We’ve got an all male Australian Idol top 4, after Chrislyn Hamilton left the competition. The talented teen faltered with her rendition of “Thriller” and paid the price. But it could have just as easily been her bottom three mates Mark Spano or Teale Jakubenko who got the axe.
The competition is so fierce right now, it seems that any less than stellar performance is unforgivable in the public’s minds. The remaining contestants will have to be on their game for next week’s theme, American Hits. It’s nice and broad, so it shouldn’t trip anyone up. And with Chris Isaak as guest mentor, I’m expecting big things!
In these days of rising petrol prices and scary economic predictions, it’s not often that you get something for nothing. But you can on Oz Music Scene! I have three copies of Switch 3’s rocking debut album Calm Before to give to three loyal readers!
How do you get your hands on a copy? Just leave a comment to this entry telling me what rocks your world! Make sure you leave your e-mail address (this won’t be posted publicly) so I can get in touch with you if you win.
Entries close at 5 pm AEST on November 10, and I’ll announce the winners on Tuesday November 11.
This week the Australian Idol contestants tackled the music of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. He might have gone a little wacko over the years, but it’s impossible to deny the genius of his musical output. Our Idols showed they were up to the challenge with some exceptional performances.Even guest judge Jermaine Jackson thought so!
Teale Jakubenko kicked things off with a sultry version of “Billie Jean.” It took me a little while to warm to this as it was a carbon copy of the rendition American Idol winner David Cook did earlier this year. But by the end he had me. Teale’s voice is getting better and better, and he brought an emotional intensity that really tapped into the lyric.
Next up we had self-confessed Jacko fan Mark Spano with a song he felt reflected his personality rather than his ability: “Bad.” The problem with this song is that the verses tend to operate on one level. The choruses really kicked, but by the time they came in most people had already changed channel or started a conversation.
Chrislyn Hamilton was ambitious, taking on the monster hit “Thriller.” It was always going to be a big ask, and she just didn’t have what it took to carry this off. There wasn’t quite enough energy, and combined with some pitch problems a great song became a little lacklustre.
Luke Dickens followed with a very smart choice: a bluesy cover of “The Way You Make Me Feel.” When I saw he’d picked this pop classic I was really nervous, but his rootsy makeover was right in the pocket. He took a risk here but it definitely paid off. For a man who was a sheep shearer a few months ago, his musical instincts astound me.
Wes Carr closed the night with a showstopping version of “Black or White.” This is what a Michael Jackson song should be: pure unadulterated fun. He held nothing back here and I reveled in it. I actually gave him a standing ovation in my lounge room. There are not enough superlatives to describe how good this was.
We’re really getting to the pointy end of the competition, and I’m a little worried Mark Spano won’t be around to see it. Chrislyn didn’t have her finest performance either, but as the only girl left she might be given another chance. All will be revealed tomorrow night on the verdict show!
Last night I was back at Lizotte’s. I’m beginning to think I should just set up a bed out back and be done with it! This time I was enticed there by the prospect of seeing Aussie music legend Daryl Braithwaite.
But before all that we were treated to the musical stylings of Jess Locke. I was initially entranced by this folk singer with the pure voice and her quiet acoustic guitar strummings. But pretty soon the lack of variety in her songs made me lose interest. Her introspective tunes were well crafted, but ultimately depressing. When she introduced a track called “Happy Song” I perked up looking forward to the change of pace. Yet as the lyrics told us, she tried to write a happy song but it didn’t work out! Jess has a real talent, but some light and shade would make her music a lot more accessible.
Jess might not know how to have fun, but Daryl sure does. I’m not sure how I’ve made it to my age without seeing him live, but I definitely won’t wait long before repeating the experience. From Sherbet to his solo career, Daryl’s been around for an awfully long time. He’s had hit after hit, and he crammed as many of them as he could into his set.
Daryl’s appeal crosses all generations. My mum used to squeal over him when he was the long-haired frontman of Sherbet, while I remember Rise being one of my primary school soundtracks. No matter when you knew him, his songs are classics ingrained in us all. So it took little prompting for Daryl to engage us all in a little sing-along session.
Iconic tunes like “Howzat,” “One Summer,” and “As The Days Go By” sat comfortably alongside covers of James Reyne’s “Slave” and Free’s “Wishing Well.” Daryl performs with energy and a healthy dose of humour, and as a member of his audience you find yourself having just as much fun as he appears to.
By the closing number, “The Horses,” we were all on our feet and singing raucously. Our applause was enthusiastic and the smiles on our faces wide. After a show like that, it’s not hard to see why Daryl Braithwaite continues to be a strong force in the Australian music industry.
They’re an unlikely duo, but it seems Guy Sebastian and John Mayer are making beautiful music together! Guy, who is currently Stateside recording his new album, announced the news to fans in his website forum.
“So I think this may be the best day of my life,” he wrote.
“I’m in LA at the moment recording and the band I have playing sounds crazy. I have John Mayer on guitar/background vocals and the rest of his band playing. The groove is amazing to sing to.”
The album is still in its early stages, but word is that we should hear it in the first half of 2009.
In these days of rising petrol prices and scary economic predictions, it’s not often that you get something for nothing. But you can on Oz Music Scene! I have three copies of 
