What's with the "City Hall on Idol" tweet?

[Digital]

I have to agree that Jeannette showed courage in picking City Hall as her audition song, but have to give her the same advice I would give anyone trying out for anything, much less American Idol:

- Pick something that complements your voice. Everyone has a different range, and you really need to know and respect your limits.

- Pick something familiar, but not iconic. I'm sure part of the problem here was that the panel wasn't familiar with the song (as Jeannette wasn't necessarily that far off). On the other hand, picking something from Mariah or Celine or any other amazing singer is just asking for a bad response, unless you are, in fact, that good.

- Videotape yourself and watch it back before you do it for real. That way, you can work on the weak points.

In Jeannette's defense, she might have done a really great rendition of most of the song, and then just struggled in one part, which is of course the part they aired. Between poor taste decisions like this and highly questionable judging, I avoid this show like the plague.

[Fred]

Yeah, I really tend not to like the style of music that wins on AI, or much of anything "mainstream". I guess I'm a snob. You couldn't drag me into a Black Eyed Peas concert with a locomotive. (After their Superbowl halftime show, there might not be anybody in their concerts, tho.)

Tangentially related, has anybody noticed that there is a tribute to "acoustic music" on Sunday's Grammy Awards show? Now, that's better! Dylan, Avett Bros., Mumford and Sons. Maybe there's hope for good music in the wider world after all.

[Walking Stranger]

@aaparallel : Thanks for the UT link !

[cmooreNC]

Tangentially related, has anybody noticed that there is a tribute to "acoustic music" on Sunday's Grammy Awards show? Now, that's better! Dylan, Avett Bros., Mumford and Sons. Maybe there's hope for good music in the wider world after all.

Gotta comment that I loved the energy of Mumford and Sons (my first exposure to them), but Dylan sounded pretty horrible. Lucky for him he wasn't auditioning for AI!

[Fred]

Tangentially related, has anybody noticed that there is a tribute to "acoustic music" on Sunday's Grammy Awards show? Now, that's better! Dylan, Avett Bros., Mumford and Sons. Maybe there's hope for good music in the wider world after all.

Gotta comment that I loved the energy of Mumford and Sons (my first exposure to them), but Dylan sounded pretty horrible. Lucky for him he wasn't auditioning for AI!

Yeah, Dylan was so poorly miked it was hard to hear him at all. Avett Bros. picked an obscure song that didn't show them off very well--ordinarily I really like them. Mumfords were great.

[cmooreNC]

Tangentially related, has anybody noticed that there is a tribute to "acoustic music" on Sunday's Grammy Awards show? Now, that's better! Dylan, Avett Bros., Mumford and Sons. Maybe there's hope for good music in the wider world after all.

Gotta comment that I loved the energy of Mumford and Sons (my first exposure to them), but Dylan sounded pretty horrible. Lucky for him he wasn't auditioning for AI!

Yeah, Dylan was so poorly miked it was hard to hear him at all. Avett Bros. picked an obscure song that didn't show them off very well--ordinarily I really like them. Mumfords were great.

Avett Brothers call Charlotte "home" (they're technically from nearby Gastonia, NC, but close enough...) so I hear a lot about them in these parts. Somehow they haven't grabbed me yet. A fact that baffles my daughter, but c'est la vie.

[Fred]

Avett Brothers call Charlotte "home" (they're technically from nearby Gastonia, NC, but close enough...) so I hear a lot about them in these parts. Somehow they haven't grabbed me yet. A fact that baffles my daughter, but c'est la vie.

Up here WFUV supports them strongly, so they're very familiar.