:: A Malaysian on Music, Gigs, Concerts. ::

And there were ten.

Lisa Tucker
She gave her rendition of Kelly Clarkson’s Because Of You. She’s one of my favourites but she’s not doing herself any justice by choosing songs like this. I think it’s a good song, but again, she seems like she’s in a shell and it doesn’t appear that she’s breaking out of it. She has got to realise that this is not going to get her out of the bottom 3, which she has been for the last couple of weeks. She will be in the bottom three again.

Ace Young
This week, he blended in a little with a forgettable performance. But he was sizzling in his on stage antics. This pin-up idol is going through to next week. No problems there.

Kellie Pickler
She’s definitely going to make a country album. She’s someone who can sing, but doesn’t have a big vocal range. So, it was also a forgettable performance. With that being said, it’s a popularity contest, and she’s here to stay.

Taylor Hicks
Taylor, Taylor, Taylor. He did a good but very average song. But I liked it. It was something different from his normal front. He was all ballad like, singing calmly and emotionally behind the microphone. It was good.

Chris Daughtry
Chris did a pretty hard rock rendition of a Creed song, which I couldn’t recognise. I couldn’t help but think that he is already a superstar rock artiste, performing one of his own tracks during a live performance. However, a lot of cover singers/bands are capable of doing the same thing. He’s all about rock. It could be soon that people start to get bored and he might loose some of his fanbase. He’ll be safely through to the next round and will not be in the bottom 3.

Katharine McPhee
Katharine (I just realised I have been spelling her name wrong) did a Christina. McPheever’s rendition of The Voice Within. I love McPheever, but she does not have Christina’s vocal power but McPheever did well. It was a very good song for her. No problems for her this week. Can’t wait for her performance next week.

Paris Bennett
Paris did a Beyonce. It was a superb performance. If this song was written for her, she’ll make it a top 10 hit. I wouldn’t dare to say number 1 as, she’s not quite there yet. Nonetheless, I feel she did the best this week compared to everyone else.

Elliot Yamin
Elliot did Gavin DeGraw’s I Don’t Wanna Be. Problem is, he did it completely in his own style and arrangement. Personally, I did not like it. It was like a bad cover version. But, he is a great vocalist, and this might have been his saving grace. Gavin’s song is a big big hit and voters who didn’t like Elliot’s rendition will surely not vote for him.

Bucky Covington
Bucky did a country number and it was so bland. I forgot the tune the moment he finished singing it. Being in the bottom 3 for the last couple of weeks does not help his case. He is my candidate for elimination this week.

Mandisa
Mandisa gave her rendition of Praise You. It was a good performance, but she has done a lot better before. It seemed like another week at the office for her. She seems to be stuck in a Mandisa bubble that she can’t get out of. I haven’t seen any song that she can’t sing, but I would like her to try a very slow ballad. Still in my Top 5.

So what’s the verdict. My bottom 3 is, Bucky, Lisa and ‘I don’t know’. I know it’s a cop out but, the final one in bottom 3, will be one of Kellie, Elliot or Ace. I’m swaying towards Elliot.

Update: So Lisa’s gone. Not completely surprised. I would have rather Bucky go.

I really enjoyed episode 16 and 18 of the O.C. (3rd Season) because of its two closing songs. An ode to covers was prevalent as both closing songs were pretty good tracks that were remade by up and coming bands.

Episode 16, was the breakup episode of Ryan and Marissa (finally!) and Youth Group’s remake of Alphaville’s classic original was used as the closing song.

Episode 18, was about everyone moving on and Bettie Serveert’s rendition of  the Bright Eyes original Lover I Don’t Have to Love was used admist all the nookie scenes between Ryan and Sadie, Seth and Summer, Marissa and Wolchuck (or whatever his name is).

 

Mandisa aka Mandiva - The stylist is doing a much better job and tonight, she was diva like. She sounded great and her vocal range and power reminded me of the greats like Patti Labelle. Mainstay.

Bucky Covington - I caught the last bit of his performance and again it was just average. He might have booked his flight home after tonight.

Taylor Hicks - George Clooney was good. But I’m starting to wonder if people might get bored after awhile. He has great style, but it doesn’t really change. Lets see how long he rides his bandwagon. But he makes you want to party. I wanna see him do a ballad.

Katherine McPhee - Omigod. She is definitely my favourite. She is going to be the next idol. Enough said. Plus, she looks amazing. She did Ella Fitzgerald - Come Rain Come Shine. Can’t get any better than that.

Lisa Tucker - Definitely my second favourite. But the song didn’t do her much justice. To me, she seems not that experienced yet to completely make a song hers. But, she’s back to her spunky self.

Kevin Covais - A very innocent performance of When I Fall In Love. It worked. It might have been enough to keep him in for another week.

Chris Daughtry - Another strong performance. He made another song his. I think he did a Johnny Cash number. Good stuff.

Elliot Yamin - His vocals at his best tonight. Great song choice as he nailed it.

Kellie Pickler - She did a country number by Patsy Cline. This was definitely a great song choice. She gave it that raw and rough feel to the vocals. She captures audiences with the way she looks, her personality, her southern accent and her innocent yet mynxy seduction (Yep Mr. Cowell, she’s a mynx alright). I loved her performance tonight. It was definitely one of the best for tonight.

Paris Bennett - Yet again, she excelled with the way she performed, her very strong vocals, her dressing and just about everything else. It was faultless tonight.

Ace Young - Our pinup boy served his dues again tonight. He looked great, he sang great and he capped off the night brilliantly. I don’t really enjoy his voice, as he is comparable to the Backstreet Boys, or N-Sync or any of the top selling groups. But let me remind you that I used the word top selling. Whether he wins or not, he’s going to be a star.

So who’s getting eliminated? It was a huge night filled with amazing performances. I’m betting on Bucky Covington. But it’s not only about the performances as last week’s bottom 3 had shown. Since this is partially a popularity contest, Elliot Yamin (despite his strong performance) could be one of the bottom 3. Kevin Covais could be there as well (but he has definitely got the granny vote). But I think I’m baffled as unlike previous weeks, I’m just not sure. If the previous week’s bottom 3 and their pairings (which were done to throw us off) were anything to go by, I think Ace and Lisa were in there to add some drama. So let me be bold and say Bucky, Kevin and Elliot. Good luck contestants and good luck me on my selections.

Update: So Kevin goes home and Bucky stays. Damn, got it wrong this time around. Well at least Kevin was in my bottom 3.

So our top 10 is as follows:

Katherine, Lisa, Taylor, Paris, Chris, Bucky, Elliot, Mandisa, Kellie and Ace. Let me be bold and choose our top 5 right now.

Top 5
Katherine, Chris, Ace, Mandisa, Paris

Darkhorse: Lisa (I have to keep her in the list as I think she’s fantastic. It’s just that she’s not been really letting it all go and is keeping some of her talent in, which results in her giving plain average performances).

Elimination Battles: Bucky, Kellie, Taylor, Elliot

Lets stay tuned for next week. I just have to see what genre they are made to do next.

I stumbled upon the June Gloom video a couple of days ago and The Like definitely caught my attention. The LA based trio is made up of Z Berg, Charlotte Froom and Tennessee Thomas. With names like pro wrestlers, they definitely gave me a lasting impression. In June Gloom, there were parts of the song, where Z’s vocals reminded me of Bjork doing rock song. There are elements of Rilo Kiley in here. IMHO, I feel that their blend of music and style is a combination of Rilo Kiley meets  Liv Phair. There are some jangly-pop elements in there along with what I feel is indie-rock at its best.

Another thing to mention is, the three female members just turned 20! It’s amazing how young talent there is out there these days. We musn’t forget that they are pretty good lookers as well. So Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking? Definitely, go buy the album.

On that note, before I turn into a shallow music lover, here is my top 5 The Like songs in no particular order:

1. June Gloom
2. What I Say and What I Mean
3. Bridge to Nowhere
4. Waves That Never Break
5. The Like - The One

What can I say. Katherine McPhee knocks my socks off with another amazing performance. Her vocal range is so flexible and she has a mom to thank for that.

Lisa Tucker was impressive. But, she blended in. She has an amazing voice, which is comparable to the likes of Lauren Hill and her choice of Stevie Wonder song was not suited for her voice. Signed, Sealed and Delivered is a pop song.  Only when she let it go and went with it. She dropped the ending the way only the best do it.

Mandisa (hate to be cruel but she sounds a lot better if I were to close my eyes) was great. Superb voice. But sadly, she’s HUGE and I really cannot picture her as a pop star. Unfortunately, many will not vote for her and this may cause her to get eliminated.

Taylor Hicks, superb. America loves him, because he has the guts to get up there on stage and perform the way he wants to perform. No one moves like him. Now, whether that is a good thing or not, it does somewhat complement his amazing singing and of course his very unique lock of grey hair. He is a class act.

Didn’t manage to catch Ace Young, but his vocals, which kinda remind me of one of the Backstreet Boys or N’Sync is somewhat suitable for Stevie Wonder songs.

Elliot Yamin was there but not great. But despite his vocal powress, he just blended in.

Paris Bennett? Well she’s Fantasia part II. The best thing about her is, she is a natural performer. She does it like she’s been doing it for years.

Chris Daughtry. I was thinking he ain’t going to find a suitable Stevie Wonder song. But he chose Higher Ground, which incidently was covered by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. It’s all rock. Somehow, he pulled it off. He didn’t do it Stevie style, he didn’t do it RHCP style. He did it Chris’ style. Awesome.

The rest? Melissa McGhee, I think she might not have done enough to keep her in the show. Kevin’s definitely not a great singer, but he’s got the popularity vote. Bucky and Kellie? I can’t remember their performances already. Enough said.

So who’s going home? My bet is Melissa McGhee. I love her, but it was not good for her tonight, and I’m guessing she did not do enough to escape another elimination. That being said, competition is tough and Bucky is a close challenger for elimination. And, we cannot forget Mandisa, who doesn’t strike me as a popular vote getter. Lets just wait and see what the voting determines.

Update: Melissa and Elliot, Lisa and Bucky, Ace and Kevin were paired off to choose the bottom three. So I guess, these were the bottom six. The bottom three as per what the viewers voted were Melissa, Lisa (What??) and Ace (What??). So as expected, Melissa’s gone home. But Ace and Lisa? That’s a shocker. I want to see what their totals are.  Lets stay tuned for next week.

Damien Rice Live at Suntec Theatre in Singapore.

It’s a pity, that he won’t be coming here but I am going for sure. Tickets will be available for public sale and online purchasing on Friday March 17, 9 am. 600 capacity arena. I expect a mad ticket rush.

Remember Shea Seger? Back in 2001, she released an awesome debut album called The May Street Project, which she herself describes as “mutt dog blues with beats”. Don’t take her description seriously though as the album was filled with so many different styles, which made her a singer/songwriter with massive amounts of flexibility.

However, she has disappeared. Her website’s gone as well. No one knows where she’s at. I’m guessing that she’s enjoying London life and perhaps has gotten married and only plays for fun. I do hope that I am wrong and Shea will be back with a stonking follow up to her debut.

If anyone has any information about her, do leave a comment here. Cheers.

For the ladies first.

I can safely say that Katherine McPhee (McPheever), Lisa Tucker, Melissa McGhee, Paris Bennett and Mandisa are probably through to the final 12. Kellie Pickler is my bet as well to make up the final 6. This leaves Kinnik Sky and Ayla Brown who are probably going to be on the next flight home. I think Kinnik is a great vocalist, but she tried to do Alicia Keys and absolutely messed that up. Ayla? Well, she just isn’t good enough.

And for the guys…

Even without seeing their performances tonight, I can assure you, Ace Young, Chris Daughtry, Elliot Yamin, Taylor Hicks are definitely through. My bets are on Gedeon McKinney to join them. For the final spot, Will Makar? Kevin Covais? Bucky Covington? Who’d bet against any of them to make it through? Sit tight as I’m pretty sure it will come down to their performances tonight.

Update: Will Makar is gone. Kevin has to be in there for something different. Therefore, Bucky, you’re on your way home.

Update: Looks like I screwed up. Gedeon’s gone instead of Bucky.

If it hasn’t become clear yet, I’m a huge fan of indie music. That being said, I’m surprised to find myself taking a liking to LA-based indie outfit Rilo Kiley. I find it really hard to believe that RK is fronted by two child actors, Jenny Lewis (Troop Beverly Hills) and Blake Sennett (Boy Meets World). I recently got into them after hearing Portions for Foxes on Grey’s Anatomy and I’ve gotten far enough to have listened to the Execution of All Things and More Adventurous. I can’t say I was all to impressed when I heard their music for the first time, but it definitely grows on you, like it did on me. They gained brownie points when Jenny sang with Ben Gibbard on The Postal Service.

I can’t really define RK’s music but if you were a newbie to their music, I could say there are some elements of old-skool British outfit Sleeper, a bit of Elastica, even a bit of Frente and of course at times the vocals are reminiscent of Sixpence. In a nutshell, I call their music indie-pop with all the attributes of alt-country, lo-fi pop and of course some pop/rock. Their songs are very vocal-driven with Jenny’s pure and crisp vocals leading the way.

The best thing I like about them, the variety of different styles in the albums. Some songs leave you nodding your head along the way and some leaving you moving around like you’re the band’s drummer. Whatever makes your chocolate melt.

In no particular order, here’s my current Top 5 Rilo Kiley tracks:

1. Portions for Foxes
2. With Arms Outstreched
3. Capturing Moods
4. My Slumbering Heart
5. So Long

Chris nailed it. Gideon nailed it. Melissa nailed it. So we have two stand out guys and another girl to join Lisa and Katherine

- Lisa Tucker
- Katherine McPhee
- Melissa McGhee
- Chris Daughtry
- Gideon McKinney

Hmm, three Irish descendents?