Wednesday, September 14

The Best of RockStar

A lot of viewers have come into the show recently and are asking for recommendations of earlier performances - mp3's and videos to find online. So here are my suggestions, in no particular order (and yes, I realize I left a few contestants out; they just didn't have anything that really stood out for me). One more disclaimer: I did not know a good portion of these songs before the show, so I couldn't compare them to the originals, so I may have liked them more than those who do know the originals. This covers the show through Week 9 (Sept 7) and does not include this week's Top 4 performances.

Ty - No Woman, No Cry, Heartbreaker, Everybody Hurts

Jessica - Purple Haze, Disappear

JD - California Dreamin', Cold As Ice, Come As You Are, Mystify

Deanna - Should I Stay or Should I Go

Suzie - Never Tear Us Apart (which she actually did twice; both are good), Bitter Tears, Bring It On Home, and Bohemian Rhapsody

Jordis - Heart Shaped Box, Man Who Sold the World

MiG - Lola, We Will Rock You, Live and Let Die

Brandon - Devil Inside

Marty - Lithium, Mr. Brightside, Don't Change, Wish You Were Here, Everlong

I'm excited for an awesome finale next week but sad the show will be ending. And, truly clueless as to who Our Band: INXS will choose!

Wednesday, September 7

You and me up in the trees...

Marty RockStar Casey!! Wow, the show *rocked* tonight!! Everyone was good, but JD and Marty's intensity and bouncy originals stole the show. Yay them!! (Or, as my Canadian friends would say, Good on them!)

RockStar:INXS, Week 9 - Top 5! (9-6-05)

JD kicked off the show with a mellow arrangement of Nirvana's Come As You Are, which really showed off his vocals (just gorgeous in the higher range). Then his original song, Vegas Pretty, which used the INXS bass/rhythm track from the songwriting clinic a few weeks ago. Great combination & flow of style; creative (sang w/a megaphone!), and had the audience totally involved from the intro. JD is BACK!

Suzie did an awesome, subdued I Can't Make You Love Me, sitting on a stool & just letting her beautiful voice be the focus. (For the 2nd week in a row, doing a song Constantine did, but differently enough that I can love them both!) Her original, Soul Life, was good... reminds me of something or someone I can't put my finger on. I believe she cowrote with Ty although that wasn't mentioned tonight.

MiG rocked the house with Hard to Handle & really slowed things down as he accompanied himself on piano for Home In Me, which is about losing someone (a death) and then moving on. The combination really show how versatile he is, and I would totally follow him as a solo artist because I like the soft rock/ballady style he seems to favor. The guys did comment, as they did for Suzie, that musically it doesn't 'go' with INXS.

Jordis redeemed herself a bit with We Are the Champions and her original, Try Not (cowritten with Marty, and Yoda). I thought she struggled w/the high notes in WATC, but Dave complimented her for that. I enjoyed Try Not - it didn't seem musically predictable to me, it held my attention - but Dave apparently didn't, asking if she'd lost her "fire." She admitted the song was about her struggles during the course of the show not to lose herself in the pressure. The band coddled and didn't end up giving any feedback, positive or negative (that was aired, anyway). It's just time for her to go home.

mmmMarty!!! Sang Everlong acoustic - Jim & Rafi on acoustic guitar, the 3 of them on stools, and Paul with some light keyboards behind them. Very, very good. He's definitely shown INXS he's willing to compromise & work w/their suggestions. I think with some vocal coaching and more encouragement to actually sing (instead of scream), he could have a really great (and versatile) voice! And wow he can sing with power in the lower range! What do I say about Trees? As Dave said, this could be a radio hit tomorrow! I totally see it fitting with INXS's style, and it's fun, catchy, about a guy "trying to get a girl to love him." Awww! He's so well-spoken & interacted w/the audience really well - he's also pretty much become the 'narrator' of the segments from the mansion! (Hmm, seems like all my favorites end up w/that role, interestingly enough - Justin, Clay, and Connie all did the same! And are all really, really tall too....)

Well I'd better go vote so that I can hear it again tomorrow night! I *so* do not want this show to end in 2 weeks! Sigh. Oh and the guys are giving all of their proceeds from MSN Downloads this week to the Red Cross for hurricane relief. So go get some music! And pass the Kool-Aid. ;-)