Wrong, But Right...

I knew it was going to happen, but I just called it on the wrong week...




















Bye-bye, Kristy Lee Cook ... keep pursuing your dream.

On a much more positive note, HOORAY to Jillian from Maine for mentioning RECORD STORE DAY in the Q&A segment tonight! Remember, people, it's this coming Saturday, April 19th! Be sure and go to your nearest record/CD store and buy something! Anything! Hey, if you're reading this crummy blog, you've got to be enough of a music fan to have a perpetual want list, right? Well, this weekend is your chance to knock a few things off of it!! There's a good chance that the store nearest you, especially if it's participating in Record Store Day, will be having a sale -- I know the one near me is -- so I don't want to hear any excuses!!

Okay, off my soapbox now.

Idol Thoughts: The Top 7

What do you wanna bet that David Archuleta will sing "Hero"? As soon as I heard it was Mariah Carey week, I've just had a feeling that's the song he's gonna sing. It will probably be good -- hell, whatever David sings is bound to be good -- but if he does sing that song it'll mean that he's become somewhat predictable, which isn't such a good thing. But anyway, I am a bit of a closet Mariah Carey fan, I must admit ... I do like a handful of her singles, and how can one not be impressed by her vocal range? Let's see how many of the Top 7 can do justice to her songbook....

David Archuleta -- Well, whadya know! (Maybe he thought it would be predictable to sing "Hero", too, so he decided not to...!) Sheesh, Randy is right ... that boy can sing anything! A fantastic start, to be sure!!

Carly Smithson -- It was very good, but somehow I was left a bit cold by it. She's done better, unquestionably. She didn't seem to put as much power behind some of those notes as she usually does or should have. I think she might end up in the bottom three.

Syesha Mercado -- A beautifully soulful performance!! I think this is the best she's sung in the last few weeks ... solid!

Brooke White -- There's the song I was waiting for. She did a fairly good job of it, although I think she inadvertently sped up the tempo in the second half. I've heard her sing better before, too. (What the hell is with Simon's "hamburger" metaphor...?!)

Kristy Lee Cook -- Not bad at all ... one of her better performances, mostly 'cause it had a bit of a country feel to it (that's the genre that she seems to do best in). It's just too bad that it's taken her until this late in the competition to get this good.

David Cook -- I've been thinking for a couple of weeks now that the competition will come down to the two Davids in the end ... and this week keeps me thinking that. Great performance!

Jason Castro -- Wow!! An amazing take on a classic Mariah song, and he pulled it off fantastically!! Now I'm gonna have to decide who to vote for...!

Who I think ought to be in the bottom three: Carly Smithson, Brooke White, and Kristy Lee Cook.

Who I think will be eliminated: Brooke White (I just have a feeling that she's done).

Who I voted for: Jason Castro ... yeah, I just had to ... David Archuleta is doing just fine, and I think Jason edged him out ever-so-slightly this week.

On to the results tomorrow night...!

Jonny Lang

JONNY LANG
"LONG TIME COMING"
(A&M, 2003)


"Get What You Give"


Jonny Lang took the blues world by storm when he released his first major-label album, "Lie To Me", a day before his 16th birthday. Blessed with a prodigious talent for thick, smoldering guitar licks, and the voice of a grizzled blues veteran three times his age, Lang proved to be a force to be reckoned with. After taking a five-year break from recording (to, among other things, get married, and play guitar on a few tracks of Hanson's "This Time Around" album), he chose to take a more mainstream, soul/rock approach with his third album, "Long Time Coming".

The music may not be as bluesy on this album as his usual fare, but I for one don't mind at all. Lang's gravelly growl of a voice is in top form, though, and packs just as much of an emotional delivery as always, without ever seeming overwrought. From the propulsive opener "Give Me Up Again" through the breezy love song "The One I Got" and the sweet ballad "Beautiful One", to the heartwrenchingly desperate "Save Yourself" and the downright rocking "Happiness And Misery" (featuring Aerosmith's Steven Tyler on a wicked harmonica solo), the album is one heck of an emotional ride -- and a nice long one at that, with 15 tracks.

Lang got spiritual on his subsequent album, 2006's "Turn Around"; though I personally didn't care for it, it shows that he's continuing to grow as a musician and as a person. "Long Time Coming" might not be particularly profound, and might not be widely considered his best work (especially if you ask one of the blues afficionados who fell in love with his music at the beginning), but it's my personal favorite of his albums.

Abs

ABS
"ABSTRACT THEORY"
(BMG/Japan, 2003)


"Turn Me Up"


Turkish-Irish singer Richard Breen, better known by his nickname Abs (which comes not from having a well-developed six-pack of tummy muscles, but rather from his middle name, Abidin), is thusfar the only former member of UK boyband Five to have released a solo album. Given that I'm not terribly fond of rap, and that he was one of the two rappers in the group, I was not enthusiastic about picking up the album and spent over a year deliberating whether or not to do so -- despite the fact that Five are my favorite boyband of all time.

I'm glad I finally let myself be persuaded by the reviews that described the album as being much more R&B/pop than rap, and also as having plenty of enjoyable songs, because it turns out they were right. "Miss Perfect" makes a deliciously dancey joint out of the dubious idea of getting caught with another woman ... "Back To The Limbo" is the ultimate Latin-flavored party song ... "Rain" is a ballad that would make Usher proud ... "Emotional" has a sensually pulsating groove that makes it the most interesting song on the album ... and "Angel" is a simply beautiful closing track.

Abs uses samples to varying degrees on several of the tracks, which is something I normally don't care for, but I must admit he employs them effectively ... even "Shame" and "Spin" (extensive re-workings of classic songs "It's a Shame" and "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)", respectively) are quite enjoyable. Abs also knows how to choose his guest female vocalists, in this case Nodesha on "Miss Perfect" and Eve on "7 Ways", who complement his vocals quite well (which often take on the quasi-rap singing style of Craig David).

All in all, "Abstract Theory" is a thoroughly entertaining album, and Abs puts on quite a show. I should have known, since even a rap-intolerant music fan like me doesn't mind hearing him bust a rhyme every now and then.

It's Getting Brutal...

Wow ... even though I was sure he'd be the next of the guys to go, it's still kind-of a shock.


















Farewell, Michael Johns. But, as Paula said, you're gonna be a star. I just might buy your CD, even!

Idol Thoughts: The Top 8

I make no effort to find out the theme of each "Idol" round from week to week, but at the same time I make no effort to avoid finding out either; it just happens that I almost never stumble upon it until shortly before the show starts. I'm kind-of glad it happened that way this time (about an hour before airtime, in this case), because I kind-of shuddered at the description I read on the on-screen guide: "inspirational songs".

As you may or may not know, I am definitely NOT into Christian or religious music, and that's of course the first genre that comes to mind when the word "inspirational" is brought up. Besides, I thought, we had enough of the Jesus love with Dolly Parton week. But as the show started, I realized that they were, thankfully, using the word "inspirational" in its broader sense, with "dreams come true" and "believe in yourself" kind of songs. Now, that I can deal with just fine. (Not that I was going to turn away from "Idol" this week for any reason anyway.) Now, let's recap the performances:

Michael Johns -- He started out a bit shaky, but built to a great finish ... and how about those high notes! The guy's definitely got a way with a power ballad! A very solid performance.

Syesha Mercado -- Hey, another excellent high note ... that was reaching into Mariah territory! Other than that, though, I didn't get a whole lot out of this ... although Randy is a bit unfair to compare her to someone else. She did fairly well, though ... I'm a bit more than luke-warm, I guess.

Jason Castro -- Hmmm ... okay, I'm not familiar with this version of the song ... so are the lyrics Jason sang the same as the lyrics in the version done by this "ukulele guy"? If so, it was excellent (the judges seem to love it through and through), but I'm used to the original "Wizard of Oz" lyrics, so this one made me lose the connection to it. I think I'll remain neutral on it, since I do still like Jason quite a bit.

Kristy Lee Cook -- Okay, now if she'd been this good from the get-go, then I'd understand how she's made it this far. I think this was probably the best I've heard from her yet. Still, though, she's probably the female contestant I'm the least attached to ... but for the first time, I'm kind-of sorry I'm saying that.

David Cook -- Hmmm ... I find myself agreeing with the male judges, to a degree ... something didn't "click" with his performance here ... it seemed a bit forced, and in a way he kind-of looked like he was trying to keep up with the song and was going through the motions just a bit. As Randy said, it didn't seem to be one of his better weeks. But, nobody can hit the bullseye every time, right?

Carly Smithson -- If an "Idol" contestant wants to win me over, all they have to do is sing a Queen song (not my favorite group, but they did tons of kick-ass songs), and Carly did that group justice. Perhaps the best performance by a lady tonight so far.

David Archuleta -- Well, the judges basically said it all. Another stellar performance, with another awesome finish. Like Simon, I think his voice has been better ... but considering it's David Archuleta, "better" can't get much better! And, as Simon said, we all know he's gonna sail through to the next round. Yay, David!

Brooke White -- Another way to get my attention is to sing a Carole King song, and Brooke White takes care of that this week. Unfortunately, she didn't do anything new with it. I thought it was good, but not great.

Who I think ought to be in the bottom three: Michael Johns (I've thought for awhile that, of the remaining guys, he'll be the next to go), Syesha Mercado, and Brooke White.

Who I think will be in the bottom three: Michael Johns, Syesha Mercado, and Brooke White.

Who I think will be eliminated: Brooke White (for the first time, I think Kristy Lee will edge out one of the other ladies).

Who I voted for: Once again, David Archuleta.

So much for this week ... but I have to admit that it was a bit more "inspirational" than I feared it would be. Now, thanks to "Idol Gives Back", it looks like we get one extra day to agonize over who's getting the boot next. Oh, joy.

Ferras

FERRAS
"ALIENS & RAINBOWS"
(Capitol, 2008)


"Something About You"


Although I watch "American Idol", I frankly don't remember "Hollywood's Not America" making any particular impression on me, to say nothing of even knowing who was singing it. I first caught wind of Ferras from Chart Rigger, after which I called up audio clips of the songs. What I heard sounded promising, so I made myself a mental note to pick up the CD on its release date. Little did I know how much, or how quickly, I'd turn out to love it!

I'll try not to mention every single song as a highlight, but it'll be hard not to. The title track reminds me of the best of classic '70s Elton John ... "Everybody Bleeds The Same" has a bit of a Coldplay feel with its sleek, cityscape-at-night sound ... "Soul Rock" is aptly named, with a wonderfully soulful sway ... "Don't Give Up" kind-of reminds me of U2 ... and I've really gotten to like "Dear God" because it basically sums up my view of religion perfectly. The upbeat tracks are outstanding, but I'm tempted to say that Ferras shines better on the ballads, especially the pretty closing track, "Take My Lips".

At the risk of heaping on too much praise, I'm all but forced to agree with D'luv in declaring this "the first great pop album of 2008". I've been a faithful "Entertainment Weekly" subscriber ever since it began publication, but I have to say screw them for giving this gem of an album a C- review! It's probably my favorite album of the year so far ... good thing I didn't get clued in on how good it was until just before its release, otherwise I'd have been climbing the walls waiting for it! And now that we don't have to wait any more, it's time for those of you who haven't run out and bought it yet to do so ... like, now!

Landon Pigg

LANDON PIGG
"LP"
(RCA, 2006)


"Magnetism"


I've wanted to review this album for awhile, but have had trouble deciding what exactly I'd say about it. It's not that I don't like it enough -- quite the contrary. I guess it's just one of those albums that I like, but can't put my finger on why. Landon Pigg is, quite simply, a guy who has a knack for making excellent singer/songwriter pop songs.

Like Jason Mraz, he has a way with clever lyrics ... when referring to perfectionists putting their best foot forward, he surmises that "they're rather easy to detect; they'll be the only ones hopping down the streets". And like Gavin DeGraw and other contemporaries, he also seems able to create one hummable melody after another. The result is an enjoyable and even mix of upbeat tunes and ballads, from beginning to end.

I'd really like to know why Landon Pigg hasn't become as popular as DeGraw or Mraz. He really deserves to be, based on his musical talents ... and considering his Calvin Klein model-caliber good looks that grace the album cover, it's kind-of baffling why he's not. I'm just hoping that we get to see a second album from him like we've gotten from each of those other guys*.

(*or "we'll get", next month, in the case of DeGraw)

Mostly Right...

The bottom three weren't much of a surprise (except for Brooke), but I was wrong about who I thought was going to go...




















So long, Ramiele Malubay ... for as small as you are, you'll sure be missed in a big way!

Idol Thoughts: The Top 9

As soon as I found out it was "Dolly Parton Night" (which was about an hour before airtime, incidentally), I've been dreading a rendition of "9 to 5". Not that it's a bad song, it's just kind-of cliché, so I hope whoever sings it (if anyone) does something fresh with it. I'm also hesitating about how well the male singers will be able to pull off songs by Dolly. Of course, I don't know much about her discography to begin with, so I should probably just shut my yap and watch....

Brooke White -- Pretty good, I must say ... a bluegrass/country hybrid, probably keeping faithful to the original (don't know it, so I can't be sure). Good way to kick off the show ... I liked it!

David Cook -- Okay, now I'm getting a little worried. For the first time, I think someone is in the position to kick David Archuleta not only out of the Top Two (which, to this point, I've been certain he's a shoo-in for), but out of my personal #1 spot! No other way to say it, but that this guy is damn good!!

Ramiele Malubay -- Not bad ... but she kind-of left me not feeling much of anything, frankly. I'm not sure what it was ... the song itself was okay ... but her voice missed its target here and there. To my horror, I find myself agreeing with Simon. (At least Paula didn't have the lack of praise that she usually disguises with her dreaded "You look beautiful!" comment.)

Jason Castro -- Wow! Dolly was right ... that song is a perfect fit for him! He seemed so comfortable singing it ... perhaps his best performance yet, and probably the best of the night so far. And just as quickly as I find myself agreeing with Simon a few minutes ago, I couldn't disagree with him more regarding Jason.

Carly Smithson -- Beautiful! Possibly her best showing yet ... definitely her best in the last few weeks. Sheesh ... Paula is getting ready to pick serious fights with both Simon and Randy, isn't she?!?!

David Archuleta -- Oh my goodness ... what a finish!!! That's the most soaring finale I've heard, I think, since the Top 16 began! The girls are screaming their heads off for him, and for damn good reason! Gee, guess who's getting my vote this week...? (Unless someone better comes along ... fat chance!)

Kristy Lee Cook -- Well, will this be Kristy Lee's swan song? I've been expecting her to be voted off for the last few weeks now (not that I'm a pessimist, 'cause I'm not). I can't say I'm any more impressed with her this week, to be honest ... she's decent, but "decent" won't win her the title of American Idol.

Syesha Mercado -- Hmmm ... in a way, it's too bad she chose this song, 'cause even all these years after "The Bodyguard" I'm still a little sick of it ... but she did as best as she could without trying something new with it ... which is a bit of a problem. Yeah, I found it just a bit boring.

Michael Johns -- I was almost ready to give up on Michael, and here he comes, bringin' on the blues big-time ... another contestant who I'd have to say has delivered his best performance in weeks! Could the bottom three be made up of all ladies this time...?

Who I think ought to be in the bottom three: Ramiele Malubay, Kristy Lee Cook, and Syesha Mercado

Who I think will be in the bottom three: Ramiele Malubay, Kristy Lee Cook, and Syesha Mercado. Try as I might to imagine one of the guys in the bottom three, I just don't see it happening.

Who I voted for: Like, duh ... David Archuleta!

Well, I'm glad we dodged the bullet with regard to any of the contestants trying to sing "9 to 5" ... obviously someone decided that was too much Dolly's signature tune to dare attempt it. Good for them. So, I guess we'll find out how right (or wrong?) my predictions are tomorrow night.