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...
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):
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!)
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.)
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:
Another dance segue here on this music blog of mine…
The top four finalists were announced for "So You Think You Can Dance." And three of my four favourites made it: Danny, Lacey and Sabra. Unfortunately, Pasha lost out to Neil (damn his blonde hair, surfer boy good looks… and his amazing acrobatics). One of the things I love about Pasha is not just his incredible dance technique and his obvious passion for dance (or his charming Russian accent)… I love the fact that Pasha is always the consummate gentleman. And I really hope that he takes Debbie Allen's advice and takes some acting classes because I would LOVE to see him in the movies.
As my farewell to Pasha Kovalev, here's one of his dance solos that I just loved:
Bottom three: Carly Rae Jepsen, Brian Melo and Greg Neufeld
What the frack is going on here?!?! The top three singers were in the bottom three? Was everyone too complacent to vote last night? Were the fans who loyally vote for their favourites regardless of performance the only people voting? This is so, so, so wrong. For god's sake people, don't assume... VOTE!!! These three should NOT have been in the bottom.
And Greg Neufeld should NOT have gone home. No way. No how. For once I agree with Ben, Canada got this wrong!
And since I didn't post his video of "We Are The Champions" last night (because I thought there would be many weeks to come where I would have the opportunity to post videos of Greg's songs), here it is:
I was stunned when Jake threw out 1986 as the year that Queen became huge. Are you kidding me? That band shaped my musical tastes when I was but a child in the 70's. So 1986 seems far too recent to me. But I would love to see "We Will Rock You"… and I would have loved to have seen it in London when MiG Ayesa from Rock Star: INXS was performing. But that's not the music show we're talking about tonight, so let me get back to business.
Smart song choice. First of all, it was good for his voice and he connected to it. Secondly, it was not one of the iconic Queen songs that many of us know note by note, inflection by inflection. Well done.
I'm impressed that he managed to sing it in a way that made it different enough from the original that it didn't sound like a karaoke performance. I haven't heard the cover by Gavin DeGraw on Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen, though, so maybe it wasn't Greg's arrangement… but it was still a smart choice on his part. Read more... 3. Carly Rae Jepsen [singing "Killer Queen" by Queen on Sheer Heart Attack (lyrics)]
Good song choice from one of Queen's more cabaret style of songs. Although she did that growl thing again to make up for her lack of power. But it was waaay better than I anticipated for this week. Good job, grrl!
I wish he'd chosen a different song, because I don't think he was able to make that song his own. Disappointing because he has so much potential. I have to admit that I'm worried for him this week.
I did not enjoy Dwight's performance tonight. I didn't mind how he sang the verses but he just shouted the chorus in the most non-melodic way that screamed mediocre cover band to me. Which leaves me wondering: Could the judges not hear him properly?
Tara chose well in picking a song that lends itself to a country rock styling. But there were parts of her performance that also sounded a little shouty to me. But I'll freely admit I'm not a fan, so feel free to disagree with me.
I wish he'd lose the twang! I can't take him seriously. For me, he's like a twangy Elvis impersonator singing karaoke. But I highly doubt we'll see him in the bottom because his fan base is ridiculously loyal regardless of his performance. I'm done giving him kudos for "staying true to himself"… I'm ready for him to go home now.
To watch videos of all of the idol performances, head over to Idol Stalker.
I thought she sang it well technically (apart from that one clunker of a note), but I've realized that I really don't like the tone of her voice in her upper register or when she's going for those Star Search moments. And I guess the judges have just come to accept that she isn't yet capable of having an emotional connection with the audience, because it kind of felt like they'd just given up on that.
It was definitely a good arrangement of the song, because he actually managed to make the song his own which is very hard to do with any song originally sung by Sting. Did he sing it well enough? I'm not sure.
I think I've already made my opinion of Jaydee clear in previous posts. I don't deny that he has talent, but I would never buy his albums. And, quite frankly, I don't even think he was true to himself tonight so I can't even give him kudos for that. Read more... 4. Tara Oram [singing "Heaven" by Bryan Adams on Reckless (lyrics)]
I think Enrique has a wee crush on pretty, blonde Tara! Gossip aside, there was less twang in her voice this week so I was able to enjoy the good bits more. But there were bad bits too and I think, judging by Tara's facial expressions, she was well aware of the notes that didn't work. Should she go home for that? I don't think it was that bad, but she's not my Idol so the point is moot as far as I'm concerned.
I love the tone of Matt's voice and thought he sang the song beautifully, but he didn't hit the pain or the grit that I kept hoping for. I still want him around though. I'm with Zach on his potential! (Dontcha just love it when Zach gets so worked up about talented people not living up to their potential?!)
I'm always nervous before Carly Rae sings because I want her to do well, but she's been hit or miss for me. Well, tonight was a hit. Keep up the good work!
Okay, I know this is a music blog but I'm about to post about dance. Granted, most dance requires music so it is still in keeping with the spirit of the blog, right? But I was watching "So You Think You Can Dance" tonight (something I believe I've already confessed to watching) and was very moved by the message of peace in the solos that each dancer performed. (Which has apparently stirred up quite the furor over on the Fox forums about pushing political agendas, etc... sheesh people, can anyone really argue with the message that "peace is good"?)
Anyway, the performance that moved me the most was Sara's, which surprised me because my favourite dancers on the show are Lacey and Danny (who just did the hottest samba that I've EVER seen). But while the other dancers danced their solos well, Sara was the only one that seemed to really feel the message of peace and communicate it to the audience by dancing with such conviction. So I just wanted to share it with you (thanks to MickeyWorld.net). I hope you enjoy it as much as I did:
Bottom three: Martha Joy, Khalila Glanville and Brian Melo
I have to admit, I was surprised to see Brian there and not Dwight, but otherwise the bottom three made sense to me.
But before we get to the final result, I wanted to comment on "Believe in You" the nice, mushy, for-a-good-cause song. While I enjoyed it and hope that it raises lots of money, it left me wanting to hear "Just One Person" from Snoopy! The Musical... similar sentiment, but with that wonderful nostalgia. So, to satisfy my sappy craving, here are the Muppets singing it as a tribute to Jim Henson:
And now for the final sad result: Khalila Glanville was eliminated. I truly think it was just song choice, because that girl can really sing. I wish her well and hope we see more from her in the future.
I really don't feel qualified to critique his performance because I just don't dig his vibe to use the period-appropriate vernacular. But he seems to be staying true to himself, so good on him for that.
It was a good song choice for her and she sang it really well, but I always hear that country twang in her voice that keeps me from being a fan. But I'd wager that she'll be safe tomorrow.
He seemed a little lacking in energy tonight. Yes, I enjoyed hearing him sing some melody, but it was just average to me. And I don't know if average is going to be good enough tonight.
Great song choice! She brought back a little of that magic tonight and redeemed herself for me. I don't think she needs to worry about being in the bottom three this week.
I don't know… I think I've heard that song too many times. She sang it extremely well but, unlike the judges reaction, to me it felt like the same old, same old.
I've always been a sucker for a story song, but I've actually never heard this one before. I agree with the judges that it was a smooth performance, but it wasn't my favourite thing that he's done. I still want him around though (and not because I think he's pretty… he's really not my type).
For those of you who missed tonight's results show...
The bottom four boyz: Clifton, Dwight, Andrew and Brian
Now I'm gonna do the girls a little differently:
Three of the four bottom grrls: Scarlett, Naomi-Joy and Khalila
Then there were four girls left on the couches: Annika, Tara, Carly Rae and Mila... I figured it had to be Annika, maybe Tara, but probably Annika... Read more... Then Ben called Mila's name. What? I must have heard that wrong. But nope, Mila got up and joined the others on centre stage. What the frack is wrong with the voting public? And quite frankly, what the frack is wrong with Calgary? The first CI, we had Billy Klippert. Did Calgary show wonderful regional support? No! Season 3, we had Melissa O'Neil. Granted she won, but she was in the bottom three several times before Calgary finally stepped up and supported her as a city. But Calgary will support Annika? Are you kidding me?! < /end rant>
So the bottom four grrls: Scarlett, Naomi-Joy, Khalila and Mila
Before I get to the final results, I want to talk a bit more about Carly Rae Jepsen's performance last night, now that I've watched it again:
See, here's the thing. Carly Rae's quirky tone is not dissimilar to parts of Sarah Slean's tone, which is why she probably thought she could sing this song. But Sarah Slean... god, when I saw Sarah Slean live, the power in her voice gave me goosebumps and her sweet tone brought tears to my eyes. Unfortunately, Carly Rae completely lacks that power and, as Jaclyn pointed out in the comments for my last post, she growled her way through the song and lost the melody. Plus there's that whole song connection thing. When Carly Rae isn't connected to the song she falls in the cutesy trap. I believe that's part of what we saw last night. But I like this girl, I really do.
So here's my advice to Carly Rae, should she ever visit this way: "Pick songs not just because you like them, but because you have an emotional connection to them. And please be realistic about your voice. Norah Jones once said that her favourite singers were women who could really belt it out but that she had to realize that her own voice wasn't like that. Well, Carly Rae, neither is yours. Maybe you can develop the power but it isn't there now and growling doesn't make a good substitute. So please stay away from anything that needs to be belted out. It's one thing to challenge yourself, it's another to not understand yourself. Please don't make the latter mistake." < /end sermon>
Down to nine guys on Canadian Idol, now that Derek Hoffman and Justyn Wesley have left. I like the idea that the contestants are allowed to use instruments on the part of the show now, though I worry that it might become a crutch for some people. But on to my mini-reviews:
His tone! His clarity! And that beautiful falsetto! While this performance didn't have the same umph for me as last week, it was still great. Top 10 all the way, baby!
His tone still isn't working for me and the guitar feels more like a crutch than an instrument, but I liked it a little better than his performance last week. Read more... 3. Dwight D'eon [singing "Used To Be Alright" by I Mother Earth, on Scenery and Fish (lyrics)]
His lower register works well in the shoutier bits of the song, but not so much in the more musical bits. But I definitely enjoyed it once the pace picked up. I'd like to see him stay around a bit longer.
(I just have to argue with Zack here a bit... How is Dwight the first real rocker on the show?! Are you forgetting someone by the name of Billy Klippert? How was Billy less of a rocker than Dwight. If you mean a specific type of rocker than be specific, but Billy knew how to rock better than anyone on Canadian Idol thus far! End of rant.)
Yawn... I'm sorry, there's absolutely nothing wrong with this guy, he's just boring and his tone does nothing at all for me. He's kinda cute, I'll give him that, but that's about all he's got going for him as far as I can tell.
I'm not exactly sure what Farley means but it sounds good. I have to say that for Greg I felt that the guitar worked, it wasn't just a crutch. And the song was a really good choice for him and just a damn cool song period. He won me over tonight. I want to see him in the Top 10.
Discounting all of the other essentials such as technique, pitch and performance, Brian's voice has my very favourite tone out of all of the men on Canadian Idol this year (with the possible exception of Liam Styles Chang). The song was beautiful and it was a great choice for him. Top 10 material, oh yeah!
He's still rockabilly, he's still fine, he's still not for me. But he is choosing the right songs for his voice and staying true to the artist that he is, so kudos for that.
Sorry to all those Tyler fans out there, but I hate his tone... it hurts my ears. I don't mind him as much when he growls, but that still ain't singing. Why, why, why do the judges like him so?
So at this point, the guys that I would like to see in the Top 10 are: Liam Styles Chang, Dwight D'eon, Greg Neufeld, Brian Melo and Matt Rapley. I doubt I'll get them all, but I think I can at least count on getting Liam. As for the rest, time will tell.
For videos of all of tonight's performance, head over to Idol Stalker.
And my upload for tonight is Jason Mraz' "Geek in the Pink"... check it out in My Music Box.
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: Read more...
(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.
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":
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… Read more... 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:
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:
Remember, in my Let Me Hear You Say Hallelujah post, how I mentioned that some singers can sing the dictionary and sound beautiful? Well, if you don't believe me just watch this:
With the summer television season almost upon us, I wonder if we'll be subjected... er, treated to another round of Rockstar: somebody-or-other. I confess that I watched both Rockstar: INXS and Rock Star: Supernova, but I was severely underwhelmed with both bands' final choices: egotistical Canadian pseudo-bad-boys with adolescent attitudes. Oops... was that my outside voice?
Personally, I think INXS should have chosen Marty Casey. And I think Supernova should have chosen Dilana. Why Dilana, when my favourite performer was actually Storm Large? Well, Storm is waaay too much performer for those ageing rockers to handle and waaay too individual to be stuck in such a mainstream act. Her original song "Ladylike" convinced me of that (listen to it in My Music Box). Or for another brilliant, hilarious and highly entertaining example of her performing genius, watch her with her old band Storm, Inc. singing "Great Day":
1 part shy intellectual, 1 part edgy chick, 1 part sophisticated woman, 1 part mental patient (after all, sanity is a type of conformity)... what's your mix?
