine talent, or at least the potential for it (Alex, Lilly, Siobhan), is passed up for one with fair but stagnant talent (Casey) or more looks than either talent or personality (Tim).

Having said that, however, I still have yet to tire of the music that's eventually put out by "Idol" alumni ... and not just the domestic product, either. Indeed, that's the subject of a series of posts I've got coming up, shortly after the current "Idol" season comes to an end. But I doubt I'll partake of "American Idol" Season Ten, especially since Simon won't be there for me to enjoy. After all, let's face it: listening to a 45-minute album of spiffy studio-recorded songs is one thing, but watching hours upon hours of contestants warbling their way through songs that other people made famous is quite another ... and can get awfully tiring, too.

American Idol 2010 -- The Top 6

2010-04-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

As slow as this season of "Idol" has felt, in a way it's hard to believe that the field is already down to just six competitors. Now that the obvious dud, Tim, has been pruned, who will go home next? I predict that, barring some unforeseen train-wreck of a performance, it will be Casey. Why not Aaron? 'Cause it's Shania Twain week, and country music is Aaron territory. I admit I'm not a Shania expert, but isn't her discography a little thin (and her overall influence on the music world not quite strong enough) for an entire "Idol" installment to be devoted to her? Well, anyway, here we go....

Lee ("You're Still The One") -- Hmmm ... very nice indeed! It's taken me forever to warm up to Lee's charms, and he charmed me with this song. I agree with Simon ... a perfect choice of song for him. Quite well done, I must say.

Michael ("It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing") -- Proof positive that the contest is getting tight now. While it's not my favorite performance of his (although that beautiful falsetto at the end brought it close), I've still gotta love Big Mike.

On a side note ... enough with those silly swaybots in the audience, already.

Casey ("Don't!") -- Well, it was a very good performance, I'd agree with the judges on that ... but -- well, I don't know what it is that's keeping me from loving Casey. He seems to be doing the same thing every week, though I'm sure someone else could argue the same thing about most of my favorites.

Crystal ("No One Needs To Know") -- Oh, adorable! We already knew that Crystal can do the Janis Joplin thing, and she hinted at some Bonnie Raitt potential, but now we can also see she can do traditional country, and do it wonderfully!

Aaron ("You've Got a Way") -- What did I tell ya? "The Cute One" is on his home turf this week, and definitely proved it. While I can't see him winning the competition, and would be surprised to see him in the Top Three, he's gonna get a record deal without a doubt, especially after a performance like this.

Siobhan ("Any Man of Mine") -- Speaking of the Top Three, I'm having a really hard time picturing Siobhan being dropped before then. There may have been tiny flaws (she had a bit of trouble keeping tempo with the band at one point, I noticed, and a creaky note or two), but her owning the stage made up for them in a big way!

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

My least favorite performances of the night: Casey and Michael.

Who I think should be eliminated: Casey.

Who I think will be eliminated: Michael ... hey, anyone could go this week, and he was plucked from the gaping maw of elimination once before, for a performance better than this.

It's About Damn Time

2010-04-21T22:30:00.001-07:00

Okay, just in case I haven't made it clear enough, I never truly cheer the ouster of any contestant, since it would essentially be wishing for their dreams to be crushed -- and who would want their own dreams crushed, right? But seriously, no one can honestly say it wasn't way past time for Tim Urban to be let go from the pool of "Idol" hopefuls. Let's face it: the guy has never been able to carry much of a tune, compared to the others in the group. (Really, whoever's been piling in the votes for him has somehow forgotten that this is a singing competition and not a beauty contest.) But enough with the picking on him. He's got plenty of fans, for whatever reasons, and he'll probably pop up somewhere else soon enough ... more power to him. Godspeed, Teflon Tim.

American Idol 2010 -- The Top 7

2010-04-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

So, the theme this week is "inspirational songs" ... sigh. Why is this season seeming particularly laborious to get through? Maybe it's because of the less-impressive (overall) lot of competitors this time around. I mean, sure, there are the good ones like there always are ... but I'd be hard-pressed to call any of them "great". Whose albums do I know I'll be buying? Definitely Siobhan, probably Big Mike and Aaron, and maybe Lee and Crystal. I'm not totally sure I'd rank them as my favorite contestants in that order, though ... it probably doesn't sound like it makes sense, but it does to me in a way. (Why not Crystal? She's a great singer, but she doesn't have the kind of voice whose records I'd really want to buy.) Anyway, here come the Top Seven....

Casey ("Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac) -- Very good, though it sounded like he was having trouble finding the key at first. Good guitar playing, yes, but I get the impression he uses it as a crutch a little too much. Maybe that's why he's not a favorite of mine.

Lee ("The Boxer" by Simon & Garfunkel) -- Excellent! I can tell that this was a heartfelt performance from him, and I agree with Simon -- he made it sound like it could be a current single. This guy just keeps getting better by the week!

Tim ("Better Days" by Goo Goo Dolls) -- Typically barely-okay Tim ... I honestly don't know why he's still in the competition. Well, yes, I do know why, and unfortunately it has nothing to do with his singing. This was a resoundingly underwhelming performance.

Aaron ("I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly) -- Fantastic! It was a big song, and he pulled it off! This pair of performances right here proves why I'll be highly pissed if Aaron (hell, really anyone else) is voted off the show before Tim ... and why I'd probably pick up an Aaron album.

Siobhan ("When You Believe" by Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston) -- Gorgeous ... her best yet!! Speaking of buying albums, this shows why Siobhan's on my must list! Any record label that passes on her, no matter where she finishes in the competition, is a pack of damn fools!

Michael ("Hero" by Chad Kroeger) -- Hmmm ... I'm not crazy about the choice of song, quite frankly, but whatever Big Mike sings he sings pretty darn well. I can't help feeling a bit disappointed, though ... and that's a first with Michael. I just hope it doesn't cost him the competition.

Crystal ("People Get Ready" by The Impressions) -- Hmmm ... maybe I should rethink not buying her CD. This is a different side of Crystal, and I like what I'm seeing! I wondered why she broke at the end of the song, but then I realized that her dad's presence explained it all. A beautiful performance!

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

My least favorite performances of the night: Tim, Casey, and -- it pains me to say it -- Michael.

Who I think should be eliminated: Tim.

Who I think will be eliminated: Michael -- yes, I think the viewers will be that stupid -- but it'd better be Tim.

Damn, I'm Good

2010-04-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

Do I know how to call 'em or what? In fact, my predictions for the Top 12 eliminations have been perfect so far (not counting last week, which technically we don't have to, since the save was used)! I was a little intrigued that they didn't do the eliminations in the usual "bottom three" kind of style -- that they just *boom* dropped the bomb on Andrew with little fanfare -- but I suppose maybe it was a little less agonizing that way. As with most everyone else, I'm of course sad to see Katie Stevens and Andrew Garcia sent packing ... but frankly, if two people had to go, they're just about the ones I'll miss the least ... except maybe for Tim or Casey.

As for the rest of the show, it was great seeing Adam Lambert again, and he gave a fabulous performance. And it was fun seeing Brooke White again too ... I never did buy her album, though. Let's see, what else? I can't think of much.

I just realized, though, that the ratio of guys to girls is now 5 to 2!! It definitely looks (strictly from the odds) like this will be the third year in a row where a guy is crowned the American Idol ... although I do seem to recall that an outnumbered gender came from behind to win the competition in a previous year, though I couldn't tell you who or when. We shall see, eh? Next week it's down to seven. For whom will that be an unlucky number...?

American Idol 2010 -- The Top 9 (Again)

2010-04-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

As much as I love Adam Lambert, I have a bit of trouble seeing him as a "mentor", considering he was a complete unknown just a little over a year ago. But, whatever. Oh, and I simply sat here shaking my head just now when I heard where they were sending the Top 9 for Elvis Week. Was it Graceland? Oh, heck no ... it was Vegas. Okay, maybe Vegas is the second city one would associate with Elvis after Graceland (yes, I know Graceland isn't a city, but you know what I mean), but then came the kicker: "Cirque du Soleil style"! Huh?!? Oh yeah, when I think Elvis, I think Cirque du Soleil. Sigh ... again, I say "whatever". I think we'd be better off just getting to the performances....

Crystal ("Saved") -- What can I say about Crystal that hasn't already been said? Yet again, she dazzles us! Elvis is pretty much right up her alley, just like Janis Joplin would be ... Randy made an accurate observation when he compared her to Bonnie Raitt. Brava, Crystal!

Andrew ("Hound Dog") -- Hmmm ... the trouble with doing such a signature song is the inevitable comparison to the original. How much do you dare risk to change it up? I wasn't so sure about this one ... something felt off. Kara's thoughts were closest to what I was feeling.

Tim ("Can't Help Falling In Love") -- Okay, so why didn't he go with the falsetto ending that Adam encouraged him to do? That disappoints me. I thought it was pretty good ... not as wonderful as the judges seemed to gush, though ... could just be that it's such an overused song.

Lee ("A Little Less Conversation") -- Awright!! In my eyes, the one who's most improved over the last few weeks is definitely Lee ... I seem to be liking him more and more each week. This may very well be his best performance yet ... I almost love him now, and that's saying a lot!!

Aaron ("Blue Suede Shoes") -- Oh, I was so worried when I saw that this was his song choice, especially because two contestants are getting the boot this week. But I loved it, especially when he slowed it down near the end!! Has he earned enough votes to carry him forward? I hope so!

Siobhan ("Suspicious Minds") -- Possibly my favorite Elvis song ... and definitely my favorite performance of the night!! I've been loving Siobhan for awhile now, and tonight I love her even more. I have no idea what Simon and Kara were hearing to make them give comments like that....

Michael ("In The Ghetto") -- I shook my head for most of the last seven days, wondering how he could have gotten the fewest votes last week, and even more so after a beautifully tender performance like this. If he gets kicked this week, I will question America's sanity.

Katie ("Baby, What You Want Me To Do") -- It was a really good performance ... but when I think about it, is there anything that really makes her memorable? I'm just afraid that, when the results come tomorrow night, she'll fall through the cracks ... and sorry to say, I don't think I'd miss her very much.

Casey ("Lawdy Miss Clawdy") -- Hmmm ... it was good, but I can't think of anything that made it great. Good vocals, good guitar playing ... but Simon's comments pretty much said it for me.

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

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

Who I think should be eliminated: Katie and Tim.

Who I think will be eliminated: Katie and Andrew.

Final thought: Ryan was a little crazy tonight, wasn't he? Picking on his mom, complimenting Adam on his "talented tongue" (do tell, Ryan!!), and even a Brian Dunkleman joke thrown in for good measure. What would the show be without you, Ryan?

Record Store Day Is Back!

2010-04-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, as you can see by the graphic in the right-hand column, next Saturday is the third annual Record Store Day! Since I'm giving you six days' notice, there's no excuse for you not to take my advice and go support your local independent record/CD retailer. If the only music buying experience you've ever known has been through "big-box" retailers like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and those kinds of places, then that's all the more reason to give yourself the undeniably unique experience of surrounding yourself with an entire storeful of racks and racks of music titles, instead of the silly two or three thinly stocked aisles those mega-retailers give you. And if you've only ever bought music online before now, then well, I just plain feel sorry for you, and can't stress enough how important it is for you to pull some cash out of your piggy-bank and find a brick-and-mortar music store next Saturday. Trust me -- the time and effort you put into it will be well rewarded, and your music loving soul will be complete. Not to mention, a good number of CIMS (Coalition of Independent Music Stores) retailers taking part in Record Store Day will have totally groovy in-store performances, and just might even have a free bag of goodies for each and every paying customer! How can you pass that up? Have a happy Record Store Day ... but more importantly, help the record stores have one too.

Well Worth Saving

2010-04-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't know about y'all, but I found this week's results to be the most shocking since the Top 16 became the Top 12 (when Lilly, Todrick, Katelyn, and Alex were eliminated)! Why wasn't Lee in the bottom three after he managed to get that silly bagpiper on stage with him? I'll grudgingly agree with the voters' not letting Tim slip into the bottom three for a third (or would it have been fourth?) week in a row ... he performed quite decently this week.

Much as I like Aaron, I can kind-of understand him ending up in the bottom three, since he gave arguably the least impressive performance so far. But Andrew and Michael? After some of the best performances of their "Idol" careers? Please. And I'm surprised the audience didn't cry out in dismay when they heard that Michael was the potential castoff ... I'd consider that a total outrage, if the judges hadn't, very wisely, chosen to spare him the axe and give him another chance next week. Great call, folks!!

Unfortunately, as we all know -- assuming the rules are the same as last year -- this means that, not only is the save gone and done with, but not one but TWO contestants will see their runs come to an end next week. Maybe the voters will wise up a bit more between now and then...!

American Idol 2010 -- The Top 9

2010-04-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

Wow, fancy that! For some stupid reason, I had serious doubts that the modem was the "weak link" to my Internet access, but lo and behold it was. Forgive me, O glorious ISP of mine, for ever doubting you. (Serves me right for deliberately looking up and reading horror stories from disgruntled former customers ... that's one great thing about the 'net, endless food for one's paranoia.) Anyway, my DSL has sprung back to life just in time for the Top 9 of "American Idol", this time covering the revered Beatles songbook. Here we go....

Aaron ("The Long and Winding Road") -- Very good! Something keeps me from calling it "excellent", though, as much as I love Aaron ... just a tiny bit pitchy here and there, perhaps ... and maybe the arrangement, as the judges suggested.

Katie ("Let It Be") -- Very pretty, indeed! I'd have to say she was better than Aaron tonight, to be sure. Just when I was starting to become disappointed with her, she reminds me why I started enjoying her at the beginning. Wonderful!

Andrew ("Can't Buy Me Love") -- All right! Two fantastic performances in a week from Andrew! This guy appeared to be dropping away from the pack a few weeks ago, but if he keeps this stride, he's gonna end up in the top thee or four!

Michael ("Eleanor Rigby") -- It's almost boring to watch Big Mike anymore ... only because we know he's all but incapable of giving a disappointing performance! Beautiful arrangement, fantastic vocal, and an all-around enjoyable performance!

Crystal ("Come Together") -- Just like Big Mike, Crystal is wonderful again as usual, and there's not much more that can be said about her. I think she's the lady to beat, and that she'll end up in the top three or four as well.

Tim ("All My Loving") -- This was a good performance, I must say ... he seems to have gotten rid of the weird gaze thing, at least this week. In fact, I actually think it was better than his "Hallelujah" performance, contrary to what Ellen said.

Casey ("Jealous Guy") -- Well, that was one of Casey's best showings yet. Best performance of the night? I'm not sure about that, but it was definitely up there. I'm not quite loving him yet, but I'm liking him a bit more each week.

Siobhan ("Across The Universe") -- One of my favorite Beatles songs, and definitely my favorite Siobhan performance!! There's no other way to describe this one other than to say that it was achingly and hauntingly beautiful. Lovely!!

Lee ("Hey Jude") -- Well, I thought it was okay ... the bagpipe was a little over-the-top, though. I'm still not loving Lee's voice, honestly ... I don't know what so many people see (or "hear", as it were) in it.

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

My least favorite performances of the night: Lee ... and it's hard to pick three, but if I did I'd have to say Tim and Aaron.

Who I think should be eliminated: Lee.

Who I think will be eliminated: Katie.

Dropping Like Flies!

2010-04-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

Well ... first Lacey Brown, then Paige Miles, and now Didi Benami ... I thought the ladies were strong this year, but we've lost three in a row! I wasn't particularly attached to Didi lately, but it's still sad that she had to go and wasn't saved. I tell you, though, at this rate we'll be down to only guys in no time, and there'll be a third male Idol in as many years!

I tuned in a minute or two late (after getting off the phone with my ISP ... long story, don't ask), but it looks like we were spared the grotesque group number this week! I don't suppose we've gotten so lucky that the producers have realized how horrible they are and have dumped them altogether, eh? Probably not ... likely it's just a one-week reprieve. And since I'm not particularly an Usher fan, nor am I any remote semblance of a Diddy (or whatever name he's using this week) fan, I don't have anything to say about the celebrity performances ... except that seeing Ruben Studdard was fun.

Will I have my broadband access back up and running at home by next Tuesday night? It's anybody's guess at this point....

American Idol 2010 -- The Top 10

2010-03-31T07:30:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-24T22:06:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-17T21:59:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-11T21:27:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-10T22:05:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-09T21:02:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-04T20:56:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-03T21:57:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-02T22:02:00.000-08:00

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!

Was This Review Helpful?

2010-02-27T11:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, friends, I've put up with looking at this crap for years now, and I've finally got to say something about it before I go postal. It's not that I particularly like the band involved, or their song (just for the record, it's the single "My Heart, Your Hands" by the band Dommin, which was offered this week as a free download on iTunes) ... it's just that this sort of reckless behavior has really been getting on my nerves. Here's a little quiz for you: Which of the reviews in the image here is the best one?

Notice that I didn't say "your favorite one", or "the one you agree with the most". I said "the best one". I'll give you a hint: it also happens to be the longest one. And that's where the problem lies. Our society has been conditioned to have such short attention spans that our eyes will tend to gravitate toward the shortest posts, because we "don't have time" (give me a friggin' break) to read the longer ones. Just compare the total number of helpful/non-helpful votes on each post, and that's all the proof my argument needs. But the atrophy of our ability to concentrate is a topic for another time and another place.

What I'm getting at is that the vast majority of the posts in the attached image here are not "reviews", they're "opinions", and as such they should have been deleted by the iTunes store administrators. What's the difference? An opinion states simply what the writer thinks or feels (or what it's "fashionable" to think or feel), whereas a review tells us the most important part: WHY the writer thinks or feels the way they do. I'm sick and tired of people posting a profound little nugget of wisdom like "this song sucks it sounds like crap" (usually in just that sort of run-on sentence, with no capitalization or punctuation and gobs of misspellings), with the ones who fancy themselves a bit more clever throwing in a reckless bashing of an artist that they personally don't happen to like, regardless of its relevance to the topic at hand.

To me, reading that sort of junk is a far greater waste of my time than a coherent, thoughtful review that's five times as long but which takes the innovative approach of actually explaining the nature of the writer's opinion. Why does he/she not like what they're hearing? That's what I want to know. Whether or not I agree with them, I will consider that a helpful review, and I won't consider the minute or two it took me to read it to be "wasted" time. This is one of the pet peeves I have about the Internet: it's been made so simple to use that a lot of the people who use it are out-and-out simpletons (my readers excepted, obviously), making for way too much worthless crap for the more intelligent of us to have to sift through. What I'm trying to say is that if you're going to bother writing a review, please make it worth reading.

And please, for the love of Perquackey, think twice before you vote "yes" or "no" on the "Was this review helpful?" question. It is not -- I repeat, IT IS NOT -- asking you "Do you agree with this review?" What it is asking is whether, assuming you didn't own this item, it would help inform your decision as to whether or not you'd buy it. Is this too difficult to understand? If so, then you probably need to just take the nearest damn off-ramp from the Information Superhighway and let the rest of us drive.

Gosh, you didn't think you'd hear a rant like this from me, did you? Well, that's how much I'd been getting pissed about this...!

American Idol 2010 -- And Then There Were 20

2010-02-25T21:10:00.000-08:00

Well, this was certainly a mixed bag of results tonight, wasn't it? I was right about two of the eliminations, one of which I was okay with (Janell Wheeler) and one of which I wasn't (Joe Muñoz), and the two I was wrong about were also split between the okay (Ashley Rodriguez) and the not okay (Tyler Grady). Although I must say I wasn't quite as disappointed as I thought I'd be in Tyler's departure ... though I was a bit ticked that they cut his farewell performance short.

I was delighted to see that Alex Lambert is getting another chance, but I was nothing short of dumbfounded that the singer I felt was the worst of the entire Top 24, Tim Urban, was voted through. And it certainly doesn't soften the blow that, as I was writing my play-by-play last night, I kept seeing texts tick by with a really great defense for Tim Urban: "but he's, like, soooooo cute!"

Yeah, that's what counts in a singing competition -- cute. I'll confess, I sometimes vote for the cute one (David Archuleta being the most obvious example), but I voted for him because he could sing like nobody's business. It doesn't matter how cute a contestant is -- if they can't sing, I don't think they deserve to continue. Joe Muñoz, while not necessarily the cutest, had both a voice and a stage presence far better than Tim, and he should have remained in the running.

I've never been so sorely tempted to just stop watching "Idol" altogether ... but I'm going to keep watching in spite of the travesty that happened tonight. It's probably a good thing I wasn't watching "Idol" during the Sanjaya season, 'cause from what I hear about how long he remained in the competition, and how allegedly undeserved it was, that probably would have gotten me fed up with the show back then.

Besides, with Simon taking off after this year, I have a feeling this will be my last go-round for "Idol", unless they get someone really good to succeed him.

American Idol 2010 -- The Top 12 Guys

2010-02-24T21:54:00.000-08:00

Here I am sneezing and coughing ... but never too sick for "American Idol", especially when its the guys' turn! Not much else to say, so let's get started!

Todrick Hall ("Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson) -- Wow, some pretty strong words from Simon, eh? I don't really agree with the judges ... he turned the song on its ear, but I really liked the result.

Aaron Kelly ("Here Comes Goodbye" by Rascal Flatts) -- You know what? I'm almost underwhelmed ... but only because I knew he was going to be good. I can't say he blew me away, but then this is only his first week.

Jermaine Sellers ("Get Here" by Oleta Adams) -- He's a great singer, and did a good job ... but I don't really like his falsetto ... it gets a bit grating. If he sticks to a lower register (if he comes back next week), he'd be better off.

Tim Urban ("Apologize" by OneRepublic) -- Hmmm ... a tough song to sing, and I'm not sure he pulled it off. He should have chosen a safer song, since he was technically "not supposed to be here" ... I have a bad feeling he may have blown it.

Joe Muñoz ("You and I Both" by Jason Mraz) -- Very nice! A couple of pitchy notes, but he was enjoyable, and looked like he was enjoying himself. One of the better showings of the night, I think.

Tyler Grady ("American Woman" by The Guess Who) -- Awright!! I think this may very well be my favorite performance of the night! I'm a bit surprised by the judges' critical comments, but I do kind-of understand why they said what they said.

Lee DeWyze ("Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol) -- Oooh, I heard a lot of flat notes in that performance ... I've never been crazy about this guy, and this performance hasn't done him any favors in my eyes.

John Park ("God Bless The Child" by Billie Holiday) -- He started out a bit shakey, and he let it get a bit improvy in the middle, but he came to what I thought was an excellent finish. Again, some of the judges' comments were a bit surprising.

Michael Lynche ("This Love" by Maroon 5) -- I was worried about the song choice, but I should have known not to be ... this was absolutely one of my favorite performances of the night! I think Big Mike is here to stay!

Alex Lambert ("Wonderful World" by James Morrison) -- I really want to like him ... but after that performance, I can't. He looked uncomfortable, and the vocals weren't much more than okay. A pity, 'cause I love that song.

Casey James ("Heaven" by Bryan Adams) -- Well, it was a great performance, but somehow I was expecting more ... maybe for some reason I was expecting him to be "the best", which is unfair. Still, a perfectly solid showing.

Andrew Garcia ("Sugar, We're Goin' Down" by Fall Out Boy) -- I'm really starting to love this guy! He's got the talent to make songs his own, regardless of how far he goes in the competition. Fantastic way to close the show!!

My most favorite performances of the night: Michael Lynche, Tyler Grady, and Andrew Garcia.

My least favorite performances of the night: Lee DeWyze, Jermaine Sellers, and Tim Urban.

Who I think should be eliminated: Tim Urban and Lee DeWyze.

Who I think will be eliminated: Joe Muñoz and Alex Lambert.

How disastrously wrong (or miraculously right) will I be? We'll know 24 hours from now!

American Idol 2010 -- The Top 12 Ladies

2010-02-23T22:05:00.000-08:00

Here we go with this year's semi-final shows ... Ellen's first live performance rounds, and of course the first ones for the contestants in front of a live studio audience. Simon says it's going to be a year for the ladies, and of course at this point he could be right. I like several of the girls -- Lilly, Crystal, Didi, and Katie -- maybe I'll end up liking more as the weeks go on. (Goodness knows, I ended up falling out of love with at least one of the ladies during each of the last couple of years.) And here I am again, thinking I wasn't going to do "play-by-play" this early and instead just a quick wrap-up post -- but I guess I just can't help myself.

Paige Miles ("All Right Now" by Free) -- This is a great way to kick off the first live show! She started out a bit too quiet, but quickly got a lot better. I'm starting to like this girl, too.

Ashley Rodriguez ("Happy" by Leona Lewis) -- Not only am I not seeing anything original in her performance, but I heard several off-key or slightly warbly notes. Two people have to be eliminated this week, and as of now I think she's one of them.

Janell Wheeler ("What About Love" by Heart) -- Hmmm ... the second unimpressive show of the night. Are the girls letting their nerves get to them? This is another one I just wasn't liking.

Lilly Scott ("Fix It All" by The Beatles) -- She struggled a bit with the low notes, and it's always daunting doing a Beatles song, but she did better than the last two ladies (though I still hesitate to call it a "great" performance).

Katelyn Epperly ("Oh! Darling" by The Beatles) -- Now, that's the stuff!! This has got to be the best performance of the night so far! Not only was she spot-on-key, but she seemed by far the most comfortable on stage. Yay!!

Haeley Vaughn ("I Wanna Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles) -- When we're talking originality and energy, this performance was top-notch, but as far as execution -- am I being too critical? -- I thought it was good, but not great.

Lacey Brown ("Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac) -- I've got to agree with the judges ... it just wasn't a good performance at all ... perhaps the weakest of the night. She made it into the 24 this year after being cut last year, but I think this may be it for her.

Michelle Delamor ("Fallin'" by Alicia Keys) -- A very solid performance ... though it seemed a little "safe". Ha-ha ... I swear I typed that word three seconds before Ellen said it! Anyway, excellent, though she should try something a bit more original.

Didi Benami ("The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelsen) -- A left-field song choice ... and she made it one of the best of the night! She needs to work on not sounding so much like Adele, but otherwise she's just delightful ... one of my early favorites for sure!!

Siobhan Magnus ("Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak) -- Gosh, another unconventional pick for a song, and I think it paid off for her as well. She surprised me with what a wonderful performance she gave!

Crystal Bowersox ("Hand In My Pocket" by Alanis Morissette) -- This might make some of you out there groan, but ... Crystal rocks my Bower-socks! I just knew she was going to give a great performance, and she didn't disappoint me one bit!

Katie Stevens ("Feelin' Good" by Michael Bublé) -- Excellent!! There were just one or two notes that kept that from being perfect, but I really liked it. (Totally disagree with the judges on the song choice.)

My most favorite performances of the night: Didi Benami, Crystal Bowersox, and Katelyn Epperly.

My least favorite performances of the night: Lacey Brown, Janell Wheeler, and Michelle Delamor.

Who I think should be eliminated: Lacey Brown and Janell Wheeler.

Who I think will be eliminated: Lacey Brown and Janell Wheeler.

Let's tune into the guys tomorrow night, and the results on Thursday!

Why CDs?

2010-02-21T18:19:00.000-08:00

I may have covered some of this ground in the past, but I've had this particular post on my mind ever since I started my two "decade" coutdowns in December ... well, actually quite a bit earlier than that ... so here goes. (Besides, this has been a slow month here anyway.) Why do I buy CDs? And no, I'm not questioning my own choice to buy them, rather I'm answering anyone who might be asking the question.

I've noticed a whole lot of attention being paid lately to the single, and less of an emphasis on the album. In "Rolling Stone" magazine, the singles reviews are now occupying almost as much space as album reviews. Also, most every other blog I've seen out there has had a "top singles of the year" list, while such a list is noticeably absent from my blog. And then there's the ubiquitous presence of iTunes where, I've been led to believe, individual track sales are far more numerous than full album sales. So, the question persists: Why do I buy albums? Don't I know that there are usually just one or two good songs on an album, and all the rest is filler, not to mention that I can cherry-pick my favorite songs digitally on iTunes?

Well, yes I do know all that. But there's a method to my madness. First of all, the reason I buy albums as opposed to singles is because I like to invest more time in an artist than three or four minutes. Not only do I feel like I'd be dismissive and curt to said artist -- who's probably taken a lot of time and hard work to put together a whole set of ten or eleven songs -- by only giving them one song's worth of my time, but the truth is that I quite often end up liking well over half the album after I've listened to it a good few times. I frankly have never understood how so many listeners dismiss an album as having "only one good song" ... it must just be a symptom of the ever-diminishing attention span of the average American. I kind-of pity those people, in a way, 'cause I know they're missing out on some dandy album tracks.

Besides, I never listen to the radio (no particular reason, I just don't), so I never pay attention to what singles are popular and what aren't ... I guess I just prefer to explore on my own.

And now for the other half of my answer: why I buy CDs instead of digital albums. Of course I have bought one or two digital albums, but only when they're available in no physical format. When I spend my money, I like to get an actual, tangible object in exchange for it ... not some ethereal blip of data that could potentially be gone in one catastrophic hard-drive crash. Not to mention that I love to be able to flip through the liner notes, reading the text and enjoying the pictures ... plus (not that I necessarily have it on my mind when I buy the disc) I've got something to sell to the local independent store for trade credit if I should happen to not like the album or grow tired of it in the future. And I have to admit, there's something fun about hunting down a hard-to-find title, that feeling of triumph when I find it, the rush when I receive it in the mail (or bring it home from the store), and the anticipation of popping it in my player for the first time.

As I've said before, the convenience and immediacy of digital downloading (and I mean legal digital downloading, you cyber-hooligans out there) is way cool, no doubt ... but nothing can compare to holding an actual CD case in your hands, gazing at the front and back cover art while it spins in your CD drive and pours through your headphones, and finding that special spot on your CD shelf to tuck it into, amongst the rows (and, for me, rows and rows!) of its brethren. I tell you, if I didn't have those two bookcases full of CDs in my room, it just wouldn't feel like home.

American Idol 2010 -- The Top 24 is Revealed!

2010-02-17T22:04:00.000-08:00

You've just been waiting on pins and needles for my first "Idol" post of the year, haven't you? Well, here it is. The rest of the Top 24 are being revealed as I type this, and I couldn't be more excited! Well, I probably could be ... I mean, in the last couple of weeks we've had to say goodbye to Amedeo DiRocco (the big, seriously soulful Italian guy), Bryan Walker (the Tennessee police officer), and Matt Lawrence (the burly guy who had done jail time in his younger days) ... all of whom I liked and had really hoped we'd see go further. But it still looks like we're going to have a fiercely talented two-dozen semi-finalists to whittle away at this season.

I'm not sorry to see Mary Powers cut (talented, but probably way too aggressive a personality), nor Jessica Furney (Did she honestly think her pathetic begging would change the judges' minds after they spent hours deliberating? Honestly, she gives me the creeps as much as the weirdly babbling "ohmygod! ohmygod!" girl from last year did.) But unfortunately, some other really good performers that I liked have also been cut from the quarter-final group of 46 ... like Shelby Dressel (who I think was pretty despite her facial paralysis, although admittedly not in the top half in singing talent), Angela Martin (the third time wasn't the charm for this girl who's been through so much ... gotta be the toughest rejection the judges gave this year), and Thaddeus Johnson (great potential at just 16, so he'd better try out again next year!).

Here are my thoughts on the Top 24....

Michael Lynche -- He's a great big teddy-bear of a spankin' new dad, and a genuinely likeable guy (as I'm sure a lot of the audience would agree). I hear web buzz that he's been disqualified because of a technicality, but I've also heard a rumor that that decision has been reversed, so I guess we'll just have to enjoy him for now and see what happens.

Didi Benami -- How can anyone not have a connection with this lovely girl due to the heartbreaking story of her best friend's untimely death? Those judges simply couldn't be so heartless as to send her home, could they? Well, fortunately, the answer to that was "no", and I think she'll do well.

Katelyn Epperly -- Like the judges pointed out early on (and even into Hollywood Week), it's a bit hard to get a connection with her, and I haven't yet either. She's a really good singer, naturally, but I honestly have a feeling she won't be sticking around for long unless she can tap into some personality.

Casey James -- Here's another dude I like (plain-and-simple hotness aside) ... an all-American guy with a likeable personality. I think he's got a lot more to show us than he's shown us already (again, no jokes intended by his on-Kara's-demand shirt-shedding), and I look forward to it. If you like this guy, you should check out recent Australian Idol winner Wes Carr ... same kind of vibe.

Aaron Kelly -- Does anyone else out there love this kid as much as I do (and have, from day one)? I wasn't the least bit surprised that he was pulled through, although I did worry just a bit when he made not one, but two lyric fumbles in Hollywood week. As adorable as David Archuleta, but Aaron's got more going for him (better conversational skills, for one thing).

Lee DeWyze -- On the surface, he's kind-of a cross between Matt Giraud and Danny Gokey from last year, but I can't really define him otherwise. With any luck, he'll tap into something inside and show us what he's probably capable of. I also hope he, like, develops his, like, vocabulary more ... like.

Todrick Hall -- This guy just might have the most charm of all the Top 24 so far, and he showed it right from the start with that improvised song for the judges at his first audition. Great voice and a lot of charisma! I'm looking forward to seeing what this guy has up his sleeve.

Tyler Grady -- If Aaron is my favorite, this guy is a close second. He's got a great '60s/'70s kind of look, an original style, and more than enough potential to command the stage. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this guy progresses.

Alex Lambert -- Hey, two Lamberts in as many years! (Not that they're related, of course.) I kind-of like this guy, though I don't know if I'd have necessarily considered him Top 24 material. But I certainly won't argue ... I hope he breaks out and shows us something.

Tim Urban -- Cool ... I was kind-of hoping this guy would make it through ... I have a feeling he'll be showing us that he's earned his semi-final slot.

Crystal Bowersox -- There's something about this girl I like, besides her obvious talent. She reminds me a little of Amanda Overmyer (from season 7), and I was happy to see her brought forward into the Top 24.

Katie Stevens -- She just might be my favorite of the ladies ... a sweet, adorable girl with a heartbreaking story and a big, knock-your-socks-off voice. I'm really happy to see her brought through, and I can't wait to see her shine.

Lily Scott -- A friend of mine has liked her from the beginning, but she's one of those that flew under my radar until now. Something tells me she'll be going pretty far in the competition.

John Park -- I've liked this guy for awhile myself (reminds me a bit of Anoop Desai from last year), and was kind-of hoping to see him stay in the game. I'll be watching him eagerly.

Andrew Garcia -- This guy won me over with his great interpretation of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up", and I've had my eye on him ever since. The judges did well to bring him into the semi-finals, and I look forward to seeing what else he can do.

Ashley Rodriguez, Janell Wheeler, Lacey Brown, Joe Muñoz, Paige Miles, Siobhan Magnus, Michelle Delamor, Jermaine Sellers, and Haeley Vaughn -- I honestly don't remember much (or remember seeing much) about these competitors, but it'll be interesting to see how far they go.

All in all, it's shaping up to be a strong Top 24, with the ladies looking just as strong as the guys. I wonder ... will a woman take the title for the first time since 2007? Or will a guy be crowned American Idol for a third straight year? Time will tell...!

Weird Gets Raw

2010-02-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

For a short while now, William Shatner has been doing this one-on-one talk show called "Shatner's Raw Nerve". It airs on the Biography channel, and is also sold on the U.S. iTunes store. The setting is almost artful in its simplicity: just Shatner and one guest -- in his 26 episodes (and counting), he's had people ranging from Scott Baio to Judge Judy to porn star Jenna Jameson to Meat Loaf to Whoopi Goldberg to, inevitably, his "Star Trek" compatriot Leonard Nimoy -- having an intimate chat with no studio audience.

Recently, his guest of honor was "Weird Al" Yankovic. As you might imagine, a conflux of two of my favorite pop-culture personalities in one place was too much of a temptation to resist. Knowing most of what there is to know about Al, I expected a rather uninformative, somewhat superficial half-hour of little interest. But you can imagine my surprise when I found myself watching something entirely different ... and unexpectedly riveting. I realized that while I know nearly all the facts, of any significance, about Al's life, he's never dropped his Weirdness long enough to let the world in for a real look, not that he's ever "owed" us one (after all, being Weird is his job!).

Shatner isn't afraid to use the title of his show quite literally and broach the touchy subjects -- and with Al it's no exception. He's begun to mellow with fatherhood and with age (though he can still tuck his ankle behind his neck!), and he rarely if ever sheds his "Weird" persona before the press or the cameras, so this is a rare glimpse into the real Al. Whether you have just a passing interest in Al, or have been a lifelong fan as I have, I can guarantee that you've never seen Al as truly human before as he is here, and it's really quite moving. You can buy this episode (and the whole series) on the U.S. iTunes store.

Boyzone's New Album Cover Revealed!

2010-02-01T15:10:00.000-08:00

Well, folks, I hope you enjoyed reading my Favorite CDs of the 2000's countdown, 'cause I sure as heck enjoyed writing it, and revisiting some CDs in my collection (in memory if not actually in listening to them again) that I'd been neglecting for far too long. I'd had a topic in mind for a series of posts this month, but I'm putting it on hold until March, partly to give myself a bit of a rest in hopes of recovering from a bout of "techno-choly" I've recently caught.

You see, our broadband internet connection went on the fritz over the weekend, and we're still not sure if it's been fixed all the way yet. And for some stupid reason, I can sometimes get bent out of shape by electronics around the house malfunctioning, and this time in particular I've found myself frequently wishing I could pack up and move out to some remote area in Europe where life moves at a slower pace and isn't nearly as dependent on all our high-tech gadgetry.

But anyway, as you can probably understand, all that has dampened my spirit slightly for keeping up a steady blogging schedule, so things will probably be a bit quiet around here for the next four weeks. But have no fear, I've got two ideas in mind for series of posts, not to mention the fact that "American Idol" is just about to kick into high gear with Hollywood Week and the ensuing viewer-vote-powered final rounds. But in the meantime, I hope I'm the first in your little blog circle to bring you the recently unveiled cover of the new Boyzone album, "Brother", due out March 8....

It's a very nice-looking cover, however I can't help but notice the absence of the late, great Stephen Gately. True, he is technically no longer an active member of the group, but it was my understanding that he recorded a fair share of vocals for this new batch of songs before passing away ... at least, I hope we'll be hearing a lot of his voice. Plus, since this album is no doubt in memory of Steo, the least they could have done was shrink the "Boyzone" and "Brother" and move them toward the outside edges, making room for at least a small pic of Stephen in the center ... wouldn't you think? Still, though, I will of course be picking this one up promptly.

Oh, and I didn't notice until yesterday, but my #1 CD of the '00s entry was my 300th post!! Woo-hoo!!

Favorite CDs of the '00s -- NUMBER ONE!

2010-01-31T09:35:00.000-08:00

#1. THE MOFFATTS - "Submodalities"
(EMI/Canada, 2000)

I've prattled on before about my undying love for this album, so suffice to say that I've never let a month (it was a week for awhile at the beginning) go by without listening to this disc, I have yet to get tired of hearing it, and I never skip over any of the tracks when I do. "Just Another Phase" carries the sweeping grandeur of Oasis and U2 ... "Walking Behind" sounds like a cross between Train and Paul Simon ... "California" mixes the furious crunch of Green Day with the "a-doo-dah-mama" of the Beach Boys but totally works anyway ... "Typical" has the momentary key switch-up, that desperate moan from Scott, and a chorus that compounds with each repetition, all of which make me love it ... "Spy" sounds like Radiohead and Queen teaming up to do a lost James Bond movie theme ... and "Life On Mars" is a way-groovy, sitar-licious '60s psychedelia trip without the need for drugs. The ballads "Always In My Heart" and "Who Do You Love", as well as the big single, "Bang Bang Boom", sound almost boring by comparison, but then with an album this phantasmagoric they needed some ordinary just to stave off the sensory overload. With the guiding hand of veteran producer Bob Rock, the brothers Moffatt (all of whom were, incredibly, still mere teenagers when this album was recorded) ended up creating a masterpiece that absolutely everyone should hear before they die.

Favorite CDs of the '00s -- #3 and #2

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3. NSYNC - "No Strings Attached"
(Jive, 2000)

Here it is: the album that needs no introduction, and the one against which all other boyband albums would be measured. (Funny, they probably said the same thing ten months earlier about Backstreet Boys' "Millennium"!) "No Strings Attached" was delayed for almost six months by NSYNC's legal battle to free themselves from control of their money-grubbing overlord, Lou Pearlman -- an eventually successful effort which inspired the album's title. Their newfound contractual freedom suited them well, resulting in an album whose creative energy and sonic momentum carried from the opening of "Bye Bye Bye" to the final harmonies of the sumptuous a cappella closer "I Thought She Knew". To say that every track could have been a single really is no exaggeration. In every sense -- creative, business, and otherwise -- boyband pop would never be the same again.

2. ESPEN LIND - "This Is Pop Music"
(Universal/Norway, 2001)

He's helped write for some of the most popular artists around -- Leona Lewis, the Jonas Brothers, David Cook, Beyoncé, Ne-Yo, Jordin Sparks, and Train -- but what a lot of people don't know is that he's also a superb pop musician in his own right. This is his third album, and I dare say there's not a thing about it that isn't great. The songs are well-written and balanced nicely between the slow ("Everybody Says"), the energetic ("This Is The Time! This Is The Place!"), the in-between ("Everything's Falling Apart"), and the indescribable ("Pop From Hell"). Lind's vocals are as flawless and beautiful here as they always are, but the most interesting thing may be the instrumentation. I've listened to this album over a dozen times, and on every listen I pick up little intricacies buried in the mix that I didn't hear before. That fact alone makes this his best and most entertaining album by far.

Favorite CDs of the '00s -- #5 and #4

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5. BEN LEE - "Awake Is The New Sleep"
(New West, 2005)

You know that one album by a particular artist that turns you from a casual listener into an ardent fan? The one that makes you buy not only all of its CD-singles (for the B-sides), but also the artist's whole back-catalog? Well, this was the album that so galvanized my devotion to Ben Lee. I had heard and liked some of his stuff in the past, but when I picked up the advance EP for this album I ended up falling head-over-heels for its charms before I knew what had happened. From what I've read about Lee, he seems to have an enlightened and unconfined mind, and that sensibility tends to carry forth into his music -- especially on the anthemic but untreacly "We're All In This Together" -- and to me that makes both the man and the music all the more likeable. When you hear songs like "Begin", "Into The Dark", and "Gamble Everything For Love", you know they're from his heart.

4. A-TEENS - "Teen Spirit"
(Stockholm, 2001)

Putting out an album of only ABBA covers as their first effort could very easily have rendered the A-Teens not only a one-album flash-in-the-pan, but also a pop-culture punchline. Fortunately, they had a strong and very appealing battery of original songs at the ready for their second album. Of course, it helped that the kids were likeable and seemed to enjoy and appreciate their burgeoning pop stardom. Whether it's upbeat tunes like "Halfway Around The World" and "Slammin' Kinda Love", ballads such as "Firefly" and "For All That I Am", or the mid-tempo treats "...To The Music" and "That's What (It's All About)", the energy and feeling that Dhani, Sara, Amit and Marie poured into each of the songs is almost contagious. As sugary as this album is, I can't help but confess that whenever I listen to this album I really can't skip over a single track, I like them all so much.

Favorite CDs of the '00s -- #10 to #6

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10. ERAN JAMES - "Ten Songs About Love"
(Heaven/Australia, 2007)

At the tender age of 15, with the well-honed voice of a man twice his age, he wowed Australia with an album of soul and R&B covers, leading none other than James Brown to exclaim, "Man, you're blacker than me!" He returned three years later with this album of twelve (no, not "ten") original songs which are not as lively, but show off his phenomenal voice just as well. He's at times breezy and refreshing, at other times passionate and soulful, but he's always goosebump-inducing. I've listened to a lot of music over the years, and I'm not afraid to call his the most amazing singing voice under 25 years old that I've ever heard.

9. FIVE - "Kingsize"
(BMG/UK, 2001)

If there's one boyband that went out at the top of their game, it was Five. Not only were every one of this album's singles excellent -- "Let's Dance" is still one of the best dance songs around, "Closer To Me" was probably the most beautiful ballad they ever did, and "Rock The Party" had the greatest sampling of a classic tune ("Grease" by Frankie Valli) that I've ever heard -- but the rest of the album, even the filler, was fantastic ... the semi-folksy "Take Your Chances On Me", the soaring anthem "Feel The Love", and my personal favorite, the absolutely kick-ass "Hear Me Now". At least no one can say they didn't save their best for last.

8. TAKE THAT - "Beautiful World"
(Polydor/UK, 2006)

Is there a better reunion album out there? I'm having a lot of trouble thinking of one. Take That proved they still had what it takes, ten years later and without Robbie Williams. Of course, it didn't hurt that they came back with an absolutely amazing batch of songs, equally balanced between uplifting anthems and subdued ballads. I love "Ain't No Sense In Love" and "Hold On", "Patience" still puts a lump in my throat, and "Reach Out" never fails to lift my spirits. It's really no wonder that it became the UK's second most popular album of the year, ended up selling over three million copies, and earned the gang four BRIT Award nominations.

7. McFLY - "Wonderland"
(Universal/UK, 2005)

While their spirited debut certainly had plenty of great songs, there's something to be said for showing a mature side, especially when such skilled songwriting is part of the package. I could heap praise on just about every single tune here (because I never skip over any of them), but suffice to say I love the curve-ball tempo of "Nothing", the heartbreaking beauty of "All About You", the bouncy optimism of "I'll Be OK", and the fervent symphony of "I Wanna Hold You". Their first disc may have had a lighter and more carefree mood, but track-for-track this album is the more enriching and appreciable listen.

6. FERRAS - "Aliens & Rainbows"
(Capitol, 2008)

Where the heck did this guy come from? Out of nowhere, seemingly, to win me over big-time with this near-perfect pop record. "Hollywood's Not America", the track that got the most attention, is in a way the most boring one on the album. Something like a cross between Elton John and Daniel Bedingfield, Ferras jammed his debut full of absurdly enjoyable piano-centric pop that makes you want to dance ("Something About You"), cry ("Rush"), and think ("Dear God"). I have no idea why his album wasn't a huge hit, because it undoubtedly deserved to be. I'm just glad to hear he's recording a follow-up!

Favorite CDs of the '00s -- #15 to #11

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15. HANSON - "Underneath"
(3CG, 2004)

This was the Hanson album that I'd been waiting for, only I didn't know until I heard it. As good as their previous albums were, they'd never sounded as pure and natural as they do here. The anthemic "Dancin' In The Wind", the breezy "Penny & Me", the bouncy ballad "Deeper" (featuring Michelle Branch), and the foot-stompin' "Lost Without Each Other" ... if I'd known it was going to be this good, I'd have been willing to wait a lot longer than four years.

14. MICHAEL TOLCHER - "I Am"
(Octone, 2004)

His single "Sooner Or Later" got picked to be the theme to a short-lived network drama show, but otherwise this guy was sadly lost in the crowd of Gavin deGraws and Mat Kearneys that flooded the scene in the middle of the decade. But it's still in print, so there's time to correct that injustice. Cycle through the audio clips online -- there's not a bad song on this album -- and you'll find twelve compelling reasons to add this one to your collection.

13. THE FEELING - "Twelve Stops And Home"
(Universal/UK, 2006)

This UK band burst onto the scene with some of the most enchantingly melodic pop-rock since Supertramp. Whether it's upbeat fare such as "Love It When You Call" or "Fill My Little World" that you're looking for, or subdued balladry like "Same Old Stuff" or "Sewn", there's an awful lot to like here. Maybe if they'd used the whimsical and colorful UK cover art for the album's US release, it might have sold better.

12. KRISTIAN LEONTIOU - "Some Day Soon"
(Polydor/UK, 2004)

I started out liking the comparable Daniel Powter at first, but before too long I was trading in Powter's CD out of boredom and becoming fonder of this disc with every listen. Unique but familiar-sounding singer-songwriter tracks dressed with equal parts electronica and organic instrumentation, it's lifted my spirits on more than one occasion ... probably the best impulse-buy from an unknown (to me) artist that I've ever made.

11. NICK CARTER - "Now Or Never"
(Jive, 2002)

Forget Justin Timberlake, I thought to myself back then ... this was the solo boyband singer's album I had been waiting for. I still love nearly every rockin' tune on this disc, sung in Nick's endlessly charming, Bryan-Adams-styled rasp -- especially "My Confession", "Blow Your Mind", "Heart Without a Home", "Help Me", and my favorite, "I Got You" -- and I'm still pissed that we have yet to see a second solo album from him.

Favorite CDs of the '00s -- #20 to #16

2010-01-24T11:15:00.000-08:00

20. BENT FABRIC - "Jukebox"
(Hidden Beach, 2005)

Seldom has an album been more appropriately named. The melodies of Danish pianist Bent Fabricius-Bjerre get a 21st-Century makeover by an army of producers, mixers, instrumentalists and vocalists, resulting in an album that almost sounds more like a various-artists pop compilation than an album by a single jazz artist. Crowned by his classic, untouched, signature tune "Alley Cat", this album will jump-start any party.

19. BARENAKED LADIES - "Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits"
(Reprise, 2001)

Putting a greatest-hits album in my countdown might be cheating, but as far as BNL are concerned, it's justified. (Besides, it fits my self-imposed rule of at least two new tracks being included.) If the extent of your exposure to this band is their biggest hit, "One Week", do yourself a favor and buy this title, and immerse yourself in the amazing tunefulness and musical versatility that is Barenaked Ladies. Every single track on here is a gem.

18. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE - "Justified"
(Jive, 2002)

Some people say "FutureSex/LoveSounds" is better, but it's a bit too "far out" for me ... I like my pop a bit more straightforward and accessible, and the almost-universal appeal of this album is indisputable. There's the instrumental intricacy of "Cry Me a River", the semi-tropical groove of "(Oh No) What You Got", "Like I Love You" is just plain catchy, and "Rock Your Body" is the best Michael Jackson song that MJ never did.

17. KEANE - "Perfect Symmetry"
(Interscope, 2008)

Their previous albums might be more compelling and meaningful, but when it comes to pure enjoyment, this one totally floats my boat. Maybe it's because I grew up in the '80s and can thus totally get into the very '80s groove they seem to effortlessly maintain throughout this album. Suffice to say, they had me from that Human League-ish distorted melody line at the very beginning of "Spiralling", and didn't let go for 50 minutes.

16. ERIK FABER - "Passages"
(Epic/Norway, 2006)

It's been over three years since Erik Faber has put out a new album, and perhaps that's a good thing ... he seems to be getting better and better with each release, so I fear that at some point he'll have reached his peak and I'll be disappointed with his next disc. This one is certainly no disappointment. The top-flight single "Not Over", the mesmerizing duet "Racing", the heartbreaking "Song for H" ... a hard-to-find album, but worth the search.

Favorite CDs of the '00s -- #25 to #21

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25. TAKE 5 - "Against All Odds"
(Elektra, 2000)

Their first album (hard to find, and probably for the best) was about as bland as could be, but this American boyband found a solid groove on their follow-up, landing somewhere between the harmonic balladry of Backstreet Boys and the hip-hop-laden R&B of Five. Their distinctive voices also helped tunes like "Perfect Sense", the Diane Warren-penned "Can I Come Over", the Richard Marxish "Never In My Life", and my favorite, "Bounce", win me over in a big way.

24. "WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC - "Straight Outta Lynwood"
(Volcano, 2006)

Label politics rained on Al's parade by keeping a James Blunt parody off his twelfth album, but Al got the last laugh when his backup plan -- the Chamillionaire takeoff "White & Nerdy" -- became his biggest hit ever. Other excellent parodies like "Canadian Idiot" and "Confessions Part III", and enjoyable originals such as "Virus Alert" and "Don't Download This Song", made this Al's best and most popular album in more than a decade.

23. TEDDY GEIGER - "Underage Thinking"
(Columbia, 2005)

He had boy-next-door good looks, an appealing voice, and some serious singer-songwriter talent, resulting in this excellent album of mostly self-penned pop-rock tracks. Columbia apparently believed in him enough to issue a deluxe edition of this album several months later ... so why did they then abruptly drop him from their roster? It just doesn't make sense ... and Teddy is one of the artists on this countdown I miss the most.

22. EMAN - "Favorite Enemy"
(Lunapark, 2002)

Emanuel Kiriakou is a prolific writer, producer, and session musician who has worked with dozens of the most popular Top-40 artists in the world ... but if you ask me, he's wasting his talents. You see, several years ago he was on the other side of the microphone and turned out this fantastic set of pop-rock tunes. Once you hear "Falling", "Wonderfully Strange" and "Picture Day", you'll hate him for not recording more albums, too.

21. TINTED WINDOWS - "Tinted Windows"
(S-Curve, 2009)

Since it consisted of members of Hanson and Fountains of Wayne, it was pretty-much a given that I'd like this band, but I was still impressed with how much I fell for their album. Don't expect profound lyrics or intricate melodies -- but then, power-pop isn't about that stuff anyway -- but do expect one track after another full of toe-tapping, hand-clapping, sing-along choruses that you simply won't be able to resist.

Favorite CDs of the '00s -- #30 to #26

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30. KALAN PORTER - "Wake Up Living"
(Sony BMG/Canada, 2007)

"The Little Prince" (so nicknamed for his resemblance to the literary character), who won the second season of "Canadian Idol", is probably my favorite "Idol" alumnus, foreign or domestic. Not only are his songs fantastic -- particularly "Karma King", "Destination", and the rocking kiss-off "Hurray" -- but there's just something about that big, beefy voice coming out of such a thin, cherub-faced body, that makes him all the more interesting.

29. DURAN DURAN - "Red Carpet Massacre"
(Epic, 2007)

Featuring guest appearances and production by such hitmakers as Timbaland and Justin Timberlake, this is Duran Duran's best album -- and the farthest ahead-of-their-time that they've sounded -- in a decade and a half. Spellbinding tracks like "Falling Down", "Dirty Great Monster", "Box Full O'Honey", "The Valley", and "Last Man Standing" prove that the joining of these two pop music forces was a match made in heaven.

28. STEPHEN GATELY - "New Beginning"
(Polydor/UK, 2000)

I've always been annoyed that his bandmate Ronan Keating has had the longer and more successful post-Boyzone discography ... but that's okay, 'cause I've enjoyed Steo's one and only solo album more than all of Ronan's combined. The beautiful ballads like "I Believe" and "Where Do We Go", and fine upbeat tracks such as "Stay" and "Coming Back", are made all the more enjoyable with the late Mr. Gately's sweet-as-honey vocals.

27. RYAN CABRERA - "Take It All Away"
(Atlantic, 2004)

I got clued into his charms a few months before the rest of the world did -- and met him in person (nice guy!) -- after picking up a free 3-track promotional disc. He would later fall victim to media overexposure, a silly haircut or two, and a sophomore album plagued with boring, whiney ballads, but his major-label debut was a sunny, catchy, well-crafted thing of pop-rock beauty, thanks to a helping hand from Goo Goo Doll John Rzeznik.

26. PHANTOM PLANET - "The Guest"
(Epic, 2002)

After a promising but little-noticed debut -- but before they descended into emo-punk junk on their third album -- these guys hit their peak with this power-pop magnum opus, which gave them a huge boost in popularity thanks to the use of its melancholy track "Lonely Day" on various TV soundtracks and, of course, the smash hit single "California" being chosen as the theme song to the hit TV series, "The O.C.".

Favorite CDs of the '00s -- #35 to #31

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35. GIL - "The Album"
(BMG/Germany, 2000)

Gil showed here that he was ready to take music seriously, ditching the pop fluff of his debut in favor of more sophisticated melodies and more substantial lyrical content, including topics such as social responsibility ("Right Now", not the Van Halen song) and sex (the outstanding "Out Of My Bed (Still In My Head)", which should have been an international hit single). The heavy "Stop" and the country cover "It's Your Love" are other high points.

34. WAVE - "State Of Mind"
(Warner/Canada, 2002)

You can dismiss them as a two-man Canadian version of BBMak if you want to, but there's no denying that in their two albums, these guys put out some of the most appealingly breezy pop songs to be found anywhere. "Save a Little Part", "Morning Delight", and "Moon Underwater" are good enough, but wait until you hear "Don't Say Sarah", where the guys do the best Hall & Oates since Hall & Oates!

33. KAVANA - "Special Kind of Something: The Best of Kavana"
(EMI, 2007)

When I realized this compilation had been issued in anticipation of his making a comeback, I was ecstatic since it had been far too long since hearing his wonderfully smooth voice. Two years later, that supposed comeback still hasn't materialized, but at least this disc gives us all his best tracks plus three previously unreleased songs, including the beautiful duet "Heart Like The Sun" with the legendary Lulu. Oh Kav, where art thou?!?

32. SUGAR RAY - "Sugar Ray"
(Atlantic, 2001)

Their smash breakthrough album "14:59" got all the attention, but I'm a much bigger fan of this disc. Between the hot rockers "Sorry Now" and "Answer The Phone", the mid-range numbers "Waiting" and "Under The Sun", and the cool breeze of "Stay On" and "Just a Little", I can't skip over a single track on this album whenever I listen to it. And they saved the best for last: the fantastic (and cleverly titled) "Disasterpiece".

31. COLIN HAY - "Company of Strangers"
(Lazy Eye, 2002)

This has got to be one of Colin Hay's best albums; his skill for melody ("Dear J") and sardonic wit ("Lucky Bastard") have never been in finer form. From the introspection of the title track to the rumination of "Lifeline", and from the helplessness of "No Win Situation" to the cautious optimism of "Beautiful World", this is probably the album that would have made me a Colin Hay fan if I hadn't been one already.

Favorite CDs of the '00s -- #40 to #36

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40. JOEY McINTYRE - "Meet Joe Mac"
(Atlantic, 2001)

Joey was always my favorite New Kid, so I guess I can't help but love this album. "Rain" is a fine power ballad, "With a Girl Like You" a great upbeat track, and "Easier" probably his most beautiful slow song ever ... and then there's my guilty pleasure, "National Anthem of Love", complete with the B-52s' Fred Schneider on backing vocals! Goodness knows there were a few duds here, but I forgave them long ago.

39. A1 - "Make It Good"
(Columbia/UK, 2002)

Call it their "coming-of-age" album. Forgoing the synth-centric dance beats, the British boyband A1 turned to a more grown-up guitar-based pop-rock sound, and the results were surprisingly good. They do try their hand at dirty '70s-style rock on one track, but they've mostly mellowed out with strong, well-written mid-tempo delights like "This Ain't What Love Is About", the whistley bounce of "Do You Remember", and the stellar title track.

38. AMY GRANT - "Greatest Hits 1986-2004"
(A&M, 2004)

I love Amy Grant's voice, but I really don't like Christian music, so you can imagine how happy I was when I stumbled upon this, her secular-based hits collection. It's inevitable that it would include a bunch of tracks from "Heart In Motion" and "House of Love", but it's also justifiable, since those were the two multi-platinum crossover albums that practically turned her into a household name in the early '90s.

37. GRÉGORY LEMARCHAL - "Je Deviens Moi"
(Mercury/France, 2006)

This angel-faced lad with the soaring voice captured his country's heart by winning the fourth season of France's "Star Academy" performing arts competition series. His debut album is nothing short of stirring, with the delicate "Je T'Écris", the Queen-ish rock-aria "Je Suis En Vie", and the anthemic "Le Feu Sur Les Planches". Tragically, his death the following year at age 23 from cystic fibrosis made this album all the more precious.

36. V - "You Stood Up"
(Universal/UK, 2004)

This 5-member UK boyband packed their debut with fantastic upbeat tunes ("Blood Sweat & Tears", "Hip To Hip" and the Jackson 5 cover "Can You Feel It") and lush ballads ("Stop The Tears" and the title track), and even got an assist from popular labelmates McFly, but despite their best efforts, the album failed to make a splash. Maybe 2004 was too early for an attempt at a boyband "renaissance".

Favorite CDs of the '00s -- #45 to #41

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45. BLEU - "Redhead"
(Aware, 2003)

Owsley's debut album dropped in 1999, so I guess that means power-pop albums this good by single-named solo artists come along about twice in a decade. This poor guy was lingering unappreciated in my library for a long time, until picking up his new album a few months ago refreshed my memory. "That's When I Crash" ... "Something's Gotta Give" ... "We'll Do It All Again" ... there's nothing like the aural bliss of Bleu.

44. RELISH - "Wildflowers"
(EMI/UK, 2001)

Frontman Ken Papenfus unintentionally did a pretty good Lenny Kravitz impersonation, but other than that this Irish rock band was unique and very enjoyable. Their semi-spiritual anthem "Rainbow Zephyr" was so amazing that Westlife did a lousy cover of it (cringe-inducingly titled "Hey Whatever"). Other highlights on this debut include the breezy ballad "You I'm Thinking Of" and the rocker "Heart-Shaped Box" (no, not the Nirvana hit).

43. RUFUS WAINWRIGHT - "Want One"
(Dreamworks, 2003)

There's nobody out there like Rufus, and it's probably a good thing, 'cause the world wouldn't know what to do with a second one. This was his album of the moment when I saw Rufus live, so consequently several of its tracks -- "Beautiful Child", "I Don't Know What It Is", "Vibrate", "Oh What a World", "Go Or Go Ahead" -- stick out firmly in my mind. I still don't know why I'm not more of a fan of his than I am.

42. NELLIE McKAY - "Get Away From Me"
(Columbia, 2004)

She's a feminist spitfire with the singing voice of Doris Day, the rhyming chops of Eminem, the scathing wit of George Carlin, and the gumption to insist on releasing a double-disc album as her debut (not to mention making its title a sly jab at Norah Jones). She effortlessly ricochets between traditional jazz vocal stylings, hip-hop, and contemporary pop ... and amazingly, she makes them all sound right at home side-by-side.

41. McFLY - "Motion In The Ocean"
(Universal/UK, 2006)

On their third album, the British emo-pop band took a step back toward the fun-loving cheekiness of their debut, although I somewhat missed the moody growing pains of their sophomore effort. That's not to say this album doesn't have moments just as shining as ever, like "Bubblewrap", "Star Girl", "Little Joanna", and one of my absolute favorite songs of all time, the amazing "Transylvania" (which alone pushed this album more than ten notches up!).

Favorite CDs of the '00s -- #50 to #46

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50. TEDDY THOMPSON - "Separate Ways"
(Verve Forecast, 2005)

And to think I almost missed out on this guy after his first recording contract came and went in 2000. But fortunately the folks at Verve saw fit to bring him back five years later with this excellent sophomore package of folk-rock tunes, including "I Should Get Up", "Altered State", "That's Enough Out Of You", and "Everybody Move It". Rarely has anti-social behavior ever sounded this enjoyable.

49. WILLIAM SHATNER - "Has Been"
(Shout! Factory, 2004)

Everyone would probably agree that once in 36 years is more than often enough for an album as patently bizarre as Shatner's "The Transformed Man". But thankfully, since we now know to expect the guy to be a little warped (pun intended), this follow-up -- produced by Ben Folds and featuring a host of guest artists such as Henry Rollins, Aimee Mann, and Brad Paisley -- is far more coherent and enjoyable ... even a little inspired.

48. WILL YOUNG - "From Now On"
(BMG/UK, 2002)

The very first winner of the "Idol" program that started it all, Will Young also continues to be one of the most successful "Idol" alumni in the world, and this debut album makes it eivdent why he captured the winning vote. It may not be remarkable fare as far as pop music in general goes, but it's infinitely enjoyable when sung by his nimble, resonant voice -- especially "You and I" as well as his take on the José Feliciano arrangement of "Light My Fire".

47. VERTICAL HORIZON - "Everything You Want"
(RCA, 2000)*

Their major-label breakthrough deserved every bit of the attention it got, if not more. Four amazing singles were spawned from this album, including the #1 hit title track and the Top-Ten "You're a God". But the good solid rock songs definitely don't stop there ... nearly every one of the eleven tracks on this double-platinum tour-de-force will leave you humming to yourself for hours.

46. JAMIE CULLUM - "Catching Tales"
(Verve Forecast, 2005)

With its thoroughly entertaining blend of original tunes (the tenderly nostalgic "Photograph", the witty marketing satire "7 Days To Change Your Life", and the enchanting "Mind Trick") and innovative cover arrangements ("Our Day Will Come", "I Only Have Eyes For You", and the Doves' "Catch The Sun"), this is the album that made me fall in love with the British jazz-pop singer-songwriter and his adorably raspy voice.

*Okay, this one was actually released in 1999, but I didn't realize that until I was writing this entry, and I didn't feel like swapping it out for another item. It's not my fault -- the printing I have actually states 2000 as the copyright date!

Favorite CDs of the '00s -- #60 to #51

2010-01-10T10:01:00.000-08:00

60. UNAMERICAN - "Unamerican"
(Universal, 2000)

Despite their name, and their British origins, this rootsy rock band almost couldn't sound more American. Thought-provoking lyrics, solid melodies, and Steve McEwan's hearty voice make songs like "She's a Bomb" and "I So Really Want To Believe You" stick in your head for days.

59. "TRON" - soundtrack
(Disney, 2001)

Wendy Carlos' electronic masterpiece was one of the movie scores that first got me into soundtracks in the first place. Believe it or not, it took Disney nearly two decades to see fit to release it on the format it was all but made for ... but at least they gave us a few bonus tracks.

58. ROOSTER - "Circles And Satellites"
(BMG/UK, 2006)

The music that inspired their sound -- Cream, Led Zeppelin, Free -- was popular 15 years before they were even born, but you wouldn't know it listening to these British lads. Unfortunately we only got their debut and this album, thick guitars, throaty vocals and all, before they disappeared.

57. A1 - "The A List"
(Columbia/UK, 2000)

Packed with top-notch pop -- great uptempo tracks "Same Old Brand New You" and "No More", wonderful ballads "She Doesn't See Me" and "One More Try", and their superb cover of A-Ha's "Take On Me" -- this is the album that should have launched them to world stardom.

56. MATT WERTZ - "Everything In Between"
(Nettwerk, 2004)

Popular in Christian circles, he made his secular debut with this semi-major-label disc, and it's a beauty. Bubbling over with irresistibly catchy, soul-tinged melodies and his endearingly raspy voice, I suppose it's inevitable that I'd end up underwhelmed by his follow-up album.

55. SAM & RUBY - "The Here And The Now"
(Rykodisc, 2009)

As warm and cozy as its cover art implies, this album is just plain beautiful. Not only is the music breezy and uplifting, but the voices of Ruby Amanfu and Sam Brooker complement each other wonderfully. It's a delightfully enchanting album that simply must be heard to be appreciated.

54. THE 5 BROWNS - "The 5 Browns"
(BMG, 2005)

If you've seen them in concert, as I have, their appeal doesn't need to be explained. In every combination -- solos, duos, and ensembles -- these five piano-playing siblings and their prodigiously nimble fingers breathe a dazzling new life into a wide variety of classical favorites.

53. MIKA - "Life In Cartoon Motion"
(Universal, 2007)

His irrepressibly campy style may be too much for some (and it almost was for me), but you just can't deny that he makes some catchy tunes. Between "Grace Kelly", "Love Today", and the cloying "Lollipop", I'm still a bit surprised that it was as big a hit in the States as it was.

52. LAZYBOY - "Lazyboy TV"
(Universal/Denmark, 2004)

It's such a total embodiment of the digital age -- chill beats overlaid with miscellaneous factoids of trivia, sometimes joined by a theme -- and the short attention spans that seem to have come with it, that at my age I'm wondering whether or not I should be worried that I like this album so much.

51. WESTLIFE - "World Of Our Own"
(BMG/UK, 2000)

With stellar upbeat tunes like "Bop Bop Baby", "When You're Looking Like That", and "Imaginary Diva", and lush ballads such as "Drive", "Don't Say It's Too Late", and "Queen Of My Heart", it's safe to say that the boyband-that-won't-go-away has never been better than on this album.

Favorite CDs of the '00s -- #70 to #61

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70. THE FRAY - "How To Save a Life"
(Epic, 2005)

One of my last memories in a Sam Goody store (not that they were all that, but anyway) was seeing the video for "Over My Head" and instantly falling in love with the song, making me pick up the CD right away. I'm pleased to say the rest of the album lived up to the single!

69. ERIK FABER - "Between The Lines"
(Epic/Norway, 2002)

I've never become so completely enamored of an artist's music so quickly as I have this Norwegian pop singer/songwriter. Just weeks after a friend sent me a home-burned sampler, I'd tracked down all three of his albums (this is his wonderful debut), and still listen to them regularly.

68. THE CLICK FIVE - "Modern Minds and Pastimes"
(Atlantic, 2007)

Most people prefer their debut, but for some reason I found more to love on this power-pop band's sophomore disc, especially the deliciously '80s "Addicted To Me", the groovy "Headlight Disco", and my favorite, the emo-ish "Long Way To Go". I didn't even notice there was a different lead singer.

67. RAY CHARLES - "Genius Loves Company"
(Concord, 2004)

Talk about going out on top! The man who gave birth to soul music shares the microphone with a spectacular array of talents, including Diana Krall, Johnny Mathis, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, and Elton John. Brother Ray couldn't have put together a better swan song.

66. TYRONE WELLS - "Remain"
(Universal Republic, 2009)

There's nothing like an impulse buy that ends up being a favorite, and that's just what happened with this guy's sophomore album. At turns sounding like Mat Kearney, Coldplay, and James Taylor, he delivers a great set of compelling and gently inspirational pop songcraft.

65. ANNE MURRAY - "Duets: Friends & Legends"
(EMI/Canada, 2008)

She's never really been a favorite of mine, which makes it all the more surprising how much I like this album. Amy Grant, Nelly Furtado, Carole King, the Indigo Girls, and Olivia Newton-John are just a few of the outstanding female voices that join her on this divine collection.

64. ROONEY - "Rooney"
(Geffen, 2003)

Seldom is a rock band's debut album this good, and seldom does a band from 21st-Century California sound so 1960's-era British. Hit singles "Blueside" and "I'm Shakin'", the waltzy "If It Were Up To Me", and the great "Simply Because" are just a few of the highlights.

63. BEN LEE - "Ripe"
(New West, 2007)

Ben Lee's 2005 breakthrough album, "Awake Is The New Sleep", was so amazing from top to bottom that I was still enjoying it when his follow-up was released. I knew that nothing could top that slice of indie-pop heaven, but this one came a heckuva lot closer than I expected.

62. FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE - "Welcome Interstate Managers"
(S-Curve, 2003)

Having enjoyed their previous album, I was ahead of the curve by the time the rest of America met "Stacy's Mom" and made them superstars. With the rockish "Bright Future In Sales", the folky "Hey Julie", and the countrified "Hung Up On You", fame was bound to come to them sooner or later.

61. RANDALL BRAMBLETT - "Thin Places"
(New West, 2004)

A magazine's sampler CD introduced me to this roots-rock singer-songwriter, and this album slowly but surely grew on me. The shuffling "Playing Card", the rich ballad "You Can Be The Rain", and especially the lush masterpiece "Are You Satisfied" make this a can't-miss album.

Favorite CDs of the '00s -- #80 to #71

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80. JOHN MAYER - "Continuum"
(Columbia, 2006)

My sister and I saw John Mayer in concert when he was touring with Sheryl Crow a few years ago, and as a result this became my favorite of his albums. When you hear "Vultures", "Gravity", "In Repair", and of course "Waiting On The World To Change", do you even need to ask why?

79. TEDDY THOMPSON - "A Piece of What You Need"
(Verve Forecast, 2008)

His frequent collaborations with Rufus Wainwright are part of what made me a fan of this folk-rockin' guy, and I've become fonder of him with every album he puts out. Check out "In My Arms", "Jonathan's Book", or the irresistible "What's This?!!", and you'll be hooked in no time too.

78. PETER GRANT - "Traditional"
(Universal/UK, 2007)

Looking for Jamie Cullum or Michael Bublé with a deeper voice? You'll love this guy. A great mix of originals ("That's Life" is actually not the Sinatra classic) and cover songs (his version of the Turtles' "Happy Together" is the first one I've liked since the original) makes this a really fun album!

77. THE BRIAN SETZER ORCHESTRA - "Wolfgang's Big Night Out"
(Surfdog, 2007)

If you've ever wondered what kind of music Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Beethoven, and their contemporaries might have made if they came of age in the 1940's, wonder no more. Not only is listening to it a total blast, but reading the cheeky new titles he's given the pieces is just as much fun.

76. COLDPLAY - "X&Y"
(Capitol, 2005)

I know, this is the album of theirs that is usually people's least favorite, but I'm weird that way ... plus I'm not (yet) a big Colplay fan. But this album has the songs I'm most fond of -- "Fix You", "Speed Of Sound", and "Talk" -- and keeps compelling me to listen to more of them in the near future.

75. ASH - "Free All Angels"
(Kinetic, 2001)

I only bought this album because the record store I frequented at the time (it's gone now, like most) had stacks of them at a rock-bottom price. Over time, I really came to enjoy nearly every song on it, especially "Shining Light", "Burn Baby Burn" and the Oasis-like "There's a Star".

74. SANTANA - "Ultimate Santana"
(Arista, 2007)

Calling it "ultimate" is a stretch, but no other Santana CD contains the Alex Band version of "Why Don't You And I" (probably my favorite Santana song) or the enjoyable "Into The Night" with Chad Kroeger, while also providing a good primer on their earlier, classic oeuvre.

73. HANSON - "This Time Around"
(Island Def Jam, 2000)

Though it was a rather jarring change from the sugary pop of their debut album, this moody follow-up nonetheless had some excellent tunes ("If Only" is by far my favorite), and expertly showcased the mature songwriting that would soon become their stock-in-trade.

72. "WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC - "Poodle Hat"
(Zomba, 2003)

As far as I'm concerned, the originals on this album far outshine the parodies, especially the totally epic Frank Zappa style-parody "Genius In France", the giddy "Hardware Store", and the truly brilliant "Bob", a Dylan takeoff whose lyrics are all palindromic phrases. Phenomen-AL!

71. BASIA - "It's That Girl Again"
(Koch, 2009)

The Polish-born jazz songstress was a favorite of mine during her late-'80s/early-'90s heyday, and I'd been waiting 15 years for her to put out another solo album ... and she didn't disappoint me one bit. If you're looking for something smooth, you needn't look any further than this.

Favorite CDs of the '00s -- #90 to #81

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90. "2GETHER" - soundtrack
(TVT, 2000)

MTV's spot-on movie spoof of the boyband phenomenon -- and its cast -- ironically became a big part of it, spawning a sequel TV series and two albums of endearingly warped pop tunes. Who can forget "Say It (Don't Spray It)" and "Me + You = Us (Calculus)"?

89. ELEVEN - "Avantgardedog"
(A&M, 2000)

Apparently nobody had the patience to give this band a fair shake, seeing as how they'd been on three different labels by the time of their fourth album. Goodness knows why, with this tasty batch of boisterous rock jams like "Cool Cruel Baby", "It's Okay", and "Verb".

88. GUSTER - "Keep It Together"
(Reprise, 2003)

Kind-of like a lighter Dave Matthews Band or an acoustic version of Genesis, Guster always delights with their own special brand of folk-rock, dusted with touches of world-music and jazz. "Careful", "Homecoming King", "Amsterdam" and the title track are highlights.

87. TONY BENNETT - "Duets: An American Classic"
(Columbia, 2006)

Do I even need to explain why this album is on my list? With the reigning king of song doing what he does best alongside a veritable who's-who of music, from Streisand to Bono to John Legend to the Dixie Chicks ... maybe I need to explain why it isn't higher on my list.

86. JONAS BROTHERS - "Lines, Vines & Trying Times"
(Hollywood, 2009)

Having gotten bored with their first two Hollywood Records albums, I didn't have high expectations for this one, even though I knew they had gobs of potential. But I was impressed and quite surprised by how fresh and amazing they sounded here ... rock on, Jo Bros!!

85. CHRISTIAN WUNDERLICH - "Reflections"
(BMG/Germany, 2000)

The second and final album from the German actor-turned-singer (and probably -turned-actor again by now) is not really any step forward from his first, but considering the really nice pop tunes here ("Like The Sun", "If I Ever Lose This Love"), that's not a bad thing.

84. SHINY TOY GUNS - "We Are Pilots"
(Universal Motown, 2006)

There's nothing like a nice thick slice of electro-rock dipped in a coating of '80s dance-pop, and nobody does it quite like STG. From "Le Disko" to "Don't Cry Out" to "Chemistry of a Car Crash" to "Rainy Monday", there's not a tune to be missed on this one.

83. SUGARBOMB - "Bully"
(RCA, 2001)

One of the most original and ear-grabbing power-pop acts to come along in quite awhile, they gave us just one sweet-but-explosive album full of rambunctious fun. Unfortunately, the album was released in September, while the nation's attention was understandably elsewhere.

82. FIVE - "Invincible"
(RCA/UK, 2000)

Formed by Simon Cowell as an all-male alternative to the Spice Girls, Five turned out to be my second-favorite boyband of all time. Not only did they pack their albums with fun and catchy songs, but any group that can make rap tolerable to my ears deserves to be on this list.

81. KYLE RIABKO - "Before I Speak"
(Aware, 2005)

This Canadian guitar prodigy had licks that could give John Mayer a run for his money, and a smooth and soulful voice on par with Sam Cooke. Just listen to "Do You Right", the title track, the swaying "Miss Behavin'" and the energetic "Paranoid", and you'll be hooked, too.