Music Musings

My Canadian Idol Includes the Pigott Brothers

2008-07-07T20:49:00.003-06:00

Okay, so I'm not doing weekly coverage of Canadian Idol this year, nor am I planning to. I also haven't watched every episode so far, nor am I planning to this summer. (My cheesy summer reality show of choice this year is So You Think You Can Dance.) But I have caught enough of Idol to know that Oliver and Sebastion Pigott ROCK. (Theo Tams is pretty damn talented, too.)

The change in the "Top 22" format, however, was a poor choice in my opinion. I would like to know why the decision was made to change the format of 11 guys and 11 girls to the current Top 24 format which looks like it is going to leave us with NO girls at all in the Top 10. Hasn't anybody connected to the Canadian Idol franchise figured out that most early voting is done by 'tween girls with crushes on cute boys? Voting based on merit RARELY comes until later. And voting for the girls ALWAYS seems to come later. Was this format change done intentionally so that there would be no girls in the Top 10? Because that is how it is looking. (Keeping my fingers crossed for the remaining girls… speaking of which, did you know that Amberly Thiessen went to high school with Kalan Porter and my cousins? Okay, you may know the first fact because I assume they would include that in her bio, but I'll bet you didn't know the other part of it! But I digress.)

If the network actually does want girls in the Top 10, I would VERY MUCH like to understand the reasoning behind the changes, when surely by now the network understands how Canada votes. And I sincerely hope that they intend to rectify this error next season so that the girls get a fair chance. Setting it up this way again would be a denial of the facts that gender equality is still not a truth in this world; all is not equal for women yet, and they're not helping (I mean, they don't even have gender equality in their judges). I hope somebody at CTV will give this matter the serious thought that it deserves (and if not, I hope other media will point out the lack of thought that CTV has chosen to give this matter).

Persian Teardrop Lyrics

2008-05-05T20:57:00.004-06:00

I had someone post a comment on my Persian Teardrop post looking for the lyrics to the song. What could potentially make it tricky for someone to find those lyrics is that it's actually a mash-up of two songs (something that it took me a while to figure out and even longer to accept), and one of the songs is in Persian. But here are the lyrics to "Teardrop" by Massive Attack (with Elizabeth Fraser) and "Persian Love Song" by Dead Can Dance, along with the English translation of the latter.

Massive Attack's "Teardrop":

Love, love is a verb
Love is a doing word
Fearless on my breath
Gentle impulsions
Shakes me makes me lighter
Fearless on my breath

Teardrop on the fire
Fearless on my breath

Nine, night of matter
Black flowers blossom
Fearless on my breath
Black flowers blossom
Fearless on my breath

Teardrop on the fire
Fearless on my...

Water is my eye
Most faithful mirror
Fearless on my breath
Teardrop on the fire of a confession
Fearless on my breath
Most faithful mirror
Fearless on my breath

Teardrop on the fire
Fearless on my breath

You're stumbling in the dark
You're stumbling in the dark

Dead Can Dance's "Persian Love Song":

Migan asbet rafighe rooze jange
Mo migooyom azoo behtar tofange
Svaare bi tofang ghodrat nadaare
Svaar vaghti tofang daare svaare

Tofange daste noghream raa forookhtam
Baraaye del ghabaaye terme dookhtam
Ferestaadom baraayom pas ferestaad
Tofange daste noghream daad-o-bidaad

English translation of "Persian Love Song":

They say your charger is your pal on the day of battle
I say even better is the gun
A cavalryman without a gun is without vigour
A cavalryman is one when he has got a gun

I sold my silver-stock gun
Sewed a Termeh* frock for my love
She returned it to me when I sent her the frock
Oh alas my silver-stock gun...
The very last phrase "daad-o-bidaad" is impossible to translate, it expresses deep regret for something lost

*Termeh is a Persian textile

Mocking Shadows CD Release

2007-12-14T00:09:00.000-07:00

Just got this in my email one minute ago from the Mocking Shadows:

Just in case you haven't heard already...the long awaited Calgary release of our new album "The Sound" is tonight Friday Dec 14th at Wyckham House/Liberty Lounge on the Mount Royal campus. We be joined by three great local acts: Kaley Kinjo, Ryan Bourne and Five Star Affair. Doors are at 8pm, the first band goes on at 8:30 and the cover is $10. Hope to see you there!

Um, yeah... thanks for the advance warning guys. I was looking forward to this all fall and now I can't go. In future, giving your fans a little more heads up would be appreciated.

Quiz Time

2007-11-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

You are a Rocker Girl!

If you don't have musical talent, you've got a talent for picking out great CD's. Music rules your life - and you've got the best MP3 collection of anyone you know. Many guys find you intimidating, but a select few think you're the catch of a lifetime. Start hanging out in more used record stores, and you'll find love with a fellow rocker!

What Kind of Girl Are You?

Calgary Area Musicians Wanted!

2007-11-15T11:11:00.001-07:00

For those who don't know it, I'm on the $100 Film Festival committee for the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (CSIF). Each year at the festival, they organize a series of Film/Music Explosions! What is a Film/Music Explosion! you might ask? Well, it's a collaboration between a local film artist and a local band, creating an original film for one of the band's songs. When the completed piece is screened at the festival in March, the band plays LIVE with the film. It's loads of fun and generates lots of excitement and anticipation during the film festival.

So if you're a local band or musician, the CSIF wants your proposal to create a film based on an original song! All styles accepted, no entry fees required. Proposals MUST include: concept or short film idea with rough script / storyboard & song demo.

Deadline: Friday, December 14, 2007

For more information, check out the $100 Film Festival MySpace page.

A Curious Birthday

2007-11-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know this, today is my birthday *pauses while waiting for the cheering and applauding to subside*. Well, I got a nice little birthday surprise from one of my MySpace friends: a very talented singer whose name is Curious (yes, that's her real name). She gave me a song. She told me to pick my favourite song of hers and she would email me the mp3. So I picked "Rain" ("Goodbye" is another of my faves, but I'm planning on buying the single for that one) and she sent it to me and I've been listening to it ever since. If you want to hear it, check out her profile player. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Deezer (formerly known as BlogMusik)

2007-11-01T21:33:00.000-06:00

FYI, those very cool single song widgets that I was embedding in my blog posts don't seem to work anymore. I've emailed Deezer and posted on their forum and hopefully the mini-widgets be working again shortly, but for the moment we're SOL. (By the way, is it just me or is the name "Deezer" way sillier and far less relevant than "BlogMusik"?)

NaNoWriMo Soundtrack

2007-11-01T19:37:00.000-06:00

You may start out by wondering what NaNoWriMo is... well, it stands for National Novel Writing Month which happens in November, so it started today. Next you may wonder why I'm posting about writing a novel on a music blog. Well, actually I'm not writing a novel, I'm working on my screenplay but that explanation is over at Weirdgrrl's Words so I won't bother repeating it here. But I digress...

Whenever I write I use a soundtrack. Each scene has a song associated with it in my head, so that even when I'm not sitting at my computer or with pen and paper in hand... that song comes on and I'm living in the scene and working out how things should unfold. That way, when I do actually sit down to write, the words just pour out like liquid thoughts and form themselves into a finished scene. So here's part of the soundtrack that I'm using this year:

My soundtrack is 16 songs in total at the moment. If nothing else, I highly recommend listening to the Marilyn Manson version of "Working Class Hero"; it has a much greater impact than the current insipid Green Day version... at least IMHO.

And based on the majority of my song titles, I'll give you three guesses as to the theme of my story... and the first two don't count!

Music Download Lawsuit

2007-10-08T19:55:00.000-06:00

So how much of that $9,250 per song do you think the artists are actually going to see? My guess is zip, zilch, nada. I think it's pretty safe to assume that it's only the big record companies that are benefitting from this which is why I think it's such a ridiculous ruling.

P.S. Sorry for the complete lack of posts after the end of the Canadian Idol season. My September just got insanely busy. But I'll try to get back to regular posting soon, and I will try to make time to post about some less commercial aspects of the music industry.

Canadian Idol Season Finale

2007-09-11T22:59:00.000-06:00

I would give you a blow-by-blow but I'm too impatient for that (but if you want to read everything that happened tonight, check out Idol Stalker). So let's get right to the good stuff...

And the winner is...

Brian Melo!

I don't have video from tonight yet, but here's Brian singing "All I Ever Wanted," the new Idol song — his Idol song! — during last night's show (lyrics):

"All I Ever Wanted" Lyrics

2007-09-11T20:18:00.000-06:00

I've had some people searching for the lyrics to the new Canadian Idol single. Since the folks at CTV haven't bothered to post them on the website, I decided to transcribe them from Brian's video. They may not be 100% accurate, but I think I'm pretty close:

All I Ever Wanted

Slow down, make it last
I'm having the time of my life
Take a photograph
I don't want to leave this behind

What seemed so out of reach
We're holding here right in our hands
Let's give up everything
Let's jump in and never look back
Let's jump in and never look back

This is all I ever wanted
But life got in my way
You're all I ever wanted
I didn't see how it could change
That something was missing until today

Read the rest of the lyrics...

The city comes alive
As soon as you walk through the door
Another sleepless night
But I don't want to sleep anymore
I don't want to sleep anymore

This is all I ever wanted
But life got in my way
You're all I ever wanted
I didn't see how it could change
That something was missing until today

Climbing so high
Just don't look down
We can see everything from here
For once in my life
Feet off the ground
Don't want to come back down

Take a photograph
I'm having the time of my life

This is all I ever wanted
But life got in my way
You're all I ever wanted
I didn't see how it could change

This is all I ever wanted
Nothing could get in the way
You're all I ever wanted
I didn't know what I was missing until today.

Canadian Idol Top 2

2007-09-10T22:02:00.000-06:00

The last performance show of this season of Canadian Idol! It has been a strange and bumpy road this year. And it all comes down to Jaydee Bixby and Brian Melo.

Click here to read my comments on tonight's performances...

1. Jaydee Bixby

i) "Who Says You Can't Go Home" by Bon Jovi on Have A Nice Day (lyrics)

First of all, I'm thrilled that Bon Jovi said what I've been saying all season: "you need to find your own voice, your own style." Exactly! And I think he actually listened a little. Because he was neither as twangy nor as Elvis-y as usual. But he still wasn't connected to the song itself. Oh well, one thing at a time.

ii) "All I Ever Wanted," the new Canadian Idol song (lyrics)

Either Jaydee couldn't find the sweet spot for this song or he lacks the range it requires, because the verses were way too low for him and I think he needed to sing it in a higher key. But then could he have hit the notes that he needed to in the chorus? I'm not sure. I think Zach is right that Jaydee is cracking under the pressure. But I find it interesting that the pressure seems to be forcing his real voice to emerge, because the twangs and Elvis-isms were to a minimum in this song also.

iii) "It's Not Unusual" by Tom Jones on Colour Collection (lyrics)

Oh dear, we're back to imitation. Well, his fans who think that imitation is as good as the real thing and that schlock is quality will be happy, but I'm disappointed. I thought he'd shown some artistic growth with his previous songs even if they lacked some of his usual performance value, but I guess it wasn't growth… it was just nerves. Pity.

2. Brian Melo

i) "This Ain't a Love Song" by Bon Jovi on These Days (lyrics)

Brian's performance was passionate and believable. Not only does he have a great voice, he bares his heart for the world to see and that takes honesty and courage. And personally that's what I want from an Idol.

ii) "All I Ever Wanted," the new Canadian Idol song (lyrics)

Now THAT's a hit song. Brian owned the song, owned the stage… and if world stays in its proper orbit, he also owns the Canadian Idol title.

iii) "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen on The Essential Leonard Cohen, check out the Jeff Buckley version on Grace or the K.D. Lang version on Hymns of the 49th Parallel or the Jasmine Whenham version on 1:37 am (lyrics)

I'm always nervous when singers cover Hallelujah. It's one of the most beautiful songs ever written but few artists do it justice. Brian did it justice and then some. His version reminded me a bit of the Jeff Buckley version that made me fall in love with the song in the first place:

And Jake Gold really hit the nail on the head when he said that Brian has a humility and a grace that shines through whenever he sings. I am fully aware that the world is not fair, but I seem to be hoping the results of this show will be. Is it the triumph of hope over experience? I guess we'll find out tomorrow night.

To watch the rest of Brian's videos, head over to Idol Stalker.

Assume nothing… VOTE!

Canadian Idol Top 3 Results

2007-09-04T21:26:00.001-06:00

Well, I had to tape the show because I was working, so I haven't watched it yet. But I've been informed that Carly Rae Jepsen went home. I'm extremely disappointed in the Canadian voting public that they didn't "get her" (as Zach put it), that they failed to understand what a unique and gifted talent this girl truly is. But I have every confidence that Carly Rae will have an exceptional career in the music industry. And I, for one, will be eagerly awaiting her first CD.

So the top two are Brian Melo and Jaydee Bixby. I really hope that Canada can see that Brian is ready to win this thing and that Jaydee isn't. And to those Jaydee fans who seem to believe that he is ready, keep in mind that if he wins he will have to record a pop album. Do you really want to do that to him?

As for tonight's show, I'll write a review about it tomorrow after I've had a chance to watch it. I'm not really in the mood to watch it now. Hopefully that will change after I've had a night to sleep on the results.

Canadian Idol Top 3

2007-09-03T21:57:00.000-06:00

This week was judges' choice, people's choice and working with Sass Jordan.

1. Jaydee Bixby

a) Judges' Choice: "Break it to Them Gently" by Burton Cummings on Up Close and Alone (lyrics)

Those rare moments when Jaydee dropped the exaggerated twang finally showed me that Jaydee is capable with connecting with a song and finally showed me the potential that this kid has. But I still emphasize POTENTIAL. He's not there yet. And I firmly believe that winning this competition would stunt his growth as a performer rather than enhance it. The boy needs more time to become a man.

b) People's Choice: "Ring of Fire" sung by Johnny Cash on The Essential Johnny Cash (lyrics)

He was soooo not in the pocket for this song. And, unfortunately, my opinion of him just reverted to what it was before "Break it to Them Gently." He's just not ready for the big leagues.

2. Brian Melo

a) Judges' Choice: "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum on A Whiter Shade of Pale (lyrics)… also check out the Annie Lennox version on Medusa

I have to confess that I don't think this was Brian's best performance, but I still think he stepped up to the challenge of this challenging and iconic song. Which comes as no surprise to me because I think this man is up to any challenge put before him.

Read more...

b) People's Choice: "Lightning Crashes" by Live on Throwing Copper (lyrics)

This is definitely Brian's genre. He knows his voice, he knows his style, he knows who he really is and he knows how to perform. Win or lose, I wanna see this guy in concert!

3. Carly Rae Jepsen

a) Judges' Choice: "At Seventeen" by Janis Ian on Between the Lines (lyrics)

I know that some viewers out there are sick of hearing the word "vulnerable" when it comes to Carly Rae and think it's just an act that she puts on because it gets good comments from the judges. But I just don't understand that attitude at all. If Carly Rae weren't truly connected to the song, she wouldn't create the heart swelling, tear welling effect that she had on me tonight. Simple, truthful, beautiful. Win or lose, this woman is a star and I'll be buying her CDs.

b) People's Choice: "White Flag" by Dido on Life For Rent (lyrics)

Perfection.

Canadian Idol Top 4 Results

2007-08-28T20:29:00.000-06:00

Well, with only four competitors left, it's no surprise that they didn't do a bottom three or even a bottom two. They just jumped right into the results. And I doubt those results were a surprise to anyone based on performances last night (and what we know of various fan bases): Dwight D'eon was eliminated. I think even he would agree that standards are not his style but I'm sure he'll do well with his own music when he gets back home. Rock on, Dwight!

So that means our top three are: Carly Rae Jepsen, Jaydee Bixby and Brian Melo.

You certainly couldn't ask for a more diverse bunch. Given the vast differences in their singing styles and general appeal, I think it's impossible to predict how things will go from here on in. (Because it's been so predictable up to now... er, ahem, sure...)

To quote Monica from Friends: "It just got interesting!"

Canadian Idol Top 4

2007-08-27T23:08:00.000-06:00

1. Carly Rae Jepsen

[singing "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" written by Cole Porter for "Leave it to Me", sung by Ella Fitzgerald on Dearly Beloved, also sung by Sinead O'Connor on Am I Not Your Girl (lyrics)]

I wasn't worried about Carly Rae doing standards and I was right. But Zach was also right that it lacked the sizzle that we know this girl is capable of.

[singing "I Got it Bad and That Ain't Good" by Duke Ellington on Best of Duke Ellington (lyrics)]

I love the fact that she left herself vulnerable for this song… she actually brought tears to my eyes at the end. If that performance doesn't win over the Carly Rae doubters, then I don't know what will.

Ci5 Top4 Part4
Uploaded by igrecman
2. Jaydee Bixby

[singing "Fever" sung by Peggy Lee on Capitol Years (lyrics)]

I love the very carefully worded way that Paul Anka referred to Jaydee having a "concept of how to perform."

[singing "When You're Smiling" by Louis Armstrong on The Definitive Collection (lyrics)]

Hmm… I actually preferred Fever to this performance because this one was just plain cheesy.

Read more...

3. Brian Melo

[singing "Mack the Knife" written by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill for "The Threepenny Opera", sung by Bobby Darrin on The Very Best of Bobby Darin (lyrics)]

He started a little shaky but he found his groove and, even better, the attitude. (And I love that Zach said he was a Brecht fan! I was raised on Bertolt Brecht!)

Ci5 Top4 Part3
Uploaded by igrecman
[singing "Feeling Good" written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley for "The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd", my favourite version is sung by Nina Simone on Gold Collection (lyrics)]

I have very high standards for this song because the Nina Simone version of it is one of my favourite songs ever (you can listen to below). But I think Brian did it justice. Good job.

4. Dwight D'eon

[singing "I Get a Kick out of You" written by Cole Porter for the musical "Anything Goes", sung by Frank Sinatra on Gold (lyrics)]

I think Dwight was even further out of his comfort zone than Jaydee, something I never thought I'd admit. But standards just aren't his thing.

[singing "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole on Definitive Gold or Natalie Cole & Nat King Cole on Unforgettable With Love (lyrics)]

I liked this one better than his first choice. I think he was just more relaxed for it and let himself enjoy it a bit more. But I think it's safe to say that this boy will never willingly record an album of standards!

Canadian Idol Top 5 Results

2007-08-21T20:00:00.000-06:00

Bottom two: Dwight D'eon and Matt Rapley

Well, I'm relieved that Carly Rae Jepsen wasn't in the bottom this time. And I really wish I could say that I was stunned that Jaydee wasn't in the bottom which I believe he deserved to be based on his performance, but I'm well aware of his insane fan base that doesn't care that he has yet to find his own true voice and simply mimics others instead. But enough of that rant and on to the results...

Unfortunately Matt Rapley was eliminated. But I think he's grown a lot during his Idol tenure and will continue to grow and put into practice all that he's learned. Matt was the first Idol contestant to impress me during the Top 100 and I'm quite certain that we'll be hearing from him in the future. I'm sad to see him go but I think he's got a bright future ahead of him. And what a high note to be going out on! (Pun completely unintentional.)

I'll be watching for you Matt. Remember, this isn't the end, it's just the beginning. Your career starts now!

Canadian Idol Top 5

2007-08-21T12:50:00.000-06:00

Matt Rapley
[singing "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder on Innervisions and the Red Hot Chili Peppers on Mother's Milk (lyrics)]

I LOVE the fact that even though Matt is a Stevie Wonder fan, he chose to do the Chili Peppers version. It let him bring that mojo he brought to "Whipping Post" and really rock it. As Jake said… it was fierce!

Dwight D'eon
[singing "Bed of Roses" by Bon Jovi on Keep The Faith (lyrics)]

I think it was definitely a strong performance. I'm not sure if I agree with the judges that it was his best performance. Although, as I reflect back, perhaps they're right. But I think what came across as power in the live audience came across as shoutiness to me sitting at home. I think this guy would be cool to watch in my local bar, but I'm still not convinced that he can or should win this whole thing.

Jaydee Bixby
[singing "I Can't Stop Loving You" by Elvis Presley on Elvis as Recorded at Madison Square Garden (lyrics)]

Please vote this boy off so that he can go home and mature and find his own voice or, at the very least, as Zach said… make his Schmelvis album. Because I have only two words about this performance: Elvis Impersonator.

Read more...

Carly Rae Jepsen
[singing "Chuck E's In Love" by Rickie Lee Jones on Rickie Lee Jones (lyrics)]

I admit that, like Jake, I was nervous about Carly Rae singing this song… afraid that it would end up too cutesy because that chorus is really cutesy. But the arrangement of the song downplayed to cutesiness for me and showcased Carly Rae's voice. I still prefer seeing her vulnerable side, but a little bit of playfulness now and then isn't such a bad thing. I liked it.

Brian Melo
[singing "Karma Police" by Radiohead on OK Computer (lyrics)]

Well, I think Brian just stepped into those big shoes left empty by Greg Neufeld's departure. Great song, great voice, great performance.

Now, my only concern is that I didn't have a chance to vote last night because of my late arrival home, plus I wasn't feeling well so I just went straight to bed after posting my postponement notice last night. So I will be blaming myself if Matt, Carly Rae or Brian end up in the bottom. Okay, if it's a bottom three obviously one of them will be in that bottom unless there's some strange new math that I don't know about. But I will be royally upset if any of those three go home and I will feel terribly guilty for not having had a chance to vote.

For more Idol videos, check out Idol Stalker.

CI Review Postponed

2007-08-20T22:15:00.000-06:00

I'm afraid my usual Canadian Idol review will be postponed until tomorrow. I just got home from picking my dad up at the airport and I haven't had a chance to watch the show yet. But I promise I'll post my comments tomorrow before the results show. G'night all.

Blue October Interview

2007-08-18T10:44:00.000-06:00

Here's a brief interview with Justin Furstenfeld at Lollapalooza 2007 in Chicago that I found through the Blue October Canada MySpace site. Enjoy:

Carly Rae Jepsen

2007-08-17T21:01:00.000-06:00

This is the second in my "Get to know the Idols better" series (the first one was on Greg Neufeld). As the post title makes obvious, this one is about getting to know Carly Rae Jepsen.

Stuff that you can find out over at the CTV Idol site: Carly Rae Jepsen is a 21 year old student/waitress from Mission, BC... plus more generic biographical information.

Stuff that you can find out at The Abbotsford News site: She would love to meet Bob Dylan, her first CD was a Tom Waits CD and she describes herself as creative, extreme and adventurous... plus more trivia.

At the Blue Morris 6 Swing Band site you can find out how she got the swing band gig and listen to her singing "Blues for Carly" (in their sidebar radio). Head over to YouTube to watch her perform S'Wonderful with Blue Morris 6.

You can also watch Carly Rae performing live at The Media Club in Vancouver:

For more live videos, check out SmashBass' YouTube videos.

There's also a fan tribute video of Carly Rae set to a very cool Carly Rae original song called "Dear You."

And let's not forget the video of Carly Rae singing Breathe in the Top 100.

She also has her own domain but it's currently under construction, so I'm guessing it probably won't be live until after Idol is over.

Hope you guys enjoy these links. I'll try to come up with some stuff on the rest of the remaining idols soon. (And if anyone has any links or suggestions, please let me know.)

A Twin Peaks Trance

2007-08-16T18:05:00.000-06:00

I was on hold while calling a place of business when the dreaded muzak came on… but it wasn't muzak, it was actual music! And it was the theme from Twin Peaks, that fabulous 90's TV series by David Lynch. Do you remember that music? I loved it; it always gave me chills. The theme was composed by Angelo Badalamenti, who was once quoted as saying: "My world is a little bit dark. . . a little bit off-center. I think of it as tragically beautiful. That is how I would describe what I love best: tragically beautiful."

David Lynch then wrote lyrics to that theme (for the song "Falling" that you can listen to in the widget below) and to some other Badalamenti music and those songs were sung by Julee Cruise (who sang all of the songs used in Twin Peaks) and released on an album called Floating into the Night:

Read more...

I used to have that album but that was almost 20 years ago now, so I have no idea where it might be (it was on cassette anyway which I don't listen to anymore anyway). But I still have part of a review that was written about the Julee Cruise album way back then:

"The link between the songs is love — a kind of sick, obsessive love that's both chilling and beautiful, and pure Lynch in its graphic paranoia."
~ Kim Hughes, NOW Magazine, November 15-21, 1990.

Now I don't know about you, but I think that's a pretty damn cool review!

Canadian Idol Top 6 Results

2007-08-14T22:57:00.000-06:00

Bottom three: Carly Rae Jepsen, Dwight D'eon and Tara Oram

First thought: Carly Rae again? Are you kidding me?

Second thought: Thank god Brian Melo's safe.

Third thought: Are the judges right that Canada can't appreciate Carly Rae? If so, I think that's a pretty sad statement about this country.

But fortunately, Carly Rae didn't go home this week. It was Tara instead. While I do think it's past time for her to leave, I am worried that the Jaydee Bixby contingent might grow even larger now that he's the only country singer on the show. Please don't let this young and twangy Elvis impersonator win the whole show, otherwise he'll never mature out of those bad habits or learn how to truly connect with a song.

Final thought: I don't think I've yet recovered from Greg Neufeld leaving last week. I find that I lack the enthusiasm for the show right now. Brian, Carly Rae and Matt better kick some serious ass next week!

Magni's Version of The Dolphin's Cry

2007-08-14T16:03:00.000-06:00

In my Canadian Idol post last night, I mentioned Magni's version of "The Dolphin's Cry" from Rock Star: Supernova. So I thought I would share it with you here:

Canadian Idol Top 6

2007-08-13T22:05:00.001-06:00

Pop/Rock week… I'm still not convinced that those two genres have truly merged. I think it just represents Pop music with a Rock influence. Real Rock is something else entirely, but I digress.

1. Tara Oram
[singing "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves on Greatest Hits (lyrics)]

This was probably one of my favourite performances of Tara's because there was barely a twang in sight. Although I could have done without those little yips and she was kind of pitchy in the chorus, but I'm just happy it wasn't country!

2. Jaydee Bixby
[singing "Amazed" by Lonestar on Lonely Grill (lyrics)]

I don't know why I bother reviewing Jaydee. My opinion of him hasn't changed since last week except to be a little tinged by bitterness that he's still here and Greg isn't.

3. Matt Rapley
[singing "Everything" by Michael Bublé on Call Me Irresponsible (lyrics)]

It was nice to see Matt at the piano. And nice performance technique when he later stood up from the piano. I think his performance ability is finally starting to catch up with his vocal ability. Good job.

Read more...

4. Carly Rae Jepsen
[singing "Come To My Window" by Melissa Etheridge on Yes I Am (lyrics)]

I don't think it was the best song choice for Carly Rae. The first verse was really good, the first chorus was magic, but the bridge and second chorus were a little shouty for my tastes. But she ended it as pure Carly Rae, so the scale tipped in her favour and I mostly liked it.

5. Brian Melo
[singing "The Dolphin's Cry" by Live on The Distance to Here (lyrics)]

Funny, I was just listening to Magni's version of this song from Rock Star: Supernova on my minidisk player today. While I think that Brian connected to the emotion of the song, I couldn't help but compare it to Magni who just killed it. So while I don't think Brian sang it as well as Magni, I still think it was the best performance of the night. Way to go, Brian.

Brian Melo - The Dolphin's Cry
Uploaded by igrecman
6. Dwight D'eon
[singing "Smooth" by Santana and Rob Thomas on Supernatural (lyrics)]

Well, this performance did help remind me that I actually liked this guy in the Top 22. However, I think his guitar playing trumped his singing. But not bad overall.

Hmm… did everyone else find this week a little disappointing or is it just that I'm not in the right mood because Greg wasn't there?