THE VOICE: SEASON 2 EPISODE 12

This week the remaining members of Team Xtina and Team Blake were in the audience while Teams Cee Lo and Adam were in the hot seat, as 12 artists compete for the top spots.  Who will rise to the top?

Katrina Parker (TEAM ADAM) – singing Tonight Tonight by Smashing Pumpkins. She really looked like Adele: the hairstyle, the dress and everything! Is this because they know I love Adele and are looking to sway my vote? I have never heard this song before but she is doing an awesome job. Xtina said her voice captivated her, though she wanted Katrina to rock it out more. Cee Lo said the song should never be a show tune. Adam said he disagrees, he said she has a beautiful voice and she killed it. 1-866-U-LOVE-01

Chessa (TEAM CEE LO) – singing Don’t Leave Me This Way by Thelma Houston. She and Cee Lo discuss the conflicting opinions on twitter after her battle round with Angie; apparently there were a lot of people that disagreed with his decision.  Tonight, she started off in her low register. She still gives me a Toni Braxton vibe. She sounds good, but I don’t think the votes will be there for her. I am not a fan of the sound choice. Cee Lo has interesting choice in music… Blake said he loved it and it was a perfect sound choice for her. Adam said it had Cee Lo all over it, but the only problem is with so many great singers what will make her stand out. Cee Lo of course disagrees, and he feels disco is an era where you can have a fusion of power lead vocal, power and excitement. 1-866-U-LOVE-02

Tony Lucca (TEAM ADAM) – singing In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel. This is a favorite song of mine. And Tony starts off great. This man has a voice on him!!  It didn’t bore me. I really enjoyed this performance. I think that he is already going to be a top contender (have you seen this man’s twitter followers). Xtina says he is very one dimensional and she wants him to continue. She said this competition is about The Voice and she hopes that the celebrity sway behind him isn’t the only reason he stays. Adam is shocked and says she was honest. But he says how proud he is of Tony and Tony did a great job.  1-866-U-LOVE-03

Kim Yarbrough (TEAM ADAM) – singing Rolling in The Deep by Adele. I love THIS SONG. Those background singers are badass. She sang the song well. It was a different tone, and I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as I enjoy Adele. Blake said he thought it was good, but sharp. Cee Lo commended Adam as a coach for letting her do what she wanted to do, but Adam should’ve done something different, as Cee Lo felt it was a safe choice for doing such a current song. Adam said there was some problems, then he calls Adele is a freak, and there were issues he was worried about. The song wasn’t perfect but it shows everyone her potential. (he loves her to death 3x. DRINK) 1-866-U-LOVE-04

James Massone (TEAM CEE LO) – singing Don’t Know Why by Norah Jones. Another of my favorite songs. The girls were going crazy but he was pitchy. He has a nice tone otherwise. The flower petals don’t hurt I guess. Cee Lo looks like a proud papa in the background. Blake said he almost threw his panties on the stage. LOL. Christina said there were some pitchy notes, to which Blake said he almost pitched his panties. CARSON quoted me on how Cee Lo looks like a proud papa. Cee Lo said he hopes James is proud of himself, being cool, calm and collected (UKNOWWHATIMSAYING #DrinkTheVoice)      1-866-U-LOVE-05

Juliet Simms (TEAM CEE LO) – singing Roxanne by The Police    … Wait  5 record deals she has had??? There is no denying that she can sing. She sounded like she was singing her heart out and the Voice Band version gave me a No Doubt vibe. I like it. Carson like it. Adam said it just pisses him right off because he really wanted her on his team. He said she is the best performance he has seen so far. Xtina said her voice is awesome and wanted her on Xtina’s team as well. Blake said it was the first time he actually got to hear her sing for the first time and its so good.  Cee Lo said she did an amazing job!  1-866-U-LOVE-06

Mathai (TEAM ADAM) – singing Ordinary People by John Legend. She has an incredible voice. She started off acapella. And it was beautiful. Her falsetto is lovely. Listening to her made me smile so hard. TEXAS TALENT CANT BE DENIED!!! Xtina said she likes her voice a lot and she has interesting choices with the adlibs, but it was a little loungy maybe bringing the energy next time.  Adam said she was magical up there. 1-866-U-LOVE-07

Tony Vincent (TEAM CEE LO) singing Everybody Wants to Rule The World by Tears for Fears. I do love this song, but I am getting tired of all of the 80’s songs coming from Cee Lo. He has a great voice, but I don’t know if this was the song to do him justice. Of course, Cee Lo gives him a standing ovation. Blake said he doesn’t know how he feels about the performance, with the hellishness. Haha. Xtina says she is from the pop world so she loves it. Congrats new daddy. Cee Lo went on a weird tangent. Haha. But all in all Cee Lo loves Tony and wants him to continue in the competition. 1-866-U-LOVE-08

Karla Davis (TEAM ADAM) singing Airplanes by B.O.B. I don’t know if the sound was messed up but it was really hard to hear her, like she was singing in a whispery voice.  I really like the idea of this performance, but she was really pitchy. I think this might work against her. I think her background singers were off too.  This was not her best performance. Adam didn’t really look happy. Xtina said she was surprised by the song choice, but she said she did a good job. Blake said he thinks it was as good as she could do with that song, but he doesn’t think that song allowed her to show her versatility with the rapid fire lyric. Adam said she was in the pocket and appreciated that, but he thinks that there is a huge problem when you get up on stage its not as good as it was in the room. She could’ve been better, but overall he loves it. 1-866-U-LOVE-09

Erin Martin (TEAM CEE LO) singing Walk Like An Egyptian by The Bengals. Again Cee Lo came in trying to defend his decision with keeping Erin as there were a lot of nay sayers on twitter that thought the Shields Brothers should’ve won. She had an awesome entrance, coming out in a chariot pulled by dudes and everyone was in Egyptian garb.  I couldn’t really hear her voice. She is hot. It was consistent. Cee Lo did not give her a standing ovation. Blake said here we go again with the male strippers. He said he thinks she could do as well as she could do with that song. Xtina started twirling her hair, said she loves theatrics, but when Erin is up there she has to bring it. Cee Lo said he commends her because the song is almost like a rap song, and he thinks she did a good job. He wants her to be more aggressive. 1-866-U-LOVE-10

Pip Andrew (TEAM ADAM) singing When You Were Young by The Killers.  He was rocking his signature bowtie and an awesome pair of red pants.  He sang really well, but I feel like his clothes didn’t match the song, like he was trying something that wasn’t him. I don’t know how else to describe that. But the guy’s voice is solid. Xtina smiled and said she appreciated the vocal ability, but it came off as trying too hard. Adam said the song was an interesting choice but how it went, he wanted to Pip to be more dangerous and scary.  He felt Pip was too trust worthy. 1-866-U-LOVE-11

Jamar Rogers (TEAM CEE LO) singing Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz. This is my favorite dude on the show this season. Hands down. I’m throwing it out there. I want him to succeed.  The music is too loud to hear his voice. But his vocals are on point! Fire. His red jacket is something the dude needs to send my way! I know that wardrobe can hook it up!! Haha. The crowd was going crazy after his performance. Clearly a favorite. Blake says he doesn’t know what the people on the stilts have to do with his performance, and Jamar is too good for all of that. Cee Lo pointed out how much the crowd roared for him. 1-866-U-LOVE-12

BEST VOICE TWEETS OF THE NIGHT

So who are my favorites of the night???

Jamar, Mathai, and Katrina.

I do think that Tony is safe.  As well as Juliet Simms.

Who were your favorites tonight?

Tomorrow we will find out who goes home, and apparently Jessie J is performing tomorrow with Team Xtina. That should be tiiiiiight.  Tomorrow my blog will be delayed as me and the band will be in Oklahoma performing at the same time. I almost cancelled my show. Haha. j/k

THE VOICE DRINKING GAME (provided by @ShieldsBrothers)

Today on Twitter before Episode 12 of NBC’s reality show The Voice airs, The Shield’s Brother’s have provided rules for an awesome drinking game while watching, (use #DRINKtheVoice) :

1. RULE 1: If ANYONE cries DRINK 3 TIMES!
2. Anytime you see @purrrrfectthecat …DRINK…milk
3. RULE 3: Anytime Adam mentions that he won last year … DRINK!!! Thanks 2 @skennedy :)
4. RULE 4: Anytime @erinmartinmusic sings … DRINK TILL SHE STOPS!!!
5. RULE 5: Anytime Cee lo takes his shades off … DRINK!!! Thanks to season 1 Team Cee lo member @TjeAustinMusic for that one
6. RULE 6: When you hear the cliche catch phrases “brought it to the table”, “owned it”, and “made it your own” … DRINK thanks@Dagny_MplsMN
7. RULE 7: Everytime Adam Levine says, “U know I really really love U” … DRINK Thanks @MichelleYRun your hilarious
8. RULE 8: Anytime time Cee lo uses “youknowwhatImsaying” as one word … DRINK!!!
9. RULE 9: Anytime you see @Starbucks product placement… TAKE A SHOT OF EXPRESSO!!! You’ll sober up a bit
10. And finally RULE 10…. If you see Betty White or @jhopsmusicboxFINISH YOUR DRINK!!!

Amendment to RULE 10 it now includes @AnthonyEvansJr !!!

Let’s see if any of these work! LOL

The Voice Season 2 Episode 6 – Battle Rounds

Tonight was the first episode featuring the Battle Rounds. And I have come to the conclusion that I am not a good coach. I picked 2-6 of the artists correctly. There were really amazing performances and there were some songs I didn’t enjoy as much as I wanted to. But let’s dig in!

Team Adam – Tony Lucca and Chris Cauley singing Beautiful Day

Adam brought in some powerhouse advisors this season in Robin Thicke, who assists with Chris and Alanis Morissette for Tony. Both offer great advice for each respective artist for the upcoming battle.

As they perform Beautiful Day during the Battle, both of these guys sound really good. But I feel swayed by who I feel the underdog is and Chris has my vote for vocal performance.

Coaches Picks

Blake – Chris

Xtina – Tony

Cee Lo – Tony

 Ultimately, the vote is Adam’s and he chooses Tony Lucca.

 

 

Team Blake – RaeLynn and Adley singing Free Falling

RaeLynn’s advisor is Miranda Lambert, who I know she really wanted to meet; and Adley’s advisor is  Kelly Clarkson, another amazingly talented vocalist in the game.

For their Battle Round they sing “Free Falling”.  Rae Lynn has a very sweet and interesting way of pronouncing her words, but she was a little shaky during her performance. Adley has a very beautiful quality about her voice too with a little more power and confidence.  In this performance, Adley had my vote.

Coaches Picks

Xtina – Adley

Cee Lo – Adley

Adam – RaeLynn (and here he says he knows Blake is searching for interesting voices)

 Ultimately, the vote is Blake’s. I thought he was going to go with Adley but he instead picked the beautiful RaeLynn (TEXAS STAND UP!)

Did Adam sway Blake’s vote?

Team Xtina – Chris Mann and Monique Benabou singing The Power of Love

When Xtina announced this battle, Monique looked visibly uncomfortable.  Chris’ classically trained background clearly intimidates her. Xtina also seemed surprised during practice when Monique nailed a high note causing her to view Monique in a different light. Did that mean she didn’t expect her to perform as well? Chris Mann’s advisor was Lionel Richie and Monique’s advisor was Jewel. Both seemed really nervous about the battle and it showed in their practice performances.  The Battle was nice. It showed off how powerful and sweet both singers could be. Chris has great tone and control when he sings. In this performance, Monique had my vote.

 Coaches Picks

Cee Lo – Chris

Adam – Chris

Blake – Monique

 In the end Xtina picks Chris Mann.

Team Cee Lo – Angie and Cheesa singing Total Eclipse of the Heart

Definitely feeling some tension between these two as soon as Cee Lo announces this pairing. During practice, Cheesa prompted Paul (the pianist) to raise it higher, so Angie agreed half a step. But then Angie suggested raising it further, which causes Cheesa to strain.  Cheesa’s advisor is Babyface and he tells her she should take advantage of the money notes, which she continues to have difficulty hitting. Angie’s advisor is Ne-Yo and he advised her to go for Cheesa’s throat. Both started of shaky singing Total Eclipse of the Heart, but as the song progressed they both showed out. Everyone knows these two girls have power and emotion. Cheesa did some stomping and head banging which we all know Cee Lo loves. In this performance, Cheesa had my vote.

Coaches Picks

Adam – Cheesa

Blake – Angie

Xtina – Angie

In the end, Cee Lo chooses Cheesa.

Team Blake – Jordis Unga and Brian Fuente singing Ironic

Brian’s advisor is Kelly Clarkson. Blake and Kelly advised he commit to his notes and not be so hesitant. Brian said that he is just used to having a band behind him (THE VOICE BAND IS BACKING U BUDDY! J) Blake said he can’t have one ounce of timidness, else Jordis is gonna take it from him. Jordis’ advisor is Miranda Lambert and during her session, Blake said she was into her head too much. Jordis appears to be intimidated by Brian’s talent. She asked him what he is going to be looking for during the Battle Round. Blake let her know he is going to be listening for who out sings the other. This Battle was my least favorite. It wasn’t the singers, I think it was just the song choice. Ironic is a great song, but it didn’t translate well in this battle.  In this performance, Jordis had my vote.

Coaches Picks

Xtina – Jordis

Cee Lo – Brian

Adam – Jordis

 In the end, Blake chooses Jordis. Blake again took a note from Adam tonight and picked the same person he suggested. Do you think Blake is listening to Adam because he wants to win soooo bad?

Team Xtina – Anthony and Jesse singing If I Ain’t Got You

This Battle feels like the first true battle of the night to me.  I know we have seen a lot of them in the commercials leading up to this week and I have been sweating bullets all week.  During practice Anthony feels Jesse is using intimidation tactics. Jesse’s advisor is Lionel Richie and he and Xtina both suggested to ‘milk your moments’. Anthony’s advisor is Jewel and she suggested don’t let a single note out that he doesn’t mean; to make sure he means what he sings. This battle is the battle where I HATE that someone has to go home. Especially so early on in the competition when vocally both of these guys dominate against other members of their team. And THIS PERFORMANCE BLEW MY MIND.  I loved both of these guys. My favorite has been Jesse since I saw his Blind, but Anthony fought for this one and I think I would’ve chosen him as the winner. But again, Jesse is one of my favorites and he is solid. No doubt about it. I am just a sucker for the underdog. Xtina knows how to pick em.

Coaches Picks

Adam – Jesse

Blake – Jesse

Cee Lo – (I honestly missed what he said.)

In the end, Xtina went with Jesse Campbell. The Cuba Gooding Jr. of the Voice.

Thoughts?

Any anger?

Do you agree or disagree with how the Battles ended tonight?

The Voice Season 2 Episode 4

First off I have to say I am addicted to The Voice. Seriously.  Band rehearsal went long this evening so I rushed home and in a rush reheated dinner, changed the channel to NBC and Wheel of Fortune was finishing up. I was feeling impatient, while I waited for it to go off and had to check myself. Its only a TV show right? Wrong. Its the effing Voice. And its awesome.

The first artist up tonight is Ducky (@duckydukemusic). He is a painter and from the artwork they show he seems to be really good. How does he rate as a singer though? For his Blind Audition he sings ‘Tighten Up’. He has a nice rocker voice, and he seems like he could be an interesting addition to someone’s team. Of course Carson Daly asks ‘where is Adam in all of this?’. Unfortunately, no coach turns around. Blake says that Ducky is one of those he will look back and regret a little bit. Blake’s cool factor keeps going up. He offered Ducky a sip from his cup after Ducky said he may need a shot (he said sarsaparilla but isn’t that root beer?). Blake are you drinking on the job? BEST JOB EVER!

Next artist is Jonathas Ojeda (@iknowJonathas), from Austin, TX. ( TEXAS BABY!!) He is Brazilian and a family man. For his Blind Audition, he busts out  ’You Got It Bad’ by Usher. Adam says he sounds exactly like Usher and Blake says he’s gotta be good looking.   Cee Lo Green is the first coach to turn around, and surprisingly XTINA turns around. Cee Lo said he thought it was a prank because it sounded so much like Usher. Xtina said it was clear that the ladies loved him and were body rocking. She also knows some of the best choreographers and wants to mold him. Cee Lo asks what kind of watch he is wearing and for a moment they bond over watches.  Jonathas says he is a big fan of Cee Lo, but has always had the hots for Xtina. In the end, its Team Xtina.

Monique Benabou (@MoniqueBenabou) is the next artist and  for her Blind Audition she sings ‘Mr Know It All’ by Kelly Clarkson. She has a nice voice. Very pop-ish.  I feel like she might go to Team Blake but no one is turning around. Finally Xtina turns around.  Why: because Xtina said she was generally consistent and she delivered.  Team Xtina.

Next up is Naia Kete (@naiakete), a street performer. Carson Daly surprises her during a performance on the street. I friggin love these moments when he does this. When they show her with her family, I really get a gypsy vibe from her. They all have long locs and the girls wear long dresses. Its dope.  For her song she starts ‘The Lazy Song’ and Blake Shelton is the first coach to turn around. As soon as she hits a high part in the song, Cee Lo pushes his button. Cee Lo of course calls her an angel and then says “I PUSHED MY BUTTON FOR YOU.” And she replies, “Cee Lo you push all my buttons.”  Blake throws his arms up and says “I’m screwed” but he goes on to say that when he heard her voice, it instantly made her smile.  The coaches are laying it on thick.  Cee Lo and Blake are really fighting for her. In the end, Naia picks Team Blake!

SIDENOTE: I think a shot game could be created everytime Blake says the work UNIQUE .

The next artist is Eric Macek (@erikmacek), a CZECH dude. For his Blind Audition he sings ‘Free Falling’. He has a cool voice.  I dig the mellow vibe. That is all me. But none of the coaches turn around. Blake tells him he wouldn’t change a damn thing that he did and he almost pushed the button. But he didn’t. Blake said UNIQUE again in the after-thought interview.

The next artist is Charlotte Sometimes (@4eversometimes). Unfortunately, when she was younger she was diagnosed with a disease that disintegrates the jaw but she had surgery, had her jaw wired shut for 5 months and now she is able to pursue her dreams! For her Blind Audition she sings “Apologize” and I get a Lana Del Rey vibe from her. Adam and Blake turn around for her at the same time. Suddenly the rest of the coaches turn around. 4 JUDGES! Blake lets everyone know that he had a girl with a similar vibe (Xenia) and she now has a record deal. These coaches are fighting for this girl. Adam says he heard a cool and simple thing with her voice, and Xtina says she doesn’t think it was simple at all. But as they argue Cee Lo says that Adam and Xtina need to get a room. Ha. In the end Charlotte choose Blake. Team Blake. I like the victory pumps Blake does when he gets an artist.

The next artist up is Tony Vincent (@tvofficial), who is a Broadway star (kind of like Frenchie right?) For his Blind Audition he sings Queen “We Are The Champions”  and this dude is rocking out on stage! Cee Lo is the only coach to turn around. Cee Lo questions if the other coaches’ ears are burned up from having such a great vocal performance. Blake says that Cee Lo is an over the top artist and perfect for Tony. Team Cee Lo baby!

Anthony Evans (@anthonyevansjr) is the next artist (DALLAS TEXAS!!), son of a well-known Pastor and his dad looks like Steve Harvey.  He is trying to define himself as an artist and I bet he is trying to get away from being pegged as Gospel, or at least show how versatile he can be.  For his Blind Audition he sings ‘What’s Going On’. He definitely has a church vibe.  I like his falsetto. As soon as he does this vocal riff Xtina pushes that button. Xtina says she thinks he has a beautiful voice. She was waiting to hear something spectacular at the end and when he started hitting those runs, that was her moment. Team Xtina.

The next artist works in a sandwich shop and his name is Jamie Lono (@JamieLono). I feel slighted in the way that Carson Daly did not present him with his invitation. It looks like his supervisor did.  I guess that is a good way to let your job know that you are going to be gone for a while! If not indefinitely. But let’s not put all of our eggs in one basket. (What does that mean?) For his Blind Audition he sings ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ and Adam Levine pushes his button immediately. Cee Lo also turns around.   Adam says he is so soulful. The song choice was amazing. Different and Soulful. In the end he goes to team Cee Lo! Wow. Though Adam turned around first, he still went with Cee Lo! So far, tonight Adam still has no one! Team Cee Lo.

ANOTHER SHOT GAME: TAKING A SHOT EVERYTIME CEE LO SAYS: ENDORSE.

Next up is Dylan Chambers (@dylan_chambers) from ARLINGTON, TX (TEXAS STAND UP!). For his Blind Auditions, he sings ‘Valerie’ I am digging his vibe! I love this song and he is doing a really good job. But none of the coaches turned around.

They do a quick run through of artists that don’t make it, which is really nice of them. They didn’t have to show any of them.

The next artist is Justin Hopkins (@jhopsmusicbox), and he was actually one of Carson Daly’s guitarists in the house band. For his Blind Audition he performs ‘Babylon’. He had a resigned look on his face when it almost seems no coach is going to turn around, when suddenly Cee Lo turns around. He did say earlier he would like to be on Cee Lo’s team. You got your wish dude! TEAM CEE LO!

Up next is Nicolle Galyon (@nicatnitemusic), who wants to be the first country artist pianist. For her Blind Audition she sings ‘You Save Me’. Adam is the first to turn around. And it looks like Adam may actually score this one! Afterwards, Adam gives her a standing ovation and lets the other coaches know they are dumb.  He says he is happy because when she wasn’t nervous, she was so special. Team Adam. His first artist of the night. Good job Adam.

They quickly Ashley De La Rosa (@UKnowAshleyDLR) goes to Team Xtina, Jordan Rager [(@Jordan__Rager) <<--- that is 2 underscores] who goes to Team Blake, Karla Davis (@KarlaDavisMusic) goes to Team Adam, Alyx (@FollowAlyx) goes to Team Blake.

Eric Tipton (@RealEricTipton) is 31 years old, 6 ft and 300 lbs. SANGER, TX. (hello fellow TEXAN!) For his Blind Audition he sings “You Make My Dreams” and he has a really nice soft tone to his voice, with moments of power.  Unfortunately no coach turns around.  He did really well though.

Mathai (@mathaimusic) from Dallas, Texas (another TEXAN!) is sexy. Hands down. Her family is in the business of making doctors, but she wants to follow her dreams of being an artist. For her Blind Audition she sings ‘Rumor Has It’, which you know I already love as I love Adele. Obviously Mathai and I are meant to be together. If her parents find me acceptable.  Adam Levine is the first coach who turns around. Mathai’s mom is really giddy and I love how she starts to do a little happy dance. Soon Blake turns around. Followed by Cee Lo. The guys must’ve heard sexy cos they all turned around. Blake calls her a star. But in the end she chooses Adam!

Another great episode of The Voice! I was a little more excited about this episode more than last week. And I found my wife. And my favorites in this episode are Jonathas Ojeda (@iknowJonathas) and Mathai (@mathaimusic). Also I think everyone in America learned that Texas talent is abundant and diverse.

What did you think about tonight’s episode? Any favorites? Let me know!

Until next week.

LLAP.