The Sing Off Season 5

[Kromm]

I miss the days when radio wasn't so niche orientated, and you never knew what style of song would be played next. The music industry is smothering/dismissing many talented people because they don't fit the industry's stupid programming formats. Whatever happened to eclectic programming? People need to be exposed to diversity and talent. I wish pure talent, like these acapella groups have, would get more respect and breaks.

That's why radio is now increasingly irrelevant and people have switched to audio streaming, podcasts, internet radio, etc.

[Sharpie66]

Spoilers if you haven't seen this yet:

I did not think that the Meladores first song was all that good. In fact, I thought it was just too disjointed, and was surprised they made it through instead of SanFran6, who I thought had a nice vibe going (you could definitely see and hear the PTX influence). The prison singers were okay, but missing the rhythm and bass, were not ever going to advance. a.squared I would actually love to hear a studio album from, but the augmented stuff just wasn't kosher for a competition. If you need more voices, hire them instead of looping them.

The Exchange was as good as I thought they would be, and I am going to look up their videos on YT as soon as I am done here! As for Traces, they were definitely the best all-female group I have ever heard on this show, because they had the low notes and beat that the other girl group didn't.

For a really good recap of the show, recorded back in November because they attended the taping, check out Afterbuzz TV: http://site.afterbuzztv.com/shows/sing-sing-holiday-event-afterbuzz-tv-aftershow/ . They were able to attend the press conference before the taping and got lots of behind the scenes tidbits, including the fact that there was going to be a Sing Off between the top two groups, but it was cut in advance since they knew they would be running out of time, as was a second group performance.

The Afterbuzz group have been real fans of the show since S1 (for one host), and S3 for the other two, and they spend the last 8 minutes of the show in a passionate defense of what makes TSO good, and wondering why the network and PTB on this show have seemingly no interest in treating it right. If nothing else, I really recommend listening to that last segment.

[Prairie Fire]

I must be in a different universe - I didn't think the one-night format ruined the show. I was afraid the focus would be taken off the groups and shifted to guest performances and host antics, but that didn't happen. To me, it was just as good, even if we only got one night of it.

 

I liked all the groups. A-Squared's "Pompeii" was actually my favorite single performance, but their Loop-O-Matic 3000 was probably seen as an unfair advantage. Exchange and SanFran6 were my favorite groups, but after the Melodores' "Take Me to Church", it seemed obvious they were going to win.

Edited December 18, 2014 by Prairie Fire

[Rickster]

That's why radio is now increasingly irrelevant and people have switched to audio streaming, podcasts, internet radio, etc.

True, but I think what this means is that people use these alternatives to find the music niche they want to hear that they're not getting on radio. What's lost is the idea of getting pleasantly surprised by a style of music or group you'd never listen to on your own. A cappella fans know where to find it, but many people don't know it exists (despite all of NBC's efforts).

[SrPab]

Much randomness...

• My personal order of finish: The Exchange > SanFran6 > Traces
• I was aware of The Exchange long before S5 was even announced. I under-appreciated their showmanship and overall ability. The Melodores are good; I just thought The Exchange were the class of this field.
• Could Traces have won if they had one or two more voices? I thought their rhythm section was fine--especially their lady bass.
• Does anyone think live looping could become a big thing...in U.S. a cappella?
• Comments left on one of those Tom Anderson FB posts mentions that European radio can still "pleasantly surprise a listener with songs you'd never listen to on your own". Someone else noted that large-market radio take their cues from mid-market radio--who take their cues from small-market radio--who take their cues from college radio. If a song in a cappella sounds like a pop song program it as pop; if it sounds like a country song, program it as country...etc.
• Last but not least: Kirstin Maldonado is *still* the only woman who can say she's a Sing-Off champ.

[Koffee Kup]

I thought Traces was horrible, the noise they put out hurt my ears.  I was most listening not watching the show.  Take Me to Church was my favorite finalist song so I am ok with the winners.   Thought that Home Free got shafted by the judges who took over that song, not for the better.

[Prairie Fire]

• Does anyone think live looping could become a big thing...in U.S. a cappella?

 

I think so, for the same reasons EDM became popular. This looping thing brings elements of that into a cappella, with the guy working the Super LoopTronic console becoming the equivalent of a Zedd or Avicii.

 

Though I would think it requires really good arranging skills. I wasn't quite as taken by A-Squared's other stuff on youtube....it's still good, but they definitely played their best hand with "Pompeii". Put the machine in the hands of a less musically apt group, and the result could go downhill fast.

[LakeGal]

I enjoyed the show.  I thought The Exchange were the best in the first group.  I expected they would win until the Melodores closed the show.  The audience reaction made it obvious they had won it.  Jewel even said they were working for the audience and we got their reaction.  It was all about song selection.  The judges gave them Take Me To Church and it dazzled. I would have liked to hear more from Home Free.  The judges came out too soon and pushed them into the background.   

[PamB]

Sorry to see Home Free as backup singers. Would have preferred Pentatonix in that position. Saw Home Free in concert recently and found them to be more entertaining than anything I saw on this "season." But, a one night show was a good idea in retrospect.

I thought Traces was horrible, the noise they put out hurt my ears. I was most listening not watching the show. Take Me to Church was my favorite finalist song so I am ok with the winners. Thought that Home Free got shafted by the judges who took over that song, not for the better.

This.

[Sharpie66]

Just saw this press story about the upcoming tour:

 

'The Sing-Off Live!' Tour adds season five's The Exchange to 55-city national tour lineup"

 

The groups that have been verified as being in the tour are S2's Street Corner Symphony, S4's VoicePlay, S5's The Exchange, and for select dates, S5's champs, The Vanderbilt Meladores. "In addition to headlining acts, each concert will feature local a-cappella groups to open the show, allowing fans the chance to discover top local talent."

[auntiemel]

Just saw this press story about the upcoming tour:

 

'The Sing-Off Live!' Tour adds season five's The Exchange to 55-city national tour lineup"

 

The groups that have been verified as being in the tour are S2's Street Corner Symphony, S4's VoicePlay, S5's The Exchange, and for select dates, S5's champs, The Vanderbilt Meladores. "In addition to headlining acts, each concert will feature local a-cappella groups to open the show, allowing fans the chance to discover top local talent."

 

Wow, that tour is a real sausage fest!

[takalotti]

Unless I missed it, I was a little surprised that Nick didn't mention Pitch Perfect 2 when listing PTX's achievements in their intro. Was that info not released at the time of taping?

I was happy for them that they got to sing their original Xmas song on TV, though I would have expected Mary Did You Know to be in the line up due to how high it's charted.

Though I usually don't go for the "previous contestants super group" for some irrational and inexplicable reason, I did like The Exchange. I was especially tickled to see Jamal and Aaron, whom Mr. Takalotti and I refer to as Froggy* and Baby Spice. We actually didn't recognize them visually at first, but during the opening group song Mr. Takalotti literally said, "He sounded like Froggy."

* I just feel the need to note that this isn't meant as an insult. We like his voice. It just has a certain quality that sounds kind of croaky to us, like a very well trained frog.

[Sharpie66]

They taped this back on 11/24, and I think that "Mary, Did You Know?" had only been on YT for a week or so at that point.

[vibeology]

I really enjoyed that despite being bummed originally that we were only getting one night. Considering we only got a few performances, I was really impressed by the quality of what we got. I do think the one night only format, though, was a little problematic in terms of who won.

 

I really loved the Melodores, don't get me wrong and both Trumpets and Take Me To Church were impressive in different ways, but it sucks for The Exchange that the judges picked such a small song for them while choosing such an epic song for The Meladores. There really isn't much to do with Sing and its just not a song that you can impress with. If the last round hadn't been judges choice or there was another song, its possible the results would have been very different. I was so impressed with The Exchange when they had a "bigger" sounding song like Love Runs Out and even if those performances had been flipped, I think it would have been a tighter competition at the end.

 

And don't get me wrong, I loved what the Melodores did with both songs. Trumpets seemed like a silly performance, but it was so smartly arranged. They managed to fit so many tricks into a minute and a half and flowed from one to another very smoothly. Plus, the performance was top notch. I like the fun stage shows the college groups bring. Its a TV show and I appreciate a group that thinks about the visuals too. 

 

As for the rest of the groups, I'm super interested in what A Squared does outside of the show, though I'm glad they didn't advance because it felt too gimmicky for a live singing competition. SanFran6 was really exciting too and I would have liked to see more of them.

 

SanFran6 would have been my choice to advance to the second round over Traces but I get how that happened. Its a reality show and every one is highly produced. I think either Traces or Timothy's Gift was moving to the second round no matter what. Its just more interesting for the viewers to have a diversity of groups. 

 

And its nice to finally know the words to Break Free. SanFran6 enunciated. Learn from them Ariana!

Edited December 19, 2014 by vibeology

[ElectricBoogaloo]

And its nice to finally know the words to Break Free. SanFran6 enunciated. Learn from them Ariana!

Ha, this totally made me laugh!

 

I was disappointed about the one night format, but the one positive thing I will say about it is that having only one episode cut down on the filler. We got a big opening number, an intro and song from each group, PTX, the judges with Home Free as their backup singers, the three finalists singing, and then the winner was announced. The entire episode without commercials was 84 minutes so that's a lot of content for that amount of time (especially compared to other singing shows like AI or The Voice where it feels like all filler with a few songs in between commercials).

 

It was cute how obviously excited Nick was to sing with the judges. It almost made up for his earlier inane remark ("Great job critiquing, judges!").

 

I would have put SanFran6 in the top 3 instead of Traces. As much as I support all female groups in theory, I don't make any concessions for them. I don't want an all female group in the final just because they're all female. Traces had some good singers but as a group, I thought they were weaker than SanFran6 who had a fuller sound and better blending.

[Corgi-ears]

Lord, I personally HATED that performance of "Take Me to Church." I don't need to see a song about religious hypocrisy and intolerance acted out by college kids miming drawing swords AND PLUNGING THEM INTO THEIR OWN BEER GUTS. Halfway through the number I placed a bet with myself that it would end with someone "collapsing" to his knees, all "spent" and "exhausted' with "emotion," and I ended the evening a rich man. But kudos to the lead singer, who was clearly able to relate to a song about religious persecution by thinking of all the times he got ribbed for being a short shrimp of a man.

 

I thought the Exchange was the best group by far, though, as we went into the final three, I suspected that the show would award it to Traces, given how it had never let a all-female group get that far. My sense is that the Melodores won because this "season" no longer had a recording contract as a prize. We know that one strike against collegiate groups in the past was the recording company's reluctance to award a contract to bands who never had consistent memberships. With the change in prize this year, the show saw a chance to reward a kind of acapella group that has often been entertaining on the Sing-Off, but I refuse to be convinced that Melodores are better than Dartmouth Aires, Beelzebubs, or even Vocal Point or On the Rocks. [/tin foil hat]

 

PS: What was that on the face of Home Free's lead singer? A moustache, you say?

Edited December 19, 2014 by Corgi-ears

[Ohwell]

I thought the Exchange should have won, but I haven't been all that interested in the show since S2.  I'm glad it was only two hours and I didn't miss Ben Folds at all.

[The Solution]

Gee, I don't remember seeing any promos for this and missed it. I hope it's On Demand.

[The Solution]

Yay! It was On Demand. I thought The Exchange definitely should have won, but didn't entirely hate The Melodores' Take Me to Church (I did hate their first song however). As a former actual musician, I have to say that Jewel's criticism/commentary is by far the best I've ever heard on any musical competition show. She should be a producer.

[TiredMe]

Hi also was rooting for The Exchange. Although the little guy singing the church song sounded fantastic. I would have preferred SanFran moving forward over Traces. Traces made my ears bleed on the first song.

I love Pentatonix. Such great representatives of this show.

I wish we had gotten more than one show.

[LBFilmBuff]

I finally caught this and found the whole thing disappointing because in a "one night only" thing you get people who provide the drama and choreo, hence the win to the Meladores or whatever they're called.  If it had gone on for a few weeks, I think the final three would have been SanFran6, The Exchange, and Traces.  Personally I thought The Exchange was significantly better than all the other groups.

 

But in any case, I'd hardly call this a "season" so I can't put the Meladores on the same level as NOTA, Committed, Pentatonix, and Home Free.

[ToxicUnicorn]

Finally watched - it was better than expected.  I also thought The Exchange was strongest - the guy that Jewel kept complimenting was really appealing, even though I thought his vocal style didn't quite fit with the rest of them.  (His singing sounded more mellow compared to the others, who were more hard hitting.)  It was very nice to see that former Yellowjacket.  I felt sorry that he wasn't singled out, when he obviously loves to perform.

 

Nothing has been said about the Fall Out Boy guy.  I liked him a lot.  He was no Ben Folds on the judging panel but, on the other hand, I enjoyed his singing the most in the judges' + Nick song.  Some very strange choices, I thought, from Home Free and Shawn on that song.  Jewel, too, but she pulled it off.  I can't help but like Nick and his old fashioned,  straight-ahead singing.  He and Jewel sounded very nice together (again)..

 

Pentatonix is incredible.  I have listened to literally nothing else for the last year and a half.  (Yes, I use the word advisedly.)  As much as I loved them in Season 3, they have gotten so much better individually and as a group.  On the other hand, I sort of missed the raw enthusiasm they had on the show; they are so professional now.  What a find.  On the basis of that alone, the network should continue the Sing-Off for years, I think = out of respect.

 

I didn't like Traces, but I can sort of appreciate what they did.  It sounded difficult.  For whatever reason, I didn't like SanFran6.  I think it's partly for shallow reasons - the lead guy put me off in the intro package.  Also, they needed a few extra people.

 

I didn't like the looping gimmick.  The red-haired guy with the beard had a nice voice, though.

 

Really wish we had gotten a longer format.