American Idol - Season 7 Picks

I am a fan of American Idol. I think the show represents a great mini-lesson in how the popular music system works. Jen and I faithfully TiVo every show and haven’t missed an episode in four or five seasons.

This year has been touted as the “best ever talent” and while I will agree that there are some amazing singers, I’ve been hard-pressed to find “my” singer. Last year I picked Melinda Doolittle in the early stages (she made it to #3). In season five I chose Taylor Hicks when I saw his audition tape (and he won the whole shebang). But I haven’t been able to latch on to one performer as “the one” … until last night.

Last night was the second week in a row that the contestants sang songs from the Beatles. And while the second show in the top-12 portion of the competition was filled with lackluster performances, I was able to finally flesh out my favorite competitors.

Guys – David Cook. This guy is consistent, rocks hard, has fun performing, and seems to have healthy attitude about the hype surrounding this show. I like him to win it all as the truly most talented competitor, except the teen vote will probably push through David Archuleta.

Gals – Carly Smithson. This tattooed, Irish lass can really sing. She is consistent in her performances and really knows how to choose a great song. This girl has great talent and she’ll go far in this competition. I think Carly has the best chance as a "rocker" to make the final cut because she has the softer pop side as well.

Honorable Mention
Amanda Overmyer: I love this rocker chick. She is the total package of looks, attitude, talent and presentation. Unfortunately I don’t think she’s consistent enough to make the final cut

Brooke White: While I’m not a huge fan of her style or the songs she sings, I like her attitude and song choices. Plus she is always on the mark. Now if she would just quit talking so much.

So there you have it. My picks for Season 7 of American Idol.

Tag: Books

I've received my first meme tag, a kind of viral "who are you" process by which you self-reveal information to the blogosphere. This one comes from Mike Comfort.

Here are the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. No cheating!
2. Find page 123
3. Find the first 5 sentences
4. Post the next 3 sentences
5. Tag 5 people

Those who know me well know that I don't read a ton. But the book closest to where I sit is "The Billboard Guide to Contemporary Christian Music."

"Changing labels again, this time to Diadem, (Kim) Boyce released As I Am in 1997. This Adult Contemporary-slanted offering featured such key songs as the title track and "Amazing Love for Me," a duet about parenthood and sacrifice sung with her husband, musician Gary Koreiba. In recent years, Boyce has been active as a speaker at Christian inspirational conferences and other events."



I tag:
1. Josh
2. Jen
3. Janelle
4. Rich
5. Matt

Shawn Lewis of Hyper Static Union

I've long been a fan of HyperStatic Union. I've known these guys since well before their RKT CD debut. These guys are incredibly talented and make some funky rock-n-roll. I've just about worn our their national debut release "Life Giver." You should really pick up a copy of this album!

Anyway, recently, I've stumbled on a video that I just had to share. Here is Shawn Lewis singing a song made popular by Michael Jackson. I've always been impressed by Shawn's vocal prowess. He is talented, earnest, and sound amazing. He even impressed Lenny Kravitz during the warm-up for a show in Portland.

I love telling you about quality musicians. Hopefully this video will encourage you to give a spin to HSU's music.

Encomium

My weekly artist review is on Portland based band Encomium. This is a young band with some great talent. In 2006 they released “Expression of Praise”, an impressive 9-song disc which mixes rock riffs and worship lyrics.

One of the first things that grabbed my attention on this CD was the expert musicianship. This isn’t a sequenced garage band recording, but rather a major label quality offering. Many young bands have an album of songs that all sound the same stylistically. But this CD has a variety of sounds without becoming disjointed.

Led by Devy Jamin, the group has recently put out a new EP entitled “Like the Dawn”. The samples on their MySpace page promise more of the same quality and no-compromise lyrics found on their first effort.

Check these guys out at http://www.encomiummusic.com/

The Concert Season is Over

For many, summer brings festivals and concerts from their favorite artists. But for me, the concert season ends tonight. For the past nine months I have had season tickets to concerts by my kids. Between private piano lessons, school concerts, jazz band, solo festivals and community band, my kids have showcased their musical talents.

I am so grateful that the musical gene has been passed to the kiddos. It is fun to watch them get excited about different music styles and instruments, and to watch their eyes light up when they see a musician who does exceptionally well. It is also fun to watch them hone their musical chops, improving their technique, and fine tuning their craft.

So this year’s concert season is over. And I only have three months to sew the buttons back on all my shirts before the next season begins.

This... is American Idol

As I watched tonight’s American Idol, I was like a giddy school kid to hear that Scott Krippayne was co-writer of the winning song in the new songwriter competition portion of the show. It has been fun over the past couple of years to see Christian music show up on this popular reality show. Season 4 had Nadia Turner sing “The Power of Love” by Ashley Cleveland. This year Chris Sligh sang dc Talk’s “Wanna Be Loved.” And who can miss 3rd place finisher Melinda Doolittle who has done some impressive backing vocals on albums by Charlie Peacock and others.

I am glad that music made by Christians AND Christian music is finding its way into the mainstream. There are so many components to why this is happening (society’s spiritual hunger, disgust with inappropriate lyrics, and quality production in recent years in the CCM industry to name a few.) But regardless of the reasons, I’m thankful that people in the high profile entertainment industry are staying true to God’s command to be salt and light to our world.

Benny's Back!

When I was a much younger lad, and before I knew what an audiophile was, I really enjoyed the music of Benny Hester. Not only did he have a great sound, he wrote songs that really affected me during various times of my life. “Nobody Knows Me Like You,” was important during the break-up of a relationship. “When God Ran” helped during a difficult time in college. I even got to promote a concert with Benny when I was first starting my concert promotion business.Benny took a break for a while and worked in TV. From 1993 to 1996 he was a Music Producer and Songwriter for the Nickelodeon show Roundhouse (which incidentally starred an up-and-coming Crystal Lewis.)I’m happy to report that after a nearly 17 year break, Benny is working on a new record. Check out his new songs on his web site.

Christian Music Heritage

I am a music junkie. There, I said it. But that still doesn't remedy my problem... I have so much music, that I seldom get to listen to it all. But fortunately, the iPod came along. Now I shuffle through my entire collection randomly and within a four or five month period, I'll hear every album...

... except my records. But I've been in the process of ripping my vinyl to a digital format that can be played on my iPod. During this task, I've rediscovered a lot of really cool music! (It has to be cool, if it is in my collection, right?!)

So today, I'm listening to Sheila Walsh's 1983 "War of Love". I bought this record when I was working at a radio station in Boise. I loved the 80's techno beat, fairly rare in ccm at the time. Admittedly, it sounds a bit dated today, but it sure brings back some great memories!

All this has got me thinking about how thankful I am that people have been making music glorifying God. For decades artists have been expressing their beliefs through music, each in their own styles. And I am confident that the music industry today is a much better place thanks to the work of people like Sheila Walsh... or Martin Luther... or King David.

My hope is that generations from now, people will look back at the music of today and be thankful for the legacy Christian musicians are leaving right now.

The Music of Nature

My wife and I enjoy GeoCaching. Yesterday we spent the day in the scenic Columbia Gorge of Oregon, and I was impressed again by all the music of nature.

• Wind strumming through the trees


• Water splashing over waterfalls


• Birds singing


• The percussive pops of the trees warming in the sun

And this doesn't even begin to touch on the sights and smells! What a wonderful, musical world God has made for us to enjoy!

It's Everywhere

I am struck with the importance of music. The commercials on TV I remember most, have a catchy jingle. Everyone has a portable music device. Most stores have some kind of overhead music playing. The world seems to have surrounded itself with music.

All this makes me wonder, is my Christian walk as pervasive as music? Does my relationship with Christ affect everything I do and everywhere I go?

Unfortunately, I think not. Like most musicians, I guess I need to practice my Christian walk so as to be more "listenable".