Cary NoKEY • B Who U R

Songwriter, producer, and musical tour de force Rob Fusari could rest on his laurels, as among his credits, he lists discovering and working with a young performer named Stefani Germanotta find her footing in the music industry, including giving her a new name, and producing and writing her first album. That was the 2008 release 'The Fame', making Lady Gaga a household name. The album gave us the hits "Just Dance", "Poker Face", and "Paparazzi". After the professional and personal relationship between Fusari and Gaga ended, the producer began to look for his next superstar.

Fusari couldn't find the next artist with the talent, work ethic, and imagination to be his next project. Soon he found himself in the forefront, working with DJ ValNtino to form Cary NoKEY. He took a new name, and 8bit was fronting the band, combining Pop, Electronica, and Fashion to create the next level of Art Pop. That style is now evident in the music video for the new single from Cary NoKey, "B Who U R". The song is an amalgam of sounds and styles, with the dark influences of some British Goth Pop, Glam Rock bands of the 1970s, and hard driving dance music of today. The song extolls the joys of individuality, looking for everyone to stay true to themselves, and not let the world get them down. The joy and strength are hard to resist. This is the official music video for Cary NoKEY's "B Who U R".

The song just drives you to your feet, and makes to want to dance for joy, doesn't it? You can add it to your iPod if you purchase "B Who U R" from iTunes and Amazon. To learn more about 8Bit and Cary NoKEY, visit the official website. You can also 'like' the band on Facebook, and 'follow' them on Twitter.

The Voice Season 4 • Battle Rounds 3

As the fourth season of 'The Voice' continues, we see how well the two new judges meld with the two old judges. Both Shakira and Usher have been exuberant in their roles so far, with Shakira scooping up her two steals already, and Usher offering the first bitchslap of the season to a couple of contestants he felt needed to realize the opportunity they had in front of them. Returning judges Blake Shelton and Adam Levine, winners in three finals between them, seem to be hungry to win again. The auditions are over, and 48 acts have found mentors in the coaches, each of whom will bring 12 members of their teams into the battle rounds. We are halfway there, and between tonight and tomorrow night, the team will be set. And as he has for all three previous seasons, Carson Daly will be handling the duties of host, keeping things moving between the singers and the judges. At the top of the show, Usher tells us his teams will blow our mind... Each coach has great support, as Adam brings in Hillary Scott, lead singer of Lady Antebellum, while Blake has Sheryl Crow, Shakira has Joel Madden, lead singer of Good Charlotte and coach on 'The Voice Australia', and Usher has Pharrell Williams. They will all be on hand to help get the contestants ready to prove they deserve a shot at the finals once the Battle Rounds are complete.

Left to right: Shakira, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Usher, and Carson Daly.

As we begin tonight, we know Shakira has used both steals available to her, while Adam and Blake have used one a piece. Usher has both to use, having lost in his two attempts to Shakira and Adam. In fact, Usher is putting together the first Battle tonight, when he puts Jessica Childress and Vedo into the ring. They are talented singers, and Usher asks them to sing Bruno Mars' "Locked Out Of Heaven". Jessica isn't sure the song is the right key for her, but Pharrell tells her it is perfect. Vedo shines in the first rehearsal, but it is Jessica who sounded great in the last rehearsal. Who will Usher pick?

This is a wonderful duet, as both have strong voices with amazing rangers, just right for Pop music. Shakira thought it was a 'feel good performance', and Adam agreed, thinking they were both wonderful. Blake feels bad for Usher, for he feels they lit up the room. Usher is very proud, as both did exactly what he asked of them. They make the decision hard, but he has to give the answer. He picks Vedo, which leaves Jessica up for a steal, although no one picked her up. After the Battle, Vedo wishes his mother, who is in the hospital with Stage 4 cancer, was there to experience his success. Usher comes back stage to give him a hug. Next up, Team Shakira is going to the ring with Luke Edgemon and Monique Abbadie. With their first meeting, Monique admits coach Joel Madden was on her book covers in Middle School. Both Shakira and Joel were impressed with Luke's vocals, and the honesty he delivered. Monique, on the other hand, felt less real. Can Luke deliver in front of the audience, or can Monique connect to the song when it matters the most?

Both look nervous as they prep to enter the ring. Carson calls them to the ring, and Luke leads them off with a strong vocal. Monique starts with an affected line reading, but soon relaxes into the song. At the end of the day for me, Luke totally took over that performance. Adam agreed with me, thinking Luke was a revelation. Blake loved Luke as well, and Usher thought they were great together. Shakira decided to make a strategic decision, and picks Monique, assuming Luke will be picked via steal. As soon as he is available, Blake hits his button to steal, followed by Usher. Luke is a bit overwhelmed, and they take a commercial break so he can decide. Will Usher get his first steal, or will he lose out again? Luke surprises by picking Blake, leaving Usher with both his steals to use. Then it is time for Team Blake to take their turn in the ring. This Battle features Jacqui Sandell and Savannah Berry, singing Little Big Town's "Little White Church". At the first rehearsal, Sheryl Crow gives notes to both girls, and they have homework to do. For the final rehearsal with Blake, he is pleased with the progress made by Jacqui, but pushes Savannah to stay on tempo. Will Jacqui continue to grow under Blake's direction, or will Savannah finally nail the song?

Before the performance begins, I am interested in what will happen here. Savannah has a rich and gorgeous voice, but Jacqui can deliver the quirk that Blake seems to love. Carson calls them to the ring, and the battle begins. Savannah sings first, and she is in great voice. When Jacqui begins, her voice sounds a bit thin, like nerves are kicking in. Savannah stays on tempo, and in fact, a couple of times Jacqui fell behind a beat. I think Savannah really took the gold this time out. Adam thought they were both adorable. Usher thought they were wonderful, and couldn't decide. Shakira loved them too, and thinks it was Savannah by a nose. But it is time for Blake to make up his mind, and he picks Savannah. Jacqui thanks Blake for having such a strong influence on her as a singer. There is no steal, and it is time for Jacqui to go home. It is time for Team Shakria to take to the ring, with Kris Thomas and C.Perkins battling. They will be singing Bruno Mars' "It Will Rain". C.Perkins seems to have a problem with staying in tune. Kris sounds great, relaxed and feeling the song.

Kris leads off the song, and is just right on the vocals. C. joins him, and by comparison, his voice sounds a little thin. They duet on the song, and the song was a bit odd for me, didn't really give them a chance to show their best. I would pick Kris, but who knows? Adam thinks they were both something, and Blake enjoyed it, but thinks they were holding back a bit. Usher wished he could have coached them. But it is Shakira's choice, and she picks Kris as the winner. C.Perkins thanks Shakria for all he learned from her, but didn't get the Steal, well, until C. was giving a hug goodbye, so he will now be on Team Usher. Now it is time for Team Adam as he pits Midas Whale against Patrick Dodd on "Burning Love" by Elvis Presley. There is a tightness to the Midas Whale, with former American Idol finalist Jon Peter Lewis. Patrick has a strong voice, and it has a rich rasp. Both know they have to be at the top of their game to win the battle. Who will Adam choose?

Patrick kicks off with that raspy voice, and Midas Whale chimes in sounding great. With the Bluegrass feel, the song travels more places than the original lite radio feel, for I kinda expected more from this Battle. Patrick came off kinda one note, milking that rasp for all it was worth, and showing no real range. Midas Whale had the character choked out of them with the speed of the song, not allowed to have their harmonies shine. The other coaches loved them, but offered on help to Adam. He agonizes over a decision, saying this was his toughest on the show yet. I'd pick Midas Whale, but that is more of the negative of the performance making the choice. I think both are better than they showed. Apparently, it was better live, but finally, Adam picks Midas Whale. Patrick thanks Adam for the support he has offered, and leaves, with Usher not using his final steal. And soon it was his team to battle. Usher and Pharrell try to talk to Orlando Dixon and Ryan Innes as they rehearse with Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine". Pharrell tells Ryan he is doing it right, just be sure to be clean with his notes. Usher and Pharrell pull Orlando aside, and tell him to connect to the song, and not hide behind his voice, to let it tell the story. At the final rehearsal, Usher is pleased with both, and fears it will be a tough decision come show time. Who will make it to the finals?

Carson calls Orlando and Ryan to the ring, the final battle of the night. Ryan starts off the quiet arrangement, his voice in fine form. Orlando's performance tries to combine the Soul inherent in the song with modern R&B. Ryan has a richer, fuller-bodied voice, while Orlando has a greater range with beautiful control. Both were in great voice. Shakira loved them, but couldn't decide. Adam had no problem picking Orlando, while Blake loved Ryan. Usher struggles with a choice. Finally, he picks Ryan, the big man with the deep voice. Finally, it is time for Orlando to thank his coach, and Adam takes the opportunity to use his last steal. Tomorrow night is the final Battle Round, with all the teams needing more singers. Usher is the only coach left with a steal, and we promise it will be used wisely...

Eli Lieb • Adele & Others

It is fun to take a look at the rise of Eli Lieb, the handsome singer/songwriter from Fairfield, Iowa. Music has been an important part of his life growing up, and Lieb pursued his dreams, and moved to New York City, looking to hone his skills and get a break. He played some of the top clubs and stages, gaining precious experience and a following. After ten years in the city, the young man returned home to Iowa, but had not given up his dreams. Among the things he learned, music production came in handy as he started to produce his own material. He also began working on some videos to post to Youtube, to get his name out there, as well as to keep a finger on the pulse of Pop music. It didn't take long before people took notice of the guy from Iowa. In fact, people began wanting produced recordings, and soon Lieb made them available online. Some of those songs included "Someone Like You", the brilliant song written by Adele and Dan Wilson, and performed to perfection of the British chanteuse. But the one I really love is his cover of "Turning Tables", off the first Adele album. Check out Eli's version of the song.



I should also mention Eli is an out and proud gay man, just another reason to support his efforts. Among the many covers you can find online, he also gave a shot at Britney Spears' "Inside Out" and gave added depth to Katy Perry's "Fireworks", while keeping a lid on the amount of pyrotechnics. Give a listen to another of his YouTube videos, shot in Iowa, for the Perry song.



Of course, is there anyone who has recorded cover songs in the last few years that have not rearranged and massaged the music of Lady Gaga? Well, count Lieb among those who have, with his stripped down version of "The Edge of Glory" actually gives the song sturdier legs to stand on.



I have to say, Lieb has a beautiful combination of tone and grit in his voice. And he really knows how to use both. And he is a smart man, offering those covers as a FREE DOWNLOAD on his official website, just by joining his email list. Just visit the official website, and click on the headline "FREE ELI LIEB YOUBE COVERS EP". Recently, Lieb released a sweet version of the Maroon 5 song, "Payphone", which also features Wiz Khalifa. Give a listen to this, I think it is kinda wonderful.



You can find much of Eli's music on iTunes, including the covers of "Payphone" and "Someone Like You". Lieb also has an album of original material that is quite nice. I hope to being you more on that soon. But for now, to learn more about Eli Lieb, visit his official website. You can also follow him on Twitter or "like" him on Facebook.

Duets with Tony Bennett

Top: Tony Bennett. Bottom: Lady Gaga; Amy Winehouse; Norah Jones; Aretha Franklin; and Kd lang.

The great Tony Bennett has done countless duets over the years, but more recently, he completed two albums of duets, featuring some of the top singers of today, singing the songs of yesterday. It is an intriguing idea, and Bennett and company pulled it off with style and flair. And speaking of style, we all know Lady Gaga has it coming out her pores. She teamed up with Bennett to sing "The Lady Is A Tramp". The song is from the 1937 show Babes In Arms, and was written by the great team of Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers. Gaga and Bennett have so much fun together, there is no way not to love this duet.



In one of the last video performances before she passed, Amy Winehouse teamed up with one of her own personal idols when she sang "Body And Soul" with the master himself. The performance is amazing, and everything you could want from the pair. The song was written in 1930 by Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton and Johnny Green for actress Gertrude Lawrence. It was also featured in the Broadway review Three's A Crowd. After an amazing recording by Louis Armstrong, the song quickly became a jazz standard. Here is it performed by Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse.



Our next song was written by the great Kurt Weill and Ogden Nash for the Broadway show One Touch of Venus that opened in 1943. The song quickly grabbed the attention of many, from Billie Holiday to Barbra Streisand. So it is very special that Bennett decided to team up with Norah Jones for the gorgeous and romantic "Speak Low".



It is interesting that when Bennett was figuring out the line up of singers and songs for the second album, he asked legendary singer Aretha Franklin to sing "How Do You Keep The Music Playing?". The song, written by Michel Legrand, and Alan and Marilyn Bergman for the 1982 film Best Friends, a song he had sung with George Michael on the first. Between Franklin and Bennett, there was over 150 years of life in the song, and it works beautifully.



"Because of You" was written by Arthur Hammerstein and Dudley Wilkinson in 1940, and the 1951 recording by Tony Bennett was his first ever hit. So when it came to do a duet with it, Bennett chose the singer is has called "the best singer of her generation", the brilliant Kd lang.



You can purchase Duets: An American Classic on iTunes and Amazon. You can also purchase Duets II on iTunes and Amazon.

GLEE Redux • Nationals

Wow, this is the second hour of GLEE-TV we are getting tonight, and once all is said and done, there is only one more hour left for the season, and the senior class will be moving one. Some might come back to visit, and others will have a story Glee will continue to follow. But tonight, the New Directions head to Nationals, and see if they can make their dreams come true, and bring home a championship!

Clockwise: Celine Dion; The Who; Lady GaGa; Nicki Minaj; Queen; GroupLove; and Meat Loaf.

Mercedes comes down with food poisoning, and Sue is trying cold baths and Pedialyte to get her ready for the show. Coach Beiste comes to Mr. Schue, she needs his help. The kids are imploding downstairs, fighting like cats and dogs. He tells them to focus the passion, and it will help the performance. Outside, Rachel runs into Jesse St. James, who tries to shake her confidence. She doesn't let him, and tells him he will lose. Backstage at Nationals, Mr Schue is about to give his speech to the kids, but Finn stops him, and gives his own speech, explaining how Mr. Schue is the teacher of a lifetime, to the cheers of the kids. More cheers when Mercedes comes in the room, thanks to steroids, witch doctors, and Coach Sue. It is their last performance, and Mercedes wants all the girls to join her in a great performance. In the audience, the judges are announced, with a local politician, Lindsay Lohan, and Perez Hilton. Coach Bieste, Coach Sue, and Mr. Schue are freaking out, but soon the curtain opens, and the girls are singing "The Edge of Glory" by Lady GaGa.



They are met with a resounding ovation, and from the wings, Rachel sees that Madame Tibideaux isn't in the seat she reserved for her. Finn grabs her, and explains it is her moment, one she needs to take advantage of having. She walks out on stage, and sings Celine Dione's bombastic "It's All Coming Back to Me Now."



As she sings, she sees Madame Tibideaux taking her seat. After the song, she gets a standing ovation, including from Tibideaux. Quickly, Finn starts the next number, "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" by Meatloaf.



Of course, this song is so over-the-top, the very definition of bombastic,making it a natural for the kids. The audience was on their feet, clapping to the beat by the time they were halfway through. They crowd is in a frenzy, including Tibideaux, who is clapping and whistling. Kurt and Mercedes go to wish Unique to break a heel, but Unique is melting down. The pressure of being the only performer in drag, and everyone is looking at him, has finally gotten to him. They calm him down, offering support. They aren't really enemies, they tell him, that is not the way the New Directions roll. As they leave, he thinks he might need to transfer schools. Unique takes the stage in full drag, and sings "Starships" by Nicki Minaj.



Next up, Unique and Vocal Adrenaline launch into "Pinball Wizard" by The Who, from the seminal Rock Opera, Tommy.



At the end, they get a standing ovation, and the McKinley coaches look worried. The judges are meeting trying to name the top three groups, with Perez constantly blogging about Lohan, and the politician coming out of the closet as a show choir groupie. They are arguing, and no one knows what is going to happen. In the lobby, Jesse St. James stops Madame Tibideaux, to tell her that Rachel is the most talented person she would want to have in her program. She remembers his audition two years ago, and gives him a nice compliment. Back on the stage, it is time for the awards. Unique is named the MVP, an honor Rachel was hoping to get to make her NYADA dream come true. The Portland Scale-blazers are in third place. As tons of confetti falls, the New Directions are named National champions. There is screaming and hugging all around. This leaves Vocal Adrenaline in second place, and a handsome but disappointed Jesse St. James on stage empty handed.

After a commercial break, the kids and Mr. Schue walk into McKinley high, and are met with slushie cups filled with more confetti, and there is joyous celebration everywhere. Then we hear the kids sing "Tongue Tied" by Grouplove.



Thinks are happening, like Rachel being asked for an autograph, and Mr. Schue getting laid. They bring the trophy into the school, and put it in the case. They are smiling. Rachel and Finn are called into Principal Figgins' office, congratulated for winning. He also tells them he wishes kids didn't get married until they were 29. But he really wanted to invite the New Directions to sing at an event tomorrow. Mr. Schue and Miss Pillsbury are basking in the afterglow a day later, only to speak of their love, not lust. They are walking to the ceremony, Sue stops them to tell Mr. Schue she thinks she will be named teacher of the year. Mr. Schue agrees she deserves it, for helping the New Directions win at Nationals. In the auditorium, Principal Figgins brings out Finn and Rachel, who announce Mr. Schue was named Teacher of the Year. They both thank him sincerely, and then the curtain opens and the New Directions sing "We Are the Champions" by Queen.



The kids pull him up on stage, and there are hugs to everyone. Even Coach Sue is smiling, and singing along. Soon, the whole student body in the auditorium is on their feet, celebrating the music geeks and the geeky teacher with a standing ovation. Next week is the final episode of the season, looking at graduation and those final goodbyes...

Cover Boy • Chris Salvatore

Actor. Model. Singer. Musician. All are terms that could aptly describe Chris Salvatore, today's Cover Boy. At first glance, those stunning good looks might make it easy to forget there is a much more to him. He's starred in three feature films, all part of the Eating Out franchise, starring as Zack in All You Can Eat, Drama Camp, and the upcoming Open Weekend. But it would seem music is his first love. Check out this cover of Lady GaGa's monster hit, Born This Way.



As a matter of fact, the devilishly handsome Salvatore studied at the Berklee College of Music, the prestigious Boston school. He majored in vocal performance, and was soon recording music he was writing. You can watch another video as he covers Christina Perri's Jar Of Hearts. It might be easier to focus on this one, he wears a shirt.



Along with his other noteworthy accomplishments, Chris is also an out and proud performer. He has spent time working for equality, in between his many projects. Those projects include self-made videos of cover songs, including this really nice clip of Salvatore singing The Fray's You Found Me.



You can find more about Chris Salvatore on his website here or on ReverbNation here. You can also find him on Twitter here, and on Facebook here. You can check out Dirty Love: The Remixes, on iTunes here, and Amazon here.

X-Factor on Tonight!

Due to the celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday this week, the X-Factor is coming on a day earlier this week, so I thought this reminder would catch your attention. Not long ago, X-Factor UK had Lady GaGa on to perform her latest single, Marry The Night.



Amazing, she actually is singing live. Don't forget, watch X-Factor US tonight at 8PM on your local Fox station!

GLEE Redux • Mash Off

Clockwise: Van Halen; Lady GaGa; Eddie Rabbitt; Blondie; Adele; Hall & Oates; Pat Benatar; and Crystal Gayle.

The episode opens with Puck thinking about his preoccupation with Shelby Corcoran. He is falling hard for her. In fact, it inspires a performance for the Glee club of the Van Halen song, Hot For Teacher.



Sue is running ads for her congressional campaign that are total lies. Kurt goes to confront Sue about the lies she is spewing about his father. She tells him it isn't personal, just competition. She suggest he fight dirty, just like Brittany is in the Class President race. He storms off, unconvinced. Shelby comes up to Mr. Schuester in the Teacher's Lounge, and they discuss how to make things go smoothly with the two competing show choirs. The invite the kids to the auditorium, and just as the kids seem like they might be brawling, they start singing the You And I mash-up, by Lady GaGa and Crystal Gayle & Eddie Rabbitt.





They tell the kids it is possible to work together, compete against one another, and to live side by side. They challenge the students to do a mash-up, and to to perform it in front of everyone. Mr. Schue gets the New Directions to think about the mash-up, and after tossing around some names, Finn suggests Hall & Oates, as a group that has weathered the storm and stayed together. Finn also suggests they give the lead to the new kid, Rory. He is a bit intimidated, but Blaine is also encouraging. In the hallway, Finn tries to explain the Smack Talking to the Irish Rory, and they run into the Queen of Smack, Santana. He tries the insult route, but he is not so good. Instead, he challenges her and the Trouble-Tones to a game of Dodge Ball. Quinn is talking to Puck as they walk down the hall, hoping to further the plan to get their little girl back. She stops by Ms. Corcoran's office to ask about joining the choir. Shelby must give it some thought.

The Dodge Ball match is on, and while trying to pick one another off, the kids sing a mash-up of Pat Benatar's Hit Me With Your Best Shot & Blondie's One Way Or Another





Santana is quite mean, and leads the girls in a pummeling of the others, including Finn and Rory. Kurt stops them at the end, for they have caused Rory a bloody nose. It effects Rachel and Mercedes, too. In fact, when the Trouble-Tones meet, Mercedes suggests an Adele mash-up, and that Santana dial back on the mean. After she nominated herself, Mercedes is nominated leader of the Trouble-Tones, and demands Santana work harder on the music, and less on bullying. She goes to apologize to Finn, only to lose it and be even meaner than before. As she walks away feeling she won, Finn asks her way she hasn't come out, and if she feels better about herself when she rips everyone down just to avoid letting anyone see how she really feels. It hits her hard.

Sue has amped up her false advertising against Burt Hummel, who is getting really frustrated. Mr. Schue, his campaign manager, tries to think about what to do. Puck is helping Shelby with Beth and assembling the crib, when he confesses about the plan for him and Quinn to get Beth back. He really bares his heart, giving Shelby reason to think about it all. Soon it is time for the mash-up competition, and the New Directions go first. With 80s inspired outfits, including curly wigs and mustaches for the boys, the take on the Hall & Oates classics, I Can't Go For That & You Make My Dreams.





It is time for the McKinley High Presidential debate. Brittany wants to make tornadoes illegal, and pledges to go topless on Tuesday. Kurt takes on bullying, and to ban doge ball, the modern equivalent of stoning. When Rachel has her turn, she asks for everyone to vote for Kurt, the only candidate to not go negative. Afterwards, they make up. Quinn stops by to see Shelby, who tells her she knows the plan, and doesn't feel comfortable with Quinn seeing Beth anymore. It doesn't end well, as Quinn leaves. And Sue needs to talk to Santana, as an opponent is using Santana in an anti-Sue ad, labeling her a lesbian. Seems another candidate had a niece who overheard what Finn said to Santana, and thought to use it against Sue, no matter how it hurts a high school student. Santana is distraught, realizing her family, her parents, will see it. Sue is sorry, but there is nothing she can do... It is time for the Trouble-Tones to take to the mash-up war, and perform the Adele songs Rumour Has It & Someone Like You.





Wow, Santana nailed that! After the songs, she notices Finn whispering to Rachel, and she goes to call him on it. She is sure he is telling Rachel about her sexuality. Despite both Finn & Rachel telling her they were just saying she was great, Santana loses it, yells and slaps him. Everyone looks stunned. The episode ends.

Remember, the New Directions are taking next week off for Thanksgiving, and will be back on Tuesday, November 29th, with the next new episode. The title is I Kissed A Girl, and sure to be another great one. In place of GLEE next week, X-Factor will be moving forward a day, with performances on Tuesday, and results on Thursday.

Cover Boy • Theo Tams

It has been a while since I have posted about one of my favorite Canadians, so it is time to rectify that. Like so many singer/songwriters, Theo Tams has done a cover or two at his live shows, and only the other day, he added a new twist. He posted a video he made of himself singing a cover of Adele's Someone Like You. The song was off Adele's amazingly successful second album, 21.



Last year, I took a bit of a road trip to Toronto so I could see Theo performing live for myself. I am so very glad I did. One of the songs I managed to catch on video from that trip was by Britney Spears, but Theo managed to put his own magic on it. Here is Sometimes.



While I might not have captured a performance of Theo singing Lady GaGa's Bad Romance on video, my friend Sue did. So, without further ado, here is Theo's wonderful Bad Romance.



To discover more about Theo, you can find him on FaceBook here, and Twitter here.

Sign of the Rhymes

Michael "Mister Chase" DiMartino features the music of Britney Spears & Lady GaGa.

Well, I discovered this beautiful gem when my friend Ricky Morgan posted it to his FaceBook recently, and have been hooked since. It features the lovely Michael Chase DiMartino employing American Sign Language for the Britney Spears hit, Womanizer. He effectively combines dance, sign language, good looks and a strong sensuality to make a great video.



He doesn't stop at Brit-Brit, and gives the same treatment to superstar Lady GaGa on her megahit, Bad Romance. He certainly employs some interesting techniques to re-energize the song.



If there was a performer and a song that fit better with the comic strip treatment than Britney Spears and her Hold It Against Me, I couldn't name it right now. And as an excuse to see DiMartino shirtless for most of the video is a wonderful thing.



He also offers and interesting interpretation for another of Lady GaGa's songs, Beautiful Dirty Rich. And, once again, I find myself enjoying DiMartino's performance as much as the songs.



But before you start thinking DiMartino has only the signing skills, you would be mistaken. He not only released an original video for his song, Addicted, it was officially released, too!



You can purchase Addicted on iTunes here. You can get it on Amazon.com here, for FREE at the moment. You can find him at his official website here. You can find him on Twitter here, and on FaceBook here.

AI10 Today & Yesterday

For the tenth time in it's illustrious history, American Idol offers up a top five to the audience to enjoy, and then take an active role in their careers. James, Lauren, Jacob, Haley and Scotty will all be performing two songs this evening, one from our modern times, and one from the 60s. If there is a greater philosophy behind this, other than filling 90 minutes of airtime so Fox can charge a bun of money for commercials, it is lost on me. And since they decidedly left up without a clue as to the identity of the bottom 3 last week, all five of the remaining contestants are on equal footing, or at least that is the impression the producers want to give us. After all, until last week, we knew that Lauren, Scotty and James had not been in the bottom 3. Did that change last week, and they just didn't tell us? Or did Haley and Jacob complete the bottom 3, still leaving the record of the others unblemished? I doubt we'll ever know, but soon, we will know who was in good form, and who wasn't.

Everyone is introduced, and we find out that tonight is important, cause, as Randy says, America and the Judges want to know who is in it to win it. This tells me that I will soon be tiring of this statement, for Randy will be going there time after time. James starts out the evening with the contemporary entry, as he performs Closer To The Edge by 30 Seconds To Mars. He does a nice job, although there are times when he really drifts off the notes. I just find his technique to be really lacking at times, he can get pretty sloppy with his notes, and his breath control is lacking. Of course, the judges all love him, and see none of that. In fact, Randy calls 30 Seconds To Mars a great band, which is somewhat surprising...



Jacob is up next, and he picks No Air, by Jordin Sparks and features Chris Brown. Jacob goes it alone on the duet song, which was a beautiful one perfectly suited to the former AI champions voice. Not so perfect for Jacob. He is incredibly sharp and shrill, and makes a wonderful song and makes it a muddied mess. Jennifer seems to appreciate he has defined himself as the next Chris Brown, and ignores the bad performance. Surprisingly, Randy agrees with me, and he and J-Lo argue about who is right, rather than about the guy in front of them. Steven agrees, but with what, I am not sure.



Lauren is up next, and she is going to sing Flat On My Feet by Carrie Underwood, a true vocal powerhouse and winner of the fourth season of Idol. Cheryl Crow offers the useful advice that Lauren plant herself and sing the damn song, and when Lauren takes the stage, she really takes control of the stage. She owns it, and does a great job. The judges agree.



Scotty is next, singing Gone by Montgomery Gentry. Cheryl loves it, and thinks he sounds great. Frankly, I thought the song showed a certain thinness in his voice, a bit of a hole in his range. But it was certainly more energetic than I thought Scotty capable of being, at least on stage. Apparently, once again, I listen alone, as the judges drool over the performance, and is the 3rd outta four who is in it to win it. Sorry Jacob.



Haley is up next, and we are told she is singing an unreleased song by Lady GaGa, which fascinates me. How does Haley get to sing a song like that? Apparently, Jimmy Iovine suggested this song, which GaGa did at concerts, but not recorded yet. Haley got permission from GaGa herself to sing You And I. Cheryl Crow promises an elusive 'moment' on the show, and I think she sang it well, with perhaps the best vocals of the night. OF course, the judges see it differently. Jennifer thinks it was silly to sing a song no one knows, the audience isn't smart enough to see the singer. She Randy agrees, and even insults the song and Lady GaGa. Steven, as is often the case, says nothing.



James comes back to lead off the 'Songs of the 60s' portion of the night, and sings Harry Nilsson's Without You. That is a great song, and right up his alley. There is all kinds of slippage going on, moving from on key to sharp, and he loses his emotions, as well as a bit of vocal control. Again, he highlights his weaknesses. For the judges, however, not so much. Randy considers it his to lose at this point. Sure there were some bad notes, but that is OK. After all, it's not a singing competition, right? Steven also acknowledges the bum notes, but chooses to ignore them. Jennifer does the same, emphasizing the emotional mess of the situation. Got it.



Jacob sings Nazareth. Go figure. He sings Love Hurts, and hits some notes that are not anywhere on the paper, nor should they. He plows through much of the song, and then pulls out his bag of tricks at the end. What a steaming pot of mess. Shockingly, the judges see it differently, as an amazing performance that put him back in the competition.



Lauren is up next, and is singing Simon Cowell's favorite songs, Unchained Melody. It is a favorite of her parents, sung by the Righteous Brothers. She does a lovely job with it, but is a bit too tentative to me. No bad notes, but a bit hollow. However, the judges think it was beautiful, with nary a bad thought allowed.



Scotty sings Always On My Mind, by Elvis Presley. I think of it as a Willie Nelsen song, but hey, it is a great song. It is kinda sweet, and a bit vapid. A little weak at moments, but no bad notes. The judges love it, and think there is nothing to criticize. I cringe a bit when Crusty starts talking about there being some Puerto Rican in Scotty...



Haley will close out the show with some great 60s rock by The Animals. She will sing House Of The Rising Sun, a brilliant piece, to be sure. Cheryl convinces her to come out singing a cappella, and she just tears the house down. She sings the crap outta this song. Surprisingly enough, the judges agree, and call her the performance of the night. I just don't follow them.



The recap goes on, and it is very obvious that Jacob is the weak link of the night. I thought both performances went way outta control. But it also featured some wonky notes from James, and how Scotty was carried by the back up singers in his first song. The ladies had good edits on their songs, but who knows what America will do.... Guess we will learn tomorrow.

GLEE Redux - Born This Way

Tonight's episode features the music of Patti LuPone, Lady GaGa, TLC, Keane, West Side Story, Duck Sauce & Sammy Davis, Jr.

After the recap brings us up to date per usual, we jump into the show, with Mr. Shu wanting to get a booty camp going to help the dancing, but quickly Finn picks off Rachel with a stray arm, and breaks her nose. The doctor suggests she think about a nose job, and she is tempted. When she tells the other kids about it, Santana voices her thoughts that everyone has something they would change if they could, so Rachel should seek surgery. While heling Miss Pillsbury polish her food, Mr. Shu mentions he needs to teach the kids self-acceptance, and it occurs to him this is something Miss P could help with, as she has her own OCD issues. There will be an assignment that will feature Lad GaGa's Born This Way and Miss P. will help with the costumed.

After class, Santana contemplates what it would take to win the homecoming queen title. She thinks she needs the jocks, and see Dave Karovsky, and her gaydar alarm sounds. At a lunch with the kids and Kurt and Blaine, Santana has a brilliant idea, and hopefully will bring Kurt back to McKinley!

Lauren starts putting up signs to run for homecoming queen herself, which does not sit well with Quinn. After telling Puck she was a champion pageant kid, he is strangely turned on. He will help her. Quinn goes with Rachel to the doctor, cause Rachel wants her nose. They are inspired and sing their mash-up for the class, Unpretty by TLC and I Feel Pretty from West Side Story.



I Feel Pretty


Santana meets up with Karovsky, wanting to be his beard. She tells him she knows he was gay - she caught him checking out Sam's ass in the hallway. She thinks they can work together, become the homecoming king and queen, and be general heroes to the school, all the while hiding the fact they are gay and lesbian.

Quinn is not liking the lesson being taught this week, and points it out to Finn. He, on the other hand, is loving the lesson this week, and sings I've Gotta Be Me by Sammy Davis Jr. while dancing with the sexy and handsome Mike Chang.



Rachel brings out a a composite made by the doctor, and the kids all tell her it is a bad idea. Puck points out the girls with the nose jobs are always less hot, and Tina, with her blue contacts in, speaks of self-hatred in the self-mutilation.

Will tries to help Miss P by having her eat unwashed fruit. [Oddly, after the segment, there is a commercial about germs and biofilm in the mouth, unless you use Listerine. Go figure.] She doesn't see the humor,

Back in the chorus room, Karovsky is standing up in front of everyone, apologizing to a disgruntled group who dislike and distrust him. He also announces the change was due to the help of Santana. She comes up, and announces their 'love.' Both want to try to get Kurt back in the school, and they will start the Bully-Whips, to counteract the bullying in the school. There is much confusion.

There is a meeting in Principal Figgins' with Karovsky, Kurt, Mr. Hummel, Finn, Mr. Karovsky, and Mr. Shu, all trying to get Kurt back. After much talk, Kurt asks for a moment with Dave, and asks for the truth. Karovsky spills about Santana's involvement. Kurt demands Dave start a PFlag chapter at the school, cause Karovsky needs to be educated. But he will return. Puck demands an hour of Rachel's time before she makes a final decision about the surgery. On the courtyard, Mercedes announces that Kurt is back, and he is greeted by his McKinley friends. But there is another group that would like to talk to him, The Warblers. While Blaine will still have him in the evenings and on weekends, they will miss him. They sing Somewhere Only We Know by Keane.



To signal he is not only back, but he is ready to join the others, even if there is some nervousness. Kurt sings As If We Never Said Goodbye from the show Sunset Boulevard. The songs was first sung by Patti LuPone in the original London production. I gotta say, he nails this!



After a commercial break and I wipe a tear from my eye from Kurt's performance, we come back to Lauren pulling Quinn aside, and we discover her name is really Lucy Quinn Fabray, prior to a nose job and losing 70 pounds. Will Lauren release the photo-proof, and kill Quinn's chance to be homecoming queen? Continuing the fight for self-acceptance, Puck delivers Rachel to Kurt, who tells her show must think about remaining the amazing and singularly spectacular self, as he performs the viral hit Barbra Streisand by Duck Sauce. With the help of the other kids, he performs it in the mall.



We return to Miss P going to a therapist, and she spends the entire session disinfecting the chair. This a light and steady voice, she tells her she needs to treat her illness once she accepts it. There is an air of acceptance in Miss P. Back in the hallways of the school, we find the girls in the school are now looking up to "Lucy" and she is leading the polls. And Quinn respects Lauren cause she walks the halls like she owns them, just he way she was born.

Brittany gives Santana a "Lebanese" t-shirt, cause of Santana's girl-loving-ways. She is disappointed Santana doesn't love her enough to wear the shirt. The kids get together to perform, all with a t-shirt with the perceived weakness they want to own. Rachel comes in to show off her "Nose" t-shirt, and announces she will not be getting the nose job. Kurt starts the song with the t-shirt that says "Likes Boys" and things like "four eyes," "big mouth," and "bad attitude," among others. Miss P joins the group with her "OCD" shirt, matching Mr. Shu's "Butt Chin" shirt. Kurt is singing Born This Way by Lady GaGa.



There is much joy as the kids perform on the stage, while there is a lack of joy with Santana and Dave, who were watching from the seats, restrained by their own imposed handcuffs.

New Music - Sir Castanon

The the information about Sir Castanon floated into my vision, I didn't know what to think. At thirteen years of age, young Master Castalon had built up a pretty impressive acting resume, but has figured out his inspiration is more musical, and has launched himself into the LA music scene. Not only did music pique his interest, but Dance/Hop-Hop music. So, he created the personae of a Club Kid meets pop star, in the tradition of Lady GaGa and Adam Lambert, only through the eyes of Justin Bieber. That is how Sir Castanon came to be!

So as the New Year rolled around, Sir Castanon released his debut album, Puppeteer. The 10-song collection showcases his talents, the grinding beats of the dance music blending with the infectious pop hooks of the songs delivered perfectly by Castanon. Take, for example, the first official video from the album, the fabulous Puppeteer.



I really like the way the video starts out with a look at the real kid, before entering into the world of the entertainer. The joy in his dancing is undeniable. The same could be said for another song off the album, Chandelier. This is a clip from a show I know nothing about, and although it might take a few seconds to gear up, soon Sir Castanon is flying with the song.



While the dance stuff is fun, I think Sir Castanon really soars when he ventures into the territory of Justin Beiber and pure pop. Songs like Shadow Dancing and Cry Baby give off an energy and goodness you can only get when a real teen is singing, not someone trying to play one on TV. The following video is a clip of the songs off the album, so give a listen and let me know what you think.



For more about Sir Castanon, check out his website here. If you are ready to buy after listening to the clips, you can find him on iTunes here. You can find him on MySpace here, and FaceBook here, and you can find him on Twitter here. Little dude is working it, and I wouldn't be surprised if we won't be seeing a lot more of him soon!