As I motored down the interstate the other day I saw a guy kicking a box down the side of the road. That immediately made me think of Blake Lewis. Blake is best known as the “beatboxer” from Season Six of American Idol. Isn’t it funny how the mind works. You see, when I saw the guy beating the box I thought of beatboxing, which then made me think of Blake. You still with me?
As the seasons starting adding up over at American Idol, we the audience began to see a contestant pool that was blending together. Folks started looking alike and singing alike. So, it was like a hearty slap in the face when Blake Lewis hit the stage for the first time. Not only did Blake’s clubish clothing and faux hawk catch my attention, it was also his unique infusion of vocal percussion into his performances. As the weeks went on I found myself tuning in just to see what he would do next. In the end it was Jordin Sparks’ candy coated smile that kept him from taking the top spot.
Instant exposure ended up being the greatest prize for Blake. His 2007 major debut album, Audio Day Dream, just went through a major replay in my car stereo. It is safe to say that Blake has not gone on to super stardom, but his unique pop/soul/club style certainly did invade a lot of households across the globe. Audio Day Dream is something worth checking out. It is not your typical pop album. If A.D.D. leaves you wanting more, you can check out his 2009 sophomore album, Heartbreak on Vinyl. Fans of Justin Timberlake are gonna be lovin’ them some Blake Lewis.
KC’s Personal Picks: “Know My Name” featuring Lupe Fiasco, “Break Anotha”, and “Gots to Get Her”
Check out the video for “Break Anotha”
Buy the album
When I first heard “Bury Me Alive,” and saw that the name of the band attached to the track wasn’t Evanescence, I immediately hit up the internet to check if Amy Lee had latched onto a new band (the same way I felt the need to double-check that One Day as a Lion was a Zack de la Rocha project. It was).
It wasn’t Amy Lee, but it was Evanescence. Well, sort of. Three of the original members of the band recruited 2008 “American Idol” standout Carly Smithson and pretty much kept the same sound. I’m not kidding when I say Smithson sounds about 89-93% identical to Lee, and We Are the Fallen’s lone teaser track is as catchy and haunting as any Evanescence song. If you loved them, you’re gonna love this.
Having followed “Idol” pretty faithfully over the years (don’t pretend like you haven’t), I remember Smithson pretty vividly as the tattooed hottie with the Irish accent. She was a controversial contestant on the show at the time because she’d previously released an album with MCA before making the show, but she still finished sixth and obviously rode that newfound fame into a pretty sweet gig as the new Amy Lee.
Smithson was reportedly halfway through her first post-idol album when Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody contacted her about joining his new project. So the pop album was scrapped (to a degree—Smithson has said that she’s holding onto the finished tracks for a later solo project), and she officially joined up with We Are the Fallen in the summer of 2009. In the meantime, “Bury Me Alive” made enough waves to get the group signed to Universal, with a full album expected in the spring.
It’s not exactly a super-group, and it’s not exactly Evanescence, but We Are the Fallen is pretty darn close to both, and the little I’ve heard from them so far has been overwhelmingly good. We Are the Fallen is about rise.
lala Music
iTunes Music
Amazon Music
