Music

Friday, February 26, 2010

American Idol Season 9 Top 24 Results

Okay,I want to say that Joe Munoz definitely was ROBBED big times!!!! He shouldn't go home because he had a pretty good performance yesterday. Tim should've gone home.

I'm lil bit bummed that Janell Wheeler went home,she got potential that we'll never see.Sigh.

I predicted Ashley Rodriquez to go home and I'm right. Tyler Graddy goes home too,I don't like him,so lucky for me I don't have to see him again next week.

Allison Iraheta's Scars performance gave me goosebumps all over my body. It's so hauntingly beautiful and powerful vocal. I love love love her!!

Kris Allen's Let It Be performance also impressed me so much. Sometimes I got bored with that song but Kris did it in a way that make me love that performance.

I was excited that Allison & Kris performing but I was disappointed that Joe went home.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

American Idol Season 9 Top 24 Guys Performances

I think this 12 guys are the most good looking group of guys ever on Idol. I can't wait to see the tweens,cougars,etc reactions deep in the game.

- Todrick Hall (woah woah I liked this arrangement although he changed it so much but I really really enjoyed it. Totally creative)
- Aaron Kelly (Amazing!!Now we're talking!!That's the kind of performance I want to see from the contestants!I was blown away by his deep rich husky voice,definitely suitable for country music career.He needs to improve his stage presence and movement though,I felt it was too much standing in the middle)
Why Jermaine looked like some random douche?!His swagger is really irritating me!!
- Jermaine Sellers (what the hell was that??Over the top performance,too much runs,it was just show-off. Nothing special at all from this performance. For me,Jermaine is getting worse everyday,I don't like him anymore)
- Tim Urban (oh my....it was excruciating watching his performance. His facial reaction was very awkward,his stage movement's weird,he can't hit the high notes. It's trainwreck. Painful performance. The only thing that could save him is his good looking face)
- Joe Munoz (very good!! He should watch his enunciation though,can be a lil bit mumble,but I think he has a strong vocal,reminds me of David Archuleta,and he didn't show any nerve at all. I could see his determination and tenacity from his eyes)
- Tyler Graddy (urgh,too old/throw back. I hated it!! No no no no!! His gimmicky is getting old)
- Lee Dwyze (way better than my expectation,pretty good performance,nice vocal,nice rendition.Good job,Lee)
- John Park (his facial expression is hollow like when he sang and I felt uncomfortable watching it. He has great voice for sure,I could see that in some parts but he couldn't find his position on that song. Too bad,I had good expectation about him)
- Michael Lynche (karaoke-ish but at least it wasn't that bad)
I was astounded that the beginning of the show was great and it went downhill really fast from there.I thought the guys could done better judging from Todrick and Aaron's performances,I was wrong.
- Alex Lambert (awful performance,so awkward and amateur,tonight's show is killing me so bad!!They were all like amateurish singers)
- Casey James (the judges were so rude joking and laughing when Casey was performing. It made him laughed a bit in the beginning. Thus ruining the emotional connection of that performance. It's still very good though)
- Andrew Garcia (it's pretty amazing I'd say,I liked it. It was refreshing. I disagreed with the judges)

Very underwhelming 1st week. Sigh. And the judges really bashed the pimp spot contestants like Katie Stevens and Andrew Garcia. Never seen them like that before.

My rank:
1. Aaron Kelly
2. Todrick Hall
3. Joe Munoz
4. Andrew Garcia
5. Casey James
6. Lee Dwyze
7. John Park
8. Michael Lynche
9. Jermaine Sellers
10. Tim Urban
11. Alex Lambert
12. Tyler Graddy

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

American Idol Season 9 Top 24 Girls Performances

Urgh,the banter between Ryan Seacrest and the judges wasted a lot of time.

- Paige Miles (she's better than I expected,although judging from Simon's words,she could do better but why I got the vibe that they didn't throw her under the bus??Will she be staying for another week?)
- Ashley Rodriquez (is there something wrong with the sound system?? I couldn't hear her voice clearly when she sang the falsetto. It's too low or maybe she didn't sing those verses out loud. Her performance wasn't that bad I think,clearly better than my expectation,I just wanted her to sing louder at the mic)
- Janell Wheeler (oops wrong song choice definitely for her,it's like going nowhere,nothing interesting about this performance. Melissa McGhee from Season 5 knocked this song out of the park and Janell really fell short.She hasn't performed as great as her Hollywood Week Day 1 performance)
- Lilly Scott (very unique performance,I got the out of this world-circus-another dimension vibe,in a good way. Very refreshing. I love the melody in this performance and her beautiful vocal)
The judges upped their game tonight.
- Katelyn Epperly (better than my expectation by a miles!!Good vocal but the arrangement was too old for my taste. The outfit was horrendous,and the lipstick was too much)
- Haeley Vaughn (she shines alright!!I liked her performance though she should work on her vocal. Too many pitchy notes. Overall,I liked her take on this Beatles song that's been done to death)
- Lacey Brown (I agreed that her performance seemed forced in many parts but I thought her tender vulnerability made me love this performance. I almost cried watching her rendition. So beautiful and this performance really touched my heart. I hope she'll do a better song next week)
- Michelle Delamor (very good performance but very generic. I hate that song)
- Didi Benami (woah,they threw her under the bus. Although her performance was low key but I loved it. It had sparks in certain parts and good enough for my taste)
- Siobhan Magnus (dark haunting song and good performance but slightly dull.She's better than this)
- Crystal Bowersox (as good as I expected,her new veneer/whitened teeth distracted my attention,still a very good performance though)
- Katie Stevens (an okay performance,I was disappointed,she blew me away on her 1st audition and she hasn't done that since)

I was bummed that tonight performances were all good,nothing spectacular but luckily there wasn't any trainwreck performance.

My rank:
1. Lacey Brown
2. Lilly Scott
3. Crystal Bowersox
4. Katelyn Epperly
5. Didi Benami
6. Michelle Delamor
7. Haeley Vaughn
8. Siobhan Magnus
9. Janell Wheeler
10. Ashley Rodriquez
11. Paige Miles
12. Katie Stevens

Thursday, February 18, 2010

American Idol Season 9 Top 24 Announced

Once again,I don't get it why Idol cut some of the great contestants. Like Angela Martin today. She was definitely robbed big times!! Why didn't they give her a break?? She got the voice,she endures a lot in her life,I don't get it...I really really don't.

Janell Wheeler stumbled in Hollywood Week,many times. She makes it to the Top 24. I hope she impresses me next week.

I'm still meh about Tyler Graddy. I don't like his style,stage presence,etc. Just not my thing.

I like Lacey Brown's voice. She's different. I'm curious whether she could blow me away next week.

Crystal Bowersox is definitely a very strong girl contender. I have high expectation on her for next week. I hope I'm not gonna be disappointed.

Ashley Rodriquez,Alex Lambert,Michelle Delamor and Joe Munoz are definitely cannon fodder,but I want to see more from Joe Munoz.

Katie Stevens is one of my favorite since the beginning.

Ouch,Angela Martin. Watching this is killing me. I can't stand it watching her sad journey and history. Why oh why people like her doesn't get the break that she deserved!! It makes me feel ill.

Lilly Scott,great and unique voice.

Why they didn't show John Park's performances at all??I can't fathom it. I'm so sad for Paige Miles,she's the only one who doesn't get a single airtime of her performance. Probably eliminated next week if she doesn't perform a fantastic performance.

Can't wait for next week.

My ranking for the girls:
Katie Stevens
Crystal Bowersox
Lilly Scott
Didi Benami
Janell Wheeler
Haeley Vaughn
Lacey Brown
Siobhan Magnus
Ashley Rodriquez
Michelle Delamor
Katelyn Epperly
Paige Miles

My ranking for the boys:
Aaron Kelly
Casey James
Andrew Garcia
Joe Munoz
John Park
Todrick Hall
Tim Urban
Alex Lambert
Michael Lynche
Jermaine Sellers
Lee Dwyze
Tyler Grady

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

American Idol Season 9 Hollywood Week Day 3+some of the Top 24 announced

First I want to say that Tasha Layton and Shelby Dressel should've gone to Top 24. I was heartbroken and so bummed that they were cut.

Angela Martin is awesome. I hope she advances through.

Jermaine Purifoy is very good. He's in room 2 so he got cut. WTH!!

Casey James had fantastic rendition on the 1st day. His Bubbly performance was very good.

What's wrong with Jermaine Sellers. He's getting worse every day. Too much melisma. Kara STFU!! When the band messed up,they should be told that they messed up and they're wrong!!

Siobhan Magnus,unique voice but her facial expression disturbs me.

OMG!!How awesome Crystal Bowersox!!She's so good!!Although she looks like she hasn't taken a bath for few days,but she's fantastic!!

Alex Lambert. I don't know why the judges are gunning for him if not for his voice only. Definitely raspy,unique and kinda have the same tone like Jason Mraz.

Michael Lynche was the 1st guy that go through to the Top 24. However,I've had enough of his airtime and the pimping. I'm tired of it. He has a nice voice,sure!! But I'm sick of his clips. I don't wanna see another montage of the baby and his wife.

Todrick Hall did awesome version of I'm Yours. Great!! I was surprised that he goes through to the Top 24 since he had criminal record/shady past and so many people hated him to death.

Thaddeus Johnson has swagger. I love his mom.

Charity Vance sang Gravity by Sara Bareilles. I love that song so much and I think she did a great job with it. I was sad that she got cut.

Tasha Layton performed The Scientist by Coldplay better than Kris Allen's rendition in Tampa,Florida. I love her since the audition and I'm speechless right now that she got cut. I can't see her perform on Top 24. Sigh.

Mary Powers butchered Hot and Cold,and she was in Room 2. Bye bye Mary!!

Lloyd Thomas sang an interesting version of Man In The Mirror.

Hope Johnson got cut too. Her Home performance was a trainwreck for me. I was right that her voice is too thin. I wondered why the show gave her a lot of airtime.

Shelby Dressel won me over on her audition. I love her so much and she knocked the song out of the park with her Hollywood Day 3 performance. Too bad that she didnt' go through to the Top 24 which Simon said it was the wrong decision. I agree!! I don't know if I'll like this season since Tasha and Shelby are gone,they both have great great potential. The judges are moron!!

At least Aaron Kelly advances to Top 24. His voice has great tone and quality in it,and I always support every young contestants on this show. I can't wait for his Top 24 performances.

Ashley Rodriquez. She's not bad but generic for me. I'm not interested with her at all.

Lee Dwyze. Not my type of singer although he has rocker voice.

Joe Munoz. I saw potential in his short clip.

Haeley Vaughn. I love her but she tends to go screechy and a lil bit annoying with her voice.

Janell Wheeler did a karaoke Love Story performance. Sigh.

Tori Kelly is very good. Lilly Scott still riding her momentum,Andrew Garcia could be the frontrunner. He's in different league with the others. Although I can't see myself buying his album.

Didi Benami did an okay Angel performance. Whew.

Katelyn Epperly. I'm not interested with her.

Jessica Furney. I felt so sad for her but she's rambling too much in front of the judges.

Why didn't they show John Park's performance??

My current rank:
1. Shelby Dressel (didn't go through to Top 24)
2. Tasha Layton (got cut)
3. Angela Martin
4. Casey James (Top 24)
5. Katie Stevens
6. Aaron Kelly (Top 24)
7. Lilly Scott
8. Charity Vance (got cut)
9. Crystal Bowersox
10. Didi Benami (Top 24)
11. Tori Kelly
12. Todrick Hall (Top 24)
13. Janell Wheeler
14. Jermaine Purifoy (got cut)
15. Haeley Vaughn

It feels like this season is all over the place,I don't have the exact choice for me personally. They are all good,this season might be like Season 5. With all the good contestants became fantastic in their own rights. I hope so.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Movie Review : Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief


I was so bummed when Christopher Columbus,the director of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer Stone,Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets,didn't continue to direct the next Harry Potter movies. Which in my opinion,destroyed the sequels because it lacks the great storyline that the 1st and 2nd movies have,the others directors pretty much did it whatever they want and cut so many important part of the stories. Sigh.

I didn't realize that Christopher gonna direct this movie adaptation from another best seller children books. I was pretty much waiting for this movie to be released. From the trailer,it has all the things that I enjoy. Mythical creatures,all the Greek god and goddesses and Medusa. I always love Greek mythology.

The story begins at the top of Empire State Building,where Zeus meets with Poseidon. Zeus tells Poseidon that he lost his lightning. Someone steals it and he accuses Poseidon's son as the thief. Poseidon defends his son but Zeus doesn't believe him and threaten to start a war if in 14 days,the lightning isn't returned to him.

Percy (Poseidon's son) is just another high school boy who amazingly able to be underwater for long time. I bet Logan Lerman (the boy who plays Percy) is popular with this movie following,and I'm right. LOL. When Percy visits a Greek museum,his subtitute teacher (Fury) attacks him. That creature looks like Harpy. So ugly though!! Urgh!! Fortunately,Mr Brunner,the teacher who gives a trip guide in that museum rescues Percy. Percy then being sent to training camp for demigods. In his way to that camp with his mom,Minotaur attacks him. Already,there's magical creature in the beginning of the film. I love it!!

In that camp,Percy meets with Annabeth (Athena's daughter) and Luke (Hermes's son) who will give him the shield to defend himself when they're going to Hades. In order to save Percy's mom who's in the hand of the Hades,they plan to go to the Underworld. That's some of the story in this movie.

Some scenes that I love the most in this movie is when they're entering Hades. You can see the magnificent area surround it. Fiery and vast. I love it!! Their journey to get 3 pearls (an exit item from Hades) is fascinating. I didn't know that Aunty Em is Medusa. I thought it's just an abandoned shop. The fight with Hydra in the Parthenon is fantastic!! I bet the tourists will freak out the next day when they encounter the remaining of Hydra. The last pearl in Lotus Casino & Hotel almost halt their journey,because they're being given hallucination by that Lotus Flower. Seeing all the building in Las Vegas makes me want to go there. And the last scene,the entrance to the Olympus is pretty much almost identical with the entrance to the Hogwarts.

Well,I think Christopher Columbus did a great job with this movie. Although his Harry Potter movies are still in different league with this one,but still very nice. It'd spectacular addition in the next following years,when Harry Potter movies end,to the medieval and fantasy lover. Besides,Narnia chronicles,I don't recall another fantasy series worth watching.

Can't wait for Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters. I'm already hyper up reading that title. LOL

Links: Official Site
IMDB
Rotten Tomatoes
Wikipedia

Thursday, February 11, 2010

American Idol Season 9 Hollywood Week Group Rounds

Mmkay,tonight was definitely a disaster for me. I didn't see any jawdropping performance and the trainwreck wasn't funny at all.

The battle between Neapolitan vs Destiny's Wild was okay. I didn't like both of their performances though.

Mary Powers surely dominated the whole hours,wasn't it?!Uhh the drama in her group.Too bad,I liked Tatiana's last year meltdown better than this.

I was shocked that Ben Honeycutt got cut. He has so many fans on IDF. It's a shame too that Kimberly Carver (the jazz girl) and Dave Pittman (the guy with tourette syndrome) couldn't go through to the next round. Sigh.

Katie Stevens performed very well,also Jermaine Purifoy. The fact that they didn't show John Park and Aaron Kelly's performances bothered me so much. Although I can foresee the Top 24 formation based on the airtimes.

Overall,bad episode. One of the worst group rounds episode for me. Wasn't entertaining and wasn't good either. Can't wait for next week.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

American Idol Season 9 Hollywood Week Day 1

Woah,so many good people got cut,I'm shocked and some great performances.

- Katie Stevens (she's my pick from the audition,tonight her performance was very good although I wasn't blown away by it)
- Skii Bo Ski (awful performance,bye bye douche)
- Vanessa Wolfe (I was shocked that she got cut,although her performance was pretty bad.I don't know why they spent a lot of airtime on her. I thought she gonna make it to the Top 24 by looking at her airtime quota)
- Andrew Garcia (oh woah,so good!!Amazing performance.He could be like Kris Allen,the one who rearrange every song into his own.I can't wait for more of his performances)
- Maegan Wright (I was surprised she got cut,I think she's just okay)
- Janell Wheeler (the first performance from the girl that I was really listening to closely.Could be a contender)
- Haeley Vaughn (hahaha I love Taylor Swift's Change,she performed not as quite good as Taylor but she's very good,I like her)
- Mary Powers (very good!!Definitely the rocker for this year)
- Lilly Scott (spectacular performance,why didn't they show her from the audition day,it's shocking.She should've gotten more airtime.I was truly blown away by her sweet heartwarming vocal)
- Tim Urban (very cute guy,but meh)
- Justin Williams (sexy rendition,shocking that he got cut!!!Didn't expect that at all. I'm wondering why)
- Maddy Curtis (too old of a song,great voice though,I'm so sad that they cut her)
- Casey James (OMG!!Major improvement over his audition. I could support him if he pick the right song and sing it in this kind of bluesy style. Great job,Casey!!)
- Didi Benami (oh gosh,I love Terrified. Katharine McPhee has that track on her sophomore album,and Didi knocked it out of the park. The best performance of the night for me. I almost cried,it's so beautiful,it's gut wrenching. Major points for her)
- Crystal Bowersox (I got sucked in to her performance,I felt like I really watched a recording artist's concert.Great!!)
- Bosa Mora (bad bad performance,too bad!!)
- Joshua Blaylock (nooooooooooo!!!Too bad he got cut!!I wonder how his performance was)

Ellen first day was okay for me. She said too much of a joke. It's like watching Ellen Degeneres Show. I'm not so sure about that.

My rank of today's performance:
1. Didi Benami
2. Casey James
3. Lilly Scott
4. Andrew Garcia
5. Janell Wheeler
6. Crystal Bowersox
7. Katie Stevens
8. Haeley Vaughn

Thursday, February 04, 2010

American Idol Season 9 Road To Hollywood

Okay,this is how they should do every auditions episode. With the majority of airtime for good contestants and minimal airtime for effin rejects.

- Jessica Furney (I recognized her,she's from last year,and she got better voice now. Can't wait to see more from her)
- Lacey Brown (unique tone in her voice and very different arrangement on that SOTR song,I wonder if she's better than Megan Joy)
- Aaron Kelly (yay!!I love his voice and I could see myself supporting this guy.I thought I read it somewhere that he's a young boy country singer contender for this show.)
- Hope Johnson (her voice is too thin,I feel uneasy watching her audition)

Why did they give Victoria Beckham a lot of airtime???Where's the heck of my Shania??I want me more Shania.

Can't wait for Hollywood Week. Drama drama drama. Gonna be fun!!

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

American Idol Season 9 Denver Auditions

Victoria Beckham did a better job today,she spoke a lot more words and offered "nice" critique to the contestants albeit useless fashion ones.

Well,I thought tonight's episode is one of the better ones.

- Kimberly Kerbow (nice sultry and sexy voice,wanna see more from her)
- Tori Kelly (good audition I think.Her voice sounds like Paula DeAnda)
- Haeley Vaughn (the best audition from today,she stands out and could be one of my contender)

For the rejects I love how Simon made fun of Mario Galvan (hehehe,hehehe,hehehe),made me laugh so hard LMAO. I wonder why Austin Paul didn't get through,they showed him on early episodes and if I recall it right,almost all of them got through to Hollywood.

Can't wait for tomorrow's best of the rest episode.

ps: it excited my heart that they played Katharine McPhee "Had It All" on today's episode. She has a great sophomore album,everyone should buy it.