realitymunches

29 March 2012

American Idol 11 - Top 9 (Personal Idols)

Elise Testone - 'Whole Lotta Love' by Led Zeppelin
Joshua Ledet - 'Without You' by Badfinger

Elise is definitely proving to be one of the more versatile contestants. You have Hollie singing sad songs nonstop, Heejun constantly trying to find an identity, but Elise definitely has shown some range, and is growing from strength to strength.

Joshua chose an extremely cliched song, but it sure didn't sound cliched. His voice goes on my nerves at time, but sometimes you just got to give it to him for his ability to hit those notes.

Phillip Phillips - 'Still Rainin' by Jonny Lang
Jessica Sanchez - 'Sweet Dreams' by Beyonce

Phillip should start choosing songs I know. I really like his style, but I cannot relate to him if he KEEPS PICKING UNKNOWNS. At least Paul McDonald did 'Tracks of my Tears' and 'Rocket Man'.

An extremely risky choice for Jessica Sanchez. Really happy that she changed the arrangement, but she probably should have retained a bit of that fiestiness to make it more diverse a performance. Great effort though.

Colton Dixon - 'Everything' by Lifehouse
Hmm, I get it that Colton got very connected with the song, but this tells me he's trying to grab a share of Shannon's fanbase. Good to see him in his church roots though.

Skylar Laine - 'Gunpowder & Lead' by Miranda Lambert
If she was your idol, you should've been on The Voice, because she'd then be mentoring you on Blake Shelton's team. TOO BAD YOU WERE ON THE WRONG SHOW. Nothing much to say about this, other than it belongs to the middle of the pack.

Heejun Han - 'A Song For You' by Leon Russell
Definitely better than the trash last week, but that doesn't mean he's overshadowing a lot of other contestants. All I can say: It was a good performance, but his time is running out.

Hollie Cavanagh - 'Jesus, Take The Wheel' by Carrie Underwood
Why would an Idol contestant choose an American Idol winner's single? If you do such a thing, you have to do BETTER than the original. This wasn't. Blah. This woman should go already. Stop boring me with B-grade ballad performances.

DeAndre Brackensick - 'Sometimes I Cry' by Eric Benet
Snore.

Labels: American Idol

# posted by Louis : 12:42 PM

27 March 2012

2012: Soundmunches #12

James Morrison - One Life
Haley Reinhart - Free

Kyla La Grange - Vampire Smile
Ren Harvieu - Open Up Your Arms

Justin Bieber - Boyfriend
Gosh, he sounds like a singer now!
Garbage - Battle In Me
Lonsdale Boy Club - Light Me Up
Dev feat. Enrique Iglesias - Naked
Toni Braxton - I Heart You
Kris Allen - The Vision Of Love

Labels: Soundmunches

# posted by Louis : 1:54 PM

The Voice 2: Battle Rounds #4

Adam Levine's Team
Nicolle Galyon VS. Mathai - 'Love Song' by Sara Bareilles (Mentored by Robin Thicke and Alanis Morissette)
Orlando Napier VS. Karla Davis - 'Easy' by The Commodores (Mentored by Robin Thicke and Alanis Morissette)

OMG, Mathai just has this ability to make listeners smile. Nicolle's falsetto pre-chorus was so painful. Didn't even matter if Nicolle had a piano or not - this was so damn one-sided.

The frequent appearances of 'Sunday Morning' made me wonder whether Levine got his inspiration of 'Sunday Morning' from this number. Karla's falsetto at 1:28 was amazing. Orlando is very good too, very chill, but he lacks that punch in his voice. Karla took risks, though I found her stage presence awkward at times.

Winners: Mathai & Karla Davis

Cee Lo Green's Team
Justin Hopkins VS. Tony Vincent - 'Faithfully' by Journey (Mentored by Babyface and Ne-Yo)
James Massone VS. WADE - 'True Colours' by Cyndi Lauper (Mentored by Babyface and Ne-Yo)

Justin's voice is brilliant. Tony is so old school, so it polarizes people's opinions of him I guess. Great performance put up by both though! Tony is definitely easier to be packaged though - he has got a stronger identity.

Aww, so sweet to see Cee Lo having a soft spot during the pre-recorded video. James' voice is so unique - he has that ability to sound captivating despite an average vocal range. WADE is good, but that was sub-par in the league of black male singers.

Winners: Tony Vincent & James Massone

Blake Shelton's Team
Jordan Rager VS. Naia Kete - 'I'm Yours' by Jason Mraz (Mentored by Miranda Lambert and Kelly Clarkson)

Oh no, Jordan came off very amateurish - so one-dimensional. Naia was good with those ad-libs, but yeah, what a wasted pairing.

Christina Aguilera's Team
THE LiNE VS. Moses Stone - '(Can't Get No) Satisfaction' by (Mentored by Lionel Ritchie and Jewel)

It was like a 3-way showdown, so it wasn't very fair for Moses because he was up against two!! Moses stepped up definitely, and I still think The Voice should be won by a soloist - why would it be called The Voice then?!

Winners: Naia Kete & Moses Stone

Labels: The Voice (Season 2)

# posted by Louis : 1:06 PM

24 March 2012

2012: Soundmunches #11

Dry The River - New Ceremony
Willy Moon - Yeah Yeah

Eugene McGuinness - Shotgun
Lissie - Go Your Own Way

Lianne La Havas - Lost & Found
Marina & The Diamonds - Primadonna (Acoustic)

Katy Perry - Part Of Me
Rye Rye - Boom Boom
Tulisa - We Are Young

Labels: 2012 Soundmunches

# posted by Louis : 11:41 AM

22 March 2012

American Idol 11 - Top 10

Phillip Phillips - 'Movin' Out' by Billy Joel
Ok, I really know nuts about Billy Joel, but I definitely know Phillip made this his own. He has the same passion in every performance he delivers. Very consistent, very professional.

Elise Testone - 'Vienna' by Billy Joel
She brings a very unique spin to this competition. You don't see such soulful contestants on Idol. Her maturity and classy musicianship is what sets her apart from the rest. She really shouldn't be in the bottom anymore.

Colton Dixon - 'Piano Man' by Billy Joel
Colton should do a soft-rock duet with The Fray. This is so in his element. Loving the red piano. His high notes always hovers around the fine line of excellence and annoyance. It worked today!

Jessica Sanchez - 'Everybody Has A Dream' by Billy Joel
This woman ah, growing too fast for her age. She's legally speaking not even a woman yet, but she belts like a Jennifer Hudson and OMG that whistle.

Erika Van Pelt - 'New York State of Mind' by Billy Joel
Oh gosh, she looks so much more edgy in this! I think she finally looks like a package now. Blondes with a low alto voice don't really work. Not sure if the viewers will be comfortable with the change though. Hopefully, they give her another shot! Too much other junk to eliminate first.

Hollie Cavanagh - 'Honesty' by Billy Joel
Ok, this woman is starting to bore me. Initially I was impressed by her powerhouse vocals. However, it's the 4th week already and she has done 4 ballads in a row. This wasn't revolutionary - in fact, it came off slightly pitchy at parts. Losing it?

Skylar Laine - 'Shameless' by Billy Joel
No idea why they're placing so much emphasis on her image... maybe because she really has nothing much left to offer. She's so weak with all the low notes. Really funny girl, but her time on the show is running out. You never know though, with Shannon the preacher woman gone, she will be getting all the country votes.

Joshua Ledet - 'She's Got A Way' by Billy Joel
He was so spectacular last week, today just fell flat. Last week, he belted highs and lows with a purpose, but today he just seemed to be doing it for fun. Didn't feel it. J Lo said the exact same thing - he was singing it, but not SINGING it. YES.

DeAndre Brackensick - 'Only The Good Die Young' by Billy Joel
I know this song because Glee did it. WOW, I know a Billy Joel song! Why on earth did he choose this? SONG CHOICE. This was so bad.

Heejun Han - 'My Life' by Billy Joel
Okay, he puts in his personality into the performance now. But boy, this was overboard. Vocally alright, but like what I mentioned last week, I don't see he has anything left to offer, and I still cannot make out the artist he is, and will be. Ridiculous amount of goofing.

Labels: American Idol

# posted by Louis : 11:42 AM

21 March 2012

The Voice 2: Battle Rounds #3

Team Adam

Pip vs. Nathan Parrett - 'You Know I'm No Good' by Amy Winehouse
Mentored by Alanis Morissette & Robin Thicke

SO ENTERTAINING. If only Nathan was more present... then it would have been quite a tough call. Pip rocks la. [P.S Just watching the rehearsals reminds me of how brilliant Adam is.]
Winner: Pip

Katrina Parker vs. Angel Taylor - 'Bleeding Love' by Leona Lewis
Mentored by Alanis Morissette & Robin Thicke

The way they were singing to each other - it sounded they were tentative to jump into a relationship LOL. Angel's posture comes off rather awkward. I'm glad they made an effort to avoid sounding karaoke-ish. Katrina's personality is more definitive - Angel seems to be performing behind a mask. The moment Xtina said Kristina sounded like Adele, you knew Kristina won.
Winner: Katrina Parker

Team Cee Lo

Erin Martin vs. The Shield Brothers - 'What's Love Got To Do With It' by Tina Turner
Mentored by Ne-Yo & Babyface

What in the world happened to Erin? She was my absolute favourite when she did 'Hey There Delilah', but OMG, she just went nuts here. There was like zero tune coming out from her. Shields Brothers definitely got some artistry in there, but Erin definitely overpowers them in terms of star power. The brothers obviously felt ripped off when they didn't get chosen.
Winner: Erin Martin

Team Christina
Ashley De La Rosa vs. Jonathas - 'No Air' by Chris Brown & Jordin Sparks
Mentored by Lionel Ritchie & Jewel

Ahh, this was pretty painful to watch. Something felt empty with this performance. Their ad-libs and harmonies don't blend well. Ashley definitely belted more, but Jonathas worked the stage better and had a clearer identity. Christina probably didn't pick her because he didn't soar this time around, one dimensional?
Winner: Ashley De La Rosa

Team Blake
ALyX vs. Jermaine Paul - 'Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car' by Billy Ocean
Mentored by Miranda Lambert & Kelly Clarkson

What is that name? ALyX? She got's quite an attitude definitely. Jermaine stole the show for sure. One's so free with his feelings, the other seems so cooped up. And then, she decided to give her input at the end of it, weird.
Winner: Jermaine Paul

Gwen Sebastian vs. Erin Willett - 'We Belong' by Pat Benatar
Mentored by Miranda Lambert & Kelly Clarkson

Didn't get to hear much of Erin during the auditions phase, but her pre-recorded video about her going through a tough patch was so emotional. Gwen is an incredibly respectful artist, and I really admire that about her. It's great to see them feeding on each other's energy. It really could have gone either way, and I think Erin's life story made Blake sway towards her.
Winner: Erin Willett

Labels: The Voice (Season 2)

# posted by Louis : 3:30 PM

2012: Soundmunches #10

Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans
Diplo - Express Yourself

Madonna - Girl Gone Wild
Chris Rene - Young Homie

Sabi - Wild Heart
Gavin DeGraw - Sweeter

Garbage - Blood for Poppies

Labels: 2012 Soundmunches

# posted by Louis : 1:19 PM

15 March 2012

American Idol 11 - Top 12

Contestants had to sing a song produced in the year they were born.

Joshua Ledet - 'When A Man Loves A Womaan' by Percy Sledge
Gone mad.

Jessica Sanchez - 'Turn The Beat Around' by Vicki Sue Robinson
I thought she aced it, but the judges didn't buy it, saying her syncopation wasn't on the beat, but hey, I always love it when they rattle that really quick phrase before topping it off with a ratatatata. I don't see why she should get beaten down for being versatile.

Elise Testone - 'Let's Stay Together' by Al Green
Yes, this is the real Elise, not the rubbish she gave last week. Love the raspiness of her voice.

Phillip Phillips - 'Hard To Handle' by Otis Redding
He performed great. That could be what he's possibly doing in the future.

Colton Dixon - 'Broken Heart' by White Lion
Colton picks an absolutely unknown song and blows it out of the park. The judges have zero clue about the song.

Hollie Cavanagh - 'Power Of Love' by Jennifer Rush
This was so mother pitchy. I know, ballads are her forte, but hello, if you're doing it for 3 consecutive weeks, it verges on BORING. I don't know why she keeps getting the pimp spot.

Skylar Laine - 'Love Sneakin' Up On You' by Bonnie Raitt
So sticking to one's personal song choice worked for her. She was good, but duh, it's country, and Louis and country absolutely do not mix.

Shannon Magrane - 'One Sweet Day' by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
AHH, preacher woman takes the stage. So ridiculously boring, but nothing I say will help, because she's got her whole community rallying behind her. Bravo bravo. At least she sang this 100 times better than the trainwreck last week. I don't see how the judges find this better than Jessica's though.

Erika Van Pelt - 'Heaven' by Bryan Adams
I think the pre-taped video is SPOILING EVERY SINGLE MOMENT ON STAGE. The song's so overdone, so it was good they made attempts tweaking the song arrangement, but the judges hate the changes. Not crazy about the break. Another snoozefest. Somehow sensing a bit of backstage bitching via Randy's comments about Jimmy.

DeAndre Brackensick - 'Endless Love' by Diana Ross & Lionel Ritchie
I like how he knows he's an underdog. Frankly, I hate it when he belts into those sopranoic registers - it drives me nuts. That aside, it was good, albeit a snoozefest.

Heejun Han - 'Right Here Waiting' by Richard Marx
Heejun delivered a strong vocal, but I still don't see his personality emerging from his songs. Sometimes you start doubting his relevance.

Labels: American Idol

# posted by Louis : 7:17 PM

14 March 2012

The Voice: Battle Rounds #2

Lindsey Pavao & Lee Koch - 'Heart-Shaped Box'
AMAZING DUET. The dynamics within Lindsey's voice is so impressive - so, so layered. Lee also has such incredible vocal control. Both of them should've went through. Christina goes along with Lindsey.

Sera Hill & Geoff McBride - 'Chain of Fools' by Aretha Franklin
Man, this was unfair. Geoff really should've won. I mean, yes, Sera did perform with Christina in 'I'm Going Down' weeks ago, but things should have remained objective. Geoff really outshone her on this number. Plus, her whistlings were all over the place.

Kim Yarbrough & Whitney Myer - 'No More Drama' by Mary J. Blige
Kim's voice just reverbs and fills the place, and in comparison Whitney's one comes off very thin. Whitney's definitely more contemporary, and surprisingly she stole the show at the end. Adam Levine went ahead and chose the safe route, and went ahead with Kim.

Charlotte Sometimes & Lex Lands - 'Pumped Up Kicks' by Foster The People
Damn, I loved both of their voices! Very interesting dynamic between the two, though their facial expression is like zero? Charlotte definitely has more of a star quality, so it was no surprise.

Jamar Rogers & Jamie Lono - 'I Wanna Know What Love Is'
One of the comments summed this performance the best: I could hear what Jamie was singing (the one with specs), but I could feel what Jamar was singing.

Juliet Simms & Sarah Golden - 'Stay With Me'
This was extremely biased. It felt like Blake Shelton chose the song for Juliet. It was too much out of Sarah Golden's comfort zone. Poor thing. Juliet wins it in this lopsided matchup.

Labels: The Voice (Season 2)

# posted by Louis : 1:05 PM

2012: Soundmunches #9

Marina & The Diamonds - Primadonna
Keane - Silenced By The Night

Usher - Climax
Florence & The Machine - Never Let Me Go

Kimbra - Settle Down
Brandy & Monica - It All Belongs To Me

The Temper Trap - Rabbit Hole
Ria Ritchie - Only One
Carrie Underwood - Good Girl
Alphabeat - Vacation

Labels: 2012 Soundmunches

# posted by Louis : 8:57 AM

08 March 2012

American Idol 11 - Top 13 (Whitney Vs. Stevie)

The guys took on Stevie Wonder, while the ladies pa a tribute to the legendary Whitney Houston. After watching how they performed, I feel that the producers should eliminate another half of them this week..

Jessica Sanchez - 'I Will Always Love You'
Ok, I was so prepared for a brilliant performance. So, so prepared. This girl is 16. SIXTEEN. I had the chills within the first ten seconds. This was even better than 'The Prayer'. Something's seriously wrong if she doesn't win this season.

Hollie Cavanagh - 'All The Man That I Need'
She is one hell of an underdog. She keeps taking on big songs ('Reflections' last week) and somehow she does justice to them! She has got powerful pipes, and like J Lo said, it wouldn't be surprising if herself and Jessica made it to the final, with Colton taking third.

Colton Dixon - 'Lately'
My favourite contestant this season got to showcase some of his singer-songwriter skills at the start of the video! I was getting ready to cringe in fear when I knew he was singing 'Lately', but damn, he made it his own. Very polished, very original, bravo! Seacrest's comment was lol.

Joshua Ledet - 'I Wish'
It's true we ain't got a black woman this season, but you could say he's a good substitute. He crammed his entire personality and vocal stylistics into a single performance (overdose or work of art, you decide), so it was impressive. He's got the correct feel.

Phillip Phillips - 'Superstition'
He blew this out of the water during his first audition. Unlike Shannon Magrane who delivered the worst rendition of 'I Have Nothing' ever, Phillip delivered the most unique interpretation of 'Superstition'.

Skylar Laine - 'Where Do Broken Hearts Go'
Skylar successfully made it her own (I can't believe they even incorporated the country twang in the song production). I like how she's not those predictable country artists that spell B-O-R-I-N-G.

Erika Van Pelt - 'I Believe In You & Me'
In crude terms, she's got a pretty tranny voice. In refined terms, she sounds really unique. On the plus side, it's good to see her always being so comfortable onstage and professional, but perhaps that's what boring - she stays in her comfort zone. Some more vocal power would be good.

DeAndre Brackensick - 'Master Blaster (Jammin')'
WAIT. I know this song! There's some annoying character that goes 'Everyone's feeling pretty!', but I can't remember who it is! He's definitely got better voice control on this number, and he attempts to dance around in a bid to be more relatable to the audience. Good vocally. but not remarkable. (PS STEVEN TYLER COMPARED HIM TO NAIMA ADEDAPO. Ahh, I miss her and her rendition of 'Umbrella')

Heejun Han - 'All In Love Is Fair'
The novelty factor for Heejun seems to be vaporizing, even before we reach the Top 12. He's sure a goofball who can sing, and I'm proud of him, but I really don't see his image and his voice melding together. He'll need a really strong Asian voting demographic to survive. He choose pick more upbeat songs that complement his personality.

Jermaine Jones - 'Knocks Me Off My Feet'
He didn't make the Top 24 originally FOR A REASON. No idea why the judges brought him back. Yes, sad story he's got, but that's all. The low voice murders me. The judges think something is missing. I think everything is missing.

Jeremy Rosado - 'Ribbon In The Sky'
This is so passe. I don't like all these typical Idol contestants. Bores me like crazy.

Elise Testone - 'I'm Your Baby Tonight'
This was a major flop from the previous week. She impressed the judges last week because she seemed like a veteran who was sure of her style, but this was largely confusing. Too much Haley Reinhart-growling that worked against her favour.

Shannon Magrane - 'I Have Nothing'
This is why you need a black woman in the Top 13 to give this classic some justice. This pretty blonde did TERRIBLE. Let's hope her prayers don't work.

Labels: American Idol

# posted by Louis : 1:07 PM

06 March 2012

The Voice 2 - Sing-Offs

Anthony Evans vs. Jesse Campbell - 'If I Ain't Got You' by Alicia Keys
Rehearsals with Lionel Ritchie & Jewel
OMG, this was such an eargasm. The harmonies were just spot-on, they blended so seamlessly. It was so exciting to watch because they were blatantly trying to outshine each other, but yet remained so respectable.

Winner: Jesse Campbell

Angie Johnson vs. Cheesa Laureta - 'Total Eclipse of the Heart'
Rehearsals with Babyface & Ne-Yo
Cheesa surprised me. I thought she was hideous during the audition (even called her a Charice gone wrong), but she turned things around and used her aggressiveness to her advantage. Angie delivered, but still she doesn't shine in The Voice as much as she did in her military YouTube performances, so that was pretty disappointing.

Winner: Cheesa Laureta

Chris Mann vs. Monique Benabou - 'The Power of Love' by Celine Dion
Rehearsals with Lionel Ritchie and Jewel
Crap, this pairing was too good. Ms Monique didn't really impress me with her rendition of "Mr. Know-it-all', but boy, this duet was really good! She belted amazingly, he soared so gracefully.

Winner: Chris Mann

Chris Cauley vs. Tony Lucca - 'Beautiful Day' by U2
Rehearsals with Alanis Morissette & Robin Thicke
This was very evenly matched, but Tony's voice soars on so many more levels. Chris was consistent, but he didn't take risks with his voice. I thought it got very draggy nearing the end.

Winner: Tony Lucca

RaeLynn vs. Adley Stump - 'Free Fallin' by John Mayer
Rehearsals with Miranda Lambert and Kelly Clarkson
Adley's styling is really weird. Adley definitely outshone - so much more confident and experienced. RaeLynn's voice was too unique to pass for Blake, I guess.

Winner: RaeLynn

Jordis Unga vs. Brian Fuente - 'Ironic' by Alanis Morrissette
Rehearsals with Kelly Clarkson and Miranda Lambert
This was a total trainwreck. The song choice was very much to Brian's disadvantage. The harmonies just didn't mash - wasn't a good collaboration. They were just so unsure about themselves throughout the entire performance! I liked how Blake was just brutally honest with his acts.

Winner: Jordis Unga

Labels: The Voice (Season 2)

# posted by Louis : 6:53 PM

2012: Soundmunches #8

Santigold - Disparate Youth
Olly Murs - Oh My Goodness

Jennifer Hudson & Ne-Yo - Think Like A Man (feat. Rick Ross)
Train - Drive By

Marina & The Diamonds - Homewrecker

Calvin Harris - 'Let's Go' feat. Ne-Yo
Robin Thicke - 'Pretty Little Heart' feat. Lil' Wayne
John Mayer - Shadow Days
Plan B - ill Manors
Smiler - Spender (feat. Lana Del Rey)
Madonna - Girl Gone Wild
Rita Ora - Party & Bullshit

Labels: 2012 Soundmunches

# posted by Louis : 8:41 AM

02 March 2012

American Idol 11 - Top 13

DeAndre Brackensick. The judges are clearly enamored with the prospects of this California teen, who was raised singing Hawaiian pop, but the falsetto he favors seems to polarize viewers/voters.

Hollie Cavanagh. Rarely seen until this week, this British-born Texas teen got enough votes to make the Top 10, but she's a true wild card. Her performance of Christina Aguilera's Reflection suggests things could go either way for her.

Colton Dixon. This 20-year-old from Tennessee auditioned in Season 10, only to get cut at chairs before the top 24. Though he didn't intend to try out again -- he tagged along to support sister Schyler in her audition -- they both made it through to Hollywood before Schyler got eliminated in Las Vegas.

Heejun Han. Although the 22-year-old started out very nervous (he was visibly shaking), the Korean-born non-profit organizer delivered one of the most surprising, solid auditions in Idol history.

Jermaine Jones. This deep-voiced "gentle giant" got called back to the show as a ratings stunt, so it's hard not to see his inclusion as a sympathy vote.

Skylar Laine. A rollicking semifinals performance of The Faces' 1971 rock hit Stay With Me vaulted this spunky Mississippi teen to the front of the pack of this season's country-singing contenders. According to Jennifer Lopez, Skylar reminds her of Reba McEntire.

Joshua Ledet. Idol has seen its share of smooth-voiced R&B crooners, but very few singers from the gospel shouter tradition. Ledet has the potential to be one of the season's most dynamic performers.

Shannon Magrane. The 6-foot-tall daughter of a former major-league pitcher displays a poise beyond her years. Her performance of a contemporary Christian song may have helped her lock in a large, dedicated segment of Idol voters.

Phillip Phillips. An early favorite because of the way he turns songs inside out to suit his Dave Matthews-inspired style. Smart song choices and creative interpretations could take him deep into the finals.

Jeremy Rosado. Nice guys don't finish last on Idol, and they don't come much nicer than Rosado. He'll have a hard time winning, but many tears will be shed when he leaves.Jessica Sanchez. This 16-year-old delivered a stunning performance of Jennifer Hudson's Love You I Do after a week of vocal problems and voice rest.

Elise Testone. At 28, Testone has as much professional polish as anybody in the competition. Her self-assured, show-closing Adele cover immediately vaulted her to the front of the pack for the women.

Erika Van Pelt. This DJ comes with a confidence and a rich, deep alto that makes her a nice alternative to the less-experienced singers who want to live in the stratosphere.

[Source: USA Today]

Labels: American Idol

# posted by Louis : 2:02 PM