Tag: The Voice

The Voice Blind Auditions — Mackenzie Bourg Kills

Just because you’re a successful performer, doesn’t mean you’re successful at finding new talent. That’s an A&R side of the brain that the judges of ‘The Voice’ are clearly missing. Because if they had it, they would have all turned around in unison for Mackenzie Bourg, who is likely the only contestant so far with any hope of a post-show career. And in case you doubt The Dishmaster’s ability to spot talent, just remind yourself that I interviewed The Lumineers before they blew up (yes, I’m bragging).

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The Voice Auditions — Chilling Rendition of “No Woman, No Cry”

When I watch The Voice, I often think, “These kids don’t need coaches. You either have it or you don’t.” But Anita Antoinette’s blind audition below proved me wrong when she sang an a capella version of the same song after hearing the judge’s notes. Watch.

Green Day’s Billy Joe Joins ‘The Voice’ as a Mentor With Christina Aguilera

I will try my hardest not to judge Green Day frontman Billy Joe for joining ‘The Voice.’ It’s a popular show, he’s a popular guy, and he has to stay popular — because he has an album coming out. That being said, my vitriolic hatred for Christina Aguilera and my talent show fatigue makes this revelation difficult. Watch their interview below, and by “their,” I mean hers, considering he barely got a word in.

Quote of the Day — Adam Levine Brags About Getting Laid

“I felt like people only knew me as a singer who dated pretty girls. . . . A little bit of a bimbo. Maybe the reason I was promiscuous, and wanted to sleep with a lot of them, is that I love them so much. . . . I was the music dude that was naked all the time with the girls, and that’s fine. . . . But I wanted to create a little balance. When ‘The Voice’ came around, I thought, ‘People now know that I have a brain.'” The always douchey Adam Levine on the deep reason behind his man-whore syndrome.

Florence + The Machine on The Voice — EXCELLENT!

Does Florence Welch ever have an off night? After watching her sing “No Light, No Light” on The Voice, it’s clear that the answer is no. She’s epic. Watch the Florence + The Machine greatness below. As an aside, do you think the contestants cried for their non-careers after watching her perform?

The Voice: Christina Sends Home Moses Stone — Big Mistake

I had the pleasure of attending a live taping of The Voice tonight, and it’s now unequivocally clear that this show won’t survive without a major overhaul. Though it has an intriguing gimmick, there’s some glaring issues that need to be addressed. First, there’s absolutely no emotional connection with the contestants. Sure American Idol gets attacked for pulling on America’s heartstrings with cheesy video packages, but those packages serve an important purpose. They make you root for a contestant, and you become invested in that contestant’s success. With The Voice, I found myself struggling to remember the contestants for anything other than what they wore on a previous show. Second, the judges are choosing people based on who is most similar to their own style. For example, Christina Aguilera predictably chose Ashley De La Rosa, because Ashley’s performance is the most similar to the way Christina performs. She’s not an inside A&R person like Simon Cowell, and if she was, she’d know right away that Moses has more potential for a sustainable career in the industry. And lastly, whoever styles the contestants needs to make some serious changes. These kids don’t look like stars. And they should. Don’t believe my criticism? Then just look to the Season 1 winner, Javier Colon, who has yet to hit it big. If they can’t make their winner a star, then they lose all credibility.

The Best Judge on ‘The Voice’ — Blake Shelton

If I were a contestant on The Voice, it would take me one millisecond to choose Blake Shelton as my mentor. The reason? He’s the only judge with post-show loyalty. It’s not about winning the show, it’s about what happens after you win the show, and a huge part of an artist’s success is whether other artists with more fame promote them. And Blake Shelton constantly promotes Dia Frampton and Xenia, two contestants from the last season of the show. Sure Adam Levine won with Javier Colon, but does he invite him to sing at Maroon 5 concerts? In fact, Dia Frampton is joining Blake Shelton on tour. You can’t beat that type of exposure. There is no way Christina Aguilera would make that same type of offer.

Dia Frampton Tours With Blake Shelton — And Her Meg & Dia Band

The greatest thing about getting famous is that you get to bring your friends along with you for the ride. That is — if you remember them on your way to the top. And Dia Frampton definitely remembered. She was one of the finalists on NBC’s breakout hit, The Voice, and she began her career as a struggling independent artist for years in the band Meg & Dia, where she performed alongside her sister. Though she’s now touring as a solo artist, she’s still performing with every member of her original band, a loyal choice that makes me love her eternally. When asked if her band was okay with the transition, she said, “There isn’t one straight path to get you to the end. There are stops, and reversals, and perhaps other routes . . . ” Listen to her song, “The Broken Ones,” from her new album, Red.

Kelly Clarkson Joins The Voice — American Idol is Smiling

When I heard that Kelly Clarkson would appear on The Voice, I thought, “Wow, that’s really strange. Isn’t she the chick that won American Idol?” As it turns out, I’m not the only person intrigued by the choice. American Idol programming executive Mike Darnell said, “It’s a compliment to Idol, that other shows want to use our superstars on their shows. We’re not hiring a lot of people on The Voice to be on our show.” It is a little strange to tout Kelly Clarkson as famous enough to mentor up-and-comers, considering that fame is solely attributed to a competing show. I bet the development executives in charge of her selection hadn’t even thought about it until the media brought it to their attention.