Have you been following NBC's show "The Sing-Off"? It started last week, with shows on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. And tonight is the grand finale, at 8/7c.
I haven't been following myself, but with eight excellent a cappella groups competing together on national TV, what's not to like, really? And since we live in the digital age, I am fully intending to get caught up after Christmas, when I have a bit of a breather. You can do the same; NBC will be offering the videos of the episodes on its site until 1/8/10.
I have been following it, yes, and while it's over-produced and American-Idol-derivative, I'm still enjoying it.
ReplyDeleteThe groups rang from quite good to extraordinarily good, and they did make a good effort to get the various existing styles of a cappella into the final eight. There's collegiate doo-wop, Sweet Adelines, gospel, a Glee clone, and a couple semi-pro groups who are doing some really interesting things with their arrangements.
Whoever they have writing the host's patter seems to be (annoying/cutely) stunned that these people are making all that noise WITHOUT INSTRUMENTS ZOMG, which is pretty stupid. The judges do a good job overall - they have a good ear - and Ben Folds is really great. A couple people I know have been watching it just for him.
So, enjoy! I'd love to know what you think.
@ sanj:
ReplyDeleteI did end up watching the finale, since I was home sick. My overall impression was that it was extremely bland. A cappella can be so much more! I think this might have been because all of the songs clearly had to be put together within one week; I'd like to see the first few nights, when all the arrangements were done by the groups themselves. At least they had Bobby McFerrin.
I have to say, though, the judges drove me NUTS. OMG SO BORING BE QUIET. Esp. the only woman (why is there always only one woman?) who had such an overly-sentimental bent.
I'm sorry the Tufts boys didn't win (and they were so sad!) but I think that Nota will be able to make the best use of the opportunity of a recording contract (rather than a college group w/ constantly rotating membership) so I'm happy w/ the way it ended.