American Idol Season 7: Another four bite the dust

It was bye forever for Alexandrea Lushington, Alaina Whitaker, Jason Yeager, and Robbie Carrico tonight.


Jason Yeager's departure wasn't anything surprising, and I was close with my prediction of Alexandrea and Alaina, but I thought there would have been more support for Robbie. Of course, Nelson called it, so props to him. If there was any unity between what the judges said this week and how the votes were cast, it was that a song that did not fit a singer at all was grounds for elimination. Still - big surprise for me that Amanda Overmyer is still on the show, as so far all she's proved to me is that she can belt out loud rock songs. Well, as long as my favorites are still in the running, I'm happy.

American Idol Season 7: My Picks for the Top Ten Girls

The girls took the stage tonight, and I must admit, they have a lot of work to do to catch up with the boys. No one singer stood out for me and poor song choices across the board hurt many girls tonight. Maybe the 70's (which was the theme for this week) was a better decade for male music. At least that's the way it sounded.

So to recap. Carly Smithson opened things up with Heart's "Crazy on You" which the judges themselves weren't too crazy about. I really wonder about her, since there's always the fact that she once had a multi-million dollar recording contract. It's the fact that everyone knows, but no one mentions on the show. Whether that can hurt her or not is still unclear - but I know as a voter, it's hard to vote for her versus some of the contestants who are having their first big break on the show.

Let's look at the mistakes of tonight. The big one was Amanda Overmyer's rendition of Kansas' "Carry on my wayward son." It's a great song, no doubt, but it had too much guitar and not enough vocals. And since this is basically her second chance after a lackluster performance last week, she's probably out of the running. Same for Kady Malloy - Heart's "Magic Man" was less than memorable and I've really got to wonder if some music history is needed for these girls to pick the best songs from each decade.

Songs were also chosen that were simply too safe. Alexandrea Lushington didn't push herself on Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now," which suggests to me that she's saving herself for a later performance to wow the judges. She's probably one of the better female vocalists, but so far she hasn't shown it on the national stage. Safety was also the name of the game for Syesha Mercado. Billy Paul's "Me and Mrs. Jones" did not allow her to demonstrate her range nor her style, leaving the judges confused with why she picked a song by a male to begin with.

There were more mediocre performances from Alaina Whitaker, who sang "Hopelessly Devoted to You," from Greases. Too slow, too boring, and too pagenty.

Needing to find their groove was Asia'h Epperson and Kristy Lee Cook. Asia'h started off poorly with a Eric Carmen's "All by myself," a tough choice but one that she really took off with at the end. She's got talent, but she's inconsistent. There's always mention of her being sick, but that can only get your sympathy for so long. Kristy Lee was so-so with "You're No Good" by Linda Ronstadt causing Simon to suggest she attempt a country song next week. And while I think Kristy Lee is a lot better suited for that genre, I do think that country singer's don't fare particularly well on the show - I mean, when was the last (or first time) there was a rapper that won American Idol? Country music, I feel, is not mainstream enough for the pop culture teenage/adolescent market.

Well, I saved for the best for last and I've gotta admit that while Ramiele Malubay did not song her best with Thelma Houston's "Don't Leave Me This Way", she's got an incredible voice and all the judges love her. And so do I.

The surprise performance of the night came from Brooke White who last week was my #12. She totally fit with Carly Simon's "You're So Vain," and the poignant looks at Simon while she sang that line is going to win over the fans for this week. She'll be cruising into the next round.

So without further ado, my rankings for this week:
10) Amanda Overmyer
9) Kady Malloy
8) Alaina Whitaker
7) Alenxandrea Lushington
6) Syesha Mercado
5) Kristy Lee Cook
4) Asia'h Epperson
3) Carly Smithson
2) Brooke White
1) Ramiele Malubay

American Idol Season 7: My Picks for the Top Ten Boys

The ten boys left really upped the ante tonight, with almost all of them giving stellar performances that shook up my own rankings compared to last week. It was seventies week, so the music selection was a lot more energetic and fun, allowing many contestants to demonstrate their singing abilities, provided they pick the correct song. Michael Johns started things off with Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way," which was a poor song choice and even poorer performance, with some awkward microphone movements. I think he's safe, however, since the judges still recognize that he has talent. Jason Castro was next, strumming the guitar to Andy Gibb's "I Just Want to Be." I think the guitar is a big bonus for Jason, since he can obviously play it, but like the judges said, he almost hides behind it. Paula challenged him to sing without a guitar next week - I'm interested to see if he'll rise to the challenge.

When each contestant was introduced, they all answered the typical "Tell us something people may not know about you." Luke Menard revealed that he's been touring with an a-capella group for the past 6 years. The clip of him sing was not very flattering - hitting high notes and then cutting away is never a good thing. Plus, his performance left a lot to be desired, as his selection of "Killer Queen" was almost whiny, according to Simon. Robbie Carrico, on the other hand, revealed that he's into drag racing, which fit well with his rocker persona. He belted Foreigner's "Hot Blooded," which I think improved him in the standings.

The next two contestants are the two males divas of the competition. Danny Noriega is a no-brainer in this category - with his head shaking attitude, argyle sweater vest, and emo-hair. I enjoyed his version of "Superstar" by Luther Vandross; much better than his Elvis rendition last week. As for David Hernandez, I had him really low last week because of his poor performance, but thankfully he pulled it out this week with The Temptations "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone." He must of taken a hint from the ladies when he started his performance on the staircase and showed a lot of confidence that he lacked last week. And why is he a diva? He said he used to do gymnastics when he was younger. And now he can do a "killer cartwheel." Sigh

Next, the worse performance of the night - Jason Yeager, sorry, but I think you're gone. Singing the Doobie Brothers' "Long Train Runnin'" was not a good idea and dancing like Ricky Martin was even worse. The ending too, was really awkward - doing some sort of air-drum bow after holding a note for a long time. Nooooo way, especially when sandwiched between two good performances....which leads us to....

Chikezie! He rocked some double polos and Donny Hathaway's "I Believe," which had the appropriate line "You better remember my name" which was pointed directly at Simon. He's definitely safe for this week.

The David's were the last to perform. First was David Cook, who brought out the electric guitar and turned on the lefty switch to belt "All Right Now." I thought it was an excellent performance, but Simon says he doesn't have charisma. I don't know where he got that from the performance. Blah, maybe Simon's told to deliberately cause drama.

And of course, last but not least, little David Archuleta. It was a big challenge for him to sing John Lennon's "Imagine," but he pulled it off and made Randy scream "Hot hot hot fire!" and bring Paula to tears. As Simon says, he's the one to beat.

So with all of that analysis, here's my list of the top ten boys:
10) Jason Yeager
9) Luke Menard
8) Michael Johns
7) Jason Castro
6) David Hernandez
5) Robbie Carrico
4) Danny Noriega
3) David Cook
2) Chikezie
1) David Archuleta

American Idol Season 7: And then there were 20

Garrett Haley (my 5th pick!), Colton Berry (my 10th), Amy Davis (my 9th) and Joanne Borgella (my 8th) are all out. It's a good thing I'm not running for President, since I seem to be out of touch with America. I was off, but at the same time, MSNBC's commentary on tonight's show makes sense. Joanne and Colton were both the last two to make it into the top 24 so it was an uphill battle for them. For Garrett and Amy, the show did not feature them at all until they showed up in the top 24. The editors of the show have the power to really manipulate how a contestant is perceived by giving them plenty of face time or none at all. In contrast to someone like David Archuleta, who's always in clips where Paula says she loves him, Garrett and Amy were not given nearly as much positive attention. As a result, seeing them leave this early is not a big letdown, since I didn't feel invested in them at the start of the show. I suppose I'm just more disappointed with being wrong about the first 4 to be eliminated.

American Idol Season 7: My Picks for the Top Twelve Girls

12. Brooke White (24, Mesa, AZ)

• Song - "So Happy Together" - The Turtles
• Started off really nervous with really forced movements. David Cook sang the same song yesterday, and he did a much better job. For some reason, they really liked her, but I'm not sure how far she can go.

11. Amanda Overmyer (23, Mulberry, IN)

• Song - "Please Don't Go" - Muddy Waters
• The judges really liked her, but I don't know how well she fits in as an "American Idol." She's authentic and talented, but can she beat the other 'pop singers?'

10. Kristy Lee Cook (24, Selma, OR)

• Song - "Rescue Me" - Aretha Franklin
• Looked better with curly hair. A somewhat boring performance - she didn't belt out like Aretha Franklin would have.

9. Amy Davis (25, Lowell, IN)

• Song - "Where the Boys Are" - Patsy Cline
  
• Attractive and camera friendly, but not the best singer. Would probably do better with a more high energy song.

8. Joanne Borgella (25, Hoboken, NJ)

• Song - "I Say a Little Pray for You" - Aretha Franklin
• Has a really strong voice, but the faster lyrics got to her. It was weird that Randy thought the beginning was worse than the end and that Simon thought the complete opposite, but it reminds me how subjective a performance really is.

7. Kady Malloy (18, Houston, TX)

• Song - "A Groovy Kind of Love" - Phil Collins
• We didn't hear much of Kady during Hollywood week, which is sad, because she's really good! She's got a great voice and plenty of stage presence to go far.

6. Carly Smithson (24, San Diego, CA)

• Song - "Shadow of Your Smile" - Frank Sinatra
• Randy and Paula loved it, Simon hated it. I'm somewhere in between - she wasn't the best of the 24 like Randy said, but she always wasn't the worse. She'll make it out of the top 12 girls, but I'm not sure if she can win it all.'

5. Syesha Mercado (21, Sarasota, FL)

• Song - "Tobacco Road" - The Animals
• Definitely a sleeper pick, especially since Simon likes her a lot. It's super corny that Paula always mentions that "yes" is in her first name.

4. Alaina Whitaker (16, Tulas, OK)

• Song - "More Today Than Yesterday" - Diana Ross
• Impressive singer for being so young. Definitely going to go far.

3. Alexandrea Lushington (17, Douglasville, GA)

• Song - "Spinning Wheel" - Blood, Sweat, and Tears
  
• Wow, I was impressed with her the most today. Good energy, great song, and great confidence.

2. Asia'h Epperson (19, Joplin, MO)

• Song - "Piece of my Heart" - Janice Joplin
• Coincidence that she sang a Joplin song 'cuz she's from Joplin? I think not. She did really well - Simon's favorite performance of the night. Top 3 for me.

1. Ramiele Malubay (20, Miramar, FL)

• Song - "Wishin' and Hopin''" - Dusty Springfield
• Impressive voice for someone so small! Sings like someone way beyond her years. My favorite!

American Idol Season 7: My Picks for the Top Twelve Boys

Sigh, forgive me, reality TV critics. I've fallen under the spell of American Idol. And now that the field has narrowed down to the Top 24, you'd bet I have an opinion on who I think has got it and who has got to go. Tonight the top 12 boys sang and here's my list from worse to best:

12. Jason Yeager (28, Grand Prairie, TX)

• Song - "Moon River" - Johnny Mercer
• He just didn't do it for me. He's got a good voice, but he swallowed his words and started by sitting and then awkwardly standing. There's a good story here, with him having a kid and all, but there's just too much talent in this field.

11. David Hernandez (24, Glendale, AZ)

• Song - "Midnight Hour" - Wilson Pickett
• I'm sad he's number 11, because I think he's more talented than he sounded tonight. His movements looked forced however, and he always looks up and to the left when he sings, like he's trying to remember the lyrics. Maybe it's nerves, but it might be too late to make it for it.

10. Colton Berry (18, Staunton, VA)

• Song - "Suspicious Minds" - Elvis Presley
• He admits to looking like Ellen DeGeneres, which is pretty funny. A surprisingly good performance, sans the suspenders. I guess I just don't like him because he was picked over Kyle.

9. Luke Menard (29, Crawfordsville, IN)

• Song - "Everyone's Talking at Me" - Harry Nilsson
• Simon calls his performance forgettable. I agree. He's saved thus far by being good looking, but that can only go so far.

8. Danny Noriega (18, Azuza, CA)

• Song - "Jailhouse Rock" - Elvis Presley
• Wow, this kid has some attitude! Maybe it's from drinking all that Naked Juice (hint - they're based in Azuza), but when Simon criticized him he stuck out his lower lip! The cute act is going to win him some votes and I did like his white shirt, skinny black tie/jeans look, but I don't think he has the natural talent to win it all.

7. Michael Johns (29, Buckhead, GA)

• Song - "Light My Fire" - The Doors
• He really rocked "Bohemian Rhapsody" during Hollywood week, but this definitely was not his best performance. He's got a ton of energy, though. It won't kill him this round, but he'll have to do better if he wants to win it all. I really like him...perhaps he's my sleeper pick to be in the top 3.

6. Robbie Carrico (26, Melbourne, FL)

• Song - "One is the loneliest number" - Three Dog Nights
• Good rocker. The field is sort of muddled for me at this point, so he'll have to really put on some good performances if he wants to stand-out in the future.

5. Garrett Haley (17, Elida, OH)

• Song - "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" - Neil Sedaka
• He performed well-enough, but what I really liked was how he took all of the criticism in stride and had a great attitude about improving. Much more impressive than how some of the other contestants sounded when they talked with Ryan Seacrest.

4. Chikezie (22, Inglewood, CA)

• Song - "I Love You More Than Yesterday" - Stevie Wonder
• This guy can groove! He was a bit off-tune at the end, but he made it work and has a really cool vibe to him. Great smile, great personality.

3. David Cook (25, Blue Springs, MO)

• Song - "So Happy Together" - The Turtle
• I'm a bit biased, since he's from Missouri, but he's a good rocker with a lot of energy. He's really at ease when he sings and had an original take on the song. I can see him going far.

2. Jason Castro (20, Rockwell, TX)

• Song - "What a Day for a Daydream" - Lovin Spoonful
• He's the only contestant thus far to perform with an instrument (guitar). I placed him at number two because he's got a really pure voice and picked the perfect song tonight.

1. David Archuleta (17, Murray, UT)

• Song - "Shop Around" - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
• This guy has got to be the early favorite to win it all. He's young, Randy, Paula, and Simon all love him, and he'll capture all of the young adolescent votes. With that said, yeah, he's talented and yeah, he's definitely number one for me now. No mistakes yet, but maybe his youth will get to him. He already showed that he needs to learn on communicating with the judges after a performance (he was out of breadth and smiling the whole time but really didn't say anything concrete).

So there you have it! The girls are tomorrow. Stay tuned!

HP7 / Arrested Development

So yes, I finished Harry Potter. I don't want to give anyway any spoilers to the vast majority of people who haven't read the book, but suffice it to say, it was much different than previous versions, although not in a bad way, but in one that just made the book not as exciting as others have for me. Plus, since it was the official end to the series, I thought the ending was cliche and somewhat contrived, but in many ways it really did finish an excellent series. So read it, definitely.

And while you're at Borders or Barnes and Noble, be sure to get:

Arrested Development.

I just bought season 1, and holy shit, it's hilarious! The Bluth's are a seriously dysfunctional family and what's better is that their interactions are shockingly funny. It almost feels like a reality show, like Real World, mixed with an element of third-person narration to keep the plot moving. I particularly enjoy Tobias, who is struggling to be an actor, is a "never-nude," and likes to cry in the shower. Good stuff.

Blades of Glory

Is Will Ferrell crazy or a genius? Perhaps, both.

Watch the preview for his new movie, Blades of Glory.