It's Finally the Finals!!! Rolling Stones Week Top 12

OK, I know I said RIP Idol last week...I guess I didn't really mean I'd stop watching.  An intervention may be needed for me to really quit Idol.  But I still feel the show is winding down. I heard they are in negotiations for three more seasons, but that will probably be it.

OK, Rolling Stones week.  I was a little uninspired when I heard they were doing the Rolling Stones.  I checked out the Itunes list, and was shocked by how few Stones songs I actually know.  I feel like when they limit the contestants to one artist, it turns out very karaoke.

Also from now on, since I've never been able to audition, I'll put what song I would've chosen to sing. :)
My pick: Paint It Black


Michael Lynche "Miss You"
I'm soooo glad he didn't get disqualified like was rumored earlier.  He's really good.  He's the first legitimate R&B contender in a long time.  His falsetto riffs were gorgeous.  He really felt the song, too.  He's gone from boring in legitimate contender fast!

Wow! Awkward exchange between Ryan and Simon!  Not sure what's going on between these two this season, but it feels tense...

Didi Benami "Play With Fire"
Sexy, slinky Didi...I'm not buying it.  The angry faces were ugly.  This song was too slow.  It just kinda went nowhere.  Her big belted note was just out of her reach.  It was really pinched and shrill.  It was better on the second, lower glory note.  She really got into it, though...

Casey James "It's All Over Now"
Casey is a crazy good guitar player.  I think he might enjoy playing guitar more than singing...He didn't get into the song as much as he should have.  His rapid vibrato bugs me.  When someone has a vibrato like that, it ruins the quality of their tone.  I'm sure he'll have a successful country career after Idol, though...I mean if Bucky Covington can...

Lacey Brown "Ruby Tuesday"
Ugh, she's one of those singers that smiles every time she performs, doesn't matter what the song is about.  Her voice is so vulnerable, but not something I really want to hear.  She's very forgettable.  Her breathing is shallow and can't support even a short phrase.  It keeps her just under pitch, too.

Andrew Garcia "Gimme Shelter"
Andrew really connected to this song.  Vocally he did amazing things with this.  He shaped his phrases, pulled back the vocals to some nice quiet, unexpected notes.  His big glasses cover up too much of his face and he looked kinda lost on that big stage.  He was clinging to the mike stand for dear life.

Katie Stevens "Wild Horses"
Katie is always just a little under pitch.  I can't get into her.  That felt like the talent portion of a pageant.  Her dress and her hair.  She doesn't have it yet. Every time she reaches for that big note, her voice cracks. Give her about 10 years and she'll be good.

Tim Urban "Under My Thumb"
Tim's family is scary...Wow, why would you pick that song?!!!  This whole performance was just weird. The reggae beat didn't bother me so much as what he was actually singing.  Not a good way to promote yourself, by singing a song about being a mysogynistic abuser. Unfortunately it was probably his best vocal yet.  That said, I like Tim's attitude.

Siobhan Magnus "Paint It Black"
"Paint It Black", the closest we'll ever see to how Adam Lambert would have sung it...That was incredibly musical theatre.  I'm a little mixed on it.  Her high note on the end was a literal screech. She doesn't know the boundaries of her voice yet.  The rest was really cool, though.  She has a cool tone to her voice and really feels what she is singing.

Lee Dewyze "Beast Of Burden"
He's so MidWestern. :)  This was a cool version.  My mom says he reminds her a little of Bruce Springsteen. It was definitely his best vocal of the season.  That is not a forgettable performance.  Women's hearts melted with that sweet song.

Paige Miles "Honky Tonk Woman"
Hard to believe she's sick.  Her voice is very strong, but she's still boring.  There's no spark with her.  That said, it's much easier to belt as song like that when you are sick, than sing a sweet, quiet song.

Aaron Kelly "Angie"
This is definitely Aaron's best performance. I still don't think he deserves to be there over Alex, but it was good.  He sounded a lot like Keith Urban on this one.  He doesn't have a huge voice, so he needs to pick songs like this.

Crystal Bowersox "Can't Always Get What You Want"
Crystal is good.  Her voice is amazing.  All of her performances are kind of samey samey.  If she played them as a set list, it would be boring.  I want her to do something out of the box, put down the guitar, and either rock it out, or sing a beautiful ballad.

I predict that Lacey Brown is gone, but this season has been all about surprises, so who really knows who will go tonight...