DVR Chatter

Despite the Carly Smithson "Professional Recording History Whitewash" and the Ryan Seacrest "Flu Disclaimer," last night's American Idol: Top 12 Girls episode was probably the most enjoyable Top 24 edition of American Idol ever.  And, as happened last year, even the best guy singer has no right being in the same competition with the average girl singer.  There is just no comparison.

As much as I wanted to vote for Extreme Eye Candy Amy Davis, I got hit with a sudden and uncharacteristic wave of integrity and dialed Katy Malloy's number (OOPS Kady Malloy).  Not only does she have a wonderful, rich and full voice, but she got the total shaft from the judges about her performance of A Groovy Kind of Love.

During her initial audition, the judges chastised her for performing in her "Britney Spears Impersonation Voice."  Last night, all they could talk about is how they wanted her to act like she does when she uses her "Britney Spears Impersonation Voice."  When you're impersonating someone, you act like them.  So the message is "act like Britney Spears but sing like you?"  You could see that she was as irritated as I was every time the words "Britney Spears" came out of the judges' mouths.  I don't know that it was the best performance of the night, but it was definitely the most underrated by the judges, and that always gets me dialing.

Had I not voted for Kady, I'd have been forced to decide between Brooke White (Happy Together) and Alaina Whitaker (More Today Than Yesterday). 

Of all the 24 contestants in the competition right now, only Brooke White comes across as a real musical "artist." She's the one that goes past "singer" to the realm of "musician."  Plus, she sang one of my favorite songs of all time during Hollywood week (Carole King's Beautiful).

Alania Whitaker's performance was another great one.  She's got a flawless (if a little nondescript) vocal tone, and even the slightly off notes were beautifully sung.

I don't get how Randy and Paula raved over Amanda Overmyer's Baby, Please Don’t Go.  That song sucks and she didn't sing it well.  My comment during the performance: "This is the worst song ever performed on American Idol."

But the worst performance of the night has to go to Alexandrea Lushington, who murdered another of my all time favorites, Blood Sweat & Tears' Spinning Wheel.  If you've ever seen the terrible hippie movie Hair, you'll know exactly what I was thinking the whole time she was mangling that song. That performance belonged in Hair, and not in the "professional movie musical caliber performance" way.  Her voice was strong and on pitch enough, but that arrangement and her dancing made me want to eat a bullet.

So have at it.  What did you think?