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  • American Idol Season 12: Cutting Down To 9

    Idol Even after the promised changes, new judges, and two less contestants in the finals, Wednesday night’s American Idol felt same old same old. The show was a mixed bag with some good performances and many shaky performances. It’s pretty obvious that the girls are much better than the guys. Could this be a carbon copy of season three when the girls owned the top four? It should be.

    But with the new voting app where fans can vote up to 50 times, I expect to see some really ragged results, including some very deserving girls to get booted earlier than they should. Angie Miller, I’m talking about you.

    My prediction on Wednesday night was that Curtis Finch, Jr. would be saying goodbye and going “home” (Phillip Phillips voice). I also thought Devin and Paul were forgettable.

    So what was different with the elimination show?

    It was like the bizarro elimination show. Instead of calling out the bottom three, Ryno Seacrest instead called out who made the top three. Those three were Candice Glover, Kree (Summer) Harrison, and Angie Miller. He would announce the rest of the rankings before unveiling who was going home. Oh, how very X Factor of you.

    Mid-show, Ryno introduced Charlie Askew, aka Creepy Charlie who was eliminated last week to get back on the stage to sing Sky Blue Diamond, his original song. Why? Well, since the top 10 will automatically make it to the tour they would like to add one more via a fan vote. Charlie was one of the highest of the two who were eliminated. And Aubrey Cleland was the other.

    Creepy Charlie looks a little bit like Rocky Dennis without the abnormality. And I don’t like his weird voice which sounds like what would happen if Michael Jackson plugged his nose and tried singing under water.

    Aubrey should make it simply because of how pretty she looked. The winner will be announced next week.

    Who rocked the stage?

    For whatever reason, Jon Bon Jovi’s dad sang lead for Bon Jovi. Wait, that wasn’t his dad? That man with the feathered mullet was really Jon Bon Jovi? Oh.


    Bon Jovi Live on American Idol Results 2013 by HumanSlinky

    Also, the most successful American Idol winner since Jordin Sparks, Phillip Phillips performed. After running the gamut on Home, he changed it up and performed his new single Gone, Gone, Gone, which is also really good.

    What were the rankings?

    Of course, Lazaro was fourth even though he’s one of the worst singers left. Amber Holcomb was fifth. Cotton mouth Janelle who went to the Kellie Pickler school of naive, was sixth. The best guy on Wednesday, Burnell is seventh. Unspectacular Paul Jolley is eighth, leaving forgettable Devin Vasquez and Curtis Finch, Jr. with their faith in America’s hands.

    Who went home?

    Nicki Minaj said that if Curtis went home, she would too. Devin is safe and Curtis is going home. Curtis has to sing for his life. Nicki got up to walk away forgetting that they had to watch Curtis sing to see if they would save him. She flashed that badonk and a half for a second. There’s no way in hell that they save Curtis and she knows it.

    Nicki Minaj Gif

    (During the X Factor season, I posted many of the wacky Britney gifs. It’s Nicki’s turn. This one is by Pink Friday Gifs.)

    This was predictable and the voting wasn’t as ragged as I thought. And Devin and Paul may be going home sooner than later.

    Goodbye Curtis. It was nice knowing you.

  • #17 album of 2012 – Rewotower by Profusion

    Artist: Profusion

    Album: Rewotower

    For fans of progressive rock — a genre most widely known for Yes, Jethro Tull, Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, Rush, Dream Theater, and Mars Volta — there exists a useful web community called ProgArchives. If you hear for the first time of the existence of a prog-rock band, there’s a good Profusion-Rewotowerchance you can find several reviews of them by ProgArchives members. Any given review there has a solid 50/50 chance of being competent, and is usually written, even if negative/ disappointed, with the helpful enthusiasm of a fan rather than any kind of elitist snobbery. I’ve been vaguely aware of them for years. But this past summer — happy upon my discovery that folks there understand what a brilliant late-career revival Jethro Tull’s Roots to Branches was — I decided to use their easy database search to learn what new albums ProgArchives users rated most highly, and read those reviews to find exciting new things to try.

    I’ll probably do that once or twice a year from now on. Still, if I don’t, the reason why not will be simple: the bulk of what I found didn’t impress me. Progressive rock is named for a hippie-era idea of progress: that all musics would blend into something new that everyone could enjoy together. Listen to ’70s Yes albums, for example, and you’re hearing a band making something new out of hymns, hard rock, classical, soul, folk, and various 3rd-world musics … and by Relayer and Going for the One they were either listening to the avant-garde, or simply being it. Listening to ProgArchives finds like the Flower Kings, Threshold, and Distorted Harmony, on the other hand, I felt I was hearing bands that grew up obsessed with progressive rock: bands engaged in ancestor worship. Which is admirable; their records are fine. I simply saw no reason to choose the apprentices over the masters; to choose bands saying “You taught us everything we know!” over bands that could say “But we didn’t teach you everything *we* know, silly”.

    *****

    Then again: if it weren’t for ProgArchives’s 2012 list, I wouldn’t have Profusion‘s Rewotower. (Or two albums too recently purchased for a shot at my top fifty. Magma’s Felicite Thosz is a rock album that’s short and weird, but cheerful, pretty, and bursting with vocal harmonies. iamthemorning‘s ~ is full of lovely, austere, classical/romantic piano songs). Profusion come from Italy, a strange land where I gather it’s still normal for young people to listen to classical and folk musics. Their songs are expertly-played and well-structured — virtues normal to progressive rock — but they’re also full of catchy hooks of many sorts. Listening to Profusion, it is obvious that you’re supposed to have a good time; and they haven’t pre-decided who the “you” of that goal are.

    A few tracks of note: Ghost House suggests Rush if they’d combined their pre-stardom time-signature games, their Tom Sawyer / Spirit of Radio synth-rock mass appeal, and Geddy Lee’s later, lower, de-shrieked melodious voice. So Close But Alone starts as an elegant mainstream piano ballad, then morphs gently into a Latino dance song; it also futzes with time signatures, but unless you’re dancing, you’re unlikely to notice. Tkeshi is a soft, gorgeous interlude of acoustic guitar and African drums and chanting. Chuta Chani starts as a mix of classy string quartet and ominous bass-with-tribal-drums; brings in heavy metal guitar, classical guitar, and hymnal ambience; then launches into a pop-song chorus with the sort of over-the-top gloriousness that — as I’ve heard of no triumphant Queen/ ABBA collaborations (or even any dire ones) — I associate only with Japanese chart-pop. (Then there’s a dazzling synthesizer solo.) The Tower – Part 1 is progressive metal, but the kind you write when you know classical and jazz music — and heck, possibly Richard Marx — as well as Rush and Dream Theater.

    As for The Tower – Part 2, mostly an instrumental, it reminds me of those Joe Satriani guitar-god albums that critics scorn. But many people enjoy those, because the playing really is exceptional, and for these 5 minutes 30 seconds, I know I’m siding against the critics. Rewotower is an album made by people who spent thousands of hours developing the skills to put on a quality show, and tens of thousands of listening hours figuring out all the things a quality show might sound like.

    – Brian Block

    To see the rest of our favorites, visit our Favorite Albums of 2012 page!

     

  • Singers Who Act

    In my last post, I looked at actors who sing… How about a look at singers who act?

    My last post on Pop Rock Nation focused on actors who sing. I know I missed many other thespians who have tried to broaden their audiences by turning to music, but to cover all of them would take way too much time and space. Besides, I have to save up material for the inevitable day when I have writer’s block. Actors are not the only ones looking to broaden their appeal. Quite a few singers have branched out into acting. Some have been surprisingly good at the acting gig, while others have been laughably bad. In the interest of continuity, here’s a look at a few well-known singers who took a stab at the small screen or the silver screen.

    Kenny Rogers as The Gambler… and Brewster Baker!

    In 1978, Kenny Rogers had a hit song called “The Gambler”, which he famously turned into several made for television movies in the 1980s. In 1982, he was in the major motion picture, Six Pack, which was about a race car driver who looks after six rag tag orphans who happen to be pretty good mechanics. The above clip is actually a tribute to the character Swifty, who was played by Robby Still. Robby Still has precious few credits on imdb.com, but he was pretty memorable in Six Pack. You can catch some of Kenny’s acting in this clip. Six Pack also starred future teen idol Anthony Michael Hall, future movie star Diane Lane, and Erin Gray, of whom I had fond memories when she played Colonel Wilma Deering on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

    Olivia Newton-John as Sandy in Grease and Kira in Xanadu


    Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta sing “You’re The One That I Want” on Grease.


    A trailer for the 1980 film, Xanadu.

    Olivia Newton-John was a huge smash when she played exchange student in the 1978 musical film, Grease, alongside John Travolta (an actor who sings). In 1980, she was tapped to play Kira, a muse who helps a couple of guys build their dream nightclub, Xanadu. I must confess that in the early 80s, I simply adored Xanadu! I loved Olivia Newton-John and I thought the film was just plain cool. It really captured my imagination and the soundtrack was pretty awesome, at least to my nine year old ears. Many years later, I think the film is ridiculous, but it’s still fun to pull out every once in awhile for a laugh. And it was also later turned into a musical, which I have yet to see. Olivia Newton-John teamed up with John Travolta again in the film Two of a Kind, which was a bit of a bomb. She has since been in television movies and has had cameos on popular television shows like Glee.

    Dolly Parton as Doralee Rhodes and Truvy Jones


    Dolly as Doralee Rhodes on the film, 9 to 5.


    Dolly as Truvy Jones in Steel Magnolias.

    Dolly Parton has been in more than a few movies, but two of my favorites done by her are 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias. In 9 to 5, she played sexy, feisty secretary Doralee Rhodes, who has to constantly has to put up with a scumbag boss. In Steel Magnolias, she plays Truvy Jones, small town Louisiana hairstylist extraordinaire. In both films, she handily and convincingly played southern women with heart. I think Dolly Parton is one of those singers who really can act, too! As long as she plays people who are a lot like her…

    James Taylor as The Driver


    Opening scene of Two Lane Blacktop…

    It’s hard to think of singer-songwriter-guitarist James Taylor on the silver screen. He seems like such a sensitive, introverted soul. In 1971, he was in the film Two Lane Blacktop, playing The Driver. I have seen this film, but it didn’t really stick with me much. I think that’s a sign that JT is probably better off singing.

    Whitney Houston as Rachel Marron

    Whitney Houston died last year as she was completing a role in the 2012 film Sparkle. As an actress, she is best remembered for her role as Rachel Marron, a beautiful singer who needs to be protected by “the bodyguard” (Kevin Costner). I don’t know that Whitney’s acting skills were top notch, but the soundtrack for that film was huge and many people loved the film. Today, Whitney’s version of “I Will Always Love You” (written by fellow singer turned actor, Dolly Parton), is much loved and could probably be called her signature song.

    Usher

    Usher Raymond has an impressive string of credits on the small screen. The one I will remember him for is his turn as Will on an episode of 7th Heaven. He played a campus radio station manager who hires Reverend Eric Camden (played by Steven Collins, another actor who sings) to talk to a suicidal caller.

    Janet Jackson as Penny Woods, Cleo Hewitt, and Charlene DuPrey…

    In all fairness, Janet Jackson was probably better known as an actress before she became a megastar singer. But when most people think of Janet Jackson, they think of her as a singer. She acted on Good Times, Diff’rent Strokes, and Fame when she was coming of age. Later, after selling millions of records, Janet was in Nutty Professor II with Eddie Murphy (a comedian and actor who sings).

    Michael Jackson as The Scarecrow

    Janet Jackson’s older brother, Michael, was also not a total stranger to the big screen. In 1978, he performed as The Scarecrow in the film, The Wiz. In 2002, he played Agent M in the sequel to Men In Black, Men In Black II. Michael Jackson’s role as The Scarecrow was probably his biggest one as an actor, though he was a man of many talents– singing, dancing, and drawing among them!

    Looking at this incomplete list of a few singers who act, I think maybe some of the singers were more successful at trying their hands at acting. Give me a few months, though, and this subject is bound to come up again!