Down To The Wire

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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.