Most people think Crystal Bowersox will win the American Idol Season 9.  We don’t, but what do we know (see above).  We were exhilarated by Michael Lynche’s performance of “A Woman’s Work” last week.  I think it was the best we have seen since Jordan Sparks in American Idol Season 6.

Tonight the American Idol Top 12 sing songs of The Rolling Stones.  The Stones have a deep, broad catalogue of music that should fit all singing styles.  I look forward to tonight’s performances so let’s get started.

We are on the big stage and it looks like the designers have started dressing the Idols.  This usually freaks a few contestants out so let’s see who is ready for the large live audience.

Cool montage to one of the greatest rock bands of all time.  Their body of work is raw, edgy and complex while being accessible.  It will be difficult to cover these songs without being copy cat.

We are opening with Michael Lynche.  He is singing Miss You.  He better do something do this highly stylized song from the Stones disco era.  He is filling this disco number with a driving R&B vibe.  He looks stronger and stronger every week.  He is showing some sweet arrangement skills.  This is a great follow-up to last week.  Michael Lynche is true favorite to American Idol Season 9. The judges are loving them some Michael.  Randy says he slayed it.  Kara says he delivered swagger and attitude. Simon thought the dancing was a little corny.   I and all of the other judges disagree with Simon.  Is Ryan going to punch Simon?

Looks like Didi Benami is next.  The Rolling Stones are a minefield for Didi.  Their’s are not really singer/songwriter tunes.  She is singing “Play With Fire”.  Okay, she is slowing this down and inserting a little grit into the song.  At least she is connected to the mood of the song.  This is quite interesting.  I like her pleading, edgy take on the song.  Well done. Randy loved it.  He calls it her best.  Kara liked her intensity and that is was I liked as well.  It was darkness, combined with Didi’s sweet voice.  Simon liked it.  They all talked about her losing her way in the song.  But she recovered so well that I did not really notice.

Casey James came from a divorced family and nearly died as a baby.  He is singing “It’s All Over Now” as a electric country rave-up.  Everybody’s doing well so far.  I guess great songs just work.  I bet Casey sings this in his club set.   We get just enough of the guitar but not so much that it distracts.  Another good performance.  Randy compared him to Kenney Wayne Shephard.  Ellen says fantastic.  Kara says he is no longer trying to be a rock star but is a rock star.  Calls it his best performance so far.  Simon doesn’t like anything tonight.  He says it has to be more than stand in the middle of the stage and play his guitar.

Time for Lacey Brown.  She needs a very strong performance because she is on the bubble.  Her parents are pastors.  She is singing “Ruby Tuesday”.  The perfect song for her voice.  This is not as great as I would hope.  Her voice sounds a little pitchy and she is not really bringing anything new and interesting to the song.  She is singing just fine, but I don’t think it was great.  Randy was pleasantly surprised.  Ellen tells her not go the Grand Canyon because she likes to sit on the edge of the stage.  Kara was 50/50 thinking it was a little sleepy.  Simon thinks her performances are a little too precise.  Finally, Simon gives some constructive advice.

Time for Andrew Garcia. Andrew is doing one of the hardest Stone’s songs “Gimme Shelter”.  He sounds good, but the song has none of the danger that is the soul of the song. I never though Andrew would not be edgy.  He showed off his voice but this is not the dark song that took the world by storm.  Randy hated it, Ellen loved it.  Kara says she did not feel the connection to the message of the song.  Kara is tired of Simon’s criticisms and snaps at him.  Simon was luke warm on the song.

Teen beauty queen Katie Stevens is singing “Wild Horses”.  She can do something with this song.  Based on the bio video, Katie’s family is doing all right.  She is showing a limited range that is surprising to me.  It pushes this song into more of a country ballad style.  She sings it just fine but I don’t like her take on the song.  Randy thinks she sang it very well.  Kara gives her faint praise.  Simon like her song choice, but thinks she lost the emotion of the song in the second half.

Tim Urban is from Texas (that is the 3rd Texan so far).  He is singing “Under My Thumb”.  He is playing guitar and has arranged the song with a reggae vibe.  For me it loses some of the anguish but reggae music can express deep sorrow with a beat.  He is singing well.  This was an interesting choice and he performed it well.  I liked it.  Randy called it bizarre.  Ellen didn’t connect with it.  Kara applauds him for doing something incredibly different with the song.  Simon thinks it did not work.  I disagree with the judges, I thought it was interesting.

Siobhan Magnus, the quirky one, sings “Paint It Black”.  The performance starts with strings and Siobhan singing quietly. She is really struggling.  This song is too fast for her voice. She soars and then screams through some big notes at the end.  This did not work for me at all.  Too much drama.  Randy loves it.  Am I watching the same show.  The judges are fawning all over her.  Kara calls it the best interpretation tonight and Simon calls it the best of the night.

Chicagoan Lee Dewyze takes on “Beast of Burden”, another Stones disco song.  he rearranges into an indie pop song.  Essentially he strips away all of the song’s peculiarities to highlight his voice.  It works.  Lee shows off his strong voice.  I could hear this on the radio today. Randy thought it was dope.  Ellen compares it to a hospital gown (not quite together).  Kara celebrates his tremendous growth. Simon says he is low personality and the performance was low energy.

Now it is time for Paige Miles.  She has struggled with some serious throat problems this week.  Paige talks about singing in the church when she was growing up.  She is singing “Honky Tonky Woman”.  She loves old bluesy, foot stomping rock songs. This is working.  I am getting a bit of a Tina Turner vibe.  Husky vocals with big soaring notes.  She did make it big. Ellen says Paige has great star quality and sounded amazing.  Kara thinks she got a little lost but liked it.  Simon thinks she did great but she can do better.  Because of her throat problems this was her first full performance of the song, wow!

Aaron Kelly is a country performer through and through.  Did you see the big hats?  He is singing “Angie”.  I think the song is a little mature for him.  He certainly looks comfortable on the big stage, but the vocal performance is a little bland.  He could have wrung more (some) emotion out of that song. The judges are loving this performance as well.  I guess I will never be an American Idol judge.

Crystal Bowersox ends the show with “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”.  Just Crystal, her guitar and a wisp of organ. The song starts a little slow and quiet, but then she kicks the bridge and turns on her gospel chops.  Strong vocals and mature stage presence, a very good performance.  Let the judges’ fawning begin.  Ellen points out that we are starting to see a little of her personality.  Simon says she was not the best of the night.

It is interesting that the four who received the harshest criticism were planted in the middle of the show.  I am just saying.

fOnk garden
LMNO
Up Above Records
Underground Hip-Hop
Buy NOW:
Amazon
iTunes

Weep…He Loves The Mourners Tears
Preson Phillips
Come&Live!
Worship
(will be available as a pay-what-you-want format on Come&Live!’s website this week)

Decrease/Increase
Wrench In The Works
Facedown Records
Chaos Metal
Buy NOW:
Amazon
iTunes

It also wore us out. You, see with the exception of some very part time (but very appreciated) work by Rebecca Harvey, Debbie Harvey, Dylan Harvey, and Micheal Delaney, The ONE21 Music is just Chuck and I. Covering the shows, taking pictures, setting up and conducting interviews, and then blogging and posting these experiences at a festival the size of SXSW is a lot of ground to cover for two people. We left the festival feeling pretty beat, but knowing we had done some good work and made some good contacts.

That brings us to SXSW 2010. It seem like so much has changed since last year; we have added a whole new dimension to the website with the artist database, we are posting over 10 new entries a week, and on top of that both Chuck and I are working multiple jobs to support our families. Planning for this years festival has been tough to schedule, but we were able to identify several artists of faith that will be playing SXSW this year, and sent interview requests promptly so that we could bring you the best coverage we possibly could muster. Well as of last night, 2 days before we are going to head to SXSW, we have not gotten one interview. In fact, we have been told by two fairly prominent names in the underground Christian scene that they no longer consider themselves part of that scene.

So, here is the deal, below is a list of the artists of faith that are playing SXSW 2010. Most of these guys will be playing several times over the course of the week, and most of them will be playing free events that open to non badge/wristband people. We are going to be down there as much as we can. We will talk about the shows we go to, but this isnt going to be like last year. This is going to be laid back ONE21 Music VS. SXSW. Please feel free to contact us at anytime if you are going to be attending the festival, and we will do our best to clue you in to where the Christian artists are going to be. If you want to hang out, thats cool too.

We will be posting updates when we can, please keep checking back with us

ONE21 Artists playing SXSW 2010:

Eisley
Jennifer Knapp
La Dispute
Conditions
Lovedrug
Perhapsy
Tedashii
Relient K
Son Lux
The Rocketboys
Lights
Tre9
Unwed Sailor
Winston Audio
Dignan
Max Justus
Danielson
Capybara
Buddy Miller
Ben + Vesper
Doug Burr
FLAME
MyChildren MyBride
Swimming With Dolphins
and many more….

Below is the rocking performance of “In My Teeth” by Manchester Orchestra which appeared on The Jimmy Kimmel Live Show last week. Its a great song and a great performance, I think we can agree that the crowd must have been on sedatives or something….

Check it out!  A new video from hardcore upstarts Close Your Eyes. “Song for The Broken” comes from Close Your Eyes’ newest release on Victory Records, We Will Overcome.  These guys are rapidly becoming one of the most watched groups on the hardcore scene and there signing by Victory Records should mark the start of some big things for Close Your Eyes.

The One21 Essential 100 is a collection of albums that represent the best in creativity, innovation, and originality in music. This is not a “best of” list, nor is it influenced by album sales, or even popularity. Our attempt with this series is to highlight the gems, those rare albums that push boundaries and encourage new ways of thinking; both musical and philosophically. In our opinion, the music highlighted in this series is the “good stuff”.

Simply what this is going to be is a list of 100 albums from Christian music artists that we think you should own. Like our website, most genres will be represented, and some of the albums will be from as far back as the 60s, to as current as 2009. Each week we will post five albums, in no real order, with descriptions, album artwork, and places to buy the music.

Check out Pt.1
Check out Pt.2
Check out Pt.3
Check out Pt.4
Check out Pt.5
Check out Pt.6
Check out Pt.7
Check out Pt.8

Please Come Home
Dustin Kensrue
2006
Buy this album: Amazon, iTunes
There was so much to be surprised by on 2006’s Please Come Home. First and foremost, it was the debut solo effort from Thrice frontman, Dustin Kensrue, a band known for their complex, mosh inducing post hardcore anthems. So the fact that he choose to make a folk/country album let you know this was something completely different in itself.

The second surprise is just how GOOD Please Come Home is. Kensrue’s normal growl translates into earnest grit in this stripped down setting, and the whole feel of the album is set off by this fact. Think of something in between Johnny Cash, The Mommas & The Pappas, and old timey gospel, and that’s about where this album lands. The songs are well constructed, catchy, and thoughtful. Everything about them seems very familiar and yet fresh at the same time. Please Come Home is track after track of your favorite song that you’ve never heard.

Perhaps the biggest surprise though, and the one that makes all of this so special, is Kensrue’s willingness to talk about his faith on Please Come Home in a very personal and real way. When he isn’t putting parables into song form (Please Come Home), or declaring his beliefs directly (I Believe), Kensrue is confronting issues of sin and struggle in such a thoughtful manner you hardly know he is preaching. What Dustin Kensrue accomplished in 2006 with Please Come Home was speaking on the human struggle through the eyes of a person touched by Christ, and made us love every moment of it.

Truly a diamond in an already stunning career, and as he continues to prove himself over and with Thrice, Dustin Kensrue continues to prove that he may be our generation’s most talented songwriter.
Highlights: I Knew You Before, Please Come Home, Blood & Wine, Pistol

The Turning
Sam (Leslie) Phillips
1987
Buy this album:Amazon, iTunes
Throughout the 80’s Leslie Phillips was a CCM darling, with three hit records. The Turning, however, marked a shift in the singer’s attitudes: a definite pop sensibility was now apparent in the music, and a disillusion with the narrow-mindedness of the Contemporary Christian Music machine was expressed in the lyrical content. As a result, the album fared less strongly in the religious market, but earned greater critical attention in pop music circles. The Turning was also important to Sam Phillip’s career (and personal life) in that it paired her for the first time with producer T-Bone Burnett, who has produced all of her subsequent albums to date, and whom she married in 1989.

Following the release of The Turning, Sam Phillips made a public separation from both her former label and her previous body of work; with the help of Burnett, she signed to Virgin Records and, adopting a nickname given to her as a child, released her next record, The Indescribable Wow (1988), as Sam Phillips.

The Turning stands out as an artistic turning point in Sam Phillips‘ career as a singer and songwriter as well; on one side, the cheerful, upbeat pop-rock albums that she recorded in the early 1980s, and, on the other, the quirky 60’s music influenced rock and folk albums, with a much darker and more poetic tone lyrically. Most critics would agree that Phillips‘ songwriting abilities grew by leaps and bounds beginning with The Turning. Others might even say that this album was a pinnacle that has yet to be topped by the artist.

The Turning was listed at #8 in the book CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music.
Highlights: The Turning, Answers Don’t Come Easy, God Is Watching You

Creator
Hands
2009
Buy this album: Amazon, iTunes
Music can be incredibly powerful when in the hands of the right artist. The best music, in my book, is one that can take a sound or a genre, and twist it to serve a completely new purpose. So it is only fitting that Christ-centered metal’s first real prog-metal band would be named Hands, and Creator proves that not following the rules can be so much better sometimes.

Creator is two things at all times; it is progressive metal, and it is worship. There is no time during the album’s 10 tracks (more than half of which are over 6 minutes long) that it is one or the other. The mere fact that these two seemingly opposing genres can meet and work together is by itself pretty stunning, but it is the fact that they succeed that makes Creator amazing in everyway. Creative isn’t even the word, superior may be better. If you want to know what kind of metal we may listen to in Heaven, this may be it.

The reason it all works is that Hands understand the emotional and spiritual core of their songs. They know the exact moments to pull back and let the atmosphere take over, and then hit you with everything they have to give the words a sense of release. They know that sometimes singing makes sense, that sometimes spoken words are appropriate, and that screaming is the only volume appropriate for some of the lyrics. Nothing ever feels forced, nor overdone; everything just fits in balance.

Hands isn’t a band, it is a force to be reckoned with.
Highlights: Brightest, Robed In Majesty, Returning

Get Well
They Sang As They Slew
2004
Buy this album: Amazon MP3, iTunes
The brainchild of Luxury and Canary member, Jamey Bozeman, They Sang As They Slew released their debut, Get Well, to the amazement of underground Christian hipsters. Weaving between soaring experimental emo and pleading acoustic ballads, Get Well weaves a mesmerizing soundscape that pulls you into the lyrics.

“Her Left hand Rocks the Cradle” sets the tone for the entire CD, with its ethereal back sounds and samples that break into psychedelic lyrics. “I Can See With My Eyes Closed” is a straight ahead driving rocker with layers of fuzzy guitars. “It Goes On”, the psychedelic ballad with distorted vocals and layers of sound closes the CD.
Highlights: Her Left Hand Rocks The Cradle, I Can See With My Eyes Closed, 10,000 Candles

Are We There Yet?
John Reuben
2001
Buy this album: Amazon, iTunes
I guess it is the whistling at the beginning of Are We There Yet?’s opening track (Divine Inspiration) that really tells you that this is something…a little different. From the beginning of his career, John Reuben, a quirky, unassuming white kid who has proved himself as one of Christian hip-hop’s pivotal artists, has always done things differently. Instead of embracing the more party oriented mainstream hip-hop sound, or a completely abstract underground sound, John Reuben has been able to push a fresh new sound that is something in-between the two. Are We There Yet? Was the introduction to this sound, and remains Reuben’s purest interpretation of THAT sound.

The songs on here are just SO GOOD. Tell me one emcee in the scene today that has a song like “Do Not”, and can pull it off like John Reuben. Then there are song like “No Regrets” and “Identify” that are almost rock songs, with some of the painfully honest lyrics I have heard in hip-hop in a long time. What you get with Are We There Yet? Is a mix of fun and real; of party and grit. It has been almost 10 years since the release Are We There Yet?, and it still feels completely fresh. Today, John Reuben continues to do thing his own way, and we are so glad for it.
Highlights: No Regrets, Do Not, Divine Inspiration, Identify

• Christian music artist Michael Lynche delivered my favorite performance since Jordan Sparks slayed “I(Who have Nothing)” in Season 6. This was a game changing performance of Maxwell’s (and Kate Bush) “This Woman’s Work”.  Michael displayed mad falsetto, crazy power and an intimidating stage presence.  He has set a bar that I am not sure even he can surpass.
• The four remaining Christian music artists Michael Lynch, Tim Urban, Didi Benami and Lacey Brown American Idol Season 9 delivered their best performances of the year and probably secured their place in the Top 12.
• After we projected Katelyn Epperly as the winner of American Idol Season 9 she proceeded to stumble through a cheesey performance of Carol King’s “I Feel The Earth Move”.
• Crystal Bowersox continued to demonstrate her superiority of the American Idol Season 9 girls with a rocking throwdown of Traci Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason”.
• Tonight we expect Paige Miles, Katie Stevens, Aaron Kelly and Toddrick Hall to go home.

Join us now as we live blog through the results and the top12 are revealed.

Ryan is bantering with the judges about comments made on last night’s show involving Randy in a bikini and thank you American Idol, we are now seeing a photo of same.  The 16 contestants will perform Michael Buble’s “Haven’t Met You Yet”.  All seem at ease, but time is drawing nigh.

Ryan announces the breaking news that the first theme of the big stage will be the music  of the Rolling Stones. New this year will be the audiences’ capability to go to Itunes to download the songs/playlist the contestants will listen to as they decide what to sing. 

He starts with the ladies.  Didi  Benami is invited to centerstage with Ryan.  He speaks to her about her struggles at the beginning of the show, then announces that  she has made it into the top 12. She is ecstatic.  Siobhan Magnus is next.  She tells everyone that she is very comfortable  on the stage.  She is in.  Paige Miles and Katelyn Epperly come to the stage together.  One is in and one is out.  Who will it be?  Simon feels the one with the most potential is Paige.  Paige has made it.  Uh oh, Katelyn is out.  There goes our prediction.

Next set will be chosen from the guys.  Tim Urban,  Toddrick Hall,  Lee Dewyze and Casey James are invited to centerstage.  Ryan begins with Tim Urban.  Tim is told to hang tight.  Toddrick is hanging tight too.  Lee is talked about for a moment and then on to Casey.  Casey is safe and joins the ladies.  Tim Urban is safe.  He acts shocked.  Lee will continue on the show and Toddrick will go home tonight.

Matt Geraud and Scott McIntyre will perform Billy Joel’s “Tell Her about It”.  Two piano men.  Matt and Scott are sporting leather tonight  as they play their baby grands.  I wonder if they performed this on their tour?  They can really play. Scott has an album out called Heartstring and it is available on Itunes through his website.  All original music.  Matt has a number one single with Anna Wilson called “You Don’t Know Me” on the jazz charts.

Okay here we go.  Eight are left.  Crystal Bowersox is invited to stand.  She looks so nervous.  After the nationwide vote, she is in.  Not smiling much, but she’s  in.  Michael Lynche goes to centerstage.  Kara talks about why she cried when he sang last night.  Ryan asks him if he can fit on a stool.  Michael has made it.  Lacey Brown stands.  C’mon Lacey.  She makes it through. Wow.  Aaron Kelly comes to the stage.  He feels he can bring more confidence if  he makes it through.  And he does.  Two more stools to fill.  Ryan calls Alex Lambert and Andrew Garcia.   Simon feels Andrew may have peaked too soon, but is talented.  Andrew makes it through and Alex is trying not to be too emotional.  It is so difficult to see these young singers go through the disappointment. After his song, all the guys crowd around him.  Katie Stevens and Lilly Scott are the last two.  The final seat in the top 12 belongs to Katie Stevens.  Lilly is going home.  That was a surprise.  I think she was surprised too.

Definitely some surprises tonight.  But congratulations to our 4 Christian artists as they go on to perform with American Idol’s top 12.  Join us next week as we continue to cover the music and performances.

Mark from Cool Hand Luke was able to post a big ol update yesterday concerning new music from the band, a few new shows, and much more. The following was posted yesterday on the band’s blog:

I wanted to let you know about a few things coming up. First of all, I am contributing a new song to a benefit album called
We Were Lost…We Were Free
. Here’s the press release:

Any day now, On Joyful Wings will release the charity album “We Were Lost…We Were Free” via their blog. The album costs $5, of which 100% goes directly to the Susan G Komen breast cancer foundation. Twenty-one artists have joined together, each touched in different ways, on a singular mission to fight breast cancer. Please buy the album, join the fight, and enjoy the music.

Here is the blog:
http://onjoyfulwingsmusic.blogspot.com

Mark

Below is the latest music video from hip-hop/R&B duo The Washington Projects with their song “Light Up The Dark”. Man, its crazy to see these guys really coming into their own musically, we have been following this group for a LONG time, back when they were known as Souljahz. ENJOY!!