StoneRose Valley My Thoughts, Expressions, and Passions

I will be traveling over the next few days…so, unfortunately, will miss the live showing of A-I both nights this week. I hope to get caught back up on the evenings, though, and would love to hear any comments from you (my readers…or non-readers; whatever).

Bright side: I have one more exam in the morning, plus musical juries-and then I am free. Yes, my friends, the semester ends tomorrow for me. Immediately following, I will be heading to Jamaica…or Scotland….or California’s Sunny Coast…anywhere in the world, for all you know! I have a very good, lifelong friend getting married this weekend, so am going to celebrate with her. American Idol can be put on hold for a little while.

See you later!! Maybe I’ll find some time while there to touch base with you again. Maybe-no promises though.

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Hard Times, Crazy Times, Music

My favorites from last night…I think Adam and Allison both did good jobs, just didn’t catch my attention and hold it.

As usual, Kris put in a fantabulous performance. It didn’t really sound disco to me…but that’s what makes him so good. He was able to take a disco song (the requirement) and turn it into himself. As Kara said, I could see this on Kris’ album.

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Matt Giraud set out to prove that that judges save last week wasn’t used for nothing. I really liked his rendition of Staying Alive…

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Danny Gokey brought back some punch to his music…I was thinking that his voice sounded strained the last two weeks; much better last night.

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Anoop Desai…this guy is getting better each week. I’m just not sure that it happened soon enough; don’t think his fan base is large enough to pull him through unfortunately.

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The disco week is here! Still, not really excited about this, contrary to Ryan calling this night a “very exciting week”.

We still have seven contestants due to Matt’s win of the save last week (great performance!), so two will be leaving tomorrow night.

Lil Rounds is singing “I’m Every Woman”. She definitely is getting better at picking her songs. That Lil with the big voice we heard in the beginning of the season is back. I really didn’t have any complaints to make.

Randy said it “sounded so wild; still didn’t show us what kind of artist you are and what you can really do in this competition; or your vocal control”.
Kara told Lil, “we’ve all been waiting to hear you sing Chaka Khan…maybe not worth the wait”.
Paula told us that Lil had “no voice yesterday; I applaud your recovery. You were hot tonight, but maybe not boiling; remarkable recovery though”.
Simon thinks this is the “last week for you. There was no originality; the arrangement, vocals were a mess”.
I think the judges were all way too harsh with Lil tonight. It’s like they’ve made up their minds that she just has to go no matter what.

Kris Allen chose “She Works Hard For The Money” by Donna Summer. Interesting choice; I gotta say I love the stage setup. Reminds me of Katherine McPhee’s “Black Horse and The Cherry Tree” several seasons ago. No one can complain that this isn’t original. Has Kris written all over it. That last phrase was fantastic. Read More…

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Well, here we are again. Another results show. Who’s leaving? I’m going to say either Lil or Matt….I hope it’s not Matt.

The top seven performed ‘She’s A Maniac’ by Hall and Oates. I have to say I LOVED this group number. Especially Kris, Anoop, and Matt’s parts. Have to say I wasn’t a fan of Adam, Danny, or Allison on this one…

I missed the Ford Music Video this week…my TV completely lost the signal. If you missed it like me, catch it here.

Read More…

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Life Thoughts, Links, Music, Quotes

Well, it seems that, by popular demand, I’ll be continuing to add video’s of my highlights of the night.

Kris Allen continues to steal the night…I am wowed by this guy. Danny Gokey continues to bring the emotional connection with every song. Allison is still rockin’ out the stage, as is Adam.
Adam Lambert the obvious winner? Nothing obvious about that at all!! This show still has several more weeks to run, and I believe those who think Adam will emerge the victor…well, I think you may be in for a surprise. Kris is running this race to win. As is Allison Iraheta and Danny Gokey. Matt Giraud and Anoop Desai are throwing in their punches too, if not for some bad weeks, they’d be up there with the other four. But I think they may still have some surprises in store. Read More…

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It’s the night: Songs of the Cinema! And we have Quentin Tarantino working with the contestants. I’m not expecting him to be lenient with them.

Missed the intro due to my TV not receiving the channel correctly…same ole’ story.

OK, so same format as always, right? I’ll sum up my thoughts on a contestant, tell you what they’re singing, and what the judges said. After that, I’ll share which were my favorites, and who was a dissapointment. And finally, I’ll include a poll or two at the end…a little interaction, since you all are scared stiff to leave any sort of comment…lol

Allison Iraheta picked, from the movie Armaggedon, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”. My initial thought: Read More…

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Expressions, Music, Polls

Well, wanted to let ya’ll know that I will not be blogging live tonight during the results show. I have been so overwhelmed by what is going on in my life (mostly finishing up this semester of school) that the idea of having to keep up with the live posts is exhausting. I’m also in the process of determining whether the live posts are even worth it. I don’t really get to think about the show and share all my thoughts and expressions about it when posting live…so I’m thinking about returning to last years no-live-blog, at least on the results show. I’d love to hear any feedback you have on this choice! If I don’t hear anything, I’ll assume you don’t care (likely!) and will lean on my own better (hehe) judgement.

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Now, after the results show; here are my thoughts.
Frankie’s appearance was pretty hilarious!

The top eight performed…whatever it was. I didn’t like Matt’s part in the song; but loved Allison. Excepting her, overall, honestly, it was forgettable.
Loved the behind the scenes of the ford Magic Show video. Especially Scott’s imitation of Simon.  The video, featuring the song “Circus” turned out quite well….I’m just getting bored with the whole magic show theme that they come up with every season.

Based on performance, I would have put Scott, Lil, Kris in the bottom three. I expected to see Scott, Kris, and Anoop instead. I was wrong there. Was rather surprised–no, very surprised to see Kris safe.
I could just about slap Ryan for being so mean to Matt. And although I thought deserved, I was surprised to see Lil in the bottom three. Maybe it will be a wake up call for her; she just really needs to make wiser song choices.
I think Scott, based on the performances last night, should have gone, so I can’t say I’m upset. But he is an amazing young man. He mentioned in his farewell video that he hopes he “can be an inspiration to a lot of people”, and I think he has. Paula called him, and I totally agree, “an inspiration to the entire world through his commitment and talent, and one classy gentleman”. And his quick sense of humor each week will be missed.

As far as the guest artists went…

Not a fan of Flo Rida; never been a fan of rap, punk, or hip-hop. Also didn’t like the suggestive dancing. So no surprise that my TV found itself changing the channel during his performance.
Cute and bizarre Kellie Pickler made her way back to the A-I stage. But as I watched, I was quite sorrowful; it didn’t look or sound like Kellie. She reminded me greatly of Dolly Parton. I think the old Kellie I knew and loved is gone. Probably for good.
So nothing remarkable about this week. Except for the fact that the judges very nearly used their save on Scott. Unfortunately for him, nearly wasn’t enough. But maybe he can be comforted by the fact that he came further than anyone else so far.

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Expressions, Life Thoughts, Links, Music, Polls, Quotes, Uncategorized, Verses, Video's

Polls are at the end of this post.

Danny Gokey starts the night out with Micky Gilley’s version of “Stand by Me”. Not Danny’s best, but a solid performance nonetheless. His voice is carrying him straight through this part of the contest.

Randy told Danny “You…came out with the gospel/jazz, r&b chords. Even though I didn’t love the arrangement you made me love the song”.
Kara was thinking “what kind of arrangement is this?” but said Danny “killed it…turned it on it’s head; really unique!”
Paula said he “opened the show, and set the bar so high, everyone’s going to have to run to catch up”; also loving his “creative liberties, and the chord subsidies”.
Simon called the beginning good, the middle lazy, and the end terrific; saying that overall it was “great!”

Kris Allen chose “All She Wants To Do Is Dance”. Kris also chose to sing in the pit, playing his guitar; this gave off a very relaxed atmosphere during his song. I didn’t think this was Kris’ best either, but it was also a solid performance. Nothing stood out greatly to me, unfortunately.

Kara said it “felt like jazz/funk homework. It kinda lost a lot of it’s youth”.
Paula called it “heartfelt and genuine”; also calling Kris “one of the most likable contestants we’ve ever had”.
Simon agreed that Kris is likable, but called the performance “indulgent, boring, and forgettable. You came over as a guitarist who wanted to sing instead of a singer playing guitar”.
Randy agreed with Simon that the “arrangement was a little self indulgent”. He said that Kris got lost; reminding him “You’re the singer; you’re in the competition, not the song”.

“What’s Love Got To Do With It” was the song Lil Rounds chose this week. Personally, I’m not a fan of her stylist; I feel like the personality of Lil has been lost in her ‘new style’. But as regards her voice and performance: I think the girl is finally getting back to picking the right songs! The note at the end broke, but other than that, one of Lil’s best performances; certainly better than the last couple of weeks.

Paula called Lil a “brilliant vocalist, but that only gets you so far”. Paula felt that Lil didn’t make the song her own.
Simon said “we’re not looking for a second or third rate Tina Turner…other than some nice parts at the end, it was literally like we’ve lost you”.
Randy said Lil has “mad, mad talent”, but said she just was “not clicking right now”.
Kara said this competition is “about making that leap from a singer to an artist’, and didn’t think Lil has made that leap.

Anoop Desai is singing “True Colors”; I think this was a really wise choice for him. I thought his transitions from chest to head voice went very smoothly overall. Very nice vocal tonight from Anoop.

Randy thought the vocal “very nice…very controlled” and told Anoop “you can actually sing!”
Kara said that Anoop showed that he “can take a pop song and interpret it with soul!”
Paula thought the “choice of song: flawless. Phrasing: beautiful. You showed your true colors”.
Simon called him “a singing yo-yo. Last week was [terrible]; this week was very good. Take a song and make it your version. Wasn’t fantastic though”.

Scott MacIntyre went with “The Search Is Over”, also playing guitar. I have to say I love seeing a new side to Scott; he’s keeping things interesting. And I enjoyed his vocal.

Kara said he “took on a very difficult song; it had some good moments but also had some off moments. Not your best; there were parts I liked and parts that were too ambitious for you”.
Paula gave him credit for stepping away from the comfort zone of the piano. When she commented on the guitar, Scott remarked that it was his “punk side coming out”; Paula laughed and said he had a “wonderful sense of humor”. She thought some of the high notes came out a “little bit screeching, but overall good”.
Simon recommended he “go back to the piano”, calling the song “atrocious. The guitar and song didn’t go together…the choice was wrong”.
Randy said it was all just “OK. The song, vocals…Didn’t show you as a star. I want to see you leap off the stage vocally”.
I totally had to disagree with Simon here….

“I Can’t Make You Love Me”, to me at first thought a strange choice for Allison Iraheta, I have to change my mind. I think she put her own touch on the song. Good vocal, great interpretation! Also, the outfit was 10 x’s better than last week!

Paula said the “great thing about having you in this competition is you just hear one note and it’s undeniably Allison. You gave all of your heart in this song. This was the same arrangement as the original, but you made it our own”.
Simon thinks “you’re really good, I really do. We need to sort you out and make you more likable though. I still don’t know much about you”.
Randy said Allison “remind[s] me so much of a contestant from season one; she can sing her face off and so can you”!
Kara said that “to take adult content like that song and make it believable and young; that’s talent”.

Matt Giraud is singing Stevie Wonder’s “Part Time Lovers”.
Not as good as ‘So Small’ or “Who’s Loving You’, so not Matt’s best, but better than most of what we’ve seen tonight…

Randy said that it was “vocally one of the best of the night”.
Kara called Matt “incredibly talented”.
Paula gave Matt a “standing O”.
Simon had two words; “well done”.

Adam Lambert is singing “Mad World” by Tears for Fears; this is honestly his best vocal EVER! This performance, for the first time, made me think that Adam really could make it in the music industry. This was amazing!

Simon said “the bad news is we’re running out of time. Good news is I’m the only one who is going to say anything. Words aren’t necesarry but I’m going to give you a standing ovation”, and he proceeded to do so.
Totally deserved!

Best of the night: Adam. Usually, I think he’s so overrated with all the talk of “in a league of his own”…but tonight, he truly was.
Other standouts: Matt Giraud, Danny Gokey, and Allison Iraheta.
People in Trouble: Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre, and Kris Allen. I’m worried about Kris, not that he did badly tonight…but it was forgettable. He has put so much in the past weeks, rising head and shoulders above the rest; I just hope people remember the past couple of weeks, “Ain’t No Sunshine”, “How Sweet It Is“, and “To Make You Feel My Love” while they’re voting.

Note to self: I wonder how much Adam’s standing ovation from Simon had to do with the fact that they cheated him on the time and had to end the show instead of letting al of the judges comment…? Think about it, would Simon still have given him a standing O? I really don’t think so…I think Adam did deserve an ovation, possibly by Paula or Kara, maybe even Randy…but hardcore Simon? I think that was just to keep people happy. What do you think?

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Links, Music, Polls, Quotes, Verses, Video's

The Ford Music video featured the song “Mixed Up”…and it lived up to it’s name! Quite strange…

The top nine are singing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”. I love the group numbers as the group actually diminishes in size…it affords everyone a chance with their own little segment, a chance to showcase their individual voices.

We also get a chance to hear the contestants impersonating each others voices…pretty hilarious! And they all handled the jokes with fun and grace.

Tonight we will be treated to David Cook’s new single, “Come Back To Me”…as well as Lady Gaga’s hit “Poker Face! Lady Gaga, haven’t been looking forward to so much….but Cook? Oh, yeah!

Dim the lights, etc…
We’re dividing into three groups…? So, Kris, Megan, and Matt in one. Adam, Lil, and Allison in another. Leaving Scott, Danny, and Anoop in the last grouping. There is no way that either Kris, Danny, or Adam are in the bottom three; so I’m going to put out an early guess that one out of each group actually make up the bottom three…?

So good to see and hear David Cook again…so what if it was pre-recorded? Watch the music video for Come Back To Me. And David is presented with his platinum debut album commemorative whatever-they-call-it…nice. Of course, no new news, but great to watch him receive this. Loved his performance, as always.

Back to the results: Kris is safe, as everyone knew he would be.
I think Matt will be safe too. And he is after Ryan pulls an April Fools on him.
Megan is in the bottom three. But the girl handles it with grace. And perhaps a bit of cornyness.

Second group is up.
Lil is safe!
Allison is next…I’m going to have to say that I think she’s going to find herself in the bottom three. And she is.
Adam is of course (at least this week) safe.

Third group…Danny is safe.
Scott should be safe too…and I think we’ll see Anoop joining the girls in the bottom three.
Anoop is indeed in the bottom three. Anoop has been accused of being arrogant, but tonight he was anything but. Very gracious, and that put him far in my opinion.

Yeah; we get to watch Lady Gaga! Kidding-April Fools (lol)! not really excited about her; just not a fan. Honestly, I don’t think they should have allowed her on a ‘family-friendly’ show. So no more about her.

Back to the bottom three…Simon says that ‘only one of these three (Anoop, Allison, or Megan) are worth saving’. That would be Allison, I’m sure.

Allison is sent back to safety…leaving little hope that the bottom vote-getter will receive a save from the judges.
Anoop is safe. Simon tells Megan that they’re not even going to attempt to evaluate her performance or save her. That was harsh…don’t think she deserves a save, but she does deserve the respect of an evaluation.

Megan was called hip, relevant, and the most original artist ever to grace (my new word for tonight!) the A-I stage. I think this girl was just plagued with bad song choices, like several others have been throughout this competition. Unfortunately, she caught a lot of flack; but definitely a contestant full of originality, and talent. Kudos for going out with grace, Megan!!

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