Brooke Waggoner visited the Destiny Nashville Studios a few weeks ago and has brought us this beautiful live video for “To Love” off of her latest album, Originator. Brooke is joined by Sanders Bohlke, and together they make an amazing duet couple. You can download a free copy of the song here

Brook will be touring this summer and has recently announced that she will be play ACL in Austin, TX this Fall.

6/29 – NASHVILLE, TN – Musician’s Corner @ Centennial Park

7/14 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theater w/ Jars of Clay
7/15 – Ocean City, NJ – Ocean City Music Pier w/ Jars of Clay
7/17 – Alexandria, VA – Birchmere w/ Jars of Clay
7/18 – New York, NY – BB Kings w/ Jars of Clay
7/19 – Wilmington, DE – World Café Live w/ Jars of Clay

8/3 – Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza Fest

10/4-6 or 10/11-13 (tbd) – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Fest

Its awesome when we can present albums that we thought were amazing BEFORE they were free to you….for…free. The Vespers are awesome, and this is their best work to date. Watch the music videos below and then enjoy this awesome little indie bluegrass album over and over again.

Flower Flower

Better Now

Will You Love Me

Lawdy

The evening started slowly as the judges reaction to Jimmy Iovine’s song selection sucked the energy out of the room.  Jimmy picked songs that did not play to the singers’ strengths, the time to perform the songs was too short and the judges generally shrugged their shoulders and said, “nice try”.  The second round pushed the show higher with the emotions of the home videos and much better song selections.  The third round seemed a little drained, until Candice Glover brought the roof down with “Someday”.

After seeing the videos of  home visits I was struck by a view observations about the American Idol Season 12 top 3. Candice Glover is deeply connected, rooted in her community.  Her journey is not one of escaping her life but one of fulfilling her destiny.  Angie Miller was born to be a star.  She seemed to absorb the attention and grow in the spotlight. She smiled more than she cried.  Kree Harrison has had so much pain in her life,  you can imagine why she is measured.  You must move forward from the death of both of your parents but the missing never heals. As much as Kree Harrison has moved forward, the hole in her was palpable.

American Idol Season 12 Top 3 Performances

1) Candice Glover-“Somewhere” by Reri Grist/Barbra Streisand 10

My first thought was that the producers suck at picking songs. In 1998, Arettha Franklin was asked to step in for Luciano Pavarotti at the Grammies.  With less than 24 hours to prepare, the Queen of Soul, delivered a picture perfect rendition of the operatic “Nessun Dorma” that proved she was the greatest singer of the 20th century. Like Aretha at the Grammies, Candice Glover took the song structure of this 10950′s show tune as it was and just out sang it.  She delivered a spectacular classical vocal.  Not modern, not gospel, just crazy good.  She just climbed the ladder of that song, taking it higher and bigger as she went through the song.  Candice Glover slowly, patiently built her performance with a hint of what was to come, then she just exploded through the final third of the performance. The highlight was how she stepped down from the first chorus to the second verse, beautiful and amazing. Keith said “how do you do that?”   and “If you do not vote for Candice you do not you do not have a pulse”.  Randy called it another one of the greatest vocals in the history of American Idol.  Mariah said” A+ amazing”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WI1qU-HvTM

2) Kree Harrison-“Here Comes Goodbye” by Chris Sligh/Rascal Flatts 10

Coming straight out of the gut wrenching video of her home visit, Kree Harrison poured herself fully into this song of dread, longing and regret.  Clearly the emotional centerpiece of the night, this brought the house down.  The singing was perfect, but this was a performance where Kree Harrison laid her soul bare.  All of the judges were in tears. With this performance, Kree Harrison may have mobilized the country vote to an American Idol season 12 victory.  Nikki called it one her best performances. I think Randy said it well, “you just sang your heart out”. Mariah said she was overwhelmed with emotion. Keith was in tears.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp1x6Mbs5SA

3) Angie Miller-“Try” by Pink 9

The judges picked a song in Angie Miller‘s wheel house.  This is the first time that Angie Miller was set free on the stage, without a piano or mike stand to tether her, and delivered a restrained yet exuberant performance that felt organic.  This was the big soaring pop vocal that Angie Miller does best and she just infused this beat.  That felt like an Angie Miller concert piece. She is peeking at the right time. Nikki said she has never looked this comfortable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxjJvPLLeJ4

4) Angie Miller-“Maybe” by Emile Sandé 9

Angie Miller just belted that song. It was hard to connect because the song was a little weak. Angie Miller could have kept the opening a little more subtle but she sang and she roared and she belted.  The singing was perfect with no theatrics. Randy said “tonight, Angie Miller became a complete performer”.  Nikki said she has become what the judges have been asking for all season.

5) Angie Miller- “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” by Elton John 8

Why would Jimmy Iovine pick this song?  Angie Miller interpreted this as slowed down, almost blues, ballad.  It gave her a lot room to sing big.  The pace fit her voice very, very well. Angie Miller held back her performance and pulled us in.  I agree with Randy that her restraint made the song compelling.  Mariah called it one of her best performances.

6) Candice Glover-“One” by U2 & Mary J. Blige 8

A beautiful vocal but I thought Candice Glover forced it a little and fell off key in a few places. These performances are too short.  Candice was forced to jump into big notes and runs too early in the song, but by the time she hit the stretched run she held big notes, exposed her emotions and soared. Nikki compared it favorably to Mary J Blige.

7) Candice Glover-“Next To Me” by Emile Sandé 8

Wonderful intimate opening. The uptempo song fit Candice Glover‘s voice well. She sat down into a great groove and then did some nice riffs around the melody.  Not a song that offered much opportunity for Candice Glover to blow it out, but it was a perfect vocal performance.  Nikki was moved to tears, maybe not by the performance but by the moment.

8)Kree Harrison-“Better Dig Two” by The Band Perry 7

Kree Harrison found her country just at the right time.  She just seemed to set down into the groove of that song.  but I wish it had gotten bigger. Kree Harrison‘s performance was aggressive, edgy and gritty but it did not have much dynamics. Nikki said whoever picked that song should be stoned. Randy was right that the song was too ordinary for Kree.

9) Kree Harrison-“Perfect” by Pink 6

A mid-tempo country arrangement allowed Kree Harrison to show off her technical singing skills.  The song also exposed the limits of her range and it was clear that Kree Harrison was forcing herself to tolerate the song. .The performance was a little laid back for me. Keith commented on her signature sound. Agree with Randy that it did not have much pizazz.

Who are moving on to the finale?  Last night settled  nothing, all three showed their best.  If it is based solely on performance, Angie Miller and Candice Glover should be in the finale.  However, I cannot discount the power of the country voting block that may have discovered Kree Harrison all over again last night.  I will be sad to see any one of them go home.

Now comes the hard part. Angie Miller, Candice Glover or Kree Harrison all could rightfully win American Idol Season 12. Each of them have the talent to develop strong a career.  All three of these ladies are superb singers with unique artistic visions.  I personally like this top 3 better than any I have seen.

American Idol Season 12 Top 3 Performance Rankings

1) Candice Glover- I did not see Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood on American Idol.  With that said, Candice Glover has had the best season I have ever seen on American Idol.  Her lowest lows are at least comparable to most of Kree Harrison‘s performances.  Her bests are better than Angie Miller‘s greatest moments. Even the best duets and group performances featured Candice Glover. When I put together the list of best performances on American Idol Season 12, Candice Glover will dominate over half of that list.  Candice Glover combines a tremendous voice, with uncanny artistry and a personal vulnerability that enabled her to live in each performance with authenticity. She should win American Idol Season 12.

2) Angie Miller- When Angie Miller loses herself in her songs, it is magical.  She has had some of the most moving performances of  American Idol Season 12. Angie Miller is a great singer, a moving piano player and a song writer.  Angie Miller has tremendous potential with two ready made markets.  She has a clear niche in the pop/rock world of Jesse J, Fiona Apple and Stevie Nicks. It seems her heart leans toward Christian music, so she also has a clear market in the CCM world of Colton Dixon, Brooke Fraser or Kari Jobe.  Angie Miller has been the most inconsistent of the top 3.  Her theatrical background has caused her to slip into over dramatization at times and her competitive spirit has caused her to occasionally lose sight of performance in service of competing.

3) Kree Harrison- The American Idol Season 12 country queen has had a perplexing season. She possess a wonderful voice and a clear sense of song.  She has been the most consistent performer of the entire show and therein lies the issue.  Kree Harrison has spent the season delivering wonderful performance after wonderful performance.  However, she has not been able to break through to create show stopping connections with the audience. Her season has been marvelous but we would have liked to have seen a few fireworks.  The second enigma is her refusal to sing country songs.  Kree Harrison has the largest voting block locked up.  She is the only one close to country and probably could win with just that vote.  However, she has sung only two country songs the entire season.  I think Kree Harrison squandered an opportunity to make American Idol Season 12 a runaway.

Who Will Win American Idol Season12?

This week will be the hardest week as we will lose a performer that deserves to win.  I clearly think Candice Glover should win American Idol Season12.  As I said above, I think she is one of the greatest performers to ever compete on American Idol.  With that said, where does her popularity come from?  Candice Glover is more of a throwback to the 60′s soul of Aretha Franklin and Mavis Staples.  Sharon Jones and Macy Gray are good contemporaries, but that are not mainstream.  If Candice Glover, receives the bulk of Amber Holcomb‘s voting block then I think she makes the final.  If those votes go to Angie Miller, I think Candice Glover goes home on Thursday.

Angie Miller has never been in the bottom two.  If she performs her Hollywood original song “Set Me Free” she should make it to the finale. That song is truly magical and will be a hit record in 2014.  If Angie Miller receives the bulk of Amber Holcomb‘s votes, she not only makes it to the finals, she wins American Idol Season 12.

Kree Harrison should be a shoe-in for the finale and I think she will be there.  However, if she is going to win American Idol Season 12, I think she needs to put on her cowboy boots and inspire her country voting block to come out in a big way.  I think voters for Angie Miller and Candice Glover will migrate to whoever, of those two,  is left, so Kree Harrison needs to bring the country vote in a big way.

Be sure to watch on Wednesday night when these three will each sing a song picked by Jimmy Iovine, one selected by the judges and one of their personal choice.

We always like highlighting new artists on this site, and one of the easiest ways we find to this is through the Free Download posts. Its easy to get y’all to check somebody out if its free, right?

Jane Marczewski is a singer/songwriter with an interesting voice and an apparent zeal for her craft. Im not going to say a whole lot that you wont learn by watching the video below, but if you are a fan of Sandra McCracken, Jenny & Tyler, or Brett Dennen, you will dig this girl’s vibe.

Enjoy

What was up with Harry Connick Jr? Based on the video we saw, he did not care at all about the modern songs and he was fanatically committed to original interpretation of the standards.  I think Harry Connick Jr did more harm than good. What he was trying to say was sing the song, not riffs.  What he said was, the songs don’t need embellishment sing them as they were written.  He is missing that these songs were overtly expressive in the demure society of the first half of the 20th century.  In the loud, everything goes 21st century, the understated anguish of these standards is lost in the noise.

As far as the judges go, firing is not good enough.  As punishment for their behaviour this year, Nikki and Mariah should be forced to perform duet on the American Idol tour this year.  Randy should be assigned to his seat forever.  Keith Urban seems to have given up so he should go back to the Voice in Australia.  They are disruptive and distracting and they have ruined American Idol Season 12.

American Idol Season 12 Top 4 Performance Rankings

1) Candice Glover – “You’ve Changed” by Harry James/Eva Cassidy
Wow this girl can sing.  Candice Glover completely ignored everything Harry Connick said and fully delivered in what he meant. She took this standard, engulfed its meaning, its foreboding, it s anguish and then delivered and fully 21st century explosion of runs and stops and groans and huge notes. I felt like I was in Harlem in the 30′s listening to a 60′s soul singer blowing it out in the 21st century.  The power, the subtlety, the control, the dynamics.  She took that song for a wild ride. Mariah said “okay” . Randy said “that was stellar”, “speak your truth girl”. The judges were rally just speechless.

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

2) Candice Glover – “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars
I struggled with this song selection, but Candice Glover just out sang that song.  She took it back to the 60′s and blew it out. Simply fantastic. .  Randy says “that’s how you sing a song”. Keith said, “when you sing that good, you could sing when I was your giraffe.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPnU0W7TVxU

3)Amber Holcomb  - “My Funny Valentine” by Mitzi Green/Chet Baker (Reprise)

This was another example of  an American Idol singer ignoring Harry Connick.  She tried and the first half of the song sufferred.  Then she got out of her head and let loose with what she does best. Amber Holcomb hit a cool run in the middle of the song and seemed to just take off..  She bent and warped that song. She made that song modern without losing the classic beauty of that standard. The second half of the performance was a tour de force. That was Amber Holcomb at her best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZa6kAjK-Bk

4)Kree Harrison – “See You Again” by Carrie Underwood 7

Finally, Kree Harrison sings country.  That song selection guarantees her American Idol Season 12 top 3. That was the best Kree Harrison performance in 6 weeks.  Her aching vocals were heartbreaking. However, the song just did not go anywhere.  I think this performance highlights Kree Harrison‘s lack of passion and transperency.  She just does not open a well of emotion for us.  Keith did not connect to the moment.  He wanted it to big bigger.  Nikki loved it and said she sang from her heart. Randy said it was a great vocal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz1-0OBx6A4

5)Angie Miller – “Someone To Watch Over Me” by Gertrude Lawrence/Ella Fitzgerlald

The first half was a little sleepy and then built to a big finish. Angie Miller‘s mid range was big and powerful. I think Harry Connick got into her head.  These type of songs do a disservice to Angie Miller by exposing her theatrical tendencies.  I think she was fighting that the entire performance and Angie Miller is best when she is lost in her song. Nikki said Angie puts her in mind of a Disney princess.  I don’t think that was a compliment.

6)Angie Miller – “Diamonds” by Rihanna

A cool, jivey version of this mega hit.  Angie Miller took the disticntive rhythm of this song and turned it on its head. It freed her to highlight her voice.  And highlight her voice she did, but the performance lacked dynamics.   Loved the artistic risk she took, but I don’t think it worked. Keith missed the percussive weight of the song. Nikki called it bland and lackluster.  Randy said the song did not go anywhere.

7)Kree Harrison – “Stormy Weather” by Ethel Waters/Gladys Knight

I think Harry Connick confused Kree Harrison.  You can sing the song without runs but you need to SING the song.  She made some bad choice at the end of verses that undercut her voice.  The end had some moments but overall that was not great. Keith was right when he told Kree Harrison not to lose her instincts.  The country, blues singer was nowhere to be found in that song.

8)Amber Holcomb – “Just Give Me A Reason” by Pink & Nate Ruess 5

She seemed to struggle with pitch and seemed shrill many times throughout the song.  Pace really hampers Amber Holcomb.  She needs space to wrap her voice around notes and this song needed her to hit directly on the beat.  Tonight was a perfect example of why Amber Holcomb is not the “current” budding superstar the judges all want her to be.  Her singing style is more 1030′s than 21st century.  Nikki felt she was disconnected. Randy felt she was not having fun.  Keith rambled on about how difficult what she did was.

I think Amber Holcomb goes home tonight.  We then have a heavy weight top 3 who will need to bring it strong over the next two weeks.  Candice Glover has proven she can. Angie Miller can bring the wonder but can also confuse us.  Kree Harrison still needs to lift her game to justify winning American Idol Season 12.

From Lecrae’s latest album, Gravity, comes the offical video for “Confessions”.

Below all of the beats lies the true purpose of Lecrae’s music, sharing his adoration for Christ. Hear more about Lacrae’s story: