Artist Mini-Spotlight: Kimbra

Quite often while brainstorming posts, I want to highlight artists that only have an album or so out, whose music I’ve only recently discovered, and usually I end up doing this by way of a Song of the Day post. (There have been a lot of them lately, hmmm. Harmony Avenue should not live by Song of the Day alone…) However, a lot of the time, there’s a good deal of songs by said artist that I enjoy, yet not enough to expand into a full-blown Artist Spotlight post. Enter a new spinoff of the Artist Spotlight I’m trying out, the Artist Mini-Spotlight. (I floated making this a combo post like I did with the Song Sampler a day or two ago, but I thought it would be nice to give each artist their own space, since it’s a bit of a different situation than a song.) This will likely be shorter than most Artist Spotlight posts, provided I don’t get too long-winded (yeah, I’m already losing that battle), and will feature some of my favorite tunes by said artist, and good introductions to their music. Without further ado, the inaugural mini-spotlighted artist…

Kimbra!

If you’ve been listening to the radio lately, you might have already heard her voice. She’s the featured artist on Belgian-Australian artist Gotye’s deliriously catchy little-indie-hit-that-could, “Somebody That I Used To Know.” (Her appearance is a high point of an already pretty darn terrific song.) I, like a growing number of people at this point, had heard and fallen in love with the song, when a good friend of mine (the same one that recommended I check out Andy Grammer’s music, as noted here) suggested I look up her solo work. I found out she had an album, “Vows,” released in New Zealand and Australia (her home country and its friendly neighbor, respectively), and took a few listens to some of the songs…and oh baby, I was hooked. She has such a stunning, expressive, vibrant voice that it seems like she can do pretty much anything with. If you were impressed by what you heard of her on Gotye’s single…you are in for a treat. It gets even better.

Something I’ve noticed about Kimbra (besides her terrific music) is that so far, her music videos have been firing on all cylinders. Not since the days of Feist’s triple-threat of “1234,” “My Moon My Man,” and “I Feel It All” have I seen three video clips of  this caliber. They’re quirky, beautifully shot, engaging, dazzling, and tons of fun. I could of course introduce you to Kimbra strictly by audio, but I think it’s better if you check out her amazing visual aesthetic as well.

First off, “Settle Down,” her first single. There are shades of Bjork-style influences throughout (her use of vocal loops and harmonies is wonderfully innovative), but overall, it’s really a song that can’t be classified. The way she builds and tosses and turns…it’s intoxicating. In the best way. Here is the song, with its (literally) fiery music video attached:

The second single (P.S.: these singles sadly have only been released outside the U.S. for now, though her debut is set to bow in the States on May 22, and she does have an EP in the U.S. iTunes store), “Cameo Lover,” is insanely catchy and, to use a highly technical phrase here, pumping. I’m pretty sure I’ve listened to it the most out of all the Kimbra songs I have. There’s a bit of a ‘girl-group’ sound in here…but once again, Kimbra ends up turning it on its ear, and the result is something quite unique. The music video, featuring some infectious dancing by Kimbra herself (accompanied by a throng of female backup dancers), matches the song’s brilliance very nicely:

And because it’s her only other song with a music video, and I’m on a music video kick, the slinky, throwback-esque “Good Intent,” which shows yet another side of Kimbra’s musical vision:

In case you’re wondering whether she’s any good live…here’s a great clip of her singing another song off her debut, “Two Way Street.” If this is how she is in a studio, I can only imagine how terrific she is onstage:

To close it all off, a fun 80s-R&B-tinged number, “Call Me.” (No relation to the Blondie song of the same name…well, maybe a little.)

By the way, she’s only 22. (A fact I found out today while looking at her Wikipedia article as brief preparation for this post.) My mind, it is forever boggled. (She’s only got 2 years on me and is making this kind of incredible music? Wowsers.) Thanks for reading and listening!

Cover Stories: Bob Dylan

It’s time to revive a feature I haven’t done in a while…in fact, besides the Christmas-themed edition a few months ago, there’s only been one Cover Stories post in this blog’s history (on a few terrific covers of Bonnie Raitt’s heartbreaking classic “I Can’t Make You Love Me”). This post is a little different from that one (and may indicate a shift in direction regarding this feature in general, but we’ll see), in that it focuses on an artist, rather than a song. Which artist? Oh, just a little-known singer/songwriter. You probably haven’t heard of him. His name is Bob Dylan.

Despite Dylan being probably one of the most legendary musicians of all time, I have to admit I’ve never quite taken to his music…or at least, his original versions…at first listen. However, thanks to the numerous times his songs have been covered, I’ve really come to appreciate his songcraft…the man is an absolutely brilliant songwriter. And through those covers, I’ve been able to appreciate Bob Dylan a lot more. For all those who decry covers, they can really do wonders in helping build a bridge from the old to the new. I’m sure I would have come to my senses sooner or later regarding Dylan’s incredible body of work (which I know I’ve only scratched the surface of) regardless, but hearing other artists’ stellar takes on his songs certainly helped speed up the process.

Two of the first Dylan covers I ended up falling in love with were songs that on initial listen, I wasn’t aware were covers in the first place: Adele’s passionate “Make You Feel My Love,” and Madeleine Peyroux’s gorgeous, nuanced reading of “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go.” I discovered pretty quickly that these two recordings weren’t Adele or Madeleine originals but rather tributes to Bob Dylan, but when I first came across them, I wasn’t aware of their origin, being the young, less experienced music listener I was then. Both these covers do a beautiful job of honoring the source material while putting their own stamp on the song…Adele imbues “Make You Feel My Love” with her now-trademark raw vocal power, but keeps the proceedings bracingly intimate, backed by little more than a piano and a string ensemble. It’s a beautifully emotional performance. You’ve likely heard Adele’s studio recording of the song by now (and if you haven’t, you’ve possibly been living under the largest of rocks, and should remedy that immediately), so here’s the music video of the song, a departure from traditional song video clips in that it consists of Adele actually singing the song live, rather than lip-syncing to the recording. (The effect is quite powerful.)

Meanwhile, Madeleine Peyroux (a fine jazz-fueled vocalist whose work has taken a very nice singer/songwriter-oriented turn as of late) brings things down even more with her version of “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go.” Her phrasing is captivating here, and the result is a song that rides the balance between heartbreak and acceptance wonderfully. It’s a bit slower than Dylan’s original, but that brings out some of the nuances in the song in the best ways.

Another Bob Dylan cover I heard around that time was a version of “Lay Lady Lay” by Norwegian musician Magnet and Irish singer/songwriter Gemma Hayes, that ended up appearing on the soundtrack to “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” I hadn’t heard this cover in a few years, before I listened to it once again just now prior to embedding it in this post, but I still really enjoy it. The vocals are very fragile and almost nonchalant in a way, but the track as a whole creates an intoxicating atmosphere that really plays to the song’s strengths, I think.

Jazz vocalist Kate McGarry, an innovative and engaging interpreter, covered “The Times They Are A-Changin’” on her 2008 album “If Less Is More…Then Nothing Is Everything.” (I finally got around to putting the song in my iTunes library a day or two ago. No idea why it took that long, to be honest.) Her percussive, almost frenzied take on the song brings out its urgency (and for me, highlights just how applicable it can be to today’s cultural climate, despite the fact that Bob Dylan wrote it for another era of change altogether) wonderfully. I couldn’t find a way to embed the studio version, but here’s a stellar live performance of the song by Kate and her trio. It’s first up in a 3-song set here:

Finally, there’s a recent charity project that has added many fine Dylan covers to the musical landscape: Amnesty International’s 50th anniversary compilation, “Chimes of Freedom,” featuring a large host of artists singing songs from Bob Dylan’s sizable catalog, and in many cases paying tribute to an undeniable influence. Much like Amnesty International’s last high-profile tribute collection, “Instant Karma” (which took on the songs of John Lennon), there’s quite a few unexpected gems to be found here…particularly in the case of two much-maligned pop-artists.

Ke$ha is one of my least favorite artists by a long shot, and she’s the last person I would expect to do well with a Bob Dylan cover…and that’s why her version of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” shocked me so much. It’s heartstoppingly raw, and hearing the usually AutoTuned-to-death Ke$ha in such a naked, stark setting certainly catches you off-guard. (Reportedly, the vocal was recorded on Ke$ha’s laptop without any professional recording equipment, in a demo-type setting, and rather than re-recording it, they ended up using that first take, feeling it was more powerful that way. You can even hear her crying in some parts.) Singing a cappella for a good chunk of the song, and accompanied only by soft, almost ominous strings for the balance of it, Ke$ha has quite honestly never sounded better. In this cover, she relies on the undertone of sadness and heartbreak inherent in the song (something that Dylan’s original only touched on), and the result is almost spine-tingling. It’s a cover that certainly has the potential to be polarizing, but I for one was thoroughly impressed. The imperfections, the flaws, the unpolished nature of it only make the song better, I think, rather than worse. If only Ke$ha would stick to this kind of music. (Unfortunately, with how well she’s doing currently, I doubt she will…it’s sad what it takes to be a successful female pop artist nowadays.)

The other cover that surprised me? Another take on “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go,” by none other than Miley Cyrus. Her vocals have never struck me as particularly strong in the past, but as demonstrated on this song, she really shines in an acoustic setting. The studio recording is very nice, but really caught my ear was her performance of the song on “Ellen,” accompanied by only a guitar. I’ve never seen her actually dig deep into the meaning of a song as much as she does here, and it’s a wonderfully refreshing change of pace. She acquits herself exceptionally well, and much like Ke$ha, it would be much better for her artistically to stay in this setting (and also much like Ke$ha, she likely won’t).

Three other standouts from the album? Ximena Sariñana’s subtly haunting but beautifully uplifting version of “I Want You” (I love how she really brings out the longing in the song), Diana Krall’s spare, piano-driven take on “Simple Twist of Fate,” and Oren Lavie’s deliciously atmospheric reading of “4th Time Around.” I hadn’t heard of any of these songs before these 3 fine artists took them on, but now I’m quite curious to hear Dylan’s originals. (See how covers do good?) Hear them all for yourself here, then be sure to check out the rest of the compilation on your favorite musical outlet, and support Amnesty International while you’re doing so…it’s a great organization. (Note: I could only find a truncated version of Oren’s cover to embed. However, it’s a great way to get acquainted with his cover, and if you want the whole thing, then you can go buy it…a course of action which I highly recommend.)

Whew, that’s a lot of Bob Dylan covers (and that’s not even the smallest part of the tip of the iceberg). I’m sure there’s quite a few more great ones out there. If you have any recommendations, feel free to share in the comments. Thanks for reading and listening!

Song of the Day: “Love Is You”

What’s today? Well, first off, it’s Arizona’s centennial birthday…my home state is 100 years young today! OK, and it’s also a little-known holiday a few people celebrate or something…Valentines’ Day, I think they call it? There’s a link to a lovely Arizona video at the bottom of this post (unfortunately, embedding is disabled), but for today’s Song of the Day (for once, it’s actually posted before the evening! sort of), I’ll focus on Valentines’ Day and post a beautiful song for the occasion…

“Love Is You” by Chrisette Michele!

I first came across this song about 3 or 4 years ago (another song by Chrisette, “Your Joy,” was a free single on iTunes), and it’s become one of my absolute favorites. With just a piano and some elegant strings, Chrisette delivers a heartfelt, tender message that’s perfect not just for Valentines’ Day, but really any day. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

And as promised, here’s a tribute to the beauty of Arizona (the song is a bit cheesy, but it’s heartfelt, and the pictures are stunning)…happy birthday, my beloved Grand Canyon State! (Just click on the link.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7xedmvJTzk

Thanks for reading, and have a great Valentines’ Day/centennial!

Front Row Seat: Janelle & Ellie At The Nobel Peace Prize Concert

Hey, remember that new feature I teased about in my last post? The one involving live performances? ‘Tis here. (And I even came up with a cheesy name for it! It wouldn’t be a Harmony Avenue post without one…) Normally I plan to make this about one particular live performance, but for a few reasons, this post won’t highlight just one video…but five. They’re all from the same night…the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Concert, which took place back on December 11 in Norway. Two of my favorite artists took the stage, and delivered absolutely outstanding performances: Janelle Monáe and Ellie Goulding. Rather than narrow their songs down to just one or two, I’m going to share them all. Happy New Year.

First off, Ellie did a lovely job with her cover of Elton John’s “Your Song,” enhanced beautifully by the on-stage orchestra. She also gave the best live version of her amazing song “Starry Eyes” that I’ve seen yet…the size of the orchestra and the unique setting really seem to energize her, and she’s absolutely in top form. Here are both of those songs:

Not that I like to compare artists too often, but I think Janelle Monáe did even better with her fiery 3-song set. First, she took on the Jackson 5′s infectious classic, “I Want You Back,” and handled it with aplomb:

Then (or perhaps before…I’m not exactly sure how the program order went, seeing as I, y’know, wasn’t there), she sang a two-song medley featuring a pair of my favorites of hers, “Cold War” and “Tightrope.” To say she brought down the house would be an understatement. I’m pretty sure even some dignitaries in the audience are dancing by the end…

And well, that’s pretty much it. I might tinker with this feature a bit next time it pops up, but for now I’ll just keep it plain and simple. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words (which makes 5 YouTube videos worth…quite a lot of words?). Thanks for reading.

Holiday Song of the Day: “I Believe In Santa Claus”

It’s Christmas Eve night, so for once, I’ll keep it short and to the point. Here’s an absolutely beautiful song by Courtney Cotter, a talented singer-songwriter from the Mesa area (who I know from high school). I highly recommend you pay special attention to the lyrics  of the song…it’s a very profound message, and one that helps me, at least, really feel the true spirit of Christmas. So here’s tonight’s Holiday Song of the Day…

“I Believe In Santa Claus” by Courtney Cotter!

A Merry Christmas to all of you wonderful readers, whoever you may be. Thank you for visiting, and stay tuned for some fun end-of-year festivities to come.

My Music: “Look No Further”

So I just watched “The Sing-Off” finale, and it was indeed a treat. But before I get to my recap (which I shall commence writing right after I post this), here’s a new cover I recorded just today. It’s a stark, low-key ballad from British singer/songwriter Dido, who’s probably best known for the song “White Flag,” which was so big a hit it’s still playing on most adult-contemporary radio stations to this day. (Funny story about that song: For about 2 years I kept hearing it and loving it, but it being before the widespread advent of lyrics sites, and also due to the fact that I couldn’t quite understand the chorus whenever it came on the radio, it was a long time before I finally discovered what it was called.) This song is off her most recent album, “Safe Trip Home” (highly recommended), and its name is “Look No Further.” It’s admittedly a bit in my lower range for the most part, but it’s such a beautiful (and simple) song that I couldn’t resist singing it. Hope it strikes your fancy…and stay tuned for a “Sing-Off” recap coming later tonight. Thanks, as always, for checking my blog out.

Song of the Day: “Don’t Stop”

Here’s a quick Song of the Day…but first, the moment all of you (or most likely, 6 of you) have been waiting for…the winner of the $15 iTunes gift card giveaway! The numbers have been crunched, and here’s a photo of the result:

That means shantay, you’re our winner! Come on down, you’re a contestant on…oops, got carried away there. Sorry. But yes, you do win. I’ll be contacting you soon to arrange the delivery of your gift card.

Now, to the Song of the Day…

“Don’t Stop” by Gin Wigmore!

This is a cheerful, addicting song with a unique spin, hit home by the charmingly intriguing vocals of Gin Wigmore (a singer-songwriter by way of New Zealand). The answer to how I found out about this song is pretty easy…from the Lowe’s ad that aired on TV, embedded below (not only does it utilize great music, but it has FANTASTIC art direction and a great hook…it’s one of the best commercials I’ve seen in years). Lowe’s was kind enough to put the artist and song at the end of the commercial, and unlike most cases where that happens and the song ends up being underwhelming (and then when I love the song, they don’t list it at the end of the commercial…sigh…), in this case I was head over heels in love with the music they chose. It goes perfectly with the commercial (and brings it a very fresh, innovative vibe that really sells it, if you’ll pardon the pun…), and what’s even better, it’s a bright, outstanding song on its own.

Thanks for reading! And thanks for all who commented for the giveaway. (Even though it’s over…comments are ALWAYS welcomed. )

My Music: The Park

Here’s a quick post in honor of Feist’s new album (her first in four years!!) coming out tomorrow worldwide. A while ago me, my sister, and her/our friend (hope that’s remotely close to proper grammar) did a summer series of covers. Here’s a gem from Feist’s last album (which was “The Reminder”), called “The Park.” My version is from a different viewpoint than Feist’s original, and hopefully I communicated that OK. Enjoy!

P.S.: My “Sing-Off” recap for the week will be a little late this time around, due to previous engagements.

“The Sing-Off” Season 3, Episode 2 Recap: Wicked Game

I told you I’d be back. Tonight was another great episode of “The Sing-Off.” I have to admit the groups didn’t seem as strong tonight as they did last week, but I was still impressed, and there were some great surprises within the performances. Sad fact: Apparently only 5.3 million people watched the show last week. Let’s hope more tuned in tonight, and that it keeps growing, yo. Tell your friends, your mother, your brother, your lover (OK, I may have tried to make that an impromptu song in my head just now…ahem), whoever you know, that this show is awesome (that is why you’re reading this recap, right? RIGHT?), and they should be watching it. Even if they’re Dancing With The Stars fans like me. (Sniffle…I now have to catch it online every week now. Well, that is, until we get a DVR someday.) And now that I’ve rambled enough, let’s dive into the night’s musical proceedings. After a stellar group performance of “Sing” by My Chemical Romance (I’m glad Nick told us the song, because I honestly had never heard it before), the first group took the stage…

• Dartmouth Aires (from Hanover, NH): Remember my mixed reaction to the Yellowjackets’ song last week, and how I said they might be the college group of the season that I somewhat irrationally end up disliking? They might have company here in the Dartmouth Aires. Much like last season’s group from Yale, it just feels strange that an Ivy League a cappella group is competing for a recording contract and a cash prize. Thankfully unlike last season’s group from Yale, they didn’t really come off as entitled…but they didn’t seem entirely focused for me. I don’t know, maybe I’m just nitpicking. Speaking of nitpicking…I didn’t love their performance, as you probably expected. But…surprise! I didn’t hate it. It felt a little uneven, both in the harmonies and in the effect as a whole. The soloist didn’t quite rise up to the level that the song required, and it felt like the success level it had was mainly because of the group’s large numbers, and the song choice in general. (You’d really have to work hard to make “Higher Ground” sound bad.) The Aires seemed to be trying a little too hard to look goofy and fun-loving, and their performance didn’t quite hit home with me, but much like the Yellowjackets from Rochester last week, there’s still time for them to make me a fan. (After all, the On The Rocks Memorial Slot for Male College Group I Actually Kinda Sorta Like is still very much up for grabs. Vocal Point, of course, has taken the role of Male College Group I Am Obsessed With, Partly Because They, Um, Are From My School. And yes, I still need to work on these names. )
• Pentatonix (from Arlington, TX): I’m still not sure where I stand on this group, or this performance. The group is talented, but I’m not sure they’ve clicked for me yet. Their main lead vocalist (though they used several tonight in their take on Katy Perry’s “E.T.,” which in my opinion is probably one of her weaker songs) has an incredibly unique tone, but I’m not positive whether I love it or hate it. And their blend is striking…but it’s not entirely clear whether they’ve truly found their sound or not yet. So yes…lots of uncertainty. I thought they definitely improved on the original tune (though when it’s a somewhat plodding song about aliens, that’s not very hard to do) with a nice arrangement, and the first half was good, but for me it kind of fell apart in the second half. The latter two soloists they utilized were fairly weak and didn’t blend very well, and I think something funky might have happened with the pitches at a few spots. Where the arrangement and the performance should have built and grown and shined, it really kind of faltered. I have my eyes out for Pentatonix, but I’m just not in their corner yet.
• Messiah’s Men (from Minneapolis, MN): Their story was touching (they’re a group of Liberian refugees), and also, who knew that Minneapolis had a thriving Liberian community? I really liked these guys, and their vibe was just beautifully warm and unique and inviting. Their take on the classic “People Get Ready” had a very lived-in feel, and it was a very emotionally rewarding performance. That said, there were some significant problems with pitch, and a tiny bit with tone and blend. They didn’t end up really bringing the song down…but they were still there, they still showed, and it proved that while Messiah’s Men have the atmosphere and a true, heartwarming sense of group camaraderie down, the notes and technical issues need to be cleared up a bit before they can truly shine and fulfill their potential as an ensemble.
• Sonos (from Los Angeles, CA): I’ve made it no secret that I’ve come into this season with a huge bias in favor of a few groups (cough cough, Delilah and Vocal Point, cough cough)…but now I’m going to do the opposite of that and NOT tell you that I was crazy excited for Sonos and I’m totally familiar with them already. Because I’m not. (OK, I lie. I have a few of their songs on my iPod, have listened to and fallen in love with both of their albums, and generally think they’re the bees’ knees. ) It was nice to see that Sara was similarly fairly forthcoming, noting that she sang in a group with one of Sonos’ members, but making sure that didn’t affect her critique. (She also was a guest artist on Sonos’ first album as well.) I didn’t realize how much Sonos has relied on their effects pedals in the past, but even without them tonight, they really shined. I had forgotten about their take on “Wicked Game” (I watched a video of them singing it on some LA-area radio station a while ago, but it wasn’t very fresh in my mind), and it floored me tonight…the beatbox by Ben was incredible (did you HEAR how fast he was going?), the arrangement was stunningly intricate, and the lead vocals were very distinctive and fairly confident. I did see where the judges were coming from in their comments about how maybe the arrangement needed to be a bit more full…there were indeed times that the three ladies seemed a bit stranded harmonically. I also noticed some strange issue at the end towards the last verse…it seemed like there was an accidental key change, or if it was an intentional key change, it didn’t quite feel that way at all. Sonos showed just what they can do tonight, and I can’t wait to see what tricks they have up their sleeve in their next time out.
• The First Elimination: I feared a bit for my beloved Sonos, because while the judges expressed some high praise for the group, they also had some clear points of constructive criticism for them to work on, and their enthusiasm seemed just a little bit tempered. However, they held off on truly breaking my heart tonight, and sent Messiah’s Men home. They’re a bunch of really sweet guys, and it was a bummer to see them go so soon, but they just didn’t cut it all the way tonight, and there’s such a high level of competition that it’s hard to really say goodbye to anyone on the show. That said, it was wonderful to see the positive effect that music and being in a group has had in their lives, and I’m sure they’ll continue singing for years to come.
• This bullet isn’t really about one of the groups. Just gently griping about how Nota (the amazing Season 1 champions) got a full performance last year when they stopped by, yet Committed (last season’s winners) only got a 30-second snippet tonight. Throw us a bone, producers!
• The Collective (from Nashville, TN): I was very relieved pre-season to learn that Jeremy Lister (the stellar lead vocalist of last season’s powerhouse runner-up Street Corner Symphony) is actually not a performer in this group…because Street Corner Symphony needs to stay alive and thriving forever. (P.S.: They must have an album out. ASAP.) Rather than being in the group proper, Jeremy was the one who brought them all together (literally), and from what we saw in the rehearsal package, also helped them prepare for the competition. The whole “soloists singing together” concept has been a bit shaky in “The Sing-Off” past (remember the hot mess that resulted from the first and only performance by Season 1′s second castoff, Solo?), but I think the Collective might have a chance to prove that that concept can work. I was kind of torn on the tone of the lead vocalist, Ruby…most of the time it was in the right place for me, but towards the end it got a bit shouty and shrill, and her vibrato wasn’t terribly appealing…but she really sold the song (the stellar hit “Rolling In The Deep” by Adele), and the arrangement behind her was very intriguing. I thought it complemented the song well (plus they got the chords right in the chorus! Both John Legend & Glee failed to do so), and although their performance wasn’t anywhere near perfect, there’s a huge amount of potential present for the Collective. They still need to find their voice and their sound, but they’ve got all the makings of a great group, if they can rise to the occasion.
• Soul’d Out (from Wilsonville, OR): Last year’s resident high school group, Eleventh Hour, never really cut it for me. This time around, Soul’d Out actually did. Maybe it’s just their strength in numbers (a whopping 16 people make up the group), but Soul’d Out really seemed to have their act together…like they rose beyond the level of a high school ensemble in some ways. However, their performance didn’t quite connect, with me or the judges. Their song choice was baffling in my eyes…”Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In” is a classic I immensely enjoy, but there seemed to be a huge disconnect between the group and the song they were singing. There are older songs that younger groups can pull off very effectively. This song just wasn’t one of them, and it seemed like a shoe that just wouldn’t fit for most of the performance. However, I disagreed with the judges (or at least Ben) on which part of the song was better. Ben felt that Soul’d Out fell apart a bit during the second half, but I actually thought the “Aquarius” section was weak (it sounded much too traditionally choral), and although the harmonies were slightly hit-and-miss at a few moments in the “Let The Sunshine In” part, I thought it rocked much better, was much more fun, and had some intriguing vocal riffing by the young male lead. Soul’d Out didn’t quite floor me as much as they could have tonight, but I was impressed by their level of maturity and sense of who they are as a group. For a high school group, that’s something you can’t really take for granted.
• North Shore (from Boston, MA): I really like these guys. They have an effortless group dynamic and blend (the singing together for decades might have something to do with it), their personalities are engaging and unique, and they’re really a joy to watch and listen to. They kind of remind me of Season2′s Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town, but one of the differences here is that Jerry and the boys were already legendary figures in the a cappella world, while North Shore has been singing together for a long time, but faces a harsh economic reality in today’s climate, and has contemplated having to give up their music career if things don’t start improving. That’s a hard situation to see, but hopefully it won’t have to come to that…as Sara noted, North Shore should really never stop singing. Their performance of “Runaround Sue” was classy, energetic, laid-back (but in a very effective way), and all-around good fun. (I have a special place in my heart for “Runaround Sue,” as we sang it in a junior high men’s choir.) I don’t know if they’ll be to hold their own with much younger groups, but I think they can. (After all, Jerry & the Talk went all the way to fourth last season.)
• The Deltones (from Newark, DE): It’s always refreshing to see a collegiate a cappella group that’s not made up of just guys or girls, and that alone set the Deltones apart at the beginning, at least for me. However, their performance did more than just set them apart…it showed that they’re a major force to be reckoned with in this competition. The song, “Feels Like Home,” is a Randy Newman-penned classic, and it was touching to see in the rehearsal footage about how Jessica (the main lead vocalist tonight) found a true home through this song, and through her experiences with the group. (Lesson from tonight: A cappella music…and music in general…brings about such a great spirit of teamwork and camaraderie. Look at all these close-knit groups.) She brought that emotional resonance to her stunning lead vocal, starting off beautifully vulnerable (thank you, Ben, for pointing that out!), and building to a strong climax. (She had tinges of nervousness throughout the song, but oddly enough most of them ended up enhancing the performance rather than detracting for it.) She has a great tone for a lead vocalist, and it made the Deltones’ performance stand out and be even more poignant than it already was. It’ll be interesting to see how they do with lighter, more upbeat fare, but they certainly have nowhere to go but up.
• The Second Elimination: Soul’d Out and the Deltones were the last two groups in the second half awaiting their fate, and although they gave a strong showing, I think it was the right choice for the judges to send Soul’d Out packing. They have a nice amount of something special there that I hope they’ll get time to develop. Their swan song wasn’t bad (I don’t know what it was, mind you, but still), and their exit was classy. Maybe somewhere in the future a high school group can make a deep run at the title, but for now, Soul’d Out is off to make more great music in the charming town of Wilsonville.

Once again, the judges were spot-on tonight (and Sara earned her keep very well), and it was a great show to watch tonight, even if there was a little uneven-ness in the Week 2 lineup. Quite frankly, it’s late and I’m getting close to falling asleep on this keyboard now (I can see it: “The Deltones were very aefw;kefjpwiejfoajfpwwjojwofjoweifjoeijfofe [repeat indefinitely] tonigefpiojafw. Am I right?”), so let’s get a quick poll up, along with a promise to see you soon (at the very latest, next Monday) with some new posts, including next week’s Sing-Off recap. Thanks for reading!

Music Video of the Day: “Gonna Get Over You”

Just so I’m not making two “Sing-Off” posts in a row (the recap for tonight’s episode is to come once, y’know, it airs here and all that), here’s a great new Music Video of the Day, for your personal viewing pleasure…

“Gonna Get Over You” by Sara Bareilles!

I’m kind of noticing now that this music video is eerily similar to the last one I posted (for those of you with short memories/the inability to scroll down/change the page, it was for Cee-Lo Green’s “Cry Baby”), in that it features insanely fun-to-watch dancing, breakup undertones, and just all-around coolness. (In this instance, Sara plays herself, rather than enlisting a charming former 80s child star. ) Sara bounces around a Latin supermarket, cheerfully enlisting unsuspecting folks into her biker-chick dance routine army, and the result is an absolute delight to see. (Plus there’s a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it.) It even beats out another fun music video set in a supermarket (“Haven’t Met You Yet”), at least in my eyes. Sara wrote an endlessly addicting song here, and she’s created a video that’s just as addicting to go with it.

See you in a bit with the new recap for “The Sing-Off”!