I don’t typically repost things from TV on my blog. But a friend shared this with Jen and me and I just couldn’t resist.
This is Josh Groban’s performance from the 2008 Emmy awards.
I am a fan of American Idol. I think the show represents a great mini-lesson in how the popular music system works. Jen and I faithfully TiVo every show and haven’t missed an episode in four or five seasons.
This year has been touted as the “best ever talent” and while I will agree that there are some amazing singers, I’ve been hard-pressed to find “my” singer. Last year I picked Melinda Doolittle in the early stages (she made it to #3). In season five I chose Taylor Hicks when I saw his audition tape (and he won the whole shebang). But I haven’t been able to latch on to one performer as “the one” … until last night.
Last night was the second week in a row that the contestants sang songs from the Beatles. And while the second show in the top-12 portion of the competition was filled with lackluster performances, I was able to finally flesh out my favorite competitors.
Guys – David Cook. This guy is consistent, rocks hard, has fun performing, and seems to have healthy attitude about the hype surrounding this show. I like him to win it all as the truly most talented competitor, except the teen vote will probably push through David Archuleta.
Gals – Carly Smithson. This tattooed, Irish lass can really sing. She is consistent in her performances and really knows how to choose a great song. This girl has great talent and she’ll go far in this competition. I think Carly has the best chance as a “rocker” to make the final cut because she has the softer pop side as well.
Honorable Mention
Amanda Overmyer: I love this rocker chick. She is the total package of looks, attitude, talent and presentation. Unfortunately I don’t think she’s consistent enough to make the final cut
Brooke White: While I’m not a huge fan of her style or the songs she sings, I like her attitude and song choices. Plus she is always on the mark. Now if she would just quit talking so much.
So there you have it. My picks for Season 7 of American Idol.
I’ve received my first meme tag, a kind of viral “who are you” process by which you self-reveal information to the blogosphere. This one comes from Mike Comfort.
Here are the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. No cheating!
2. Find page 123
3. Find the first 5 sentences
4. Post the next 3 sentences
5. Tag 5 people
Those who know me well know that I don’t read a ton. But the book closest to where I sit is “The Billboard Guide to Contemporary Christian Music.”
“Changing labels again, this time to Diadem, (Kim) Boyce released As I Am in 1997. This Adult Contemporary-slanted offering featured such key songs as the title track and “Amazing Love for Me,” a duet about parenthood and sacrifice sung with her husband, musician Gary Koreiba. In recent years, Boyce has been active as a speaker at Christian inspirational conferences and other events.”
I tag:
1. Josh
2. Jen
3. Janelle
4. Rich
5. Matt
I’ve long been a fan of HyperStatic Union. I’ve known these guys since well before their RKT CD debut. These guys are incredibly talented and make some funky rock-n-roll. I’ve just about worn our their national debut release “Life Giver.” You should really pick up a copy of this album!
I love telling you about quality musicians. Hopefully this video will encourage you to give a spin to HSU’s music.
My weekly artist review is on Portland based band Encomium. This is a young band with some great talent. In 2006 they released “Expression of Praise”, an impressive 9-song disc which mixes rock riffs and worship lyrics.
One of the first things that grabbed my attention on this CD was the expert musicianship. This isn’t a sequenced garage band recording, but rather a major label quality offering. Many young bands have an album of songs that all sound the same stylistically. But this CD has a variety of sounds without becoming disjointed.
Led by Devy Jamin, the group has recently put out a new EP entitled “Like the Dawn”. The samples on their MySpace page promise more of the same quality and no-compromise lyrics found on their first effort.
Check these guys out at http://www.encomiummusic.com/
