DJariya

The only group that really impressed me was Sixwire. They did a great job with "Mr. Tambourine Man" and I love their original song. If they manage to get a record deal out of this, I think "Good to be back" could definitely be a crossover country-pop hit.

I just don't get why the judges love Franklin Bridge so much. Sure, they are good musicians and jam good together. But, the lead singer IMO sounded really whiny and naisally. I hated their original song.

das Monkey

This show is far more entertaining than Idol has ever been. It sucks to see it buried like this.

I thought both of the hillbilly bands were excellent (No. 7 and Clark Bros.).

Sixwire belongs in a studio and on the radio, not in this competition.

Franklin Bridge didn't deserve all that hype they got from the judges last week, but they tore up "Tangled Up in Blue". The vocals on that "Incredible" song are still terrible, though.

Denver was a little underwhelming, even though I love their style.

The Hatch ... zzzzzzz The Muggs ... zzzzzzz

Adam from Dot Dot Dot actually has a wonderful voice. Too bad they're just loud and annoying.

Light of Doom butchered "All Along the Watchtower"

Dude from The Likes of You needs to cool it with the falsetto. I like how his bandmates are all hobbits to make him took even taller.

Tres Bien and Rocket are too gimmicky.

das

Big Boy Laroux

i was critical of Franklin Bridge last week. This week, i thought they were great on "tangled up in Blue", but they sang the same original from last week, which i still don't like.

I only voted for one band, and that was the Clark Brothers. I thought they were great.

other bands i like - Tres Bien and the Muggs.

bands i don't like - Dot Dot Dot, Likes of You (just cause of that guy's falsetto. like Johnny Rzezezezezeznik said, it was waaaaaaaay too much. throw it in the song maybe once or twice, or not at all).

The rest are in the middle.


and i agree that this show is already better than Idol. this is actual talent, not just a singing competition. plus the judges are MUCH better (maybe the idol judges have just gotten lazy). they give great, honest comments. There's no Paula in the bunch, who just praises and praises. I think they were hoping for that with Seila E., but shes also giving good insight.

I liked the comments from DickO to the Muggs. The lead isn't a great singer, but he needs to own his voice.

brainee

Damn ... the ratings are even worse this week (dead last for the night by a huge margin). Not sure how likely it is we even see the entire 10 episode run. Fox could probably get better ratings at this point from just airing a rerun of something.

Thay said, I enjoy watching the show. It feels like a real overall musical talent contest, and I like how the bands get to play an original along with the "theme" song. And the theme was a good one - Dylan songs are (and have been) adaptable to every musical style, and there are many ways artists can make a Dylan cover their own.

Not really a fan of Hatch or the Muggs ... the songs just didn't have any focus to my ears, and I just don't like the sound (especially the singers).

Light of Doom - sure ... great for 12/13, but in this contest they clearly don't belong and are just there as a gimmick to get a younger demographic watching (which clearly isn't working).

The bluegrass/hillbilly bands (Clark bros, 7) sound good, but it's just not a genre that I like.

Likes of You - weren't featured last week. The snippet I heard sounded really good, but that was probably because we didn't have to bear with so much of that annoying falsetto. There's talent there though, if the guy tones it down. How tall is he anyway? John Oates and everyone in the band look like midgets standing next to him.

I like Rocket's look and sound, but everyone's right that the singer is rather weak (even for this genre of music).

Didn't like Tres Bien as much as last week, but still ok.

Dotx3 ... maybe they're good, but I found all the performance mugging to be annoying.

Franklin Bridge ... yeah, the cynical part of me thinks that they've only advanced this far because of demographics. The original is still dull, but I think there's talent there and they do have a potentially different sound (mixing rock with soul/funk/gospel).

6Wire is the clear cream of the crop to me (and I'm not a country fan at all). Faultless performances across the board, extremely tight playing, and the best original (though I'd like to hear a different song next time).

Groucho

Across the board, the original songs were better than the covers.

In terms of musicianship, Six Wire None the Richer is far and away better than everybody else. Who knew that Josh Holloway had his own band? I can see them having a hit single on the soundtrack of Cars 2. They're also the only band that got the Dylan cover right.

I probably wouldn't vote them (not that I'm voting) simply because it's not a genre I listen to.

Glad this show has more uptempo songs. Idol was way too much about the ballads.

Big Boy Laroux

I guess ratings are down even further this week. no one from DVDTalk has even posted about it...

I'm not broken up at all about the 2 bands sent home. Likes of You annoyed me, and the Hatch was pretty non-descript.

My favorites from this week:

Clark Brothers (continue to impress me - and all without drums/bass - but it'll be interesting to see if they can alter their style a little bit - of all the elton songs to pick, they pick one with "country" in the title)

Old No. 7 (showed humor and great musicianship)

Tres Bien (i liked their original - and the frontman did well without the guitar. entertaining)


Middle:

Sixwire (they do have great musicianship), but something is just too perfect...

Franklin Bridge (they grew on me this week - their original was good, MUCH better than the original they played last week. But i may just be a sucker for someone playing slap bass. I do like their drummer, and their lead singer is actually a good guitar player when he's not just wearing it like an ornament)

Light of Doom (actually pretty good. and not just "for 13 year olds". hilarious they had no idea who Bernie Taupin was - "Bernie Poppin?")


Bottom of my list:

Denver (i like the sound from the band, but Denver himself just doesn't have the oomph to carry a big band)

Dot Dot Dot (better than last week, but still not that great. the frontman does need to cool it with the emo posing (as DickO called him on))

The Muggs (I liked them last week. But this week - the original was decent, but they BUTCHERED the Elton song. we know the guy doesn't have a great voice, but i think Sheila hit it on the head when she said he's trying to sing in a key that's too high - and i also hated the way the lead reacted to the criticism - maybe there's a reason you haven't been signed, man!)

Rocket - probably my least favorite of the week. i thought the original was a good concept (although i think there are already 300 songs out there having to do with a "future Ex-Boyfriend"), but the lead's vocals are very weak. not just that she doesn't have a great voice - i agree with the judges, it's weak, no strength/conviction. And I thought Rocketman was awful. They should have seen if Shatner was available. They should ditch the lead singer and have the guitar player (the hot one) sing. She sounded good on the backup parts, plus she needs more camera time).


I continue to be impressed with the judges. Although Johnny is having a difficult time with the booing, i actually like that he's not just tuning out the crowd like most judges on reality shows. He addressed the fact that they're there to be honest.

Groucho

Wow, Big Boy. You're spot on with your observations. I pretty much agree with everything you wrote.

I have no idea why Fox set this show up to die, especially when they knew the writer's strike was likely.

A-aron

this is the first week I'm watching this, but WTF was that train wreck of a Billy Joel cover. Franklin Bridge was the name of the band and they were supposed to cover Big Shot. Big Shot might have been the only words they actually got right, because the butchered the rest.

Then come the judges - did any of the call them on fucking up the lyrics? Nope .. Reznick says "you guys rocked!" Sheila E says "great job .. you owned it" and DICKhead, or Dicko says "keep up the great work". Did any of these retards actually hear what tripe was coming from this "band"?

Billy Joel is rolling over in his grave .. oh, wait ...

shanester

America got it right last week. Both Rocket and Muggs definitely need lead singers. They're vocals were horrible!

I think Franklin Bridge are over rated. They are decent musicians but the lead singer has very limited vocal range. If your gonna try and be a Prince type band you gotta have the attitude and vocal prowess to pul it off. They don't

Light of Doom are actually good musicians. I can all see them being alcoholics and drug addicts in about 10 years . The lead singer actually has a pretty decent voice for his age. I just hope he's able to develop his vocal chords as he gets older and not ruin them by singing only screamin' medal.

Can't wait next week so see those little guys rip into a Stroller & Leiber Elvis tune

brainee

Completely agree about Franklin Bridge. In theory it should be a great idea for a group - an upbeat melting pot of rock, pop, R&B, funk. But the performances never live up to it for me.

Yeah, Muggs and Rocket deserved to go. Light of Doom is amazing for their age, but still feel like a novelty act. Even though the shirts are on, this brand of metal (along with the strutting and posing) is so sexual in nature. And it just seems weird to have 12/13 year olds doing it, and expecting to get taken seriously. If they keep at it, they could be a real force in 10 years though.

I wish Rzeznik (or however you spell it) and Sheila E would diversify their comments. With a couple of exceptions, it was all "You rock!", "You're amazing!", "I love you guys!". When they do criticize, they're usually spot on though (for example, I was thinking the same thing about Tres Bien's Moving Out, which just seem slowed down too much and lacking energy). Rzeznik is so apologetic about any criticism too - audience members who boo every single critical comment are morons.

So are they going to single eliminations now each week? If it wasn't for the writers strike, I'd think this show would be pulled due to the horrible ratings. But what else are they going to put on?

Big Boy Laroux

I definitely agree with who was sent home. They were both in my bottom group last week.

As for the performances this week - I wish we could have seen more originals, instead of covers.

my favorite, yet again, was the Clark Brothers. they just convey emotion in their songs, whether it's a slow or fast song.

Sixwire with another solid performance, but like i said last week, they're almost too perfect. To me, it's almost boring.

After a better performance (to me) last week, Franklin Bridge was back to crap. I don't get the love from the judges for their performance this week.

I thought Denver was better this week. They looked a little looser with their attire.

Light of Doom could definitely go far in this contest. In their audition performance, the weakest link was definitely the singer. But he's come a long way in just a few episodes. he's not fully matured, but he's still a good singer.

This was the first week where i thought Sheila E. and Rzeznik were useless. They've been good every other episode. It's almsot as if the producers told them "No! you're not following the formula! the only person who gets to be critical is the guy on the end with the accent!"

Big Boy Laroux

anyone still watching this?

didn't post after last week's show, so i'll just say i was glad to see Franklin bridge go. They sucked that week.


anyway, i forgot exactly what happened last week... so i'll just talk about this week.

this was the first time i liked Sixwire. They sounded a little harder, and not as "perfect".

clark brothers KILLED their song. that was an amazing performance. I'd buy a cd of theirs right now, especially if they included the songs they've done on this show.

not sure why Dot Dot Dot is still around. And i thought they sounded really off this week.

DVD Josh

Still watching the performances only (ff through any other part of the show). Sixwire continues to impress me, as do the Clark "If only they had four brothers so another could play drums" Brothers. DDD is atrocious, as is Light of Doom. Tre Bien doesn't annoy me so much and I couldn't tell you the sixth band if you paid me.

Groucho

I'm still enjoying this show more than I've ever liked Idol.

Sixth band is "Denver and the Mile High Orchestra". I'm ready for them to go. The horns are great, but the lead guy doesn't cut it. You need an edgier, Brian Setzer type to front this sort of act.

Dot Dot Dot really sucked when the show started, but you can tell they've been working hard, as they've improved quite a bit. As opposed to Tres Bien, who I liked at first but now can't stand.

It's really down to Sixwire and the Clark Brothers for me now, and I'm not even a country fan.

Big Boy Laroux

yep, i agree about Denver. i think i said it before. he is just missing something. the oomph. the chutzpah. he's too vanilla.

i do think that DDD has come far from where they were (i did like their performance the week before), but they took a step back this week. Rose can play guitar, yes, but everything else was off.

Big Boy Laroux

ha ha, i think they have more brothers... maybe a drum kit was just two big to carry around on all their church revival trips.

DRG

Denver just seems like a so-so lounge act, I can't figure out why they're still around. I just don't think they are properly utilizing all those musicians in these arrangements, and the singer lacks the charisma and the vocal skills to keep it from being routine cheese.

Light of Doom, very good for their age, but they are a bit too one-trick pony for me. In a couple of years they might be great.

Sixwire... really solid, but I'm not sure if they'll stand up as well outside this competition because I'm not seeing anything unique that would separate them from all the other competent bands out there.

Dot Dot Dot is odd because I can't figure out what exactly they're going for. At first glance they seem like they would be an emo band or maybe pop punk, but musically they don't really fit either of those genres. So far they remind me of a modern day version of the 80s band The Escape Club, for some reason.

Clark Brothers I really enjoy. I think drums would actually hurt their sound, because I love the way all those strings compliment each other.

Tres Bien I dig in a way, but at the same time they sort of bore me. I can't really explain it. I feel as if there's something missing and I can't put my finger on it.

DVD Josh

Ah yes, Denver. I call them "The Greatest Wedding Band in America".

Big Boy Laroux

i felt the same way, and i think i figured out what it was, at least for me. their guitarist really isn't that great. he'd be better suited for rhythm guitar. i think if they brought in a true lead guitarist, that would help.

Jadzia

Denver is the worst part of that band. He is like the choir-boy version of Barney from How I Met Your Mother. "Suit up!"

brainee

Anyone still holding on with this show Only 2 more shows (I think), so it looks like it'll stagger to the finish line.

Oddly enough, despite the production push for this to be a rock/pop show we're left with only one rock group (and novelty Hanson-ized Iron Maiden wannabes at that), 2 country bands, and a Christian swing band. But I guess real rock fans have better things to do on Friday nights than watch this

It's probably anyone's game at this point. The viewership is so low that a voting faction can have greater influence than with AI. I've been surprised DMHO keeps sticking around, until I heard they have a following in Christian music circles. LOD has the kiddy and joke vote. 6Wire and Clarks splitting the country vote.

A problem with this show I've been having is all the covers and theme weeks. I thought this was supposed to be something different in practice from AI - but instead its just AI with bands. Performances of original material would really tell where the bands stand - not all these cover songs. There are tons of good sounding cover bands across the country, but it's in the originals where you can see if they could be a real force.

And the repeated "get to know the band" segments are getting tiresome and just taking away from music-time. Even AI doesn't waste valuable time EVERY week with a fluff piece on all the contestents - they might have one or two features a week, a short interview before the song. With only 3 bands to perform next week, you'd think there would plenty of time to give each band a 10 minute set to tear it up. But instead we're probably going to follow the same formula:

1) 60 sec of blathering by that Kiwi idiot who does the impossible and makes me miss Ryan Seacrest
2) 2 min "getting to know the band" segment. By this point we're running out of interesting stuff, so we'll meet the one guys pet dog and hear anothers great recipe for chili.
3) 90 sec cover song of a group the band clearly doesn't care much for, and has little musical relation to.
4) 2 min of pointless critique ("you rock", "I love you guys")
5) 30 more sec of blathering by the host
6) 5 min commercials

repeat until all bands are done

For the judges, I do think Rzeznik sometimes has useful comments. But he seems timid to say anything not wanting to anger the crowd (who idiotically boos even the most good-intentioned constructive criticism). Sheila E is every bit as useless as Paula Abdul, except a few years older and without even the circumstance of being wasted to explain the idiocy. Dicko has some good comments, but like Simon they're often rushing him to get to commercial. I loved last week, when after JR and SE gushed all over the Clark Bros, Dicko flat-out says it was a crap song with stupid lyrics (which it was!)

I'll watch to the end, but doubt I'd give another season a shot (unless I hear there are massive format changes). Another season ... ... well, I'll watch these last couple shows and that'll be that then!

das Monkey

I still enjoy it, but I miss Cliff Wagner and the Old No. 7. They were fun. It's significantly better than American Idol IMO, but this is probably the only season we'll get, which is a shame.

das

PerryD

I don't understand why they don't have the loser perform their songs, obviously they practiced all week, might as well hear them play. Like you said they have plenty of time to fill.

The good rock bands left early and often on this show, I was happy that the bluegrass band left last week, but it would have been a completely different show if the 4 or 5 rock bands were in it instead of all of the country and big band that we have to sit through now.

The little kid metal band sounded really rough last week, I'm starting to feel sorry for them now, kind of like Sanjaya Malakar.

DVD Josh

My wife and I get through an ep in about 15 mins. We just watch the intro and performances.

I will buy the first Clark brothers record. They are very good.

Light of Doom is awful, and I'm glad the judges finally said something about it.

DRG

I disagree with the judges and have to say the addition of the extra musicians has ruined what made the Clark Brothers sound interesting to me. I loved that simple layered string sound, it had a fire to it. But now they just sound like every other traditional country band. Yawn.

It's a joke that Denver is still around. He should be performing at a Ramada Inn lounge somewhere. Seriously.