CBS’s Rock Star Supernova Reality TV show in which contestant vie to be a member of a new supergroup including Tommy Lee, Gilby Clark and Jason Newsted aired their 2nd show.  The 14 remaining contestants had a list of songs in which they could choice to sing.

Many reviews have been posted around the net here is a few samplings:

Magni Asgeirsson - My Generation

Much improved!!! Magni went back to the drawing board for his outfit and stage presence, and we got a glimpse of why he was picked for the gig! He has a great rock voice, can scream at will. I think tonight’s performance will keep Magni out of the Bottom Three, but how far he’ll go in the competition is still to be decided. Tommy Lee called his performance “ho hum”.
Supernova thought that Magni was a little “Las Vegas” with his cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction.” I’d be less kind. Magni goes for something different tonight with his cover of the Who’s “My Generation.” In a stellar performance for House Band, Magni belts out a faithful rendition which leaves me very satisfied.

Wow! Talk about a 180. It looks like Magni took some rock lessons during the week. “My Generation” fits him and he fits properly in it. I also think he manages to show a little more of his vocal strength.

Jenny Galt - Tainted Love

I love her voice - it has a distinctive color to it that I like a lot. She did lose the guitar this week, but I felt like she was overcompensating with her hands and upper body to hide nerves. Her beginning was shaky, as she sang a little ahead of the beat. It seemed like the band was trying hard to keep up with her, but she eventually found her way. The next two weeks (if she survives) will give me a better idea of what she’s actually bringing to the table.
I speculated last week that Jenny may have gotten the short straw when she performed a Nickelback song last week. If she didn’t get the short straw last week, she certainly did this week. How’s she supposed to convince a rock band that she’s right for them when she’s doing a cover of an ’80s pop glam song? Exactly like this. Jenny changed the song’s arrangement. She starts soft, giving us a rock ballad and drifts into a hard rock riff. Very impressive.

 Jenny’s version of “Tainted Love” starts out a little slow, but improves as she gets into it. I don’t know if she could handle a two-hour set, though. At least she came out from under that guitar.

Jill Gioia - Violet
After writing last week that Jill Gioia made me think of a wedding singer, she comes onstage this week in a short wedding dress, black leather boots and dead red roses. With the smeary red lipstick paired with the leather and lace, I figured that she was borrowing a page from Courtney Love’s style book. Her performance was dirtier, and more rock and roll. She still has a great voice, but I wasn’t crazy about the jumping she was doing. Still, I had to give her kudos for going for it.

Dave was not feeling the Courtney Love vibe at all. When he called Jill on it, she insisted that this was her own idea, and that she knew nothing about what Courtney was doing musically. Then Dave countered that her song’s CD had a photo of Courtney Love during her grunge days, also wearing a similar dress.

Gilby thought she had a better singing voice than a screaming one, and Tommy Lee asked if she was wearing panties. In my opinion, by insisting that she didn’t know what Courtney Love was into (while looking like a Courtney look-alike), it appeared that she was out of the rock and roll loop. I don’t think that Tommy takes Jill seriously. And I don’t know if she’ll be able to change his mind.

Little Jill may have bitten off more than she can chew with a cover of Hole’s “Violet”. She screams more than sings and gets beat up by the band for doing a bad Courtney Love impersonation.

 Jill claims that this is her rendition of “Violet”. I am not a big devotee of the originator of “Violet” but compared to last week’s piece this looks and sounds to me a trifle more Courtney than Jill.

Zayra Alvarez-You Really Got Me

Zayra has something…She was at her exotic best - black catsuit, sexy and sleek like a panther. The Kinks’ classic was a great choice, as the song gave her plenty space to pose and moan like the diva she is. Her performance was theatrical and sexy. This song was also good because it masks her possible accent issues. Her accent doesn’t bother me, but what about Tommy, Gilby, and Jason???

Gilby was quick to ask Zayra if she knew anything about any of the bands that the Supernova members had come from, if she owned any records of theirs. Her answer? “I was in diapers when they came out.” Ouch!

I admit, I loved her sassy response, but what about Tommy, Gilby, and Jason? Remember, this is the job interview of your life. Do you tell a potential employer that he or she is over the hill? And to come back to Gilby’s point, has she done her homework? It might be time for Zayra to reach in and find some rock roots. But she’s fun to watch.

Last week Zayra lent a Latin flavor to her cover of Evanesence’s “Bring Me to Life”. It was a wise decision as it disguised her thick accent. This week, she goes more traditional, trying to add a bit of a rock edge to the Kink’s “You Really Got Me”. She comes out in a skin tight black cat suit and gives us some kind of strange dance. The performance is, at best, forgettable. She doesn’t earn any points with the band by getting into a spat with Gilby Clarke over how she doesn’t know what their music style is.

Zayra “didn’t really get me”. I find it extremely painful to listen to and watch. The house band, who is often the real star of this show proves that with this performance. I think after hearing her comment, “I have heard of your music”, she’s history.

Chris Pierson - Take Me Out

Better song choice, but he needs more power and energy in his performance.
Dave got a little snarky, and told Chris that he was still missing some authenticity. Jason agreed. Nothing particulary stood out.

This Franz Ferdinand song is one of my favorites of the “new rock” so right away I’m wary. Chris got in hot water last week for bastardizing the Police’s “Roxanne”. This week, he’s much more faithful to the original to the point of being almost karaoke, adding only a bit of gravelly voice to his rendition. Dave Navarro tells him that the performance was a great showcase for House Band. Some of these songs are certainly two edged swords when the instrumentation clearly overshadows the vocals. Chris suffers from having been outstaged by his backing band.

 Nice jacket, dude! Chris is certainly a chick magnet, but I am disappointed that his voice not that as engaging as I had hoped. House band - 2, last two contestants, 0

Dilana Robinchaux- Ring of Fire

I love when women cover songs done by men, and Dilana’s choice of a Johnny Cash song did not disappoint. Dilana has this great gravelly voice, but also a clear tone that she demonstrates every so often when she sings in a higher register. Her outfit was sort of Elvira, Mistress of the Night, which fit her dark and elegant performance. Dave, Tommy, and Gilby all loved her performance.

 I don’t trust anyone who starts out “sing it with me now”. I’m a big Johnny Cash fan, but I am just not getting Dilana’s take on “Ring of Fire”. So Raul, I have come over to your side. By the way, I muted her performance for a few seconds. She sounded and looked terrific.

My least favorite performer of last week was Supernova’s most favorite. And it looks like me and Supernova are headed for a showdown over Dilana as her castrated version of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” draws rave reviews. Let’s be clear. There’s one good cover of “Ring of Fire”. It’s by Social Distortion. Dilana’s mellow, soft, “come hither” version of the song is tantamount to sacrilege and she should immediately be deported back to South Africa for it. Tommy Lee looks like he’s ready to nail Dilana but truth be told, can Supernova really see themselves with this woman fronting them?

Josh Logan - Arms Wide Open

He chose a Creed song? Dude, enough of the riffing. Too much is just filler, and the more you do it, the more it loses its meaning. Dave found him average, and Jason warned him of overdoing the “Stevie Wonder” licks. Amen

Josh Logan is going to get signed, and go on tour, but not with Supernova.

 My assessment of Josh from last week is reinforced this week. He comes out on stage looking very grunge, wearing a ragged red plaid shirt. He looks ready to jump into a cover of Pearl Jam’s “Evenflow” or “Alive”. Instead, he gives us… CREED?! It’s like when you’re about to sneeze… you feel it building up… and then nothing happens. Josh is clearly in the wrong competition. He’s not a rocker. Not even close. Dave Navarro calls him one of the best singers he’s heard in a while but that his performance wasn’t good. Jason Newsted cautions Josh about doing that “Stevie Wonder stuff.” What Josh was doing was closing his eyes and rocking from side to side. Which finally leads me to my point… Josh is a singer-songwriter. He should be at a piano or holding an acoustic guitar in a smokey club playing one of his mellow compositions. What the hell is he doing here?

 Josh’s performance of this Creed song was, as last week, very soulful. He can really work an audience and even looks a bit grungier. One of my favorites so far vocalwise.

Phil Ritchie - If You Could Only See

Good emotional singer, but hard to understand what he’s singing. His song choice was good. Jason also wanted him to stop sliding around the stage, “plant your feet on the ground and just CRUSH it.” But Tommy dug him, so he may be around a bit longer. I had trouble feeling anything for this performance. Phil’s version of Tonic’s “If You Can Only See” is true to the original and technically very good. I like Phil’s potential. He’s got an excellent voice. But he just stands there, often times with his eyes closed. Dave Navarro warns Phil about his stage presence. Tommy Lee complements Phil for being “a good looking boy” and he says he loves Phil’s swagger (I suppose he means how Phil stood in one place and swayed from side to side?) Jason Newsted says he has to close his eyes to enjoy Phil’s voice. He wants to see Phil “crush it.” Yeah, we all do.

 I guess Phil was opting for sincerity, but I see an Elvis sneer or two. Or maybe a trace of Rick Nelson. Pleasant to listen to, but dude, find something to do with the hand that isn’t holding the mic.

Storm Large - Surrender

Since she wasn’t in the first spot this week, I had a better opportunity to check out Storm’s performance. The thing I like about Storm is that she’s natural onstage. I feel like she was meant to be on somebody’s stage. She has a great voice. She gives a great swagger in her performance. Great energy, and a powerful performance.

Dave thought parts of her act was a little Broadway, like Cats. She was gracious and humble about the comments, but I don’t agree with Dave.

From the very first note, it’s clear that Storm is going punk with Cheap Trick’s “Surrender”. It’s a solidly modern version of the song. Even the tempo is accelerated. It’s a damn lot of fun, even if Storm is dress like Pat Benatar circa 1985 (it’s all part of the punk theme, I suppose?) The song loses a lot of its emotion but makes up for it with lots of energy. Jason Newsted compliments Storm on her energy. Dave Navarro fears Storm was a little too Broadway.

Storm seems to have reinvented herself this week. I hardly recognized her and had to refer to my previous notes. Same good tonal quality performing “Surrender”, different wrappings.

Patrice Pike - Heart Shaped Box

I can’t help but think of Jordis Unga’s version of this from Rock Star: INXS last year, but I suppose that memory has no place in this recap. Anyway, she played guitar, and her voice was in good form, but this week I had a better idea of Patrice’s range. The song choice was good, but if she had the vocal chops to kill it, she could have. I still like Patrice, but I’m on the fence this week…

Patrice appears on stage with her electric guitar to perform her cover of Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box” but I’m left wondering if maybe she thought she was carrying an acoustic guitar. She holds her guitar like a country performer and there’s nothing about her demeanor that suggests rock-and-roll. Tommy Lee observes that he’d like to see Patrice drop her guitar “down a little bit… sling it low.” Good, I’m glad that we’re at least seeing eye-to-eye on something.

 Patrice’s vocals on “Heart-Shaped Box” are a lot better than some of her competitors, but not really distinctive. I’m thinking that tattoo is temp; it just doesn’t fit with the image she projects.

Lukas Rossi - Dont Panic

I love the eye shadow on this year’s bad boy Rocker. He has great stage poses, and excellent presence. His voice is versatile, but I still have problems understanding him.

Tommy liked his singing, and Jason gave him a mini-vocal lesson. Tommy teased Jason about that but Jason added that Lukas’ voice is his instrument, and that he needs to take care of it. This is true, Folks. Bad singing technique will damage your vocal chords - especially dangerous for singers on the road with a hectic schedule. Lukas took the comment well.

Last week’s stand out performer - and chief trouble maker - goes to the opposite side of the music spectrum this week with a soft ballad. Having proven he can rock with Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell”, tonight he gives us Coldplay. When Matt covered Coldplay last week, I was left markedly underwhelmed. Lukas, on the other hand, does not disappoint. He’s melodic for most of the song but drifts into growling at the end. Jason Newsted gives Lukas constructive advice, warning him not to constrict his voice like he did at the end of the song. “You have to take care of your instrument.”

 Lukas is quite the actor. I imagine that he chose “Don’t Panic” to show that he can emote. I am waiting for the tear to fall at the end of his performance, but he settles for glitter around his eyes. I rather appreciate that he is knocked down a peg. He may be gifted, but it’s tough to find it in that all-consuming ego.

Ryan Star - Jumping Jack Flash

I wanted more energy from Ryan at the beginning. Somewhere in the middle, he went into the audience, sang through the house, then ran back on stage. He came alive at that point, and the audience connected with that.

Dave mentioned how his venture through the audience turned his performance up a notch. Tommy reminded Ryan how Mick Jagger does this song: ” He’s a showboat, so show your boat!”

Something’s missing for me that I can’t put my finger on. We’ll see…Ryan goes for an edgier, more rock version of the Rolling Stones classic. It’s a great arrangement that would work as a modern single. Dave Navarro and Tommy Lee chide Ryan for not being showy enough. True enough. But the song still sounded good.

 Ryan’s singing is better this week, but his stage presence during “Jumping Jack Flash” leaves a lot to be desired. At one point I notice one arm around his midriff. I want to “see some boat”, too.

Dana Andrews - Born to Be Wild

She has a powerful voice, but she’s still green. She wore a leopard print corset, black miniskirt with what appeared to be thigh high boots. It’s a sexy rock and roll look, but she can’t hide that baby face. It seemed to me that the miniskirt waddle (or maybe the stiletto heels) also prevented her from doing more on stage. She also reacted a bit with one of the guitarists in the house band, but it felt like an afterthought to me. But she was working it, never you mind about that.

Gilby asked if her parents would recognize her, and said that he’d like more “dirtier rock” from her. She giggled that the leopard print was supposed to be dirtier. She should have kept quiet with that comment, as it made her seem like she was playing dress up. Tommy said she was “born to be mild”. Jason said she had “killer potential”. What does it mean? She has the chops, but the band might throw her back in the water til she gets bigger.

Dana’s just too young and her cherubic face betrays her inexperience and innocence. She looks like she should be doing this on American Idol, not Rock Star. She’s got a solid voice, but not a voice built for rock-and-roll. I’d like to see her cover “Enter Sandman” next time, just for a laugh.

 Dana does Steppenwolf: The house band wins again. The “sneer” looks a lot better on her than on Phil, but I just don’t think she has the vocal maturity to make it all the way through this competition.

Toby Rand - “Somebody Told Me”

I loved Toby’s performance this week. He had a strong start, and he maintained that edge through the whole song. He gave a powerful, direct, and sexy performance.

Gilby commented that Toby “killed it” two nights in a row, and Tommy added “Its obvious. Girls like you.” Toby’s answer? “”That’s good cuz I like girls.” This week’s heartthrob award definitely goes to Toby.Put this song up next to “Take Me Out” as one of my favorites of the new rock era. This song by the Killers is a classic and Toby, if it’s even possible, makes this song rock even more than the original. I’m not sure it’s as good as Ty’s cover from last season of Rock Star but it’s good enough to put him in the very small group of front runners this season.

 Toby has a good enough voice, but his charisma seems limited. I really get bored by the fourth time I see a lead singer lift that mic stand. I realize it’s probably too early to tell, but I would like to have seen a bit of the unique during “Somebody Told Me”.

Obsevations:
Jill, Chris and Zayra are in the bottom three by the end of the night. I’m not really surprised. Maybe if Jill can hang in there and go back to being Jill she might still have a shot. As for the other two, probably not. Let’s see if my prediction holds true and we say bu-bye to Zayra this week.

I am still rather stymied by this show. With Tommy Lee as a producer, he obviously has some pull with the original casting of contestants. Seems that they could have started out a mite better. I am just not impressed with the caliber of talent here.

Top Three
Dilana
Lukas Rossi
Toby Rand

Bottom Three
Jill Gioia
Chris Pierson
Dana Andrews

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