EPISODES 1 & 2

Robin's review:

It's back with a vengeance! NBC's hit a cappella competition, The Sing-Off, has returned for it's second season and the competitors are even more fierce than the first season. The ten competing groups are all outstanding. I'm glad I'm not a judge because I would not like to send any of them home. However, if there is no one willing to to send them home the show might drag on forever, and (almost) all good things are only good in moderation.

So, I'll give you a brief opinion of the groups each week. Hopefully, these few posts will encourage you to take interest and share your opinions of the show. I have no affiliation with the show, but I do love a cappella music and am a proponent of seeing it flourish on a national level.

1. ELEVENTH HOUR - the sole high school group on the show. These kids have great energy, lots of personality, and the determination to not be looked down on because of their youth. Fun to hear and see that kind of focus from a young generation that generally has very little interest in anything besides video games, computers, and being self-absorbed. Unfortunately, they didn't make it past the second show, but I do think they have great things in store for their future if they stay with it.

2. ON THE ROCKS - 15 dudes from the University of Oregon (the college of which Acappella's own Zachary Wilson is a huge fan). These guys are a ton of fun to watch. I'm interested to see them get more serious and sensitive. They remind me a lot of the Beelzebubs from Season 1.

3. GROOVE FOR THOUGHT - our resident jazz ensemble. These guys have a warm sound, a great blend, and fantastic ears for tight harmonies. I guess it helps that the majority of them are music teachers. I really dig this group.

4. PITCH SLAPPED - the mixed ensemble from Berklee College of Music in Boston. They have a good look and a great energy, but their sound was a bit forced and not quite balanced from top to bottom. I expected to see them go a lot farther based on their pre-performance vignette, but they were eliminated the first night. I do, however, wish them all the success they can handle!

5. JERRY LAWSON & TALK OF THE TOWN - our resident a cappella legends. Jerry Lawson, formerly of The Persuasions, has teamed up with a group of veteran music-makers to create an unparallelled representation of our a cappella roots. The music these gentlemen make is the type of music on which I was raised. They remind me of a lot of the old church singing groups I listened to (and sometimes had the honor to sing with) as a kid. Mr. Lawson has a humility about him that reminds me a lot of my dad. This group is very special to my heart.

6. THE WHIFFENPOOFS - America's first collegiate a cappella ensemble. This group of Yale seniors have a rich choral sound that is quite lovely. They are quirky, fun, and surprisingly enjoyable to watch. Unfortunately, their stiffness and lack of versatility has cost them a spot on the show. They were eliminated on the second night, but I trust their tradition won't be eliminated for a very long time.

7. MEN OF NOTE - some young, talented singers. These guys are ambitious and energetic, to say the least. The unfortunate part is that their energy became nervous energy on the competition stage and they got a little ahead of themselves. This caused them to be a little rigid and not quite relaxed enough to continue in the competition. They were eliminated the first night. I believe, however, that they are not finished singing!

8. STREET CORNER SYMPHONY - our Nashville connection. I'm a little partial to these guys because they are from Nashville and a couple of them have some connection with Acappella Ministries. Jon and Mark McLemore are two of the six southern cats who just rip it up with righteous harmonies, fantastic leads, and rock-solid time. I'm hoping to see them for the remainder of the show!

9. THE BACKBEATS - our resident conglomoration. This group of twenty-somethings is a mash-up of several different groups from southern California (some of them were on season 1) who have come together to create a very solid ensemble. Their strongest element, in my opinion, is the emotional connection they make with their audience. They really know how to dive into the heart of a song. I'm wondering how this will affect them in more up-tempo music. Can't wait to find out.

10 . COMMITTED - quite possibly the next Take 6. This group of youngsters are from the same college as the members of one of my favorite groups ever, Take 6. There must be something in the water there because these kids are crazy good! Their arrangements are ridiculous, their blend is unreal, their soloists are just dumb, and their overall cohesiveness is out of this world!! As much as I love some of the other groups, these guys are my run-away favorites. I don't know if they can be beaten. I guess we'll find out soon. By the way, Committed is primarily a ministry-oriented group, which makes me dig them even more!

So, there ya have it. That's what I think about season 2 of The Sing-Off so far.

Wes' review:

"The Sing-Off" is back and even better in season two! It's great to see this mainstream celebration of a cappella music on NBC. As we've traveled around the world over the last year, we've seen the renaissance of interest in all-vocal music firsthand, especially among teenagers.

"The Sing-Off" definitely doesn't quench that a cappella spirit. Overall, the groups are probably a little stronger this year. The season premiere was great on Monday, and the performances went to another level on Wednesday after the groups got used to the stage, the environment and the pressure.

Committed probably provided Monday's highlight with Maroon 5's "This Love." Great lead. Infectious performance. Entertaining arrangement. Except for some stumbles on tough falsetto parts, they rose to the occasion again Wednesday with One Republic's "Apologize." Judging from buzz around the Internet, they may be the leader in the clubhouse at this point, but other groups came on strong Wednesday.

Jerry Lawson & Talk Of The Town tore it up with "Mercy." They have a great sound that echoes back to the popular origins of a cappella music. Some people just have "it" ... and Jerry Lawson is definitely one of those people. He effortlessly owns the stage. You can tell he's done this once or twice. :)

Kudos to the Backbeats for a powerful performance of The Script's "Breakeven." Great job emoting the song all the way through and really bringing it at the end. This performance could have gone straight from "The Sing-Off" stage to an episode of "Glee" ... and it will be interesting to see if fans of that show help make the Backbeats a serious contender here.

I love Take 6. But because I'm not a huge jazz guy, I don't just eat up their music like a lot of a cappella peeps. That said, Groove for Thought's rendition of Mike Posner's "Cooler Than Me" may have been my favorite performance of Wednesday night for sheer degree of difficulty alone. The judges said Posner would be proud, and the Take Sixers would be, too.

I'm also a fan of Street Corner Symphony (shout-out to Jon McLemore) and I've been randomly singing "Hey, Soul Sister" in my very best falsetto ever since Wednesday's show ... so that says a lot about the quality of their song choice and performance. Great arrangement, great execution, perfectly natural staging. And yellow glasses. What else could you want? :)

With three decades of experience promoting a cappella music through numerous recording projects and concerts all over the world, Keith Lancaster and Acappella are excited about NBC's talent show, "The Sing-Off." The show is a high-profile platform that will expose thousands of people to a cappella music.

Check out our take on the top contestants after each airing of "The Sing-Off." You can also get the reviews "hot off the presses through our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Episode # 3

Robin's review:

Somebody turned up the thermostat, yet again, on the third episode of The Sing-Off! This time, it was all about classic, feel-good, blood-pumping, nostalgic, great music.

So, which group or groups did I like best? I loved the Voices Of Lee for their soulful, warm, rich sound. They presented a beautiful medley of the music of The Beatles. There were times when I felt like their arrangement sounded reminiscent of Take 6. Outstanding! The judges chose Michael Jackson's "Man In The Mirror" for them to sing. Musically, they were spot-on. Their arrangement, although very good and personalized, didn't lend itself to that same intensity and drive as the original. Even so, they did a tremendous job!

But I had to vote for Nota. The unique Latin vibe they bring to each tune, plus their sheer funkiness did it for me. They broke out with a medley from one of my favorite groups of all time, The Jackson 5. When they got to their song that was selected by the judges, "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel, there were some guys in the group who didn't know the tune. Although their performance communicated their slight discomfort, they were very professional and even more funky! They know very well how to groove and, well ... you know I gotta have groove!

Wes' review:

First of all, a quick shout-out to the SoCals. The "electric guitar" solo during "Don't Stop Believin'" was one of my favorite things on the show.

Nota remains a strong favorite, even though it wasn't their best night. Though I wasn't as excited about the performance and arrangement of the J5 medley as some, it definitely had its moments, especially the breakdown during "ABC." You could tell they weren't as confident on "Sledgehammer," but I really liked the "industrial" opening and the vocal "samples" (whistles, etc.) they incorporated at the end. Very creative and fun.

My favorite performance of the night was Voices of Lee's "Man In The Mirror." The bass line/performance was really good; it added a lot to the song. Anyone who knows Michael Jackson's original knows how big the arrangement is and how he just gushed energy in his lead vocal. But I liked Voices of Lee's chilled-out take. They were faithful to the original without trying to make it an a cappella carbon copy. They took the song to an introspective and reflective place, which helped it stand on its own. I actually got chills on the final chord.

Episode # 2

Robin's review:

The competition on NBC's "The Sing-Off" heated up quite a bit tonight. We saw and heard dramatic improvement from all of the groups, undoubtedly making the judges' jobs much more difficult.

Since I only got to review three groups last time, I'll review the other three groups of the six who competed in Tuesday's show.

NOTA - This Puerto Rican sextet is so much fun to listen to. Their arrangement of "Down" by Jay Sean was peppered with some very tasty Latin flavor, and their treatment of the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" was right on point. I truly didn't miss the band at all. It was rockin'!

NOTEWORTHY - These "nine white girls from Provo, Utah" put a lot of heart and soul into their performances of Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" and Wilson Phillips' "Hold On." This group consists of, I'd say, about 8.5 sopranos, one alto, and two beatboxers who double as lead singers. Very unique configuration. They have a lot of energy and likability, but unfortunately they were eliminated tonight. I wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

VOICES OF LEE - These 10 men and women from Lee University were in great form tonight. The emotion they created in Alicia Keys' "No On"e could be felt through the TV, and they were right at home with the gospel feel of "Freedom 90" by George Michael. They were able to stick very closely to what they do best, and it really showed tonight!

Wes' review:

The second night of "The Sing-Off" was noteworthy (no pun intended). There was a little more focus on the music (rather than the choreography) on night two. That combined with the groups' greater comfort level made for a really good second episode.

I was disappointed to see Noteworthy go. Though they weren't a contender to win the whole thing, I thought they brought a good vibe to the competition (I see the irony in a bass singer "banging the drum" for a bass-less group!).

Three groups will advance to the finale, but I think the competition is really down to Nota and The Beelzebubs. The Bubs were good again Tuesday; the rehearsal highlights for "Right Round" provided a good peek behind the scenes and showed the challenges of arranging a cappella rap. I liked their fun, inspired choreography for "Come Sail Away," too.

If The Bubs' kitsch factor doesn't push them over the top at the end, Nota will win this. "Down" was a great song in the style that Acappella, AVB, Watershed, etc., have been known for. The Latin "instrumental" break and creative ending took the song to an even higher level. Nota brought it again with their Take 6-style arrangement of "Stayin' Alive." There was enough choreography and visual energy to make it interesting without hurting their vocals. They again added some extra flourishes to give them another strong ending.

Episode # 1

Robin's Review:

Kudos to NBC for bringing to light the not-so-well-known world of a cappella music. This show provides good exposure for a genre I have loved my entire life. It proves that it's not as easy as it sometimes sounds. It challenges the listeners' ears to break out of their comfort zones of pop music, or what we might hear on the radio, and makes us listen in a whole different way.

Since I didn't get to see the first three groups tonight, I cannot give a complete review. But I'll give my thoughts on a few of the groups I got to hear.

THE BEELZEBUBS - For us Christians, they have a very unfortunate name. However, for the entire audience, they had probably the most charisma, energy, and stage presence of the night. Their rendition of The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour was very difficult, very courageous, and despite the "pitchy" moments, very fun to watch!

MAXX FACTOR - Regardless of anyone's opinion of "barbershop" music, this group was definitely talented and they earned their spot on the show. Their harmonies were spot-on and, although the lead voice did get covered up occasionally, their version of Dancing Queen by ABBA was delivered with their own unique flair!

THE SOCALS - This group of USC alumni is the only mixed ensemble I got to see. They had a little trouble finding their pitch center, but their choreography and stage presence made up for that. Their arrangement of Queen's Somebody To Love showed their courage to do very difficult music with very difficult movement. Given their circumstances, I thought they did very well.

Wes' review:

My favorite part of "The Sing-Off" opener was Ben Folds' commentary and critiques. He was spot-on with his notes about the difficulty of staying tight musically when you're doing choreography/movement, and the need for a strong entertainment value to keep things at a high level when the harmonies get loose from time to time.

My favorite group from the first show was probably "Noteworthy." I liked that they "brought it" with high energy both vocally and visually. For a female group, their baritones did a nice job carrying the low end at the beginning, and the vocal percussionist kept the vibe going throughout. Some people might not have liked the Adam Lambert-esque "scream" section about two-thirds of the way through, but I liked that they didn't hold back ... and I sensed that they were true to who they were. Good job overall on a tough song and tough arrangement.

Acappella Ministries wants to help you touch people and spread the gospel in your community. Here's how you can book one of our music ministries for a concert or special event.

Acappella - Contact Melissa Lancaster at melissa@acappella.com or (615) 812-6428
Keith Lancaster - Contact Bill Brunkhardt at bill@acappella.com or (615) 681-7105
Durant - Contact Melissa Lancaster at melissa@acappella.com or (615) 812-6428
Vocal Union - Contact Gary Miller at vocalunion@yahoo.com or (615) 594-9330

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