Canadian Idol Top 22: Results, week 1

For those of you who missed tonight's results show...

The bottom four boyz: Derek, Clifton, Justyn and Andrew
The bottom four grrls: Mila, Naomi, Maud and Christine

I'm not particularly surprised about the men, even though I wanted to see more of Derek to see if he would have improved because I saw potential there. But based on his actual performance, yeah... that list seems about right.

The women, however, were a shock. Well, one of them at least. Mila?! Really? Why? I don't understand what happened when there were several girls who were obviously weak and she wasn't. But moving right along...

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Before I get to the final results, I want to quickly mention a couple new songs that I discovered. New to me, I mean.

The first was sung by Montana Martin Iles: "The Bird and the Worm" by The Used (on "Lies for the Liars"). I added that one to My Music Box last night (check out the sidebar). I definitely want to hear more by this band and might end up doing a full post about The Used once I've discovered them more fully. And here's a link for the lyrics.

The second was sung by Carly Rae Jepsen: "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae (on "Corinne Bailey Rae"). I've now uploaded that song to My Music Box, too, for your listening pleasure. And here's a link for those lyrics.

And now for the final results...

The two boyz that went home: Derek Hoffman & Justyn Wesley
The two grrls that went home: Maud Coussa-Jandl & Christine Hanlon

My favourites have lived to sing another day!

Canadian Idol Top 22: Grrls, week 1

I figured I should do the same format for tonight's Canadian Idol show as I did for last night's show. So mini reviews all around:

1. Tara Oram: Well, her country roots were definitely showing. She actually reminded me a little of a young Olivia Newton-John, but she was pitchy and not connected to the song. I think it was just nerves, though.

2. Martha Joy: She's got beautiful tone and perfect technique... a little too perfect. Her words were a little too precisely enunciated and her performance a little too operatic for my taste. But if she can just loosen up a little, I think I'll like her.

3. Montana Martin Iles: I LOVED her!!!!! For starters, the song was awesome! (It's called "The Bird and The Worm" by The Used and you can find it on "Lies for the Liars." Or listen to it on My Music Box in the sidebar.) Montana is bold, original, talented... the real deal! Watch her performance in this video:

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(Just for the record, I don't agree with Ben's statement at the end of the video that Jacob Hoggard had nothing on Montana. Jacob was also a quirky star, whose quirks were different from Montana's but also outrageous. But he showed us many sides throughout the course of his Idol run and he was consistently amazing. So I'm not willing to make comparisons like Ben's based on just one performance by Montana.)

4. Mila Miller: I think Mila was channeling a little Billie as she sang a little Mary. Earthy but sophisticated. I like her vibe.

5. Maud Coussa-Jandl: Too breathy for me. Not at all connected to the song. I don't remember her from the Top 100, so I don't know if I could like her better. But based on tonight's performance... b'bye.

6. Annika Odegard: I agree with Sass (I NEVER thought I'd be writing that), the song was too low. And unfortunately, Annika's lower register isn't very well developed. Plus her nerves really seemed to be bothering her. I want to root for the local girl and maybe she'll be better next week if she stays... we'll see.

7. Naomi-Joy Blackhall: I love her tone. She started off well but it felt like she lost her pitch and connection to the song as the song got faster and higher. Pity.

8. Christine Hanlon: Every once in a while she hit a note or sang a phrase that made me go "Wow," but the rest of the time I was more like "Huh?" Bring back the edge, grrlfriend!

9. Scarlett Burke: It's not that I found anything wrong with her performance, it just didn't do anything for me. Maybe it was just the song choice, like the judges said.

10. Khalila G: Great tone, great connection! Keep this woman on the show!!!

11. Carly Rae Jepsen: I really like the tone of Carly Rae's voice. But I must admit that I enjoyed the slower bits of the song best. I don't know if it's that she loses her connection with the song when the pace picks up or if her tone changes, but I agree with Zack that she should have left the "Idol" part of the performance at home.

Hmm... I think I agreed a little too much with the judges tonight. That always worries me a bit.

Canadian Idol Top 22: Boyz, week 1

My mini reviews of tonight's show, as the top 22 plays with a full band for the first time (is that anything like playing with a full deck?):

1. Jaydee Bixby: His voice is deeper than I would have expected from his appearance, which is a good thing from my perspective, but his rockabilly sound isn't really for me.

2. Clifton Murray: He had moments of an interesting tone, but not enough and not to my tastes. Next!

3. Derek Hoffman: His vocals were very inconsistent but his tone is interesting and has potential. I would like a chance to hear more from him before deciding anything for sure.

4. Justin Wesley: He's got a good voice but it felt like karaoke to me, I'm not sure why. But I'm glad for him that his duet partner has now made it to the top 22 (that was the change... Ritchea Hodge bowed out and Scarlett Burke was chosen to return).

5. Dwight D'eon: At this point, I'd say he's one of my guys. I think it's that rocker vibe. I'm feelin' it even though I'm not feelin' the song choice. I hope he stays.

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6. Greg Neufeld (aka second chance boy): I don't remember him from last year but he made an impression on me tonight. I'm kinda feelin' it.

7. Tyler Mullendore: I'm afraid I really didn't see what the judges saw. I mean, he's a rocker boy so I ought to like him, but he reminds me too much of the cheesy cover bands that I can see at any local bar (not to be confused with good local cover bands like Caught Staring ). I really don't know why the judges think he's the real deal. Maybe he sounds different in person.

8. Andrew Austin: I can see that this guy has talent, but his tone does nothing for me.

9. Matt Rapley: I can't believe he's only 18! It wasn't my fave song selection because I love this guy's lower register and the song didn't showcase that at all, but he's still good and he's still likeable and he's still my boy. (And for the record, I wrote that line before Zack said it!)

10. Brian Melo: Holy frack this boy has a great tone to his voice!!!! And very good song choice even though I wasn't actually familiar with the song. "The Stereo" by Watchmen... I think I'll have to give the original a listen to and compare.

11. Liam Styles Chang: I didn't think anyone was going to top Brian, until Liam started to sing. A pop-punk arrangement of "This Magic Moment" sung by an emo boy?! But OMG it worked! Great voice, great tone.

Now excuse me while I go and vote!

Estrum

Estrum is one of the many cool bands that I've discovered on MySpace. Self-described as "female fronted progressive, melodic metal" this band is somewhat reminiscent of Evanescence but still entirely unique. Zena's vocals are powerful and haunting and the soundscape is dark and gritty but beautiful at the same time. Watch live footage of an Estrum show at the Dirty Dog Bar put to a recording of the song "Yours":


If you like their music, you can buy their EP here.

Canadian Idol Top 100

I'll state right off the bat that I get a lot of flack from some of my indie music friends about the fact that I watch Canadian Idol. I know that most of what they sing is poppy schlock (which is why I prefer the song selection on the Rock Star shows). But I'm always interested in up and coming musical talent, regardless of what songs they're forced to sing. And you have to admit that it's a lot better than American Idol. We have a greater diversity of singers and styles and we have judges who speak their mind without thinking solely of the ratings or being controversial (I think we all know which American Idol judge I'm talking about…). So yes, I watch Canadian Idol. Deal with it. Now for the meat of the matter…

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I missed the first half of the Top 100 last night, which makes it harder to get to know the competitors. But during tonight's show, the first person to stand out for me was Matt Rapley. Then I thought that Montana Martin Iles was rather interesting. And I think that local Calgary girl Annika Odegard might be worth watching even though she's so young. I was amazed at how good Jessica sounded given the state of her voice on the solo day and she's probably the only one who didn't make the top 22 that I wish had. But the highlight of the show for me had to be when Carly Rae Jepsen sang Anna Nalick's "Breathe." It was honest and heartfelt and moved me like no other performance tonight. What a contrast to her cutesy, fake performance that she gave in her duet. If she can keep it real, she'll have my vote.

As for the teaser that Ben slipped in at the end… who bowed out? Who's coming back? Enquiring minds want to know.

P.S. I've added Anna Nalick's "Breathe" (from "Wreck of the Day") to My Music Box over in the sidebar for anyone who wants to hear the original. Or you can watch Carly Rae sing it in this video:


Carly Rae Jepsen - Breathe
Uploaded by annanalickus

C'est Jeanette

Another indie singer/songwriter worth checking out: Jeanette Lee. Jeanette and I actually went to high school together, but I swear I'm not biased or anything... her music is really good. She's a classically trained musician who has turned her focus to the melodic pop rock sounds that you might expect from the likes of Sarah McLachlan. And her lyrics are intelligent and sophisticated... if you don't want to take my word for it, just ask American Songwriter Magazine who awarded one of her songs Honorable Mention in their recent Lyric Contest.

You can listen to Jeanette's music on her website or her MySpace site. Or—now this is the really cool part—you can listen to her acoustic show at C'est What streamed live over the net on Thursday, June 14 at 10:00 p.m. E.S.T. Just head over to WhatsNext.ca and click on their Live Radio Feed.

Look for her new CD "After a Dark Horse Year" to be released later this year. Or, if you can't wait, go grab a copy of her self-titled debut CD. You won't be sorry.

Jazz Festival — Calgary, Alberta

It's almost time for the annual C-Jazz Festival. The "C" stand for Calgary (not cookie... but it's still good enough for me) and the festival runs from June 19-24, so I just have a couple of weeks to figure out which of the many acts to take in. I think I might have to check out The Funked Up Jazz Ambassadors (F.U.J.A.) because I think their name is really cool (maybe that's a lame reason, but sometimes you actually can judge a book by its cover).

In any case, I've decided to submit this festival to the Things You Should Do contest. Their site is full of Cool Places and Hot Nightclubs all over the world. And I could win an iPhone if they think my suggestion is the best! (Here are the details about the iPhone Contest, if you're interested.)

The Carnival of Rock and Roll

I was over visiting Blog Carnival trying to "get my blog on," as it were, and found a Carnival of Rock and Roll. I decided this one was right up my alley so I submitted Let Me Hear You Say Hallelujah and it got selected for this month's carnival over at The Soul of Rock and Roll (a blog that is recommended reading for any music lover). So go check it out!

The Perils of Online Song Lyrics

This news video makes some interesting points about song lyrics sites in general and Yahoo Music specifically. Unlike many song lyrics sites, there is no danger of spyware with Yahoo Music; unfortunately Yahoo Music doesn't let you copy the lyrics. Watch the video for an intelligent discussion about the issues involved: