Saturday, February 26, 2011

First Impressions

Currently Listening To: Glee Cast - One Less Bell to Answer/A House is not a Home


It's time for Americaaaaaan Idol - again!
And yes even though I'm not that excited about this season, I'm still planning to blog about it. Why would I do that? Well, number 1: I'm bored. Number 2: It's fun to look back on old entries one year later so...yeah.

Anyway, the Hollywood rounds are over and the Top 24 has been decided. I thought they were going to change the format or something, but I guess not? It's still 12 guys and 12 girls. Alrighty, my first impressions of the contestants this year:


From Daemonstv.com


The Guys

Brett Loewenstern - Hmmm, his hair is really distracting. Not particularly fond of him but I guess he's all right...

Jovany Barreto - Agree with J.Lo, great upper range but other than that bleh.

Jacob Lusk - Oversinging much? Overemotional too.

Paul McDonald - TPTB didn't show much of him so...I don't know. He's interesting enough though.

Clint Jun Gamboa - Hate this guy. Jerk, and he's not that great anyway.

Robbie Rosen - David Archuleta 2.0. Not necessarily a bad thing. My favourite for now.

Stefano Langone - Well, he's decent enough. Nothing to shout about.

Jordan Dorsey - I don't see what's so great about him. Deandre Brackensick should have been in over him I think.

Tim Halperin - Another unknown interesting enough to catch a little of my attention.

James Durbin - Oh god. Adam Lambert wannabe for sure. Mr I'm-just-gonna-screamwailscreech-every-word-cos-it-worked-for-Adam! Can't stand the guy.

Casey Abrams - Interesting choices of instruments. A more polished Taylor Hicks perhaps? I do like him though.

Scotty McCreery - He made me hate the song he couldn't stop singing. No idea why he's still in the competition. His so called amazing deep voice is like Taylor Swift's - flat as hell.

The Girls

Naima Adedapo - I like this girl! No overpimping, and she has a nice voice.

Julie Zorilla - Omg this girl is awesome. Definitely one of my favourites!

Karen Rodriguez - Not bad either.

Lauren Turner - Two Laurens this year, and I prefer this Lauren.

Kendra Chantelle - Boring.

Ashthon Jones - Darn I missed the part where they showed her singing, so I have no idea.

Rachel Zevita - I guess she deserves a chance? Weird operatic chick.

Haley Reinhart - I don't get it. She doesn't deserve to make the Top 24. Just plain awful.

Thia Megia - Um. Well. She does have a good voice, but I think she's a little too unpolished for AI.

Lauren Alaina - This chick has issues with Steven Tyler. She just can't keep her hands off him! Seriously! He's 62 and she's 16 for heaven's sake. Good voice, but I don't like her at all.

Pia Toscano - ...who is she again? Sorry no clue who that is.

Tatynisa Wilson - This season's Lil Rounds perhaps.


Don't know them? Watch this.

Monday, February 21, 2011

21

Currently Listening To: Adele - Rumour Has It


I suppose Adele wrote this album two years ago?
Cos I'm turning 23 today, and we're the same age XD

So I'm not exactly a fan of Adele but I did like some of the songs from her previous album.I was all for Duffy when they were both nominated for the Grammy's a few years back, and was quite upset when Adele won but now I kinda sorta understand why she had won instead. Honestly, Adele's sophomore album is a lot better than Duffy's. Was completely and absolutely turned off by Duffy's nasally Well Well Well. It was so terrible I couldn't bring myself to listen to her new album. (I don't even know the name of the album!)

Anyway going back to Adele, I'm still not a big fan but 21 is a pretty good album. Mostly ballads with a few upbeat songs, such as Rolling in the Deep (the first single) and Rumour Has It (my personal favourite).



Tracklisting
1. Rolling in the Deep
2. Rumour Has It
3. Turning Tables
4. Don't You Remember
5. Set Fire to the Rain
6. He Won't Go
7. Take It All
8. I'll Be Waiting
9. One and Only
10. Love Song
11. Someone Like You

Overall: Pleasant album, not really my kind of music but still nice to listen to. 8/10.
Recommendations: Rolling in the Deep, Rumour Has It, Set Fire to the Rain, Someone Like You.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Currently Listening To: Brooke Waggoner - Go Easy Little Doves


I finally bought The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo bookset/The Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson for RM59.90 at Popular! They were having some special offer for the New Year celebrations and it was open to everyone and not just the members. The other bookstores are either selling them individually for about RM35.90 per book, or the bookset for RM79.90, so I'd say I got a pretty good deal.

I was interested in the trilogy because the American version of the movie will be out in December, and the books are like, quite famous?

So far I'm about halfway through the first book. Don't know what to make of it yet, the story is interesting but um, I don't think it's written very well. I mean, there are pages and pages of useless information and pointless descriptions of totally random stuff. It reads more like a report of the book, rather than the actual novel.

I know it's originally in Swedish and I'm actually reading someone else's translation of the book but still, the information is the same right? Note to self: don't ever write like that. It drags everything down.

Despite that, I'm still progressing fast, thanks to the intriguing plot and the interesting characters. Can't really tell what the story's about though. Based on the description on the back cover of the second book, it looks like the story's about human trafficking? I guess I'll find out soon.

Still on my favourite topic (books books books!), I'm totally loving this blog right now:
jennysbooks.wordpress.com


The blogger's a huge Diana Wynne Jones fan, and she even hosted a DWJ event on her blog a few months back! Her first ever author's week event in fact, to encourage other DWJ fans to review her books and to spread the DWJ love. It's so rare to find DWJ fans, so I'm like in DWJ heaven right now. I even learnt new things from the blog - for example, I can't believe that I actually missed out one of her books, A Sudden, Wild Magic. Never knew it existed until I came across it in that blog.

Anyway it's getting late, and I should totally get started on watching the 13th episode of Glee Season 2 =P (and it's 1.40am!)

P.S: OMG I'm almost done with Persona 3! I guess I better finish off the final bosses of P3 AND P4 before classes start.