Author: The Dishmaster

X Factor Winners Alex & Sierra: Full Interview

Alex & Sierra PhotoWhen I began watching this season of The X Factor, it became immediately clear that Alex & Sierra are the ones to beat. They’re the show’s most authentic performers, avoiding all the standard network pitfalls of cheesy backup dancers and sparkly outfits in favor of stripped down songs. The two semifinalists took some time to answer all my probing questions about their journey in the competition and their future plans. Enjoy!

You have a very unique, indie style to your performances. On such a mainstream show, is it difficult to keep your identity intact?

Thank you. We look at it like this; if we perform the songs the way we want to perform them on the show, whether we get voted off for it or not, we’ll leave the show with supporters who like what we do. We came in with an idea of what we wanted to do on the show and we want to leave with as much of that idea intact as possible. Everyone we work with on the show knows we have extremely strong feelings on how we want things to do and they have been really cooperative in helping us grow, while still staying true to ourselves.

I can’t imagine working beside my significant other. I like to keep my personal and professional life private. How do you successfully manage that overlap?

We are just having a lot of fun, and when things are going so well it’s tough to get upset about things. We aren’t really consciously managing our relationship along with the show, we’re just taking things as they come and trying to enjoy all of it.

X Factor is largely predicated on the mentor aspect of the show. What have you learned from Simon Cowell since the show began?

We’ve learned that we should continue to be who we are. It seems as though people in the business like to work with strong willed people who know what they want. And that’s good for us because we really like fighting for what we believe in! We’re grateful that Simon respects our opinions and always wants to hear what we have to say.

Being on a network show almost fast-forwards your journey as artists. How are you dealing with this immediate attention in such a short period of time?

This whole thing is so much fun. When people come up to us in public it’s really exciting, when we see commercials that were on it’s a surprise. We absolutely love this experience, however I think something that has made it easier to deal with such immediate attention is the people that we are going through this with. We’ve made incredible friends with the other contestants and we’re all able to share this new experience with each other.

How tough are you on yourselves after you receive the judges feedback? Do you watch your performances back to discover things you could have done differently?

Alex: Sierra is a little bit tougher on herself than I am, but we also agreed to come on this show knowing full well that we’d get criticized. It’s a new experience to sing and then be immediately criticized after, but we’re dealing with is as well as we can.

Sierra: It was definitely tough to deal with receiving criticisms on national television, but I think I’ve gotten to the point where I know it’ll happen so as long as I’m happy with our performances I don’t take negative responses as “hate” I use them as motivation.

Both: And we do watch our performances back, we like to hear how our performances sounded on TV and we like to hear what we can improve on.

Lastly, have you thought of what you’d like your record to sound like and where you’ll go from here?

I don’t think we know what a record would sound like. I think we’re both just taking things as they come and if the prospects of a record come along then we’ll start diving into that. But as of right now we just want to get through each week!

Britney Spears Releases ‘Britney Jean’ — A FULL REVIEW

There’s no bigger Britney Spears fan than The Dishmaster, but ‘Britney Jean’ is an unfortunate misfire. For a hit-making monster diva, there’s only two catchy tunes, which is shocking. As for the rest, the tempo is too low for treadmill tracks, and any club tunes will require a massive remix.

When Spears declared it the “most personal album yet,” I was intrigued. And though the lyrics are likable, the melodies are not. There’s a plethora of malcontents that are panning this record with lots of detailed jargon about Britney’s lack of talent, and the machinery that manages her success. I won’t do any of that. I don’t care that she’s a produced pop-tart with a limited vocal range. She gets handed the best material, and I like to listen to her while I’m cleaning my apartment. Does it matter that she’s part of a powerhouse team? Not to me. It matters that she makes hits. And there just aren’t enough on this record.

Listen to one of her better tracks, ‘Perfume,’ below.

RIP Paul Walker — May His Family & Friends Grieve in Peace

The most significant Hollywood related news event over the Thanksgiving holiday is the tragic and shocking death of Paul Walker, who passed far too soon during a car accident. He leaves behind a daughter, a girlfriend, and a loving family who’s mourning his loss.

Though there’s nothing I can say that would provide any comfort, there’s a larger, more significant point to make in the wake of his passing. Let the family grieve privately. There’s many online websites devoted to coverage of every last detail surrounding this tragedy, and that coverage includes paparazzi pictures of those closest to Paul Walker in their most private forms of grief. It’s gross. Please unite in undermining any site that engages in this horrific act.

RESPECT THE PRIVACY OF THOSE WHO NEED IT.

Howard Stern to David Letterman: “I’m in the Jungles Fighting Your War”

Howard Stern had another epic appearance on David Letterman, and true to form, he bashed Jay Leno, followed by an objection to Letterman’s new found friendship with his once foe. Stern said he feels like “a Vietnam veteran that’s still in the jungle fighting [his] war and [Letterman’s] made up with Vietnam.” He also recounted his own former friendship with Letterman, which Stern single-handedly tanked when he ran his mouth on his radio show in the early days. Watch the king of all media make nice with the king of late night television.

LET’S TALK TURKEY — See Ya Soon!

 

Hi everyone! It’s that time of year, and to celebrate my family fiesta I’ll be downsizing my digital time with a full break from The Dishmaster. But fear not! I’ll return on Monday. And before I go, I’d like to condense all my upcoming posts into bullet points, so as to save time. And don’t forget to check out my podcasts if you’re in need of some entertainment on the go.

  • Derek Hough is a dancing dynamo.
  • Cee Lo Green is sunk.

 

 

Jamie Lynn Spears Debuts Her Single — How Could I Want More

Jamie Lynn Spears has always been an enigma to me. She had a hit television show at a young age, and instead of joining America’s most touted teenie-boppers into the mainstream maffia, she chose a simple life in her small town and disappeared. It’s particularly shocking given her sister’s assent, but I also admire the desire to privacy. She’s now older, presumably wiser, and attempting to launch a country career on her own merits. And her voice is good. Listen below.

One Direction Sings ‘The Story of My Life’ at the AMAs — WATCH NOW

Up until now, I’ve done my best to avoid listening to One Direction, who I’ve fundamentally dismissed as “just another pop fad,” courtesy of Simon Cowell. But for a brief moment in time, boredom overtook my sanity, and I watched their performance on the American Music Awards instead of fast-forwarding at my leisure. And though what I’m about to say might make you further question my sanity, I must, as always, give credit where credit is due, and compliment the boy-band, who truly moved me while singing ‘The Story of my Life.” No wonder Taylor Swift got caught up with that lead crooner. Watch below.


One Direction – The Story Of My Life – AMA's 2013 by IdolxMuzic

Whoopi Goldberg Brought to Tears by Grateful Fan

The legendary Whoopi Goldberg visited a Dutch television program called College Tour, and I recently stumbled across a very moving moment from an audience member who expressed his gratitude for her role in Star Trek, which he revealed helped him to move beyond his autistic barriers. Watch the video below to see Whoopi’s tearful reaction.

‘Enough Said’ — Movie Review by The Dishmaster

movies-enough-saidThere are mandatory must-haves to propel the plot of all popular films. Without them, the film will sink faster than one of Tony Sopranos’ rats. There are; however, ways to achieve Hollywood’s most-wanted themes without infringing on the hokiest of sentiments. And ‘Enough Said’ did just that.

Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfuss and the late, great James Gandolfini, the film centers around Eva and Albert, two divorced, middle-agers who are settled in their lives but open to a new relationship. Their mutual affection is slow-growing, and much like real life, each take the time to assess their feelings. Eva isn’t sure she’s attracted to Albert, and Albert, though interested in Eva, seems slightly broken by his past. They begin to date, and just when you fall for their adorable affections, Eva does something to sabotage what they’ve built.

Though I’ve always been impressed by Louis-Dreyfuss and Gandolfini, this film well exceeded my expectations. Each is known for the extremes of their comedic and dramatic genres, but it’s far more impressive to forgo those extremes for a more nuanced performance. These lovable characters come with a powerful palette of details that are so beautifully subtle, it’s mesmerizing.  That’s a feat also attributable to writer and director Nicole Holofcenter,who clearly made a conscious choice to forgo all of Tinseltown’s tritest tricks. During a post-film Q & A at the AARP’s Movies For Grownups Film Festival, Louis-Dreyfus touched on this idea, explaining that she didn’t want a “standard Hollywood kiss,” and instead hoped to get the point across another way. She did just that.

Go see this film. It’s a little gem that’s hard to come by. And as James Gandolfini’s last performance, it does him justice.

4.5/5 DISHES