‘The Sing-Off’ finale recap: And the winner is…

by Grady Smith

Categories: About Last Night, Reality TV, Television, The Sing Off, TV Recap

Image Credit: Trae Patton/NBCAfter three weeks, five episodes, 65 performances, and 957 puns, the joyous celebration of terrific, autotune-free vocals known asThe Sing-Off came to a close last night, and a winning group was finally crowned. Who was it? [SPOILER ALERT: If you don’t want to know who won, don’t read on!]

It was COURTNEY! Just kidding, it was Committed! Yes, the gospel sextet from Alabama earned the most viewer votes and clinched the victory over Nashville rockers Street Corner Symphony, who came in second place. What did Committed win? According to Nick Lachey, three very important things: “$100,000, the Sony Music recording contract, and this Sing-Offtrophy!” But we didn’t get to see Committed receive the prestigious trophy right away. First, we had to wade through an hour and a half of tepid filler — repetitive montages, guest performances, and treacly charity visits — all the things The Sing-Off had so refreshingly neglected all season! Honestly, it made for a rather disappointing finale.

Part of me wants to let the show off the hook. After all, it’s a lighthearted program about a cappella that’s really more of an appreciation of singing than an intense competition. However, the entire first half of the finale completely undermined the competitive nature of The Sing-Off by refusing to focus on the actual contestants! It was infuriating! Our remaining vocal groups were relegated to be nothing more than stool-swaying backup singers for the likes of Boyz II Men, Sheryl Crow, Ben Folds (who I still love), Sara Bareilles, and Neil Diamond. The only guest performance that I actually found enjoyable was Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town’s duet with Nicole Scherzinger. Their soulful take on “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” felt like a true artistic collaboration, rather than a celebrity spotlight-steal. If producers had wanted six performances during the first hour so badly, why not showcase the six previously eliminated vocal groups? I sure would have preferred one last chance to hear their blends instead of all that bland.

But before I get too critical, let me give some credit where credit is due: Nick Lachey did a great job last night. PUNMSTR looked positively giddy when he got to join the finalists on stage for Stevie Wonder’s “What Christmas Means to Me,” and he sort of stole the whole performance! (But not because he dominated the arrangement.) His crisp vocals, beaming disposition, and sweater-wearing-team-player attitude were an absolute delight to see/hear, and throughout the night, he seemed more confident and at ease than he had all season. He even took the time to successfully mock Ben Folds. Speaking to a live audience definitely helped him out. Bravo, Nick!

Eventually, our four final groups got to perform individual “songs of hope,” and while the subsequent performances were mostly solid, their effect was marred by extended packages showing each of the groups doing acts of good will for the holidays. They’re helping kids play guitar! They’re decorating Christmas trees! They’re singing after school! These Idol-esque segments felt contrived and took away the attention from the singing, the very thing The Sing-Off had been so focused on all along! I hope these boring packages aren’t a sign of things to come if The Sing-Off gets a longer season next year. But let’s get down to the actual performances:

The Backbeats — “Firework” by Katy Perry
Wow, I wish we had heard Kinton solo earlier! His light, flexible voice glided perfectly atop this pop smash, and some sharp choreography accentuated the build to the chorus. Unfortunately, Joanna’s distinct alto stood out like a sore thumb, and though the Backbeats finished on a beautifully complex chord, they never really exploded with energy. Plus, I got sort of annoyed how much the camera kept focusing on Courtney. I have nothing against the girl, but WE GET IT. SHE BEATBOXES. THE JUDGES LOVE HER. AND SHE HAS SHORT HAIR. Courtney’s face kept popping up the whole show! B

Image Credit: Trae Patton/NBC

Committed — “Hold My Hand” by Michael Jackson and Akon
Controversial song choice! The solos sounded slicker than ever, but the very watered-down arrangement left a lot to be desired. Things were mostly in tune, but the biggest flaw in the performance was that it was pretty boring. It was a wise move getting the audience to clap along near the end of the song. B-

Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town — “Love Train” by The O’Jays
This was a standard Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town performance in every way, but it had a new cane thrown in for good measure. Jerry howled, the accompaniment bopped along tunefully, and then the whole group stepped up to the front of the stage — it’s their big choreography every week! Completely fun and completely inoffensive. B+

Street Corner Symphony — “Fix You” by Coldplay
This performance was leagues ahead of all the others. The dramatic back-lighting definitely helped make things feel epic, but the singing was truly exemplary. Jeremy’s falsetto gave me goosebumps in the beginning, and the imitation electric guitar was stunningly impressive. Then, everyone came out! Why? Who cares! There was a huge wall of sound coming straight at me, and I loved it. And then the camera showed Courtney for about five seconds! During Street Corner Symphony’s performance! WHAT IS GOING ON WITH HER? A

The first elimination of the night saw Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town and the Backbeats head home, but the two groups left the stage with smiles on their faces. Jerry Lawson seemed particularly excited — as he hobbled down the staircase, cane in hand, he looked at a woman in the crowd and shouted, “I don’t wanna go, but I gotta get out of here! You’re very beautiful!” It was strange and amusing. When the Backbeats were eliminated, Nick didn’t interview star singer Joanna, but instead COURTNEY about their experience. Somewhere, a producer was crying that she hadn’t won. (Still, it was nice to see Joanna take a back seat tonight, no?) Committed and Street Corner Symphony were left standing on the stage, and I felt pretty certain that Street Corner Symphony would take the win. They had been growing increasingly exciting and polished throughout the competition, whereas Committed seemed like they had peaked with their original performance of “This Love,” but had been rather boring ever since.

But we all know how things turned out. Committed won it all, thanked God, and ended the show with a not-quite-exhilarating performance of “We Are The Champions.” Though I was rooting for my Nashville boys the whole time, I really have no problem with Committed taking away the victory. They sound awesome — they just need a little showmanship. Now the “church boys,” as they were so often called, are off to make an album, but they claim that they’re hoping to tour with some of the groups on the show. If that happens, sign me up! Nick Lachey could be the opening act and warm up the crowd with some of his wordplay! On that note, it’s time for:

PunWatch with Nick Lachey!

“Committed has amazed Shawn with their immaculate sound. Now he’s about to join theirheavenly harmonies with his own group.” (We’ve heard “heavenly” almost every episode, but I’m fairly certain that Nick just referenced the immaculate conception in an intro. WOW.)

“Let’s see how they spruced up the holidays for some pretty remarkable people.” (Introducing Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town with a Christmas tree pun!)

“When we come back, Street Corner Symphony fixes in on Coldplay” (Preparing for a performance of “Fix You”)

“Two groups are just heartbeats away from going home.” (During the elimination in which the Backbeats were eliminated)

And so ended a wonderful season of a wonderful show — a breath of fresh air in the rerun-laden December schedule. But now I want to hear what you think. Did the right group win? Was Street Corner Symphony robbed? Were you as frustrated by the over-produced finale as I was? Will you be watching The Sing-Off next season? So much to talk about! Sound off in the comments, and check out our interview with Committed below.

FURTHER READING: ‘The Sing-Off’ winners speak about song selection, producer labels, and their competition

 

Tron Legacy review

tron legacy review By Tony

*spoiler free*
As a die-hard fan of the original TRON, I have been dreaming of this day since the first visuals appeared at Comic Con ’08. When I saw the light cycle in person at SDCC, I knew it was destiny that I would be there for opening day. Two years later, standing in the rain for an early showing, the prophesy came true. I even took my 5-year-old son to hopefully capture some of the same magic from 2 decades earlier. I then went back for a second viewing that night to get a second perspective of the movie. The original TRON had ground breaking effects, introduced an original universe, and a great score. However, that same original had terrible character development, confusing story devices, and a low-stake plot. To my own dismay, 28 years later,  the sequel does the same. The difference is that TRON 1982 held a significant place in our pop culture heritage while I fear Legacy will not.

Pros:
Unfortunately, the pros can be summed up in a handful of visuals and a compelling sound track. You could tell that before the movie was barely conceived or the first story line written, that there were a few scenes that were already being crafted in the mind of director Joseph Kosinski. The first 10 minutes of the movie felt like something out of a Christopher Nolan movie with urban tunnels and swooping cityscapes. The capture of Sam into the TRON world, his outfitting, and the first battle  sequences were all stunning. The first third of this film is very inspired stuff comparable to my experience seeing  the first Matrix. Unfortunately, when they leave the game grid they also leave the best parts of the movie behind. The sound track from Daft Punk could not be any better. It’s as if Daft was genetically engineered (or programmed) for this movie. The music is so epic that it almost fools you into thinking more is happening than it really is. I immediately downloaded it and I am considering it an instant score classic. Now on the cons.

Cons:
While the first act is by far some of the best visuals I have seen in years. The 2nd act of the film comes to an almost grinding stop. It becomes very ponderous with a bunch of ‘talky, talky technobabble’  and a few boring flash back sequences. Not only is it not that interesting but it doesn’t help bring clarity to the quickly developing murky plot. Legacy tries to create space for Flynn and Sam to reconnect but the emotional thrust is not there. Legacy becomes so serious so quickly that there is nothing fun about it once you get to this part of the film. Then it really blows it by the final act of the story. It turns into a typical ’Star Wars-esque’ chase sequence and showdown with the villain. Sure there were explosions and ships zipping around (and the deceptive pumping score), but it was not nearly as creative as the earlier 1/3rd. While the action serviced the plot, what everyone will leave talking about is the earlier arena battle scenes.

The next huge con is the lack of character development and plot. Different characters start out interesting but it goes no where from there. There is no real character arc for anyone and characters are dispensed with as quickly as they are introduced. The loss of one particular character is very unrewarding. Being the master of stereotypes, it’s no surprise that Disney character exit the movie the same way they are introduced. The problem is that you don’t know who to ‘root’ for or identify with. There are several obvious choices but there are not obvious reasons why. You simply want the good guys to win and the bad guys to lose- booooring. Besides trying to get Flynn back out to civilization, another plot device is introduced but it’s importance is not totally clear and by the end, I honestly could cared less about this secondary plot. Unfortunately, Legacy is a two-dimensional story and characters placed in a stunning 3-D world. Instead of it being the story 28 years in the making it ended up feeling more like 28 minutes. Like the original, the characters never seemed like they were ever in real jeopardy and I never felt like the stakes were very high. For a moment, I thought I was caught up in a bad re-mix of Matrix Revolutions and Episode II Attack of the Clones. Either of which are not good to be associated with. I found myself ‘re-writing’ the movie while I was watching it, which is usually a bad sign. I accepted the story but it was against my will.

End of line..?
With all my pros and cons out of the way, I still have to say I enjoyed this experience. Much like the orignal, its doesn’t have to hit on all cylinders for me to leave with a partial smile on my face. I actually enjoyed the CGI doppelgänger of the younger Jeff Bridges. Sure the effects were pretty sketchy at times but I appreciated the ambition. If there is a ’legacy’ to this film, it might be the introduction of artificial actors in cinema. This was only about 75% there but I imagine we will be seeing the perfection of this technology in the years to come. As frustrated and unfulfilled I was with this film, I still recommend it- especially if you are a fan of the original. The first 1/3rd of the film is worth it alone. There is also a sense of nostalgia which is becoming more rare over time for children of the 80′s like me. Plus, it has sequel potential written all over it which might give Disney a chance to right it’s wrongs with this one. The 3-D is pretty ‘meh’ but the IMAX experience is superb. To my sadness, history may regard this as an incredible visual ride but ultimately a failed sequel. I guess we will see what my son will say about it 2 decades from now and if he will have the same nostalgic memories as I did as a child.

I give this the same rating as the original, a 3 out of 5 Babbles.

Check out my earlier review of the original TRON.

What I learnt from Blogging Heroes: Top Blogging Tips PART 1

December 21, 2010 by maryawrites

Blogging Heroes on how to have a successful blog

I have just finished reading ‘Blogging heroes: Interviews with 30 of the World’s Top Bloggers’, and I must say  that Michael A Banks is a GENIUS. I simply could not get enough of it.

Being relatively new to the blogging scene, naturally I was interested in picking the brains of the best of the best – how they started and made it big. Although the book mostly covers the major players in technology, news, politics and lifestyle – and my blog doesn’t have anything to do with any of it-  it really is a must read for every new blogger who is dead serious about it.

At the end of each interview, Banks summarizes advice for newbies these veterans have churned out. Here I compile my own list of bits I especially loved from these world-class bloggers.

How to have a successful blog, for new bloggers

1. You don’t have to write everyday

Write when you are inspired and and set up extra material to post at later dates. That way your readers know when to expect your new posts. Dave taylor of The Intuitive Life Business Blog.

It does help to post regularly, this way people are likely to return. Frank Warren of PostSecret.

Readers expect fresh content every time they visit a blog.

2. Go to other blogs

.. and engage in discussions to bring readers to your blog.

Don’t write quickie comments as an excuse to leave your url, its annoying. Add your comment if you genuinely have something to say. Don’t spam other blogs with link to your blog.

Keep up with other blogs. Almost all bloggers admitted to subscribing to 200 or so blogs on average.

3. Find a niche

Chris Anderson of The Long Tail advises to focus on specific interests. You don’t have to appeal to an overly diverse audience. Focused blogs are self selecting…

‘A specific focus or mission is necessary to sustain a blog’. Ina Steiner,AuctionBytes.

4. Cultivate Good Writing

Don’t worry about reporting on new things, find a fresh and exciting perspective instead.

Write descriptive headlines to your posts, especially important for people who subscribe to your feeds. Mark Frauenfelder of Boingboing.net.

Don’t forget other blogs as sources of information and always credit by linking to them.

Use a relaxed and personable style rather than a news style. Ken Fisher of Arts Technica.

Take time away from your blog to get fresh ideas. Credentials are not necessarily indicative of quality of blog posts.

The final 3 tips on blogging are posted here. These also talk about how to build readership – the million dollar question.

What I learnt from Blogging Heroes: Top Blogging Tips PART 2

December 21, 2010 by maryawrites

Best Blogging Tips

As the original post was getting a tad too long, I decided to split into two parts. For the first 4 tips on blogging, check out part 1.

5. Respect your readers

Don’t blog about anything you can’t say to a person’s face. Scott McNulty of The unofficial Apple weblog

Accept criticism with open attitude and see what you can learn from it.

Think about others’ feelings before you post. Your blog is not a license for rudeness.

6. Gain experience from your personal blog

Blogging means different things to different people. Peter Rojas; Engadget. Figure out what are you blogging for.

Before starting a blog, make sure you have more than one thing to say. Make a list of half-dozen or more ideas. Rebecca Lieb. ClickZ

Blogging for free, on your own, may win the attention of paying blogs. Victor Agreda Jr. DIY life

Experience with a personal blog can prepare you for blogging for pay. Deidre Woollard. Luxist.

A personal blog is a better platform for being yourself and communicating honestly, rather than a blog you are paid to write. You admit to your biases rather than hide it. Mary Jo Foley of All about Microsoft.

A blog can support and extend the life of a book. Brad Hill. Weblogs, Inc

The strength of successful blogs is their authenticity. Content and personality are both important.

Blog from your heart. Deborah Peterson of Life in the Fast Lane.

7. Blogging is a learning process

Says Gary Lee of An internet Marketing Website.

Blogging is an ongoing learning experience. Gina Trapani of Lifehacker. It can help you learn more about a particular subject.

8. Increase your readership over time

Be passionate about what you write, it shows.

Write original, thoughtful, well written content and readers will come.

If you want people to come to your blog, you must offer them something of value. Steve Rubel. MicroPersuasion.

Respond to your comments, your readership counts.

Look for opportunities to self promote your blog.

Comment on blogs of high-profile bloggers in your niche area to draw traffic. Kristin Darguzas. ParentDish

Growth does not happen quickly. John Neff. Autoblog.

Learn about SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Link to other blogs where appropriate. They might link back. Joel Comm.JoelComm.com

Links from other blogs are more important than SEO, because those links give you the effect of SEO. Robert Scoble. Scobleizer.

Avoid begging for links. Mike Masnick. Techdirt.

Rather than focusing on bringing in traffic, let content guide your blog. Philipp Lenssen Google Blogoscoped

Setting up titles that appeal to both search engines and humans is all the SEO that most blogs read. Brad Hill. Weblogs, Inc

So, anytips for having a successful blog? More importantly, what is your definition of a successful blog?