Doctor Who Episode 6.5 (and other stuff): love you THIS big

Docwho 6.5_the rebel flesh by Ashitaka's Angels

Doctor Who! Game of Thrones! American Idol! These are the things you will hear about if you listen to this podcast. Yes, we are late to the discussion about the latest Who, "The Rebel Flesh". Yes, we ramble on & on about our Theon-issues ("Thissues" as I like to call them) in our GOT section. And yes, we had to cut out 20 minutes of singing just for our discussion of American Idol to make any sense. But hey, we're posting this podcast anyways. Aren't you lucky. Enjoy?

American Idol Season 10: Some Stuff Happened

why is this picture so awkward?

So, some stuff happened on this show, idk. About halfway through the season I realized I didn't actually like this show nor gave a crap about what the outcome was going to be. See, I used to hate American Idol. I used to hate it a lot. And then Kris Allen happened and it took over my life and I've been watching ever since because of what? Some misguided illusion that I actually sort of liked this show? It was a lie. A LIE! In fact, I actually have Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler to thank for my realization, because their completely awful, terrible judging this season started my complete turn around ("the first half of that performance was excellent. The second half........was equally as good"). And everything that used to bug me about this show came flooding back and I was just done.

The majority of posts on this blog are about American Idol! How did this happen?! This is a tragedy! No. No more. I don't care about this show anymoooooooore. And I will not be watching it next season. No more of this!

Sure, the contestants are the best part, but dear lord, it's not the end of the world if your favorite gets eliminated. It is not worth 4 hours of your life to power vote for a contestant! Haley was probably my favorite contestant left, but after she got eliminated I went, ".......k" and then turned the channel to the Office finale. Yes, I know, the Lea from 2 years ago, would slap me in the face and then continue to power vote as she cries about how Kris Allen changed her life. This Lea? Still loves Kris with all her heart. She still is grateful to this show for giving him to her, but this Lea thinks a few votes for Lauren and a few votes for Haley last night were more than sufficient.

This is turning into a rant. I'm sorry. Let's talk about this season and the impending finale.

Hey, get this, this finale? Doesn't bother me at all. Scotty was an inevitable lock for the finale since probably the semis. I cannot begrudge the dude making it this far. Have his performances been groundbreaking, creative, or exciting? Hell no. Did he sing in tune, pick songs that fit his voice perfectly, sing about Jesus, mention his grandma, have a few quirks that young girls and old women found endearing (the sideways microphone! the crazy eyes!), play the guitar, and be the perfect All-American cutie? Hell yes! For all his 'aw shucks' demeanor, I kind of think Scotty is some kind of evil mastermind, because boy has been playing this show like a fiddle. I really do think he's going to win too.

And then there's little Lauwen. I...did not like Lauren at first. Not only was she pimped a crazy amount at the beginning, but she was always all up on Steven Tyler and it was creepy because you know Steven kind of liked it. And then her personality is kind of grating. That...hasn't changed. She can still be pretty insufferable. I give her a little bit of a pass because she is only 16, but girl needs to shut her mouth sometimes. HOWEVER, I totally warmed up to her because while Paul was whispering creepily into the camera and Casey was growling/shouting like a dying cat, there was little Lauwen singing in tune and singing well. I really really do like her voice, and while I don't think she's truly had a 'moment' this season, she's given a lot of really good, solid performances virtually every week. And as much as this song is soooo overplayed, I actually thought her "I Hope You Dance" won the round last night (I almost loved her "If I Die Young" performance before she lost it at the end). Is she going to win? Probably not. Do I want her to? Yes. I'm kind of surprised at how much I really do.

And then there's Haley. Haley is someone else who I kind of hated at the beginning. I totally thought she stole the spot of more deserving contestants and her first few weeks were all over the place. But then "Bennie and the Jets" happened and I was sold. Absolutely flippin love that performance and that studio. In fact, that was the first 'moment' for me this season. I think she had another moment with her "House of the Rising Sun" performance and I also greatly enjoyed her "Rolling in the Deep" and "What Is and What Should Never Be". She was the best contestant because she was unpredictable. She made different song choices and sang them in interesting ways. Was she without faults? Definitely not. She sometimes relied on the growl too much and I never felt like she really truly connected with her songs. But she was fun and seemed like a cool gal and could do wicked things with her voice and tbh, will probably release a better CD now that she didn't win than if she had and was forced to make a generic pop record.

People can get all up in arms about how the best contestant this season got prematurely eliminated, but I think in Haley's case it was too little too late. Haley started off the season with some either bad or completely unmemorable performances. Not to mention, quite a few trips to the bottom 3. Her fanbase was never establishing. Scotty and Lauren's fanbases were established in the first week and they never did anything so offensive that it dwindled. Haley has definitely been gaining momentum as the weeks went on and I definitely think her fanbase was growing, but it was just too late. Basically, it made sense to me that this was her time to go (not that I liked it, it just made sense).

And it totally makes sense to me that she was eliminated after this week's episode, tbh. Her voice sounded great last night, but I was about 99% sure her and her dad lit up before the episode, what with her falling all over the stage, that damn wind machine that had me laughing so hard I could barely hear her performance, and just a general air of craziness and I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude. Not to mention "You Oughta Know" was kind of a hot mess. Dude, the old women and young girls who make up the majority of the audience probably thought she was too weird and voted for the safe country duo. I'll miss Haley's presence on performance night, but I'm sure she'll be there on the finale results show strutting around like a drunk stripper and being awesome :')

A lot of people are already calling this finale "the most boring finale ever", and it probably will be if we get more performances like the ones we did Top 3 night. But I'm really really hoping we're gonna get something crazy. I know Randy has been crowing the "if it aint broke, don't fix it" line, but for once, I want Scotty to sing a pop song! Or sing a hard rock song! Or take an R&B song and make it country! Anything except some mid-tempo country song that I've never heard of. Lauren has actually branched out to other genres a little bit in the competition, but how about some Mumford and Sons? Or something else that you would never connect with Lauren. She has a lovely voice that I believe she can do way more with. I already know she can do pretty little country songs. Give me more! Lauren is going to need it! They need a girl winner, dammit!

So...what is this post even? I almost didn't post it, but there hasn't been an AI post in so long, I thought what the hell. If you read all this, I am truly sorry. But look at the bright side! Only one more week of this shit show!

American Idol Season 10 Top 11: Motown Week = Awesomesauce

Don't look so scared, Scotty

Casey - "Heard it Through the Grapevine"
Casey's problem has always been that he growls/screams half his songs without actually singing (and never getting called out for it :/). I HATED his Nirvana performance last week. HATED. Ahem.
LOL I have no idea if that was good or not. Or if I liked it. Casey puts so much of himself into his performances you can't help but like him! He's so charismatic. Yet it was still really growly. A LOT more control in it this week compared to last week, so I'm glad. But I really want him to just sit down and sing one week. No vocal acrobatics.

Thia - "Heatwave"
OMG a fast song! A FAST SONG! Don't mess this up Thia. And she's actually smiling and showing personality. She looks way more comfortable up there, except the part where she looked to the backup singers like she forgot the words, lulz. i think this was my favorite performance of hers, buuuuut it was still a little karaoke. Who is she?! Who is she as an artist? I honestly have no idea and have absolutely no clue what kind of CD she'd make.

Jacob - "You're All I Need to Get By"
If Jacob just stood up there and danced he would be my favorite contestant. Some of the  contestants problems is that they don't really feel the song. Jacob's problem is that he feels it too much lol. Onto the performance, he's showing so much restraint and this is really great so far. I can finally appreciate how awesome his voice really is. And the faces he's pulling are amazing. AHHHHH THIS WAS THE BEST JACOB PERFORMANCE OF THE COMPETITION OMG. I LOVE HIM AGAIN. JACOOOOOB.

Lauren - "You Keep Me Hanging On"
Wow. Her voice is SO. GOOD. I kind of wish I didn't have to look at her/hear her speak because otherwise she might be one of my favorites. This is one of her best performances I think and I like how she frequently does more uptempo songs.

Stefano - "Hello"
Hey, Haven't you heard? Stefano is the new frontrunner apparently. His voice kind of sounds nasally on this song. He seems to be emotionally connecting to the song though. It was alright. Not terrible, but not groundbreaking. Kind of sleepy if i'm being honest. lol and the judges were all saying he wasn't connecting. idk, i just can't bring myself to liking him.

Haley - "You've Really Got a Hold on Me"
Haley has one of the most interesting voices left. I kind of hated her at first because I felt like she took Kendra's spot, but I've been warming up to her more and more as her unique tone has been shown off. I don't expect her long for this world, unfortunately.  Holy moley, is she all over the place lol. That was certainly interesting, but I couldn't even pay attention to her voice that much. She was just jumping all over the place and was walking down the stairs like a drunk stripper. Aaaaaand I'm the only one who didn't like that apparently. I want to like her soooo badly, but her performances just don't match her amazing voice, for me for you.

Scotty - "For Once in My Life"
SCOTTAAAAAY! Being forced to not do country, this is what i've been waiting for! THIS IS HIS TRUE TEST! This sounds exactly like all of his other performances lol. And tbh, I cannot stop laughing his voice sounds so weird on this song. His high notes are a lot better than i thought they would be. I thought it was a solid Scotty performance. But I think it maybe was a little too slow? Still, I like Scotty.

Pia - "All In Love is Fair"
Please don't bore me Pia, your voice is so good. I want to like you so badly. omg another ballad, stopp ittttt. She starts and I fall asleep. Yeah yeah, her singing is effortless and amazing, but omg she is so boring. I wouldn't be unhappy if she won. She would deserve it, but I can't imagine ever buying her CD. I like that the judges are calling her out on the constant ballads though. She better go uptempo next week.

Paul - "Tracks of My Tears"
Paul was my early favorite and while I still like him, I've been pretty disappointed in him the last 2 weeks. I still love his voice, but it just hasn't worked on the songs he's been singing. And the drunken stumbling didn't really help. So the fact that he's using a guitar again this week makes me happy because I really think he needs to do things more in his style. He made it really folksy and different and he's rocking it out. I think I liked it. I was the first drastic rearrangement of the season and I think he succeeded with it.

Naima - "Dancing in the Street"
Things are never boring with Naima at least. She's gonna dance again this performance. I like it when she does that. I like that she's different and contemporary with her style. Her voice sounds sooo much better this week than the last few. Waaaah her dancing breakdown was so fun! Drummers popped up and she just went crazy. SHE'S SO MUCH FUN I LIKE HER. Great performance.

James - "Livin for the City"
James has really surprised me. I've liked his performances waaaaay more than I ever thought I would. I'm still not a huge fan of his voice, but he's using it really really well right now. Great great song choice for him.  Ahhh he has so much control over his voice, he's doing really well. I really did like it a lot. I'm not sure if it was my favorite of his performances, but he is turning into one of the most consistent performers this season......I never thought I'd say that.

OMG THIS WAS SUCH A GOOD WEEK FOR IDOL! Perhaps the best overall week this entire season.  I have no idea who is going to go home or will be in the bottom. I still don't feel ~attached to any one contestant this season the way I did the past two, but I'm really impressed with all of them.

Best of the night: Jacob
Worst: Stefano
Bottom Three: Haley, Thia, Stefano
Going home: Haley

American Idol Season 10 Top 13

YOUR TOP 13: James Durbin, Naima Adedapo, Jacob Lusk, Thia Megia, Karen Rodriguez, Stefano Langone, Lauren Alaina, Scotty McCreery, Haley Reinhart, Casey Abrams, Pia Toscano, Ashthon Jones, Paul McDonald.

As far as America's vote of a Top 10, completely predictable (and deserving) on the guys side, not so predictable on the girls. Pia, Thia, and Lauren A. all got through deservedly, but Haley and Karen should not have made it through based on their performances Wednesday.

The wildcard round actually turned out to be pretty suspenseful and made for some good TV. 3 guys (Jovany Barreto, Robbie Rosen, and Stefano Langone) and 3 girls (Naima Adedapo, Ashthon Turner, and Kendra Chantelle) sang for their lives with the judges (apparently) deciding then and there who would make the top 13. I was a little upset I couldn't have heard my beautiful curly-haired flower, Brett Lowenstern, sing one more time, but alas he was cut. Along with early favorite Tim Halperin.

Ultimately though, Stefano probably did have the best wildcard performance of the guys. However, I've always had a soft spot for Robbie and just really enjoy his voice, so I was sad that Stefano got through over Robbie. Stefano probably fits that more "traditional R&B" voice slot in the Top 13 though (and is he the new heartthrob, mayhaps?)

In my opinion however, this performance right here:



was the best wildcard performance of the night. Her high notes were insane and there's something about her tone and her control that I really really like. I can't begrudge Ashthon and Naima getting through over her however, because their wildcard performances were also very good. I'm more upset that Kendra didn't just get through over people like Karen and Haley. I think ultimately though, Ashthon was put through because she fits the "sassy diva" role. Naima got through because she's "quirky", and the judges probably thought Kendra didn't have as much personality and they already had a blonde in the Top 13.  Still, I'll never forget you Kendra!

So now it's the finals. I'm not too excited about anybody, but I do recognize that there's a lot of really great talent on this season. Around this time last year, there was a lot of badness going through to the Top 12, but I can honestly say every single person who made it is talented. A lot of them might not be to my preference which is making me less enthused, however, I think this season could give us some interesting performances.

My prediction right now to win the whole thing though: Scotty McCreery

BABYLOCKTHEMDOORS

American Idol: Top 12 Girls; 12 Girls Sing One Really Long Song

Not really. But it seemed like it, didn't it?

Ohhh, American Idol…..You're making me harken for the halcyon days of Season 9!! Where are the Crystals, the Didis?  I may just start pre-emptively clinging to America's Version of X-Factor if this keeps up. This shouldn't be happening. 

At its best, American Idol can be a platform for singers with something unique to offer, whether it be in terms of voice, performing style, or personality (hopefully, all three). At its worst, Idol is glorified karaoke that celebrates sameness as well as formulaic pop. Tonight, many of the top 12 girls exhibited more of what’s wrong with the show than what could be right.  A lot of their performances followed the same, predictable arc: summoning their diva voices, sassing it up for the judges, and hitting the glory note at the end. The end result was a show that left me feeling kind of ‘meh’. The judges were also disappointing, with the exception of Randy, who, seemingly out of nowhere, emerged as the voice of reason MULTIPLE TIMES. Not once did he utter a single “for me, for you dawg”! He did use word ‘pitchy,’ but I actually agreed with him when he used it!!! Did somebody take out his gratuitous soundbite chip (or at least turn the dial down from ‘gratuitious’ to ‘necessary’)? ‘Cuz I’m liking it. JLo and Steven frequently rewarded contestants who seemed to be the most generic/cheesy (I’m looking at you, Karen Rodriguez!). However, Randy’s actually been the judge whose comments frequently echoed mine last night.

Having Said That,

Let's Start with the Good One(s):

Thia Meghia: "Out Here On My Own"

I willingly rewatched this girl's performance this morning. I actually wanted to hear her sing again. The others I'll watch mainly for the purposes of recapping, but some of them will be a slog to get through. She made a lot of smart choices last night. Singing a kind of obscure song, starting off a capella, having the lights dimmed with the single spotlight on her, standing in one place and just SINGING really set her apart from the other girls. Also, she CAN sing, which also helps. I'm guessing out of all of them, she didn't get the memo that you're SUPPOSED to be all sassy and strut around the stage, and go out of tune. C'mon, Thia! Get with the program! You're supposed to be like everyone else, remember?! Anyways, I really dig her pure tone and voice control. And, I could see where Randy was coming from when he said her tone reminded him of Michael Jackson. I haven't seen her other performances, but she's kind of the lone frontrunner for me as far as the girls go. 

Lauren Turner: "Seven Day Fool" by Etta James

For some reason, this girl's voice reminds me of Christina Aguilera,'s only she doesn't do a thousand vocal runs in one song. This is a very good thing. If there's one thing the show didn't need last night it was another girl doing vocal runs. I liked her song choice as well as the tone of her voice, which is strong with a bit of soul. She seems to be a bit of a dark horse, since she was kind of in the middle of the show (a.k.a. not in the pimp spot for all to marvel over), but I like that. If she navigates the stage with a bit more confidence next time, and keeps it up with the soulful vocals, she could be a serious contender.

Who I Kind of  Liked:

Pia Toscano: "I'll Stand By You"

If we're going on singing ability alone...Wait. If we're going on the ability to hit the most glorious of glory notes alone, she would win the competition. Her voice at the end was impressive. There's no doubt that she can sing well, and I get why she was in the pimp spot. However, I'm hoping she doesn't keep choosing these typical, karaoke songs that are the breeding ground of glory notes and 'showy' singing. 

Meh:

Naima Adedapo: "Summertime"

I like that her name is fun. Her singing style is kind of jazzy, which I also like. She's also interesting to watch, mainly for her wardrobe choices (Yellow Dress is Yellow!). However, her arrangement of the song was a little cheesy. As Randy put it, she sounded a little "lounge acty." If Simon was still there, he'd probably say she reminded him of a cruise ship singer circa 1976. 

Kendra Chantelle: "Impossible" by Christina Aguilera

While she has great control of her voice, and a nice R&B tone, I couldn't remember what she sang until I rewatched her performance today. She doesn't seem to have as much of a 'story' as the other girls, which could be bad news. She sings better than some of them, but if she makes it to next week, smart song choice in addition to vocal ability will be necessary to make her more memorable. 

Ashthon Jones: "Love Over Me" by Monica

It's not Ash-TON, people, it's Ash-THON. I don't know why that fascinates me so much. 

Anyways, I could basically write the same thing for her as I did for Kendra. Moreover, her song choice came off as a bit limiting vocally. Monica could pull it off, but Ashthon ain't there yet. Although she sang it competently, I'm not sure it was enough to motivate America to pick up the phone for her over the other girls. Her schmoozing with the judges also made me squirm a little bit. 

Lauren Alaina: "Turn On the Radio" by Reba McIntyre

She, like Kendra, has good control of her voice. And it's interesting she went the country route with a Reba song. Uh...that's all I can say. While I'm impressed with her vocal ability, I just don't like her as much as the judges do. 

Did Not Like:

Julie Zorrilla: "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson

Okay, ladies, here's rule #1: Never try to out-Kelly-Clarkson Kelly Clarkson. In fact, it's best to stay away from any hit songs by previous Idols (that goes for you, too, Naima!). That was her first mistake. Second, the arrangement had no arc, making her vocal seem a bit repetitive. It wouldn't have been as repetitive sounding if she had enough vocal oomph to cut through the background music...like Kelly Clarkson. Heck, Kelly Clarkson should've just sang it. Can Idol just pay Kelly Clarkson to stand in the wings, ready to bust it out whenever anybody has the brazenness to sing one of her songs? 

Haley Reinhart: "Fallin' by Alicia Keys

This song gets soooo overdone on this show. Also, some of her mannerisms/faces onstage struck me as kind of cheesy. Speaking of...

Karen Rodriguez: "Hero" by Mariah Carey

CHEEEESSEFEST. The audiences and the judges loved her, but she was more karaoke than anyone last night. The song (overused), the getup (aging), the glory note (predictable), the switching to Spanish (pandering) all seemed a bit too much for me to take. But she's giving the audience what it wants, meaning she's probably going to stick around. Darn.

How many more people are there?

Oh, right.

Rachel Zevita: "Criminal" by Fiona Apple

When I recognized the song, I got my hopes up. But by the end of the song, my hopes were dashed. The arrangement took out the original's punchiness. It all seemed a bit rushed. Also, her vocals were not that great. She gets a point for wearing a cape, though. 

Tatynisa Wilson: "Only Girl" by Rihanna

Maybe it was because of nerves, but girlfriend was OUT of tune. Also, the song itself didn't seem very...singable. Seeing as it's tailor-made for dance clubs, I don't think it was a wise song choice on her part. This girl was setting herself up for a fall because sometimes, even Rihanna doesn't sound good singing that song, and she IS Rihanna. I think it's highly unlikely she'll make it to next week, but if she does, she should focus on singing more than impersonating another pop-star. 

p.s. THIS is partially why I'm wistful for the days of Season 9 in terms of the girls. I mean, just listen to them.

And THIS is the reason why I'm leaning towards liking American X Factor. It's because the British X Factor managed to find someone like her (I'd recommend just skipping to 0:50):

Rambling over. 

What did you think?

American Idol Season 10 - It's the Top 24!

I don't even remember half of you

Season 10 is an interesting bag. Is it entertaining? The most talent EVER (TM Randy Hyperbole Jackson)? Boring? Exploitative? Does it have too many stage moms? Too many screamers? Is it a girls year or a boys year? DO WE EVEN LIKE IT?! The answer to these questions is I don't know. I honestly don't know! I've seen every episode this season and every episode I feel little flickers of hope and excitement...followed by waves of doubt (and self-loathing). I want it to be good and enjoyable and I will fully admit that I legitimately love J.Lo and Steven right now. However, there's a part of me that thinks that ANYTHING would be better than Season 9, and there's another part of me that suspects this season could go horribly horribly wrong (not that that couldn't be entertaining, of course).

So now we have a Top 24. Now WE get all the power. The possibilities...are endless!


LIST OF TOP 24 WITH PICTURES AND VIDEO (courtesy of MJS Big Blog)

There was some kind of Vegas week this year that felt totally unnecessary, but we got to hear more people sing so i think that's good? And also they all sang Beatles songs, so yay? Some of them were quite good, I have to admit, but group singing always seems counterproductive to me because I honestly don't care whether these people can work in a group or not. Then came the LONGEST "GREEN MILE" EPISODE EVER OH GOD, PLEASE KILL ME. It was nice that we got such long introductions to ALL of the Top 24, I'll admit, but man these episodes were boring.

I'm going to mention some of my early favorites, but I felt like I needed to explain myself as to why there aren't a lot of girls in the list. As much as season 9 was maligned (and in most cases, rightly so), going into the semis the girls had a lot of promise. I admit, a lot of this stems from personal preference, as girls like Didi, Lily, Crystal, and Siobhan all have less conventional, "quirky" voices, which appeal to me more. But is it just me of do all of the girls this season sound exactly the same? Not only that but we have A LOT of pop/diva voices this year for the girls. Unfortunately this means that every time one of those pretty young things walked down the endless airplane hanger runway (why so long, Idol?) and they showed their past performances, my eyes glazed over and all I could think was "I swear to god, I just heard this girl sing".  I think it's fairly obvious what kind of girl they were "casting" this season.

Some of my early favorites (who could very easily go home next week and who I reserve the right to turn on at a moments notice):

Paul McDonald

Paul might be my favorite right now. He has a really quiet and kind of uniquely beautiful voice. He also sang an original song for the judges that impressed me enough to take notice, and his "Blackbird" (with other Top 24 member, Kendra Chantelle) was gorgeous: watch his video package.

He also wears suits with glittery roses on it, looks drunk while he's singing, and looks like he should be a member of Driveshaft. And for that, I'm giving Paul a tentative THUMBS UP!






Robbie Rosen

Robbie, aka Aladdin, is someone I remember liking from his audition and every time I hear him sing I like him more and more. He's cute and young, so there's a lot going for him right there, but I'm constantly impressed by his solo performances. He's got talent.

Now he just really needs to sing A Whole New World.








Tim Halperin

Timmy's got a lot going for him. In fact if I was to guess who would win this season based on who has won the past few seasons, I'd put all my money on Tim. Cute, white, soulful, plays an instrument? Oh yeah.

I didn't even notice Tim until Vegas week, when his "Something" performance (with Top 24 member, Julie Zorrilla) really really stood out.

I'm worried he might be kind of boring, but for right now, I'm hoping we see a lot more from Tim.





Thia Megia

The only girl I'm putting up here and I'm kind of reallllly nervous for her. I liked Thia from the beginning because of her awesome name. Not to mention she seemed kind of quirky. However, her Vegas week performance and her final solo were really underwhelming. I'm hoping she can pull out all the stops for the semis because I want her to do well.

Her voice can be amazing for her age though: What a Wonderful World







Some other contestants of note:  
Lauren Alaina is the girl they've pimped out the most and therefore is really hard to stand. Not to mention her penchant for rubbing up all over Steven and wearing the most ridiculous outfits I've ever seen. I think she's probably a shoo-in for the Top 12 though.  
Rachel Zevita also has a penchant for ridiculous clothing items, but I point her out because she has the "story" of trying out multiple times and never making it. And she does interesting things with her voice that I'm not sure if I like a lot or not at all.
I actively dislike Clint Jun Gamboa, James Durbin, and Jordan Dorsey (if they wanted a male R&B singer, why not Aaron Sanders! He was so good ;__;).
Brett Loewenstern is a cutie, but I was sad to see Colton Dixon and Jacee Badeaux (Fat Bieber!) go.
Casey Abrams, aka Upright Bass! is going to be so much fun going on.
Scotty McCreery makes me laugh. I think I like him, but it's mostly for the lulz.

Lea's Weekly Recap 1/24 - 1/29

Chuck 4.12 "Chuck Vs. The Gobbler"

CASEEYYYY NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!11
Ok, so actually I'm not that concerned about Casey. I don't really think the dude is going to die. How much permanent damage he has remains to be seen, but they aren't going to kill off my Casey (Really, he probably should be dead. Because seriously, unless you're John Locke, you really shouldn't even survive a fall like that, but I digress). So, the rest of the episode was pretty good. I have to give it up for Timothy Dalton who has been an absolute DELIGHT every time he's been onscreen. Best guest star ever or best guest star ever (and this for a show that consistently has good guest stars). I still can't believe how readily Volkoff let Sarah walk into his organization, and the misunderstanding at the end was kind of lame. BUT the action was good and when Chuck and Sarah kissed in Castle, I swooned. Next week is supposed to be a real doozy, so I can't wait!

American Idol "Auditions #3 Milwaukee" & "Auditions #4 Nashville"
I. HATE. SOB. STORIES.

The Office 7.14 "The Seminar"

Everyone is talking about the Ricky cameo and rightly so! It was absolutely perfect. The look on Michael's face when he realized he had met his soul mate was priceless. I'm really glad they did that, and that they didn't dwell on it either. It was there and gone and so so satisfying. And what? Another good episode? Yay! Maybe this season is getting back on track! I just have to say that I could listen to Michael and Holly speak in weird accents to each other all day. And Andy was of course, magnificent: "I guess when you looked in me, you forgot about my balls. They're on the outside. Don't know how you missed them."


Community 2.13 "Celebrity Pharmacology" 

I was going to do a post about Community season 1 as I just finished watching the DVDs recently, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I've been watching the recent season 2 episodes despite the fact that I missed the first half of the season, but regardless, this show has quickly become one of my favs. It's another one that doesn't make me laugh out loud all the time, but it's so dang enjoyable. The show is meta to a fault, but I actually love it. Some of my favorite episodes, like the paintball ep, were the ones that reminded you constantly, 'hey, you're watching a tv show!' I think the show took a little while to get its footing, but by the end of season 1, all of the character's 'places' in the show got figured out and it truly became great.
As far as this episode goes, I liked it a lot. Despite the fact that Chevy Chase is amazing on the show, Pierce isn't one of my favorite characters, but him riling up a group of middle schoolers into chanting "we want drugs!" was amazing. Not more amazing than Senor Chang however, who cracks my shit up every time he appears. I love him. He needs to be in every scene on this show ever.

The Ricky Gervais Show 2.3 "The Fly"

If you aren't watching this show, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! It's consistently one of the funniest things I watch all week. I cannot believe Karl Pilkington is a real person.

Lea's Weekly Recap 1/16 - 1/22

So we're trying something sort of new here at the good ol' blog. Every Friday or Saturday, Zozizzle and I (and yes, I changed my moniker to just 'Lea' now. Although Mind Grapes is still in my heart) will attempt a weekly recap post, where we talk about all of the television that we watched for the week. Granted, sometimes an episode that we see will be so great and so full of excitement that a short thought-synopsis won't be sufficient, and in that case, those episodes will be getting their own separate posts.  But for all the other tv that we watch (let's face it, we can watch a  lot of tv), these posts are for that.

Chuck 4.11 "Chuck Vs. The Balcony"

 Chuck is back after the hiatus with a pretty strong episode. The episode focused less on a real mission and more on the sub-mission to get Chuck to propose to Sarah. Amusing stuff mostly because of the inclusion of Morgan, who first worked with Chuck, then Sarah, and then with Casey to try and get it done (Gosh, I remember a time when I hated Morgan. No longer. I love Morgan! Love him!). I thought the episode was sweet and funny and my heart grew 3 sizes when Casey told his proposal story to Chuck: "Forget the balcony. All you need is the girl."
And then I got a Lester story line. A LESTER STORY LINE! Mayhaps you know that I'm kind of a big Lester fan, so when he brought his prospective fiancee into his "Saskatchewan Hinjew" cavern, I felt great joy. That was only surpassed by the appearance of JEFFSTER! Never change, Jeffster. Never change.
I will admit to being a tad bit annoyed that the proposal got cut short if only b/c this show has sometimes run the risk of dragging out Chuck/Sarah issues for a little too long. I'm ready for them to finally be engaged, dammit! The storyline resulting in the capture caught me a bit off guard, just because it seems so implausible (but lol what is plausible on this show, really), buuuut the preview for next week looks amazing and so I'm definitely willing to see how it plays out. I'm just glad my Chuck is back!

American Idol 10 "Auditions #1 New York/New Jersey" & "Auditions #2 New Orleans"

 Ah my love/hate relationship with American Idol continues.  So everyone's freaking out because Simon is gone, eh? Meh. I only started watching this show at the very end of Simon's run, when the dude had clearly checked out and was envisioning a world with an American X-Factor where he could control everything, and I never really found his critiques all that helpful. So I'd rather look forward to new judges (and no more Kara! PRAISE JESUS HALLELUJAH!), and so far I'm cautiously optimistic. Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez had a good first outing. Steven is sort of like the new Paula, wacky and out there and making up phrases, but he also was surprisingly compassionate and let people down easy, while still being tough. He also enjoys singing along to everything, which could get annoying, but eh, it's Steven Tyler, you let the man sing. So far he was definitely the bright spot of the episodes, but J.Lo did a pretty good job as well. She may have had trouble saying no, but she actually gave some strong critiques as well as seemed to really care about the contestants and what she was doing. The real test for both Steven and Jennifer will definitely be the live shows. That's where these guys are really going to sink or swim, but as of right now, I'm encouraged.  And Randy Jackson was just Randy Jackson. I've always had a soft spot for Randy, so as long as he keeps wearing cardigans and serving out "yo dawgs", I'm good.
Oh, the actual contestants? All I remember is that there were a shit-ton of teenage girls whose voices all sounded the exact same to me, which doesn't really bode well (are they looking for a female pop-singer?). A  few teenage boys got through, who I really only remember for their sob stories (Wheelchairs! Twins in Harlem! Picked on because of being a ginger!) than anything else. A fat Justin Bieber. And then of course there was Yoshi-Pop! We'll leave it at that.

Modern Family 2.13 "Caught In the Act"

 I thought this was a pretty solid episode, with quite a few laugh-out-loud moments for me. My watching of Modern Family has started fairly recently, when I went through the first season in about a month and have been watching season 2 ever since. I find this show extremely enjoyable and one that is always entertaining, even in it's "worst" episodes. I've kind of always seen it as the much less dysfunctional version of Arrested Development. But while that show had me in stitches practically the entire episode, Modern Family doesn't always get guffaws from me, but it's always really pleasant to watch. It makes me smile and it makes me happy, and the 3 different families give you at least one thing to grasp hold of every episode. One of them doesn't carry the whole season, but instead all are given good story lines throughout (my favorite story lines however, are the ones that bring all the families together).
The main plot of this one with the kids walking in on Phil and Claire in bed was pretty good, mostly for the kid's reactions (I love Luke and the actor who plays him. His one-liners are a riot: "I don't know what they were doing, but it looked like Dad was winning.") and for Phil being Phil: "Excuse me for thinking your zesty performance deserved some praise."
The mixup with Gloria's email and her thinking Claire was angry about something other than what she was was a liiiiitle too sitcom cliche for me, but the pay off - with Gloria propositioning them to "taste her cupcakes" and Phil almost passing out - was hysterical.
The Cam/Mitch story line felt a little like an afterthought, but I was dying as Cam tried to think of the correct actress who owned the rug as he was freaking out (also, is Lilly the most well-behaved child ever?).

The Office 7.12 "Ultimatum" 

Another pretty good episode after a hiatus. I think, along with it seems like many of the viewing public, that this season of The Office is the worst of it's 7 year run. I know I'll always love it no matter what and will keep watching until it ends, but some of the story lines this year have seemed a bit stale and repetitive (and in fact, I worry about that a bit with the Michael/Holly story line. Those two need to get together in the end, yet I thought a lot of to-do was made about them this episode, where ultimately nothing really happened. Holly's taking a break now? That's it? Boo!). However, I really enjoyed this episode, because there were quite a few great lines and moments which had me rolling. First, Erin has kind of become a caricature, but I don't care, she is hysterical. I love her helping Michael so readily with his video and his "sad box" and "happy box" (with the gummi bears in the sad and the gummi worms in the happy, obviously). And her hatred of Holly is never not funny. Also: "My goal was to learn a new word every single day. And I must say that it is going immensely."
The resolution story line is one that would be incredibly stupid in real life, but it led to some awesome gags, especially Kevin being forced to eat broccoli as he struggles and then spitting it out everywhere. And of course, Andy roller skating to DMB and then dancing to a strobe light, things that are never not good. Greatest line of the episode however was uttered by the legendary Creed, "F*** YOU! F*** YOU!" in response to Erin doing the perfect cartwheel, which Creed only dreamed a possibility.

A travishamockery

I can't really write a coherent blog post right now

Instead read this article: http://cultural-learnings.com/2010/05/27/american-idol-season-9-finale-in-defence-of-kris-allen/





Basically.

American Idol Season 9 Top 2: Do we even care?

To be honest, I'm feeling kind of zen about this whole thing.  Lee used to fill me with such rage, but now I don't really even care who wins.  I'm still on team Crystal, but if Lee wins, eh, whatever.  I'm sure Crystal will be fine and this season will deserve an Idol who sings out of tune half the time :)

Such a change from last season, heh.  I didn't really think I would ever like a season as much as Season 8, but I didn't think I would hold so much hatred turned apathy towards this season either.  I will never forget you though, Didi, Lilly, Alex, Crystal, and.....TIM!

"The Boxer" Reprise - 
MG:Erm...that was......good! :D  I have a feeling Randy's jacket is going to be my favorite thing of the night though.
Z: He wasn't as pitchy this time around. It was awright, dawg. Randy's elephant/argyle jacket still takes the cake.

"Me and Bobby McGee" Reprise-
Z: I love her guitar! It's weathered and distressed and it looks like it has a soul. Her voice is amazing, as always. Mamasox rocks.
MG: Round one goes to Jack Bowersox!  I think I'm already drunk.

Producer's choice Lee - "Everybody Hurts":
MG: He still looks scared.  Oh lord, it's Lee's choir.  WHERE IS BAGPIPE?!  At least he sang in tune? Sort of?
Z: OMGed, the choir? Really? Kara described Lee as "emotionally accessible"? Yeah, maybe in an alternate universe, DioGuardi. Good song choice, but he still held back.

Producer's choice Crystal - "Black Velvet":
MG:  Oh man, this is dramatic as hell.  I'm really afraid she's going to fall down the stairs.  And she survived!  This is rockin'! Sing it, girlfrand!  SHE'S ON THE HOT TAMALE TRAIN!!!! WHOO WHOO!!!!!11
Z: Girl rocked it out!!! This stage is huge. I'm wary of Simon's complements for Crystal...I wouldn't put it past him to use reverse-psychology to make sure Lee's fans put it into overdrive tonight.


Lee coronation song - "Beautiful Day"
MG: What?  Um....this isn't a song about natural disasters!  WHAT IS THIS SHIT?!  Where are the mountains?!  THE HURRICANES?!  He sounds out of tune.  This is so unfair to every other Idol winner and runner-up....dear god.  This sucks.  I'm just saying.  It's not because I'm pissed he doesn't have to sing about believing in yourself or whatever, he just...doesn't sound very good.  THIS IS THE GUY YOU WANT AS YOUR IDOL, AMERICA?!......When is Kris Allen coming back?
Z: Simon is infuriating me. Lee Dewyze is the only one who needs a break?! His voice was a little iffy in spots and very 'yell-y' in others.  I really hope Crystal gets an equally liked song as 'Beautiful Day.' I really don't want voters to vote for the 'song' they like more. It's about the artistry, people! Let's remember that.

Crystal "coronation song" - "Up to the Mountain"
MG: MOUNTAIN! I've got my mountain! Crystal wins.  Game over. Ok, I'll talk about the performance.  So much emotion.  Just...OMG they said Lee was the one with emotional connection?!  Hahahahahahaha.  This is like, maybe one of the best performances of the season.  I feel tears.  The tears might be coming.  Now, this was a moment.  YOU WANTED A MOTHERFRAKKIN MOMENT?!  THERE YOU FUCKING GO!
If she doesn't win now, I just....I don't even know.
Z: Basically, I'm just getting my phone ready, cuz I REALLY want this girl to win now. This is my proudest moment as a Crystal fan. Seriously. She sang with conviction and soul, and...I just...love her. That is all.
My voting hand is poised and ready.

So....I still don't really care who wins, I guess, but if Crystal doesn't win, it'll just be...sad.  I think her performances tonight were so strong, especially her last song, that she should win on merit alone.  There is just no way, shape or form that Lee was better than her tonight (or the whole season, but that's a whole nother argument)
Having said that, I think Lee does have more screaming tweens and cougars voting for him.  Also, they kind of de-pimped him this episode (even though he deserved it), so it might mobilize his fanbase.

Z: To be honest,  Crystal has been the shining beacon in the fog that has been season 9. Though the Lee fans may be pulling out the stops voting-wise, I really hope that Crystal prevails. Tonight was really her night. During the entire season, she's been the ARTIST to beat. I don't think I could ever say the same for Lee.

Amen

Now where is Kris?

American Idol Season 9 Top 3: Dead to me

Before this episode even starts, I know I'm going to vote for either Casey or Crystal.  DO NOT SETTLE FOR MEDIOCRITY! VOTE FOR THE GOAT! BOW-ER-SOX! BOW-ER-SOX!


Casey - Alright With Me by Eric Hutchinson: I don't know it. This is just an Ok song, for me for you.  That was good, but maybe not ~amazing.  Casey needed a 'Heartless' to make it into the finale, and this wasn't it. Casey :(
Z: I can kind of understand Casey picked this song in order to show more of his artist side (it's kind of obscure so no one could compare it to the original). His vocals were strong, but his delivery needed to pack more of a punch. Casey, you need to be better than Lee! I hope his second song is better.

Crystal - Come to My Window by Melissa Etheridge: Harmonica FTW!  She should always sing songs just like that. I don't really have much to say. It was just good.
Z: Crystal's vocals were strong, but I agree with Kara--an acoustic arrangement might have been an improvement. I'm excited to hear her second song!!!! Btw, I love her mic stand.

Lee - Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynrd:  Oh god, of course Lee's got the pimp spot.  OMG look at his eyes.  There's no emotion there.  He creeps me out.  And he has a giant head.  He's going to his "Daughtry place".  Oh crap, the judges are going to love this.  I just don't like his voice.  He hits like, half of his notes, but it's not as noticeable because he just screams everything.
Z: Oh, no. They're totally pimping him. Some of his notes weren't that great. But, of course, the judges won't say anything about that. Their Lee-love is blinding them!!!! Let the scales fall from your eyes, judges!!! Please.



Casey - Daughters by John Mayer: Lovin it so far.  Much better.  I love it when he does his ballad thing.  AND A FACE MELTING SOLO!
Z: Of course, Simon critiques Casey's guitar solo... Simon, stop taking Casey down so you can elevate Lee later...Simon, you make me sad.  Anyways, I think it's great anytime Casey shows his vulnerable side. His soloing and vocals were strong and totally fit the song (boo to you, Simon).


Crystal - Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul McCartney: No instrument.  I love this song so much.  Sing it, girlfrand.  Slow. Motherfucking. Clap. Girl just threw down.
Z: Mind Grapes and I just did the *Susan Boyle-face-held-in-hands* gesture. I swoon at her voice. Girlfriend got SOUL.

Lee -  Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley: Full orchestra, fancy lighting, full choir descending from the heavens.  I am a changed woman.  Put me to bed, mama.  I have seen enough to know that I have seen too much..........I hate this show.
Z: And good music dies to the sound of thunderous applause. (Too harsh?)


I still cannot believe that just happened. Like, really? Really really? Just....LOL forever OMG this show is so stupid and I hate it so much.

So...Lee is going to win this show.  Whatever.  This season deserves him. I don't even give a fuck anymore.
Z: I still have hope that Lee Dewyze/Gokey-rehash will not win. However, I do think he will make the final 2, considering how Simon lavished the full-on orchestra/gospel choir treatment on him. Even though it's a long shot, I'm voting to keep Casey in the game. C'mon, people! We need to make a C^2 finale happen!! C^2 supporters, let's rally ourselves and UNITE!!!!!!

American Idol Season 9 Top 4: And here's to you, Mrs. DioGuardi

Long time, no blog.  Oops.  Sorry about the lack of AI posts, folks. To be honest, it was a combination of me being lazy and me not caring about this season enough to have any sort of opinion.  But hey, I'm happy Aaron Kelly left last week! I'm also happy Siobhan and her leaves left too.  I also have formed a deep and burning hatred for Lee DeWyze, who needs to GTFO as soon as possible.  Still on the Crystal train, but I've also jumped on the Casey train after his "Don't" performance.  I'll probably end up voting for him this week because I'm constantly fearing him going home.  Hey, it's kind of like what it was like to root for Kris last season! Oh, joy.

Jamie Foxx again! He was a good mentor last season, but...he mentored an entirely different theme lol.

Jamie Foxx is a crazy person. He has shirts he's going to give them?

Lee DeWyze- "Kiss From A Rose"
Jamie is getting all up in his face. LOL like Danny Gokey last season! OMG HE REALLY IS NEW GOKEY! Ok, I like this song, Lee. Don't fuck up.  Pull your pants up.  He sounds a little ahead of the music. Or behind the music? OMG did he just smile? Shocking.  That was...ok.  Honestly, he sounded out of breath and not good for a lot of that. I don't even know. It was kind of boring and unoriginal and he didn't sing it THAT well.  And not everyone loves him, Kara, jeez!  NEW GOKEY!

Mike-"Will You Be There"
His stupid wave LOL.  The song from Free Willy.  Staircase!  Oh there you go, gospel choir behind him.  Break it down, Big Mike!  Mike has a really good voice.  That was good, but there weren't that many...lyrics in the song.  And it was kind of safe, yeah?  Simon doesn't know Free Willy and they have to explain it to him.  I don't know why, but I'm laughing so hard.

Mike sings more in tune than Lee! He has every single week!  I'm just saying!!!!!!

Crystal and Lee - Falling Slowly
Oh shit...oh shit oh shit oh shit.  Uh oh.  I'm having so many conflicting thoughts right now.  As some of you may have forgotten, Kris Allen sang this song on Idol last year and killed it.  He also plays it a lot during his live shows now.  This season has pretty much recycled every single song Kris sang on Idol last year. Sigh.  They're playing the guitar to each other.  They're alternating in the verses.  This is nice so far and they actually changed up the arrangement. Aw they're singing different things at the same time.  Lee is definitely louder than Crystal, but OMG I kind of really liked that.  A lot.  Urgh Lee, I hate that I like something you did.

The praise for them was deserved, but this was TOTALLY a way to pimp out both Lee and Crystal.  We'll see what they say about the other duet, but I have a feeling there will be some de-pimping going on.

Also, the show has yet to mention Kris's name a single time despite the fact that so many people have sang songs he's sung before.  Hm...

Casey- "Mrs. Robinson"
He's singing for all his cougar fans!  You go, Casey! He's playing a mandolin! Or Big Mike's tiny ukulele guitar, one of the two.  No! Stop clapping, swaybots!  Aw Casey...I like it when he does his slower songs.  I think he did really well.  Very pretty.  He seemed really emotional singing it.  Oh god, they're going with the Kara jokes again.  And they're not stopping.  And the de-pimping of Casey begins :(

That was WAY better than Lee's performance.  I'm just saying.

Crystal- "I'm Alright"
A song from Caddyshack.  I do not know this song. She's bringing a little energy.  I love her acapella opening.  Also, man playing drums on stage is awesome.  Also, the breakdown is fucking sweet. That was a great performance, per usual. Has Simon seen no movie ever? Crystal's boyfriend has American flag pants. Wat? They seem like such an unlikely pair, but I kind of love it.

Casey and Mike- "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?"
LMAO this was the song I was hoping for...because it's just so terrible. How many times can you say the word "ever" in a song? Or "really" for that matter?  Oh mmmm Casey's guitar playing is hot. Nice.  Ok, this is good. Yay good harmonies! Yay good verses! Yay good duet!  And wow, they really were nice to them.  I'm kind of shocked.

Best of the night: Solo wise Casey or Crystal, with maybe a slight edge to Casey.  I did really like the Falling Slowly duet too though, god help me.

Worst of the night: It was Lee. It totally was. Don't deny it. It was. Sadly, I have a feeling we'll be saying goodbye to Mike or Casey anyways.

My favorite

<3

American Idol Season 9 Top 9 Redux: The Next Elvis

Well....

I'm sure no one wants to hear my thoughts about Adam mentoring.  So I won't bore you with that :)

Anyhoo, it's Elvis week.  I wish Tim was in a Vegas Elvis outfit.  That's the only thing that would make this episode any good :)

This week you have 3 opinionated bloggers.  I (Mind Grapes) will be writing in purple. Green will be Zozizzle.  And our good friend, The Derelict, will be writing in blue.

Crystal - Saved

Electric guitar for Crystal this week.  She's going with gospel yes!  OMG this breakdown is fucking sweet.  Ah I love her!

And now a message from Crystal's biggest fan:  CAN I GET AN AMEN?!  CAN I GET A HALLELUJAH?! 

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Mamasox tells me so.

Andrew - Hound Dog
Zozizzle just compared Adam's hairstyle to a character from DBZ.  That is the greatest thing I've ever heard.  This has a little latin flavor.  He's trying with the ~swagger.  I have no idea if that was any good.
2 words. Awk. Ward. Also, it sounded like a song Kate Gosselin and her partner would dance to on Dancing With the Stars.
He has no grace.  Did you see when he galumphed towards the swaybots?  He sounded like what a lounge singer in the Catskills circa 1958 thinks is "hep."

Tim - Can't Help Falling in Love

Oh Timmeh.  Making the ladies swoon :D  OMG I'm imagining thousands of 10 year olds squeeing into their pillows right now.  Holy crap.  Timothy!  This is legit kind of....really really good.

Wow. That was actually good! Color me pleasantly surprised. Aaannnd....there's his trademark smile! Interesting fact: It's been said every time Tim smiles, 10 girls faint across the nation.

Lee - A Little Less Conversation

Just his acoustic guitar. Yay I like this.  Oh, there's the band.  Alright, I'm diggin this.  Still not really smiling.  Uh...Yeah, that was good.

I like Lee.  He's non-offensive.  But.  But he has no charisma.  He's trying, but it's just not something that can be learned.  He's got a good voice but his personality as a live performer is just non-existent.

Honestly, he could have a great career if he could just release albums and not perform live...sorry to say.

Aaron - Blue Suede Shoes

Oh lord, creepy stance rocking again.  Oh man, this is awkward. Uh...

It was a'right, dawg. That's all.  

His mother's name is Kelly Kelly.

Siobhan - Suspicious Minds

Hey, guess what guys?! SHE'S LIKE ADAM! OMG no one's ever pointed that out before.  She's pretty. 

They are the same because they're both WEIRD!!!111!!!!!!!!!!!!!@!@!2!!!!!

Only... not.  Weird clothes does not equal SAME.

This song is too freaking '70s for me.

She does have a great voice.  I think I liked it.  I wasn't crazy about it, but I liked it better than last week.

Big Mike -In the Ghetto

Big Mike did pretty well--his vocals sounded good, and he created an intimate moment singing on the stage. Nice job, Big Mike. 

I'll say this about Big Mike, he's always in tune.

Katie - Baby, What Do You Want Me To Do 

Casey - Lawdy Miss Clawdy
Last week got me on the Casey train!  No, not like that. I'm not Kara.  That was good, but I kind of wish it was just him and the guitar again.  I felt like the band didn't really add to it that much.  Eh...I was a little disappointed.

He hot.  Oh, his vocals?  Good.  I'm riding the Casey train.  

But for me (for you) tonight I'd put Crystal first, Tim (!) second, and Casey tied with Lee in third/fourth.  Big Mike is a whatevs for me.

Bottom three?  I'm a little terrified (TM Kara DioGuardi) that Siobhan will be bottom three.  Joining her is Andrew (I'm still feeling the Crystal song, so hallelujah) and Aaron Kelly (Kelly Kelly).  Who is going home?  Kim Jong Andrew Gokey and Kelly Kelly.

Best of the Night:

Crystal, and...Tim? :O

Ditto.

Who's going home?
Andrew and...Aaron, but I  think there might be a shocker this week.

In a perfect world, Andrew and Aaron will go home next week. But...let's be real...we're talking about American Idol, so...who knows. 

American Idol Season 9 Top 9: Let's butcher the Beatles!

I must first apologize for no AI post last week.  Most distressing.

It's Lennon/McCartney week tonight! Yay! Train wrecks!  Before we start however, I would like to have a moment of silence for my poor, sweet, beautiful Didi, who did not deserve to go home last week, but has left us just the same :(

......


How depressing is it that my favorite guy and my favorite girl have already been eliminated? :/


PAUUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLL  <3______<3

Aaron - The Long and Winding Road
Aaron is Yoda apparently.  This is so sleepy.  JFC Aaron, can you not make every song you sing so freaking boring?  He made this beautiful song so dreary.  It never goes anywhere.  He needed to add something somewhere.  Kick it up a notch!  OMG Simon just eye rolled at Aaron's answer haha that was amazing. Simon, you saucy minx.

Katie Stevens - Let It Be
I hate her song choice, but I knew I would hate her choice no matter what she did.  Kris sang this on Idol a few weeks ago and was amazing, so, yeah, there's no way I'm going to like this.  Once again, her voice isn't bad at all, but it's so not interesting.  At least she changed her song up more than Aaron did.  The end picks up in tempo, but it still never really goes anywhere that amazing.  Randy thinks it's her best performance, and...yeah, I guess it is.  She booooores me, and I just don't like her so she can GTFO.

Andrew - Can't Buy Me Love
His shirt is too yellow.  He's made the song a little more funky.  The chorus is pretty close to the original though.  I'm enjoying this, I suppose.  Despite the fact that he sped up the song, his vocals are still a little bland.  The judges think it's all a bit corny, and yeah.

Big Mike - Eleanor Rigby
I am intrigued.  Ooooh strings on the stage.  Oh hot damn, it's an R&B version of the song.  This is a really interesting arrangement.  Way WAY different from the original.  I'm bobbing my head, but I have to be honest, I'm not sure if I like it.  When it worked it was awesome, the ending was really cool and powerful.  But there were parts to it that didn't really work.  Still, while I'm not sure I loved it, I have to give him props for trying something so different.

Crystal Bowersox - Come Together
Ok, Crystal, I like you.  So I will forgive you for singing a song Kris already sang on the show (and which I suspect you'll sing much differently).  Nooooo Crystal has a cold.  It's ok, she'll still be better than everyone else.  Her baby is so cute!  Oh holy shit, is that a fucking Didgeridoo?!  She's done her Crystal thang to it.  Made it really folksy and cool.  The breakdown is really really awesome, and of course she totally lets loose at the end and proves what an amazing singer she is.  Solid solid performance.  DIDGERIDOO!!!!!!!

Tim - All My Lovin
Smiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiile.  Electric guitar?  This is such a good song choice for him lol.  OMG he has Beatles hair hahaha.  Tim, I love you.  He didn't really change the song around very much, but whatever, it's working for him.  Tiiiiiiim, I don't even know what to say lol. He's just Tim.  Poor Tim though, they're so condescending to him and it bothers me.  Like, a lot.  It makes me want to vote for him.

Casey - Jealous Guy
This is a really interesting song choice.  I would never have even thought of it, but it's such a good song.  Acoustic guitar with cello! Mmmmm cello.  Bonus points for that.  This is a really good move by Casey.  I finally feel like I can focus on his vocals.  Dude, it looks like he's gonna cry.  This is emotional.  I liked it.  That was a fantastic arrangement.   Definitely his best performance.  I'm happy for him.

Siobhan - Across the Universe
Her outfit is very strange.  This is just emphasizing how much I don't really care for her voice.  It sounds so nasally.  She's singing it fine, but it just sounds like she's struggling or something.  I know she isn't, but it sounds like she is.  It's not really effortless. Hey, no screaming though.  That's good.  I'm gonna be honest, I wasn't that impressed.  I wish I liked her voice better :/

Lee - Hey Jude
Lee is a worry wart.  This is not surprising.  OMG CRYSTAL JUST SAID LEE AND ANDREW WOULD HAVE DANNY GOKEY BABIES! I LOVE HER!!!!!  Ahem, OK, back to Lee.  He hasn't really changed the song around that much and he's a bit pitchy.  It's that problem he's always had where he sounds better when he's screaming than when he's just singing normally.  WAT? BAGPIPES!!!!!  WTF?!  OMG I THINK HE'S OUTDONE THE DIDGERIDOO AND I DID NOT THINK THAT WAS POSSIBLE.  ....................that was the weirdest performance I've ever seen on Idol OMFG LOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOL.  I don't even know right now.  I don't even know.  All I can think about is man in kilt with bagpipes.  I don't even know if it was a good performance, but I'm kind of in love with Lee over the fact that he was just like.....BAGPIPES! THIS PERFORMANCE NEEDS BAGPIPES!  Just...LOL forever.

Best of the night:  Casey.  It was a great performance and there was the surprise factor there too.  Second best is a tie b/w the guy who played the Didgeridoo and the guy who played the Bagpipes.

Who's going home:  Aaron, maybe? Could it possibly be time for Tim?  Andrew, mayhaps?

I feel like this is the week where Crystal, Casey, and Lee are firmly in the front runner category.  But we'll have to see what happens.

DIDGERIDOO!

Yo, Aaron Kelly....

Kris Allen - Ain't No Sunshine (American Idol 8) [HQ] en Yahoo! Video



That is all 

American Idol Season 9 Top 11: Billboard #1 Hits/Teen Idol/Miley Cyrus Is a Talentless Hack Night!

Welcome to Week __ of American Idol Recap (I have no idea what number week it is, Zozizzle, gosh)! This week, Mind Grapes and I have no idea what tonight's night is officially called, hence the title above. The only thing in the title we're sure of is the part about Miley Cyrus being a hack. That never changes.

And now, on to the opening shots we're all familiar with!
Ryan's hair! Ellen's jaunty scarf! Kara's flirting with Simon! Simon's low-neck T-shirts! And his maddening metaphors!

Before we get into this thing, the question that's on everyone's minds I'm sure: why is Miley Cyrus the mentor this week?!

MG:  ASL;DFJ;LSDKJF;KLADSJF;LSDJF;J I HATE YOU MILEY CYRUS, YOU TALENTLESS HACK!  *nodding my head like 'yeah'* though
Z: Well put, Mind Grapes. Well, put. *yeah, yeah, it's a party in the U.S.A.!* (Crap, it's so darn catchy!)

First up is Lee!!! Singing: "The Letter" by The Box Tops!
Z: He's sans guitar! This is a welcome surprise. He seems a little less nervous now, which is good. Mind Grapes has just pointed out the lone Asian trumpeter to me--also a plus for me in this performance. He's still got some nerves, he isn't moving around the stage as much as he could be. Good vocal, but he's still kinda stiff to me.
MG: This was the most emotion I've ever seen from Lee.  I liked that probably the best out of anything he's ever done.  He's finally lightened up a bit and his voice sounds good.  I'm glad for him, even though there's still a spark missing.  And all of a sudden I'm finding him kind of cute?  Am I being won over by New Gokey? :O

KRIS ALLEN COMMERCIAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111111

Z: Do my eyes deceive me? Mind Grapes falling for Gokey 2.0?! What is the world coming to...

Anyways, back to the show!
Paige's song is "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins!
Z: Stairs! The stairs move! She's being wildly pitchy...it isn't sounding good. Oh, well, now that she's belting, she sounds better. She sings well when she hits that sweet spot, but not when she has to sing softly. Not gonna lie, that performance hurt a little bit.
MG:  Oh Paige.  You did so much better when you were sick.  That really was terrible.  What was that? She was all over the place.  Should have sung Tarzan.

Justin Bieber's everywhere in TV land! It's scary that a singing baby has this much power over teenage girls.

Aaaand we're back! My ~favorite person~ Tim Urban is up! And he's singing "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen. Ooh, a legendary Queen song--a tall order for young Tim.
Z: Whoa! He slid across the stage! Way to play to your strengths, Timmy. He doesn't sound too bad, actually. It's probably one of his better performances. He's got those teenage girls in the palm of his hands no doubt. But Simon will probably hate him.
MG:  TIM FOR IDOL! TAKE TIM TO THE TOP! TIM FOR '10 IDOL! I can't stop laughing right now. Tim is my favorite contestant of all time.  I love you, Tim.  Never leave me....

Up next is Aaron! And he's got a touch of laryngitis, oh, no! Paige, quit breathing on all the glasses in the house.
His song? "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith.
Z: He always adds a country twang to every song he sings, and it kinda fits this song. Randy was really digging him; he's a fan, and I can see why. He made a good song choice, and he pulled through despite his -itis. Good job, Fetus!
MG:  Aw Aaron. You could tell he was struggling with it a bit, but it was still pretty good.  I just like him.  He's such a cutie.  I want to squish him.

And now.....Bow.er.sox!!! Bow.er.sox!!!! Singing a classic Janis Joplin song "Me and Bobby McGee"!
Z: *FIST PUMP*!!!!! That is all. Homegirl leaves me speechless time and again.
MG:  SHE. IS. A. DELIGHT.  I love her so much.  That was a fantastic performance.  I keep thinking I'm gonna be let down by her, but I never am.  The end of that performance was amazing.

Who could follow that, honestly? Oh, it's Big Mike singing "When A Man Loves A Woman" by Percy Sledge.
Z: Mike always sounds great, and his glory notes are spot on. I actually believe him when he sings. I can't really say the same for all the other contestants. Awesome falsetto, Big Mike. You're definitely making your wife proud.
MG:  I'm not really a ~fan per se, but Mike has sang extremely in tune every single week.  I do think it was a tad boring though.  Too much ice cream.  I still think Mike is going to make it really far.

And next up is Mind Grapes' ~favorite person~ Andrew Garcia! Can the one-trick pony wow the judges? I hope we don't have to crown him the "undercover Gokey" tonight. His song? "Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye.
Z: Good on you, Miley, for making Andrew drop the guitar! He still is kind of awkward without it, though. And he doesn't sound good...he's really really pitchy. Simon's going to hate it.
MG: That was terrible.  Awkward and out of tune.  He should have stuck with the guitar, because he looks like such an awkward turtle without it.  Miley, you were wrong.  He is not an R&B soul singer at all.  I don't know what to do with him, so he should just leave.

And next up is Katie singing "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie. This is probably the most current song choice she's made.
Z: Why are girls screaming, interrupting the quiet intro? Darn kids...It looks like she's having fun, despite being pitchy. She was all right, dawg.
MG:  Meh.

Naked Casey's song is "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News!
Z: He's got the guitar this week! Will he move around the stage? That's lookin' like a 'no'. His vocals are awesome, but he's just standing behind the mike again. Grease the hinges, Casey!!! You gotta be loosey-goosey, baby, loosey-goosey. A sign of life! He moved at the end when he started riffing! But will it be enough?
MG: I think that was my favorite Casey performance of the season.  I still think he needs to move around a bit more, but overall it was good.  He was smiling at least.  Although to me, Casey always looks like he has no idea what he's doing on the show lol.

Didi!!!!!!!! "You're No Good" by Linda Ronstadt. Usually, we hear the Linda Ronstadt comparison as an insult from Simon, but surprise! Someone's singing an actual Linda Ronstadt song!
Z: She's singing a slower, jazzy version of the song. Didi's bringing the sass!!! I'm digging her tone, as always. Mind Grapes is dancing. That's high praise indeed.
MG:  WHAT IS THIS BULLSHIT?! THAT WAS AWESOME! THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME! SHE SOUNDED PERFECT! I LOVED THAT PERFORMANCE!  D:  For real?  For real real?  I just....um...I thought that was good.  Why are they talking about?  This is sad making. I am sad :(


Aaaannnndd in the pimp spot is...the girl with the titan-esque name, SIOBHAN MAGNUS, singing "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder!!!
Z: She's rocking an interesting lace number with a faux hawk. I like how she performs--she's not afraid to rock the stage. Gotta agree with MG, though, her screaming thing at the ends of songs is getting a little tiresome. It's bordering on cliche.
MG:  She does have a great voice.  But if she is going to scream like that every week, it's going to get old really fast.  And I don't even think those notes are that impressive.  They're not even notes! It's just screaming!  Ugh sorry, I'm still pissed about Didi.


MG: Best of the night: Crystal
Who's going home: Paige
Save Didi though! :(
Z: Ditto with MG's picks. Pack up, Paige! And...maybe Andrew should get his luggage ready? Perhaps that's just wishful thinking on my part.
As always, Crystal amazes me. I always love me some Bowersox.

American Idol Season 9 Top 12

The theme this week: THE MUSIC OF THE ROLLING STONES! Get ready for a lot of train wrecks.

As an aside, I find it kind of humorous that Zozizzle didn't want to watch last season of American Idol (and only watched some eps b/c I forced her), yet THAT was the season that actually had a lot of talent and goodness.  And now she WANTS to watch this shitty season where there is VERY little talent or goodness.  Ahem...I'm just saying.  It's interesting.

Zozizzle: Yes, yes, 'tis true. Well, I have to say that thanks to Mind Grapes, I got invested in this season (much to my chagrin). And ever so slowly, I've gotten more and more sucked in! First, it was the auditions, then Hollywood week, and now, I find myself wanting to watch the top 12.
American Idol Vortex, you have gained one more soul...

Big Mike- Miss You
He has a sweet story, i'm ngl.  His high notes are always really surprising. How do they come out of this person?  It was good, but he's dancing around again and it's all kind of lulzy. But he was pretty good. Simon calls him corny. Exactly.

KRIS ALLEN FORD COMMERCIAL!!!!!!

Didi- Play With Fire
I love Didi's voice so much. Please don't suck. Whoa. Those are some smoldering looks there, Didi lol.  I think her voice sounded very nice on the song. She has a great tone.  She was pushing her voice a little too much on some of the high notes, but she really seemed to connect to the song. I thought that was a very solid performance.


Casey- It's All Over Now
Electric guitar again.  He's put that country/rock feel into the song. He bores me so much though. I think he's playing kind of safe.  I agree with Simon though that there was something missing from it. There's no spark there.

Lacey-  Ruby Tuesday
Bitch shouldn't even be here. Ahem.  A string quartet. How quaint. What  is she wearing? OMG her voice is so shaky.  I really like this arrangement, but her voice is not good right now.  She has no control over it.


Andrew- Gimme Shelter
His parents are kind of awesome, I'm ngl. They were in a gang.  No guitar? What is this?  He's singing it straight and I'm surprised.  The vocals aren't that good.  He looks kind of uncofortable too.  I want more emotion from him! This song is so powerful, and he kind of has no stage presence. And eesh that glory note wasn't that great.  Ellen says it was his best performance so far. What?  And I agree with Kara. I hate myself.


Katie- Wild Horses
BITCH REALLY SHOULDN'T BE HERE! GTFO! She is so annoying.  She was probably a fucking pageant girl.  Stool.  Ok, she has a good voice.  I can't really deny that.  This wasn't a bad performance...at all actually.  It was pretty good.  Her voice sounds so old though.  SHE'S A ROBOT!



Zozizzle is here! Yay!  What do you think of the show so far, Zozizzle?  She's not really wowed yet, but she's hopeful.  We still have the Bowersox.  Zozizzle just yelled, "YEAH!"  She's sort of excited.




Tim- Under My Thumb.
TIM URBAN, YOU LITTLE FUCKER. I love you.  His smile is very toothy and slightly frightening as well.  I like this arrangement.  His voice isn't that great, heh, but he always looks so earnest when he's singing and I kind of like that.  There's a part where he stops singing  and stares right at the camera, and I can totally imagine a little girl watching and being like, "omg he's singing right to me!!!! *votes 100 times*".  I agree with Kara (kill me) that I liked that he changed it and tried to fit himself.  Zozizzle thinks it sounded like Jason Mraz.  Oh Tim....you are so endearing.  Why do I like you?  WHY?!  It's the smile....


Siobhan- Paint it Black
OMG her giant glasses are so awesome! And her family is awesome! She is awesome! OH HOLY GOD THIS IS SO FUCKING AWESOME ALREADY! OH. MY. GOD. Oh holy shit, Zozizzle is giving her a standing O.  That was so good.  OMG I couldn't even type anything until after it was over, I was so mesmerized.  I was just thinking that it was very Adamesque and Kara said the same thing. GET OUT OF MY HEAD, KARA!  That is what the show needed.  BOO YAH!  GAUNTLET HAS BEEN THROWN.  WHAT NOW, CRYSTAL?


Lee- Beast of Burden
He always seems so nervous. And Ryan jsut said he was nervous.  GET OUT OF MY HEAD, RYAN.  He's doing his Lee thing to it.  Gravelly vocals with guitar.  The softer, lower notes don't sound as good.  When he goes to his "Daughtry place" as I like to call it, he sounds better.  Yawn.  Ok, ok, it was a'ight.  Ellen compares Lee to a hospital gown.  I love her.  I just want him to smile omg.  Relax, Lee!


Paige- Honky Tonk Woman
GTFO Paige.  You REALLY don't deserve to be here.  Ahem...HER EYES ARE PURPLE! Are her eyes not purple? She's freaking me out.  Her eyes are like Tim's smile.  They have mind control powers.  Much muuuuch better than last week.  It's like she's a totally different singer.  That was really quite good actually.  I'm pleasantly surprised, because I don't want to hate Paige.  I just hated her momentarily because she stayed over Lilly.  She sang through Laryngitis.  Impressive.


Aaron- Angie
He's just a baby.  OH HOLY FUCK HIS MOM'S NAME IS KELLY KELLY. OMG I'M LAUGHING SO HARD HAHAHAHAHAHA.  Wow, I really thought this was going to be a lot worse than it is, but he's bringing his country thang to it.  He really does have a good voice.  He rocks back and forth awkwardly though.  That was good.  Zozizzle thought the performance was a little too smooth for the song.  He is SO David Archuleta 2.0.  Good on ya, Aaron, I enjoyed that.


WHY THE HELL DID I ONLY GET ONE KRIS ALLEN FORD COMMERCIAL, IDOL?! This is bullshit.


Crystal- You Can't Always Get What You Want
PIMP SPOT, BABY!  LMAO Zozizzle just said in regards to Crystal and the pimp spot:  "LIKE SHE NEEDS IT!"  BOW.ER.SOX.BOW.ER.SOX.BOW.ER.SOX.
Shit, don't suck, Crystal.  Bill Bowesox is my hero.  He is making me cry.  I'm giving this one to Zozizzle, Crystal's biggest fan: Two words. LOVE. HUH. 
More words: Again, I think she seemed really natural onstage. She took a great song and sang it with a lot of flare and finesse. Simon basically said that Siobhan beat her tonight...and I kind of agree. I'd love to see a Siobhan-Crystal rivalry! But Crystal's still my favorite in the competition. Fo sho.


Well said, Zozizzle.  I think that Siobhan was the best of the night, but I loved Crystal and Didi as well.  I can't wait for a Siobhan-Crystal throwdown top 2 night! It's gonna be awesome!


Who goes home?  Lacey probably.  Maybe Paige.


I only voted for Didi tonight though :)