The Sing-Off Episode Three

Mike Chin here once again, writing after the third episode of The Sing-Off. I am joined by University of Rochester Vocal Point alum and ACB contributor Genevieve Chawluk. ACB Production Manager Mike Scalise will join us halfway through the show. Like the last two nights, I’ll be offering up my play-by-play and review with their commentary peppered in throughout. In addition, tonight we have a handful insights from other Vocal Point alumnae, Kristy Doot, Laura Weaver, Meredith Flouton-Barnes and Martha Guenther who were in another chat with Gen.

Mike Chin (MC): Tonight’s show opens with all remaining groups on stage for Electric Light Orchestra’s “Mr. Blue Sky.” It’s super cheesy, to the point of feeling kind of uncomfortable. I actually liked the ensemble number that opened episode one (“Under Pressure”), but I think that’s because it was kind of edgy and thematically applicable to what was happening on the show. This feels more like an American Idol results show opener which is, pretty much by definition, bad. The groups sound good enough though, and to their credit, none of the groups’ facials betray how lame they must feel. MAXX Factor pulls it off best here.

Genevieve Chawluk (GC): While we’re going over rules, a bit of wisdom from Wikipedia: The phrase "swan song" is a reference to an ancient belief that the Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) is completely mute during its lifetime until the moment just before it dies, when it sings one beautiful song … Mute Swans are not actually mute during life--they produce snorts, shrill noises, grunts, and hisses--and they do not sing as they die.

MC: Well, that all makes sense.

Nick Lachey introduces the groups and judges as per usual. Tonight’s show will feature each group performing a medley by a “classic group,” and then a song of the judges’ choosing.

Group #1: Nota

GC: I wonder how they decide order. They must draw straws every night.

MC: Nota comes out clad in electric blue and their usual black. The guys offer up a serving of The Jackson 5. They start on “I Want You Back,” then transition to “I’ll Be There” and close on “ABC.” Smart song selections—well known stuff, ballad in the middle for a chance to show the group’s full range and even give a second soloist a shot at the mic. He’s not quite as strong as the lead dude, but not bad at all. They’re working the stage again, which bodes well for them. Good all around, although I can’t help but feel that the group just isn’t as electric as it was last night.

GC: When the regular soloist steps aside, the pitch suffers. The backgrounds took a sec to correct the pitch.

The arrangement was solid, though, and I like that they're not breaking into salsa during every song.

MC: Shawn likes the smooth transitions between song and the energy. Nicole calls them sweet and smooth, and praises the honest delivery of the song. Ben says it was very moving and they made some really cool chords. He says there’s not a bad singer in the bunch, but challenges the initial soloist to push his falsetto even further.

Group #2: The Beelzebubs

MC: What can The ‘Bubs do to match up against Nota at this stage of the competition--considering they're likely going to be rivaling them at the end of the competition for the popular vote?

GC: They can't be Nota. They have to be themselves. But their performance has to be clean--no tuning issues, impressive solo, fun choreography. What I like about The ‘Bubs is that their choreography is totally silly, but they know it is so they own it. Which is different from, like, the SoCals, who totally try to pull it off as real "dancing" or whatever.

MC: The Beelzebubs come out in black outerwear with green vests and ties. They take on a medley by The Who, starting with “Behind Blue Eyes.” Very smooth sound here. They probably sound more musical in these few seconds than they have at any other point in the show.

GC I’m glad they're starting with something serious(er). This is showing their singing and blend.

Meredith Flouton-Barnes (MFB): I watched a lot of The ‘Bubs today online because I 'm a huge nerd. And a lot of the stuff they have been doing is off their 2006-2007 CD.

MC: I think that's smart. A group like The ‘Bubs should pull on their deep catalog and history and use it to their advantage.

GC: Absolutely.

MC: The guys transition to “Who Are You.” They’re off and rocking, spanning the stage once again. The solo seems a little forced to me--the guy is good, but he’s not actually a rock star, and could afford to tone it down a couple notches. On to “Baba O’Riley.” Good stuff here. This is a perfect way to use this song--if you tried to the do the whole song it would probably suck because it's so guitar heavy, but here they can pick their spots.

Nicole says the medley moved her. Shawn says The ‘Bubs are showing a deeper side of themselves. Ben says their performance was very much driven by the lead vocals, which matches what The Who did.

As we transition, what classic acts would we like to see the groups ahead take on?

GC: I would recommend The Supremes for MAXX Factor.

MFB: I’d love it if someone did Motown, like The Temptations.

Group #3: MAXX Factor

MC: The ladies come clad in studded blue blazers and black slacks. The Beach Boys are their group of choice because they sit closer to the harmonies that the quartet is accustomed to. They start off on “God Only Knows,” which I kind of love.

GC: I love this song too. They are not really doing it justice, sadly. I think they might be done tonight.

MC: Agreed—they’re nailing their harmonies, but it’s pretty bland. I worry they’re falling into the cliché area of their niche. “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” is up next. The group is definitely more fun with their upbeat material.

GC: “Wouldn't It Be Nice” is going better. Listen to how low they’re going!

MC: The women finish up on “Good Vibrations” which is probably the strongest leg of the medley all around. Lots of fun.

Ben says they’re not trying to imitate the original—they’re doing their own thing. He also notes that, if you close your eyes, you would never guess it was four women on stage--he says they have the strength of ten men. Nicole emphasizes the fact that they are the only all-female group left and cheers.

Laura Weaver (LW): It almost feels like she was gleeful that they kicked out almost all of the girl groups.

Martha Guenther (MG): Yeah! Not fair to almost celebrate Noteworthy being gone.

MC: Nicole goes on to say she loves hearing the group all sing together, and acknowledges the challenges facing them as a quartet. Shawn says it took a minute for the medley to really get going.
So , Gen, as an alumna of an all-female group, what were your overall impressions of Noteworthy?

GC: If they had girls who could sing lower (I mean, in Vocal Point, we called it singing bass--we had several girls who could sing an octave below middle C), they under-utilized it big time. I thought they attacked their arrangements with a lot of energy and their sound was mostly good. Their percussion was really great. Good soloists. I think where they were weak was that they were top-heavy pitch-wise, and their tone was very bright. I would've loved to have seen them try more traditionally "guy" songs.

Group #4: The SoCals

MC: The SoCals are all in red and black and pink, and have elected to take on the musical stylings of Journey. They open on “Any Way You Want It.” The soloist is likeable, but the blend starts out way off. I like the energy on the movement at the intro, but soon enough, they’re looking musical theatre-ish again in a bad way. Next on the docket is “Open Arms.” I like the guy’s solo a lot, the girl is OK. I don’t like the staged interactions between the two.

GC: OK, the duet harmony here is totally bad.

MC: They close on “Don’t Stop Believin’.” It’s the right choice--the only choice, really, in this day and age. Male lead is good again. Oh good God, it’s a guitar solo.

GC: I HATE AIR GUITAR SOLOS.

See, this is how it's going to go, they're going to stay because that is a crowd pleaser.

MC: So here's what I think the SoCals' problem is here, versus when they were taking names at the ICCA finals. When they can do whatever they want and have time to prepare, they innovate, practice and kick the shit out of it. Here, I think they're trying to play like The ‘Bubs and pull material their traditional catalog, but they just don't as much to pull from, or songs that are as good of fits for what the show’s requiring of them, so they keep falling back on this uninspired musical theatre stuff.

That, or, worse yet, they’ve recognized that they have a niche on the show as the group that goes Broadway, and they’re actively trying to ride that image to victory. I know some people dig on this style, but it’s really not for me.

Shawn dissents. He says the group keeps getting better as the competition goes on. He observes that some of the notes were a little off, but says they still had him holding his breath. Ben says, if he went through a list of things he thought went right we’d be here for a long time. He says the harmony was right in a way that’s intangible and praises the guitar solo. Nicole agrees the group is improving every night and bringing new energy.

Group #5: Voices of Lee

MC: OK, Voices of Lee are doing up a Beatles medley. What three songs would y'all pick to use?

LW: "All My Lovin’."

MFB: They have to do a slow one. So, “Yesterday?” “Let it Be?” If they did the version of “Let It Be” from Across the Universe I might convert to fandom.

GC: I would love if they did something totally random like “Maxwell's Silver Hammer,” but I think that's just a dream. “Eight Days A Week” would be nice.

MC: I’m calling for a Beatles love medley--“She Loves You,” “You've Got To Hide Your Love Away,” and “All You Need Is Love.”

In reality, the group, clad in mismatched purples and yellow, opens on “Paperback Writer.” As a wannabe novelist, I dig the song choice. Sound is just so soft, though, and the tempo feels too slow.

GC: Chicka chicka ching?

I wish they used more (or any) percussion. Even snapping. But their tone and tuning is spot on.

MC: “Oh! Darling” next. Solo gets a little raw, which is a nice change of pace. I get my wish in the form of “All You Need Is Love” to finish it off. I would also venture that it’s their strongest part of the medley, if for no other reason than because they’re selling it; it fits as a message piece for this particular group.

GC: I thought “Paperback Writer” was actually the best part.

MC Nicole says, “Wow, that was awesome.” Shawn praises the harmonies, especially on “Paperback Writer.” He also dug the solo on “Oh! Darling.” Ben says “Oh! Darling” was amazing, and says the group has an integrity about the way it does songs. He thinks the last two songs meant something to them, the first one, not so much.

OK, so who's getting booted when we're back from commercials?

GC: MAXX Factor, I think, unfortunately. I think the bottom two will be them and Voices of Lee.

MC: I think you're probably right. The SoCals were the least impressive this round, but the judges seemed most lukewarm on MAXX Factor.

Elimination time. The ‘Bubs are safe. Voices of Lee are safe. Nota is safe.

The SoCals get to stay, and so the group that has done the most to grow on me over the last three nights is making its way out. MAXX Factor is very gracious and classy, and turn in a really great rendition of “Leaving on a Jet Plane” to sign off.

GC: This is cute. And it sounds great.

MC: OK, so it’s your turn to play judges for a second. You get to pick songs for The Beelzebubs, Nota, The SoCals and Voices of Lee. What do you give them?

GC: It is my dreams to hear The ‘Bubs do their arrangement of "Either Way" by Guster again, although I don't think anyone can do that solo like the original soloist again. It's amazing, though. It's probably not upbeat enough for this show, though.

I want Voices of Lee to do something with a kind of gospel breakdown. But it needs to have some percussion and movement, too. I wish Nota hadn't already done Jackson 5 because they would rock some eighties Michael Jackson too.

MS: For Nota, I’d pick “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.” For The’Bubs, “We Are The Champions.” “Isn’t She Lovely” for the SoCals. Voices of Lee can do “Gives You Hell” just for the irony.

MC: I want “Smooth” by Santana and Rob Thomas for Nota, though that’s probably too obvious. I’d like for The SoCals to go for the whole enchilada with Meat Loaf’s “I Would Do Anything For Love,” or maybe “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now” by Celine Dion.

I’m going to riff off of Mike’s All-American Rejects kick and give The ‘Bubs “It Ends Tonight.”

Maybe “Son of a Preacher Man” for Voices of Lee? How’s that for irony? More seriously, how about “Hold My Hand” by Hootie?

MG: I would give The ‘Bubs “Apologize.” Sometimes those deep serious songs can really win over the judges.

Group #1: Nota

MC: The actual judges give Nota Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer.” In the backstage story, it’s evident they don’t really know the song. They take the stage in purple and black this time.
I think they had to run with their go-to solo guy since they just learned the song, but his voice isn't right for this. He still gives it his all, though, as does the rest of the group. They opt to return to the Latin breakdown at the end, which I think is OK here. Not their best, but a very respectable showing.
Ben credits the group for know when to drop the groove. He says they’re out of their comfort zone, but nailed it. Nicole says it was amazing and fun. Shawn says it’s the first time they didn’t really seem comfortable, but it was good.

Group #2: The Beelzebubs

MC: OK, so in reality, we know The ‘Bubs have "Sweet Caroline,” a fairly traditional song choice. What can they do to make it something special?

MS: There's always a way to make a song your own. They need to put a creative spin on their performance.

GC: I'm not sure there's much they can do.

MS: I agree. It's a pretty boring song. They're going to have to work at it.

MC: I think they need to choreograph the heck out of it and sample something fun during it.

The ‘Bubs take the stage in bright red sweaters and dark jeans. Cheesy wink from the soloist. Very good, clean sound all around. Simple swaying in the background. Soft sound, sort of telegraphs the fact that they’ll explode on the chorus, but gives the song somewhere to go, which is very well planned. They don’t hit it quite as hard as they probably should have, but it’s good. The soloist drops off roses for Nicole. They break out and yell the “So good, so good” toward the end.

Kristy Doot (KD): That was the opposite of spicy.

GC: Very cute, though.

MC: Didn’t take chances, but it was well executed.

MS: I thought their performance went extremely well. I was surprised they were able to come up with the amount of choreography that they had for this song. It worked.

Group #3: The SoCals

MC: The SoCals are assigned “Hazy Shade of Winter.” They come on out in green and black.

The guys don't necessarily sound bad, but the guitar simulation is annoying the heck out of me.

GC: The girls aren’t blending at all. It’s like eight individual people singing instead of a group. The syllables are awful.

MS: I like their choreography so far. I'll give them that.

MC: Ben calls the song epic. He says he lost the song in it a little bit, but that what they did was ambitious. He says if he didn’t know the song, he would wonder what it was about, b ut says they’re getting so much right that they weren’t getting earlier. Shawn loves that they’re taking chances and praises the individual parts. He knocks the arrangement a bit. Nicole digs the energy, and singles out the girls for praise.

So here is a fundamental problem I have with the judging on this show. The competing ensembles are mostly established groups, and most of them are doing the judges’ choice song for the first time. They’re not getting better, and it doesn't make any sense that they would be in this context—particularly given the fact that the judges (with all due respect to Ben and Shawn) actually know less about a cappella than the groups coming in, so it’s not as though their guidance is likely to be that profound.

GC: The judges come from completely different arenas, so they can't give them the advice they need. And I would wager that every single singer who has hit that stage (including Nick Lachey) is more accomplished and talented than Nicole, so whatever she says doesn't matter.

MC: On a sidenote, Gen spotted this—at 9:40 p.m. the official site for the show at NBC.com gives a big spoiler and tells us which three groups are advancing to the finals. To quote them, “The Beelzebubs, Nota and Voices of Lee need your vote. But only one will win, so vote for your favorite group today!” To be fair, they don’t actually open voting until 9:55 p.m. Still, I’m guessing someone at NBC messed up on that one. Or, this was an odd advertising strategy.

Group #6: Voices of Lee

MC: Voices of Lee get Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.” Very clean sound and some smart musical choices, really splitting their parts, blending beautifully and, as they stated in their intro, not leaving themselves open to having just one soloist get compared to Michael Jackson on the most challenging parts of the song. This is a better song choice than the group ever selected for itself. It’s a bit painful to watch most of the girls, as they go all bobblehead when the beat picks up. Still, very good all around--I think it’s the best they have been on the show.

GC: Finally some percussion. Not a complicated arrangement, but it suits them.

MS: I have to say, this sounds perfect vocally.

MC: Shawn’s actually kind of harsh on this one, saying the group lost the feeling of the song. Nicole shares that sentiment, and says she wanted the group, and particularly the soloist to break out more. Ben says he’s not married to the original. Shawn cuts him off to say it didn’t have to sound like the original, but that they can’t ignore the meaning of the words. Ben goes on to praise the way in which the group came together and sang as one, and says they nailed the modulation.

OK, so, ignoring the spoilers, who should get kicked off the show now?

MS: The SoCals.

GC: The SoCals should get kicked off. They were the weakest.

MC: Elimination time again. The ‘Bubs are safe. Nota is safe. Voices of Lee is sticking around, which means the judges see it our way and The SoCals are done.

The swan song for The SoCals is Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again.” The group actually looks more at home and fun in this moment than they have since their first performance. They are having fun without any of the pretension or that staged quality they’ve shown these last two nights

GC: This is the best they’ve sounded. What a shame.

MC: All right, so one last question. Who will you be voting for and why?

MS: Nota. Consistently tight and solid performances.

GC: Well, I personally will probably vote for The ‘Bubs because I love them, but I think that Nota should win and that people should vote for them because, really, they deserve the recording contract. The ‘Bubs are going to record regardless, and they are a college group--their membership fluctuates so much.

MC: I’m going to hold off on revealing my pick and rationale. Over the next few days, I’ll be blogging to make a case for each of the remaining groups, and tell you what argument can be made to justify naming each of the three as champions. From there, I’ll release my official endorsement and let you know who I voted for prior to the finale.

The last episode of The Sing-Off airs live on Monday at 8 p.m. EST on NBC. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this review, and thank you to the readers for checking out what we had to say. Be sure to stop back again for the next few days’ commentaries and one last show review for The Sing-Off Episode Four.