American Idol 7 - Top 7

We are getting down to the wire on this season's American Idol and it ends up being a very important week with the group singing songs by Mariah Carey. I think Randy said it last week that at this point in the competition, this is where we know exactly who the contestants are and who the front-runners really are. The contestants get a true challenge this week trying to pick a song suited to them and one they can make as original as they can to avoid the Mariah comparisons that could come their way. Let's see how they ended up doing tonight:

David Archuleta - singing "When You Believe": First time David gets the opening slot and I guess everyone has to have their shot to open the show. For some contestants this season, it has proven to be the kiss of death. But this should be no problem for David, particularly if he sings well. He picks a very difficult song; one in which BOTH Mariah and Whitney sang as a duet. It starts off really well; even as the beginning of the song has the lower registry of notes that David sometimes has difficulty with. He was really in the moment with this song and you could really feel the emotion David displayed as he sang. He was on pitch note for note and I think this is possibly David's best performance since he sang "Imagine," not saying that any of his previous performances since then were bad. I just feel this ranks as high as "Imagine" in greatness. He even sang falsetto after Mariah's advice of doing so and he nailed it! Truly a spectacular performance from David and what an awesome way to start tonight's show.

Carly Smithson - singing "Without You": I thought Carly was very smart in picking this song tonight and Simon was hoping she'd tackle it even before "Mariah week" began. It is one of Mariah's more popular songs so we'll see if Carly is able to bounce back after last week's mis-step. In the beginning, I thought she tried doing a few things different with the melodies and attempted to differentiate herself from Mariah, but then she mimicked her spot-on for the rest of the song. I'm not saying that was a bad thing, but it would've helped her to stay away from those dreadful Mariah comparisions. She definitely had no trouble hitting the higher notes in the song, but I doubt she has the high range that Mariah does (honestly, not too many people do). I thought it was a big improvement over last's weeks inspirational song choice and it'll be more memorable as well. Also, she looked very confident and happy to be on stage. She does tend to over-think during her performances which might cause her to lose confidence on stage. But I liked her this week.

Syesha Mercado - singing "Vanishing": This is one of Mariah's less-recognizable songs and one that I'm not all that familiar with. Mariah says herself that it's one of the first songs she wrote back when she was 17. I thought this was a very smart move on Syesha's part because during the previous two weeks, she picked big songs in which the judges could not help but compare her with the artists that made them famous. Vocally is sounds good and just as consistent as Syesha's been for weeks. It does sound boring in the beginning but things start picking up as we progress towards the finish. She definitely can hit those big notes with ease. I feel at this stage of the game, it's getting more and more difficult to say anything negative about the contestants performances because they are really starting to show who they are and continue to highlight their strong points. Overall, I thought it was a good performance from Syesha but we'll see if she's someone the voters remember on results night.

Brooke White - singing "Hero": I thought this was a good song choice for Brooke as it definitely suits her style. From the recorded piece, it appeared as if Brooke was going to play the guitar, but she now resorts to playing it strictly with the piano with no accompaniment from band. This has the potential to be as good as "Let it Be." But unfortunately for me, it falls short of that mainly because there were a few pitch problems here and there throughout the performance. Brooke has been one of my favorites for awhile but she has not been as stellar as she could be lately and it very well could come back to bite her one of these weeks. She seems to be a bit awkward on the higher notes as if she's unsure about them. It's definitely very authentic and consistent from Brooke as we've seen this week in and week out from her. She's definitely not going to mix things up and go all Amanda Overmyer on us now. As I said, I still didn't think it was her best but she definitely sounded good. She knows what kind of artist she wants to be.

Kristy Lee Cook - singing "Forever": The contestants tonight are picking very smart songs to perform and Kristy is no exception. She tends to struggle with the lower notes which is when she gets pitchy, which is exactly what happened tonight. Not that it was a huge distraction, mind you, but at this stage of the competition, she has to be better than that. With that being said, I thought this was another strong performance from Kristy; even rivaling last week's inspirational song choice. She is really improving week after week and is definitely making her case for staying in the competition. Just think of all the complaining that was going on when she made it into the top 12. She continues to gain momentum and grows confidence-wise. She was particularly solid with the last part of the song, hitting those higher notes with ease. However, just as in Syesha's case, will her performance be one of those that voters will remember? Personally for me, I think she has a strong case to be in this season's top six, but we shall see tomorrow.

David Cook - singing "Always be my Baby": Who would've thought that David Cook of all people would do a rendition of this Mariah classic? And what surprises me the most is that he is not playing the guitar for two straight weeks which I find to be pretty impressive. Seems like he always tries to fall back to his guitar following a performance without it. So far, this is proving to be better than last week's debacle with that Our Lady Peace song. It does start boring for me, however, and with the lower notes that make up most of the beginning, I don't find this to be David's best. He does start ramping things up particularly when we reach the chorus of the song and the performance becomes memorable. He definitely sounds the best when he hits notes in his upper register and I am liking how he turned the end-portion of the song into something more rock-sounding. But this choice is definitely outside of the box for David and he did a good job with it. Now was it worthy of receiving a standing ovation from Randy? I certainly didn't think so and I scratched my head why the judges were glowing over this so much.

Jason Castro - singing "I Don't Wanna Cry": So it's Jason's first try at closing the show in the pimp spot. Let's see if his performance is worthy of getting such a hallowed spot on the show. So it's neither a ukelele or a guitar that Jason uses and strictly concentrates on his song with the microphone in his hand. This may be a good thing for Jason because singing a Mariah song might be a tough challenge for Jason. It's one of Mariah's more obscure songs which might be a blessing for Jason. It sounded good vocally, no glaring pitch issues but it was something that did not blow me away. Jason stays with his usual performing style and stays authentic and original, much like we've seen during previous weeks. Similar to Brooke, I doubt we'll ever see Jason rock out to a Queen song like a few other contestants have done this seaosn. I believe Jason earns himself a spot for next week's show and I'd be shocked if he were voted off tomorrow (please let it be a girl that gets voted out tomorrow!).

The contestants definitely seemed more prepared and more confident this week which made the performances that much more enjoyable. So for that, I rated tonight's show an eight out of ten. It's not easy to sing songs by Mariah Carey, but I give my praise to all of the contestants for doing an admiral job. Of course, some contestants excelled over others and as Simon said, the boys did a better job with Mariah's songs with the girls (of course Simon would say that because whatever song the girl's sing, they'll always be compared to the original). With that being said, here is how I rank the contestants after tonight's performances:

#1: David Archuleta - best of the night
#2: David Cook
#3: Jason Castro
#4: Carly Smithson - bottom three
#5: Kristy Lee Cook (eliminated - 4/16/08)
#6: Brooke White - bottom three (actual bottom three - 4/16/08)
#7: Syesha Mercado - eliminated (actual bottom three - 4/16/08)

It is getting very, very tough to predict who gets eliminated at this stage of the game. Obviously the four girls will get the strongest consideration for elimination this week but as we saw last week, you can never discount a boy being kicked off (Jason Castro being the male with the least strongest performance). I think Syesha will get the boot this week, but I think I said that last week as well. Brooke and Carly could also be shown the door as well but I do believe Kristy Lee will get another reprieve from the bottom three this week. She's gaining momentum and votes as she continues to up her game. Tomorrow will be a very interesting night and we'll see just how shocking the results end up being on our way to next week's Andrew Lloyd Webber theme.

American Idol 7 - Random Thoughts

So last night's results show presented the first real shocking elimination of season seven when Michael Johns departed the American Idol set for good. Although I really did not expect Michael to win the show, I had him lasting at least until the top four or three. So, along with the majority of Americans that watch American Idol, I was shocked at the results of last night. Michael has always been one of my favorites since the very start of this season. I was amazed with his "Bohemian Rhapsody" performance during Hollywood week and enjoyed the demeanor of this contestant. He's got great vocals, he's charming, and seemed like a really nice guy. It always appeared like he got along with each and every one of the contestants and had a lot of fun being a part of the American Idol experience. He was genuienly there to win it all, which was really refreshing. He wasn't like Amanda Overmyer who knew she wouldn't make it to the finale and really only used the show as a launching pad to get noticed, much like the rest of those eliminated. Yet, I expect great things out of Michael and the American Idol experience will be a launching pad for his future musical career. I don't have any doubts that he will make it in this business and I am looking forward to hearing his music in the years to come.

Now with Michael out of contention, seven contestants remain on the show. I have compiled a couple of lists for the general American Idol readers out there. The first list I will present is the order in which I think the contestants will be eliminated the rest of the way until we reach the finale. Here is that list:

7th contestant to be eliminated: Syesha Mercado
6th contestant to be eliminated: Kristy Lee Cook
5th contestant to be eliminated: Jason Castro
4th contestant to be eliminated: Carly Smithson
3rd contestant to be eliminated: Brooke White
2nd contestant to be eliminated: David Cook
2008 American Idol winner: David Archuleta

Definitely nothing scientific about this list - and as we saw this week, there could definitely be surprises the rest of the way. I really believe Carly will rise to the occasion after a horrible week and be quite strong until the top four. Syesha, Kristy Lee, and Jason are the three weakest performers left in the competition, in my opinion. Brooke White has struggled a bit as of late, but she has a pretty large fan base and I have a reason to believe she will continue to be consistent in her abilities week after week and receive favorable responses from the judges. Hopefully we will see the "new" Carly Simon in future episodes. That leaves the final show-down between the two David's, David Cook vs. David Archuleta. Both contestants have strong fan bases. But nothing can topple the tween and teenage girl's that swoon over David A. week in and week out and vote countless of times after each performance. Let me say this, however; not all of David A.'s fans are young girls. If you check out the American Idol message boards, there are prime examples of older women in their 40's, grandmothers, even adult men that are straight all fans of his music and who cannot get enough of his singing. You cannot discount these groups of people in the Archie fan base. They are just as strong as the teeny bopper girls and will follow David A. where ever American Idol will take him. David Archuleta has the looks, the likability factor, his great voice, and his inspiring song choices to take him a long way. At this point in the competition, I see nothing stopping him.

Now the second one is a personal list of American Idol contestant favorites for season seven. Of course, this will go for the final seven contestants that remain. So from number seven on down to number one, this is my ranking of season seven favorites on American Idol:

#7: Syesha Mercado: Don't get me wrong, I think Syesha has a great voice. But I've just never felt a connection with her since the very beginning. I think she showed personality in Hollywood week when she lost her voice and saved in until her last performance that week, which got her into the final 24 contestants. Ever since then, however, she has failed to wow me. There's just something about her; maybe she seems stuck-up in some way and she doesn't appear genuine to me. That's my opinion on Syesha, anyways.

#6: Kristy Lee Cook: My goodness. Kristy Lee has been growing on me these past few weeks. I remember during the top 12, 11, and 10, I wanted her to leave. Actually, I think much of America did. But she is beginning to shake out of her robotic mold that she's been criticized with for awhile. She seems fun loving and appears to be having a good time. But I think she needs to do a lot more in order for her to move up this list; like continue to improve on her singing. Even her last performance which was praised had a few shaky moments.

#5: Jason Castro: I've never been a huge Jason Castro fan; mainly because he does the same things week in and week out and he's gotten to be quite boring. I did love his performance during Dolly Parton week with "Travelin' Thru" because I thought he showed a different side to him and it was a different kind of song that he tackled. However, I don't really enjoy his look, particulary the dreads and think he has gotten quite stale like moldy bread.

#4: Carly Smithson: In the very beginning, I was kind of outraged because Carly was even allowed in this competition. As many people know, Carly previously had a record deal; she even had a record released! Check out her song "Blow Your Mind" on YouTube. Honestly, though, that doesn't even sound like her anymore and she looked so young! Carly has definitely grown on me for awhile and even though she seems down on her luck at times and over-tries on some of her songs, she still has an amazing voice and can perform like a true professional. I have a feeling she'll get a new record deal after her American Idol experience has ended.

#3: David Cook: It's true; sometimes David Cooks seems smug, cocky, arrogant, and cops an attitude during some of his performances. However, I don't think he intends to come over that way. He's a true rocker and one of Idol's greatest performers. He has sung some amazing arrangements of songs that many have never heard and really knows how the play the guitar. Heck, he can even re-arrange songs and make them sound current like Dolly Parton's "Little Sparrow." If he gets voted off any sooner that top three, that will truly be a rotten shame.

#2: Brooke White: I've been a fan of Brooke White's since the very beginning when I saw her audition for the show. She seems very sweet and like I said in my last performance review, she seems like a big sister (even though she's a year younger than me). She's a true performer, playing on the piano and the guitar and doesn't go over-the-top with her singing. She's been described as the "new" Carly Simon and she's not afraid to take a few risks every now and again.

#1: David Archuleta: David A. is another one I've been a fan of since the very beginning. In fact, I think he has captivated me more than any other contestant during the seven-season history of the show. He is such a likable guy; how can anyone dislike him? Yes, he does have detractors, particularly those who think his modesty is all an act. I can honestly relate to the kid because I have a similar personality to him. I can tell it's not an act. I can't stop listening to his music, I keep reading articles that pop up about him, and I try to stay informed on the very latest that David Archuleta is involved in. No, I don't have a crush on the guy because I do not sway that way. Heck, he's like a kid brother for me! He's an amazing talent and whatever happens to him in American Idol and everything beyond, I'll definitely be following along to whatever happens with him.

By the way, if you didn't watch the "Idol Gives Back" special that aired on Wednesday, you missed out on some excellent performances by the Idols. The show started off with the season seven Idol's singing Rhianna's hit "Please Don't Stop the Music." I think this may be the first time all season (except for the auditions) where the contestants were able sing a current hit song. It was so incredibly different from what we've heard and it was actually a great performance by all seven contestants. I didn't really care for the "So You Think You Can Dance" performers dancing with the Idols; but you take some and lose some. Still, it was a very fun performance and it's still great to listen to. The last two performances involving the Idols' took place within the last hour of the show. Around 9:30 PM (EDT), the Idols' performed a song from the broadway play "Rent" live called "Seasons of Love." This was an amazing group performance, but I was kind of bugged in the beginning where Kristy Lee stuck out like a sore thumb for awhile. But other than that, it was great. I really love how this group is able to harmonize together. David Archuleta did spectacularly with his solo and how could you not laugh at all the screams he received when he started singing. No other contestant gets a reaction like that. Last but not least, the "Idols Give Back" special closed the night with the Idols' singing a religious/inspirational song called "Shout to the Lord." Now I've heard this song previously on commericials advertising Christian music CD's and I was never truly inspired by the short snippet I heard. I know, I probably didn't give it a proper chance, but Christian music isn't really my thing, to be honest. However, when the Idol's tackled this song during "Idol's Give Back," it gave me chills. Especially at the end when the group was harmonizing so beautifully and the confetti started pouring down. It was truly inspiring for me and I still get goose bumps listening to it on YouTube. What an amazing way to close the show. And no, the religious overtones of song did not bother me one bit like it might have for some.

You can check out each of these three songs on YouTube with the links I provided. However, for those of you who have accounts with iTunes, you also can buy many of the songs performed on "Idols Give Back" from the music site. I encourage everyone to check it out on iTunes because any of the songs from "Idols Give Back" that you purchase goes to the many charities that IGB supports. It's a worthwhile cause and you can't go wrong supporting something so important.

That about sums it up for this week on American Idol. Don't forget, next week the Idol's perform songs from Mariah Carey; and she'll also be this week's mentor! This will either make or break many of the contestants this week, so be sure to tune in this coming Tuesday and Wednesday.

American Idol 7 - Top 8

On the heels of another snowstorm (at least here in my humble corner of the world), I bring to you the latest American Idol review provided by me. And as opposed to the last few weeks, this review is immediately after the show! What a treat for all of my blog readers out there (yet I am sure there are some people whose eyes completely glaze over when they see my American Idol blogs - LOL. Don't worry; I realize not everyone is a fan of this show). This week's theme is inspirational songs, seeing that it's also the week for Idol Gives Back. Yes, they did it the exact same way last year, although I don't think we'll see this week's votes carry over to next week's like the previous year. At least I'm hoping not. How anticlimactic. On with the review!

Michael Johns - singing "Dream On" by Aerosmith. Does Michael know how to pick songs or what!? I can tell he enjoys some of the greatest rock bands of all-time and I can't say he picked the wrong song this week. I absolutely love this song and it really has a great message with it and it's quite nostalgic for me, too. I don't really understand why the judges did not love it. I felt he had a such a tremendous connection with the song and he was really passionate singing it. I didn't notice any pitch problems myself but if there was, the performance overall was what made this great. True, he may be better with songs that are more soulful and blue-sy, but you cannot discount Michael's taste for rock. I thought he hit a homerun with this one.

Syesha Mercado - singing "I Believe" by Fantasia Barrino. During the commerical break prior to Syesha's performance, I suddenly remembered when Lakisha Jones sang this song last year, which was when she began to lose her edge in the competition. I've never liked it when current Idols' pick songs from an Idol champion of the past, but you could tell Syesha really knew this song to heart. I thought it started off kind of boring at first and as the background singers were added, they tended to drown out Syesha. They proved to be quite overpowering! But then she really connected with the song towards the end and made it worth listening to. She again had to endure complaints by the judges about choosing a song in which previous artists blew it out of the water, but she did her thing with it. I don't think it will be enough to save her from the bottom three, however.

Jason Castro - singing "Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo. I guess I'll have to listen to this performance again, because I was not as blown away by it as other people were. I will say this, though. I am SO glad he chose a different style and arrangement to it than let's say, Katharine McPhee's version in season five. If he would've done it that way, it might've been rather cheesy and could've spelled doom for him. But he showed originality and really mixed things up this week. I did think it sounded like that Country Time lemonade commercial that airs every summer; not that that's a bad thing, mind you. It made me think of summer, at least. Yes, he has a very distinctive voice and style to his performances, but I actually enjoyed last week's performance more than this weeks. Sorry, I guess I'm the odd man out on that opinion this week. I guess I will have to listen to it again; then maybe I'll change my tune on Jason this week.

Kristy Lee Cook - singing "Anyway" by Martina McBride. I do feel bad for Kristy because it appears she is improving week after week and is still not getting a lot of support from the fans. She is definitely not this season's Sanjaya; not by a long shot. Actually, I don't even think you can compare any of this season's contestants with Sanjaya because everyone's in a different league than him. Kristy was great tonight; in fact, it's her best performance so far in the competition. It reminded me a lot of her "God Bless the USA" performance minus the pitchy-ness. She definitely sang it well, confidentally and it showed she's strong with the country genre. I still don't think it will keep her out of this week's bottom three, however. Once again, she lacks the large fanbase like the David's or Brooke.

David Cook - singing "Innocent" by Our Lady Peace. Now I am familiar with the band Our Lady Peace from their 2002 song "Somewhere Out There," which is a spectacular song. But that is about the only song I am familiar with by that group. I was kind of interested to see how David was going to change things up this week - but it didn't look all that original to me. It sounded awkward in the beginning of the song and I think this song in particular may be questioned as to why he chose it. It may be inspirational to him, but many other people might not think so. I just wasn't into this performance like I've been with some of his previous stints on stage. He can definitely do better and not all of the contestants can have stellar performances week after week.

Carly Smithson - singing "The Show Must Go On" by Queen. Wow, this year we've been seeing a lot of Queen on American Idol; more than ever before. This was one of Queen's lesser-known songs and I thought she did okay with it. I wasn't blown away with it by no means. I thoroughly enjoyed the use of the orchestra in the background of the song and vocally I thought it was quite good (yes, there were a few pitch problems here and there). I will agree with the judges in that she seemed disconnected on stage and it probably wasn't the best song to pick to be inspirational. She might have done a lot better singing a ballad this week. She's another candidate that could wind up in this week's bottom three - but I'm doubting it.

David Archuleta - singing "Angels" by Robbie Williams. David is a very smart guy and for those that have been following David all season long on his American Idol journey, you'll know that there's a couple of videos posted on YouTube of David singing this song at school functions. He knows the song extremely well which proved to be a huge advantage for him. I thought at first it could be a huge risk for him to play this song on the piano, but I got to thinking that he's probably played this song on the piano at home time and time again. It was another awesome performance by David, but probably not quite as good as it could've been, especially considering how well he knows the song. I feel that during his performances (not just tonigh), he has difficulty singing the lower notes in his songs; and the lower notes mainly comprised the first part of this song. But once he reached the chorus, he did an amazing job. One of the better performances of the night.

Brooke White - singing "You've Got a Friend" by James Taylor/Carole King. I can't help but think of Brooke as everyone's big sister (even though she's a year younger than me). She just has that persona about her. Just as David used a piano in his performance, Brooke did as well, although she did not play on it and instead took center stage in front of the mic. It started off a little rough for me and it was good at times. Other times it appeared she was disconnected from the song and her performance really suffered because of it. She seemed very emotionally attached to the song; almost TOO attached and it appeared she had a difficult time trying to keep her emotions in check. It certainly wasn't her best performance, but you have to give her props for it being very heartfelt and emotional.

Overall, I didn't think this week's "Inspirational Songs" were as good as last week's Dolly Parton collection. I'd rate tonight's show a seven out of ten. I will say this, I love it when a contestant show's their vocal range, like many of the male contestants have been doing. When they use their falsetto range, it just shows how versatile of performers they are. But it has it's limit and it cannot be overdone. I think the contestants know when to use it and to bring it out during special occasions. I had to laugh at the end of David Archuleta's performance and I saw the sign that read "Lick Those Lips." Once again, if you're a follower of David since the very beginning, you'll know that he's often licked his lips during many of his performances. I can't really say that he's done so during tonight's and last week's songs, however. I'll have to watch back just to be absolutely sure. Maybe he's following someone's friendly advice to use chapstick from here on out. Anyways, with those random comments out of the way, here is how I rate the performers on tonight's show:

#1: David Archuleta
#2: Michael Johns (eliminated - BIG SHOCKER!! - 4/10/08)
#3: Jason Castro
#4: Kristy Lee Cook - bottom three
#5: David Cook
#6: Syesha Mercado - eliminated (actual bottom three - 4/10/08)
#7: Carly Smithson (actual bottom three - 4/10/08)
#8: Brooke White - bottom three

Again, at this stage of the competition, it's getting very difficult to choose who will be going home week after week. I really believe after tonight's strong performance, Kristy Lee will avoid elimination once again. Syesha's performance was good, but not great. And she tends to lack a connection with fans and she has a very small fan base. It just might cost her Thursday. Brooke just might make it into the bottom three for the second week in a row but she'll be pulled back to safety quickly. But one wildcard I'll throw into the mix: Carly. She also has a chance to be in this week's bottom three. Don't be surprised if she lands there. We'll all find out who ends up eliminated after Thursday's results show. Can't wait!

It Keeps Snowing...and Snowing...and Snowing

Mother nature must have it out for us this spring. I thought our last snow event on the first day of the month would be it for this year. Sure, I could see a few snow showers and flurries in the air, but nothing accumulating; not until the new winter season at the end of this year. Boy, was I ever wrong. Our local National Weather Service is predicting anywhere from four to 12 inches of new snow from the latest storm churning to our south. The least amount of snow will fall along areas near the lakeshore to the most falling within the highlands.

I thought I would take some pictures "before" the storm arrives. As you can see in these photos, most of the snow is gone here in the city except for the piles. This particular photo is looking northeast and shows the last of the snow in the parking lot.

Here's a street view and shows the snow pile at a different angle of that in the previous shot. As you can see, there's really not a lot of snow in the neighborhood anymore!

A northbound shot of the same street. If you look closely, particularly around the edges, you can see a few snowbanks remaining.

Last but not least, a shot from the other end of the lot with a few remaining snowbanks.

There's actually quite a bit of grass visible around town. All it would take is one more "warm" week and all the rest of the snow would be totally gone. This latest storm will probably set us back a week and the weather gods are forecasting another impending snow storm of doom by the end of this week that could be quite similar to the storm of March 31 - April 1! So needless to say, winter isn't quite over yet here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula; not by a long shot. I'll wager a guess and say the snow might possibly be completely gone by May 1, but that might be overly optimistic. All we can do is cross our fingers and hope that spring will finally stay after this week's snow events. Although, we are due for a May snow storm!

End of Season Snow Brings Frustration

Seems like April snowstorms are becoming commonplace in the Upper Peninsula these days. Last year we had the mega-blizzard around April 5 that lasted for close to four days and dropped as much as 45 inches of snow in some locations. About a week later, we picked up another four to six inches. Now this year, we had a 20+ inch blizzard that occured between March 31 and April 1. I know spring is usually slow to come around these parts at this time of year, but for two years running to have major snow storms during a typical spring month; it's getting to be rediculous. Yes, I know what some naysayers are going to say, that because we live in this location that we should expect it. But come on, we've had snow since November and it's time for a break from the snow and cold and to bring on the warm weather already. Even many of the snowmobilers are sick of the snow and would like to put their machines away in storage until the next winter season comes. Is that asking too much?

It seems that these final winter events always bring out my most embarassing and frustrating moments when dealing with the new wet, heavy snow. And let me reiterate, this is definitely not a soft, fluffy, powdery snow. As I attempted to leave for work on Tuesday, April 1, my car got stuck in the parking lot at my apartment. I knew it was going to be a big challenge to get out so I did a bit of shoveling on the back end of my car and around it. A big drift formed behind my car, so I knew I was going to have to break it down a bit in order to drive over it. Yes, the majority of the lot was plowed, but not nearly close enough to my vehicle without getting stuck. So after one attempt at backing up, I only managed to move a couple of inches before spinning out the front tires. There was a thick layer of ice underneath my tires, plus all of the newly fallen snow, so I had to do some digging in order to get my car moving. I'd say the challenge of getting my car out of the parking lot lasted a good half-hour and made me about ten minutes late for work. I finally made some progress in moving my car; I couldn't go forward like I wanted to, so I instead decided on backing up and right over part of that huge drift. Well, that ended up being a big mistake and I was now more stuck than ever! Finally, it ended up taking four other guys to finally push me free and out of the lot. Yes, it was rather embarassing but I was greatful for their help and it enabled me to make my way to work in less than stellar driving conditions. Last year I encountered something similar when I nearly ended up in the ditch but received the help from two gentlemen who pushed me out of a snowbank along a county road. Man oh man, the slushy snow is not something I am very fond of, I assure you of that.

I do see the light at the end of the tunnel in regards to this snowy weather. Yesterday it got up to 45 and the temperatures today are expected to rise to around 50. The rest of the week will see the mercury make it to the 40's with some sun and chances of mainly rain (and some snow mixed in at times). So all in all, things are looking much more spring-like. However, we are not seeing those dramatic rises in temperatures - which is actually a good thing because we'd probably begin to worry about flooding concerns around the area. I know back in 2003, we had a serious rain event that added to the snowmelt and caused a dam on a nearby river to give way, causing massive flooding downstream. That's something we never want to see again. And at this time of year, I know residents that live along a river can expect to see sudden rises in river levels, but certainly nothing that gets out of hand. As long as this gradual snowmelt continues, flooding concerns should be pretty minimal. All's I care is that May ends up being a snowless month and spring can officially be declared here in the Upper Peninsula.


And for a random ending to this particular blog; I don't know how I came to think of it, but while I was at work yesterday, the old Kit Kat bar jingle popped into my head. You know, the "Gimme a break, gimme a break, break me off a piece of that Kit Kat Bar" song? It had been YEARS since I heard this and I just wanted to see if someone might have posted it on YouTube. Sure enough, it's on there! And I came to thinking, there were many great commercials from the 80's and 90's that get forgotten. Some kind people went so far as posting various commerical montages on YouTube from the 1980's as well. All you have to do is search for "80's commercials" and you'll find a variety of commerical montages on there. If you're bored and need something interesting to watch, why don't you check those out. And for those of you who need a nostalgic kick, check out this Kit Kat bar commercial with that classic jingle I was talking about:

American Idol 7 - Top 9

Here we are - a new month and a new week, which means another American Idol review. It's hard to believe we are in the month of April and at least where I live, it STILL looks like winter outside. AMAZING! That's after nearly 25 inches of snow fell from our latest end-of-winter storm. As depressing as that is, at least we have American Idol to lift up our spirits as we try to cope with another blast of winter. This week it was "songs of Dolly Parton," with Dolly herself being the mentor. I've never been a big follower of Dolly and of country music for that matter, so this week was going to be a bit of a challenge for me to stay interested. All in all, I think I did a good job of keeping it together and staying focused at what I do best - giving you guys a review of last night's performances. And off we go!

Brooke White - singing "Jolene": She is on the guitar for this week's performance and she's battling pitch problems right from the start. I think it had a nice country vibe with it; something we hadn't seen from Brooke yet this season. It was a bit different from her usual routine yet she managed to stay pretty consistent with her singing and performing style. I thought the last half of the song was much stronger than the first as she was much more in tune and got rid of any pre-performance jitters that she had out of her system as the song concluded. Overall, a nice job from Brook this week.

David Cook - singing "Little Sparrow": I thought it was great that the first thing David did was address the arrangement controversy that he had gotten himself into the past three weeks or so. He gave the individual singers and groups their proper credit for him using their arrangements and hopefully David was able to put this whole deal past him. I think the criticism against him was unjust as it was. Tonight he mixed things up and put together his OWN arrangement of a song and I thought it was superb. Last week I was not jumping out of my seat over his rendition of "Billy Jean" like most people, so I thought this week was much better for him. He put his own twist on the song and made it very interesting to listen to. He was great with his falsetto notes and continued to shine with his originality.

Ramiele Malubay - singing "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind": It was a pretty nice, upbeat song for Ramiele this week. I think she is trying to stay upbeat with her songs rather than going to ballads which tend to make her seem boring. She injected some personality into the song and was overall a decent performance for her. But probably the biggest obstacle Ramiele faces this week is whether or not that was a performance to remember. For me personally, I didn't think so. I think she is quickly becoming forgettable and she really hasn't done anything to get excited over since she's been in the top 12. I think the end of the road is coming up very soon for Ramiele.

Jason Castro - singing "Travelin' Thru": Jason seems to be staying with the guitar a lot more lately which is probably a good move since he tends to seem awkward without it in his hands. Another thing I've noticed with Jason is that he picks songs that have more of an upbeat flair to them which seems to work the best for him. I really enjoyed Jason's performance this week and I thought it was a great song that he picked. He definitely seemed more serious about being in the competition this week as opposed to the last couple of weeks where it looked like he was just breezing through. For me, he stepped it up with this performance and seemed very confident in his singing abilities.

Carly Smithson - singing "Here You Come Again": Carly picked a very slow song to sing with little, if any tempo to it. It was kind of boring at times but Carly displayed her amazing vocal skills with this performance. Her singing was definitely on-par with no pitch irregularities at all. She is certainly no amateur when it comes to singing as she's able to hold notes for a long period of time with such relative ease. She also looked much more comfortable on stage and a lot more confident than she's been. Certainly another solid performance from Carly this week.

David Archuleta - singing "Smoky Mountain Memories": David is back with a vengeance this week as he puts together a very solid performance with a ballad that suits him nicely. After a questionable song choice a week ago, he picked a perfect song this week and you could definitely tell he felt a connection with it. He sang it with such conviction and emotion and did a marvelous job with the runs throughout the song. It seems like when he's not feeling any pressure and can go up on stage and sing with his heart, he does the absolute best. And seeing that last week David didn't appear to be as comfortable up on that stage singing "You're the Voice," it was completely the opposite this week. He owned the stage and was in his element.

Kristy Lee Cook - singing "Coat of Many Colors": This is definitely the right genre of music for Kristy and if she doesn't do well this week, then there's no hope for her at all. Overall, I thought she was pretty solid this week. No obvious pitch problems like there were last week. However, I didn't think she did anything truly exciting with the song and it was probably quite similiar to Dolly's version. This could've been her week to shine and be the top performer of the night, but she lags back towards the bottom of the barel. Again as I've said before, her time on the American Idol stage will soon be coming to an end.

Syesha Mercado - singing "I Will Always Love You": So Syesha takes on the biggest challenge of the night, that being the song made most famous by Whitney Houston. Usually those who take on Whitney fair quite poorly in the competition but Syesha did a very smart thing, at least in the first half of the song anyways. She kind of mixed things up for awhile, mostly using Dolly's version of the song in the beginning but then in the last half, she switched it over to Whitney's version and how can you not compare it to Whitney? Syesha is definitely no Whitney Houston. Overall I thought it was a decent performance from her but not spectacular - especially considering she encountered a few pitch problems towards the end of the song.

Michael Johns - singing "It's All Wrong, but It's All Right": Michael experienced a major boost in motivation last week after a stellar performance of a Queen medley. It was a very nice, soulful performance this week which he seemed to build upon last week's success. Obviously this song was more laid back than the rock tunes of Queen, but this is the Michael Johns we've been waiting for to show up during most of the top 12. He is definitely back in contention to be the American Idol champ and if he keeps it up, he'll definitely stay until at least the top three. It proved to be the perfect way to end tonight's show and seemed very into the performance from the beginning to the end.

Overall, I'd have to say that after last week's sub-par "year you were born" week, this week was a lot better. I'd give last night's show a rating of 8.5 out of 10. Like I stated earlier, I am no expert on Dolly Parton songs but it ended up being a very enjoyable night of performances. Nothing that was terribly bad, yet a few that will end up being quite forgettable. I will say this, I believe we have three of four singers left that have average singing talent. Once we whittle those people out of this competition, things look to get very interesting as we close in on the top five. With that being said, here are tonight's rankings:

#1: David Archuleta
#2: Michael Johns
#3: David Cook
#4: Carly Smithson
#5: Jason Castro
#6: Syesha Mercado - bottom three
#7: Brooke White (actual bottom three - 4/2/08)
#8: Kristy Lee Cook - bottom three (actual bottom three - 4/2/08)
#9: Ramiele Malubay - eliminated (officially eliminated - 4/2/08)

I do genuinely believe that Ramiele will be voted off this week. But I do not remember a week where she's been in the bottom three (okay, maybe one week she was), so her fan base might keep her in this another week. But the usual bottom dwellers of Kristy Lee and Syesha should wind up there again and quite possibly one of them may be out. As I've found this year, it's really difficult to pick who exactly is being sent home week after week. It's all in the hands of the voters!

YES! Finally predicted the right person to be eliminated for a change. -4/2/08

American Idol 7 - Top 10

Here we go with the full performance review, a little bit later than usual. Last night the contestants sang songs from the year they were born. Seeing that most of the performers were born in the 1980's, it was basically '80's night all over again. Probably not the most stellar theme night in the history of the show (I know they've done it before), but it's better than a third week of Beatles songs (not that I'm bashing the Beatles now - it's just that I don't want to see the contestants mess up those classics anymore). Overall, I thought tonight's show averaged about a six out of ten for greatness. I thought there were really only two or three great performances while the rest were fairly mediocre. Results night will be very interesting as always because the least favorite and/or worst contestant hasn't been sent home the past two weeks. And that probably won't change this week, either. On with the review!

Ramiele Malubay - singing "Alone" by Heart (1987). I think when anyone picks this song, whether it's in the auditions, Hollywood Week, or during the Top 12; it'll always be compared to Carrie Underwood's amazing rendition in season four. After hearing Ramiele's version, she is definitely not in the same league as Miss Underwood. It's funny, I heard the exact same arrangement of the song that Carrie Underwood sang and everything seemed so familiar about the performance except the singer. She was pitchy in certain areas of the song and she seemed to struggle with some of the higher notes. It would've been a good song choice for her if Carrie Underwood didn't completely hit a home run with it a few years back. Gina Glocksen made the same mistake last year; although I think she did a better job with the song than Ramiele. Now mind you, I didn't think Ramiele did terribly bad, but it still was not her best. And yes, nobody can truly do as well as possible when under the weather - as Ramiele was.

Jason Castro - singing "Fragile" by Sting (1987). So Jason is back on the guitar; usually when he does his best. He's not doing anything particularly special with the song. I still think it was a good song choice for him although I think he would bump himself up in the competition if he started taking a few small risks and took a detour off the beaten path. It's a nice mid-tempo song; more upbeat than "Hallelujiah" but less so than "Michelle" last week. But Jason did not wow too many with his performance and he got blasted by the judges for it. For me, it was better than last week. He stays original, consistent and true to himself. Yes, I think it was a particularly safe performance as Paula put it but usually it works for Jason (and most of the time gets props from the judges for it). But now I think they are beginning to find Jason a little stale when he does the same thing week in and week out.

Syesha Mercado - singing "If I Were Your Woman" by Stephanie Mills (1987). Forgive me for saying this, but Syesha is one of those contestants that seems forgettable. I have just not been able to jump on the Syesha bandwagon and I probably never will because she lacks a certain spark about her. Yes, she is a good singer but I think she only has a few weeks left in this. As for this performance, she goes the route of singing a ballad. I thought it was a decent song choice but I was not wowed by the performance again. Yes, she sang it well and she can hit the high notes with such relative ease. The ending was definitely good but I don't think it was as great as the judges said (this won't be the first time I disagreed with the judges tonight). Is she truly the dark-horse that could win the competition, as Paula put it? Absolutely not.

Chikezie - singing "If Only for One Night" by Luther Vandross (1985). The first time I heard Chikezie's performance, I thought it was really good and not as boring as the judges seemed to say. But after re-watching it again, it definitely was a touch on the boring side as my thoughts began to wonder to something else as the song neared completion. I completely agreed with Simon when he felt that it was cheezy, especially when Chikezie held the hands of audience members and sang passionately to them. This isn't a personal concert, now. I really do like him as a performer and he has grown on me in the past few weeks. He has an incredible range; from going really low to hitting some of those high notes. He's a singer with such a soulful vibe and he can really get into the heart and emotion of the song with such relative ease. The judges don't seem to think Chikezie is very interesting when he sings ballads which I tend to agree. But at least he's trying to diversify his song choices week after week.

Brooke White - singing "Every Breath You Take" by the Police (1983). Brooke starts off the song playing exclusively on the piano with no band accompaniment. She starts with a mistake and re-groups. It was a bit awkward but she regained her composure really well. I don't think this little hiccup will cost her. I still think Brooke is an amazing musician because she has to concentrate playing the piano and making sure she plays the right notes while focusing on the singing and not trying to screw that up, either. It's a risk she takes most of the time and usually excels at. I definitely thought it was better than last week as she's better being in a static position and not moving around all over the stage. I enjoyed it when the band came; but I too thought it could've been as good as "Let it Be" if she would've played the piano the whole time without the band. But I still found the performance to be quite enjoyable; the arrangement and all.

Michael Johns - singing "We are the Champions" by Queen (1978). Michael starts off the performance going all-rocker on us and not actually with "We are the Champions," but with "We Will Rock You." I wasn't exactly crazy about the whole rock bit as I don't believe that style suits Michael. But I did love when the performance transitioned into a slower tempo and "We are the Champions" started. He didn't attempt to hit the high note at one point in the song and dropped down an octave instead which was really smart. That could've been a disaster if he tried going falsetto at that moment. Definitely Micheal's best performance on the show for me in awhile, probably since Hollywood week where he sang another Queen song "Bohemian Rhapsody." He really seemed confident this week and in the moment. The audience definitely approved with all the screams. Wow.

Carly Smithson - singing "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonne Tyler (1983). This is a big song for Carly to sing but I definitely think she can do it. I had wondered if being in last week's bottom three was going to motivate Carly, but I didn't sense any dramatic changes in her overall style. I think at the song's peak, she probably was trying a bit too much to nail the song and over-shouted. But she was still quite as consistent as she's been for weeks. Was it her best? Probably not; as certain parts of the song were better than others. But was it as bad as the judges felt? I didn't think so. They seemed to be all over the place with their comments tonight. I had to laugh to myself when Paula made the back-handed comment that she wasn't a particular fan of this song. And now it appears that it's Carly's turn to be scrutinized in the media as one website questioned if she was pregnant. We'll see if the rumors escalate any further than that.

David Archuleta - singing "You're the Voice" by David Foster with Jeff Pescetto (1990). Okay, so this is a song I was completely unfamiliar with so I did some searching and found a version of it on YouTube. From the very start, I thought it was a strange song and I questioned David's decision at choosing it. But seeing how exceptional of a singer David is, I thought he could do quite well with it regardless of how weird it sounded. After David's performance, I still thought it was an odd song choice. He did quite well singing it as I didn't notice any glaring flaws. He did mess up on one note towards the end of the song and it may have been too big of a song for David to sing. But I think the one thing that hurts him this week is the song choice because it's very unfamiliar to the general public and he didn't seem to nail the song as he could've. Now 1990 wasn't exactly a stellar year for hit songs, but personally, I thought he could've chose something better. Was it David's dad that chose the song for him instead, as Simon and the media have alluded to? More than likely a yes to that. Like I said, his singing was still on-par and pretty consistent to what he's been doing except for that blip in the radar a few weeks ago.

Kristy Lee Cook - singing "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood (1984). Alright, so Kristy Lee may not be the best singer left standing in the competition, but she is a very, VERY smart person when selecting a song like this one. Simon was 100% correct in his assessment and Kristy will win over the American pride vote this week which will keep her around until next week at least. I really loved this song choice for her not only because it's a song she can sing well, but for one that I've always enjoyed hearing. She definitely did encounter a few pitch problems here and there throughout the song, especially on the higher notes. But I don't think that is going to hurt her at all. This is probably her best performance so far in the entire competition, but there is still room for improvement in her vocal skills. Let's see how she can step it up even further next week.

David Cook - singing "Billy Jean" by Michael Jackson (1983). The song starts off very slowly; like a ballad. I thought it was a very strange arrangement and it sounded odd hearing it sung in this manner. But the tempo does start to pick up and David starts showing off his rocker skills. I tend to question the arrangement of the song when judging David's overall performance because I personally did not love it like the judges. Boy, they are really drinking the Kool-Aid regarding David Cook. Yes, he is an original artist when it comes to American Idol, but these are not original arrangements as other musicians have already done it first. The vocals were still very good and David remains consistent as he's done so since being crowned a spot in the top 12. But I just don't agree that he was as good as the judges said he was this week. I definitely was not sold.

With all that being said, here is this week's performance rankings. This is nothing official, as it's only my opinion as to how I thought the contestants performed this week. This is the updated rankings as I did make a few minor changes after listening to some of the contestants again a second time. So who will end up in this week's bottom three? Who is definitely safe? Here is what I thought:

#1: Michael Johns
#2: Carly Smithson
#3: David Archuleta
#4: David Cook
#5: Kristy Lee Cook
#6: Syesha Mercado (actual bottom three - 3/26/08)
#7: Brooke White
#8: Jason Castro - bottom three (actual bottom three - 3/26/08)
#9: Chikezie - bottom three (eliminated - 3/26/08)
#10: Ramiele Malubay - eliminated

So there you have it; my opinion on who may be sent home this week. So far I've been wrong every time on who goes home on results night so don't be surprised if it happens again (I wouldn't be shocked if Chikezie packs his bags). A couple of other minor comments before I officially log off the blog today. First of all, it makes me feel rather old when most of the contestants (all except one) are younger than me! There are a lot of younger contestants in American Idol this season, more so than ever before in the top 12, I think. Plus I am not getting any younger, either. Secondly, usually I post my review immediately after the show has concluded and most of the time what I write down as notes is usually how I ended up feeling about everyone's performance. It was rather different this week as I had to re-watch several of the performances to get a handle on my initial comments. So the late review this week wasn't necessarily a bad thing in that regard. And finally, if you want a good laugh, be sure to check the David Archuleta forums on the web. All of the young girls are heartbroken that young David "might" be taking the girl that was seated next to David's dad to his prom, if he even has a chance to attend his prom. My goodness, young hearts broke all across the world when she was shown and Ryan made that very subtle hint. And the thought that some young fans didn't vote for David just because this girl was shown in the audience is completely ludicrous. Honestly, what kind of fans are they? Those two are probably just friends more than anything else.

Those are my comments on American Idol for this week. Have a good one.

Winter Remains

The month of March is usually a transition month between bouts of spring-like weather with temperatures slowly rising and spring rains. But it can also lead to some of the worst winter storms and blizzard conditions. It is now officially spring according to the calendar and we have also experienced Daylight Savings Time a few weekends back. We just surpassed the Easter holiday yesterday - which are all typical spring events. With all that is happening, the weather SHOULD turn warmer and more people will be able to enjoy the warmth in the great outdoors. But around these parts, the transition to spring is going pretty slowly thus far. We've had very few days above 40 degrees so far this month and the snowpack has been slow to retreat. The weather has actually been pretty tranquil with plenty of sunny days and calm conditions. We've had a few snow events; but they've only produced minor accumulations of one to four inches with most of the new snow melting soon afterwards. So I guess we can't really complain because it could be a lot worse. But still, people are starting to get pretty anxious for spring weather around these parts. And things don't look to be changing very quickly for a little while.

Like I said before, March is really a wild weather month. I can recall certain March months being really mild and all of the snow melting within a couple of weeks. But in other years, it can end up being our most snowy month. Although we haven't picked up a lot of snow this month, it has been particularly cold. Just last night, in fact, temperatures bottomed out below zero in many locations. This whole winter has been pretty chilly overall. We may not have seen the snow like in years past, but the cold has definitely stuck with us. For those who may have followed the weather headlines this winter across the U.S., you may have heard that many locations to our south in Wisconsin, lower Michigan and Illinois have picked up record amounts of snowfall for the year. The storm track for much of the winter was to our south which is pretty unusual. Typically we're the ones to get blasted by these storms, but yet it's not like we're well below normal in snow totals. Thanks to Lake Superior, we're actually right around average for a typical winter snowfall. It definitely still looks and feels like winter around these parts, that is for sure!

So what is in the forecast for the rest of this month? Well it looks like much of the same kind of weather. Pretty blahzay for the Upper Peninsula's standards with temperatures above freezing, but not much above. Also, the weather conditions will be fairly tranquil with no major storms. Not bad overall, but it would be nice if things could start warming up and we could begin to melt the snowpack. There's no better feeling when you hear the water start running down the streets from the melting snow and the first visible signs of grass starting to show from under the snow banks. And the wonderful smells and sounds of spring; the world beginning to awake from the slumber of winter. It's an amazing experience and I hope to enjoy it here soon.

Songs I Dig - 6

It's back! After a roughly three-month hiatus, the "Songs I Dig" blog has returned for its sixth edition. It's been a slow period for me lately in regards to new music. There really hasn't been much that has tickled my fancy. Lately, though, that has changed and I am happy to bring to you the latest five songs that I dig. I have also realized that in order to create these blogs that feature new music, I need to be less picky at which songs are mediocre and which ones will be bonafide hits. True, the songs that are pure stink-o's (at least in my opinion) will never be featured, but then there are songs that should be categorized as being "in the middle of the road." And those shouldn't be ignored, either. So even if I like the songs somewhat, chances are you'll probably begin to see them here. It's an effort on my part for this feature to appear more frequently as part of "Luke's Ponderings." So let's get this show on the road!

"Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg - There is something about this song that makes me mellow out and relax because it's just so soothing. It reminds me of songs written by the legendary duo Simon and Garfunkel; which is probably why it's so appealing to me. Landon was born in Nashville, Tennessee and was no doubt influenced by that city's rich music history. His first album was released in 2002 but it's his most recent songs that have been most noticed by the music industry. Plus, it doesn't hurt having a song being played during Grey's Anatomy, which is one of the most popular TV shows on the air right now. "...Coffee Shop" is a song I'll definitely be playing a lot more of in the days to come.

"Never Too Late" by Three Days Grace - I've heard this song off and on the radio for the past couple of weeks and although it hasn't quite reached the heights of popularity yet, I think it has potential. Three Days Grace, whom also goes by TDG or 3DG, is classified as being alternative metal and post-grunge. "Never Too Late" is a great tune because it starts off soft and then slowly builds into a rock song. It also has a great message because it talks about people ending their lives but that it's "never too late" to turn things around. So the song tries to convey the message that even in the worst of times, things do often rebound. This song is slowly creeping up the charts so be sure and check it out.

"Whatever it Takes" by Lifehouse - This song has been on the radio for a little while now and gets frequent play. And it's no wonder because this is such a great song to listen to. The group Lifehouse has been no stranger to success. In 2001, their debut album scored an award with the song "Hanging by a Moment" winning as the Hot 100 single of the year during the Billboard Music Awards. The band's fourth album is titled "Who We Are" and already produced the hit "First Time." "Whatever it Takes" is slower than "First Time" and has a gentler tone. I particularly like the transitions from the chorus to the next verses when "Ba ba bum bum ba" is sang. It sounds almost angelic in a way.

"Say" by John Mayer - Have I ever admitted to being a fan of John Mayer's music? Okay, I'm bringing forth that information right now. He's an amazing song writer and has produced many hits in his short recording career. His latest hit song titled "Say" displays his musical genius once again. How can anyone not like what this guy sings (okay, so maybe the tune "Daughters" was a touch on the corny side)? "Say" is a song featured in the movie "The Bucket List" starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Mayer's hit song "Waiting on the World to Change" won a couple of Grammy awards in 2007. He's definitely no stranger to the music industry and I believe he'll be around for a long time.

"Realize" by Colbie Caillat - Colbie is an up-and-coming musician who first received fame from myspace. Her hit song "Bubbly" recieved major radio airplay and has gained popularity throughout the world. She has since released her debut album titled "Coco" in which "Realize" is part of. Music is in her blood as her father, Ken, was involved with the group Fleetwood Mac. She definitely has a unique sound to her songs and brings a pure, wholesome vibe to her music. And there is a rumor out there that she once tried out for American Idol but was turned down. If that is indeed true, I am happy to hear she has found success on her own. It just goes to show you that even American Idol isn't always the way to go for some people.

That wraps up this edition of the "Songs I Dig" for this time. Please be sure to watch out for the latest "Songs I Dig" blog coming very soon. Before I sign off, there's one song from last year that never wound up in my blogs that at least deserves some mention. It's called "Ruby" by the Kaiser Chiefs and I almost considered putting it in as one of the five songs I dig in this edition. But seeing that it's already old and I ended up finding five decent songs that were recent, it's relegated to the concluding paragraph. Hey, at least I mentioned it, right?

American Idol 7 - Top 11

It's a new week which brings us to the latest American Idol recap from me! It's another week of songs by the Beatles (but it appears they expanded the songbook to include Ringo and George this week). So there's definitely some good songs left for the contestants to choose from in the vast array of #1's the Beatles had. I will say this, though; even though I absolutely love the songs by the Beatles, maybe two weeks in a row is a bit much. I don't care how much positive feedback they've heard from the fans of the show about it. It's just something that can get stale fast. We'll see how the contestants handle another week of songs by the Beatles. Let's get this show on the road!

Amanda Overmyer - singing "Back in the USSR": Amanda's up first tonight - usually not the place any contestant wants to be placed in. Another rock song for Amanda (yawn). Okay, so it's not that bad, but as Simon mentioned tonight, it was pretty predictable. She keeps doing the same rock performance week in and week out and it's beginning to seem like a broken record. She's a good performer and is very consistent. She knows how to pick songs that fit her mold but it may be starting to get a bit old for the fans. You can definitely say one thing about Amanda, however; she knows how to have a good time on stage.

Kristy Lee Cook - singing "You've got to Hide Your Love Away": This is such a great Beatles tune; one of my favorites, in fact. I did not care for the arrangement with Kristy's version, however. It was actually really odd and seemed to have more of a rock-edge with it. Eddie Vedder re-made the song and knew enough not to mess with something great. Kristy tried messing with the arrangement and it just didn't work. Overall I thought she did a decent job with the song but the problem I am having with her is that she's rather forgettable. The last note of the song that Kristy sang was nice, but that was about all that was memorable with it. She could've done a lot better with the song, that's for sure.

David Archuleta - singing "The Long and Winding Road": With last weeks performance clearly in the back of my mind, I was pretty nervous for David A. I really wanted him to have a great week. And I am happy to say, he delivered. Now this is the David we all remember from week's past. This was a great song choice for him as I believe he does his best when singing the slower tempo songs which allows him to concetrate on the lyrics better. He remembered his lyrics this time around, he was on pitch the whole time and it was very enjoyable to listen to. He even received across-the-board praise from the judges with Simon even calling it "master class." Clearly it was the best performance of the night out of all the contestants. If he stays consistent with performances like tonight, he'll definitely be one of the final two contestants left standing when all is said and done (if not the eventual American Idol winner).

Michael Johns - singing "A Day in the Life": I don't know what's going on with Michael as of late, but he definitely hasn't been living up to the expectations that he brought with him during Hollywood week. His version of Bohemian Rhapsody was so great that I often look it up on YouTube just to hear it again. Tonight's peformance was very lackluster right from the start. With his first attempt at a higher note, he went way off pitch. After that, he really couldn't recover. I thought he performed the song like the Beatles sang it and didn't really do much different with it. The pace of the song was pretty slow, then picked up briefly, but went back to being slow. I thought the song was going to suit him well but it certainly ended up being not his best. There were definite arrangement issues with the song and he really needs to start raising his game up pretty fast.

Brooke White - singing "Here Comes the Sun": Another performance where Brooke doesn't perform an instrument. It worked the other time when she just sang; will it work this time? Well, not as well, according to the judges. She probably wasn't quite as connected with the song as she was with "Let it Be." It appeared she was having the time of her life up on stage; moving and dancing around pretty freely. Certainly a very upbeat song for Brooke; something we hadn't yet seen from her (something like tonight's performance, anyways). Yet, she seemed out of her element in some way. Overall it was rather safe, vocally; but performance-wise she did try some new things. I have a pretty good suspicion that'll she'll go back to being behind a guitar or piano next week.

David Cook - singing "Day Tripper": And here we have David going back to what he does best; playing the guitar. He stays true to his roots which is rather nice. And unlike Amanda, David isn't afraid to try different things even though he's mainly a rocker. All of the risks that David has taken thus far have paid off. I did like the Peter Frampton-esque use of the voice box; it was certainly different and the first time used in an "Idol" performance. He did a great job with the song that had the audience into it and even Paula up on her feet. I like the fact that each and every single week, he seems to try something different and it hasn't yet hurt him. I had to disagree with Simon when he said it was predictable. Now Amanda, yes; she was predictable. David Cook was not.

Carly Smithson - singing "Blackbird": A much slower paced song for Carly; going in a different direction tonight. I didn't think it was her best as I perfer the more up-beat songs from her. But the vocals were spot-on as usual. I liked the performance the best when she started hitting the higher notes which showed off her vocal skills. I wouldn't say it was my favorite of hers in the competition but it was still an enjoyable performance. I thought it was definitely better in the end than it was in the beginning. It was a very controlled song for Carly with superb vocals and a deep connection with the song. Carly definitely knows what she's doing and I believe she'll be around for a long time.

Jason Castro - singing "Michelle": So Jason goes without the guitar tonight which worked before when he sang "Halleljah." He seemed to do a fairly decent job with the song, but he appeared out of touch at times. I have a feeling, though, that he wasn't really taking the performance all that seriously. In fact, I thought at one point he almost lost control and started laughing. Maybe it was the audience that threw him off but he certainly did not seem as connected to the song. I thought it was a good song choice for him if only he took the performance seriously. I hope he didn't think it was a big joke because his fans could turn on him pretty fast. I don't really believe that's going to happen, but he really needs to be more careful in the future.

Syesha Mercado - singing "Yesterday": Out of all the Beatles songs, this is probably one of my all-time favorites (including Let it Be, Hey Jude, Penny Lane, and You've Got to Hide Your Love Away). Syesha starts things off kind of boring and I am beginning to question whether this is really a good choice of song for her, whether or not she had a connection with it in the past. But she definitely worked it out in the end and think she did an admiral job with it. The problem with Syesha, however, is that she's a pretty forgettable performer. Yes, this week was much better than last, but I just don't see her sticking around for very long. She just doesn't appear to be all that interesting and that is what really hurts her. She's got to do something that's going to wow the audience and make us remember her for a very long time. So far, that has yet to happen.

Chikezie - singing "I've Just Seen a Face": This is an unfamiliar Beatle tune for me. It appears that Chikezie turns back to performing a ballad which tends to suit him more. The pace starts off rather slow but then really picks up. In fact, I thought the pace was much too fast and it reminded me a lot of Kristy Lee's version of "Eight Days a Week" from last week. The last part of the song had that country/blue grass feel to it which wasn't necessarily a good thing, in my opinion. I thought Chikezie tried capitalizing on last week's success and it didn't quite work as well. It was still a decent performance yet it wasn't as good as last week. It was sort of all over the place like the judges mentioned, harmonica and all.

Ramiele Malubay - singing "I Should've Known Better": The performance started off pretty weak and somewhat pitchy for me. I do think this is a great song choice for Ramiele, however. It doesn't start off all that great, though and she seems to be having some difficulty projecting her voice. She has a great voice and can hit some pretty incredible notes. We haven't seen anything like that in awhile from her, though. She did finally hit a couple of high notes towards the end of the performance but it wasn't enough for me. She did have better vocals tonight but I definitely think she needs to be more assertive and confident with her songs. Ramiele has been lacking consistency for some time and pretty soon it will end up hurting her.

Now it's time for this week's Idol Rankings. Remember, these are based on tonight's performances and they are not cumulative from week to week. I think most of the contestants will be relieved to see the songs of the Beatles go away next week. In addition, Simon only gave favorable reviews to David Archuleta and Syesha (even though he told Syesha that Brooke should've sang "Yesterday"). And did anyone else notice how some of the contestants were wearing ear pieces while others didn't? This probably helped David A. out quite considerably compared to last week where he didn't wear one. I think with the audience standing up and cheering like in a concert setting, it tends to throw the contestants off especially for those not used to concerts. So this is probably a good thing for everyone involved. Anyways, here are the rankings from tonight:

#1: David Archuleta
#2: David Cook
#3: Carly Smithson (actual bottom three - 3/19/08)
#4: Syesha Mercado - bottom three
#5: Jason Castro
#6: Brooke White
#7: Amanda Overmyer (officially eliminated - 3/19/08)
#8: Ramiele Malubay
#9: Chikezie
#10: Michael Johns - bottom three
#11: Kristy Lee Cook - eliminated (actual bottom three - 3/19/08)

All in all, I still believe it's Kristy Lee's time to go. Even though this week was better than last, it still doesn't compare with the rest of the group. I thought she was pretty fortunate to stick around instead of David Hernandez because she was really awful last week. We'll see if she maintains the same luck this time around. I also believe that Syesha remains a pretty forgettable figure on the show and despite a decent performance this week; she'll wind up in this week's bottom three again. It just doesn't seem like she has an avid fanbase like the rest of the contestants and one of these weeks, it's going to cost her.

A Surprising Wake-Up Song

About an average of seven days a month, I have to get up early in the mornings for work. Let me just say, I am not a morning person. I love being able to sleep in on afternoon shift or on my days off until about 10 AM. So during the days I have to get up early for work, I have to set my alarm clock - actually two alarm clocks, in case one of them mysteriously doesn't go off. It's happened twice to me before where I actually overslept and been late for work. One of the alarm clocks is a standard digital clock with the iconic beeper for an alarm. I have that one set on my dresser across the room so it forces me to get up. The other one is a better model, still digital, but it's a clock radio/alarm that's on my night stand near my bed. The beeper on this alarm clock is EXTREMELY loud. I've accidentally set it to the beeper a few times and it scared me awake. So this clock I always used the radio option to wake me up. I have it set to one of the most reliable radio stations around these parts - 97.1 FM, with a fantastic morning show. But at 5:45 AM when I have to get up, usually the morning show isn't quite yet on the air (it starts at 6). So when the clock radio goes off, a song is playing. Most of the time it's a song that's been on the air for awhile. And the funny thing is, even when I hear maybe only ten seconds of the song, it gets stuck in my head the rest of the day! Well on a couple of occasions, a new song played while the radio turned on. Now mind you, this song didn't play during consecutive days but more like on a Tuesday and Thursday morning, for example. So the airings of this song were fairly close together - just being a few days apart. The second time I heard it, I had to listen to it for a little bit longer because I thought it was a really good song. Now came the task of actually finding out WHO sang it.

I don't remember exactly how I came to find out who the actual singer of this song was. I think I heard it again during one morning but when a dee jay was on the radio and he said the singer of the song after it was over. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard who it was by. Let me give you some hints. She's the daughter of a country singer who had a hit song in 1992. She's the star of a kids television channel with a hit show. She's a singer herself (duh) who's had an amazing stretch of sold out concerts across the country. She's been tabbed as one of the biggest and brightest new up-and-coming stars. She stars with her dad on her hit television show. Do you have a guess by now? If you don't have the faintest idea yet, maybe you don't follow the Hollywood scene or don't have any kids. The singer of the song I heard on the radio is the one and only Miley Cyrus. Yes, her dad is Billy Ray who had the hit song "Achy Breaky Heart" in 1992. He also stars with her on the Disney Channel's #1 show "Hannah Montana." And she has earned some pretty good cash going on a sold-out concert tour. Now I don't know A LOT about her but how could you not if you follow the Hollywood/Entertainment scene like I do. She's got so much going for her and she's only 15! I just hope she's level headed and doesn't let Hollywood get to her head. I just pray she doesn't turn into another Britney Spears! But so far, she is handling herself pretty well.

As for the song, it's titled "See You Again." For a 15-year-old, I must admit she is a REALLY good singer. If I heard this song for the first time and if someone were to ask me how old the singer of this song was, I probably would've guessed someone in their 20's, at least. She sounds really mature for her age (but I guess hearing her name in the song would've been an eventual give-away, too). She doesn't sound like some air-headed teeny-bopper singer that have popped up in the past. If she keeps this up, she could become the next Madonna! Okay, so that may be exaggerating things some. But just look at how popular she is right now with the tweens and early-teenage crowd right now. It's the same generation that will follow her as she ages and matures. She has the potential to be very popular for a long time if she doesn't drop off the face of the earth. And "See You Again" is catchy as heck and something that can get stuck in your head for days. I can't believe I'm actually admitting that I like a song from a 15-year-old girl. But it's true! It's a really good song. And it must be good if Adult Contemporary/Pop radio stations are even playing it. An average, everyday singer would never see their tunes on a radio station.

So if you haven't yet heard it for yourself, maybe you should go to Miley's myspace page and listen to it yourself. And if you find yourself bobbing along to the song, don't say I didn't warn ya!


Oh, by the way. For those American Idol viewers who were rather surprised and disappointed at how David Archuleta performed during this week's show where he sang "We Can Work it Out," maybe you should listen to David's version of the song that was recently recorded in studio. It is 100 times better than his performance during the show. I still can't honestly figure out what happened. Was it David's aggressive "stage dad" that had him stressed out or the huge new American Idol stage that freaked him out? Or was it a conspiracy brought on by the people who manage David that wanted him to fail purposely so that it wouldn't appear like he was the "front runner" anymore? That way, he could work himself back up to the top and re-emerge as the favorite as the finals come closer. That way, the Melinda Doolittle-effect wouldn't take place this season as well. Yes - those are the rumors that are circulating on the web about David's surprising stumble on Tuesday night. Could it just simply be that the song was just too big for him to pull off? He even said in the taped interview that he was unsure about the song. So there you have it, the REAL reason why David flubbed this week. It was purely the song. Anyways, take a listen to the studio version of "We Can Work it Out," done in the same fashion that Stevie Wonder did years back. Like I said, it is much better and it's a recording from the REAL David Archuleta that all of his fans know well.

American Idol (Season Seven) - Top 12

Welcome one and all to the start of my American Idol 2008 review blogs! Last year was the first time I regularly did a feature blog week after week and it worked perfectly on a show like American Idol. I had a blast last year, but I'll admit it did kind of burn me out at the end (which is why I probably never did a review during finale week). But nontheless, these are always fun and I am looking forward to doing it again starting this week! I will say this, though; I am probably amped up over this season than any other since I've been watching the show because the finalists as so talented. I have my favorites and I'm sure you'll pick up on which ones I like as we move along in the weeks ahead. So let's get this review blog off to a bang! It's the top 12 of American Idol 2008 singing the songbook of Lennon and McCartney. So the start of the show was spent on showcasing the new Idol stage and opening - which was very nice and quite extravagant. In fact, I'd probably be pretty intimidated singing on a stage of that caliber. The question I have is; why did it take six previous seasons before deciding that they needed a stage like that? It's about time! Let's get to the reviews.

Syesha Mercado - singing "Got to Get You Into My Life": It was a very fun and upbeat song for her; the kind of songs she's been sticking with week after week. The beginning of the song wasn't great for me. I didn't think she shouted as much as she has in some of her previous performances, however, and tonight she seemed a lot more controlled. I thought she did a decent job with this song but I don't know if it's one that America is really going to remember. It seemed to stick in the middle of all the other performances from tonight. She it definitely trying to improve week after week, though.

Chikezie - singing "She's a Woman": The award for the most surprising performance of the night goes to Chikezie. I was a little concerned at the way he started the song but he really impressed me overall. I think he definitely tried showing a different side of him in his performance and I believe it worked for him. He took a risk jazzing things up and rocking out and it couldn't have gone any better for him. I always pictured him as more of a ballad singer like we've seen from previous preformances. So this was really a breath of fresh air and he was very enthusiastic. I don't think he's going anywhere yet, America.

Ramiele Malubay - singing "In my Life": This is probably one of the more recognizable songs from the Beatles that were sung tonight and I thought it was a decent choice for Ramiele. However, it did not work to her favor and just as the judges said, it was rather safe and boring. I thought this would be a song that would help to show off her strong voice, but she really didn't do anything special with it. The final note she sang was really the highlight of the whole performance. I'm really waiting to see when she'll live up to the hype that has followed her around for several weeks now. I think she can do much, much better than this.

Jason Castro - singing "If I Fell": Jason goes back to his guitar, which he really does a good job with. I really didn't understand the praise he received last week - partially because I'm not all that familiar with that song. But I thought it was fairly similar to last week, except he didn't have his guitar a week ago. I really liked it when he showed off his falsetto range because we hadn't yet seen that so far in this competition. I thought he was in tune for the whole song and seemed very focused on his singing. He played the song straight with very little changes to the arrangement. So overall, I thought it was decent but not spectacular.

David Cook - singing "Eleanor Rigby": I was quite surprised to see David without his guitar! I didn't think he could perform without it but he really did an admiral job tonight. He puts a rocker-twist on this Beatles classic. For me, it seemed very odd not hearing the orchestral sound to it but I found myself enjoying it more and more. I thought he really amped things up once he reached the chorus of the song where he really rocked out and stayed true to his rocker-roots. Just as Simon commented, however, I didn't quite think it was as good as last week's performance where he took on "Hello" by Lionel Richie. But still, a very solid performance from David.

Brooke White - singing "Let it Be": Okay, I'll admit it. Brooke is one of my favorites. She just has this innocent quality that I really enjoy about her. She seems to be very good at playing instruments; first playing the piano during Hollywood week, then the guitar during semi-finals, and now back to the piano. I think whenever anyone plays the piano during a live broadcast, it shows tremendous guts doing so. Brooke is a very artistic musician and I thought she really connected with the song. "Let it Be" is one of my favorites and it was nice to see how she didn't change much with the overall style that the whole world has grown to love. She definitely made this peformance believable.

David Hernandez - singing "I Saw Her Standing There": The upbeat songs have been doing very well so far for the contestants, so will David have the same luck? Well, not really. I thought he had a few pitch problems here and there. It was a fun song but I didn't believe he did enough with the song. I thought his running around the stage and into the audience didn't make it any better, either. I thought it was just an okay performance; nothing great by no means. Maybe ballads suit him better like last week? It was a performance that tended to lack any kind of charisma, really.

Amanda Overmyer - singing "You Can't Do That": Here's a song I was completely unfamiliar with. And I can't believe that because I assumed I knew every Beatles song ever written. Nevertheless, Amanda does a decent job with this song. Again, she stays with her true rocker-roots (as if we'll ever see her sing a ballad) and definitely seems more comfortable up on that large stage tonight. Amanda definitely has a unique style of her own and it was clearly evident tonight. I don't think it was quite as good as last week, but she made it enjoyable to listen to. Seems like she's taking in all of the criticism she's received and is trying to improve where ever she can (i.e. looking at the audience instead of the ground, smiling, etc).

Michael Johns - singing "Across the Universe": Another Beatles song I'm not that familiar with (what is this world coming to!) but I thought Michael did a decent job with it. Certainly not his best and I think he's fallen back some since his performances during Hollywood week. With that being said, however, I still think these kinds of songs suit Michael better than trying to go the rocker-route. Yes, I too was waiting for something bigger to come out of Michael's performance, but it is what it is. I still believe he did a nice job with the song and should be sticking around this competition for a long time to come.

Kristy Lee Cook - singing "Eight Days a Week": Kristy held on by the seat of her pants last week and made it into the top 12. However, after tonight's performance, America REALLY got it wrong. Her country style version of this Beatles classic was pretty dreadful. I thought it was going way too fast in the beginning and it seemed to throw her off. She seemed out of sync at times and I thought it didn't sound all that good. I don't believe this song is ready to be turned into anything remotely country-sounding. She took a risk and tried capitalizing on the judges comments about going country, but it's a risk that failed miserably this time around.

David Archuleta - singing "We Can Work it Out": Last but not least is David Archuleta, another one of my favorites. He is such an amazing talent for being 17 years old. He's bashful, innocent, and just plain smiley. But tonight was clearly an off-night for David. Once he forgot the lyrics, my jaw dropped to the floor. Maybe this song was too big for him? I was critical on a couple of contestants last year who forgot the lyrics to their songs and I believe at this stage of the game, you can't do that. I also believe that David was particularly nervous and he just didn't feel all that comfortable being on that enormous stage. I will say this, however, once he got to the middle of the song, I thought he was really starting to get his emotions in check and did a decent job of closing the song. But again, not his strongest performance so far for David.

So there you have it, my reviews of the contestants performances. And something new I am doing this year, I am doing a power-ranking of sorts (like you'd see in sports columns), rating the contestants performances on a week-by-week basis. These are not going to be cumulative, so keep that in mind. The contestants you see in the last three positions did the poorest of the evening in my view but it does not necessarily mean they'll end up being in America's bottom three (David A. may in fact receive the MOST votes). So here are this week's Idol Rankings:

#1: Chikezie
#2: Carly Smithson
#3: Brooke White
#4: David Cook
#5: Amanda Overmyer
#6: Jason Castro
#7: Michael Johns
#8: Syesha Mercado (actual bottom three - 3/12/08)
#9: Ramiele Malubay - bottom three
#10: David Archuleta
#11: David Hernandez - bottom three (eliminated - 3/12/08)
#12: Kristy Lee Cook - eliminated (actual bottom three - 3/12/08)

Again, these are just my opinions based on tonight's performances. Kirsty's messed up country-version of "Eight Days a Week" gets the nod of being the worst of the evening. I wonder what Paul McCartney would say if he saw it (and not to say that he WON'T, either)? She may be pretty, but her song renditions have not.

High School Basketball

It had been awhile since I stepped foot inside my old high school; at least three years, anyways. For me, there's always that nervousness of encountering someone I hadn't seen in some time and drumming up a conversation with them and having them ask a million questions about what I'm up to these days. Thankfully that did not happen once I ventured back into those hallowed hallways of the high school and attended the boys district basketball final game. Our school was not only hosting the tournament but also playing in the final game with a chance to win a trophy and advance to the next round of the tournament. Seeing that I was off from work this weekend and both my dad and I were available to attend the game, we figured we'd check the action out and see just how good this year's boys basketball team was. Despite some generally sloppy play at first, it was an enjoyable game which saw the home team win. It did not disappoint.

I must admit, it was a little bit odd entering the old school once I first stepped inside. With one quick glance around, things did not look much different at all. Upon entering the main entrance to the high school, the gymnasium is just right off to the left. So needless to say, I did not get an opporunity to take a walk down the hallways of the old school but that's alright; save that for another time. The gymnasium did not look very different, overall. It's still the same building with the same features of seven/eight years ago. The walls were painted brighter, though. Instead of an ugly green stripe that lined the perimeter of the gym wall; it was now painted a dark blue - more fitting of one of our school's colors. The gym floor was painted in a much more colorful pattern. The out-of-bounds area on each end of the floor was painted blue with the school name stenciled out of the blue. The free throw lane was pained a solid blue color and "Cougars" was lettered along the sidelines near the bleachers. A beautiful cougar icon was painted on center court. Now this is the kind of gym floor our school should've had when it was originally build in the early 1990's. The floor very drab and plain up until a few years ago. They've made great progress in making the gym look more like cougar-country.

Many familiar faces graced the bleachers of the gymnasium; and although many were familiar, I did not know a lot of them personally. It was still nice to see the school spirit in full force that night. But somehow the majesty of Cougar playoff basketball just didn't seem to be the same as it used to be for me. I remember the stands of the gym being completely packed when the hometeam was playing back when I was a student. There was also a lack of a true cheerleading squad, as well. It looked as if a cheer squad was assembled, but I don't know if they had been together all season or if the switch from having the girls basketball teams play in the winter time instead of the fall as what was the case for years had a negative effect on having a regular cheerleading squad. They didn't even have the usual cheerleading uniforms on - just short-shorts and a regular top. Whatever the case, they made a nice effort, but they did not have the full enthusiasm like the old cheer squads of old. But there has to be a reason why this years squad was lacking.

All in all, it was a fun reunion-of-sorts at the old high school. Even though I hadn't been to a high school basketball game in a few years, the old school spirit came back in full force. It proved to me that it was alive and well, but just secretly tucked away inside for whenever I needed it again. I may not know many of the faces on the basketball teams anymore, but no matter what, whenever my school plays in an important game, they still have my support. And it's nice to know that no matter how long you've been away, for the most part, things pretty much stay the same. From the people, the school spirit, to the asthetics of the game and the buildings themselves - you can stay away from the place for two to three years and find things relatively unchanged. It's nice that a little part of your past still stays with you even into the present.