Idol

To quote the great pop group, NSYNC... "BYE BYE BYE"

Here are my comments made before the Judges...

Casey: You sounded like Huey Lewis & the news. Not inspirational

Lee: Good job for creed, it's a great song and a good choice. You're still Creed.

Tim: Bleh, not great. You're out of your league and it's showing again. You hid that last week, not this week.

Aaron: Um... you liked this song since you were 5? I was like a Senior in High School when this song came out. I am old. I can't really appreciate your song because I'm struck by my own mortality. Okay, back on track. This was not good. This was High School Talent Show circa 1997, and you wouldn't win. It look s like you're wearing dancer pants. Not skinny jeans, dancer pants.

Cinnabon: That was bleh. You are sassy with the judges, but it doesn't make you more talented. Being combative isn't being talented. It isn't a sassy competition.

Big Mike: I enjoy this song... you're not relevant though when you sing stuff like this. You sound like Seal and the world only needs one Seal.

Crystal: I LOVE THIS SONG... You had me at "people get ready". I haven't been a huge fan of you but I was a huge fan of you singing this song. WHAT... Crying??? Come on, be professional. Cry at the end, don't mess up the end of this song.

RESULTS: Oh man, I don't have time to give back, come on Idol just give me results. While fast forwarding I stopped for Wanda Sykes...

Okay, Tim got sent home. GOOD. Finally. Enough said.

Music: The Script

4/06/10 "This album is a delight. Good simple pop music. Make this purchase and enjoy."

They say in marketing people need to interact with your brand 7 times before making an investigation towards purchasing (looking into buying it.) So, before you try that sandwich you will need to see or hear about it 7 different ways; a few TV commercials, Web Banners and passing the restaurant and soon enough you'll be buying that sandwich. I had a similar experience with The Script and their creatively titled album, "The Script".  I'd heard friends mention them, I'd heard a song occasionally, I even showed up late to a concert and caught the last song in their set. Then I saw a tweet from John Mayer that raved about a specific song, "Breakeven". John said "Every band with a single this year has a mission: beat "Break Even" by The Script. Oh, yah... good luck.". So, I looked up the album on iTunes and sure enough the 30 second samples left me not even questioning the purchase price.

This album is probably my favorite since "Songs About Jane" by Maroon 5. It's got a well produced sound, just simple toe tapping pop music. If you're a fan of Maroon 5, Gavin DeGraw, that type of voice and style, then don't wait to hear about this band 6 more times...check out "The Script" right now. 

$7.99, iTunes, click here.

American Idol Season 9 Top 10

4/04/10 "I hate to say it, but this show is a sinking ship."

This season is lame... 

Exhibit A.

I am watching this in one sitting... I'm commenting before I hear judges comments.

Siobhan: This song isn't good, and you sound horrible. Seriously, bad. Everyone cheers when you squeal because that is your one trick. This was a horrible song choice and you did a really bad job. Pitchy. Bleehh.

Casey: This song felt like I was driving a car with stick shift. I don't know how to drive stick so it's a bunch of starting and stopping. You get going and then stop over and over again. I really like Sam and Dave for sure, but I think that was kind of blah.

Michael: Okay, this wasn't bad. Wasn't like what's her name singing somewhere over the rainbow (wasn't like that on a lot of levels), but it was good. The stage position is lame, sing on stage.

Didi: Crying during the video montage. I just don't like your voice in this song. Usually I like you but this is not very good at all. BUT your arms look enormous because of some shadow. My roommates and I are all agreeing that we think you are pretty but that is it. Ryan is acting like a defensive boyfriend in his post song interview, it's labored and annoying. This isn't a High School Talent Show, it's American Idol, show some professionalism. (AND back away from my lady!)

Tim: Please tell me the game is up. You barely deserve to sing at a Home School Graduation. (I've been to a few and each of the graduates perform something, this is that bad.) Tim, you are the personification of everything that is wrong with this season. You have no business being on the show, you shouldn't have been brought back. With all those mean things, I think you know this and aren't taking yourself that seriously and I can appreciate that.

Andrew: Okay, I really love that song. Really love it. That was a take on that song that seems like just what you need to be doing. I really like this performance. I want to hear you keep doing this, it's why people like you. Keep doing what you're doing.  Wait, Seacrest just ruined this moment by bringing your mom up. She's about unintelligible as my mom would be in that moment. My mom speaks english. 

Katie: You are only a few steps above Tim in my opinion. You are just average. You don't have anything to say as an artist. Since the Blake Lewis, David Cook, Kris Allen days, there is no room for a Diana Degarmo on this show anymore. Get a point of view or go back to singing in show choir. 

Lee (or as I affectionately refer to him as, Creed): While watching the video, when I heard what song you're going to do I thought "hey, good choice for you Creed." I was right, this was a good song for Creed. Now what I'm saying is that I've written this guy off for personal preference, I understand why people are voting for him. I also in a strange way understand why people bought Creed music a few years ago. I did too back then. If you like Creed and Lee, eventually you keep listening and think, what am I subjecting myself to?

Crystal: Watching the video, again I said...great song choice. I guess that song is just plain amazing. I mean that song is just good and she didn't get in the way. I didn't really see that as a big risk for her, it was just a good choice. 

Aaron: This is one of my favorite songs, so, no pressure. Pitch is wobbly at the start, this makes me nervous for you. This song was too big for you. I think you need to either be a phenomenal vocalist or be a decent vocalist whose experienced heartbreak, that isn't you. It's sad when people applaud for you after Simon says you're average. 

Usher: He did exactly what I think people in that seat need to 

RESULT SHOW TIVOED: 

I watch it on 2 fast forward clicks of TiVo, and here's what I observe:

- Seriously, this Clash of the Titans thing was horrific... I'm embarrassed.

- Ruben's dropped some weight. Unfortunately he didn't gain anything as far as relevance. 

- Brining "Big Mike" on stage with Ruben was obnoxious and lost Mike cool points.

- Are we really, still doing Ford Music Videos? 

- I think Ford even knows this is lame, because they barely show their product.

- Justin Bieber is going to become culturally irrelevant at the same time he's going through puberty, this could be bad,

- Usher is a good dancer but not a good lyricist, because I hit play when he was singing and I laughed for a few minutes. If you saw the show, you can guess where I stopped.

- Ryan just got handled by Mike. I kind of wish it went a little more WWE.

- WHAT!!! TIM LIVES?!? I can't believe that, AMERICA... WAKE UP!!!

- She isn't going to get saved with this song, it's just not a good vocal.

- Judges seem to be actually discussing this or where they're going for post-show dinner. 

Tonight's show, everyone is over explaining things. Judges are feeling criticism for their vague comments. It's not their fault, you give vague comments when the talent sucks but you can't say that. They are adding all this backstage stuff to make the show longer and try to mix it up. 

This R&B night has ZERO soul. It is really bad. I am afraid that Idol is going the way of 24... it's becoming irrelevant. I watch the shows a few days later and it doesn't matter. People aren't talking about it at work, it's just not a cultural thing anymore. I think the lackluster talent is what kills it. When your best vocal is Crystal and she is a quirky artsy type that doesn't really engage the audience, well, bad news. 

I am not blogging as often because I just don't care. Today I had a little vacation and so I was able to sit and watch the show while blogging. When I have a normal week, I don't have time for this business.  Sorry American Idol, but I think this season is a wash. We'll see what you can do in the Post-Simon Era, but at this point, I'd guess you will be gone by 2012. 

iPad

4/04/10 "First Impressions: I want one."

When the iPad was first announced I thought it was cool, but was like "ehhhhh". 

I didn't see it as something that I wanted. If I had a lot of money, I could see myself having one of these. I felt what the media was saying; this is an in-between product that doesn't fill a need. I see a need for a notebook computer, I see a need for a phone, I don't see a need for the in-between. When people talked about the prices being cheap, I thought to myself "$500 for something I don't need isn't cheap." It seems like this is the item of the future, but I don't think the future is here yet. When you watch movies set in the future, they all have a device like this that is passed around among people like it's a piece of paper. It just seems it's a bit ahead of the time.

Then I used one on Sunday, now, I want one. I'd venture to say I REALLY want one. Here are my first impressions...

- It's not light, sure it's only 1.5 pounds but it feels like you're holding something significant.

- The screen looks amazing, just downright AMAZING! I watched some HD files and wow.

- The functions that this could have, sky is the limit.

- It works to type on if you're sitting on a couch. Not working with iPhone style typing.

- The driving game I played was fun.

- The speakers are really good, they aren't like the iPhone, they seem to emit sound all throughout the device.

- Great email function. Very Simple.

- It's fast.

- Drawing on it is fun. I am not a drawer, but I am sketcher. I would like one of these for my office just to be able to sketch an idea on. 

- I still want a Kindle, but the book reading application is really nice. Turning the pages and seeing a book with illustrations is awesome. If I had kids, the iPad would be a GREAT thing to read books on.

- I want one. (an iPad, not a kid.)

I want one for my office to use in meetings. I want one for my house, to just have on the coffee table. I want to show people youtube videos on this. I'm big on legal pads and keep a stack of them in my office. I like a blank canvas that I can do anything on. This is the digital equivalent. 

I was skeptical, and you might be too, but I encourage you to grab one. I don't know if the Apple Store is going to be the place to get comfortable with this device. Go visit a friend who has one. I'm guessing you'll leave thinking, "Oh, that would be nice". 

Way to go Apple, way to go.