Pentatonix: Season 3 Champs

[Geeze]

Okay. I saw that after I posted but still wondering if he had a hand in the arranging.  I can see now that it wasn't nommed for arrangement and I'm still jazzed they won for the actual performance, but I'm interested if he was on board for the inception.  I can't imagine that he wasn't.

[SrPab]

Someone who attended the taping for the BeeGees Tribute concert uploaded PTX's performance to YT. It's another hybrid performance (Franken-acappella?)...but I like it.

Edited February 15, 2017 by SrPab

[Sharpie66]

The instruments weren't too overwhelming, so I like it too. Just some strings and some drippy synth layered in, and some drums, but you can still hear Kevin and Avi.

[Geeze]

Watched Avi's fundraiser for A Cappella Academy on Stage-it tonight.  Because of knowledge gleaned from here (thanks, guys) I wasn't grass green and negotiated it successfully.  Rob Dietz' Legacy performed and dang(!) India Carney can sang (she and Rob did a really lovely Over the Rainbow)!!  Avi's new direction for his EP is folk/bluegrass.  He has a trio(he is the third person) who sang some Simon & Garfunkel (he said that when he first began to sing seriously he would beg his mom to harmonize the song with him so he could sing with her and even though the chat was going 900 miles an hour, I think Mrs. Kaplan weighed in briefly at one point on the chat....it was hard core Pentaholic old home week as a bunch of people reconnected and caught up with each other), a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young number and I about fell off my chair at A Man of Constant Sorrows.  And because people tipped either purt near or in fact 80,000 (notes?......whatever that is it raised enough to send 4 campers full scholarship) he (they) did a snippet from the new material (an original) Sweet Adeline.

Forgot.  They did Blackbird and a Bob Marley number adapted for bluegrass about I think 3 little birds??  You could tell that this is his joy and where his heart is (think Tumbleweed).

Oh, Hassan showed up and a fan named "heather_pants" Scott has referred to in the past.

Sorry for the stream of consciousness, but on some days that's how I roll.  I couldn't let it go by without reporting.

Avi, Rob and Ben said there would be another Stage-it this weekend but I don't know whether Avi will be performing.  I think they said it would be Academy alumni.

[ptxnewsandstuff]

Sweet...

[SrPab]

I don't know of the exact date, but that BeeGees tribute will air one night during this Easter season.

In general, Folk music isn't my bag...but I'm getting that EP when it drops. [Edited to add: I do love me some Simon & Garfunkel.]

Do we know when the Lewis/Maldonado wedding occurs (I think it will be later this year)?

Edited March 2, 2017 by SrPab

[Sharpie66]

IIRC, the BeeGees thing is on Easter Sunday. 

And I am really looking forward to Avi's album, especially if it's folk!! My dad raised me on his Kingston Trio and Peter Paul and Mary albums, and I discovered the Weavers in college (took a history class on J. Edgar Hoover's FBI, including a reading about how the agency royally screwed the Weavers via Red-baiting, and then I saw a documentary on their music and career and fell in love). I prefer Dylan's music covered by other artists, but other than that, I can listen to just about all of the genre.

[Kromm]

On 2/15/2017 at 11:50 AM, SrPab said:

Someone who attended the taping for the BeeGees Tribute concert uploaded PTX's performance to YT. It's another hybrid performance (Franken-acappella?)...but I like it.

Hey! Too Much Heaven was on my short list (from a page back) of songs I thought they could do!

I did get wrong that I thought they'd have to do a non-falsetto version. Of course they didn't have to. They have Mitch.

[SrPab]

Oh, What A Beautiful Morning - Pentatonix, Billy Porter. This is their collab track on the album.

Edited March 2, 2017 by SrPab

[ptxnewsandstuff]

[SrPab]

This band is so EXTRA! I got a Patreon email a few minutes ago with "#soon".

[Sharpie66]

PTX Vol. 4: Classics will be released on April 7, preorder now and get singles "Imagine" and "Jolene."

Edited March 10, 2017 by Sharpie66

[Kromm]

You can see they kind of mess up the sign trick a bit at one point, but it's so minor I think they just went with the best performance take and left it in.

Glad to see Avi get center stage on this one, even if it was a fairly well distributed vocal overall. 

[SrPab]

I love it; everyone got a solo. And if it wasn't clear before, these are five different people who find ways to collaborate and respect one another's differences.

Edited March 10, 2017 by SrPab

[Kromm]

Without the beatboxing (which admittedly wouldn't have fit the song), I DO wish they had another trick besides the classic a capella thing with the "da da dums" (does that have a formal name?) It's still great, because they're them and kill it, but one of these days, when they next do another non-beat boxed song, I'd like to see another way to maintain a backing rhythm besides that.

 

EDIT - Correction: Kevin DOES still do some beatboxing mid-song, for part of it. Not much compared to his usual quantity though.

Edited March 10, 2017 by Kromm

[Kromm]

On 3/2/2017 at 9:12 AM, SrPab said:

Oh, What A Beautiful Morning - Pentatonix, Billy Porter. This is their collab track on the album.

He does one with their buddy Todrick Hall too.  Quite a coup for Todrick--who despite being on Idol, TV commercials, MTV, and viral videos, hasn't had any formal recording credits before now, I think. So having his first be a full collab with the Kinky Boots guy?  Way to go!

 

 

Oh, this is something I hadn't seen before. I've never heard of this DJ, but apparently she's friends with Kirsten (which seems to have led to some upcoming collaboration):  Helena Legend Talks Pentatonix Collab, and Friendship with Ruby Rose

 

Imagine is Twitter trending heavy for now at least. Note that's only the "last hour" chart though.

Edited March 10, 2017 by Kromm

[Geeze]

PTX Vol. 4 in April?

When did they have time to record this?  On tour like last time?  Their work ethic.......dude. 

[Kromm]

5 hours ago, Geeze said:

PTX Vol. 4 in April?

When did they have time to record this?  On tour like last time?  Their work ethic.......dude. 

Didn't they recently have about 2 full months off? And if this EP is all covers, it's not like they had to write songs.  The arrangement certainly still takes time, but I imagine some of these they could have been working on for some time, and they just all conveniently fit under one theme (the "classics" theme).

[Sharpie66]

Looks like they will be touring this summer--they're coming to Ravinia (the outdoor theater north of Chicago) at the end of August.

[SrPab]

Speaking of the Classics EP, do you guys remember some tweets a few years back where PTX talked about a collab with Chaka Khan (on Ain't Nobody, I think)? Is that song considered a classic--to the point where it could be on this EP?

I've seen images of the track listing, and the only ones with titles are Imagine and Jolene. There are five others generically named Track 1, and so on.

ETA: Online chatter says that the EP will have one song from each decade so...from 1950s through 2010s. (Wikipedia says that Imagine and Jolene were released on the early 70s.)

Edited March 15, 2017 by SrPab

[Sharpie66]

They are in the midst of tweeting out the track list, using charades as hints. 

So far, it's Bohemian Rhapsody, Imagine, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. More to follow...

[SrPab]

Boogie Woogie Bugle...Boi, Bye! Also, more vocal trumpet?

Take On Me... place your bets: Mitch or Kevin for the glory note. I'll go with Avi, just to be different.

Bohemian Rhapsody...will they skip the instrumental section? Will this one have a chorus/sound choral-ly in parts?

[ohjoy]

I should probably not be as excited as I am for "Take on Me".

[Sharpie66]

Oh, I am stoked for Take on Me! Love that song. And that will make my Aha! and PTX listings complete on my iTunes--every time I look up "Aha!", I get both the PTX and Imogen Heap versions of the song, as well as Aha!'s Take on Me, so now I'll have PTX's Take on Me to add to the confusion.

So, to complete the track list:

Bohemian Rhapsody

Imagine

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy

Over the Rainbow

Take on Me

Can't Help Falling in Love

Jolene (bonus track)

[Sharpie66]

I hope Avi is singing lead on Can't Help Falling in Love--his voice is made for that song!

[SrPab]

7 minutes ago, Sharpie66 said:

I hope Avi is singing lead on Can't Help Falling in Love--his voice is made for that song!

My thought, too.

Will Kirstin lead on Over The Rainbow?

[Sharpie66]

Oh, I'm sure she will. If not, that would be an interesting twist!

I think that they were looking at some of the reaction videos out there when pulling together songs for this EP. One thing I love about watching those, especially from people who aren't really familiar with the older songs, is seeing how they react to the Evolution of Music video. When they get to the 20th century, people are usually appreciating it, but the first time you really see them lock in is when they start with "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." Everybody, and I mean everybody, immediately starts bopping along and are disappointed when they switch to the next song.

[SrPab]

Speaking only for myself (and I am unanimous in this), Gregorian Chants are bops. And Pachelbel's and Beethoven's beats are crunk-worthy. Seriously, though, the BWBB snippet is when that arrangement really got rolling for me.

Relatedly, I'd love to hear them do a longer version of La Bamba.

[SrPab]

Straight Outta Oz (Deluxe Edition) by Todrick Hall. I haven't watched the whole thing but Kirstin, Mitch, and Scott are featured from 11:40 - 15:27. I think the track is called Black & White.

Edited March 21, 2017 by SrPab

[Kromm]

4 hours ago, SrPab said:

Straight Outta Oz (Deluxe Edition) by Todrick Hall. I haven't watched the whole thing but Kirstin, Mitch, and Scott are featured from 11:40 - 15:27. I think the track is called Black & White.

I know they were in the earlier version of this Todrick had up last year, like in the background somewhere I believe, but this Black & White number is brand new, I think. Mitch and Kirstin's hair supports that too.

I guess it's to make up for not being on his MTV show (when he had it)!

Edited March 22, 2017 by Kromm

[Kromm]

The whole album is worth watching (and needs your views to support Todrick), but just as an appetizer, here's just Black & White...

(edited to use copy of the song which is actually on Todrick's OWN channel vs. someone else's--so he gets the views)

Edited March 22, 2017 by Kromm

[Sharpie66]

They were just nominated for a Daytime Emmy for their performance of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen on the Rachel Ray Show!

[Sharpie66]

I don't know why Kromm's link isn't showing for me. I it is broken for anyone else, here is Todrick's video for Black and White, which I have been watching on a loop because it is terrific!

[SrPab]

I tried the link in Kromm's post in both Safari and Chrome...and it says "Private Video".

GRAMMY award winners, potential EMMY award winners...are they working with Lin-Manuel Miranda on anything (since there is photographic evidence that they've all met in person)?

[Kromm]

Hmm. Odd. Why would Todrick make the video on his OWN channel private?  I can't see it now either.

 

EDIT - Here's my guess. He re-edited it and put up a replacement (what Sharpie66 posted). It probably was Private as an in-between step, and now that older copy is completely gone.

Edited March 26, 2017 by Kromm

[Geeze]

Anyone else hear of this?

[Sharpie66]

Actually, preorders of PTX Vol 4 got this song this morning. 

I just listened to it, and I have to say my initial reaction is not good. The harmonies are there, but it sounds like a good karaoke version. Nothing new was done with the arrangement, and it stayed slavishly close to the original. I thought of their reaction to doing "Born To Be Wild" back on The Sing-Off, when they said that they don't do rock songs, and their lack of growl and bite that rock needs is evident here. 

IMO, they should have stuck with something like a '90s-era pop song from someone like Michael Jackson, maybe expanding their snippet of "Human Nature."

[Sharpie66]

Well, I downloaded the album a few hours ago. Overall impression: a harmonies showcase with all of the songs. I will have to listen again for a detailed review.

[Silver Raven]

OMG, Bohemian Rhapsody is fantastic.  The video is jaw dropping.

[Kromm]

2 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

OMG, Bohemian Rhapsody is fantastic.  The video is jaw dropping.

I'm not completely sold on everything on the album. but I loved this track. As for the video? I really enjoyed the Couch Journey, because it's kind of an inside joke between them and their fans based on how many of their early videos were just them sitting on a couch. And now the couch has moved along with their career, so to speak.

[Kromm]

Local news coverage, but from the biggest market in the country:

 

[Geeze]

Ramble alert

I've watched Bohemian Rhapsody an embarrassing number of times and my takeaway is this.  Whether you like it or don't like it, it was a tour de force of their musicianship and uncanny ability to craft a cover.  I listened to the comparison video side by side of the original and it was like Sara Bareilles said they made distinct, meticulous, specific choices and came up with something brilliant in its execution.  No, it's not the same but it's like acappella at its highest and best to date and granted I'm not saying I've heard every acappella rendering ever done.

The reactions I've seen sported dropped jaws of disbelief whether a Pentaholic who faces Arlington every morning or person who never heard of them before and came to see what all the noise was about.  What usually happened was speechlessness, dropped jaws and new fans.

And about the video itself, just Avi and Kevin. 

[ptxnewsandstuff]

ICYMI: Avriel & The Sequoias | New EP, Sage and Stone out June 9th. 

 

[ptxnewsandstuff]

#SupportMusic

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Pentatonix Singer Mitch Grassi: Pop's Unlikely Radical: Mitch's in-depth interview with Out Magazine. Talk music, fashion and expression. 

Includes a very Mitchy photohsoot.

Hints at a Superfruit album dropping before Summer.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Also, Kevin. Being Kevin. Similar to his "So Money" podcast. Very, very interesting. No words can describe this man. Deserves everything.

 

Edited April 14, 2017 by ptxnewsandstuff
Kevin!

[ptxnewsandstuff]

Too Much Heaven - A Grammys Salute To The Bee Gees

Performance was shortened for TV airing compared to the raw footage from those posted a couple of months ago.

[Silver Raven]

They got a standing ovation, and somebody I didn't recognize said "Wow" at the end.

[SrPab]

Drive-by posting...if I had my way, no more cross-country corporate travel for me! Still jet-lagged after being home for a few days.

However: I love BWBB, Take On Me, and Bohemian Rhapsody--in that order (today). I (paid) downloaded Oh,What A Beautiful Morning! yesterday. I know Avi's EP is up for pre-order, but I'll be getting it closer to its release date.

Two days ago I realized that CHFIL and OTR have no vocal perc/beatboxing, as far as my ears could tell.

TTFN (grumbleSeriouslyDislikeMyCareerEvenThoughItPaysTheBillsgrumble)

[SrPab]

Twitter says Kirstin will release a 6-song EP this summer (5 of which she wrote/co-wrote).

[ptxnewsandstuff]

12 hours ago, SrPab said:

Twitter says Kirstin will release a 6-song EP this summer (5 of which she wrote/co-wrote).

Yep.

-> 

[SrPab]

I don't know if CHFIL will be as viral as Hallelujah was in its first 24/48 hours of release, but in 11 hours and change, CHFIL has already got a million views on YT.