S15.E04: Auditions #4

[MarkHB]

Ryan, Jennifer, Keith, and Harry search the country for the most talented vocalists as the auditions continue in Denver and Little Rock, Ark.

[Ms Blue Jay]

2 hours?  Mother of....

 

I've cried like, 6 times.  And never because of a "sob story" but rather it's been a natural reaction from these manipulative but clever editors.  I have to admit that I think that this has been pretty good television.  The latest time I cried is a country guy with a wife and kid and they kept playing damn Hozier's "Work Song" in the background.  Very touching.  It's when Harry started making fun of him for declaring all of his possessions, which I have to admit WAS funny and I never say that about Harry. 

 

Then there was some other guy who's father cried when he got a golden ticket?  That's going to get me crying every time.

 

The boy who does Tangercize or something, and danced to J.Lo's "Get Right" was so adorable.  He lost 60 pounds!  

The Denver Nuggets guy was really cool, too bad about the result.

 

Just saw J.Lo reject that beautiful Hawaiian chick.  People have posted about J.Lo having a bias against beautiful women before..  Could not help but notice this.  How many times has she cooed "Oh he's sooooo cuuuuuuuute" throughout a male audition and sending the boy through without even listening to the performance.

 

Good show.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[BogoGog24]

This episode was soooooo much better than last night's!

 

My take on each:

 

1. Girl and guy who auditioned together (James VIII) - The girl was just ok to me, nothing special. The guy looked like Jordan Sasser 2.0. What's with the man buns? He was alright too, but a little too affected for me and he's one of those people who makes ugly faces when he sings. After 2 hours worth of singers, I find these 2 pretty forgettable.

 

2. Auctioneer girl - She started off sounding like she had a pretty tone but she couldn't stay with the pitch, unfortunately. I don't think she was that much worse than some of the others they put through though. Had she been 15, they'd have put her through. You know it.

 

3. CJ Musician Guy with Tattoos and Hat - Loved him! Finally somebody who sounds like they know what they're doing! Great voice, loved the soul in him. He could win, seriously. And I wouldn't be mad.

 

4. 15 Year Old Blues Kid - He's talented for his age, but he sounds way too young. His voice needs maturing. Southern Daniel Seavey 5.0 or whatever number we're up to by now. Did TPTB learn NOTHING from last season? As usual, they did not. He seems like a nice kid, and I love that he is unique and unabashedly loves his blues music and plays in a band, that's badass, and he's very talented. But his voice just needs to well... drop. I think I'd have said no but told him to keep pursuing music.

 

5. Mule Rider Girl who sang Tammy Wynette - I didn't get Keith's problem with her. She has a decent voice, much better than most of what they put through, and while she could have maybe put more feeling into it, I thought she was good enough to be put through the next round. Come on, she was way better than majority of what they've put through and easily better than anybody from last night.

 

6. Basketball Guy - Well he has a fun personality, I'll give him that. But does this guy really think he can sing? He was terrible.

 

7. Happy Girl - Majesty Rose 2.0? She was alright but IMO not that impressive enough to warrant going through. She needed to bring more to it, I think. And she ironically didn't seem as happy as she should have been after receiving her golden ticket. I got the sense it was like she had been expecting to get it.

 

8. Blue who sang the song about the judges - Joey Cook 2.0, man there are a lot of versions of past contestants this season. Her original song was pretty bad and her singing was... strange. It was like some kind of traditional folk tune singing or something. I like her uniqueness but I don't think Idol would be for her. Way too mainstream for somebody like her.

 

9. Foster Kid Singing Ed Sheeran - As soon as I saw him he looked to me like a lost member of One Direction or 5 Seconds of Summer. He definitely looks and sounds very trendy right now. So I can see why they chose him because of that. But his singing was too affected for me. If he drops the fake British accent, he could be good. He sounds like he generally has a good voice, just drop that damn affectation! 

 

10. Tank - I didn't know what to think of this guy. I'll take JLo's word for it and believe the main issue was he was so out of breath. His pitch went all over the place because he was so out of breath. He sounds like he has something there, but I can't tell if it's baked yet or not. I have to see him sing when he's not out of breath.

 

11. John Wayne - I knew this guy's name sounded familiar the moment I heard it. I loved him from season 10! He is handsome, for sure. His performance might have been a tad bland/white bread, but he's certainly good enough to warrant getting a ticket. I really like him and yay for some legal eye candy!

 

12. Britney Spears Wannabe - Look, Britney is basically in my top 3 favorite artists of all time and I love me some Britney, but the moment this girl said she learned how to sing from her, I knew she was doomed. She sounded even worse than Britney. That was painful. I hated how the judges were so patronizing to her though. The reason this woman probably got this far is because no one has told her outright that she is bad. Saying things like "Get a vocal coach to help you answer some questions" and "You do a good job of hiding your influences" are just mean and don't actually help her. Just tell her she's not a good singer instead of patronizing her. Yeesh.

 

13. 15 Year Old Who Didn't Look 15 - Yep she really didn't look or sound 15, but then neither did a lot of the girls coming in this season. So many of them look so much older than they say they are. Anyway, I thought she was pretty good I guess but not as good as they made it seem like she was. 

 

14. Didn't care for the 2 montaged contestants they showed. Competition for Sonika?

 

15. Plumber dude - He had a pretty decent, recordable, radio friendly voice. Could there have been more in the performance? Yes. But I think he was good enough to get a pass. Again, they put much worse through.

 

16. Hawaiian Girl - Loved her voice! The personality is a bit too crazy for me, but damn I loved her audition! Great musical choices. I felt at this point in the episode they had one judge start saying no just to stir up drama because all the other ones were unanimous. Like, stop finding dumb reasons to say no now. Why couldn't you have done that on the mediocre contestants you were losing your shit over?

 

17. Russia Guy - You can tell he's had classical training in his voice, which is actually refreshing to see. Nice to see someone who knows what they're doing. I got a theater kid vibe from him though. Good voice, but not so sure he's the right fit for this show. He strikes me as more of a Broadway type. Constantine 2.0?

 

18. Last Guy With Wife and Kid - Please ban HOTRS forever! No more renditions of this song please! But at least his was good, so there's that. Nice backstory, it's raw and real but he didn't overdo it, he basically just stated the facts. 

 

 

Overall a much much better episode than last night. Still some fodder contestants were put through. But also some strong ones too.

[Misslindsey]

I thought it was another meh night. My highlight was hearing Glen Hansard's "Winning Streak" in the background during the last audition, because Glen Hansard is my favorite and I never miss a concert of his when he is in Chicago. 

 

The 15 year old blues kid was fine for his age, but not terribly great either. Maybe he should wait a few years and try out for The Voice.

 

I stopped watching Idol regularly after the Adam Lambert season. I know that there usually was one or two 15/16 year olds that get to the top 10, but the judges really seem to love these young kids, more than I do. I guess I haven't seen anyone that I really love and want to root for yet. Maybe that will come further along.

 

It is probably bad when I dislike someone from the get go, because of what song they choose to sing.

[BogoGog24]

Honestly I think TPTB love the kids for 2 reasons only:

1. Grandma bait

2. Easily moldable to be whatever they want on the show and beyond. The older contestants are too set in their ways by then and aren't as easily manipulated. Sad but true.

Other than those two reasons, I can't imagine why else they favor kids over polished adults. I don't think kids watch Idol anymore, as a teen watching the show I enjoyed the cute teen singers like Scotty McCreery but now as an adult I want to see adults.

[Sparkling Beth]

I agree with almost everything BogoGog24 said a couple of posts back.  I was happy to see some decent male contestants because they've been few and far between so far.  I especially liked CJ (tattooed musician), Andrew (Russian kid), and Elvie (the last guy), all of whom had really solid voices without a lot of affectation.  (In regard to Andrew--don't forget that Simon said Adam Lambert was too theatrical.  Worked out okay for him!) 

 

I also liked the guy who sang Kenny Loggins.  Okay, maybe it wasn't "spectacular" as Harry stated they were looking for, but honestly, how many singers have they put through who are spectacular?  I think anyone who gives a good audition should get the chance to go to Hollywood and show what else they can do.  Some people who have wonderful auditions flame out in Hollywood and are sent packing, and others rise to the occasion and prove they are more versatile than the judges might have thought.  I'm still flummoxed by Keith's resistance to the young woman who sang Tammy Wynette.  I thought her voice was really, really good and "too clinical" is too vague of a criticism at this point in the competition.  If she still comes off that way after several performances, okay, but gee, this is just one minute-long audition done in a big room while being stared at by three judges.  It's a tough setting for anyone.

 

At this point I'm inclined to root for anyone who is older than 15, not a worship leader, and wasn't raised on a farm.  Just for the uniqueness.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Sparkling Beth

[Ms Blue Jay]

I usually don't care about/for the 15 year olds but the female who J.Lo kept implying looked old and the blues guy - I really enjoyed their auditions.  The Blues guy was really different and cool I thought.  I'm fine with them putting him through for interest's sake, but they also have to do that with non-cute-young boys too.

 

Saying things like "Get a vocal coach to help you answer some questions" and "You do a good job of hiding your influences" are just mean and don't actually help her.

 

You know, you're right, and yet this is exactly why I miss Simon.  I was like, finally, some biting commentary!  I had been missing it.  What can I say, it makes me laugh.  I appreciate when people have accurate self-reflection of their skills and weaknesses, because I fear being embarrassed, I think.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Better than last night. But that would've happened pretty much by default.

 

Not going to lie, going by "James the Eighth" is a little bit badass. Although it does make me wonder if he can trace his family lineage back to the initial Mormons who settled Utah. They were fine, but neither him nor her seem ripe for a long run in Hollywood.

 

The mean girl they montaged actually was named Kassy Levels. If that isn't (along w/ the suspicious edit) a harbinger of a drama-filled, group round incident in Hollywood I don't know what is.

 

CJ aka Chris Johnson was really good. He might be in my top 3 favorites seen so far. I wonder if knows or has gigged in Memphis w/ Patrick Dodds (of brief The Voice fame)?

 

We've had so many 15 year olds we might need to start doing a sub-ranking within the rankings of just that age group. Wasn't as impressed with Jordan as the judges but will allow that she has some talent. So does Ethan the Blues kid too. The idea that they are the same age is kind of ridiculous on the surface. She could get away w/out getting carded right now and he probably is going to get carded until approximately 2035.

 

Elvie was a nice finish, and I listen to a lot of the Highway (on Sirius).....Jake Dillon (the plumber's apprentice) would not sound out of place on the Highway tomorrow. Not sure what to make of the Russian kid, and/or the Hippie New-agey Hawaiian girl. 

 

Edited cause I almost forgot about John Wayne Schulz. A friendly face to see again for sure. I remember hearing a snippet of a gorgeous version of Landslide he did in Hollywood back in S10 before he was cut in favor of Scotty McCreery. He clearly doesn't have the vocal horsepower and fireworks that a lot of the contestants do.....but he's a nice illustration of how important restraint and finesse can be in delivering a good vocal.

Edited January 15, 2016 by PhD-Purgatory15

[Rick Kitchen]

First girl was great.  Really liked her.

 

I love the name of James the Eighth. Didn't really care for his performance, though.

 

God the auction stuff was annoying as hell. But she is a good singer. I guess she didn't scream enough to make it in.

 

Ethan is too country to be anything other than majorly annoying.

 

Ugh, basketball guy just needed to sing.  Get over it. On the other hand, he wasn't very good.

 

I adore Terrian.

 

I hate gimmicky auditions.  Just sign a damn song.

 

OMG, I love Thomas!  So unique!  (in a non-unique way)

 

What makes "Superstar" a Luther Vandross song?  smdh.

 

Cowboy was really good.

 

Leah Harbert is 24?  She looks like she's 44.  And sounds like a goat.

 

Tori Kelly auditioned for AI?  Didn't know that.

 

Jordan Simone was great,

 

Plumber guy has a nice voice. The judges, especially Harry, only want the teeny boys and girls who can't sing. And Keith literally said he wants boxes checked.

 

Hawaiian girl was too chill for her own good.  Would she be able to perform an up tempo song?

 

Wow, an audition version of HOTRS that was actually good.

[TVFan17]

The Hawaiian girl annoyed me right from the start because she was way too relaxed and chill.  It takes effort and work to be that chill.  Then when she said the "20 times around the sun" nonsense I wanted her gone.  Her voice was okay, but she won't last until the end of the competition.  There are many other singers who are better than she is, or they have their own vibe and style that's cool without seeming quite so affected.

 

I got a little sad when Ryan mentioned the auditions going dark forever -- is it after next week's shows? Those auditions are largely what made AI must-see TV for years.  People tuned in, excited for the auditions.  To this day, I still prefer the AI auditions -- sans an audience, with only the judges in the room -- over the auditions on other shows.

[niklj]

Came away from this episode with only one name on my mind: John Wayne Schulz. I don't even like country music but that was a beautiful performance. And I cried about three times during his whole segment.

 

The rest were pretty forgettable to different extents. There were too many 15 year olds (I felt bad for that one 15 year old who was called 25 and mature looking by the judging panel...was that supposed to be a compliment?)

[MsTree]

Britney Spears Wannabe - Look, Britney is basically in my top 3 favorite artists of all time and I love me some Britney, but the moment this girl said she learned how to sing from her, I knew she was doomed. She sounded even worse than Britney. That was painful. I hated how the judges were so patronizing to her though. The reason this woman probably got this far is because no one has told her outright that she is bad. Saying things like "Get a vocal coach to help you answer some questions" and "You do a good job of hiding your influences" are just mean and don't actually help her. Just tell her she's not a good singer instead of patronizing her.

 

And this is exactly why I miss Simon. He would have told her in no uncertain terms that she wasn't cut out to be a singer.

 

I wish Simon would come back for the episode where the judges pick the final 20 (or whatever number they have in mind this season) and put his 2 cents in. I know that won't happen, but we can dream.

[TVFan17]

And this is exactly why I miss Simon. He would have told her in no uncertain terms that she wasn't cut out to be a singer.

 

I wish Simon would come back for the episode where the judges pick the final 20 (or whatever number they have in mind this season) and put his 2 cents in. I know that won't happen, but we can dream.

 

Simon would have absolutely not put through a lot of people that have been put through to Hollywood ever since he left the show.  Even the Harry from 2 years ago probably would not have okayed many of the people he is okaying now.  He is saying yes to so many people now that he would have declined in his first season.  I'm not sure if he is saying yes to so many now because it is the last season, or because he was told to 'be nice' and not so technical and picky.  Last week I felt that the talent was very strong.  This week I felt there were some good ones, but also some mediocre/weak ones that got through anyway.

[BogoGog24]

Well they do need fodder I guess or people who will make good TV/bring drama.

Speaking of Harry being technical, I can't stand it when he throws out the technical speak when he absolutely knows most of the contestants have no clue what he's talking about. See Thomas Stringfellow "Why did you play that in 6?" You could tell he had no clue what that meant. Harry, stop showing off.

[Primetimer]

American Idol continues its quest to crown its 15th and final winner. Related: apparently people still know who Hall & Oates are!

Read the story

[Sparkling Beth]

 

Well they do need fodder I guess or people who will make good TV/bring drama.

Exactly.  Whenever they send through someone who makes me say, "Are you kidding me?" I remind myself that they have to send a lot of people home in Hollywood so it's good if they have some whom I don't mind seeing sent packing.

[Ms Blue Jay]

The male in the non-couple couple with the ponytail resembled Ethan Embry in the face.

[Ohwell]

Count me in as being confused about Keith's reaction to the Tammy Wynette singer.  I thought she sounded fine, I liked her voice and she looked confused at Keith's reaction.  Maybe she reminded him of someone in his past?

[kili]

See Thomas Stringfellow "Why did you play that in 6?" You could tell he had no clue what that meant. Harry, stop showing off.

 

Thomas struck me as one of those people who just naturally gets music. Harry's had a lot of training and thinks about his choices. A lot of musical artist just play around music and sounds without formal theoretical training. It can lead to issues when people stuff runs in everywhere, but in the right hands, it can be very organic. Harry understands and knows why the choices he makes work...some people just know they work. Harry wants people to understand musical theory because he thinks they'll make better choices.

 

I don't mind Harry when he gives a bit of musical theory. Sometimes, he points out really interesting aspects to the music which helps us to understand why it does sound different than what we are used to. It is interesting that he played in 6. That can be difficult to do without destroying the melody. Shows the kid has chops, even if he doesn't realize what he was doing.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

A post like this was appreciated last week, so I'm at it again. Here's the Week #2 breakdown of every successful audition we at least heard a snippet of from youngest to oldest:

 

Boys

 

1.) Ethan Kuntz (Hunting dog and Sir/Ma'am aficionado. Blues & Southern Rock teen, 15)

2.) Isaac Cole (Bieber-haired, manufactured country singing teen who is nowhere near ready, 15)

3.) Harrison Cohen (Self-proclaimed ladies man came w/ a better than expected, Latin or Middle Eastern influenced original pop jam, 17)

4.) Thomas Stringfellow (Former foster kid w/ a super current look and wildly affected (British?) singing style, 17)

5.) Andrew Nazarbeckian (NYC born, Russian emigre w/ a musical theatre infused voice, 20)

6.) Jake Dillon (Modern country radio ready Plumber's apprentice w/ a really young family, 22)

7.) James VIII (Jack Johnson-esque singer w/ multiple affectations. Secretly in love w/ Amber Lynn, 23)

8.) CJ aka Chris Johnson (Memphis road warrior with a really engaging voice, 27)

9.) Elvie Shane (Bo Bice w/ 30% more pop in his voice. A great singer doing an even better job as a step-father, 27)

10.) John Arthur Greene (Broadway pro w/ a tragic backstory. Showed us a pretty by-the-book WGWG voice, 27)

11.) John Wayne Schultz (S10 returnee, authentic cowboy country w/ a delicate voice, 27)

12.) Tywan "Tank" Jackson (Energetic pre-audition dance routine aka "Tankercise" probably hurt his decent-ish R&B vocals, 29)

 

Girls

 

1.) Gianna Isabella (Spawn of a 1980's pop star. The rare 15 year old female AI contestant who actually looks about 15.)

2.) Jordyn Simone (A 15 year old who could pass for 25 at least. Came w/ a studied take on Who's Loving You, 15)

3.) Rhea Raj (Blink and you missed her teen #1 w/ striking facial jewelry and breathy style, 15)

4.) Sarah Sturm (Bubbly teen w/ lots of bad egg-related jokes. Pretty straightforward pop voice, 17)

5.) Terrian Bass (Stylish and positive teen trying to breakout of her rough neighborhood in Memphis. A little bit of Majesty 2.0 maybe?, 18)

6.) Kassy Levels (Blink and you missed her teen #2 w/ an urban sound and a cocky/mean girl edit, 19)

7.) Ashley Lilinoe (New age-y hippie from Hawaii. Brought some good vibes and a pretty killer rendition of Black Velvet, 20)

8.) Jenn Blosil (Sounded pretty much like what you'd expect a Brooklyn transplant nanny would sound like, 23)

9.) Mary Williams (Champion Mule rider w/ a traditional female country voice. Somewhat surprisingly knocked by Keith for her connection with the song, 23)

10.) Amber Lynn (Indie/folk/soul artist from Utah. Secretly in love w/ James VIII, 28)

 

Our two week totals (counting Kanye of course) are now up to portions of 52 successful auditions. 24 Guys and 28 Girls.

Edited January 15, 2016 by PhD-Purgatory15

[TVFan17]

Thomas struck me as one of those people who just naturally gets music. Harry's had a lot of training and thinks about his choices. A lot of musical artist just play around music and sounds without formal theoretical training. It can lead to issues when people stuff runs in everywhere, but in the right hands, it can be very organic. Harry understands and knows why the choices he makes work...some people just know they work. Harry wants people to understand musical theory because he thinks they'll make better choices.

 

I don't mind Harry when he gives a bit of musical theory. Sometimes, he points out really interesting aspects to the music which helps us to understand why it does sound different than what we are used to. It is interesting that he played in 6. That can be difficult to do without destroying the melody. Shows the kid has chops, even if he doesn't realize what he was doing.

 

I don't mind any of it either.  I really have no problem with Harry being on this show, except for the fact that I think he toned down some of the technical speak since his first season -- to the point where he doesn't seem quite as discerning anymore.   And I truly believe that he IS that guy.  That's how his brain works, so he thinks in a technical way when it comes to music.  He is not intending to show off.  He's intending to help, and talk to people in a way that he thinks they will understand (even if they don't).   A lot of people who are extremely intelligent about certain, specific things can come off to other people as though they are showing off or trying to talk down to others.  Many times they just cannot help it -- that's how their brains work, and what's in their heads just comes out when they speak.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Sherry67

[Maizie131]

What does HOTRS stand for?  (Sorry - new to this forum.)

[PhD-Purgatory15]

House of the Rising Sun. It's such an idol staple that it has its own acronym lol.

[ari333]

What's up with all these folks with two first names and no surname? IS it me? Is that a thing now? BAH

 

I hate the mean spirited stuff from the judges. Im a JLo fan, but I hate when she laughs at these poor people. Some Britney lover chick was so bad and they were really mean. imo. All 3 of them said something snide and uncalled for. Ok Imma sap.

Edited January 15, 2016 by ari333

[Ms Blue Jay]

I'm on the side of hating when Harry shows off; sorry I don't care for it.  Not the reason I watch the show.  Keith also shows his technical knowledge but in a way that isn't obnoxious.  For me there's a difference ; Keith is actually trying to pass on knowledge.  Harry gives off such desperation to just be 'heard' whether it's a point, a joke, whatever.  It would just be more appealing if he cared less about how much attention he's getting.

 

I find it so funny that somebody so laid-back (Hawaii girl) can actually offend people, but hey I can't judge people's reactions.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[Qoass]

If that young kid was so into the blues he should have known that while the Allman Brothers do an awesome cover of Stormy Monday, it was written and originally performed by T-Bone Walker. It's a huge pet peeve of mine when these people seem unaware of anything but the most recent recording of a classic song. Has EVERYBODY forgotten it was the great Leon Russell who wrote Song for You (not Donny Hathaway) and Superstar (not Luther Vandross)? If you truly want to make a career out of music, do your homework.

[TVFan17]

I'm on the side of hating when Harry shows off; sorry I don't care for it.  Not the reason I watch the show.  Keith also shows his technical knowledge but in a way that isn't obnoxious.  For me there's a difference ; Keith is actually trying to pass on knowledge.  Harry gives off such desperation to just be 'heard' whether it's a point, a joke, whatever.  It would just be more appealing if he cared less about how much attention he's getting.

 

I find it so funny that somebody so laid-back (Hawaii girl) can actually offend people, but hey I can't judge people's reactions.

 

Keith (and I like him on the show too) and Harry are two different people, with 2 different personality types, and so they will naturally communicate and express themselves in different ways.  They also might not have exactly the same level of knowledge -- one person might know things that the other doesn't, and vice versa.   I don't interpret Harry as giving off a desperation to be heard at all -- I think that people who don't want to hear him may view it that way.  Lol.  I really think it's a matter of interpretation, and how each person (you or I or anyone else) receives the information coming from any one individual. 

 

We'll have to agree to disagree on Harry.

 

The girl from Hawaii didn't offend me -- her silly "20 times around the sun" was annoying to me, and I wanted her gone.  But she got through anyway, and she won't make it to the final rounds of the competition.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Sherry67

[Rick Kitchen]

I find it so funny that somebody so laid-back (Hawaii girl) can actually offend people, but hey I can't judge people's reactions.

Not offended, just annoyed, because it was so obviously an affectation.

[BogoGog24]

I can't help noticing how many "older" men there are in that list, with many being 27, meanwhile not many older ladies.

[Rick Kitchen]

Thomas Stringfellow (Former foster kid w/ a super current look and wildly affected (British?) singing style

Well, he was singing an Ed Sheeran song, he was channeling him.

[limecoke]

Stringfellow worked my last nerve. Between AI and The Voice, I am sick to death of that creepy word-chewing, affected, silly, faux-accent way of singing. I pray he'll be dumped in Hollywood but history and my instinct tells me he will be chosen for top 12 or whatever.

Edited January 15, 2016 by limecoke

[PhD-Purgatory15]

YMMV, but as nice as he was I couldn't stand listening to him. And if you are going to crush Isaac Cole the night before because he sang with a fake or manufactured twang (I'm looking at you HJC)...how do you turn a blind eye to singing in a foreign accent?

Lee Jean and somebody else I'm blanking on (maybe Cameron Richard) auditioned with that same song, and managed to pull it off without sounding like they temporarily became British for a few minutes...while I didn't love either of their takes on Gimmie Love, I'd take both of them in a heartbeat over Thomas's fake attempt...

Edited January 16, 2016 by PhD-Purgatory15

[viajero]

While I didn’t think there were any truly great performances in this episode, at least there were 4 who I thought did well enough that I’ll look for them if they make it past Hollywood. These are: Jordyn, Amber Lynn, Elvie Shane and CJ.

I’m a bit more undecided about Stringfellow and Ashley Lilinoe. I thougth they both did very interesting things with their songs, but was bugged a bit about their affectations (vocally in his case and personality wise in hers). I guess at least I’m interested in seeing what they do next.

Came away from this episode with only one name on my mind: John Wayne Schulz. I don't even like country music but that was a beautiful performance. And I cried about three times during his whole segment.)

I saw nothing that would make me cry, but maybe that’s because I usually don’t watch the sob stories and skip directly to the performances. From what I did see, I thought his vocals were flawless, but I also found his performance to be extremely bland. There was nothing there that would make me look forward to watching him sing again. But that’s probably a good sign for him since it’s the guys who have solid vocals and that I find boring and bland who tend to go far on this show.

[marriedaniac]

I liked JLo's Aussie accent.

[JennFrost]

The best episode in a long time! I'm rooting for the country singer, of course!

[bluepiano]

The Hawaiian girl annoyed me right from the start because she was way too relaxed and chill.  It takes effort and work to be that chill.  Then when she said the "20 times around the sun" nonsense I wanted her gone.  Her voice was okay, but she won't last until the end of the competition.  There are many other singers who are better than she is, or they have their own vibe and style that's cool without seeming quite so affected.

 

This entire episode might have set a record for pretentious, affected contestants, with "Blue" the "nomad" taking first place. Was it Keith who said "singing is not your thing," which must've come as a shock to her, considering what a special snowflake she thought she was. The Hawaiian girl is pretty and at least does have some talent (especially on guitar), but  she's so full of herself it's a turn off. "Life gave me a golden ticket but this manifests it." Just...wow.

 

Stringfellow didn't have an affected personality, but his singing for me was hard to take. Though on AI that's what gets JLO to call you an "artist."

 

I actually remember wanting John Wayne to get picked over Scotty McCreery in Season 10, so glad he's got another shot. (though vocally I don't think he's anything special).

 

Also glad that the Oklahoma plumber was put through. I agree that it wasn't an overwhelming performance, but it's BS to say "you'll get eaten alive in the completion" when they've put through so many 15 and 16 year olds whose auditions were much shakier. None of them have been even close to the spectacular level that HJC was babbling on about.

 

Including the 15 year old blues singer, who was clearly not ready. His performance was more like an imitation of a blues singer, which is kind of what you'd expect for someone at that age, doing a form of music that takes some grit and experience to put across. And echoing what someone posted earlier, I really he'd said that "Stormy Monday" was by T-Bone Walker, and not The Allman Brothers. But given his age, I'm willing to cut him some slack. (I hear people in bar blues bands all the time say that it's an Allman Brothers song. Unfortunately)

 

What annoyed me more was the guy from Moscow saying "To Make You Feel My Love" was by Adele. If you're a musician you need to give credit to the songwriter (Dylan in this case) and not just cite the best known or most popular version.

Edited January 18, 2016 by bluepiano

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Definitely a good audition ep.  I'm looking forward to some out and out cray cray ones this week.

 

I was a wee bit surprised they did not make more of Jordyn, the 15 year old.  She is easily Top 10 material.  It seems she has the pedigree and she most certainly would have (had?) a great guardian to help her through Hollyweird Week.

 

Ashley the Hawaiian is cool, Jax.  No tear drop fake tat needed.  I doubt she made it to the Top 20/whatever.  Then again, she is ∞ !!!!!  

 

Since when did "breathy" become a valued commodity?  That, right there, is about as good an explanation of the near-death of pop music as anything.  So many weak voices digitally enhanced have been ruinous.  Blecch.

 

Loved John Wayne and Elvie was quite something.  I wonder if they will be pitted against one another for a final berth.  I really felt for the Okie with the super low affect.  HCJ was right, dangitall.  

 

I liked Moscow dude a lot - a definite Broadway vibe though, which dooms him.

 

Blue made me see red.

Edited January 18, 2016 by Lonesome Rhodes

[Qoass]

Thanks, bluepiano, I'd forgotten about that Adele/Dylan example until after I'd hit "reply".  I was ranting from my sofa.

 

I think the "breathy" thing has always been popular from Olivia Newton-John to Norah Jones to most of the soundtrack to Grey's Anatomy but what I've come to think of as "coffeehouse affect" or the intentional mangling of vowels never ceases to drive me around the bend.

[bluepiano]

Qoass, you can rant on, because this has bugged me for years. I understand that these young contestants learn the song from the most recent recording, but if you're as serious about music as they claim to be, wouldn't you make the effort to hear the original, as well as other notable versions? Especially given how easy that is to do in the internet age. You Tube is an amazing resource for tracking down original recordings. So there is no excuse for not knowing that "A Song for You" is by Leon Russell. Or that "Feeling Good" (or anything else) is not by Michael Buble.

 

Since when did "breathy" become a valued commodity?  

 

Loved John Wayne and Elvie was quite something.  I wonder if they will be pitted against one another for a final berth.  

Being "breathy" is what gets you called an "artist" on this show and The Voice. As does taking an upbeat pop song and making it slow and morbid. As does twisting the pronunciation of words so that they are almost unrecognizable. Presumably if a Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald was on one of these shows they would not be considered an artist, since all they do is sing with impeccable timing and phrasing, and you can understand every word. (I actually think the "breathy" thing is a little less popular now, as Norah Jones and her influence have seemed to fade, though there was an NJ clone on The Voice this year, from Brooklyn. Of course).

 

John Wayne and Elvie seem to be in completely different lanes. My guess would be that CJ and Elvie will be pitted against each other, since they are both kind of rock/blues and experienced "older" performers (by current AI standards). I don't see both of them making the finals.

 

Jordyn definitely stood out as a very mature looking 15 year old with a much older vibe, but I just didn't think her voice was that strong. But she has all the other elements of the "package."

Edited January 19, 2016 by bluepiano

[PamelaMaeSnap]

As much as I hate to sound like a beeyotch (oh, who am I kidding? No I don't!) Jordyn really bugged me. Gorgeous, yes ... mature-looking, yes ... Talented, yes ... but personally, I found her really robotic, from the runs to the gestures. Maybe that wouldn't irk me as much if she was 25, I don't know ... but she seems like she's been being groomed for this since Season 1 (and I did get a little love child of Jordin Sparks/post-AI J-Hud as well). 

 

I don't think she'll implode or deal with vocal problems or anything because she's been programmed, I mean trained too well. But I'd rather see someone with all that talent actually seem human. I am sure she will go far ... it will be interesting to see how the voting public reacts to her, though. I find her very shiny and pretty and trained and not that relatable ... and god knows they're playing up so many of the sympathy/sob stories that the voters will already be emotionally attached to.

 

ETA: Okay, I did a little googling around on her and am more than willing to give her a second chance (not that I have a choice, I'm sure) ... Perhaps she was styled a bit more preternatually maturely for this audition than she might be in "real life" ... I do hope that come Hollywood she will let her hair down and at least SEEM closer to 15 than 25. I think it would work in her favor because she is really talented.

 

Still, as far as the 15-year-old girls go, I am totally Team Tristan at this point.

 

I have found very few people I am all in for in this week's audition episodes. I loved Tank but I doubt he'll make it past the first or second cut in Hollywood unless it really WAS that he was out of breath (very likable, though!)

 

Found most of the others forgettable or annoying. I was glad to see John Wayne Schulz back (I too remember him from the showdown at the OK Corral with Scotty M), though I think he needs to drop the middle name ... aren't all guys named John Wayne XYZ serial killers? But he has a gorgeous voice, seems like a sweet guy, and I look forward to seeing what he does -- and I'm not even a country fan.

 

Okay, let's bring on the last week of auditions and then I can get excited for HOLLYWOOD January 27! 

 

Am definitely loving the fact that my daughter (aka Cazzie Lite on TWOP) who abandoned watching this ish years ago, is also watching religiously for this final season and we can have day-after East Coast/West Coast chats about who we like and don't like (she has known a lot of the contestants over the years, and has been involved in the music biz for long enough that she's pretty opinionated but not snarky enough for my tastes).

Edited January 19, 2016 by PamelaMaeSnap

[Prairie Fire]

I wonder if it was in J-Lo's contract that they keep filming her until she made that shot in the basketball guy's hoop, right next to the clause that says they must show her reactions 10 times during each performance.

[MarkHB]

I wonder if it was in J-Lo's contract that they keep filming her until she made that shot in the basketball guy's hoop, right next to the clause that says they must show her reactions 10 times during each performance.

 

I think that 1) it probably was closer than it looked; sets always look far bigger on TV than they are in RL, and 2) I'll give her credit for growing up in the Bronx; she probably shot a ball around once or twice back on "the block".

[MrsMoltisanti]

JLo looked so happy!