American Idol C o n f e r e n c e

"Reflection" Festival

2012-03-02T14:13:00.000-08:00

Festival of "Reflection" from "Mulan:"

Season 11 Your Top 13 Reactions

2012-03-01T22:03:00.001-08:00

Jeremy Rosado out. He was borderline.
Chase Likens out. Easy out.
Phillip Phillips IN. Easy in.

Brielle Von Hugel out. Yay.
Hallie Day out. Was borderline.
Hollie Cavanagh IN. Tiny blonde in.
Jessica Sanchez IN. Tiny asian in.

Joshua Ledet IN. Easy choice.
Heejun Han IN. Iovine needs to lighten up.
Adam Brock out. Yay.

Shannon Magrane IN. Tall girl in.
Skylar Laine IN. Not in for her voice.
Baylie Brown out. Oh well.
Chelsea Sorrell out. Was borderline.

Aaron Marcellus out. Easy out.
Creighton Fraker out. Good.
Reed Grimm out. Good.

Haley Johnsen out.
Erika Van Pelt out.
Elise Testone IN. Probably due to Iovine.
Jen Hirsh out. For now.

Deandre Brackensick out. Sad.
Colton Dixon IN. Okay.
Eben Franckewitz out. Too young.
Jermaine Jones IN. Fan fave.

Wildcard contestants sing:

Jen Hirsh. Much better than her Adele.
Jeremy Rosado. Nice job. Very nice.
Brielle Von Hugel? Terrible choice. Terrible Adele.
Deandre Brackensick. Disjointed. He's too young for his talent.
Erika Van Pelt. Voice still stuck in her chest.
Reed Grimm. Oh no. Maybe good for the tour.

Judges choices:

Randy: Erika Van Pelt?
Jennifer: Jeremy Rosado. Of course.
Steve: Deandre Brackensick. Good.

It's shocking that Jen Hirsh is not in there.

Even more shocking that Johnny Keyser was not given a chance.

Season 11 Girls Top 12 Reactions

2012-02-29T22:00:00.001-08:00

1. Jessica Sanchez
2. Jen Hirsh
3. Hollie Cavanagh
4. Shannon Magrane
5. Hallie Day
6. Chelsea Sorrell
7. Baylie Brown
8. Haley Johnsen
9. Elise Testone
10. Erika Van Pelt
11. Skylar Laine
12. Brielle Von Hugel

Details:

Chelsea Sorrell. Solid, good voice. A bit pinched on the high end. I wonder if she can hit high notes.

Erika Van Pelt. Same problem I've heard before, that her voice is kind of stuck in her chest somewhere.

Jen Hirsh. A bit disappointing as I know she's skilled. Finesse girls should skip Adele. But she gets points for doing stuff.

Brielle Von Hugel. And they couldn't find a black girl instead of this? Really?

Hallie Day. Surprisingly sultry tone, but couldn't quite take it to another level. Maybe she should try Blondie. Or be an actress like Kathleen Turner.

Skylar Laine. Just doesn't have much of a voice. Too small and shallow.

Baylie Brown. Oh my. Beauty Pageant version. Disappointing. I'm voting for her anyway. So there.

Hollie Cavanagh. Not everything is big in Texas. Hollie is a tiny blonde. Trouble in the lower notes, but then did some really good belting for a little girl. Vote for the Liverpool accent as well.

Haley Johnsen. Is a better gymnast than a singer. Belongs in a Viking movie.

Shannon Magrane. Well, she's tall. She puts a lot into her singing. She's pretty good.

Jessica Sanchez. Little Filipina-Hispanic girl singing like a black girl. What's going on? But what is that song for a 16-year-old? I don't know. I prefer the sweet innocence of Filipina Thia Megia.

Elise Testone. I've just never liked her voice. I still don't.

Season 11 Guys Top 13 Reactions

2012-02-28T21:55:00.000-08:00

1. Phillip Phillips
2. Deandre Brackensick
3. Heejun Han
4. Joshua Ledet
5. Jeremy Rosado
6. Colton Dixon
7. Reed Grimm
8. Aaron Marcellus
9. Chase Likens
10. Creighton Fraker
11. Eben Franckewitz
12. Jermaine Jones
13. Adam Brock

Details:

Reed Grimm, Cheesehead. Nice jazzy interpretation, poor execution.

Adam Brock, Master of None. Didn't Think about his song choice. Awful.

Deandre Brackensick. What were his Reasons to choose that song. He has a great falsetto with great range, but Phillip Bailey was a bit out of his league. Still, a good try.

Colton Dixon. Not bad, but underpowered for that kind of song.

Jeremy Rosadao. Nothing to sneeze at. Very nice, but needs a little more power.

Aaron Marcellus' set was so dark, I could hardly see him. I'm also in the dark as to why Jennifer championed him.

Chase Likens didn't give me a reason to like him. A storm with no thunder.

Creighton Fraker has an annoying voice, speaking and singing. The judges must be deaf to have included him. He is skilled, no doubt, but what does it matter if there's not a voice to go with it.

Phillip Phillips can really deliver on his interpretations. Definitely a Pawn Star.

Eben Franckewitz is too young and weak to be singing Adele. And he's the fourth guy to sing a girl song.

Heejun Han shouldn't be able to sing like that, but somehow he does. He is Korean, by the way. Pool Boy Paul Kim from Season 6 was also Korean.

Joshua Ledet can raise the roof, no doubt, but if you don't like that style and the harsh quality of his voice, it's hard to judge.

Talk about a huge mistake AGAIN. Johnny Keyser has enough talent to win Idol. I wonder what he did to tick them off.

Jermaine Jones was not worth bringing back.

Season 11 Cuts To 24 Part 2 Reactions

2012-02-23T21:09:00.000-08:00

Adam Brock gets through. Yuck.

Jeremy Rosado, a smooth-singing Teddy bear.

Shannon Magrane doesn't look 16 because she's so tall. But if she has the competitive drive of her pro ball player father, that will help her.

Scott Dangerfield is like, what up wid dat? And out he go.

Skylar Laine is too country and too strained in her singing. Even when she talks.

Deandre Brackensick must have the best falsetto of any guy ever on Idol. We've heard a lot of lame ones, like Jacob Lusk and Michael Lynche.

Jermaine Jones should go team up with Richie Law as a singing comedy duo. At least Jermaine has the record as the tallest contestant ever.

Hollie Cavanagh has a vowel missing to her last name. She's cute, competent, but in the end kind of vanilla.

David Leathers and Eben Franckewitz should both have been thrown out. They both look and sound too young. Like Baby Idol.

I guess Idol realized that they could not risk letting Johnny Keyser head over to X Factor. No reason to give Simon Cowell such a gift.

Season 11 Cuts To 24 Part 1 Reactions

2012-02-22T22:04:00.000-08:00

Jen Hirsh is like a large Haley Reinhart with a little Siobhan Magnus mixed in. Certainly deserves to have a chance with the voters.

Creighton Fraker I've said all along is too thin in every way. I'm not sure why the judges like him. He is skilled, no doubt, but it's not appealing.

Lauren Gray reminds me of Allison Iraheta and Adele. Pretty ridiculous to not include her.

Joshua Ledet has plenty of voice, but I find it a bit harsh.

Haley Johnsen I didn't get much of a read on, which probably means she's not very distinctive, except that she looks a bit like a Viking girl.

Neco Starr is like a Bruno Mars Jackson. Bad decision to cut him.

Elise Testone's voice is powerful, but kind of deep and manly. And she sang "It's a Man's Man's World."

Reed Grimm is skilled, but annoying. Comparing him to Casey Abrams is not exactly good. Casey would have finished 11th if not for the judges' save.

Erika Van Pelt is another girl with a big deep voice, totally unneccessary with Elise there already.

Chelsea Sorrell is more like it. Pretty girl, pretty voice.

And Bailey Brown too? Oh my, gotta save for Tour tickets.

Richie Law served his purpose, but was totally expendable. Thanks for the laughs. He would make for a great used car salesman.

Heejun "Deadpan" Han is such a puzzle. How does he sing like that given who he is. Actually he explained it: He's channeling somebody. I wonder who. I don't think he'll cause "Hansanity," but I hope he goes far.

Jessica Sanchez (half-Filipina) seems a bit too Vegas-ready, overtrained. Seems much older than 16.

Phillip Phillips doesn't have Johnny Keyser to worry about anymore. Very unfair. Phillip is like a reincarnation of Joe Cocker, even though Cocker is still here. I guess I should have said clone.

Colton Dixon must have improved a lot from last year, because he was an easy choice to get through. Can he challenge Phillip?

Brielle Von Hugel doesn't appear to have any redeeming qualities. How did she get through?

Adam Brock's gravel pit of a voice annoys me. His missing his kids while pursuing his dream also annoys me. Leaving it for tomorrow was really stupid. Who cares?

Season 11 Hollywood Week Part 4 Reactions

2012-02-16T22:06:00.000-08:00

From Las Vegas.

More groups? Who cares about harmonies?

Send the kids through, fine with me. And the eccentric girl (Angie) barely makes it through, but how long can she last?

The problem with groups is you can't really tell how they really sing when they're singing short fast parts. But the Reed Grimm group had longer solos, which is the right way to do it.

Richie Law and Jermaine Jones formed an odd outcast duo. Ebony and Ivory on the left side of the piano. And both got through.

Bailey Brown from Season 6 has gotten farther than last time, but is she strong enough to make it to the voting?

Filipina Ashley Robles was cut, but half-Filipina Jessica Sanchez got through.

The four guys in black were kind of indistinguishable from each other. Great for a group, but terrible if you're trying to form an identity with the audience.

I have this recurring image of Shannon Magrane on the Idol summer tour already. I don't think she's so great, but I think she'll get votes.

The girl group in purple I thought all would be cut, but two made it through. Yet I liked the one who was cut better than the two who made it.

Lauren Gray showed she can actually sing tender, kind of. I would have cut both her two friends.

Phillip Phillips still growled on a smooth song, but at least he dialed it back. Heejun Han, however awkward he is, is the best Asian guy ever on the show.

The Jen Hirsh crew did it wrong, too much harmony, short solos.

Angie gone already (see above).

Favorite Jonny Keyser gone already. Huge mistake. Head over to X Factor.

Season 11 Hollywood Week Part 3 Reactions

2012-02-15T22:12:00.000-08:00

So many contestants said Group Day sucks, and they're right. It sucks. It's cheap, lame and worst of all, it accomplishes nothing. It seems Idol spent a lot of money on emergency services that would have been better spent on helping to create and manage the groups. If Idol cannot take the groups seriously, how can we? We saw, like last year, parent-managed groups doing better.

Cop Girl is gone, Barf Boy is gone, Tent Girl is gone, Stage-fall Girl is gone, Expectant-father is gone.

And you could see the extreme difference once they moved on from Group Day after the first hour how senseless Group Day is.

MIT "Most Irrational Team" did everything they could to shoot themselves in the head, yet they all made it through, and rightfully so. I guess Heejun Han, when he was apologizing, did not notice Richie Law extending his hand, or maybe Heejun kept his hands firmly behind his back on purpose to signify a b.s. apology.

Favorite Johnny Keyser put himself at serious risk with his loser group, but made it through, alone.

*---

Solo Day:

Joshua Ledet was great but could use a little better upper register.

Colton Dixon is compelling but underpowered.

Phillip Phillips "kidney stones" singing in pain again. He's got to show some other style.

Jen Hirsh has a lot going for her, but is also underpowered.

Creighton Fraker is too thin in every way. Highly skilled, but send him home.

Shannon Magrane tries really hard for a tall skinny white girl, so send her through to the summer tour.

Grimm Reed got to breathe some rare cleansed Hollywood air, but it didn't clear his head. Hiding behind the drums was the solution? Moron. But he did surprisingly well.

Skylar Laine is too country. So is Rachelle Lamb. But I'll take Rachelle because country needs life experience.

Adam Brock has too much gravel. Makes me want to dump him.

*---

Elimination:

Room 1 - Saved. Lauren Gray, Adam Brock, Joshua Ledet.
Room 2 - Saved. Phillip Phillips.
Room 3 - Knew they were in the wrong room.
Room 4 - Saved. Heejun Han, Bailey Brown.

Jennifer Hudson Sings Tribute To Whitney Houston Alone

2012-02-13T00:42:00.000-08:00

Chaka Kahn reportedly pulled out of a Whitney Houston tribute just an hour before the Grammys, leaving Jennifer Hudson to go it alone. Hudson performed an emotional, heartfelt, soulful rendition of "I Will Always Love You." According to reports, Hudson had trouble getting through it during rehearsals, frequently breaking down. Hudson did well to get through it on a live broadcast.

Whitney Houston's movie "Sparkle" with Jordin Sparks is set to be released in August.

Finally, The Full Pia Toscano Video

2012-02-11T22:12:00.000-08:00

Last year, RingFever.com put out a video of Pia Toscano performing at a gala in October, 2011, but it was only very short clips. Now, they have finally put out the full 21-minute video:

Season 11 Hollywood Week Part 2 Reactions

2012-02-09T21:02:00.001-08:00

Here we go again with "Dumb Group Night." Useless, fruitless, ridiculous nonsense.

Recall that Steven Tyler is a veteran of falling off the stage himself. He was probably having flashbacks.

I wonder what happened to Ethan Jones, though.

I don't why the cop girl didn't just pepper spray and cuff some people to form a group.

Tent girl should have just folded up and left rather than infecting others. But she was wise to get away from the cop girl.

"The cowboy kid is crazy." Heejun speak truth.

Phillip Phillips gets kidney stones. No wonder he sings in agony.

In all, what a huge waste of time this episode was.

Season 11 Hollywood Week Part 1 Reactions

2012-02-08T21:14:00.000-08:00

Nice job using the stage fall the entire show to keep us interested. Wonderful.

Johnny Keyser is too good. Send him home.

Heejun did Michael Bolton AGAIN. Oh well, good enough.

Elise Testone sounds like she's got some testosterone.

Baylie Brown needs to stay on. We need the pretty.

Hallie Day was kind of superfluous given the other two.

Jen Hirsh was just competent for me.

Lauren Gray is loud, rough and scary and could the best rocker girl ever from Idol.

Phillip Phillips was too tight. Can he sing any other style? He needs to do better to challenge that cocky Johnny Keyser.

Reed Grimm was annoying, like he belongs in a circus.

Travis Orlando did good enough to advance. Maybe there was something else going on with him.

Adam Brock kind of reminds me of lower-voiced Danny Gokey.

The joke was on Jane Carrey, but she doesn't need Idol.

Shannon Magrane gave me a migraine. Send her through, though.

David Leathers is too freaky for me. Almost a man, still a boy, singing like a girl. Send him home.

Jessica Phillips needs to be more than just another stereotypical black girl singer.

Erika Van Pelt is still, like, swallowing her notes.

Ceighton Fraker is still too thin for me, voice and all. Send him home.

Aaron Marcellus takes over for Jacob Lusk.

Girls like Lauren Mink should avoid "Alone" unless they can really bring it, which she can't.

Jeremy Rosado takes over for Stephano.

Symone Black's stage dad picked a lame song, but she's got a really good voice, then she fell off the stage to provide a rough segue to the next show. Nice.

Siobhan Magnus vs Melanie Amaro

2012-02-03T05:48:00.000-08:00

It turns out that the Masterclass Lady herself, Rosanne Simunovic of MasterclassLady.com, likes BOTH Siobhan Magnus and Melanie Amaro.

First, Masterclass Lady in Season 9 said of Siobhan:

"Here at MasterclassLady.com, we are not confused by brilliance. We applaud it and cherish it, feeling privileged to discover a rare and exciting talent such as Siobhan Magnus."

Also, "... we can celebrate the birth of a new and exciting star."

Also, "You are an extraordinary artist and extraordinary people will come knocking at your door post-American Idol."

Also, "... thousands upon thousands of fans love and treasure your extraordinary artistry."

Then, Masterclass Lady said of Melanie Amaro's audition:

"Quite frankly, I have never heard anything quite like this in any audition in any show. This young lady is superbly gifted and trained. She has an extraordinary vocal gift but beneath it all is a skilled vocal support system."

Also, "... note the seamless phrasing, breathing skills and circular mouth on her impeccably sustained vowels. It does not get any better than this."

But then, who is more talented, Siobhan or Melanie? It's Siobhan, because of her versatility. Melanie has a tendency to use the same vocal techniques for every song, while Siobhan can drastically change her approach from song to song depending on how she feels. She can do this because she has the ability to do this. She has more ability than Melanie, therefore she is more talented than Melanie.

Season 11 Week 3 Thursday Reactions

2012-02-02T21:05:00.000-08:00

From St. Louis

Johnny Keyser didn't impress me as much as he did the judges, but I'll wait to hear him on stage. It's just that his voice started off so high, he was singing in girl range. But then, so was Adam Lambert.

Rachelle Lamb's got a kind of nasty demeanor, and a nasty look, but has a nasty good voice to match.

Reis Kloeckener was smooth, silky and ready to beat down the competition.

Ethan Jones needs to cut his fingernails after his bout with self mutilation. But he's got the DNA for music and trouble.

I was a big fan of Madonna back in the day, but she's kinda old now. Older than me.

Mark Ingram is a human report generator, but sounded like he ate paper before auditioning.

Lauren Gray, another girl with a rocker dad, like Haley Reinhart and Siobhan Magnus, has a powerhouse voice, but it's coming from an odd place, like a ventriloquist.

Season 11 Week 3 Wednesday Reactions

2012-02-01T21:02:00.000-08:00

From Portland, Oregon

Brittany Zika almost succumbed to gravity walking in, but showed an interesting pop-with-country tone.

Ben Purdom was pitchy in more ways than one, grossed us out in more ways than one, and should have stayed home.

Jermaine Jones is about the same height as Magic Johnson, but did not have magic pipes. I guess he's worth another look, however.

Britnee Kellog, who looks a little like Britney Spears, is pretty dumb not to understand what basketball players are like, but she's got a good smokey voice.

Sam Gershman, even though she was too Broadway, should have been given another chance at Hollywood. Or they should have at least asked her to sing a different song.

David Weed has a perfect name for Portland, but his singing wasn't worth a small fries.

Romeo Diahn sounds a bit like Andrew Garcia. Naomi Gillies sounds like a real singer.

Ben Harrison looks like Bob's Big Boy's little blond brother. But it looks like he never matured past the crib.

Jessica Phillips reminds me a bit of Natalie Cole. But going for Idol is kind of a way for her to run away from her stricken bo.

Season 11 Week 2 Thursday Reactions

2012-01-26T21:05:00.000-08:00

Phong Vu should stick to pho and kung fu.

Skylar Laine looks like a composite of past Idol girls, but might sound too country. We'll see.

Baylie Brown should be tough enough now to beat up the Jersey girls, although I don't think there will be any. Glad to see her back. Here is her Season 6 audition where Simon called her a record label's dream: Watch Here.

Kristine Osorio vocally reminds me a bit of Crystal Bowersox. Linda Williams was just noisy. Alejandro Cazares' revoultion needs a better speech writer.

Cortez Shaw's take on "Someone Like You" was annoying. I think Adele would puke.

Ramiro Garcia's story is inspirational and he can minister, but I'm not sure he can really sing.

Season 11 Week 2 Wednesday Reactions

2012-01-25T21:08:00.000-08:00

Music teacher Jenni Schick is so hyper, I wonder if she can sit still for a ballad.

Curtis Gray has a good voice, but his delivery was so sleepy, I'm surprised Randy liked him. Maybe Randy is getting old.

Richie Law's voice is deeper than Scotty McCreery's. But it's too deep. Scary even.

Poor Tealana Hedgespeth apparently got the wrong egg and should have sent her twin instead.

Haley Smith likes Apsen so much, she might have mental problems in Hollywood. Unless she likes the marijuana out here.

Alanna Snare was all bull, no oyster.

Shelby Tweten is this year's James Durbin with her bipolar disorder. She sounds a bit like Lauren Alaina.

Jairon Jackson is good, but hard to judge singing his own song.

Angie Zeiderman is very entertaining. If only she didn't have that 40-something-librarian face.

Magic Cyclops let me switch channels sooner.

Season 11 Week 1 Sunday Reactions

2012-01-22T21:16:00.000-08:00

A Sunday special edition from the USS Midway.

Jennifer Diley didn't have to worry about the ship sinking.

Ashley Robles is a Filipina. While she presents herself as a struggling single mom, she has quite a past in the professinal ranks: Read Here.

Jayrah Gibson can sing black, but can he sing white? Jennifer wonders as well.

Aubree Dieckmeyer is one of those stylized singers with no power. A cross between Haley Reinhart and Didi Benami.

Rapper Girl Ali Shields should have been thrown into the Pacific.

Kyle Crews wasn't as good as the judges said.

Jim Carrey's daughter? Jane. I say No. Here's a divorce story on Jane: Read Here.

Golf maintenance man Wolf Hamlin howled his way to Hollywood.

Season 11 Week 1 Thursday Reactions

2012-01-19T21:06:00.000-08:00

Heejun Han was all set up to be a William Hung but ended up being a Korean Michael Bolton.

Reed Grimm must be related to Casey Abrams. I don't know if that's good or bad.

Samantha Novacek and Patricia should be made to walk the plank with their lame planking act. It doesn't matter that Samantha can sing some.

Creighton Fraker is a faker. Sure he has skills, but he and his voice are thinner than a wafer.

Eben Franckewitz looks and sounds too young. Travis Orlando should just give it up. Idol is not the answer.

Erika Van Pelt can drive to Hollywood and do some gigs if she gets cut.

It would be nice to get Shane Bruce out of the coal mine, but his voice was not good enough to pull him out.

Hallie Day is perfect for Idol. A girl who ran away with a girl group as a teen, then came home and attempted suicide. Perfect. But she does show the experience of having been in a singing group with her vocal control.

Season 11 Week 1 Wednesday Reactions

2012-01-18T22:04:00.000-08:00

David Leathers is amazing, but it's disconcerting that puberty doesn't seem to have kicked in yet. What will he be like when it does?

Gabi Carruba needs to be on the show because we always need a pretty girl who can sing and dance.

Jessica Whitely has monster power, like Frankenstein.

Shaun Kraisman just assured that Ryan Seacrest is leaving.

Shannon Magrane needs to be on the show because we always need a 6-foot tall pretty girl who sings okay.

Tent Girl Amy Brumfield would have fit right in with the Occupy Los Angeles crowd, but they've already been kicked out.

Stephanie Renae has potential, but Randy was right to say no. She just turned 15 and needs work.

Colton and Schyler Dixon are both good enough for another look. Lauren Mink is good enough for another try as well.

Mawuena Kodjo should be deported soon.

Ashlee Altise has entertainment value and is worth another look.

W.T. Thompson should go to prison for quitting his job. His dream trip to Hollywood will be short-lived.

Brittany Kerr looks a little like Britney Spears. Always send the sexy girl if she can sing even a little.

Phillip Phillips is a confused young man. I was expecting a Scotty type but instead he sang Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. But looks like another white guy will win American Idol.

Monday/Tuesday Miscellany

2012-01-16T20:35:00.000-08:00

Season 11 starts Wednesday.
Haley Reinhart announces March 1st single release. Read Here.
Why does Idol continue to refuse to release Pia Toscano's album?
Joe Perry seems to finally be accepting Steven Tyler on Idol. Read Here.
James Durbin disses X Factor. Read Here.

Weekend Miscellany

2012-01-13T22:27:00.000-08:00

David Archuleta in the Philippines to do a mini-series for Philippine TV. Read Here.
Casey Abrams signed by Concord Music Group. Read Here.
Stefano Langone signed by Hollywood Records. Read Here.
Ace Young and Diana DeGramo dating. Read Here.
Stefano Langone and Haley Reinhart dating. Read Here.
Seven Idols teamed up for a jam session concert in Chicago. Read Here (Video).
Here's Allison Iraheta from that jam with "Someone Like You." Watch Here.
DJ Pradaa remixes Siobhan Magnus' "Wicked Game" from Idol Season 9:

Three Things Idol Should Avoid in Season 11

2012-01-09T20:17:00.000-08:00

Warning: This is a rant.

1. The first thing Idol should avoid in Season 11 is comparing contestants to Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, especially at the initial a cappella auditions like they did with Lauren Alaina during Season 10. Of course, Lauren never lived up to those expectations. How could she. Let the contestants put together a string of performances that show they're worthy of such lofty comparisons, instead of doing it by cheap proclamations from the judges.

I am now convinced that the order to hype Lauren Alaina came from Simon Fuller himself. He announced after the show that he would personally handle the careers of Scotty and Lauren. He obviously had his sights set on Lauren all along.

2. Don't use the judges to punish the contestants for disputes going on behind the scenes. This happened when Haley Reinhart sang Blondie's "Call Me." It's a good song for her and she did a good job. Yet all three marshmallow judges were down on her when they were so gushy about everyone else, and not everyone else was good at Top 8. I believe what really happened is Haley managed to tick off the producers during the week, and having the judges criticize her was their petty way of punishing her. Watch It Back Here.

3. Don't say someone was voted off when they were really disqualified for a rules violation. I'm talking of course about Pia Toscano. All the indicators said she was Top 4, all the subsequent outrage said she was Top 4, and the fact that Iovine wanted to sign her immediately also said she was Top 4.

If you don't think American Idol is capable of such silly behavior, you need only look at how they've treated Pia Toscano since the end of the show. Pia was in position to release her album first given she had eight tracks recorded before the start of the Idol Tour. Yet Idol is making her wait until their beloved Top 4 -- Scotty, Lauren, Haley and James -- release their albums first. We're still waiting for Pia's album to be released because Haley's album has not yet been released. What a silly game for Idol to play.

Siobhan Magnus Debut Album Review

2012-01-08T01:49:00.000-08:00

I was able to purchase one of Siobhan Magnus' limited edition autographed CDs before the general release. The album is called "Moonbaby" and is produced by Siobhan's own independent label. I'm not going to do a track-by-track review because my ears don't hear lyrics very well, so I'm never really sure what a song is about. Also, I know that Siobhan is a bit odd, so I'm not overly concerned with what she might say, especially when she says things like, “They say a person’s first album is your emotional vomit."

For me, Siobhan's album all about one thing: Listening to her sing. Her album confirms what I've said about her since Season 9, and that is Siobhan is the most vocally gifted girl in Idol history, bar none. Whatever she wants to do with a song, she can do it. She doesn't have to cheat like some singers to do to mask their vocal limitations.

The dictionary defines talent as "natural ability." It says nothing about popularity, votes, record deals or sales. It's purely about ability. I'm not going to sit here and say Siobhan does everything better than the other girls. For instance, Siobhan's tone can be a real adventure. But Siobhan can do far more things with her voice than others can, thus she can sing a wider variety of songs, and she can go where the others can't go.

Despite being more talented, Siobhan will never be as popular as other Idol girls because she's seen, especially by many females, as odd. I saw it on the blogs during Season 9 where so many females said, "I don't get her." And because they didn't get her, they concluded she wasn't talented. That's very shallow of them, but without them, her fan base is limited. Both Kelly and Carrie have large numbers of female fans.

One thing I really like about Siobhan's recording is that although is it professional, done in Nashville, it doesn't have the slicked-up over-processed sound that the big record labels seem to favor. Siobhan actually sounds like Siobhan, instead of sounding like half software as some of the other Idols do on their albums. The big record labels seem to have lost all respect for the human voice.

In the song "Beatrice Dream," Siobhan has what I call "The Run," an astonishing rising, screaming run. As I listened to it, it sounded like she did it in one breath, but I couldn't be sure. But then, at a Scallop Festival in September, 2011, she did it live, full blast, and indeed she did it in one breath. It's an amazing 12-second run, the greatest run I've ever heard any female do. 12 seconds in and of itself is not a big deal for Siobhan. She regularly held a note in "Paint It Black" for over 18 seconds in city after city during the Idol Tour. But this is not holding one note, it's a rising, screaming run. See it on this video, starting at 2:57:

Watch It Here.

I seriously doubt any other Idol girl can duplicate this run. I think of it as a litmus test for vocal talent. If any girl thinks they are as talented as Siobhan, they should prove first that they can do this run. Otherwise, please leave the room.

Unfortunately, Siobhan ends the album with a cover of "Nothing Compares 2 U" where the backing tracks are a weak, lame, alt interpretation that completely ignores the power of Prince's brooding chords. Not even Siobhan can save this version from the abyss. Even straight Karaoke would have been better. Luckily, Siobhan sings it live with her uncle's old-school band:

Watch It Here.

In summary, you'll be hard pressed to find another girl out there who can display the vocal ability, versatility and variety that Siobhan shows on her album. And regardless of how her albums sells, Siobhan's future is not dependent on album sales. She's very popular in her neck of the woods, and people want to see her sing live. They go to see her like they would go to see a fireworks show.

Weekend Miscellany

2012-01-06T00:32:00.000-08:00

Pollstar says the Idol 2011 tour averaged about $470K per city. Read Here.
Kelly Clarkson will mentor on "The Voice." Traitor! Read Here
Jason Derulo, who was discovered by Kara DioGuardi, is injured when he falls on his head. Read Here.
Brooke White on Not being a solo act. Read Here.

First Week of 2012 Miscellany

2012-01-03T01:06:00.000-08:00

Steven Tyler appeared on Oprah's new show which aired on Jan 1. Read Here (Video).
Still waiting for Haley Reinhart's album. And Idol continues to refuse to release Pia Toscano's album until Haley releases hers first.
Hits Daily Double has its estimates in. Kelly's album picks up 25.5K, Scotty 21.4K, and Daughtry 19.2K.
USA Today's Idol Chatter has the SoundScan numbers up. Kelly's single "Mr. Know It All" has passed the million mark.
UK article on Katharine McPhee in "Smash." Nice photos too. Read Here.
The Idol judges talk auditions. Read Here.
The Idol judges talk Hollywood Week. Read Here.

Last Week of 2011 Miscellany

2011-12-29T20:21:00.000-08:00

Siobhan Magnus shown signing her limited edition CDs. Watch Here
Kelly Clarkson endorses Ron Paul and quickly gets tweet beat. Read Here
Kelly Clarkson talks about Idol and X Factor as artist development. Read Here
James Durbin gets married on New Year's Eve. Read Here

Oh Danny Boy!

2011-12-28T22:42:00.000-08:00

Oh Danny Boy! Check out Danny Gokey's bride to be, Leyicet Peralta, another Latina!

Video from 2008

X Factor vs American Idol

2011-12-23T22:31:00.000-08:00

There's a lot of discussion out there regarding which is better, X Factor or American Idol. To me, it's all about the contestants. For instance, in American Idol Season 9 vs Season 10, Season 9 had too many guitar-strumming singer-songwriter types, while Season 10 had a fine variety of fine talent. So Season 10 was much better. X Factor Season 1 did not have compelling talent.

Thursday-Weekend Miscellany

2011-12-22T00:16:00.000-08:00

Taylor Swift's CoverGirl ad pulled due to "Excessive Photoshopping." Read Here
Adam Lambert arrested in Finland! Read Here
Scotty McCreery goes tarp surfing. Watch Here
Melanie Amaro has won the inaugural X Factor. Read Here. I find her to be a cross between Jennifer Hudson and Jordin Sparks. However, I don't find her to be particularly compelling.
Thia Megia performing at a 49ers halftime. Watch Here
Thia Megia's "One Day" single from the soundtrack of the animated movie "Quest for Zhu." Watch Here

Monday-Wednesday Miscellany

2011-12-19T05:56:00.000-08:00

This LA Times article waxes poetic about the cloud in computing, but misses the point about how simple it really is. Read Here
Hits Daily Double has its estimates in. Scotty's album picks up a big 66.8K, Daughtry 38.9K, and Kelly 27.5K. Lauren and James did not make the cut of 22.6K. The numbers for Scotty, Daughtry and Kelly all beat last week.
This People article says Hugh Hefner had mix feelings about Lindsay Lohan doing Playboy. Read Here
Steven Tyler talks about Idol vs X Factor. Read Here
Matt Giraud will perform Friday at an undisclosed location? Read Here
Check out this extravagant upcoming New Year's bash which includes some Idols like Melinda Doolittle. Read Here
USA Today's Idol Chatter has the SoundScan numbers up. Scotty's album is up to 748K total, Kelly 385K, Daughtry 241K, Lauren 196K, James 57K.

Thursday-Weekend Miscellany

2011-12-15T20:54:00.000-08:00

Siobhan Magnus has made available 1000 limited edition autographed copies of her new album. General release is coming in January. See Here
Shock jock Howard Stern, who before was considered as a potential judge on American Idol, will join America's Got Talent instead. Read Here

Monday-Wednesday Miscellany

2011-12-12T20:30:00.000-08:00

USA Today's Idol Chatter has the SoundScan numbers up. Scotty's album is up to 681K total.
Hits Daily Double has its estimates in. Scotty's album picks up a big 54K, Daughtry 35K, and Kelly 22.8K. Lauren and James did not make the cut of 21.9K.
Not much going on in the Idol world. The big stories are the LA Lakers soap opera and the Denver Bronco's Tim Tebow. Tebow is seen by many as touched by God, allowing him to do miraculous things in the fourth quarter to win the game. Let me explain Tim Tebow. First, the quarterback you see in the fourth quarter is the real Tim Tebow. He just hasn't figured out how to do it in the first three quarters. Secondly, the team is on a lucky streak. It happens in sports, it happens in life.

Thursday-Weekend Miscellany

2011-12-08T00:07:00.001-08:00

How do you really compare the screen sizes of old screen TVs to widescreen TVs? The key is to look at the heights of the screens. Using high school algebra, I came up with some formulas for calculating the heights: Read Here
Jordin Sparks "I'll Be Home for Christmas" with skater Sasha Cohen:

Monday-Wednesday Miscellany

2011-12-05T19:42:00.000-08:00

USA Today's Idol Chatter has the SoundScan numbers up. They differ a bit from the HDD estimates. Kelly Clarkson's "Mr. Know It All" single has passed Scotty McCreery's single "I Love You This Big."
Billboard is reporting possible concerts by Queen fronted by Adam Lambert. Read Here
Hits Daily Double has its estimates in. Daughtry's album picks up 40K, Scotty 35.6K, Kelly 19.1K. No sign of Lauren or James. That would put them under 14.3K.
David Archuleta "O Holy Night" New York:
Danny Gokey "O Holy Night" Houston:

Weekend Miscellany

2011-12-03T22:10:00.000-08:00

Clips from L.A. Live Tree Lighting (Haley, Casey, Pia):
Pia Toscano with Il Volo from that event:

Thursday-Friday Miscellany

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Richard Rushfield says X Factor is much better than American Idol! Read Here
MTV's Gil Kaufman also thinks you should be watching X Factor! Read Here
Siobhan Magnus at a Christmas lighting in Boston:
Blast Magazine has an article on Siobhan. Read Here
Hanson (Siobhan's fave) will have an MMMHop Beer! Read Here

Pia Toscano "The Christmas Song"

2011-11-30T21:10:00.000-08:00

And Katharine McPhee at Rockefeller Center:

Monday-Wednesday Miscellany

2011-11-28T00:05:00.000-08:00

USA Today's Idol Chatter has the SoundScan numbers which are very similar to the HDD estimates. Lauren Alaina picked up 18K.

Hits Daily Double estimates Daughtry's album debuting at 130K, while James Durbin debuts at just 25.8K. Scotty McCreery rakes in another 89.5K, while Kelly Clarkson gets another 42.5K. Lauren Alaina is not on the list, which means less than 20K.

The L.A. Times has a whopping four articles on comparing the iPad, Kindle and Nook:

Katharine McPhee "Beautiful" w/SMASH Cast

2011-11-26T07:08:00.000-08:00

Katharine McPhee sings Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" with the cast of SMASH:

Thanksgiving Holiday Miscellany

2011-11-24T00:29:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice way to start things off. A store in Nashville sold a woman a four year old turkey:

http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_t3#/video/us/2011/11/23/dnt-woman-buys-expired-turkey.wkrn

Scotty and Kelly Both Golden

2011-11-23T23:40:00.000-08:00

According to USA Today's Idol Chatter blog, both Scotty McCreery and Kelly Clarkson have gone gold. The odd thing is the young guy Scotty has done it with his album, while the old girl Kelly has done it her her single. This is the opposite of what it should be. But the reason for it is Scotty is country, while Kelly is pop. Country folk are still into albums, while pop folk are all about singles.

Wednesday Miscellany

2011-11-23T01:46:00.001-08:00

Bloggers Outraged Over USA Today's Facebook Linkage

2011-11-22T06:13:00.000-08:00

Many bloggers on USA Today's Idol Chatter blog expressed outrage at the requirement that users have Facebook accounts in order to post comments. Users expressed concerns about privacy issues, choice issues and a general disdain for Facebook.

Tuesday Miscellany

2011-11-22T03:36:00.001-08:00